"God, I look scary." Kim said quietly.
Bosco looked up from buttoning his shirt. "You're beautiful. You're always beautiful."
Kim met his eyes in the mirror. "I love you. Do I tell you that enough?"
"Yeah. You do. Do I tell you enough?"
"Always." A smile crossed Kim's face. "What time's your mom coming?"
"She'll be here in a few minutes. Jimmy really okay with her watching Joey today?"
"I didn't ask him. He said if we needed someone to watch Joey, he'd ask his mom. I told we had it covered. He probably thinks that it's Mel or Mom," Kim braided her hair and fastened the end with a rubber band. She smoothed the front of her dress down with her hand before she turned to look at Bosco. "I think Joey's mad because I won't let him come with us. I just think he's too young. I told him I'd take him one day next week and let him say good-bye."
"We'll take him." Bosco corrected gently.
"We'll take him."
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Kim said. "You finish getting dressed."
Bosco nodded. "Be right there."
"Okay."
Kim looked through the peephole and opened the door once she confirmed it was Rose on the other side. "Hey Rose," she hugged the older woman.
"Hi Sweetie. How are you? Did you get the food I sent over?"
"We got it. Thanks. Joey loved the pepperoni bread."
"I'm glad. Where's Maurice?" She asked taking off her jacket and putting it on a hook.
"Still getting dressed. He's almost done though."
Rose looked uncertain.
"What?"
"I don't know quite what to say. I know you've probably heard 'I'm sorry' enough times to make you scream but it just seems like the only thing to say."
"It's the only thing people can say sometimes but I know you're sorry. Bobby's mom said you sent her a card. She wanted me to thank you."
"He was a wonderful man. I only met him a few times but I know that. He had to be. So many people cared about him."
"Yeah they did." Kim said over the lump in her throat.
"Where's Joey? I thought I'd take him for breakfast."
"That'll be good. Joey? Rose is here."
Joey came out of his room and smiled at Rose. "Hi."
"Hey Joey. You hungry? We can go to Markie's. You like pancakes, right?"
Joey smiled. "Yeah I do."
"Go get ready sweetie."
"Okay." Joey ran back to his room.
"Rose, thank you."
"You just get through today. Joey's taken care of."
"Right." Kim nodded.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
Jimmy looked around the cemetery as people started to gather around the grave. He hadn't made it to the church service, he'd had to work for one of the guys who was out with the flu but Cap had called in someone from a station up town so he could make it to the burial.
"Jimmy."
"Hey Alex."
"I didn't think you were gonna make it."
"Cap called in someone from up town to fill in. How was the church?"
"Sad but nice too. His mom said a few things and so did his sisters."
"Kim?"
"No, she didn't feel up to it. Bosco got up and read something that she and Joey had written. It was sweet."
"How are you?"
"I'm okay. We may not have been a romantic match but I was beginning to find out how good a friend he was."
"That he was. Even when he didn't like you he could be a pretty decent friend."
Alex nodded. "Have you talked to Kim?"
"Once. I told her I'd tell Joey."
"How'd he take it?"
"Not well. I think he's still a little mad that Kim and I wouldn't let him come today. We think he's too young."
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "I think they're ready to start."
Jimmy nodded. He looked around till he found Kim. She was standing with Bosco. He was glad she had someone there for her. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't.
Bosco looked up from buttoning his shirt. "You're beautiful. You're always beautiful."
Kim met his eyes in the mirror. "I love you. Do I tell you that enough?"
"Yeah. You do. Do I tell you enough?"
"Always." A smile crossed Kim's face. "What time's your mom coming?"
"She'll be here in a few minutes. Jimmy really okay with her watching Joey today?"
"I didn't ask him. He said if we needed someone to watch Joey, he'd ask his mom. I told we had it covered. He probably thinks that it's Mel or Mom," Kim braided her hair and fastened the end with a rubber band. She smoothed the front of her dress down with her hand before she turned to look at Bosco. "I think Joey's mad because I won't let him come with us. I just think he's too young. I told him I'd take him one day next week and let him say good-bye."
"We'll take him." Bosco corrected gently.
"We'll take him."
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Kim said. "You finish getting dressed."
Bosco nodded. "Be right there."
"Okay."
Kim looked through the peephole and opened the door once she confirmed it was Rose on the other side. "Hey Rose," she hugged the older woman.
"Hi Sweetie. How are you? Did you get the food I sent over?"
"We got it. Thanks. Joey loved the pepperoni bread."
"I'm glad. Where's Maurice?" She asked taking off her jacket and putting it on a hook.
"Still getting dressed. He's almost done though."
Rose looked uncertain.
"What?"
"I don't know quite what to say. I know you've probably heard 'I'm sorry' enough times to make you scream but it just seems like the only thing to say."
"It's the only thing people can say sometimes but I know you're sorry. Bobby's mom said you sent her a card. She wanted me to thank you."
"He was a wonderful man. I only met him a few times but I know that. He had to be. So many people cared about him."
"Yeah they did." Kim said over the lump in her throat.
"Where's Joey? I thought I'd take him for breakfast."
"That'll be good. Joey? Rose is here."
Joey came out of his room and smiled at Rose. "Hi."
"Hey Joey. You hungry? We can go to Markie's. You like pancakes, right?"
Joey smiled. "Yeah I do."
"Go get ready sweetie."
"Okay." Joey ran back to his room.
"Rose, thank you."
"You just get through today. Joey's taken care of."
"Right." Kim nodded.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
Jimmy looked around the cemetery as people started to gather around the grave. He hadn't made it to the church service, he'd had to work for one of the guys who was out with the flu but Cap had called in someone from a station up town so he could make it to the burial.
"Jimmy."
"Hey Alex."
"I didn't think you were gonna make it."
"Cap called in someone from up town to fill in. How was the church?"
"Sad but nice too. His mom said a few things and so did his sisters."
"Kim?"
"No, she didn't feel up to it. Bosco got up and read something that she and Joey had written. It was sweet."
"How are you?"
"I'm okay. We may not have been a romantic match but I was beginning to find out how good a friend he was."
"That he was. Even when he didn't like you he could be a pretty decent friend."
Alex nodded. "Have you talked to Kim?"
"Once. I told her I'd tell Joey."
"How'd he take it?"
"Not well. I think he's still a little mad that Kim and I wouldn't let him come today. We think he's too young."
"Yeah." Alex nodded. "I think they're ready to start."
Jimmy nodded. He looked around till he found Kim. She was standing with Bosco. He was glad she had someone there for her. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't.
