The following few days passed in a blur. There was so much for Andy to think about and organise that he did not have a second to stop and think. It was only when night fell and he was alone in the darkness of his room that his mind began to unravel and take him to a place that he did not want to be. A place where his nightmares of the suffering his child had endured and once again his wife and where they were now took him over and made him want to scream out in angst. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that his daughter was just down the hall and that she needed him to be strong as Andy was the only family Delia had left. Andy did not know how he could believe in anything like God anymore. Not after all that he had endured. Not when all he had tried to do in goodness for his family and for his son had resulted in almost everything he loved being destroyed.
The day of Ephram's funeral dawned, clear and crisp. The Rocky mountain air moved through the streets of Everwood sharp and biting. The way that you know when you take a breath of it that you are truly alive.
Andy found himself unaware of the people who surrounded him at the church. He held onto Delia's hand and led her to a seat. The words that were spoken seemed innocuous to him. And when it came time for him to speak, Andy found it difficult to propel himself forward, but Nina, sensing that he needed support stepped up to the podium with him. Looking at the people who had gathered to say their goodbyes to his son, Andy took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today. Those I know, those I don't, for all of you have touched the life of my son, Delia's brother, Ephram in some way, and for that I thank you because you helped to make him the person that he was and that person was pretty damn neat.
Ephram was a person who embodied such passion about the things and the people that he cared about that they took him over entirely. He was smart and talented and funny, he saved his theatrical side for our arguments, but most of all he loved and was loved. Is loved. He loved his sister, he loved his girlfriend and he loved the piano. I can't think of a more fitting way to say goodbye to my child than to give him the opportunity to have his passion shared. To give him that final chance to be remembered in the way that I know he would want to be. Ephram never got to play his final audition for Julliard. But I feel that it should be heard. I feel that if anything or anyone is to play Ephram out, then it should be him…"
Reaching for Nina, Andy stepped back from the podium. Music had begun to fill the church. It was Ephram's final audition tape for Juliard. Beautiful and soulful, the music filled the church. In the pews Amy and Delia had broken down in tears.
Amy sat rooted to her chair as though never wanting the sound to stop. She was with Ephram once again. He filled the air all around her, enveloping her, holding her close. The tears poured down her face and she felt her mother supporting her. Amy did not know how she would ever recover from this.
The ache in her soul created a deep, black chasm within her and to fill it seemed impossible.
Delia clung to the words that her grandfather had given her. He had told her that Ephram was back with their mother and that Julia was once again taking care of him and that they would both be watching over them all now. One day, and yes, it would be a long time from now, but one day, they would all be back together and be a family again. The waiting would hurt a lot and we would never forget them but eventually they would all be together again.
Moving away from the podium and back to his seat with Nina at his side, Andy listened to the music echoing around the church. Ironically, he thought, the acoustics in this place where the best he had ever heard. He could hear Ephram laughing at the sheer thought of it. That tormented him. But not so much as the loss of what his son had wanted to say to him before he had been so cruelly snatched away. What had it been? Had it been forgiveness? Somehow Andy couldn't feel it. He so desperately needed to know. Would his child's last words to him have been of hatred? The sheer idea made Andy's insides turn inside out.
Taking Delia's hand he led them from the church into the sunshine outside. Blinking, he thought he saw a familiar figure, but was sure that he was mistaken.
The cars that took them to the cemetery moved slowly through town. It was a lovely place, at the back of town, set high on the hillside, green grass and trees all around, framed by the mountains of Colorado.
The actual burial proved to be more difficult than the service. So final. So complete. As the casket was lowered Andy felt that his world was closing in on him and that he would never, could never, recover from this day. Grasping Delia to him he took deep breathes to steady himself. Looking away into the distance he saw again the person whom he had seen at the church, and this time he was sure.
Standing well back from the group of mourners, tears pouring down her face, was Madison. Looking up she saw Dr. Brown staring at her and made eye contact, smiled briefly, conveyed her message.
Staring in disbelief Andy saw the young woman, standing, mourning, holding her child to her as though life depended on it Andy felt something that he thought he had lost forever in the instant that Ephram had died. He felt his heart burgeoning with something other than the all encompassing grief that had taken over his soul. He felt hope.
THE END
