The Impala parked in front of a diner. As the engine died, the chorus of Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills went quiet.
x
The boys all entered the diner. It was pretty busy, with lots of people having lunch in their booths. Jim ran off and found a vacant booth for them. The boy sat down, took a menu and held it up for Dean to help.
"Dad?"
Sam took the seat in front of Jim and started going through the menu. Dean forced a halfway smile, sat down next to his son and took the folded cardboard paper from his hands.
"Okay, let's see... We've got burgers – with or without eggs… Pasta...and something I can't pronounce, sea bass, salad if you're a GIRL..."
Sam looked up at Dean. Damn it, now he had to re-consider his order.
"...veggie soup, 'Chef's Surprise' – guess that's code for road kill…"
"I want pizza," Jim decided.
"They don't have it here, Jimbo."
Jim thought to himself while Dean looked over the menu again.
"Did they put mom in a coffin?"
Jim's question cut through the air. Sam put down his menu and Dean followed reluctantly, without meeting the child's eyes.
"Yeah," Dean responded firmly.
"And then they put the coffin in the ground?"
The boy was trying to wrap his head around it.
"That's right. So she'll find peace," said Dean.
"What if she gets cold? Or bored?"
Sam saw his brother squirming, wide eyed and halfway out of his seat, so he stepped in:
"Jimmy, she won't get cold or bored. That's just her body in the ground. Her soul is up in Heaven."
"What if she gets bored in Heaven? What if she misses us?"
Dean jumped out of the booth.
"Nature call. Order for me, will you?"
Sam looked confused at the menu, then back up at his brother again. Dean was halfway through the diner, heading towards the bathroom.
"Well... What are you having, Dean..?"
Sam turned back at Jim. The boy was staring at him, waiting for answers to his questions. Sam faked a smile.