I dressed myself soberly, trying to keep the dream out of my head. I met Charlie downstairs; he had already eaten. I quickly ate a bowl of cereal, then left the bowl in the sink for later. I rode with Charlie today, in his cruiser, to the funeral. When we arrived, most of the La Push gang were already there, but it looked to be a small gathering for Harry. Jacob glanced over our way, but looked rather preoccupied. I wondered if I had hurt him too much yesterday, but as we all went to sit down, he sat by me and took my hand. It felt lovely and warm, of course, but soothing too. Charlie went to sit with Sue and Billy; Embry sat next to Jake, and the rest of the pack were nearby. Quil sat with them, a look of satisfaction on his face. He must have transitioned in the last day or so. Perhaps the grief of losing Harry helped bring him through the final stage. Sue and each of her children made a brief speech about Harry. I was surprised at the strength that Leah and Seth showed – Seth was only fourteen, even if he was very tall. Before long the ceremony was over, and we were all filing out again.
It seemed there was to be a gathering at Billy's place, where we could all remember Harry, and celebrate his life. I travelled with Jacob this time, in his Rabbit. It felt good to be together at a time like this. When we arrived, others were setting up some tables for food. Emily had outdone herself, with seemingly hundreds of platters emerging from her car. As everyone milled around, I heard snippets of conversations, listened to stories of Harry as a boy, as an adolescent, and as a man. Some simply discussed shared memories, while others recounted funny stories of things Harry had done or said. As the sun moved across the sky, I really appreciated the feeling of community, and family, that the people of La Push had. At one stage Sue requested a photograph of everyone who had come to celebrate Harry's life. I tried to sidle out of the way, but Jacob firmly escorted me back to the group, where he and his wolf brothers were assembled. We all raised our glasses for the photo,
"Harry!"
The gathering at La Push had lasted until evening, when people finally drifted back to their homes. As I dragged my clothes off my body and pulled on my pyjamas, I thought I caught a glimpse of russet in the forest. But before I could be sure, it was gone. I wondered sleepily why Jacob would possibly be out patrolling the neighbourhood after such a long day.