Chapter thirty-four
Mid- July, part two
Sam was the first to speak. "What's wrong, dad?"
John sighed as he sat the kitchen table. "There's no easy way to say it so I guess I'll spit it out. Your uncle bobby, he got bad news, Karen passed away while he was at work."
Dean hadn't realized this but he had actually been frozen in place since his dad got home, awaiting whatever awful news his dad was going to tell him. And when he heard it, he breathed out a sigh of relief and then immediately regretted it as he was ashamed.
He wondered if it was awful of him to be relieved that for once, nothing was wrong with his dad or his brother. Of course, he felt bad for Bobby and he had always loved Karen, over the years, she had been like an aunt to him. But for a second, Dean was relieved. Then of course, he sobered up and said, "Okay, so when's the funeral?"
Sam, ever the one to always want to discuss feelings threw a glare at his brother, "Dean, she just died today." Then he turned toward his father and softened his facial expressions and said, "How are you feeling, dad?"
John gave a smile small to his youngest son. "I'm alright, I can't imagine what Bobby's going through, probably the same thing I went when I lost your mom." John shook his head and blinked, trying to keep his tears at bay. John added, "Karen was a strong one but the Alzheimer's was stronger."
Sam nodded, not knowing what else to do. At the same moment, his dad got up and went to get something from the fridge. After he rummaged through it, he took out a beer bottle, puffed it out triumphantly, and said, "aha." Then he went to the cupboards to get something out of there.
Meanwhile, Dean and Sam shared bewildered looks at their dad's strange behavior but decided not to say a word.
Within minutes, John then returned to the table, and placed three plastic cups, each filled with a bit of beer. He pushed one cup to Sam and one to Dean and said, "I'll allow it just this once." Then he winked at Dean and Dean knew that his dad most likely suspected that he had drunk beer before but Dean didn't say anything and grabbed the cup, brining it to his lips. Sam meanwhile took the cup as well but was looking at it as if drinking the beer in it would somehow turn him into a toad.
Dean about to sip the beer when his dad stopped and said, "Dean, Sam, I didn't suddenly decided to give you boys beer just so that you can drink it, plus I know some of us aren't so keen to it." John added and smiled at Sam, who shrugged sheepishly. Then John raised his cup and said, "To Karen, the woman who wasn't only my best friend's wife but was also like a sister to me, may she rest in peace."
Sam and Dean took their cups and clinked it with their dad's cup and then the three of them drank from their cups.