The day of the funeral...
As Gomer stood before Sergeant Carter's casket, the endless stream of tears that previously refused to escape now flooded his eyes. No words could express the pain he felt his heart. The loss of such an important figure in his life was simply unbearable.
"It ain't fair, Sergeant, it just ain't fair..." Gomer pleaded between sniffles as if pleading for Sergeant Carter come back. "You was my best friend!"
As Gomer bent over the casket lid, he could not hold back his emotions any longer. He simply could not believe that Sergeant Carter - his best friend, his trainer, his one true confidant - was really gone. The very idea of a world without him was too much to bear.
As he stood there in tears, Gomer felt a gentle hand rest on his back. Surprised, he turned to find a young woman standing behind him with a compassionate expression. From her seat, she had been watching Gomer bid farewell to his mentor, her heart going out to the grieving Marine.
"Hi, Gomer," she finally spoke up after waiting for him to compose himself a bit more, "I'm Olivia Sarver, Sergeant Carter's goddaughter."
Gomer huffed back to catch his breath and find his voice. "I'm sorry, ma'am. It just don't seem right..." he paused to sniffle back more tears. "Sergeant Carter, he was my whole world. I can't believe I'm never going to see him again!"
"He loved you too, Gomer," Olivia said softly, knowing of their connection. "Uncle Vince always spoke so highly of you. He considered you his best and truest friend."
Hearing Olivia's words awakened hope within Gomer's heart. He so badly wanted to believe her words, to simply know that Sergeant Carter cherished their bond as deeply as he did.
"He was everything to me, Miss Sarver," Gomer admitted through his tearful pain. "A teacher, father and brother, all wrapped into one. I just don't know how I can go on without him."
Aching to console him, Olivia pulled Gomer away from the casket, guiding him to stand upright. With a reassuring smile laced with her own tear filled eyes, she wrapped her arms around him. Her own grieving heart melted at the sound of his sobs.
"Let it out, Gomer," she soothed, calming empathy flowing from her sweet voice. "It's okay to cry. I loved him too. I knew him my whole life."
In the comforting presence of Olivia's caring touch, Gomer allowed himself to fully grieve. His sobs grew louder, his tears flowed freely, and he finally succumbed to the overwhelming pain he had been carrying. The sound of his fast, wet sniffles broke Olivia's heart as he mourned the loss of his beloved friend. Even his fellow platoon, all watching the heartbreaking scene unfold, could not help but tear up.
Olivia compassionately tightened her hold on Gomer as she whispered soothingly into his ear. "It's going to be okay. I know it hurts now, and it will hurt for a long time, but I promise you, you won't have to face this alone."
Gomer clung to Olivia, releasing the sadness that had been trapped within his shattered heart. For the first time since learning of Sergeant Carter's passing, he began to believe that he could go on, for he owed it to Sergeant Carter. Knowing she loved and missed the sergeant as much as he did, their shared grief seemed to lessen, even if only slightly, in her presence.
Olivia refused to let go of Gomer as his body shook from the sadness within him. The platoon men, including a very visibly upset Duke, watched from their seats as Gomer cried out the pain that had had previously been locked within him. Olivia lovingly pressed his head into her, feeling his tears drench her shoulder. In that moment, everyone in the room reflected on the respect they all held for Sergeant Carter, knowing he and the lessons he taught them would never be forgotten.
As Gomer's tears finally began to subside, Olivia continued to soothe and console him, repeating, "Shhh, you'll be okay. It's all going to be okay."
And in that moment, with platoon members surrounding him as well as his mind and heart overflowing with memories, Gomer found comfort and contentment in the arms of his mentor's beloved goddaughter. He began to believe that perhaps, over time, he could find a way to honor the memory of his best friend, mentor, and father figure - Sergeant Vince Carter.