Epilogue
Memorial Day 2014
When all our tears have reached the sea, a part of you will
live in me, way down deep inside my heart.
The days keep coming without fail, new wind is gonna find
your sail, and that's where your journey starts...
You'll find better love, strong as it ever was,
deep as the river runs, warm as the morning sun...
Please Remember Me...
34-year-old Nick stood before the
gravestone at the Lexington Cemetary and traced the lyrics of her favorite Tim
McGraw song with his fingertips. He blinked away the tears that were filling
his eyes as he stood back and read her name on the grave... "Gracie."
He felt a hand upon his shoulder and turned quickly to see his brother-in-law
Brian standing by his side.
"You alright man?" Brain
asked draping an arm over Nick's shoulder as he wiped the tears from his face
with the back of his hand.
"Yeah, it's just..." He
motioned towards the gravestone and Brian nodded... "I understand."
"Where is everyone?" Nick asked
wiping his eyes with his sleeve and trying to change the subject. Looking
around he'd realized that the rest of the Littrells and the Richardsons had
vanished from sight.
"They're over at the pond with
the kids feeding the ducks. You ready to head over there?"
"Yeah, I'll be over in a
minute... I just need a few moments alone."
"Of course bro, take all the time
you need." Brian put his arms around Nick and the two hugged for a moment
before Brian turned and walked off towards the pond.
Nick sat down on the bench across from
the gravestone and glanced around the cemetary taking in it's beauty. He now
understood why the Littrell family spent every memorial day here. It was an
amazing place. There were flower gardens and towering trees covering most of
the grounds and several ponds where you could come to feed the ducks. A person
could get lost wandering around all day long just reading the gravestones. So
much history was held here in this one cemetary. So many lives beneath the
ground... families, friends, mothers, fathers, children, wives... so many
stories.
The first time he'd visited with Grace
the two of them had been coming to buy a joint plot, making the plans that she
felt deep in her heart were necessary. It hadn't felt so wonderful then. He'd
never dreamed he could spend so much time here. A cemetary had never been high
on his list of places to go and spend a day, but he could sit here all day long
and watch the ducks or just enjoy the peaceful serenity or sit in this spot
right here. He was glad they'd gone ahead and choosen this place to be buried
together.
He glanced over and read the
gravestone again. He had no idea how he'd managed to make it this far, but he
had. He looked up at the sky and said a silent prayer to God, thanking him for
everything he'd done for him, for everything he'd gotten him through. He knew
how different his life could be... he knew it more than ever just sitting here
staring at her name on the gravestone before him.
He stood up and sighed before turning
and walking down towards the pond. He could hear the boys playing before he
even reached the top of the hill and he stopped a little ways back to watch
them. Mason, now 6 years old, was running away from an overzealous duck and his
uncle Brian quickly ran over to scoop him up out of harms way as Kevin and
Kristin watched laughing from a distance. 11-year-old Baylee was throwing bread
out into the pond and rolling his eyes at the others for making fools of
themselves. Leighanne sat on a bench not too far from where Baylee was
standing. She was holding Kevin and Kristin's sleeping two-year-old daughter,
Emily Grace, and chatting with a very beautiful young woman. Nick smiled at the
sight of the woman. She was laughing at something Leighanne had said, her cheeks
were rosy in the sunlight and her long blonde hair blew out from behind her in
the breeze as she cuddled a small baby close to her chest.
He walked down slowly to join the
group and caught Mason in his arms as he once again ran screaming from the
duck.
"You know dude, that duck's not
gonna leave you alone until you stop running." He said with a sigh tossing
him up into the air as he squealed with delight.
Mason giggled and squirmed and finally
jumped down out of Nick's arms taking off in another direction, leaving Nick
standing there laughing.
Kevin and Brian walked over to join
him.
"You alright man?" Kevin
asked, a concerned look on his face.
"Yeah," Nick said looking
over towards where the women were all sitting together and sighing peacefully...
"Actually, I'm perfect."
He left the guys standing there
smiling at him and walked over to where the girls were gathered on the bench
talking. He leaned down and kissed the young blonde gently on the lips. She
smiled up at him as he scooped the baby out of her arms and cradled her against
his chest. He walked back over to where the guys were standing and held her up
for them to see.
"Is she not the most beautiful
baby in the world?" He asked kissing her hand and then her cheek as she
smiled a toothless grin at them.
"She's beautiful Nick. But as her
uncle I may be a bit biased." Brian laughed making kissy faces at the
little girl as she giggled.
"I just can't believe she's
finally here." Nick said as he held her close and she buried her face in
his neck.
"She's a lucky baby." Kevin
responded.
Nick smiled. "I think I'm the
lucky one."
"Nick, honey," He heard a
voice call out from behind him and turned to answer.
"Yeah babe?"
"We should probably get Mia home
now... she should be ready for a bottle soon."
Nick nodded his head and carried the
baby back over to where she stood waiting for him. They hugged everyone and
said goodbye as Nick buckled his baby girl into her carseat. He took one last
glance around the cemetary before climbing into the driver's seat. He had known
when he'd married Grace that he'd be coming to this cemetary every memorial day
for years to come... But he'd honestly thought that he would be here for a
completely different reason.
That gravestone with her name and her
favorite song permanently etched on it was a glimpse of what his life could
have been. Whoever that "Gracie" was... she was Nick's constant
reminder of just how lucky he was.
He looked back into the back seat at
his daughter sleeping peacefully in her carseat. Life couldn't be more perfect.
All of his dreams had come true. They'd been home from China with her for 6
weeks now... she was their own.
He looked over at his wife sitting in
the passenger seat next to him and took her hand in his. The past 6 years of
his life had been a mixture of sadness and triumph, of good times and bad...
but mostly of miracles. For two straight years the doctors had told them that
Grace's chances of survival were grim. Things were touch and go for many months
after their wedding, and at one point they'd even planned her funeral together.
That's when they'd come to the cemetary and bought their plots.
And then, 3 years ago, on a sunny day
in April, almost exactly three years to the date of her diagnosis they had
recieved the best news that anyone could possibly imagine.
Her cancer was gone. No one could
explain how it had happened, and no one dared try. She was in remission and
that was all that mattered. The cancer had disappeared from her body leaving
behind only it's memories.
Those memories and a stronger, far
more humble Nickolas Gene and Katheryn Grace Carter.
Nick squeezed her hand as they pulled
out of the cemetary parking lot and headed towards home... If life had taught
him anything it was that he should appreciate everyday as if it were the last.
Or as Grace had always said, "Tomorrow won't matter if you don't make
today count."
"I love you Gracie." He
whispered leaning over and gently kissing her on the cheek.
She looked over at him and smiled...
"I love you too."
The End
***