Epilogue
The
funeral was two days later. A large
crowd of people, including Tara’s parents, AJ’s mother, and all the guys, were
there. Many of Tara’s friends from high
school had showed up, some who AJ didn’t even know. He graciously accepted their expressions of
grief for the loss of his wife, but inside, he felt numb.
He
held Madison on his lap during the ceremony, and surprisingly, she sat
perfectly still, without whining or fidgeting at all. She now understood what it meant to die. When Tara’s casket was lowered into the
ground, AJ threw the first handful of dirt into the grave, followed by Madison,
who began to cry immediately after. AJ
scooped her up and hugged her to him, letting her cry on his shoulder. He knew no words could comfort her know, just
as know words could comfort him either.
He only wanted it to be over soon so he could go home and sleep, for
when he was asleep, he could forget the horrible pain he was in.
***
As
the weeks passed, AJ’s pain lessened, but he knew he could never totally get
over Tara’s death.
He
thought back to the night that he had first met her, although he had been so
drunk at the time that he could barely remember. That night had changed his life. Because of it, it had given him a fatal
disease that there still was no cure for.
But the change wasn’t all bad.
Because of that one night, AJ had been blessed with a beautiful
daughter, and a wonderful wife. But even
though that one night had become hazy in his memory, AJ knew that he could
never forget Tara, the woman he had grown to love and would love for all
eternity.
The End
