Kevin’s flight had already landed and Lily found him at the baggage terminal waiting for her. As she hugged him, tears stung her eyes. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”
He squeezed her tight before releasing his grip. “I’ve missed you too, Mom.” He smiled and grabbed her bag for her. “I’m starving, shall we grab something to eat?”
Lily had chosen a hotel with a shuttle, so they took the free ride and checked in before venturing out for a late lunch. She texted Donna and Jeff to let them know she had landed. Over lunch, Lily shared Mel’s disappearance with Kevin.
His forehead creased and his face filled with concern as she expressed her worry about Mel. “I’m sorry, Mom. Do you think they’ll find her?”
She shrugged. “I hope so. I truly don’t think she ran away. I’m worried, but Jeff is doing everything possible and he’ll call the moment he knows anything.” She gripped his shoulder and added, “I want to hear all about you and school.” She pushed Mel’s situation to the back of her mind, intent on being present for her son and enjoying their time together.
She loved listening to the excitement in his voice and seeing him smile when he told her about his classes that had just begun last week. The exuberance of youth and his enthusiasm was contagious. He liked most of his professors, save for one, who Kevin thought was full of himself. “I’ve got my flight home for Thanksgiving and wanted to book my tickets for Christmas. I’m off for almost an entire month.”
“That’s terrific. Just use my credit card and let me know when you’re arriving and I’ll put it on my calendar. I’ve already got your Thanksgiving trip down. That will be here before we know it. Cyndy has invited us to her house, so you won’t have to contend with my cooking. She’s an excellent cook.” Lily laughed, but saw the relief in her son’s eyes.
“I miss Fritz, too. It’ll be great to be there and spend time with him and meet Bodie.”
They finished their meal, walked a few blocks, where she darted into a market and picked up a bundle of white roses. They made their way to the Metro station and took the quick trip to Arlington Cemetery. It was one of Lily’s favorite places to visit and was always at the top of her list. Although somber and moving, it was a peaceful venue, over six hundred acres, always beautifully manicured, and an essential reminder of the enormous sacrifices made by the men and women who had paid the ultimate price for freedom.
They took a shuttle to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the military guard as he marched back and forth in front of it. Lily ran a finger under her sunglasses and swallowed the lump in her throat. This place never failed to evoke emotion, but today she found it especially hard to hold back tears as she witnessed the Changing of the Guard.
She looked out at the vast green lawns and the orderly rows of white gravestones as far as she could see. They lingered for a few minutes and then boarded the shuttle that took them through the winding roadways to Section Sixty-four and the Pentagon Group Burial Marker.
The imposing granite structure had been placed to pay tribute to all those lost on Flight 77 and at the Pentagon. Despite Arlington always being a place Lily visited, now it held an even more special significance. This was where part of her mother was.
Some of her remains, mingled with the others who had perished from the plane and the Pentagon were laid to rest here. Lily and Kevin approached the large octagon shaped monument. She went to the panel she had visited many times before and let her fingers trace over the letters. It was always surreal to see her name—Barbara S. Todd, with the diamond next to her name indicating she had been a passenger on the plane. Her actual gravestone was in Davidson, North Carolina, along with Lily’s dad. They had purchased plots years ago and wanted to be buried in a beautiful cemetery there.
Lily closed her eyes as those old memories came into focus. The majority of her mother’s remains had been interred in North Carolina, where her dad visited each week until just a few short months later, when Lily undertook the grim task of having the mason add the date of death to Robert Todd’s headstone. She didn’t think she would survive. She wouldn’t have, without Gary.
She placed the roses near the base, amid the plants surrounding the monument. Kevin ran his fingers over his grandma’s name and then took his mother’s hand. “I know I was so little when it happened, but I have memories of her playing with me. I still miss her. And Grandpa.”
Lily nodded, unsure of her voice and whispered. “Me too.”
Kevin turned to his mother. “Sometimes, I’m not sure if my memories are real or just from all the stories you’ve told me about them. It’s fuzzy, sort of.”
“You weren’t even two yet, so I would imagine some of your memories are from photos and the stories we have told you.” She put her arm around his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. She and Grandpa loved you more than anything. They were so excited to have their first grandchild and they would be so proud of the young man you are today.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I hate that they missed out on you growing up.”
They stood together for a few minutes, the breeze rustling through the trees and wicking away the sweat at the back of Lily’s neck. She admired the view from the raised area, looking across to the massive Pentagon. The place where her mother had endured the last few moments of life. She couldn’t help but think of the terror she must have felt, knowing she was going to die. Despite all the years that had passed, the thought of her mother suffering, shook Lily to the core.
She blamed, and always would, the terrorists for not only her mother’s death, but for killing her father. The stress of it had been too much for him. She knew time had a way of easing the pain and grief and that some survivors found solace in forgiving those that had engineered the attacks, but she wasn’t one of them. The burning hatred she still felt for those men, and all who had helped them, would never leave her. It wouldn’t die until she did.
That same loathing filled her when she thought about the scum, along with his girlfriend, who had killed Gary. Evil criminals had been the ones responsible for taking three of the people she loved most from her. Although law enforcement had been her life’s work and a true calling, she was happy to be away from it. Working as she had, in the Virginia State Capitol, she didn’t encounter many street criminals, but after Gary was killed, her tolerance for lawbreakers had dwindled. The constant reminders of Gary had been unbearable, but she felt herself becoming more and more cynical.
She needed to step away from seeing the worst of humankind. At the time she retired and chose to move, she knew it felt right, but now, having been absent from the only career she had known, she realized it was not only about escaping her memories, but saving herself. Despite still missing Gary and their life together, living in Driftwood Bay as an innkeeper allowed her to engage with people in a pleasant environment without the volatility of the criminal element always present in their daily duties and discussions.
She would always mourn the unexpected and tragic loss of her mother and would return here every September to honor her and all the others. Now, at least, she took some comfort knowing her parents were together, under a beautiful tree, overlooking the quaint town they had chosen to make their home, where they had worked for the local school district. They had loved Davidson and had moved there in preparation for their retirement years. Sadly, neither of them was able to enjoy those golden years they had planned.
Tears clouded her view and she did nothing to stop their escape as they leaked from under her sunglasses. Another year here without Gary and she felt just as weak as she had last year. He had been her strength and had taken care of the logistics related to their trip each year. All she had to do was hang onto his arm and she could get through anything. Now, she didn’t have him.
She took a long breath and glanced at her handsome son, whose profile reminded her of his dad. Gary would be so proud of him. She was so thankful Kevin was with her today. It was almost like having Gary next to her. Her heart swelled, knowing part of Gary would forever live on in their beloved son.
She squeezed Kevin’s hand and led the way toward the shuttle. She rested against the back of the seat and let the breeze dry her cheeks as they made their way to the exit.
Anguish and exhaustion settled over her. This was just the beginning. She had to get through the actual memorial. Tired, she begged off Kevin’s suggestion of dinner and opted for a nap and room service. She checked her phone once more, hoping for news of Mel, but seeing none, shut her eyes and willed herself to think of her mom happy, enjoying her garden, instead of the terror Lily imagined as her plane fell from the sky, destined to crash.