Keeping the kids occupied, Maggie turned up the radio and encouraged the kids to sing. They drove through the streets of historic Franklin, unaware of Joe’s destination. Turning left from Hillsboro Road onto Del Rio, it suddenly became clear to them where they were going. The cemetery lay sprawling over hills to their immediate left.
As Joe made his way to Grace’s burial site, the singing slowly started to fade.
“Daddy…” said Gwen, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Hey, it’s been a while. We need to do this,” said Joe as he parked the car. Grabbing one of the bags from Maggie’s lap, he helped everyone get out of the car and ushered them to the gravesite.
A simple polished marble headstone inscribed with Grace’s name was situated next to a matching marble bench. Joe gave each of the children and Maggie a separate gladiola and motioned to the stone. “If there’s something you want to say, go ahead kids,” he said.
Gwen stepped forward and placed her flower in front of the stone. There was a photograph of the entire family between Grace’s name and the dates of her birth and death. Gwen remembered that picture. Maggie had taken it on the last Thanksgiving they’d spent together.
“Mom,” said Gwen, choking back more tears. “I love you and I miss you so much. I hope you’re okay where you are. I just want you to know how sorry I am for all the times I gave you grief about stuff. And I’m really taking good care of your jean jacket. Marianne Cooper was so jealous. The first time she saw me in it, she called her mom and made her buy one…but it’s not nearly as cool as yours.” She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat as her vulnerability began to fade. “Well, anyway, I love you. Bye.”
Matty was next. As he laid down the flower he said “Hi Mama. I miss you too. Um…I thought you should know that I’m not fighting with M&M…well, not as much. And Aunt Maggie and Gramma B are making me eat all my vegetables. You’d be real proud of me…”
Everyone laughed as Matty continued on. After he finished, Mary Margaret delivered a similarly sweet and funny message as she placed her flower on top of the two flowers Matty and Gwen had left.
“I miss you, girl,” Maggie said as she knelt down in front of the stone. “Nothing’s the same here without you. There’s so much I want to tell you. I finally dumped Richard…”
She realized her indiscretion in front of the children and covered her mouth. “Sorry, I’ll save that for another visit,” she said softly. “I love you.”
As she rose, she grasped Joe’s hand briefly to steady herself. She gathered the children around her as Joe took his turn.
“Well, guess you really are our angel now,” he said. “I know you’ve got better things to do where you are, but should you get a chance, it would be great if you could keep an eye out over all of us. I know we’d all appreciate it…well, everyone except for Matty, I think…”
“Aw Dad!” Matty said in an uncommon moment of embarrassment as everyone else laughed.
“We’ll be back soon,” Joe continued. “I miss you. I love you more than life, Sweetheart.”
As they headed back to the car, Gwen noticed that there was still a bag with flowers on the floor in the front. “We still have some flowers, Dad,” she said. “Who gets these?”
“Why, the birthday girl, of course,” Joe said as he opened the passenger door. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a bouquet of wildflowers. “This was the only bunch of its kind in the whole place,” he said as he handed them to Maggie. “I don’t know; they just seemed like you.”
Though Joe had no way of knowing, wildflowers were, in fact, her favorite. The varying colors, textures and hues of a simple, rustic bouquet had always captivated her. Roses were lovely, and daises were, as she heard once in one of her favorite romantic movies, the friendliest, but wildflowers looked to her how life should be: all the colors of the rainbow complimenting one another and creating something beautiful.
But flowers weren’t something that came her way all that often - Richard wasn’t into giving them to her, unless he’d done something wrong - and her parents were good to send her some from time to time. But other than that, no one had ever really given her any for any reason. She cradled them in her arms as they made their way back home, counting the whole evening as one of the best of her life.