T.A. Webb by Laura Harner

Author:Laura Harner [Harner, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

We spent the next day talking off and on about our memories of Harley, laughing, getting a little drunk and then a little maudlin. But the thing about Harley was you could never stay sad for long when you talked about him. He was so full of happiness and did so many good things, it was hard to work up a bad temper about him.

Neighbors and old friends spent the day calling and dropping in to see Gary and me once word spread what had happened and that we were home. There were more casseroles and pies and cakes than we could eat in a month of Sundays, and we called down to the shelter and had them send a van to pick up much of it for their clients.

There was one cake we kept, though. Miss Lily, the older lady who lived next door, made a homemade German chocolate cake and woe be to the motherfucker who tried to take that from us.

The day of the funeral was dreary, cold and wet. The three of us made our way to the funeral home, and it felt like a dream I’d been in all week, and was ready to wake up from. No, not a dream. A fucking nightmare.

There were people everywhere. The chapel was overflowing. Thank goodness we had asked the planner to cordon off the front row for us. We were Harley’s family, and it was time to say goodbye to him. We sat next to Liz and the kids. She had refused to stay at the house, and Gary was in the doghouse for staying with Eric and me. One more sin for her to lay at my door, I guess. I loved her and the kids with all my heart, but fucking really?

The testimonials from those who knew Harley both brought joy to my heart and broke it. So many lives this man touched. So much good he did. So how the fuck could he cut me out like that? When it came our time to speak, Gary was passionate about him, Eric subdued, and me? I stood up there and told about how we all met, how he was our family and how the hole in my life and heart might never heal.

Then it was time to go to the reception back at the house. The ladies in the neighborhood had shooed us all away and set up everything, and the set-up was what one would expect at a Southern funeral. Food, laughter, food, tears, and did I mention food?

When it was all over, I grabbed Gary and asked him to go for a ride with me. He looked longingly at Liz and the kids, then at me. I know I begged with my eyes, and he softened and agreed. I left him to explain to Liz and Eric where we were going, and I saw the thinly veiled hurt in her eyes one more time. But she kissed him and waved to me. Eric nodded his head and went back to playing with the kids.

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