Chapter 16
Archer
Friday rolls around after a week of brutal practices, the heat hasn’t eased up and I had to shed my suit jacket at a rest stop on my way upstate.
I’m sweaty, irritable from traffic and anxious to see Cassie and her family and just sad at the circumstance.
Part of me selfishly wanted to ask Ellie to come with me but I knew that would be inappropriate so I had to make do with calling her at her prep this morning.
I’ll miss her lunch break because of the funeral service.
I pull into the crowded lot, don my suit jacket and take a deep breath as I walk into the funeral home.
Looking around I see a lot of familiar faces.
Cassie’s cousins, aunts and uncles, and her one great aunt who always grabbed my ass every Christmas.
I make my way to the front where Cassie and her immediate family are standing next to the open casket.
Her poor brother-in-law is trying his best to wrangle his kids before they knock over floral arrangements when he sees me and greets me with a hug. “Thanks for coming man.”
I return the gesture. “Of course, Frank was an incredible man.” I make my way down the receiving line, hugging each member and offering my condolences when I get to Cassie’s mother Danielle.
I hug her and she seems smaller, frailer than she did.
Tears well in my eyes and clog my throat as she holds onto me.
“Thank you so much for being here.” She cries into my jacket. “He was always proud of you.” The damn breaks and it takes all my strength not to heave a sob.
“If you need anything, Danielle, I mean it, anything, you call me okay.” I kiss her temple and move to Cassie who hugs me tightly.
“Thank you.” Is all she says as she hugs me. I decide at this moment that I forgive her.
“I’m so sorry Cass. I loved your dad, he was an amazing person.
” I continue, “Same thing I told your mom, if you guys need anything you know how to get a hold of me.” She nods, words failing her.
I rub her arm and turn to walk away when I’m met with Mystery Man.
He at least has the decency to look ashamed when he meets my eyes.
“Hey, I’m Archer. I’m sorry for your loss. ” I offer my hand to shake.
Mystery Man takes it and shakes it, having to look up at me as he does “I’m Doug, and I’m sorry for your loss as well. He was your biggest fan.”
Cassie takes a deep breath, “Doug was my high school sweetheart.” she explains.
I’m not going to lie, that makes me feel the tiniest bit better about the whole situation.
Call me a romantic, but high school sweethearts are a hell of a lot better than some dude I met at a bar.
Do I wish they had reconnected before I proposed?
Yes — It would have saved a lot of time and heartache, but I’m not angry about it anymore.
Life is too short as evidenced here today.
I take Cassie’s hand and squeeze it three times, a mento of our past relationship, before releasing it as I turn to casket. Cassie and Doug take a step back, giving me some space as I look down at the man who was a second father to me for a long time.
The tears come as I strangle out my final words to an amazing and inspiring man who helped shape me.
I thank him for everything he’s done for me.
Including me in all the family trips, for driving me to the hospital my senior year when I got appendicitis, for taking me fishing when I told him how much I missed being able to do that with my dad.
I thank him finally for loving me as his own.
I squeeze his cold shoulder one last time and walk away.
I spend the rest of the afternoon talking to members of Cassie’s family and surprisingly Doug. Doug, I come to learn, is a chef at a Michelin star restaurant and tells me that if I ever want a table to give him a call and he’ll ensure I have the best seats in the house.
“There’s one other thing.” Doug pulls me aside away from everyone.
“I want to apologize for well… Everything. What we did, what I did was awful. There isn’t another way to say it.
I ruined your relationship with Cass out of my own selfish desire.
” He squares up, expecting me to hit him; I suppose.
If he had said this to me just a few months ago, I definitely would have taken a swing.
But I’ve worked through a lot of that resentment with Dr. Mondary.
I roll my lips together debating what to say to him.
Nodding my head to myself, “I’ve realized that fate has a way of making sure we get where we need to be when we need to be there.
It’s just not always gentle. I was angry for a very long time, and it took time for me to get here, but I accept your apology. ”
I see the fight leave his body as he sags with relief. “Thank you.”
The rest of the day is a blur as we go from the ceremony to the gravesite. I wasn’t going to follow them to the burial but Danielle and Cassie both insisted that I join them. I feel wrung out and raw by the time I get to my truck. I shed my suit jacket once more and make the long drive home.
While on that drive home I call my parents and talk to them for the majority of the ride back. I end the call by telling them how much I love them.
I pull into my parking garage, but I can’t seem to get myself out of my truck. The silence is deafening after talking to my parents for so long, when my phone starts to buzz. I pick it up to see Ellie’s smiling face.
“Hello?”
“Ty wants to know why you haven’t come upstairs yet.”
“What?” Ty has had my location since we were drafted together. I didn’t have any family local except for Cassie and her family was still upstate. He claimed he wanted my location for safety reasons.
“We figured you wouldn’t stop to eat on the way home and it’s Friday, it’s Mexican night. Sadie is picking up the food right now and Ty is making what he calls his ‘famous Tyson Typhoon’ whatever that is.”
I’m dumbfounded at how all this came together without my knowledge at my apartment. My guess is that Ty let everyone in, but I don’t know if he’s behind the orchestration of the event or not. Words fail me as I hear Ellie’s footsteps echo in the hallway and the ding of the elevator.
“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea.” She continues “I should have figured you would want some silence to decompress but neither Ty or I wanted you alone tonight and Sadie suggested we bring our Friday night tradition to you.”
“How did you get in contact with Ty?” I interrupt.
“Oh, you know, I slid into his DMs, but I was much more eloquent with his message.” I hear the smile in her voice before I see the smile on her face as she approaches my truck. “I’m going to hang up now.”
Hanging up, I get out of my truck and sweep her into my arms. Taking a shaky breath, the act of just holding her grounds me.
“Thank you.” I murmur as I kiss her temple.
“I’m glad you’re all here, I’m emotionally exhausted but tacos and my favorite people sound amazing.
” Ellie’s grip on me doesn’t lessen as we stand in the garage until I’m ready to go up.
We end up meeting Sadie in the entryway. She’s dropping off a meal to Phil as we enter. The three of us carry up enough Mexican food to feed a small army.
There are three overnight bags in my living room as well as a bed of blankets and cushions set up.
Puzzled, I look at Ty. “Ellie and Sadie insisted we all ‘couch nest’ tonight. I learned very quickly you do not win against both of them.” He wraps me in a hug and pats my back.
“How are you doin’? I know Frank was important to you. ”
I answer him honestly. “I’ve made a lot of peace today.”
He smiles knowingly at that. “Go get changed, you can’t eat Mexican in a designer suit. I mean you can but it’s not the same.”
I come out to Sadie, Ellie and Ty all debating theories on one of the books they’ve all read.
It’s one of their romantasy series where they’ve been waiting for years for the sixth one and they’re debating who is going to end up with who.
“I feel incredibly left out.” I joke and grab a plate of food and join them in the couch nest.
Tyson turns to me, his eyes blazing. “I have been telling you for years that you need to read these books.”
I try really hard not to laugh because he is passionate about his romance novels. But the way he told me off just now reminded me so much of my niece and nephew when I say something wrong about their shows.
“We’ll start him off with some pirate romances.” Ellie winks. “That can be his gateway book.” I feel my ears burn at that, truth be told I started reading some of the pirate titles I found on her shelf. I just wasn’t ready to come clean about that yet.
Sadie stands up and nearly falls into Tyson, “Sorry! These cushions are softer than what I’m used to. I’m going to get more Tyson Typhoon, does anyone want any?”
All three of us hold up our glasses. Sadie decides to just bring the pitcher.
We spend the rest of the night like that. In the couch nest, eating Mexican food and drinking Tyson Typhoons while we watch various rom coms and comedies that the girls insist we watch.
Today might have been one of the worst I’ve experienced, but tonight? This night is one of the absolute best.