Chapter 24
RORY
Imade the call to Jill when Grady was asleep, and I knew he’d not hear what I would be discussing.
He’d taken his mother's death better than both Jill and I expected. Things he said made us realize he noticed that his mother wasn’t the best she could be as a parent.
It’s not that he didn’t love her. He just isn’t as torn up as we expected him to be.
“Jill, how are you?” I ask as soon as Jill takes my call.
“I’m keeping busy and not thinking too hard.
I have spoken to the funeral home and everything my mother wanted is now being organized.
She wanted simplicity, and that’s what she’ll get.
It’s like she never existed in some ways because nobody is going to turn up for the funeral.
It makes my heart break, but it is what it is. ”
“How are you, really? Because you sound like you are telling me what you think I need to hear, and not what you are really feeling.”
Jill sighs. “Honestly, I’m okay. Like Grady, I suppose.
We are both so used to her not being around that we are not going to miss her as much as you would expect.
In so many ways, I have been Grady’s sister and mother, and that will never change.
I feel like he’s mine in more ways than just a brother.
I want what is best for him, and I’ll work my ass off, Rory, to make sure he gets that. ”
“Well, you have another sibling now. I know I’m not official, but I am here. Whatever you need I’ll give you, get you, or help you. That’s what family is all about, and Jill I’ve not had a family for a while so don’t think I don’t cherish what Grady and you have given me.”
More sniffling from Jill before she replies.
“I always wanted a sister, and I don’t think I could have chosen a better one than you, Rory.
Grady loves you so much already. You know he talks about you all the time.
In fact, I’m sick of hearing, Rory this, Rory that, Rory, Rory.
” I would think she was annoyed, but she laughed, taking me a little by surprise.
“You can take him to the places I don’t want to, like ice skating, ice hockey, you know all the cold places. ”
I laugh at her comment. “I can do that, Jill.”
“I’m going to ask you to stand with Grady and me at the funeral, Rory. If one of us is on each side of him I don’t think it will hit him as hard. Would you be okay with doing that?” Jill asks me tentatively.
“You don’t have to ask. I will be there with you both, and for you. Do you need anything for after the funeral?”
“No, I’m not doing anything except taking Grady home and getting his life back to normal as fast as I can.”
I can understand how she wants to get things back to normal.
It took me quite some time after Terrence.
I think I’m finding a new normal amongst the people I work with, the MC brothers I’ve met and Truck who I now admit to myself I see as more than just a single date.
“Okay. Let me know when the funeral is, and I’ll make sure Grady is ready for it. ”
“Thanks, Rory. I’ve got to go now, but I’ll speak to you again later today. I’d like Grady to come home on Friday if that is okay with you. I’d like to have a night with him where I can feel normal for a minute.”
“No problem, Jill. Are you alright for money? Do you need any payments made? I only ask because I missed a payment right after Terrence died. I was just so dazed that I never realized until I got a letter,” I put the question the best way I can without it making Jill feel awkward.
“I have enough money for the moment. I’ll pick Grady up from school on Friday, Rory. That will give you an evening where it’s quiet.” Jill laughs and I snort, which makes both of us laugh more.
“Okay, Friday you collect Grady, and I’ll see you when you bring him back. It is okay any time to come to me, Jill.”
“Thanks, Rory. I’ve gotta go, talk soon.”
Jill cuts the call and is gone before I can say goodbye, but I’ve noticed that the people I’ve met here don’t always say goodbye and just cut the call. It’s odd to me, but I don’t find it offensive either.
I’m going to guess that the funeral will more than likely be late next week.
Plenty of time for me to get Grady ready if Jill doesn’t have time.
I know Jill is busy with financial things she has to get organized, and she mentioned something about the house, which I thought was rented, but with something she said I’m not sure it was!
Truck collected Grady after he’d eaten at the diner with me, then took him home.
I’m grateful that Truck is good with Grady and they seem to have an easy relationship.
From what I’ve heard Grady say, he enjoyed being at the clubhouse and everyone was kind to him.
The only thing I’m worried about is this ghost thing I keep hearing about.
The evening meal service is running smoothly. Our regulars are enjoying their meals and companionship. We have quite a few older diners who come regularly, and not just for the meal. They enjoy the socializing that happens in an evening at the diner.
Mrs. Willoughby, who runs one of the grocery stores on Main Street, is one of the regular diners in the evening. She is sitting with her friend of thirty years, Mrs. Galloway. They are laughing and reminiscing as I pass their table, and I smile at the easy friendship that they share.
Clearing a table, I turn to Shelby, who is working alongside the new woman, Fallon. “Shelby, are you going to Jill’s mother's funeral?” I ask as I wait for her to pass me a meal for one of the tables.
“Yeah, I think we all should go. Close the diner for a few hours. It is the right thing to do,” Shelby responds.
“I’m going to stand with Grady and Jill. I think Jill is dealing with everything so calmly that I’m a little worried about her,” I lean on the counter and drop my voice. “Do you think we could all keep an eye on her in case she needs us?”
“I agree, and I had thought that myself, Rory. Yeah, we’ll all keep watch and if she needs us, we are here,” Shelby passes me a plate, and I take it over to Bellamy who is a regular when he is in town.
He’s a trucker, and from what I’ve heard he’s never been married and enjoys living alone and driving all over the state.
“Here you go, Bellamy,” I give him a smile as I place his plate in front of him.
“Thanks, Rory,” Bellamy replies while picking up his fork. I turn and walk away thinking he’ll have that meal gone in five minutes flat.
I hardly get to the counter when I hear a thud.
Turning I see Bellamy on the floor next to his table.
I rush over and I admit I panic. I scream that someone needs to help Bellamy and look around frantically.
Shelby is on her knees next to Bellamy in seconds.
She’s pumping his chest and doing all the things that you are supposed to do, but I turn my back because I can’t watch.
Someone shouts, “I’ve called 911.”
“Is it a heart-attack?” “What can I do?” “Shit, is he dead?” All these comments are flying and I can’t think of anything except Please don’t die!
The emergency paramedics rush into the diner. I stand back near the wall, well away from what is happening. When I hear that Bellamy is dead, I cover my mouth, and tears pour down my cheeks. Bellamy is only in his late thirties, not old enough to suddenly die.
The diner goes quiet, and everyone is looking at each other. We are all in shock. But what happens next is even more shocking. Bellamy takes a huge intake of breath. You could hear it whoosh into his lungs. He jerks so hard his back leaves the floor.
Everyone starts to shout, and the paramedics are over Bellamy again. “He’s back with us. How the hell has this happened?” We all look at the shocked paramedic, who had been working on Bellamy for all of ten minutes earlier and said he was dead.
It’s mayhem for at least twenty minutes as they rush away with Bellamy and everyone retakes their seats.
Some resume eating as though this is an everyday occurrence.
I’m shaken at how easily people can be here one moment and gone the next.
Bellamy was so close to how I lost Terrence that it has shaken me badly.
I continued the rest of the evening, but my usual bright personality was dimmed, along with most of the diners. We are all thrilled that Bellamy is alive and at the hospital. I hope they can find out quickly what happened and make sure he’ll be okay.
The next morning Jill arrives at my house, and over a drink she tells me about the funeral arrangements. Everything is simple and will not take long I’m sure. It’s a sad thing when you end your life and it only takes minutes to lay you into the ground.
“You are not having a church service, Jill?”
Jill shakes her head. “No, only at the graveside service. Momma has been cremated, so we’ll be burying an urn and not a coffin. I’m hoping Grady will be okay when he sees that.”
“Would you like me to prepare him for that? I can talk him through it simply without going into detail. I won’t lie to him if he asks me questions, but I won’t tell him anything that will give him nightmares,” I take hold of Jill's hand while I wait for her to answer.
“No, but thank you. I’ll talk to him Friday night while he is home with me. I’ll make sure he is okay, but if he asks you any questions, then by all means, answer him, Rory.”
Jill leaves shortly after, and I quickly clean the kitchen, check everything is tidied in my bedroom before throwing in a load of laundry. I am keeping Grady’s laundry to a minimum as I don’t want him running out of clean clothes, and we didn’t bring too much when we packed his things.
I quickly open the door when I hear knocking, and opening it I’m surprised to see Truck. “Hello Truck. Are you not at work today?”
Truck grins. “I gave myself a free day and put Ian, the prospect, in for a day of learning experience.”
“Come through to the kitchen. Do you want a drink?”
“I’ll have a coffee. I’ve been at the gas station before coming here, and the coffee Rum has in the office is so thick you could chew on it,” Truck laughs at his own description of the coffee.
“You obviously have something on your mind, so out with it,” I ask because honestly, I’m not one for pussyfooting around.
“I want to talk to you about Cilla, her ability, and how it doesn’t affect anyone.
She will not tell you anything about what she does, sees, or hears if that is what you want.
” Rubbing the bridge of his nose, a trait I’ve only seen him do once before, he continues, “Your husband has left a message for me, through Cilla. He wants to know that I am not leading you on, and I won’t hurt you.
I have promised, again through Cilla, that I would never hurt you purposefully.
I make that promise with my hand on my heart, Rory. ”
“I’ve had nothing to do with anyone who can see or hear dead people. It freaked me out, and when I saw that at the gas station I had to get out of there.”
“Rum finds these things comforting. Knowing his wife is not gone forever, and that one day they will be reunited. It has taken some of the loneliness from her leaving, away from him. He likes to be able to feel she is watching over him.”
I nod and hope I understand how Rum feels.
“I don’t want Terrence to be waiting for me to die to reunite with him.
I want him to move on, be reborn, or whatever is next.
I still love him, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life waiting to go to him.
I want to live as he told me to do before he died. ”
“If you would speak with Cilla, she could tell Terrence how you feel. Or you could just speak to him, and I’m sure he’d move on if that is what you want him to do.
As for us, we are going to move forward and get to know each other properly.
I like you more than a little, Rory. I want us to be a couple, a genuine relationship, and if you are willing, I’d like to start that now? ”
A plate on the counter slides, and both Truck and I look at it, and then at each other. “Get a life you lot. Move along, we are busy,” Truck snarls at nothing and nobody that we can see, anyway.
The plate moves again, and I whisper to Truck. “Who is it?”
“No idea,” Truck replies to me, then turns back to the counter. “Fuck off and talk to Cilla, or go play tricks on Pres.”
“Play tricks on Pres? What do you mean?” I ask with a lot of confusion.
“Tracker is fascinated with all this spooky shit. He keeps asking them to do things and then waits to see if they do. One has even managed a partial thing, um, not sure what they call it, but showed himself slightly.”
“You mean an apparition?”
“Yeah, that’s it. They are all messing with stuff on the other side.
Pyro, who, as you can tell by his name, loved fire, we’ve seen him make small fireballs appear.
Tank? I’m not sure. But Tank, yeah, he appeared.
Cilla’s baby girl, Ayla, keeps saying “Ono,” which is Bono, and that pissed Finger off because he’s Ayla’s daddy and she’s not said that yet.
” Truck chuckles, “Oh, and Tracker is doing his best to get Ayla to say Tracker before she says dada, dad, or daddy.”
“I told Cilla you are all batshit crazy, and I think I’m right.”