like
that.
When he laid the bouquet
of flowers at the foot of the headstone, the tears started flowing
out of control. He was a man, but even the strongest of men could
turn into a pile of dust when their emotions were spiraling out of
control.
Tyler crouched down and
placed his hand on the top of the stone. He ran it back and forth
feeling the coolness of it beneath his coarse palm. This was what
he was reduced to, someone who couldn’t let go of the past, and
lived every day with regrets of “what might have been”.
It was all too much to
bear, he had to leave before the sorrow turned into anger and he
blew up like a nuclear bomb.
He lifted himself up and
took off toward his truck. As he walked halfway through the
cemetery he noticed a familiar car parked at the opposite end. It
was Maggie’s rental car. What was she
doing there?
Tyler wanted to see her
one more time and if it meant finding her there he would deal with
it, so he turned around and headed toward her car. Part way there
he noticed her standing in front of a large headstone and her body
was trembling.
Something was wrong, so he
wanted to see what he could do to soothe her. When he approached
where she stood, he expected to hear crying but he
didn’t.
He reached out his hand
and placed it on her shoulder. She jumped, and let out a terrified
squeak.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean
to scare you.” He soothed.
“Tyler…what are you doing
here?”
“I had someone I needed to
visit.”
“Your wife?” She
questioned.
“Yes, my wife and
child.”
“But I thought…” She
trailed off.
“It’s stupid I know, but
it was a loss either way, even if it wasn’t my baby.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean
to come off like that, and it’s really none of my
business.”
“No problem. What are you
doing here?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I came to visit my
parents. I figured while I was in town I should say some last
goodbyes since I didn’t attend their funeral.”
Tyler looked at the grave
she was standing by. “So your mom is buried here, but where is your
dad?”
“That’s the thing, he was
supposed to be here too, but I don’t know why he’s not. It just
doesn’t make sense.”
Tyler saw something flash
in her eyes that put him on high alert. Was it fear? Because he
knew for sure it wasn’t grief.
“I don’t know but you
could look at the public records at city hall. Maybe that would
give you a clue to where he is.”
“Good idea, are they open
today?”
“Should be, I could come
along if you need any help.” He offered.
“Yeah sure. But first I
should apologize for the way I acted yesterday; I’m just not myself
lately.”
“Well since I didn’t know
you when you were normal , I suppose I will take what I
can get at this point. Maybe after we dig around I could take you
out to dinner?”
“That sounds nice Tyler,
thank you.”
That was one step in the
right direction as far as he was concerned, if she agreed to dinner
then maybe they could talk and he could figure out what the hell
was up with her.
Sixteen
“I just don’t get it
Tyler, why is there nothing here about my father’s death? No death
certificate, not even an obituary.”
“Maybe we just need to keep
digging, there has to be something here.”
“We’ve been here for hours
already and nothing. I’ve looked through archives, files…what if he
isn’t dead after all?”
“If he wasn’t dead, then
why were you told he was that doesn’t make any sense? Who told you
he was deceased anyway?”
I let out a breath I
didn’t realize I’d been holding in. “My mother.”
“I guess the question is,
why would she tell you he was gone if he really wasn’t?”
I pushed back the files in
my hands across the table. We had been sitting in the public
records office in city hall for more than six hours. I was
exhausted and the realization that my father was still out there
somewhere hit me like a summer storm on the plains of
Texas.
“I think I
that.
When he laid the bouquet
of flowers at the foot of the headstone, the tears started flowing
out of control. He was a man, but even the strongest of men could
turn into a pile of dust when their emotions were spiraling out of
control.
Tyler crouched down and
placed his hand on the top of the stone. He ran it back and forth
feeling the coolness of it beneath his coarse palm. This was what
he was reduced to, someone who couldn’t let go of the past, and
lived every day with regrets of “what might have been”.
It was all too much to
bear, he had to leave before the sorrow turned into anger and he
blew up like a nuclear bomb.
He lifted himself up and
took off toward his truck. As he walked halfway through the
cemetery he noticed a familiar car parked at the opposite end. It
was Maggie’s rental car. What was she
doing there?
Tyler wanted to see her
one more time and if it meant finding her there he would deal with
it, so he turned around and headed toward her car. Part way there
he noticed her standing in front of a large headstone and her body
was trembling.
Something was wrong, so he
wanted to see what he could do to soothe her. When he approached
where she stood, he expected to hear crying but he
didn’t.
He reached out his hand
and placed it on her shoulder. She jumped, and let out a terrified
squeak.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean
to scare you.” He soothed.
“Tyler…what are you doing
here?”
“I had someone I needed to
visit.”
“Your wife?” She
questioned.
“Yes, my wife and
child.”
“But I thought…” She
trailed off.
“It’s stupid I know, but
it was a loss either way, even if it wasn’t my baby.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean
to come off like that, and it’s really none of my
business.”
“No problem. What are you
doing here?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I came to visit my
parents. I figured while I was in town I should say some last
goodbyes since I didn’t attend their funeral.”
Tyler looked at the grave
she was standing by. “So your mom is buried here, but where is your
dad?”
“That’s the thing, he was
supposed to be here too, but I don’t know why he’s not. It just
doesn’t make sense.”
Tyler saw something flash
in her eyes that put him on high alert. Was it fear? Because he
knew for sure it wasn’t grief.
“I don’t know but you
could look at the public records at city hall. Maybe that would
give you a clue to where he is.”
“Good idea, are they open
today?”
“Should be, I could come
along if you need any help.” He offered.
“Yeah sure. But first I
should apologize for the way I acted yesterday; I’m just not myself
lately.”
“Well since I didn’t know
you when you were normal , I suppose I will take what I
can get at this point. Maybe after we dig around I could take you
out to dinner?”
“That sounds nice Tyler,
thank you.”
That was one step in the
right direction as far as he was concerned, if she agreed to dinner
then maybe they could talk and he could figure out what the hell
was up with her.
Sixteen
“I just don’t get it
Tyler, why is there nothing here about my father’s death? No death
certificate, not even an obituary.”
“Maybe we just need to keep
digging, there has to be something here.”
“We’ve been here for hours
already and nothing. I’ve looked through archives, files…what if he
isn’t dead after all?”
“If he wasn’t dead, then
why were you told he was that doesn’t make any sense? Who told you
he was deceased anyway?”
I let out a breath I
didn’t realize I’d been holding in. “My mother.”
“I guess the question is,
why would she tell you he was gone if he really wasn’t?”
I pushed back the files in
my hands across the table. We had been sitting in the public
records office in city hall for more than six hours. I was
exhausted and the realization that my father was still out there
somewhere hit me like a summer storm on the plains of
Texas.
“I think I
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