48
The call came and John packed quickly to leave.
He could now. He’d had the days to mourn, though the grief was still a constant companion. The younger kids had made Christmas morning what it was supposed to be, and the grownups had managed to enter into at least the spirit of it.
Good old Paps had moved himself into Grumps’ chair so that it wasn’t an empty space in the room. “Good enough for him is good enough for me.” Nori had gotten all sniffly and sat in his lap for a long while despite being a girl grown.
And fate and the Army had allowed him to be there one more day for the burial out in the old family plot and the wake that followed.
Mama stopped him as he headed for the front door. He hugged her hard but she didn’t let him go.
“Paps is waiting, Mama.”
“Let him wait a minut
