Ghost of You

The Ghost of You - Chapter 10

EPILOGUE OF SORTS

The week of Dad's memorial was a complete blur. We managed to make all the arrangements for that Wednesday which meant Andy and Allison were able to make it. Bender remained by my side through the entire process and Leo and Mike were really understanding, allowing him to miss a few hours here and there to be with me even though I told him I'd be okay without him there; he wouldn't hear of it.

Many people came to my Dad's memorial, friends and family, and it was a beautiful and humorous ceremony with a pot luck that followed. It was truly humbling to see the love and generosity of so many people that it warmed my heart. There are no other words to describe it. After about of week, life slowly began to get back to normal. Berta went back to the city and Ma and I talked about what we wanted to do with the house. Considering they had paid it off a few years back, she considered maybe selling it.

"I want to get something smaller," she said. "I don't want to be stuck in this house all by myself after you go back to California." What she hadn't known was how I, after a lot of haggling with Mindy, was able to permanently get transferred to Chicago.

"Chicago has a rich musical history anyway and I couldn't think of a better field reporter," Mindy sighed into the receiver, "but I'm gonna miss the hell out of you."

"Mindy, you can visit whenever you want, there's a room for you."

"Ma, I want the house," I said and she looked at me shocked. "I'll give you the money to get an apartment or whatever, or you can stay if you want but, I'm gonna stay." I smiled and I thought she was going to cry, she looked as if she'd positively burst with happiness. She got up from her side of the table and moved to hug me. "Thank you," she said, "Thank you my sweet, sweet girl," and she kissed the top of my head, rocking me back and forth not breaking our embrace. She stayed at the house a little while longer before finding a place in town that was "just the right size" for her. She absolutely loved it and went crazy redecorating her tiny apartment. I was happy to help.

Our house, however, pretty much remained untouched after Dad passed; the book he had been reading before he died is still in my bathroom as we speak. Some may think that's creepy, but I find it oddly comforting and, luckily for me, Bender doesn't mind. We opted to not touch my parent's room but remodeled Berta's room. I think that was mainly out of spite, though. I love my sister dearly, but if the opportunity arises to fuck with her, I'm gonna take it, it's what siblings do.

In June, Allison had a beautiful baby boy that she named Charles John, CJ for short, which I thought was incredibly sweet of her to do. From the moment he arrived, that child was a pistol and it was really cute to see this new side of Allison and Andy. They were going to be fantastic parents. What I hadn't taken into consideration was how it was going to affect Bender. One night, when he and I were at Allison and Andy's house babysitting a few months after CJ was born, I walked in on Bender holding him and rocking him to sleep in the corner. He was softly humming, "Crystal Ship," by the Doors, which was an odd choice, I thought, but it was one of the most beautiful moments I had ever witnessed. He hadn't noticed me leaning in the doorway right away. As I leaned into the frame, arms crossed, and a grin playing across my face, I heard him say, without looking up from the baby, "I want one."

I smiled, being the only one with the knowledge of the child growing inside me. I shrugged and thought, no time like the present.

"Ok," I said and he looked up at me with a confused look on his face. He squinted his eyes at me to study my face and I nodded a "yes." His eyes got really wide and he stood up, placed the now sleeping baby in his crib, and walked over to me. "Don't fuck with me," he warned playfully, "are you-" and he pointed his finger at my stomach, his gaze following suit. I cupped his jaw with my hand to return his gaze back up to me and grinned. "'Fraid so," and I let out a squeal as he pulled me from the door frame and swung me around before pulling me to him and kissing me. It was such a sweet moment, and then, in true Bender form, he thrust his left fist into the air.

....

And cue "don't you forget about me," HA! Done.

Well....that's it! Lemme know whatcha think!