"What are we doing? And where on Earth are we going without Uncle Sam and Ian?" I asked as I tossed my duffel to my dad as he opened the trunk to shove our stuff in.
"Someplace that I should have taken you a long time ago to do something that you should have done a long time ago. And that's all I'm saying on the matter until we get there, understand me?" He asked as he closed the trunk and walked over to the driver's side door and climbed in. I rolled my eyes as I slipped into the passenger's seat and began to buckle up.
"Fine. I guess I'll let you keep it a surprise for me." I teased and my dad chuckled as he started up the engine and turned the stereo on. I almost instantly began to bob my head to the music, murmuring the familiar words as the music began to blare.
It was a long trip because we didn't stop. It was about 14 hours before Dad turned the radio down. I had fallen asleep at some point during the trip, so he reached over and shook me gently.
"Hey, Jess. Wake up." He said and I moaned softly as I opened my ears slowly.
"We there?" I mumbled as I sat up and Dad nodded, staring out the window as he drove.
"Yep. We're here." He chuckled softly and I could hear the soft regret in it. "The place sure has changed since we were last here. But, not enough to change where we're going." He glanced my way with a small smile and I gave him a confused look.
"What? Have we been here before?" I asked and he nodded.
"Not for a long time, but yeah. We used to live here back when you were really little. You probably don't remember it though." Dad stated and I stared at him.
"Dad, are we going where I think we're going?" I asked softly and Dad nodded, turning off of the main road and through the cemetery entrance.
"Oh my gosh." I whispered as Dad drove down the road that separated the different sections of the many graves. I stared out the window, trying to memorize the path. Soon, Dad slowed to a stop and shut down the engine before climbing out of the car. He stood there, waiting for me as I got out and came around so that i was standing beside him.
"Come on." He said softly as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and he lead me between the head stones until we came to a pair resting side by side. I swallowed with some difficulty, my throat suddenly super dry. I could feel the tears building in my eyes the longer they rested on the graves. When I finally found my voice, I couldn't raise it above a whisper.
"Hey Mom. Hey Ben." I whispered, a small smile growing on my face as the tears began to flow down my cheeks slowly. Dad squeezed me gently and I chuckled a little bit as I looked up at him.
"Thanks Dad." I said softly and he smiled before pressing a kiss to my temple.
"Here, I'll let you do what you need to." Dad told me before walking back to the Impala to wait for me. I knelt down in front of the headstones, a lump in my throat.
"Hey guys. I, uh, don't really know what to say. I'm good, and so are Dad and Uncle Sam. They've been taking good care of me." I paused, pushing some loose hair behind my right ear, rubbing my birthmark a little bit before my hand dropped to clutch at my locket. "We've been taking care of each other. I miss you guys. I, I think about you a lot." I murmured, reaching out and touching my mother's stone. "I miss you a lot Mommy." I whisper tearfully.
"Oh my goodness. It's you." I spun around and found this elderly couple standing behind me, the woman holding her hands over her mouth as her eyes shined with unshed tears and the man held a forgotten bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Who are you?" I demanded but the y didn't answer me.
"Oh, Hank, look! It is her! It is our precious granddaughter! Oh Jessica!" The woman exclaimed as she rushed forward and trapped me in a hug, my blood turning to ice. Granddaughter?
