Alex twirled Adelia around in the air with a tight grip on her arms as he spun around. Her music like laughter filled the air as she Alex spun faster and faster.

“Ew daddy, cooties!” Adelia squealed as Alex slowed down and pulled her into his chest, hugging her and placing a sloppy wet kiss on her cheek.

“I don’t have cooties, silly bug!” Alex chuckeled.

“uh huh” Adelia poked his cheek.

Alex shook his head and sat her back down on the ground. “You have cooties!” Alex retaliated like a five year old.

“nu uh, only boys have cooties---ducks!” Adelia took off running towards the pond and stopped at the edge. She reached her hand out trying to call the ducks to her. Alex smiled and shook his head, her attention span reminded him of Jack.

“She’s something else, huh?” Janie wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist from behind and rested her head on his back. Alex brought his hands up to rest on hers “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me” he confessed as he turned around for to face Janie. Janie smiled admirably at Alex, his love for his daughter blew her away. She of course loved Adelia with her whole heart too but with good reason she still held a small doubt in her mind about Alex. She had forgiven him and was glad to have him back but she couldn’t shake the past from her mind. Alex cupped her face with his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks before he gently kissed her lips. He rested his forehead on hers, their lips just barely touching, “You’re both the best things to have ever happened to me. I’m never letting go” he whispered.

Janie pushed forward to kiss him again before wrapping her arms around him again and resting her head on his chest. “I love you so much” she whispered as she watched Adelia throw pieces of bread into the water for the ducks, giggling every time they dove forward to get the floating crumbs.

“We should head back before the sun sets” Alex suggested, tugging on Janie’s hand. She nodded her head in agreement and called for Adelia back to them. Adelia pouted the whole walk back to the house, begging for just a little more time with the ducks while letting out a big yawn.

“I don’t think so missy, it’s time for your bath and then off to bed” Alex swooped her up into his arms and walked into the bathroom to get her bath ready. Janie smiled appreciatively and wandered into the kitchen where she found her mother sitting at the table with a cold cup of coffee. Her eyes were red and her hands were shaking. Janie rushed to her side and pulled her mother into her arms, she already knew without asking. She muttered comforting words as her mother cried. “It’s okay, mommy. It’ll be okay” Janie whispered over and over as she hugged her grieving mother even tighter.

---

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to honor the life of Ray Thomas Rose; Beloved son of late Thomas and Marie Rose, Husband of Ann Rose and father of Janie Gaskarth . Please stand and bow your heads for a moment of remembrance. Amen”

Janie wiped her eyes and kissed her sobbing mother on the cheek before making her way to the podium to give the eulogy. She felt her throat close up and her hands sweat as her eyes scanned the mourning faces that crowded into the church.

“If you knew my father then you’d know that he enjoyed the simple things in life like fishing, horses, and fresh squeezed lemonade—and you’d also know that there were quite a few things that he couldn’t stand like vegetables, telephone solicitors, and long eulogies. I won’t do that here today, besides for every story I could share about my father, I’m sure his friends here today could easily tell a hundred more. My father Ray left this world after living his life to the fullest and spreading his love through many souls. He will forever be remembered in the hearts of all of the children he gave miracles to through the Masonic lodge, the members of the church he attended every Sunday, his lifelong friends and of course in the hearts of his family. My father considered all of you as a part of his family so on behalf of my father; my mother and I would like to thank you all for gathering here today to honor his life. Thank you.” Janie wiped the tears from her cheeks with shaky hands and receded back to Alex who wrapped his arms around her.

“Hey, it’s okay baby. It’s okay.” Alex whispered as Janie’s body shook with waves of sobs. She felt like she was going through the motions as the ceremony ended and the hordes of people exited the church, all with red eyes and tear stained hankies. One by one they crowded around the gravesite and hung their heads low as the preacher recited the familiar burial prayer.

"Insure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother Ray Thomas Rose and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him and give him peace.
Amen."

“Amen,” the mourners recited together. Janie and her mother stood hand in hand above the grave and dropped their roses on the mahogany coffin and stepped back allowing everyone else a chance to say their final goodbyes. With the final rose thrown, the coffin was laid in the ground and the mourners dispersed leaving Alex, Adelia, and Janie to be the only ones left at the site.

“Mommy….” Adelia pulled on the hem of her mother’s dress to get her attention, “is pappy gone now?” Janie bent down to pick Adelia up and for the first time since her father’s death, she smiled.

“No, he’s on a vacation honey.”

“Where?”

“Heaven, he’s on a vacation to heaven.”

Alex wiped the tears from Janie's cheeks and kissed the side of her head as his arms wrapped around her shoulders and guided her away from the grave and towards the car as the rain finally broke through the clouds. Janie instinctively leaned into Alex's embrace while they approached the car. Alex silently took Adelia from Janie's arms and strapped her into the car while Janie situated herself into the car, Alex following suit. He started the car and drove away, leaving the solemn graveyard in the background. Janie laced her fingers with Alex's free hand and kissed his knuckles.

"I wanna go home now" Janie whispered just loud enough for Alex to hear. He nodded his head, instantly understanding what she meant.

"I love you, Janie." Alex responded without a second thought.

"Forever and Always," they recited together reassuring Janie that just as Alex had promised her, everything would be okay.

Notes

I think this might be it for this one. I can't think of anything else for this story, there may be a prequel written though whenever I have more time.

<3 Katy