Only Yours

Thomas' eyes teared up slightly while Frank spoke, and of course Tom would not deny such a request, though he hoped for it not to become relevant for many years. "Of course, goes without saying."

"That's exactly what your dad said, word for word." Frank said smiling at the coincidence.

He continued, "Secondly I would like you to tell me something, though I respect it if you don't."

Frank held a short pause and Thomas nodded silently.

"Are you in love with my daughter, Tom?"

Thomas was stunned at first, but Frank just looked him in the eye until he answered, "I eh... eh... why do you eh..."

Thomas looked down, exhaled deeply and calmed his mind, "Yes."

Frank was about to speak when Thomas started, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

That almost made Frank laugh, "Ha, son, don't apologize, you haven't done anything wrong.

"Listen, you are a fine young man, my daughter is lucky to have someone like you who cares so much for her. I take it you haven't told her?" Frank continued.

"Not while she heard it," answered Thomas, thinking back on all the times he got to express his love to her sleeping ear.

They talked a little more about how it had happened, Thomas told him about what had happened when Julia first moved in with him, told him about their dance after watching A Walk to Remember and so on.

After a while the topic moved on to other things, but when Thomas was about to leave Frank said, "Listen, I won't say anything to Julia, but maybe you should sometime; you both deserve to know how the other feels."

"Thanks Frank," Thomas said before hugging him and making his way to the hospital cafeteria.

Julia ran past Thomas as soon as she saw him and went to her father, her smell reaching Thomas' nose, making him smile.

Julia and Frank talked for nearly an hour before he told her he was tired and wanted to sleep. They kissed goodbye and Julia left.

That night Frank died in his sleep.

That first night after Frank had died, Julia slept in Thomas' bed again. She held him close throughout the night, as he did her. She buried her face in his chest; both of them had tears streaming from their eyes.

Sleep was sparse; both would wake regularly from bad dreams and in need of comfort, which the other was ready to supply. Once woken, they would comfort each other for some time before they could fall asleep again, and the cycle could repeat.

Thomas and Julia were not the only people in the two neighboring houses to have trouble getting decent sleep, so, when they all gathered for breakfast, not one rested face could be seen among them.

It was Elizabeth who had felt it the worst; she had no one to comfort her during the night and had not slept for a single second. She had barely closed her eyes since it allowed her mind to focus on the tragedy that had occurred, and it was visible in her face.

Elizabeth's eyes were red and it looked as if her face had aged overnight. Her normally vibrant smile was far away and what remained was an empty expression with occasional bursts of sadness.

The Greenes and the Hawthorns spent the day much like they had the previous one, feeling sad and comforting each other.

Will took it upon himself to divert the many friends and neighbors who showed up to offer their condolences. Every time the doorbell rang, William would take a deep breath, get up from the couch and go to the door.

The conversations he had at the door were mostly so similar that he didn't even have to think about what to say; when condolences or prayers were offered, he would thank them and when they offered their help, usually using the words "if there is anything I/we can do," he would thank them once more and tell them that they would let them know.

The ones that wanted to speak to either Elizabeth or Julia he let know that it would have to wait until another time, as neither was up to it at that moment.

Elizabeth's mother arrived a little past noon, shortly followed by Frank's mother. Tears flowed again as they all hugged. Frank's mother had the same look as Elizabeth, clearly devastated and in need of comfort.

After dinner Sophia came over; she and Julia went out to get some fresh air. They went to a park, sat on a bench and talked for hours.

At one point Sophia suggested that they let some of their sadness and anger out by yelling it into the darkness of the night, so they started yelling. Sophia stopped quickly, but Julia had trouble stopping once she opened up. For several minutes, Julia's screams filled their corner of the park, the sound echoing on the surrounding trees.

Hoarse and exhausted, Julia stopped her screaming, slumping down on the bench besides Sophia. When Sophia asked her if she felt any better, Julia simply nodded, her voice being of no use at that moment.

For the rest of the evening Julia didn't speak a single word, both because her throat was too sore and because nothing she wanted to say could be expressed by words.

Thomas had spent the evening, while Julia and Sophia were out, by helping his father make funeral arrangements. Elizabeth got the final say on the bigger things, but both William and Thomas knew she had enough on her mind without having to look through a catalog of coffins or have to decide on a font for the tombstone.

When it became time for bed, Elizabeth thanked both William and Thomas for helping out, and told William that she wanted him to do the eulogy. Saying no was not an option for William, both him and Thomas had only two days before promised Frank to look after the girls, and neither had any intention of breaking that promise.

Thomas and Julia spend the night together again, but this time they were sequestered to the Hawthorns' living room, since Julia's grandmothers were sleeping in their beds.

Julia was still very hoarse Tuesday morning, but sleep had come easier and, though not fully rested, her face did not look nearly as exhausted as it had the previous morning. The same was true for the other members of the two families; even Elizabeth looked a tiny bit relaxed, even though sadness was still the dominating factor.

The towns newly ordained Priest came by before noon, both to discuss the funeral arrangements and to offer his council to a family in grief. It was Julia who opened the door.

"Christian?" She asked, surprised at who she found.

"Well yes, but just because I am a man of God does not mean you should call me names." He joked, hoping to lift her spirits, though the smile Julia could produce was mostly just an act of politeness.

Christian Westwood had gone to school with Thomas and Julia and had been part of the same social group.

"Come in, let me take your coat." Julia said.

Christian took her hands in his, looked her in the eyes and conveyed his condolences, "I am sorry for your loss, Julia, I know it's rough."

Julia thanked him, took his coat and led him to the living room.

"Christian?" this time it was Thomas' turn to be surprised.

"Should have known I'd find you here Thomas, you two were never far apart." Christian answered referring of course to Julia.

Christian and Thomas gave each other a brief hug before Christian spoke once more of condolence.

"So you're a priest now? I never thought you would follow in your father's footsteps. In fact you swore you wouldn't." Thomas asked.

"Well, it wasn't what I had planned, but when my dad died I came back to the church, and, after it helped me cope with his passing, I realized that this was what I wanted to do."

Julia chimed in, "Will you be conducting the funeral?"

"If you would prefer someone else, I can have another priest step in." Christian offered.

"No, I would like it to be you." Julia replied.

They talked for a little while, Christian catching up on what Julia and Thomas had done since they left school.

Christian stood when Elizabeth came down the stairs and was instantly back in priest mode, ready to comfort.

While Christian talked to Elizabeth, Thomas went next door and retrieved his parents and Julia found her grandmothers.

They were done with the funeral arrangements around one and after joining them for lunch, Christian stayed the rest of the afternoon talking with them, both individually and collectively. Some of what he said was inspired by the bible while some came from himself.

Both Julia and Thomas were amazed at how good Christian was at this. The once rebellious kid had definitely found his calling.

The funeral was Thursday and had it not been for the grim occasion, it could have been considered a nice day; the sun was out, the sky was blue and the air was, for February, warm.

The church was filled with both flowers and people. Christian stood by the coffin and spoke to the grieving crowd.

"Sad is it when a life is taken away in its prime; as can be witnessed by all the people gathered to say a final farewell to Frank Hawthorn. As you all know, Frank was a good man, kind and well liked. He was blessed in life to have so many who cared for him, though it is that much sadder to see them left behind.

"That Frank was a ladies man is clear, he loved nothing more than his ladies. He leaves behind three generations, his beloved mother, his sister and niece, his wonderful wife and of course his precious daughter. One could think that a man with so many to love would not want for any more, but Frank had love in abundance and was happy to share.

"Frank was also a man's man; he was a no-nonsense guy, embracing the friendships of his fellow mechanics, as well as every other man who offered. He was especially close to his best friend William, so close that they moved into neighboring houses and raised their kids together.

"I myself grew up with Julia and Thomas and know they both loved Frank as a father, and Frank was immensely proud of them both as well. I met the man often growing up and even when we had gotten ourselves into trouble, forgiveness was immediate.

"I have no doubt that Frank will look down from heaven and be touched at how much support has been offered to his family. I have no doubt that God himself has welcomed Frank home, for rarely have so few sins needed forgiving.

"Now if you would all please join me in a prayer for Frank and for his family, after which William will speak a few words."

Christian led the people in a prayer and after blessing everyone, he gave way for William to speak.

William was not unaffected by the funeral and drew in a deep breath before he looked op from his notes and spoke.

"First of all I would like on behalf of both Franks family and mine to thank you all for coming, and also thank Christian here for the kind words. It really means a lot to see so many of you have come.

"Frank and I have been best friends for almost fifty years and he was the closest thing to a brother I ever had. We have shared our entire lives and he has left a big hole in my life, as well as my wife and son's lives.

"When I think back on our time together, hardly a bad memory comes to mind. Even some of the bad ones seem good just because he was there. What I remember best are the great times, of which there are so many. I remember how nervous we both were when Frank introduced a lovely girl named Elizabeth to my own Joan, but we had not needed to worry as they fit together perfectly and soon, much like Frank and I, you rarely had one without the other.

"Frank and I discussed several times whether it was coincidence that our kids were born so close together or if our wives had conspired. We were both cursed, or blessed, with wives that could run around corners with us whenever they wanted.

"The fondest times I spent with Frank were when we would sit in the yard and watch our kids play. I can never thank Frank and Elizabeth enough for giving me and Joan a little girl to love like she was my daughter, or for loving my Thomas like he was their son.

"I don't know what I have done to deserve such a friend, but my life would never have been the same without him.

"Like Mr. Westwood said, Frank had a lot of love to share, but none received more of it than did his girls Elizabeth and Julia, and it is them that brought him the greatest joy.

"It is not that long ago that he and I shared a moment of great pride when our kids graduated from college and began their life as adults, and what really hurts my heart is that he can no longer be a part of those moments that take your breath away.

"When I look at Julia and Tom, I see the same closeness that Frank and I had, and I know it brought Frank peace of mind to know that his daughter will always have someone to lean on, just like the peace it gives me to know that my son has that. Especially in these hard times where it's needed most. It has been heartwarming to see how they have helped each other through.

"I only hope that Joan and I have been able to help Elizabeth. She has been given the short end of the stick, having to deal with firstly Franks illness and now his passing without having Frank to lean on. As many of you know, Elizabeth is a dance instructor and over the years Frank became quite the dancer himself and we spent many evenings dancing, though I never got as good as the rest of our little family, I know that both Thomas and I will step up any time you need a dancing partner. Don't give up what you love forever, even though you've lost your partner.

"Frank and Elizabeth were still in love and nothing is worse than losing the love of your life. You need to know, Elizabeth, that there are still many who love you and we will do anything to help you; the same goes for you Julia.

"Frank's old man used to say that you can tell a lot about a man from the company he keeps, and I am honored that Frank chose to spend his time with me, I know that I will never find a friend like him again.

"Frank, if you can hear me from heaven, I wanna say thanks for the friendship and the memories."

William had tears in his eyes and his voice shook towards the end. Though he was not the only one feeling emotional as few eyes in the church were dry.

The church organ played as the coffin was carried out, both William and Thomas carried, along with Franks brother-in-law and some of the mechanics from Franks work.

Christian Westwood spoke the final words and with that Frank Hawthorn was laid to rest.

Julia felt lost and alone during the wake, even with so many people around. She felt frustrated at the people who were smiling, or laughing at a story about Frank; how could they be happy when her father was dead, but she was even more frustrated with those who were sad, in her mind they didn't have the right.

Of course this was just an excuse, but she did not want to be mad at her father for dying, nor could she face the anger she felt at God for taking him from her.

Thomas kept busy, helping his mother restock the food or the drinks. He had felt so useless ever since the funeral; Julia had been very sad and had not responded when Thomas had tried to comfort her.

In her frustration, Julia had pushed Tom away, which did not make her feel any better. She could barely look anyone in the eye, not her friends, not her mother and not Tom. Even though she needed his comfort, she could not bring herself to ask for it, and instead she pushed everyone away.

An hour after they came home from the church, Julia left the guests and ran to her room; Thomas followed her and tried once more to get through.

"Come on, Julia, let me in." He said through her locked door.

"Go away!" was the only response he received, though he tried talking to her a few more minutes before he went back to the wake.

Julia didn't come out until after the last guest had left. She had spent the entire time clutching Mr. Snuggles to her chest and burying her face in her pillow, soaking it with her tears.

Her tears had run out yet her crying had continued. Twisting and turning on her bed, guilt began to creep in at having yelled at Tom, especially since he was only trying to help her; comfort her. That thought brought her back to Christmas where he had given her back her Mr. Snuggles and a few more tears came out.

She unclutches her teddy bear from her grasp and looked at it, with the new patch where the hole had been, and with now two eyes looking back at her. And then there was the note; she turned it so she could read it again.

Don't cry, you know there is nothing so bad that it can't be fixed,

See, I fixed Mr. Snuggles, now he is ready to protect you from scary movies again.

This made the cup run over, and her frustration turned to anger; she got out of bed and stormed down the stairs where she found her family and Thomas' family sitting in the living room.

All of them were stunned when Julia came bursting in, screaming.

"I hate you! It's just a lie! Dad lied!" She threw the teddy bear in her hand at Thomas. Mr. Snuggles hit Thomas' chest and fell onto the floor at his feet.

As Julia made her way out the back door, she cupped her face in her hands.

Julia was just out the door when the shock in her family began to wear off. Almost all of them wanted to follow Julia, but Thomas quickly convinced them that he should go alone. He picked up the stuffed bear from the floor and went after Julia.

He found her standing by the tree in the yard that held their old treehouse.

"Julia, are you okay?"

Julia was still angry.

"Of course not! How can I when my dad's dead?! You lied to me. Both of you." She yelled and added, "I hate you, and that fucking bear!"

It was rare for Julia to curse, so Thomas was stunned again; he did not understand what she meant until Julia continued, this time more pleading than yelling.

"How is this gonna be fixed? Dad said that nothing can't be fixed, but he's dead!" Julia's voice rough from the crying and the screaming.

"You said it too, but how are you gonna fix this? You can't bring Dad back"

Thomas was hurting inside, he could see the pain in Julia's eyes and he took on her pain. Hearing such words from the one he loves was worse than a kick to the stomach and tears were running from his eyes.

"Just go away," she continued, no longer yelling, "leave me alone."

Julia wanted to get away from her pain, which she convinced herself was coming from Thomas, and looked up at the treehouse. At that moment it seemed like the perfect refuge, she could not recall having been sad in that treehouse, though it was years since she had been in it last time.

She went to the rope ladder and put her foot on the first step, but when she began transferring her weight a creaking sound came from above.

Both Thomas and Julia looked up; the treehouse was shifting and fear rushed through their veins. Julia tried to get out from under it, but her foot had gotten caught in the ladder she fell to the ground. Thomas saw Julia fall and the treehouse tipping towards her.

Without another thought, he ran two steps towards were she had fallen and jumped on top of her, covering her body with his. The tree house crashed down a split second later, directly on top of them.

"Tom, you're squishing me, you're heavy." Julia uttered from beneath the pile, her voice weak from the weight on her body.

"Tom!" Julia tried again, when she got no answer. Why wouldn't he try to get up, she wondered.

"Tom?" She tried yet again, "answer me."

Julia's fear rose when she realized he was not moving at all. She began grabbing him, shaking what little she could reach, still pinned beneath him and a pile of wood, her one arm completely stuck beneath them.