Second Sunset

The wedding came at the end of June and Hugh and Ethyl were there for a couple of hours. Hugh played with little Betty and talked about how much fun older Betty would have had with her, but the job had passed to Ethyl and she had done an amazing job. The bride wanted to dance with her Gramps, so a few of the men helped him onto the dance floor and he and Cass danced for a minute, then she kissed him and thanked him.

On July 4, several members of both families stopped by, but Hugh was no longer going out for much more than local visits. He insisted Ethyl continue her weekly visits with Cass and Hope. They had become best friends and they made it easy by being together at one of their houses.

In late July the time came for hospice and a hospital bed was moved into the living room of Ethyl's house. There would be a nurse all day now. Hugh joked that Ethyl wouldn't be able to flash him any more and he would miss that. The twinkle was in his eyes and everybody laughed at the joke.

Four days later, she woke early in the morning and watched him as the nurse left to use the bathroom. Looking down at the peaceful face with his twinkling eyes closed, she leaned over, pulled her nightgown a little and put his hand on her chest. The hand didn't move, and she could never be sure if he actually smiled or if it was her imagination. She put his hand back down and kissed him softly. "Thank you for letting me share your brilliant second sunset. Sleep now, sweet Hugh." In the early afternoon he had a few minutes difficulty breathing, then there was silence.

Ethyl made the initial contacts, then called the lawyer who would take care of the estate. Plans had been made in advance, so there wasn't much to do. Most of his property was already gone. Cass and Hope came over to be with Ethyl and they talked about the past year and how good it had been for them all.

Ethyl showed them a note he had left for her. It had instructions on it.

1. Visit the cemetery every even numbered Saturday.

2. Go to Lake Forest Lodge to watch the sunset on our anniversary.

3. Keep an eye on Cass, Rand, Little Betty, Hope, and Gray.

4. Never ever give up.

5. Take the clippers to the cemetery to keep the grass neat.

They laughed again at the last line. He had managed to keep his humor. Little Betty would never know Gramps, but she would hear lots of stories about him.

A few months later, Ethyl stood in the cemetery. Hugh had insisted she continue visiting Grant's grave, but since Hugh died she hadn't walked the additional distance. She looked at the stone with his name and this year as the year of death. "It's a lovely day, Hugh. Warm with a slight breeze. You would have enjoyed it."

She knelt on Betty's grave and touched the headstone. "And thank you, Betty, for sharing him with me. All I have left now is my memories. And Cass. My sunset will be quite different. I'm alone again, but I suppose I have a mission this time. I'll try to keep an eye on your great great granddaughter."

She got to her feet and looked at Hugh's grave again, memories flowing until her tears were flowing with them. She smiled. "You selfish bastard, you had to go first, didn't you?" Her phone sounded with Hope's ringtone. "Hi, honey. What's up?" Baby Gray had a rash on his arms and Ethyl's expert knowledge was needed. "I'm on my way, honey. In the meantime, call your mother. I'm not going to be here forever, you know." She smiled and got into her car.

There was definitely a mission. She blew a kiss toward Hugh's grave and drove off to rescue her grandchild.