Sometimes the Good Guy Wins Ch. 06

I said, "Sammi was first. First today? In my heart and soul I am already married to each of them. Ladies, which of you wants to be first?"

Danni said, "You have your fingers on my rings. I would like to be first." How she knew those rings were hers, I don't know.

Dad lifted the engagement ring from the box and Danni held her hand out to receive it. I stood behind her and reached around her to hold her left wrist with my right hand and to hold Dad's hand with my left hand. We slipped the ring on her finger and Dad said, "Danni, this ring is a symbol of your willingness to make a commitment to each of us for the future. If you wear this ring you are committed to all our lives being filled with love, nurturing each of us and essential to your own happiness. Are you willing to wear this ring?"

"I am." Danni said. The ring fit and we withdrew our hands. Dad lifted the box and I said, "This ring is different. The ring you have on is a promise for the future and links you to the entire tribe. Every day and night you wear this ring you make the commitments, not for the future, but for today and tonight. This is a right-now statement." I put my left hand near the wedding band still in the box. "I am my commitment, today, tonight and forever. I don't wear two rings. In my mind and heart I have no future without each of you in my today. From the moment you put on this ring we are family. I won't put it on you. That would be me forcing this commitment on you. It needs to be you saying it to us, to me."

Danni wasn't present when Megan got her rings. She reached into the box and picked up the ring and slid it onto her finger to rest beside the engagement ring. She looked at everyone in the room and said, "I love each of you. I commit to living my life as a member of this family, this tribe, and doing everything I can to have life be incredible for all of us."

She kissed Dad, then me and then everyone else in the room. Donna was standing in the spot Danni had left next to Dad and his bed. She was next.

When Donna moved to kiss each of us Linda took her place next to Dad. When she moved Kathy took her place. She looked into a smaller box and there was only one set of rings left. She was crying. It was a good thing I held her wrist otherwise her hand was shaking too hard for Dad to get the ring on her finger. We got it on. We repeated the words and Kathy married all of us.

She kissed Dad then me and then everyone in the room. She came back to stand next to me and next to the bed and Dad.

Dad said, "There were two big reasons I wanted all of you here today. They are of equal importance and I hope equal joy. The weddings were first. The second is me telling all of you good-bye. I'm dying."

Momma sobbed and held his hand.

"When Samantha talked to you about the magic she left out two details you need to be aware of. The magic only works when both male and female loving energy source it. Samantha and I are the oldest holders of the energy. When I go I will leave my energy to Nick. He will be linked to Samantha as the source of the magic. When Samantha dies she will give it to one of you. My passing is not sad. Like all of nature this is new, matures, ages and new life begins. Today marks the beginning of a new Spring. Sam and I have had fifty-seven years together. I have loved enough that the doctor says I wore out my heart. With the love and care of all of you Nick may last even longer than me. You must protect each other. You must love each other and you must teach each other. I love each of you."

His hand reached for mine and held it tightly. Momma held his other hand. His eyes closed and I felt a surge of energy from him into me. I have no idea how long it lasted. I was aware that Dad was transferring his energy into me. With that energy came his memories, his wisdom, his knowledge and his love.

When I opened my eyes I was sitting in a chair. Dad's hand was still in mine but Dad was no longer in the room. Momma was across the bed from me and the rest of the family, our tribe, was all around us. I looked up at Momma and asked, 'You knew what I would get, didn't you?' She nodded. I let go of Dad's hand and took Momma's hand in mine.

I turned to Sammi and asked, "Do you believe in magic?"

She nodded and softly said, "You know I do."

"Hold out your left hand, please." She did. On her third finger were the rings Andrea bought and we put on her finger. I lifted Momma's hand beside Sammi's. The rings on Momma's hand were identical to those on Sammi's and every other set in the room.

"Magic." I said. Each of us internally did what we felt was appropriate and right to say good-bye to dad's body. I went out to the nurse's station and told them dad was gone. The nurse I told looked at the monitor and saw the flat line. She and her coworkers went into action. We gave them room. The alarm had not sounded. On our walk out of the hospital Momma told me the arrangements had been made and paid for.

We took Momma home and once we were there Kay, Momma, Donna, Linda and I stayed. Sammi and the others drove to Casper and went shopping for something to wear to the funeral. Sammi and Kelly said they would bring me appropriate clothes. As they drove to Casper they stopped at the restaurant where Kay and I had been earlier. They told the waitress that Dad was gone. Sammi knew she would tell everyone that needed to know.

[Thank you for reading this far into the story. I encourage your comments... if they can assist me in improving as an author. The personal attacks on me as a man, a wimp, etc. that have on occasion shown up in response to my stories pale in comparison to the personal opinions of ex-wives and girl-friends from my past. I may delete personal attacks just so others don't need to read them.]