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CHAPTER9
Colton
I didn't think I would be doing this until much later. In reality, it was a limo ride no one ever wanted to take, slowly following a hearse. Dad sat beside me quietly, staring out the window. I might not be his biological son, but we handled things in the same way. We bottled it up inside. The one person he could always talk to was no longer with us. Even though I tried to be there for him, I couldn’t fill her shoes.
The limo pulled into the cemetery, and I forced myself to control my breathing. When the vehicle came to a stop, I heard Dad exhale. He must have been holding his breath as well. This was so painful, but I couldn’t even fathom what he was feeling right now. After the burial, we would all return to the house, but that wasn’t going to last. Eventually all the guests would leave, and he’d be home alone.
The last couple of nights, I had stayed at the house with him, but moving back in full time wasn’t an option. I worked in the city, and honestly, I was a grown man who enjoyed the company of the ladies - I couldn’t go back to living at home. Not that sex was more important than my parents, but there must be another way. Right now, I couldn’t think clearly enough to come up with one.
The limo door opened, and it was time to go lay my mother to rest. I moved mechanically, one foot in front of the other. During the ceremony, the minister must have been speaking, but my focus was on the casket. Even the crowd that had gathered around us to say goodbye was a blur.
People started placing flowers on the casket and walking back to their cars. Dad and I just stood there as they all left. We knew a few would be at the house waiting for our return. When we thought they were all gone, I stepped forward and laid a rose upon the casket, then Dad did the same.
I turned to head for the limo when I saw Annabella. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? She couldn’t be here, but she was.
“Excuse me, Dad. There’s someone I need to talk to.”
“Take your time,” he said. “I would like a few minutes alone with your mother.”
I still felt a bit of guilt leaving him alone, but not as much now. I walked over to Annabella and said, “You’re really here.”
“I…hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. I’m just surprised to see you here, that’s all.” I didn’t want her to feel unwelcomed. That was not the case at all. “I meant to text you, but time seems to have slipped away and I had a lot to help my dad with, too.”
“Colton, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I came to offer my condolences,” she said, reaching out to touch my arm.
I stepped closer and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” My dad approached and I introduced them. “Dad, this is my friend from Boston, Annabella Montgomery.”
She extended her hand and said, “I’m so very sorry for your loss, Mr. Marzoni.”
“Thank you, Annabella. I hope you will be joining us at the house,” he said.
She looked to me and I gave a nod. Then she turned back to my dad and said, “Yes, I’ll join you. Thank you.”
Dad said, “Colton, why don’t you ride with Annabella so she can find the house. You know these roads can be tricky for visitors.”
It wasn’t a lie. My parents lived on a dirt road that didn’t even have a street sign. But there was no need for one. It was the only house down there.
“I’m sure I can find my way. I don’t want to intrude,” she said.
“You’re not. And my dad is correct. If you’re not from these parts, you’d get lost.” I noticed there was only one car beside the limo, a Toyota Camry. “Yours?”
She grimaced. “It’s all they had for a rental at the airport. Well, they also had a minivan, but I just couldn’t picture myself driving around in a mommy car.” Her eyes widened and said, “I’m sorry. No disrespect to your mother.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. My mom never would’ve been caught driving one of those, either. She and Dad only drove trucks. When I was old enough, I wouldn’t even sit in the cab with them any longer. I rode in the back with our dog, Whiskey.”
“What kind of dog?” she asked, as we got on the road to my parents’ house.
“He was a mutt. Weighed about 120 pounds and looked angry all the time, but he was a big baby. Would cry if you left him alone. His bark could scare you right out of your shoes, but if you ignored it and still approached, he’d go hide behind my mom.”
Annabella laughed. “I guess his bark was bigger than his bite.”
“Since we don’t get many strangers passing through, no need to have a watch dog.” I pointed and told her which way to turn as we came upon an intersection. A few minutes later we hit the dirt roads. “It won’t be long now. Just a couple of miles from here.”
“It sure is beautiful. I can’t remember the last time I went for a ride in a place where the homes were so far apart. Must be nice,” she said.
“Until you have an emergency, and the ambulance is thirty minutes away and the hospital even further. Then it’s…a…”
