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“Fuck, yes, I do. Please don’t ever stop.”
He stands up and helps me to my feet, and then we make our way over to the football field, where the game is now in the second quarter.
It always amazes me how many people come to these things. People who have been out of school for years and don’t even have kids on the team still go and show their support for their town. There’s a sense of unity to the whole thing.
We step up into the bleachers, but my attention falls more on all of the people around us than on the game itself. These people may talk mad shit about each other on a typical day, but when it comes to rallying behind a sports team, there’s never any bad blood amongst them.
I can admit that I’ve missed this town.
Mytown.
Both of us get lost watching the game for a little while, cuddled up to try to keep warm from the wind that is picking up.
When I shiver against him, Shane leans in and whispers, “Are you ready for me to take you home and warm you up?”
Unable to control my grin, I excitedly nod.
“Let’s go,” he says, taking me by the hand.
But before we can get very far, his phone starts ringing.
“Hello?” He asks while we keep walking.
Whatever the person on the other end says stops him dead in his tracks. He listens intently for a moment before giving a curt, “I’m on my way.”
When he hangs up the phone, he looks over at me, a look of pure astonishment on his face.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he says, “My grandma just died.”
Chapter Forty-four
Shane
The next few hours don’t seem real. I feel as though I’m trapped in a haze—a fog—that I’m not sure how to get out of. My head spins as I struggle to process all of the information thrown at me.
There were E.M.T.’s at the house when Jenna and I arrived. I walked past the back of the ambulance, and with the door open, I could see my grandmother's body covered up with a sheet. According to the medical professionals, it is suspected she died of a brain aneurysm. There was nothing that they could have done even if they had already been here.
They assured me that she went peacefully and didn’t feel any pain at all. But in a situation like this, that provides little solace. I’m glad she didn’t suffer, but I wish she were still here.
Jenna doesn’t say much, but she never leaves my side. She just holds my hand and silently lets me know she’s there if I need her.
My grandpa has always been a rock, and I can tell that he’s trying to keep it together. I can’t imagine how he must be feeling right now. That woman was his best friend for the past fifty years.
We all make our way to the morgue, following the ambulance. I drive, and Jenna rides in the back seat so that Grandpa can sit up front with me. The ride is the most silent one I’ve ever experienced. None of us have a clue what to say.
Once we arrive, there are a million forms to fill out and decisions to be made. Grandpa and I try to make all those decisions together, trying to figure out what it is that she would have wanted. Ultimately, we decided against an autopsy. Grandma wouldn’t have wanted them cutting into her like that.
And I sure as shit know that she would be telling us not to feel sad right now. I can almost hear her voice telling me that she finally gets to be with her baby girl again.
Grandpa doesn’t say much but just sort of nods along as I talk through things out loud. Ultimately, I think he’s leaving a lot of things up to me. Jenna keeps us stocked up on coffee, and I drink it even though it doesn’t seem to have much taste at the moment.
A few hours later, we are making our way back to the house. I ask Jenna if she wants to stay with me since I don’t want to leave Grandpa all by himself. Right now, he shouldn’t be alone, and she wastes no time in agreeing.
When we are back at the house, Grandpa flops down in his recliner and tips it back. Knowing him, I doubt he will move the rest of the night again.
I sit on the couch and try to decide what exactly would be best to say. Jenna can tell that maybe he and I should have a moment alone, so she excuses herself into the bedroom.
“Gramps,” I begin once we are alone. “What happened?”
