Sudden Independents

Jimmy settled the remains gently into the bottom of the hole, and then reached up so Molly could help him climb out. He grabbed the shovel and began burying the couple together in their grave.

Ginger walked out with her arms full of boards, a hammer, a screwdriver, and a can of paint. She set everything on the wooden deck.

“Can I help?” Molly asked.

Ginger handed her the small can of paint. “Shake that up.”

Molly shook the paint as though it were a birthday present. “Wasn’t that the sign hanging over the bed in the guestroom?”

“Yep,” Ginger said, sawing a board at one end.

Molly watched amazed at how confident Ginger handled the tools. The other girl was always trying something new and that’s what made her so good at everything. Molly wasn’t jealous over Ginger’s many talents any longer, she just felt inspired. Ginger finished sawing off two corners so now the four-foot board had a pointy end.

Molly switched hands and continued shaking. The sound of Jimmy shoveling added a nice steady rhythm. Scoop-plop-scoop-plop-scoop-plop. That and the gentle swooshing of her paint can maraca reminded Molly of “The Little Mermaid” they had watched last month on “Generator Movie Night.” Now all they needed were some singing fish.

Ginger hammered a nail through the sign, attaching it to the board. She pounded in a couple more for a sturdier connection.

“Okay. Now it’s your turn.”

A thrill raced through Molly. “What do I get to do?”

Ginger produced a paintbrush from her back pocket. “You get to paint.”

Molly pried the lid up with the screwdriver. A thick, navy soup waited inside. She dipped the narrow bristles into the can and allowed the excess to drip off.

“What do I paint?”

“Just change that one word to read ‘From,’” Ginger said.

Molly smiled with understanding. She made the changes with careful brush strokes and then sat back, happy with her work.

“Perfect,” Ginger said. “Now we wait a minute and let the sunshine do its job.”

Jimmy scooped on the last load of dirt and started smoothing out the mound with the back of the shovel. When he finished, he leaned the shovel against a tall tree whose limbs were speckled with green buds and grabbed his water bottle. He took a long drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Then he washed the dirt off his hands and face. When he looked up and caught Molly staring, he gave her a little wink. Her cheeks flared with warmth and she tried to think of other things-like Hunter. It wasn’t too difficult.

“Are we ready?” Jimmy asked.

Ginger handed the grave marker to Molly. “You do the honors.”

Molly carried the cross to the head of the burial mound. She pushed down on top, sliding the pointy end into the turned earth.

Jimmy read, “From Our Guest, A Place to Rest.”

“You should keep this.” Ginger handed Jimmy the note that Jonathon had written.

He nodded, read the note aloud for them to share one last time, and pocketed it. “I’m thankful for my time well spent,” Jimmy said.

Ginger followed. “I’m thankful we found this house so we could bury Jonathan and Jane together the way he wanted.”

Molly knew what she was thankful for right away. The old Molly would probably laugh and say she was being a stupid bitch. “I’m thankful for my friends,” Molly said. The old Molly never knew what it meant to have friends, because she never took the time to be one.

Ginger wrapped her soft arms around Molly in a tight embrace. Jimmy joined them and kissed Molly’s forehead.

He said, “Not just friends, Molly…”

“…We’re family now,” Ginger finished.

Molly found it funny, discovering true joy at the foot of a grave. Finally, she felt complete. This was the perfect moment.

“They’re over here. This way,” Catherine’s voice floated over the fence.

“How do you know?” They heard Scout call. He sounded tired and strained.

Catherine opened the gate from the alley and led Scout into the backyard. He carried Raven’s unconscious body in his arms and a large amount of worry in his eyes.

“Because, silly, my friend told me so,” Catherine said.

She headed straight for the tree and hugged the trunk. All the thousands of buds dotting every limb, branch, and twig suddenly unraveled and expanded into a brilliant green canopy that spread its comforting shade over the silent grave. Everyone gasped in shock and awe as Catherine appeared to be listening to something the rest of them were unable to hear.

“Oh, wasn’t that nice,” she said.

“What?” Jimmy asked with stunned eyes.

“He told me what you did for the Fletchers. He really liked them. Mr. Fletcher and his son planted him here when he was just a little sapling and helped him grow big and strong.” Catherine smiled at the backyard assembly and opened her arms wide. “So, who wants firsts?”

Ginger ran and dropped to her knees and the contest for who could squeeze the hardest began. Molly placed her wages on the little girl. Jimmy stood next in line. Molly helped Scout with Raven, knowing she would get her chance with Catherine in a bit. She was still unsure of how she would greet the little miracle worker.