‹ Prequel: Never Meant to Be
Status: Whenever I can
Ghosts of Our Past
Chapter Thirty-One
February 22nd, 2028
Tuesday
Brook Memorial Funeral Home, Nashville, TN
2:00 P.M.
The wake took place down in Nashville and Nathan drove down with Evangeline. When he first walked in nobody turned to look at him. He felt tears come to his eyes when he saw Evangeline's body in the open casket. She looked beautiful, like she was just in a peaceful sleep. The baby in his arms had no idea what was going on, she wasn't crying or upset because she didn't know to be sad. He saw Trenton walking over to him with Lucille behind him.
"You're here," was all Trenton said to him.
"Of course I am," said Nathan. "Hold her for me." he said handing Evangeline to Trenton. He went up to the casket and looked down on her. Her skin was a strange pale color but she had an expression of absolute peace on her face. He felt the tears stream down his face more. He knelt down to pray. He hoped where ever she was that she was as at peace as she looked. That she was no longer in distress or worried. He prayed about how much he loved her and remembered those last few moments they had had together. He remembered looking back at her as he was about to leave and seeing her weakly smile at him and despite all the sweat and tears on her face, how beautiful she was. When he finally opened his eyes he found himself crying softly. He stood up and went over to Trenton and Lucille who both had tears in their eyes. He was surprised when Lucille came toward and hugged him. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head in comfort. Trenton still watched him with hatred in his eyes, not understanding why his sister was being so accepting towards him. When the pulled apart Nathan saw the man Evangeline had tried to hide him from for years, her father John. He hoped Trenton hadn't said anything bad about him to Evangeline's family.
"You must be Nathan," said John looking down at him with a blank expression that gave away no emotion.
"Yes," he said "And you must be John."
"I am," the man said shaking hands with him.
"Trenton tells me my daughter lied to me about having three babies from different men. That you're the father of all of them."
"It's true," said Nathan. John took notice to the baby in Trenton's arms and Trenton handed her to him.
"This is my new granddaughter," he said with happiness. The baby looked up at him smiling and waving her little fists in the air. He looked at her a bit more before looking at Nathan with a serious expression again. He then glanced over at Trenton and Lucille and told them he'd like to talk with Nathan privately for a bit. The two left leaving Nathan alone with John and Evangeline's brother Troy.
"Tell me the story," said John calmly. "What was your relationship with my daughter? Why were you two never married if you lived each other so much?" He had a feeling Trenton had already told John about what had gone on but told the story with his spiteful attitude. John being a kind open minded man wanted to know what Nathan had to say and if Trenton's side of the story was really true. "Let's sit." said John pulling up three chairs for them. Nathan took a deep breath and began telling the story from beginning to finish, not leaving out a detail. He explained that he had been married when they met and it had started out as an affair but then turned into true love. How he had been willing to divorce his wife but Evangeline didn't want him to for the protection of his legitimate son. When he was finished John had a small smile on his face which Nathan had not expected.
"I'm happy my daughter died in love and by your side." he said to a shocked Nathan. "I see how much you love and care about her in your eyes. Trenton is angry with you from what I understand."
"Yes," said Nathan sadly. "I didn't expect anything else really. I'm surprised Lucille likes me." John smiled and said
"Well I like you, and I want you to raise the baby. That's what Evangeline would have wanted." Nathan smiled and said
"Thank you John,"
"And keep in touch, it gets pretty lonely all alone on the farm with nobody but the horses, I want to make sure my granddaughter and son-in-law are alright." Nathan smiled at John’s acceptance of him.
"I will, we'll make sure to come down and visit." He met some more of Evangeline's family at the wake, most of them from Louisiana. Trenton didn't talk to him for the rest of the night and even when they went to the funeral he wouldn't speak a word to him. Nathan full out cried like many of the other people around him when he watched the casket get lowered into the ground. There were a few pictures of them he had to remember her face by although he didn't think he would need them. He'd remember her beautiful face for the rest if his life. It was time to go home. He tore himself away from the burial site and walked back to his car with Evangeline. The baby was asleep, up past her nap time. She would be the only child he had from Evangeline that would carry his name, Evangeline Marie Horton. She was also the only one who had his name on her birth certificate. He put her in her car seat and drive off, back towards the highway that would take him back to Boston.
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.
Tuesday
Brook Memorial Funeral Home, Nashville, TN
2:00 P.M.
The wake took place down in Nashville and Nathan drove down with Evangeline. When he first walked in nobody turned to look at him. He felt tears come to his eyes when he saw Evangeline's body in the open casket. She looked beautiful, like she was just in a peaceful sleep. The baby in his arms had no idea what was going on, she wasn't crying or upset because she didn't know to be sad. He saw Trenton walking over to him with Lucille behind him.
"You're here," was all Trenton said to him.
"Of course I am," said Nathan. "Hold her for me." he said handing Evangeline to Trenton. He went up to the casket and looked down on her. Her skin was a strange pale color but she had an expression of absolute peace on her face. He felt the tears stream down his face more. He knelt down to pray. He hoped where ever she was that she was as at peace as she looked. That she was no longer in distress or worried. He prayed about how much he loved her and remembered those last few moments they had had together. He remembered looking back at her as he was about to leave and seeing her weakly smile at him and despite all the sweat and tears on her face, how beautiful she was. When he finally opened his eyes he found himself crying softly. He stood up and went over to Trenton and Lucille who both had tears in their eyes. He was surprised when Lucille came toward and hugged him. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head in comfort. Trenton still watched him with hatred in his eyes, not understanding why his sister was being so accepting towards him. When the pulled apart Nathan saw the man Evangeline had tried to hide him from for years, her father John. He hoped Trenton hadn't said anything bad about him to Evangeline's family.
"You must be Nathan," said John looking down at him with a blank expression that gave away no emotion.
"Yes," he said "And you must be John."
"I am," the man said shaking hands with him.
"Trenton tells me my daughter lied to me about having three babies from different men. That you're the father of all of them."
"It's true," said Nathan. John took notice to the baby in Trenton's arms and Trenton handed her to him.
"This is my new granddaughter," he said with happiness. The baby looked up at him smiling and waving her little fists in the air. He looked at her a bit more before looking at Nathan with a serious expression again. He then glanced over at Trenton and Lucille and told them he'd like to talk with Nathan privately for a bit. The two left leaving Nathan alone with John and Evangeline's brother Troy.
"Tell me the story," said John calmly. "What was your relationship with my daughter? Why were you two never married if you lived each other so much?" He had a feeling Trenton had already told John about what had gone on but told the story with his spiteful attitude. John being a kind open minded man wanted to know what Nathan had to say and if Trenton's side of the story was really true. "Let's sit." said John pulling up three chairs for them. Nathan took a deep breath and began telling the story from beginning to finish, not leaving out a detail. He explained that he had been married when they met and it had started out as an affair but then turned into true love. How he had been willing to divorce his wife but Evangeline didn't want him to for the protection of his legitimate son. When he was finished John had a small smile on his face which Nathan had not expected.
"I'm happy my daughter died in love and by your side." he said to a shocked Nathan. "I see how much you love and care about her in your eyes. Trenton is angry with you from what I understand."
"Yes," said Nathan sadly. "I didn't expect anything else really. I'm surprised Lucille likes me." John smiled and said
"Well I like you, and I want you to raise the baby. That's what Evangeline would have wanted." Nathan smiled and said
"Thank you John,"
"And keep in touch, it gets pretty lonely all alone on the farm with nobody but the horses, I want to make sure my granddaughter and son-in-law are alright." Nathan smiled at John’s acceptance of him.
"I will, we'll make sure to come down and visit." He met some more of Evangeline's family at the wake, most of them from Louisiana. Trenton didn't talk to him for the rest of the night and even when they went to the funeral he wouldn't speak a word to him. Nathan full out cried like many of the other people around him when he watched the casket get lowered into the ground. There were a few pictures of them he had to remember her face by although he didn't think he would need them. He'd remember her beautiful face for the rest if his life. It was time to go home. He tore himself away from the burial site and walked back to his car with Evangeline. The baby was asleep, up past her nap time. She would be the only child he had from Evangeline that would carry his name, Evangeline Marie Horton. She was also the only one who had his name on her birth certificate. He put her in her car seat and drive off, back towards the highway that would take him back to Boston.
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.