Status: complete
Remembering the Ghost of You
Epilogue - December 24th, 1975
December 24th, 1975
I sat with my eyes closed listening to Rebecca hum in the kitchen. All the food was set out at the table and everyone should be home soon. Esmerie called to say she was on her way and Alice and Brooke were closing up shop and the boys had gone out sledding.
"Daddy! Mama!" Brooke called as her and her sister came in. They were carrying bags and presents to add to the pile of presents already under the tree. Brooke lived with Alice across town while she finished up college. Thanks to old Fighter she was dead set on being a veterinarian.
"Hi daddy," Alice said coming over to snuggle next to me on the couch.
"Happy birthday baby girl," I said and kissed the top of her head.
"Tomorrow dad," she laughed and went off to say hello to Rebecca.
I married Rebecca on January 12th, 1946 and we travelled all over the United States, just me, her, Esmerie. We came back here to settle down though and start our family. Our first little baby was born on Christmas of 1950. Even today I could still remember when I first brought her home. Esmerie demanded to hold her and wouldn't let her go. Then came Brooke and then James and then our little baby Michael who was a sophomore in high school this year.
"When is Esmerie coming?" Brooke asked collasping into the chair across from me. I glanced at the clock.
"Shouldn't be too much longer," I said and she nodded.
"And the others?"
"Around dinnertime," I told her. She noddd and went to go put on some music. Frank Sinatra's voice singing Christmas classics flooded the room and I started singing along.
"Dad..." Brooke whined and I smiled standing up and going into the kitchen. Rebecca was doing the dishes and I came up behind her swaying. I wrapped my arms around her and she laughed.
"Are you asking me to dance Gerard?" she asked and I hummed twirling her around and bringing her in close. She laughed again and wrapped her arms around me. Alice rolled her eyes, but we kept dancing.
Soon the door opened again and the snow covered boys trampled into the house chasing Brooke around with their numb fingers. Rebecca pulled away from me then to go get them to wash up and hang their damp clothes up. I wandered back into the living room and sat back on the couch just in time for Esmerie to sweep into the house.
"Hello papa!" she cried rushing over to me. She leaned down and kissed my cheek just before Greta wormed her way in and crawled onto my lap. Esmerie had grown tall and elegant with a knack for singing and dancing. She'd been in more Broadway plays then I could remember. Her long blonde hair was braided just like little Greta's too. Her husband, Adam, came in with baby Henry and handed him to Rebecca. I could still remember those exact moments my grandbabies were born. Now Greta was five and it still felt like yesterday. It often made me wonder where the time had gone. Years of travelling, family, and friends had thirty years go by in an instant.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Greta shouted at me holding up one of my books. "I am learning to read it," she said with a smile. After the war I started writing children's books; Tales of Essie and Greta. The were stories about two little girls who lived on the French country side during the war and weren't allow to play outside so they used their imaginations to go on wild adventures. There were currently twenty three books in the collection and had been on the Best Selling Children's Book list since the second one came out.
"She won't put that one down," Esmerie laughed
"It's the one where they get the dog!" Greta exclaimed opening to the page where there was a photo of Fighter on the dedication page. I smiled.
"Yeah that's one of my favorites too," I told her and she smiled turning the page.
She got about halfway through when the doorbell rang. Esmerie opened in and in poured the Iero's. Frank came in with Buddy, Tarzan, and Baloo, his dogs, and carrying his grandson Willis. His Mikey had gotten married a year ago.
"Hey Gee!" he greeted me with a smile. Samantha hugged Rebecca and their other children Frank Jr, Rachel, and Beth started putting presents under the tree. All our kids had grown up together. Frank and me promised to have big families and them grow up together since we both came from small families. "Is Ray here yet?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Figures. He always complains it takes forever to get over here when it snows," he laughed. "Especially with his daughter being pregnant." He sat down on the couch next to me and handed Willis to me. He was a few months younger then Henry. Greta wormed her way between us and Rebecca handed Henry to me as well and Frank picked up Tarzan, his smallest dog.
"Isn't that a lovely sight," Samantha said to us as she followed Rebecca into the kitchen.
"So how's the high school?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Jazz band is going to state competition," he said proudly. He worked at the high school as the band and orchestra teacher. All our children had been in or still were in his class. Because of that the majority of the high school kids called him Uncle Frank instead of Mr. Iero. I think he liked it better that way.
"Congrats," I said and he smiled.
"Uncle Ray's here!" Rachel shouted running down the stairs with James, Michael, and Beth.
"Mikey Way! Mikey Way!" Greta shouted. With Frank having a Mikey and us too, my son became Mikey Way.
"Hey pretty lady," he said and pulled her out from between me and Frank. Ray came in along with a gust of snow. He lead a very pregnant Jamie in and was followed by her husband Jacob and Ray's twins Sam and Ray Jr rushed in carrying food and presents. Ray's wife, the girl he went home to, had passed away last May from breast cancer.
"Okay everyone to the table!" Rebecca called and everyone bustled to get to their seats.
"Hey man," I said to Ray who sat Jamie down.
"Things are as lively as ever around here," he laughed and I shrugged.
"I blame it on Frankie."
"I just got off the phone with Susan and they all wish us Merry Christmas from Chicago," Rebecca said as she set the turkey on the table. Ray took his seat and I pulled Rebecca in close.
"Thank you all for joining us once again on Christmas Eve. As I've said before, life is nothing without family and friends." There were cheers of agreement and I started cutting the turkey. As plates and food were passed around I glanced at the mantel. Pictures from my wedding and all my children smiled back at me reminding me of all the good times I'd had. Then in the center sat two other pictures. One of Greta by the ocean and then one of Mikey at my birthday right before I left for England.
Even though it was years ago, when I closed my eyes it felt like yesterday. Rebecca reached over and squeezed my hand. I smiled. They may be gone, but they live on forever in our memories.
I sat with my eyes closed listening to Rebecca hum in the kitchen. All the food was set out at the table and everyone should be home soon. Esmerie called to say she was on her way and Alice and Brooke were closing up shop and the boys had gone out sledding.
"Daddy! Mama!" Brooke called as her and her sister came in. They were carrying bags and presents to add to the pile of presents already under the tree. Brooke lived with Alice across town while she finished up college. Thanks to old Fighter she was dead set on being a veterinarian.
"Hi daddy," Alice said coming over to snuggle next to me on the couch.
"Happy birthday baby girl," I said and kissed the top of her head.
"Tomorrow dad," she laughed and went off to say hello to Rebecca.
I married Rebecca on January 12th, 1946 and we travelled all over the United States, just me, her, Esmerie. We came back here to settle down though and start our family. Our first little baby was born on Christmas of 1950. Even today I could still remember when I first brought her home. Esmerie demanded to hold her and wouldn't let her go. Then came Brooke and then James and then our little baby Michael who was a sophomore in high school this year.
"When is Esmerie coming?" Brooke asked collasping into the chair across from me. I glanced at the clock.
"Shouldn't be too much longer," I said and she nodded.
"And the others?"
"Around dinnertime," I told her. She noddd and went to go put on some music. Frank Sinatra's voice singing Christmas classics flooded the room and I started singing along.
"Dad..." Brooke whined and I smiled standing up and going into the kitchen. Rebecca was doing the dishes and I came up behind her swaying. I wrapped my arms around her and she laughed.
"Are you asking me to dance Gerard?" she asked and I hummed twirling her around and bringing her in close. She laughed again and wrapped her arms around me. Alice rolled her eyes, but we kept dancing.
Soon the door opened again and the snow covered boys trampled into the house chasing Brooke around with their numb fingers. Rebecca pulled away from me then to go get them to wash up and hang their damp clothes up. I wandered back into the living room and sat back on the couch just in time for Esmerie to sweep into the house.
"Hello papa!" she cried rushing over to me. She leaned down and kissed my cheek just before Greta wormed her way in and crawled onto my lap. Esmerie had grown tall and elegant with a knack for singing and dancing. She'd been in more Broadway plays then I could remember. Her long blonde hair was braided just like little Greta's too. Her husband, Adam, came in with baby Henry and handed him to Rebecca. I could still remember those exact moments my grandbabies were born. Now Greta was five and it still felt like yesterday. It often made me wonder where the time had gone. Years of travelling, family, and friends had thirty years go by in an instant.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Greta shouted at me holding up one of my books. "I am learning to read it," she said with a smile. After the war I started writing children's books; Tales of Essie and Greta. The were stories about two little girls who lived on the French country side during the war and weren't allow to play outside so they used their imaginations to go on wild adventures. There were currently twenty three books in the collection and had been on the Best Selling Children's Book list since the second one came out.
"She won't put that one down," Esmerie laughed
"It's the one where they get the dog!" Greta exclaimed opening to the page where there was a photo of Fighter on the dedication page. I smiled.
"Yeah that's one of my favorites too," I told her and she smiled turning the page.
She got about halfway through when the doorbell rang. Esmerie opened in and in poured the Iero's. Frank came in with Buddy, Tarzan, and Baloo, his dogs, and carrying his grandson Willis. His Mikey had gotten married a year ago.
"Hey Gee!" he greeted me with a smile. Samantha hugged Rebecca and their other children Frank Jr, Rachel, and Beth started putting presents under the tree. All our kids had grown up together. Frank and me promised to have big families and them grow up together since we both came from small families. "Is Ray here yet?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Figures. He always complains it takes forever to get over here when it snows," he laughed. "Especially with his daughter being pregnant." He sat down on the couch next to me and handed Willis to me. He was a few months younger then Henry. Greta wormed her way between us and Rebecca handed Henry to me as well and Frank picked up Tarzan, his smallest dog.
"Isn't that a lovely sight," Samantha said to us as she followed Rebecca into the kitchen.
"So how's the high school?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Jazz band is going to state competition," he said proudly. He worked at the high school as the band and orchestra teacher. All our children had been in or still were in his class. Because of that the majority of the high school kids called him Uncle Frank instead of Mr. Iero. I think he liked it better that way.
"Congrats," I said and he smiled.
"Uncle Ray's here!" Rachel shouted running down the stairs with James, Michael, and Beth.
"Mikey Way! Mikey Way!" Greta shouted. With Frank having a Mikey and us too, my son became Mikey Way.
"Hey pretty lady," he said and pulled her out from between me and Frank. Ray came in along with a gust of snow. He lead a very pregnant Jamie in and was followed by her husband Jacob and Ray's twins Sam and Ray Jr rushed in carrying food and presents. Ray's wife, the girl he went home to, had passed away last May from breast cancer.
"Okay everyone to the table!" Rebecca called and everyone bustled to get to their seats.
"Hey man," I said to Ray who sat Jamie down.
"Things are as lively as ever around here," he laughed and I shrugged.
"I blame it on Frankie."
"I just got off the phone with Susan and they all wish us Merry Christmas from Chicago," Rebecca said as she set the turkey on the table. Ray took his seat and I pulled Rebecca in close.
"Thank you all for joining us once again on Christmas Eve. As I've said before, life is nothing without family and friends." There were cheers of agreement and I started cutting the turkey. As plates and food were passed around I glanced at the mantel. Pictures from my wedding and all my children smiled back at me reminding me of all the good times I'd had. Then in the center sat two other pictures. One of Greta by the ocean and then one of Mikey at my birthday right before I left for England.
Even though it was years ago, when I closed my eyes it felt like yesterday. Rebecca reached over and squeezed my hand. I smiled. They may be gone, but they live on forever in our memories.
♠ ♠ ♠
The EndHope everyone enjoyed. :]