"Arlene, it's so good to see you."
The words slipped from my lips like they were the norm. Truth be told, she had fallen in love with a vampire and eventually had agreed to let him turn her. Truth be told, I had never expected that one. Yes, I aged more slowly than most, but that had quit long ago. Now days my hair was no longer the color of wheat on a summer day, but gray like the clouds that were hanging overhead.
"I hate that we're meeting like this... again..."
It had been a few years since I had seen most of the folks from Merlotte's. Sam and Nicole had a couple more kids, Arlene's kids were grown and had babies of their own, my kids were grown and I was a grandmother. The years of fighting to live, fighting to keep vampires and everything else away had drifted long into the back of my mind. Now days all I worried about was if I would hurt my hip walking down the steps from Gram's house, which I still lived in, thank you very much.
I felt a hand slip into mine, and I turned to give a small smile to the man standing next to me; Blake had been the only constant in my life since Eric and Pam took off, and Bill died. Sure, I saw Jessica and Hoyt from time to time; we'd say hey in passing. But other than that, I had just about brushed all of the past off and left it there -- in the past.
But on days like today, it was as though the universe knew I needed my old "crew". And my old "crew" needed me. We were coming together to lay to rest one of the most beautiful, wonderful men I had ever met in my entire life.
Lafayette Reynolds had never been anything other than extraordinary. Everyone knew it. And today, we gathered at the cemetary, right near where my Gran and Grandaddy were buried, right beside where we had "buried" Tara. It was dark, so even the daylight impaired could make it.
Now, I hadn't seen Eric or Pam since, well, since the last dinner we all had together as a family. They had said bye, and that was that. It had been many, many years. But as soon as he appeared on the property, I felt him. A tingle crawled up my spine, and my heart started to race ever so slightly. I couldn't help the minute shiver, and then the small smile that came to my lips as I heard his soft chuckle.
I turned to look at him, just give him a quick smile, and grabbed Blake's hand.
"Look what the cat dragged in. Nice to see you again, Mr. Northman."
My voice had wavered, but only because of the rush of emotion going through me. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, and then kept them closed for another ten.
As I stood there, I felt hands upon hands rest against my back, my shoulders, my waist. Some were cold, some were insanely hot, and some were normal. My whole posse, the old crew, the ones that had fought side by side to live, to succeed, to survive. We were together again, even if it was just to say goodbye. And I was okay with that. We were together, even for a moment.
"Today we lay to rest Lafayette "Lala" Reynolds. A man that none of us understood, and definitely one that none of us deserved. A man that fought his demons, battled harder than many humans ever could have dreamt. But, oh, did he live."
The words slipped from my lips like they were the norm. Truth be told, she had fallen in love with a vampire and eventually had agreed to let him turn her. Truth be told, I had never expected that one. Yes, I aged more slowly than most, but that had quit long ago. Now days my hair was no longer the color of wheat on a summer day, but gray like the clouds that were hanging overhead.
"I hate that we're meeting like this... again..."
It had been a few years since I had seen most of the folks from Merlotte's. Sam and Nicole had a couple more kids, Arlene's kids were grown and had babies of their own, my kids were grown and I was a grandmother. The years of fighting to live, fighting to keep vampires and everything else away had drifted long into the back of my mind. Now days all I worried about was if I would hurt my hip walking down the steps from Gram's house, which I still lived in, thank you very much.
I felt a hand slip into mine, and I turned to give a small smile to the man standing next to me; Blake had been the only constant in my life since Eric and Pam took off, and Bill died. Sure, I saw Jessica and Hoyt from time to time; we'd say hey in passing. But other than that, I had just about brushed all of the past off and left it there -- in the past.
But on days like today, it was as though the universe knew I needed my old "crew". And my old "crew" needed me. We were coming together to lay to rest one of the most beautiful, wonderful men I had ever met in my entire life.
Lafayette Reynolds had never been anything other than extraordinary. Everyone knew it. And today, we gathered at the cemetary, right near where my Gran and Grandaddy were buried, right beside where we had "buried" Tara. It was dark, so even the daylight impaired could make it.
Now, I hadn't seen Eric or Pam since, well, since the last dinner we all had together as a family. They had said bye, and that was that. It had been many, many years. But as soon as he appeared on the property, I felt him. A tingle crawled up my spine, and my heart started to race ever so slightly. I couldn't help the minute shiver, and then the small smile that came to my lips as I heard his soft chuckle.
I turned to look at him, just give him a quick smile, and grabbed Blake's hand.
"Look what the cat dragged in. Nice to see you again, Mr. Northman."
My voice had wavered, but only because of the rush of emotion going through me. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, and then kept them closed for another ten.
As I stood there, I felt hands upon hands rest against my back, my shoulders, my waist. Some were cold, some were insanely hot, and some were normal. My whole posse, the old crew, the ones that had fought side by side to live, to succeed, to survive. We were together again, even if it was just to say goodbye. And I was okay with that. We were together, even for a moment.
"Today we lay to rest Lafayette "Lala" Reynolds. A man that none of us understood, and definitely one that none of us deserved. A man that fought his demons, battled harder than many humans ever could have dreamt. But, oh, did he live."
