Finding Jaime

Chapter 12

It was a sunny day. A perfect day for a funeral, I guess. Tanya had decided to have her ceremony graveside.

Jaime looked handsome in my suit. And at the same time, looked like a lost little boy. He sat in his chair, staring straight ahead. I sat beside him, Andy, Patrick and Joe sat behind us.

The priest performed a typical funeral, but it was apparent he'd spent time with Tanya.

We stood as Tanya's casket was lowered into the ground. I looked over at Jaime. My son. He was stoic. Like he was refusing to cry. Marvel slid in front of me and behind Jaime. She took his hand and looked up at him. He didn't pull away. He didn't look at Marvel, but he didn't pull his hand away. Marvel leaned on Jaime. I put my hand on his shoulder. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

The casket lowered, it was time to go to the funeral home for the reception. Jaime would meet the guys. Find out that his dad was, well, not just some no name in the entertainment industry. Or maybe I'd keep that piece of information until later, at home. I had no idea how he was going to react, and the day he buried his mother, might not be the best time to spring it on him. There was time.

Meagan, Jaime, Marvel and I got into the limo that Tanya had arranged. Marvel sat herself beside Jaime and kept holding his hand. I sat across from him, and Meagan took the seat beside me. Jaime didn't say a word the entire way to the funeral home's reception room. But I saw he was holding Marvel's hand, not just letting her hold his.

It was a small reception. And the receiving line was really just Jaime. I stood with him, and Marvel stood beside him as well. An older lady came up to Jaime and gave him a hug, which he returned.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Jaime," she said. "Remember, if you need anything or want anything, you just give me a call, okay?"

Jaime nodded and said thank you.

A few other people came up to Jaime and said they were sorry. Then Patrick and the guys came in. Jaime looked at them with curiosity.

"Hey, kid," Andy said. "So sorry about your mom."

"Uh, thanks," Jaime said. "But, who are you? Did you know my mom?"

"Not really," Andy said. "We're friends of your dad's. But we did meet your mom, a long time ago."

Patrick and Joe came over and said hello and offered their condolences.

A few more people came in, and said they were sorry to Jaime, as well. Some, I figured must have been teachers from his school or neighbors from his old neighborhood. Once it looked like everyone who was going to come had arrived, Jaime went and sat in one of the high backed chairs in the corner of the room, away from everyone. He sat slumped in the chair, trying to avoid everyone's gaze.

Patrick came up to me.

"You haven't told him yet," he said. It wasn't a question.

I sighed.

"No. Not yet. And I don't think here is the place to do it. Come by the house later tonight. Say around seven. We can tell him then."

"Okay," Patrick said. "Sounds good."

I watched as Meagan and Marvel went over to Jaime. Meagan sat down next to him and offered him a plate with some food on it. I saw Jaime shake his head and Meagan say something to him. He took the plate, but didn't eat anything. Marvel sat next to him patting his arm.

"Where's Saint?" Patrick asked.

"He's at school. There isn't any reason he needed to be here. He didn't know Tanya, and he barely knows Jaime."

Patrick nodded.

"Yeah. I guess that makes sense,"

I talked with the guys for a few minutes, and then went over to where Jaime was sitting with Meagan, picked Marvel up off the chair she was sitting in and put her on my lap.

"How are you holding up, Jaime?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"Okay, I guess," he said.

"Did you eat anything?" I asked, looking at the plate on his lap.

"No. I'm not hungry. Meagan brought me a plate though."

Meagan smiled at me.

"Try to eat something, okay? Patrick and the guys are going to come over later. They want to get to know you."

Jaime sighed and nodded.

Eventually, people started trickling out. Once everyone was gone, I spoke with the funeral director about any outstanding costs, and we took the limo back to the house. We got home just as Saint was getting off the bus from school.

Jaime went straight into the house and up to his room. Saint watched him.

Meagan and I went upstairs to change out of our funeral clothes and get Marvel changed as well. Once I was changed, I went and knocked on Jaime's door. I opened it and he was lying on his bed, still in his shirt and tie.

"How you doing?" I asked.

He shrugged. I pulled the desk chair over to his bed and sat on it.

"It was a nice ceremony. Did you guys go to church very often?"

"No, not really. I guess mom talked to that priest more when she was getting worse," he said. "I only met him a couple of times."

"Well, I think he did a good job. What about you?"

Jaime shrugged.

"Yeah. I guess."

"Why don't you get changed, and come downstairs? You didn't eat much after the funeral and you didn't eat breakfast. We can have a quick snack,"

"Alright," he said, sitting up and undoing his tie. "Thanks for lending me your suit."

"No problem. I'll meet you downstairs,"

I got up and left him to get changed. I was fixing Marvel and Saint a snack when Jaime came down in jeans and a t-shirt.

"We've got apple slices and peanut butter," I said.

"I'm not really hungry. I just didn't really want to be alone," Jaime said, sitting at the counter.

Marvel patted Jaime's arm again. This time, he looked down at her and smiled a little. She smiled back at him.