Moving Mountains (Patrick Kane)

Happy Tears .24

Patrick

I never thought I would be spending so much money on a birthday gift, but I never thought that someone would mean to me what Valerie means to me either. And I am no stranger to gift giving, I loved it honestly. But it was usually earrings or watches or something small. This was big and a bit unorthodox.

Originally I was going to get her a car as a birthday gift as a congratulations for all her hard work. But she saved up and bought herself a used one before I had a chance. I could get her a better one I know will make it through these Chicago winters without any issues and would last longer but she would actually kill me. I don't doubt it for a second. Told me so herself. In fact she said if I got her anything she would never talk to me again.

But this was something I have wanted to do for a while, and something that I know for a fact she would love.

So I head over to her place and bring some balloons and flowers. She made some cupcakes she will bring into work later and promised to let me eat a few beforehand. I put a candle in one and light it.

I turn to her as she just looks at me. "If you got me something stop bull shitting me" she accuses as I roll my eyes.

"Can we have a nice moment, please" I ask.

"It depends on if you got me something or not" she claims.

"I did but it's not here. So blow out your candle and stop being such a party pooper" I say.

"What if I wish you would stop doing stuff like this" she smirks.

"Then I would be sad" I admit.

"Well don't worry, I don't want that" she says.

She closes her eyes and for a few seconds it looked like she was actually making a wish. She squeeze her eyes tight causing her cute little nose to scrunch up. Finally she lets out a blow before opening her eyes. I hand her the cupcake and get me one of my own. I wasn't sure about a lemon raspberry cupcake, I was more of a chocolate or vanilla kind of guy, but these were great and I'm gonna have to find a way to sneak another one home.

After we eat our cupcakes I get her into the car. We drive out to a place we have been only once before. The cemetery where her mom and her grandmother are buried.

"Are you trying to make me cry on my birthday" she asks as we get out.

"Yes, but happy tears" I insist.

My birthday gift to her was a headstone for her grandmothers grave. I know it means a lot to her, to get something up after all this time of her body laying there and no one really knowing who it is. No 18 year old should be worried about affording the headstone for the only person she had ever come to love. And no person who was as beloved as Tara deserved to be laid to rest without something to show people how great she was. So I was going to get her the only thing I know she wanted. Something that no matter what would make her happy.

It took me a little digging to find information on her grandma. She passed a while ago so I had to search pretty hard. But I find her obituary from the newspaper in her hometown. I learned she met her husband in World War Two, he was a commanding officer in Germany and she was a doctor. They both were there for the start of America's involvement in the war and the end of it. They moved to Evansville Indiana in 1946 and started their family, with Valerie's mom being the youngest. Just like Val. Tara had four kids in total, most of them living far away from their home hence why Valerie never sees them. But she was a very beloved person. After her husband died she didn't know what to do and then her son in law dropped off her granddaughter and the rest is history. I know there is more history than what you can find in a little article in a paper. But I felt closer to Tara so making the headstone wasn't such a hard thing to do.

I cover Valerie's eyes and walk her over to the headstones. Her grandpa was buried in a veteran cemetery so for right now it was just Tara and her mom Kaylee. Once we get to a good spot we stop. I felt like I was going to throw up as the seconds seem to go longer and longer.

My hands leave her eyes allowing her to rub them them a bit. Once she was done she looks straight to where her eyes were supposed to be. Her whole body freezes as she looks at the tombstone. It wasn't a cheap one either. It was a nice marble material that wouldn't wilt and had a picture of Tara on it. I took the foreword from her obituary and put that on there so there was some nice words left. They did a really good job with it.

Valerie suddenly falls to her knees as she reaches out to touch the stone. I let her have her moment because it is her birthday after all. And everyone who walks by will know Tara by name, know that she was a big part of so many's lives, and she was loved dearly all the way up to the end.

I kneel next to Valerie and rest my hand on her shoulder. I know she was crying by the way it was moving up and down. Wasn't sure if she was happy or sad or upset, there's times I couldn't guess what was wrong if I was given twenty tries. I know she wanted this but it was a sudden and she didn't really have time to prepare. Maybe she wasn't happy?

All the uncertainty melts away when she suddenly turns to me. From her knees she launches herself into my arms knocking me backwards onto the grass. I easily catch her as she throws her arms around my neck. She sits in my lap as my right arm lands on her lower back. We sit there for a second before I realize this hug wasn't just any old hug, and shouldn't be treated like so. I move my right hand so it wraps around her side so I can pull her in as close as I could. Her face nuzzled deep in my neck as my forehead rests on her shoulder. My eyes slam shut as I let her let it out. Her cries hurt my heart, but I knew they were cries of relief that she finally had some closure.

We sit like that for a while, both of us just crying. I hold her tight in my arms never letting her think for a second I would ever let her go. Shouldn't have made her cry on her birthday but it was worth it.

"Patrick... this is the greatest thing I have ever gotten. I can't even put into words how special this is. How much it means to me to see this here. Now when I visit I won't feel this guilt eat me up. She can be at peace, and so can I" she sniffles into my chest.

"All I wanted was for you to be able to move on and for your grandma with have a proper resting place" I insist.

"And both of those are true.. thanks to you" she whispers.

She stays in my arms for a little while longer as we just embrace each other. If felt right to hold her like that, being able to feel her breathing with her chest against mine. For a moment we were one, and it was a blissful feeling.

Eventually she breaks apart because we all know I wasn't going to be the one to pull away. She lifts her head as I keep her in my arms.

"You're so pretty when you cry" I accuse as I wipe a missed tear from her chin.

"You're so full of shit" she sniffles.

"I really didn't mean to make you cry like that" I admit.

"They're happy tears. You did great" she claims.

"Thanks" I smile.