He loved his big brother and missed him terribly. Without hesitation, he always gave Jason credit for the man he had become. He felt at odds over being happy without his brother, and even more so about his current happiness being a result of his brother’s death.
Erin and Jason met in Afghanistan, and Cody and Erin met at Jason’s funeral in Paris, where he said he wanted to be buried.
Jason was stationed overseas and after spending some time in Paris vowed to make it his home when he retired from the military.
On his first tour in Afghanistan, he met a friendly helicopter pilot, and they became fast friends. On his second tour, he met an IED.
Erin and Cody bonded over their mutual loss and were swept up in the romance of Paris, the city of love. They both decided to stay there for a while and often visited the cemetery to talk to Jason about the life they were building together.
Every now and again, the guilt of their happiness would bring them to tears, but they knew deep down that Jason would be overjoyed for them. They both knew the kind man he was.
Today’s visit to see Jason was to deliver some very exciting news.
“Hey big brother, guess what,” Cody said, his voice cracking. Erin reached for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “It won’t be long now we will be welcoming baby Jason.”
“Did you hear that, Jason? We’re going to have a baby!” Erin reiterated. “We wish you were here to meet your namesake.” She finished and wiped a silent tear from her cheek.
They hugged and smiled.
“You’d be proud, big brother,” Cody said as they turned to leave. “I am so proud of you.”
– Written for Microcosms 22 weekly contest. Prompts Book ending sentence: “He loved Big Brother.”/Setting: Paris Cemetery/Genre: Romance. WC 295. Photo from Pixabay.com.
Leara writes and other creative things... 