Finally Time to Dance

Megan bounced the tiny infant lightly in her arms.  Her three middle children had already made their way to the waiting limousine.  She looked down at Ali.

“It’s time to go, sweetie.”  Megan offered her oldest daughter her hand. 

Instead of taking her mother’s hand, however, Ali said, “I’ll be right back.” 

Confused, Megan watched Ali’s red curls bounce as she quickly made her way back to the front of the sanctuary.  Ali stopped and tugged on the dark sleeve of a man Megan had seen before the service started.  He bent down so that his eyes were level with Ali’s.  The two exchanged a few words and then he stood and took Ali’s hand.  They walked together to the front of the church.  He left the small girl standing there for a moment then returned with a metal folding chair.  He opened the chair and stood it where Ali was pointing.

Megan watched her six-year-old daughter, wise beyond her years, climb onto the chair and wait for the man to open the casket for her.  She tugged the pink carnation corsage off her tiny wrist and tenderly placed it on her daddy’s chest.  She spoke again to the man.  He nodded and then leaned forward and pulled something out and handed it to Ali.  Megan saw Ali thank the man before she climbed down from the chair and made her way back down the aisle, Chris’s necktie hanging almost to her knees on either side of Ali’s small frame.  When she reached Megan, she said, “I wanted to keep this.”

“Daddy would love that.”  Megan stooped down, quickly made a loose loop in the tie, and touched Ali’s cheek.  “You’re such a brave girl.”  Megan straightened and looked back one last time at the front of the sanctuary.  The flowers and posters had been taken out already.  Chris’s body was flanked by the pallbearers, all his brothers or brothers in Christ, waiting to load the funeral coach for the short trip to the cemetery.  Megan motioned to the man holding the door open.  He let the door go and walked toward Megan. 

“Ali, you and Krissy go with this nice man to the car.”  Megan handed the baby to the funeral director and smiled at his clumsiness with Krissy.  When the trio had made their way out the door, Megan turned and walked to the front of the church.  She stopped about ten feet from Chris’s body and paused.  The man who had helped Ali stepped back and opened the sanctuary’s side door.  Silently, the pallbearers filed into the hall.

Alone with her best friend for the last time here on earth, Megan walked slowly to his side.  She choked back sobs as she looked down at the crayon drawings and wadded tissues that his children had laid on their father’s chest.  Chris had requested a closed casket so that the sight of such treasures could remain locked in the hearts of Megan and his children forever.

Megan stood trembling for several moments before she tenderly bent over and kissed Chris one last time. 

“Catch you on the flip side, Bud.”