Storm Watch 02.19 – Stripped

            Sam sat at the piano and played a song she didn’t really know.  The house was silent except for her haunting playing.  No one’s paddling feet coming up behind her to hug her and say good morning.  No snoring in the upstairs bedroom.  No shower running after a long night of passionate love making, just silence, overwhelming and screaming silence.

            She closed her eyes and then started to play something she’d learned a few weeks before, a song that CJ had loved when she’d heard it.  It was Sarah McLachlan‘s ‘Answer’.  She’d joked that it should be their wedding song.  Sweet yet tragic at the same time.  She thought about the words to the song and it sent shivers up through her spine. 

            A wedding that had always been a joke between them that was for people who said I love you, for people that would someday have kids.  Build that sort of life with each other, it was for love.

            To do that, she’d have had to tell her she loved her and of course, the mighty Sam Vance was much to butch to have ever uttered those words.  She stopped playing and looked out onto the deck, and swallowed hard.  The sun was coming up and this was the day.

            The day she was going to bury her love.  Her soul was going to now reside six feet under.

*****

            Alice was at the funeral home staring blankly at CJ’s open casket, Dana at her side holding her hand.  This wasn’t the way she wanted Dana holding her hand, but she was going to take what she could get. 

            There were hundreds of flower arrangements the whole room was thick with the smell of roses.  Alice was in awe at how many people had known and loved CJ in some way, shape, or form.  You are so lucky CJ; you had someone to love you all these years.  Sam had held her on a pedestal; and she’d been right up there with her.  Sam, where are you?

            Lara was milling around the back of the place waiting for the rest of the ‘gang’.  Bette had just stepped in, impeccably dressed and Alice thought she’d seen Rosita there also.  Even the young mechanic had come at least she had some class somewhere in that ***** body of hers.  There were also doctors, nurses and over 100 other people that had been in an out, and still no Sam.