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.For Josiah, it was more a day to forgive than to mourn.It wasa big step for a man whose father had always seemed like thedevil in his life.The only reasoning he could find behind it wasthe need to move on and let that old part of himself, that partthat held him back from loving and accepting and being who hewas, go.His daddy’s written words had sank deep into Josiah’ssoul, not so much righting all the wrongs that had been donebut calming the need for closure and acceptance.His daddy hadloved him in his own way and that’s really all Josiah could haveasked for.He’d needed that small dose of forgiveness to settle inhis heart and that’s exactly what had happened with the simplewords of his father.When the service was over, condolences expressed, andhands shook, Josiah started to make his way back to Wyatt’struck only to be pulled to a stop and told to wait.Wyatt sprintedahead of him, opening his truck door, slamming it shut againthen hurrying back to Josiah.He handed him a bouquet of blueand white flowers, much like the ones he or his mama had placedon the kitchen table at Josiah’s house.Josiah tried to joke but his words came out flat.“You’re givingme flowers now? Guess they go along with the ring.”Wyatt kissed him, right there in front of his family and thetownspeople, in front of his father’s grave and a whole cemeteryof dead people, and Josiah was just fine with it.He loved Wyattand if his lover wanted to kiss him in public, he wasn’t going holdhimself or Wyatt back.“I figured you’d want to say Merry Christmas to your mama,”Wyatt said.He took Josiah’s hand and together they walked tothe spot where Josiah’s mama had been laid to rest.But ratherthan a simple wooden cross to mark the grave, there was a granite84 K-lee Kleinheadstone with the wordsEunice Dorothy Nelson.December 26, 1967 – December 24, 2003MAMAIn smaller letters beneath were daughter and wife, but it was theword mama that choked Josiah up, that and the recollection thatit must have always been so hard during the Christmas season forthe very reason that his mama had been born and died duringthat time.Could that have also been the reason his daddy hadn’tgiven a thought to the holiday season after she was gone? It wasironic that William Josiah Nelson’s body had chosen this time ofyear to take its last breath, too, ironic but somehow unsurprising.“Want me to leave you alone for a minute?” Wyatt asked.“Where did the headstone come from?” Josiah asked, shakinghis head at Wyatt’s question.“Your daddy saw the error of his ways.My ma helped himalong with that.He picked a nice one, don’t you think?”Josiah nodded, and fell to his knees in the snow, one handreaching out to touch the letters of his mama’s name.He tracedthe outline of blueberries and vines and felt his heart lighten.“Mama would have loved it.I want you to stay here with me, Wy.You don’t have to get all wet though.”Wyatt dropped to his knees beside Josiah, taking the flowersfrom him and placing them against the headstone.He nodded atJosiah then bowed his head.Josiah cleared his throat, the task at hand both daunting and along-time coming.“Hey mama.I haven’t been here in a while.I’msorry about that.” He paused to take Wyatt’s cold fingers in his,squeezing them for courage and promptly feeling the returningpressure.“I just wanted to tell you I had a good Christmas withWyatt and his family.You would have been a welcome addition tothe table but you were there in spirit and in my heart.Wyatt andI are gonna build a life together, mama.You probably think I’mtoo young to know what I want but Wyatt’s all I’ve ever wanted.Finally Home 85I think you’d be happy that I’ve forgiven daddy, but you probablyalready know that.I miss you and love you every day.”He peered up at Wyatt who’d turned to look at him, a sadsmile on his sweet mouth.“And now that I’m home, I’ll comemore often to see you.I’m happy, mama, really happy.”“Home,” Wyatt repeated, resting his head against the side ofJosiah’s.“Yeah,” Josiah said, one hand moving to wrap around Wyatt’sneck.“Finally home.”About the AuthorK-LEE KLEIN has lived in one part of Western Canada oranother for her entire life.She’s a doting mother of three now-grown kids and has had characters and plots running around herhead for as long as she can remember.Though this is her first forayinto throwing her original fiction out into the web universe, shehopes to substitute her passion for writing beautiful, emotionalmen for her previous jobs as a hockey manager/coach, schoolband volunteer and overall chauffeur.K-lee lives with an overly-patient husband who totally doesnot get her thing for gay men, two spoiled but wonderful sons(who don’t get it either), two also spoiled but beautiful cats, manyphone calls with her daughter who has already left the nest, andan abundance of fabulous gay men, large and small, bouncingoff the walls of her skull, competing for their turns to tell theirstories.You can find out more about K-lee at: http://kleeklein.com
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