Over the past few days, they hadn’t been able to leave their house without another reporter shoving a microphone in one of their faces. It took all his resolve not to snap a few of their necks when they began targeting Melanie, asking her questions no eight-year-old should ever have to answer. He had always shielded her from the spotlight his position put him under. Now, she was front and center of a news story. The public wanted to hear from her, but Alexander wasn’t ready for her to talk about what she’d gone through. He doubted he ever would be.
Drawing in a deep breath, he approached the front row of chairs in the small chapel. A beautiful mahogany casket sat in the center of the room, an American flag draped over it.
“Ma,” he said as she stood to greet him. He wrapped her in his arms, planting a kiss on both cheeks. She met his eyes and they shared a look.
He wanted to tell her how sorry he was, how he wished he could turn back the clock and prevent this from happening, but no amount of apologies and condolences would heal her heart. For the second time in her life, his mother was forced to bury the man she loved. Alexander hated the pain he saw in her eyes. He prayed Olivia never had to experience that.
“I know, Alex,” she said, her chin quivering.
He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. She dabbed at her eyes.
“He was a good man,” she said with a shaky voice. “He loved you like a son.” Reaching up, she tousled his hair. He caught her hand in his, squeezing it. “In many ways, he was more like a father to you than your own dad.”
Alexander nodded. He never really knew his father that well. He had some memories of spending time with him during his younger years, but his work monopolized his time later on. Martin was always there when his father wasn’t, checking on Alexander’s mom, making sure they were all okay. Alexander knew it was his job, but after a while, even if his father never ordered him to check in on the family, Martin still would be there.
“I don’t want to make the same mistakes Dad did,” Alexander whispered, wondering if he already had.
After everything he had endured this past week, he was forced to come to terms with the stark reality that his job and professional responsibilities had always come first. Yes, he was physically present at his house, but even then, he seemed to spend most of his time in the office, answering phone calls, never truly just spending time with Olivia and Melanie.
He felt a squeeze on his arm and looked to his right, meeting Olivia’s eyes. Then he glanced down at Melanie by her side. He never wanted her to see him the way he viewed his father. He was well aware that his father’s devotion to his security firm had saved countless lives, including several lives he held very dear. Still, he shuddered at the thought of Melanie holding a grudge because her daddy was never around. He’d missed so many of her firsts because of work — her first word, the first time she rode a bike, her first lost tooth. He didn’t want to miss any more of them. He wanted to be there the first time she scored a goal in soccer. He wanted to see her first homerun in softball. He wanted to look the first boy she brought home in the eyes and remind him that she was his baby girl and no one was good enough for her.
He had devoted his life to his country, then his father’s company, wanting the legacy he’d left behind to live on. Staring into his wife’s and daughter’s eyes, surrounded by the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to further that legacy, he knew the decision he made earlier was the right one.
“We’re ready to begin, sir,” one of his agents informed him.
“Thank you.” He gave him a slight smile, then turned toward the podium set off to the side of the casket.
“Wait, Daddy.” Melanie tugged at his arm. “Where are you going?”
Alexander crouched down to her level, meeting her concerned eyes. Ever since her ordeal, she’d suffered from separation anxiety. She didn’t want to leave Alexander’s or Olivia’s side for fear something bad would happen. It was going to take more than just a few nights for her to come to terms with what she had been through. He was thankful to have his daughter back in one piece, even if it meant the bed he shared with his wife was just a little bit more crowded these days.
Grasping her arms, he said, “You see all the people who are here?”
She glanced over her shoulders, her brown curls springing with the motion. “Yes.”
“They’re all here to say goodbye to Uncle Martin, too.”
A sadness washed over her face, her bright eyes growing dull. “Do we really have to say goodbye to him?”
He nodded, thinking how being a parent was a strange thing. He’d been dropped into some of the most dangerous places on earth and survived, but he hated having to teach his daughter about death. It was too dark, too bleak. She was joyful and vivacious. She deserved to keep living in her world of fairy tales and make-believe, not in a cruel world where death could take a loved one at any moment.
“Yes, princess. We do.”
“Grandma said he died trying to save those girls.” She looked down at her feet, fidgeting with the skirt of her black velvet dress. “And me.”
“He did,” Alexander answered honestly. Grabbing her chin, he forced her eyes back to his. “And he would do it again in a heartbeat. That’s how much he loved you, Melanie. How much he loved all of us.”
“I miss him,” she choked out.
He brought her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I do, too, but remember what I told you the other day?”
She pulled her head from his chest and nodded, wiping her eyes. “That he’s not really gone. That he’ll live on.”
“That he will, princess. He’s touched all our lives with his devotion, his loyalty, his love.” Sensing a presence hovering, he glanced up and saw his mother standing just over Melanie’s shoulder, tears flowing freely down her face. “And because of him, our lives are infinitely better than had he never touched them the way he did. If you ever find yourself missing him, all you have to do is look in the mirror and you’ll see him.”
“How? All I’ll see is me.”
“And in you, he’ll live on.”
“Melanie, dear,” Olivia said, approaching her. “Daddy has to go make a speech to say goodbye to Uncle Martin now.”
She nodded slightly. “Okay, Mama.” She took Olivia’s hand and they walked to the front row to sit with the rest of Alexander’s family.
Closing his eyes briefly, he made his way toward the casket, glancing at the large portrait of Martin that sat on an easel. Alexander paused, taken aback by the finality of it all. The past few days had been a whirlwind of interviews, phone calls, and trying to find some new normal. He never had a chance to let Martin’s death really sink in…until this moment.
Stepping behind the podium, he looked at all the faces in attendance. Martin had touched each and every one of them in one way or another. He feared no words would do justice to his bravery, loyalty, and kindness.