A Father’s Farewell Denied
My husband, a military colonel with whom I’d been married for ten years, was barred from entering our son’s funeral wake.
Because before our son died, he made three final wishes.
The first wish was not to tell his father about his death just yet, as he was afraid the news would upset him.
Secondly, to cook his father’s favorite meal and let his father be there for his final birthday.
Lastly, if his father were to miss his birthday, then under no circumstances—no matter what—never allow that man to appear before his grave.
Even though the man’s eyes were bloodshot and his body was shaking as he cried his heart out in the torrential rain lashing outside the funeral home, I never let the man take a single step toward my son after his death.
Three days earlier, after spending a whole night setting fireworks with my childhood friend and her son, Logan Pearce came home with a brand-new schoolbag.
That was his idea of making up for missing our son’s birthday.
The man frowned, puzzled by the tears in my eyes.
“Isn’t it just one birthday? I’ll make it up to him next time, won’t I?
Little did he know that our five-year-old son had already died from an asthma attack.
The little boy would never live to see the first day of school.