Colin's Birthday Party

Colin was soon set to age up and Kyla knew this so she set up a cake so that Colin would be able to celebrate his special day where he went from child to teenager. Underneath all the sadness of the days preceding, it was a small ray of joy. And all of the family assembled to celebrate the occasion.

The detectives who had become close friends of the family had set over gifts for Colin. Even though Haruo and Parker had been bitter rivals for River's affection in high-school, Parker had felt a bittersweet connection to River and Haruo's offspring and grandchildren and vowed to watch over their grandchildren; to make sure that they were OK. "It's the least I can do to honor their memory." he had said at the funeral to Braden. "Call on me if you need anything."

Alfredo (their gardener), Braden and the family cheered on Colin as he went to blow out the candles on his birthday cake.

His mother blew a shrill blast on the party horn. The Watcher is certain that most of the party goers went deaf.

There were plenty of noisemakers in play; the cacophony of noise in that kitchen/dining area was insane. But they all wanted something to celebrate; there had been too little of that over the past few days.

Colin stood tall as he aged up into a teenager while his parents, the hired help and his sisters watched.

...and the family sat down to partake of the birthday cake.

Afterwards, they knew that they all had to go downstairs and start training because Braden expected it out of them. What he had been told had really resonated with them, so they were determined to get in the best physical shape of their lives.

The one trespasser who decided to crawl onto the Chikamori's property got his rear-end toasted.

Maybe that might teach him not to trespass on other people's property.

To Live in Hearts

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die - Thomas Campbell

Next morning, just the thought of not having his parents around to take advice from, just overwhelmed Braden, who broke down weeping. He knew that he had to walk the rest of his path in life separated from the comforting arms of his parents shielding him from any misfortune. Oh, how he missed them.

Overnight, the weather had turned bitterly cold and snow fell in Cape Garner. It lined the cemetery in a blanket of white and resting on top of the graves of Haruo and River.

Breakfast was a subdued, silent affair, each family member still encased in their own grief. Braden had to compartmentalize his grief since he still had to perform his duties as a RCAF officer and commander of a fighter wing at CFB Comox. He was an adult with responsibilities to his squadrons at Comox and he had a hop that day and the CF-18 Hornet did not brook any inattention to details. If he did, he'd be having a reunion with his mother and father sooner than he'd like.

Even the help were reflective and subdued; they were treated like a part of the family while Haruo and River were still alive and they wondered if that would continue with working for Braden. Alfredo Morales went out to the greenhouse to deal with the plants since emotional upheaval or not within the family, tasks still had to be done around the property.

When the day was over and Braden got home, he had to deal with the garbage.

...and night fell over Cape Garner.

The Burden of Grief

It was after the funeral that Braden realized that there was a lot of work to be done in order to bring the killers to justice. Braden wasn't in law-enforcement so he was unaware of the hoops and details that the police had to follow, but Parker let him know that he was dedicated to bringing River's and Haruo's killers in; in fact he had a vested interest in making sure that who ever sabotaged Haruo's car was going to pay.

Kyla did some cooking after the funeral, so that who ever was hungry could eat before they headed back on the road. And those who were hungry gratefully accepted.

Later, Braden, still heart-sore headed over to the graveyard. Unfortunately the urns had been transported to the community graveyard and he had to retrieve his parents' remains and transport them himself to their final resting place, which really didn't put him in the greatest of moods. However, he did what he could to ensure that his parents rested peacefully.

When his task was done, he was overcome with grief. One of the questions that kept floating around in his head was: "Why couldn't they have had the opportunity to grow old together..."

The hand of the Watcher was truly fickle indeed.

When Braden returned home, spent and eyes sore from weeping, knowing full-well that he was now the torch-bearer for the family...for the rest of the time that he had left on this planet, he went to his wife. His daughter was devastated, but he knew that she needed time for this heartbreaking news to sink in. Right now in the throes of grief, she really didn't want to understand the wherefores of what happened.

"Did you lay them to rest?" Greta asked...her eyes told the story of the grief that she, herself, was feeling.

"I don't know if I laid them to rest inside, but their remains are at our graveyard..." Braden replied. "I miss them so much..." and with that he enfolded her in his arms.

"I know, Braden, I know..." ...and nothing more needed to be said at that moment.

"Grief can't be shared. Everyone carries it alone. His own burden in his own way." Anne Morrow Lindbergh

...but in the afterlife, two spectral entities found each other again...and were happy...

Happy in their reunion in the afterlife as they were in life.

A Target on Their Back

"You do leave messes, don't you?"

"I'd like to see you do better..."

"Considering I'm the Empress of Evil. Do you not think that I could do much better than you. There were five blue and reds at the scene not to mention a firetruck. I wanted them killed quietly, not to have investigators looking for us before we even leave the island, you miserable wretch."

"Now it's going to be darned near impossible to get off this miserable island. I've waited over 40 years for this retribution and you have ruined it... because of your ineptitude."

"You don't know just how hard it was to break into their garage and slit the brake fluid line...that d- place is like a fortification."

"Excuses, excuses, I have underlings who are much more competent than you, you miserable worm. I don't understand why I promoted you to Sidekick. But you are going to do two more jobs for me...so you can prove to me that you're competent.

I want the mayor of this miserable town killed...and her husband too.