Page 2 of Echoes of Eternity
“I miss him too. Hey. Can I pray with you?”
“Yes, please.” His brother’s faith far surpassed his own. It reminded him of their father and brought a comfort to his aching heart.
Jason brought a hand up and rested it on Ryan’s shoulder as they both bowed their heads. At first, Jason couldn’t speak a word. It was as if Ryan could feel his brother’s pain in that moment because it was his pain too.
Clearing his throat, Jason spoke. “God. What lies before us is a mystery. It’s a journey we never wanted to go on. A life where our earthly father is no longer here with us . . . Your Word promises to be near the broken hearted. Well, Lord, we are those broken hearts. Help us navigate this new life that lays before us. Comfort us in our time of need, God. Amen.”
“Amen.” Wiping his face of fresh tears, Ryan let out a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
Jason smiled as he wiped his eyes and shook his head. “Thank God for His comfort.”
Ryan felt uneasy. “What if I don’t feel God’s comfort, Jason?”
“Pray and ask for it.” Jason smiled. “He gives liberally to all who seek Him.”
“Okay. I’ll work on that.” Thinking of the house, his sisters, and the reading of the will, Ryan asked, “Anything else happen after I left?”
“He left me the watch. Too bad it’s been missing since we were little kids. I only remember pictures.”
“That’s rough. You and I both know the grill should’ve gone to you. You’ve been in this town from childhood.” Ryan stood, pushing the chair under the desk.
Jason rose to his feet and placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “But Dad gave it to you, Ryan. I’m okay with that, and you’ll have to be okay with it too.”
“I am. Did you see the way Alyssa, Paige, and Erin looked at me? They were seething with disgust. I don’t want them upset with me.”
“Don’t waste your energy on them. They’ll get over it, and if not, who cares? This was what Dad wanted. It’s not about them.”
“Right.” Ryan tightened his lips together as he thought about the lack of digitalization in the business. “I’m not sure how to pull this off from California. Everything needs digitalized.”
Jason smiled. “With my help, plus the fact you have Steven, a phenomenal manager. You’ll be fine.”
Ryan nodded, thinking more of Steve. “How long has he been here now?”
“He’s been rocking it here for five years now.”
“Cool.” Lifting his eyebrows, Ryan tilted his head. “Wait . . . You would still help even though you didn’t get the grill?”
“Of course. I never helped Dad with the thought that I’d get the grill someday. It’s just the family business. Plus, I love my IT job with the town. I want to be involved with this place and that will never change.” Turning, he placed a hand on the nearby wooden beam. “This is our family’s grill and our father’s legacy. I could never walk away even if I wanted to.”
“Thank you. The first thing I want you to help me with is getting everything digitalized. The books, the invoices, everything needs to be brought online and in the cloud.”
“You got it, Brother.”
Sitting on a stool at the kitchen island in her husband’s childhood home, Emily could hear whispers about Ryan getting the grill coming from the living room where the three sisters and mother were huddled together. Rising from the stool, she went out onto the back patio of the house, closing the sliding door and whispers behind her.
A tranquil stillness filled the air as she journeyed over to the above-ground swimming pool just off the patio. Frank had kept the pool operational up until his sudden heart attack. Three years ago, he purchased a heater for the pool so that even in the colder months, like that particular day in March, anyone that wanted to could swim.
Folding her arms against the metal railing of the pool, she stared across the glass-like surface of the water as memories of summers gone by danced across her mind. Frank playing in the pool with the kids; Ryan and Jason racing across the pool to see who was fastest.
Dipping her fingertips into the cool water below, Emily let them slice through the still surface. She couldn’t believe he was gone. Tears welled in her eyes as the long talks with her father-in-law flowed through her mind like pouring buckets. In a lot of ways, she felt Frank was a better father to her than her own.
Thoughts of Ryan slipped across the surface of her mind. Her heart twisted in pain, aching as she knew how much her husband was hurting. She wanted to help him, to ease the hurt and to be there for him in his greatest time of need. But she couldn’t seem to get close enough to help. She knew she’d have to trust that God was taking care of him and be there for him when he was ready.
A tear slipped down her cheek and traveled to her chin, dropping into the water below. Ripples radiated outward. Protect him, Lord. Please . . .
Wiping her cheeks, she lifted her gaze and caught sight of her oldest child, Elizabeth, sprawled out on the yellow children’s slide across the yard. She ventured over to her. Bending a knee on the grass, she gently swiped strands of her daughter’s brown hair away from her eyes, revealing Elizabeth’s own pain in the matter.
“How are you doing, baby girl?”