Silence

11

10 Years Later

Epilogue

The trees had just started changing colors as the slight dips in temperature told everyone that winter was coming. The cemetery was almost to quiet as a man and a little girl about seven years of age slowly made their way through the gravestones. Neither of them spoke as the man walked forward with a specific destination in mind.

Finally, the two people came to a stop before a headstone that stood in the back all by itself. The man's eyes were burning with unshed tears as he looked at the grave before him. The small smiling picture that had been placed in the headstone many years ago had his heart cracking all over again. "Daddy, who was Amanda Stone?" the little girl asked softly as if she knew that this person who no longer lived had meant a great deal to her father.

The man cleared his throat several times, trying to dislodge the knot that had suddenly appeared. "Well, sweetheart, she was a very special friend of mine a long time ago."

"How did she die?"

"She, uh... She saw some very bad men wanting to hurt me so she placed herself between me and them. And for her good deed, she got shot. Amanda spent a month in a coma in the hospital before her heart gave out on her." The little girl looked back at the stone before them. "She's got the same name as I do Daddy."

The man laughed softly. "That she does half-pint. You were named after her you know." Little Amanda's eyes grew wide in surprise. "I was?"

"You were, and I have a feeling that she knows it to."

"Do you think that she likes me?"

"I'm sure she loves you sweetheart." His answer brought a smile to her face that lit up her eyes. "Daddy, can you tell me more stories about my Amanda?" The man looked down at his daughter and picked her up. "I will; every night for as long as I remember. Come on," he said as his eyes took in the darkening skies, "your Mommy will have my hide if I don't get you back home before dark."

Setting the girl on his shoulders, the man took one last look at the headstone. "Goodbye Amanda, I hope you're happy wherever you are love." He blinked and a tear slowly slid down his face. Turning to leave, his saw a man watching from a small groove of trees. Recognition flashed in both men's eyes, but neither spoke.

Johnny Wolfe and his daughter slowly walked away from the grave of Amanda Stone; a girl who had stolen his heart and changed his life. Little Amanda laughed as a butterfly floated by her face, but her mind was on the woman her father had talked so much about. Bobbie Stone watched as Wolfe left his sister's grave. He hadn't missed the little girl that sat on his shoulders.

Shaking his head, he quickly walked the distance to where his sister laid to rest. "Hey sis, I miss you. Dad's health took a turn for the worse yesterday, and the doctor said that he won't be with me for much longer." Bobbie sighed as he laid a bouquet of flowers on the headstone.

"Wolfe came by and he had a little girl with him. She looks just like him. It's been hard, you know, moving on. But the pain of losing you has slowly disappeared and all we have left now are the good memories.

"I'm getting married in a few months, and yes you know who it is. I've been in love with Ashley for as long as I can remember, and she finally said yes. It won't be the same without you, but I'll make you proud. I love you Mandy." Bobbie blinked away the tears that threatened to spill down his face before nodding his head.

Quickly turning around, he made his way back to where he had parked his car and left the graveyard. The sun slowly set and night set in. A white, pale figure stood to the left of Amanda's grave staring off towards where both men had walked away just hours before. A smile took over her lips before she disappeared, her spirit finally at peace.