The Best of Me (A danisnotonfire fanfic) ✅

Part 51: After

(Third person's pov)

When the doorbell went off during the dinner, the oldest son went to open it, as he walked around in his parents house as his own. It wasn't unusual for him, giving the fact that he loved performing simple chores such as getting the mail or attending flowers. It was a normal Thursday afternoon, and the Lester's were enjoying dinner together, all three generations.

As he opened the door, the son found himself face to face with a man dressed in a uniform, with a gravely serious look on his face.

"Is this Philip Michael Lester?" The police officer asked, studying the face of the man who had opened the door for him. Phil's son looked startled at first before he blinked.

"No, Phil is my father. He's in the kitchen, shall I fetch him for you?"

"That would be great, thank you," The Officer said, shifting his weight subconsciously from one foot to the other. He looked uncomfortable with his afternoon shadow and tired eyes.

Daniel ran into the kitchen, reciting the orders as best as he could. Phil looked shocked as he rose to his feet. He'd never been in trouble with the police before, so what could it possibly be?

Phil casted one last look at his whole family around the table. Winnie smiling back reassuringly, his children, Daniel, Howard and Jamie looking at him with curious eyes, his grandchildren obviously not as discreet when it came to looking shocked.

"Yes?" Phil asked as he reached the door, opening it wide to invite the stranger in. Phil had always been kind of nature, childish and naturally funny too.

"You are Philip Michael Lester?" The police officer asked again, looking if possible, even more uncomfortable.

"Yes?" Phil said again, pondering what the problem might be.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I've got some bad news," Phil swallowed nervously at this. "We found a body last night, and I'm afraid we cannot give away his identity yet as we don't know the relation between you two, but he left this letter, which had your name on it."

The police officer handed Phil the envelope, prided with the messy scrawl Phil would have recognised anywhere, anytime. Even after all this years of distance and silence.

"Dan?" He chocked then, struggling to hold back tears as he had to lean himself to the doorway to support himself. The memories of his late friend welling up and spilling over the edge of Phil's frame. The officer neither confirmed, nor denied, staying simply quiet. "Oh God!"

"I am sorry for you loss. We will contact you with details regarding a funeral," The police officer said, turning away on his heel to walk away, hadn't it been for Phil suddenly grab his wrist.

"How did he die? Was he in a lot of pain, can you at least answer that?"

"I am not supposed to say anything, but we believed he died in his sleep. He didn't suffer, nor feel a thing."

Phil nodded, pressing a hand against his mouth as he closed the door with the hand he clutched around the envelope. He stumbled into the living room and dropped himself on the couch, not failing to catch a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror. So much time had passed, and frankly, Phil were surprised that Dan had even lasted this long. He knew nothing about the others life as they hadn't seen each other for years.

"Dad?" Jamie's voice came from the kitchen. She had always been the most caring of Phil's children, constantly putting everyone else before herself, very much alike Leah.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute," Phil called back, aware that his voice were a little bit off. "There is nothing to worry about, I'll be back in a second!"

Phil sat on the sofa in the home he had build for himself and his loved ones, at the age of eighty eight finally coming to peace with it.

Carefully, he slipped his finger under the paper and pried it open, surprised to find a bracelet falling into his lap. Picking it up, he smiled, as he instantly knew what it was. Studying the worn letters, D and L, the memories overflew him and his eyes spilled over yet again. The small Teddy charm brought back memories, as he was the one who'd chosen it.

After reading the letter, Phil felt emotionally drained, overwhelmed at how intently Dan had been watching over him for those sixty years of silence. He smiled as he could almost envision Dan on the last row in the church, watching as Phil and Winnie exchanged their "I do's", Dan with his phone in his hand considering whether or not to call him, and Dan with his pen, writing this last letter.

The paragraphs had made him smile, laugh silently and cry over each other, but Phil finally felt a sense of closure, knowing his best friend wasn't suffering anymore, and knowing the whole story.

Slipping back into his seat at the kitchen table after drying his eyes and washing his face in cold water, Phil tried to ignore the eyes staring at him. His grandchildren had long gone disappeared from the table, probably trashing the room he kept all his "nerdy" stuff in, the stuffed animals, comics and old games from his youth.

"Children," Phil said, leaning over to grab his wife's hand. Winnie must have known, because she squeezed it lightly, sending him a small, but sad smile. As much as Phil adored his family, he was grateful for the lack of spouses. This was between him and his children. "Have I ever told you the story about my two best friends in the entire world? Kayleah Jamie Silverstone and Daniel James Howell?"

Phil's blue eyes light up with the age of twenty eight again as he reminisced, retold and shared the story with his three children who all had a piece of it within them.

>The End<