What He Needs

Chapter 34

"Who was Constance Anastasia Monroe?" I began with a steady stream of tears already making their way down my face. "She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a friend, and so much more. She was a fighting spirit who didn't let minor setbacks stop her major comebacks. She was a compassionate soul that wanted to give love to the entire nation. She was a person who never let what others thought, keep her from doing what was right.

When she married my Dad, many had told her that she was crazy for throwing her life away so young at eighteen. But she ignored those voices and spent over fifty years happy and completely in love. When she got pregnant while studying for her Ph.D. in grad school, many had scorned her for being so irresponsible, because going to school and having a child apparently couldn't be done at the same time. She proved them wrong by finishing her studies and giving birth to her first son on graduation day.

When her daughter had fallen down the wrong path, she did everything she could to help her see that there was so much more to life than deathly temptations despite the outsiders telling her that her own child was a lost cause. When her last son came out as gay, she supported him and told him how much she loved him, not at all embarrassed of who he was in spite of the shunning she received from people she had once called friends.

Constance Monroe was not only my mother, but she was also my best friend. Who else could I turn to, to gossip with when I thought Dad was being a 'total butthead' – her words not mine by the way."

The congregation laughed.

"Or when my brother and sister got too old to play with me? Or when I experienced my first heartbreak and all I wanted to do was drown in a pint of ice-cream? Or when there were days where I just didn't want to exist anymore? No one, because Constance Monroe was not someone who could be replaced.

In one way or another, she left her mark on our hearts, and I will continue to bear that mark as proudly as she did when she went to Dad's commencement ceremony, and every single one of Conrad's baseball games, and all of Franny's cheer competitions, and my first – and only – pride parade. Constance Monroe was a person who always celebrated other people's accomplishments over her own. No matter how big or small, in her eyes, you were always deserving of someone telling you that you were amazing.

So, to end, I ask again; who was Constance Monroe? She was everything one could only hope to be."

***

Days passed after Mom's funeral and cremation.

Franny's family, Conrad's family, Macy, Jonathan, and his girls all had to leave once the weekend was over on the account that they had to get back to work and school. My siblings and I, however, stayed for a week longer so that we could make sure that our father would be okay.

We wanted to take care of the last set of paperwork for him as well as get him a little parting gift, unbeknownst to him. I could tell that our old man was getting tired of us though. He was never one to enjoy being doted on, and having all of his kids dote on him at once without pause was very clearly getting on his nerves. Although he would never say it out loud, he wanted us gone – in a loving fatherly way of course.

"Seriously, kids, I'm fine," Dad said tiredly when he woke one morning and found us all sitting at the island, talking in hushed tones. "No need to keep worrying about me."

"We believe you, Dad," Conrad replied with a chuckle as he patted our old man on the shoulder once he took a seat with us. "We know you're tired of seeing our beautiful faces, so we'll be out of your hair by morning."

"You guys know I love you," Dad grinned. "But you also know that emotions and I are not the best of friends. People, even my own flesh and blood, make me uncomfortable."