"It was a beautiful service, sweetie."
Opal and Chris had finally pulled themselves away from the cemetery as the men were getting ready to lower the casket. As much as she wanted to be there with Pops through every step of the situation, she knew she couldn't let that be the moment of her last goodbye.
Arriving to Magnolia about forty-five minutes after everyone else, Chris is still reassuring her through each motion. "One foot in front of the other," he reminds her as they step away from the car, hand in hand, and move towards the entrance to the Inn.
Opal lifts her head as she hears Lisa's voice from the front porch, complimenting the funeral.
"Thanks," she whispers quietly, knowing if she speaks too loudly her voice will crack and lead to another torrential downpour of tears.
However, it doesn't stop Lisa from pulling Opal away from the safety net of Chris, and into a hug. Chris' protectiveness falters a touch, wanting to keep her close, but knowing she needs more than what he can offer, he reluctantly lets go of her hand. Yet he still catches the clenching of Opal's hand, still searching through the emptiness it holds from the loss of his own.
Being respectful she let's Lisa hold her, Opal's right hand patting against Lisa's back while her left hand continues to clench beside her thigh. Sensing it's been long enough, Chris places his hand on the shoulder of his mother, giving it a little pat in order to convey the need to release her.
Lisa catches on and pulls back, placing a sweet kiss over Opal's hair before completely letting go of her and stepping back.
Opal walks through the front door of Magnolia for the first time in days. Nothing out of place, as usual, except for the crowd of people dressed in only black. People stand around the dining room and foyer area, a few other bleeding onto the back patio.
Chris finds his place back with Opal, his hand on the small of her back, weaving her through the small crowd towards her office. She looks up at him, slightly confused by his urging. The door, while closed, isn't locked. He opens it, guiding her into the room, closing the door behind him.
"What are we doing?" she asks.
Chris pulls her against into him, cradling her against his broad chest, her ear right over his heart. "Taking a minute," he tells her.
As soon as the words leave his mouth he can feel her rigid body begin to relax. He notices her breathing evening out. "I'm not going to ask you if you're okay, because that's just stupid. But, if at any moment you feel like you need help, I'm here. Just lean into my chest and let my heart beat calm you."
Opal's hands wrap around him tighter, her lifeline. "I love you," she tells him. "You're all I have now, Chris."
Chris opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted by a knock on the office door. It opens slowly before Rae pokes her head in. Then Laura and Lily over her, all three looking like a beautiful totem pole.
"I think you have a few more than just me, love," he says with a smile before kissing her forehead.
She lifts her head from his chest, a soft smile across her lips as she releases him from her hold. Chris moves out of the way for the friends to pull Opal out of the room.
~~~~~
"How about the fact that you called him a genius when he lit that fire?" Lily announces.
Opal giggles as she remembers the camping trip Lily is talking about. "I mean, I was five so I didn't actually know that you could make fire rather easily."
"But he never let you forget it," Rae points out. "He wanted to make sure you knew that you dubbed him a genius."
Chris leans on the banister of the porch as Opal sits in one of the rocking chairs. His tie discarded along with the suit coat, his sleeves rolled to the elbow while the top two buttons of his dress shirt have been undone. Their friends littered around the space, coming and going, taking part in the discussion of memories.
"Remember when he got up and did the wobble at Ray's wedding?" Laura teases. "Thought for sure he was gonna need a new hip after that night." Anthony gets up and does an accurate mocking of how Pops danced that night, down to the extra twerk he'd thrown in as well.
"How about when he saw Chris smack your butt?" Scott chimes in.
"Dude!" Jameson yells out, his eyes wide at Chris, doubling over in laughter. "You didn't!"
Chris nods his head with a smirk all the while a blush creeps up his neck. "Guilty."
The group howls in laughter. "But, I still have both my hands so I guess he wasn't too upset about it." He tosses a wink over at Opal, thankful to see the smile that's been resting over her lips for the last hour.
"He believed he handpicked you for me," Opal chimes in from her spot. "I'm not sure I agree with his thought process but he certainly helped in the urging to give this," she motions between her and Chris, "a shot."
"And now there's wedding bells!" Rae exclaims. "It's all because of Pops. He gets the credit for all future Evans babies that grace our little group."
While everyone agrees with happy smiles, Chris notices a twitch in Opal's jaw. Then he sees her crinkle her nose just before she rubs at it, trying to push away threatening tears. "I hate that he's going to miss it."
"Miss what, sweetie?" Lily asks.
"All of it," Opal answers timidly. "The wedding, the babies, the birthdays, the graduations, the holidays," her voice cracks the more she speaks.
"I don't believe he's going to miss a moment of it," Lisa says as she steps out onto the porch.
Some look at Lisa for an explanation while others drop their heads to look at their laps or feet. "I think he's going to be watching every moment of your life with the biggest smile on his face, while holding your Granny's hand the whole time."
"Maybe not every moment," Scott teases, clearing his throat as he slaps Chris on the back causing his blush to resurface. This breaks up the seriousness of the moment once more, sending everyone into a chuckle.
"I'm sure Granny will pull him away from the edge for those moments," Opal declares, standing to her feet before moving in front of Chris. He holds out one hand to her, waiting for her to take it in hers. She does, but instead of holding on to it she places it on the side of her face for a half of a second before letting go and resting her ear against his chest, over his heart. He continues to cup her cheek, his thumb moving softly against her cheekbone as he keeps his heart beat steady to help calm her.
Opal stays in place as another story is revealed. This one included turning a hopeful boy away at the front door because of how long his hair was. "His loss is my gain," Chris quips with a smile as Opal begins to pull away, her emotions back in check once more. Chris leans down, pecking the tip of her nose with his lips.
"I think I'm gonna run to the restroom and check in with Mila," she informs him.
"You're not on the clock, babe."
"I know. I need to do it for me," she admits. "I'll be back."
"I think we're gonna head out, Opal," Anthony mentions, helping Rae up from her chair.
"Of course," she tells them both. "Thanks for coming friend." She hugs Rae as she rubs along her back.
"Anything you need, you call," Rae demands, a very serious look in her eyes. Opal kisses her on the cheek as she places her hand on Rae's growing belly, before giving Anthony a quick hug goodbye.
Chris POV
I watch Opal walk back into the foyer from my spot against the banister. I shift a bit, crossing my arms against my chest as Anthony and Rae finish their goodbyes and head off to their car.
"So," Lily starts. "Elephant in the room. Still planning for the wedding at the end of the month?"
I take a deep breath, my brow furrowing as I look at the wood floor. "We've not talked about it. There's not really been a good time for it."
"I think you should keep it where it stands now," Laura comments. "I think it would really help her to be honest."
While I understand Laura's sentiment, I'm not completely sure I agree with her. We'd be married, but we'd still be separated from one another. In the situation we're in right now, I'm not sure that would be anything but more traumatizing for Opal. I'm about to voice my concerns when I see Lily and Laura both jump up from their seats, taking a couple of steps to the edge of the porch. I turn my body to face the direction they're moving towards.
"What the sh-" Laura says, her voice full of shock and surprise.
"-it," Lily finishes as her gaze follows Laura's. Both of their faces have gone pale, the color completely draining their features.
"Girls, you're at a funeral for crying out loud," Ma reprimands them.
"What?" Scott asks, noticing a man climbing out of his car in the parking lot.
I narrow my eyes, taking a step over to Lily and Laura. "No." I shake my head slowly. "No, that, that can't be." My breath catches in my chest as I recognize the man walking towards us.
"Yeah. It is," Laura confirms. "That's Opal's dad."