Today, I stand on the wet grass, looking down with my eyes fully blurred with cloudy tears. My heart ached harder than before as this day became the toughest for me to absorb.
My children's sour feeling inside made me feel worst—knowing that they were hurting just like I was. I held onto them tightly as we were prepared for this day—we were sad, but we were prepared.
Melody walked over closer to the gray stone, placing three flowers on top of it, wiping her face from the constant tears that kept reappearing on her face.
Terri and her husband walked over toward my daughter, standing beside her with their eyes closed, speaking with no words coming from them—or I just probably wasn't able to hear them.
Melody looked at them both, rubbing their arms, comforting them during this hard time for all of us.
My hands started shaking as the nerves got to me badly. My two sons that stood beside me, hugging me tightly, helping me keep my composure.
"This is a hard time for us all," Terri said, so we all could hear her, "we didn't expect him to go this soon, but he's gone."
Beside Terri, I could hear my daughter weeping, sad over all of this—Darrell hugged her as her hand was still holding on to Terri.
"We miss him terribly," she went on, "he was so brave; he was so kind—he was kind to Abigale."
I looked around, there was no Abigale. She didn't show up today, she didn't show up for Lawrence.
"Happy Birthday Lawrence," Terri said, "we miss you—we love you..."