It took all my strength to defy her, but I did. I said nothing. Her whispers grew more and more frantic, and when we drove through the entrance to the cemetery, she was screaming. Uncle Perry looked at me a number of times. I saw how worried he was, but I held my breath.
Finally, I had to put my hands over my ears. He parked and quickly got out of the car to go around and open my door.
“Come on, Sam. You’ve got to.”
I let him guide me out and held on to his arm as we walked up the path until we reached Cassie’s grave. For a moment, the two of us stood there silently staring at the tombstone.
“Bury her again,” Uncle Perry said. “Go on, Sam. Do it.”
He let go of me. I stepped forward and then fell to my knees and spread my arms as I lowered myself to embrace the earth. The grass was cool against my cheek.
“Good-bye, Cassie,” I whispered. “I don’t hate you, but I don’t need you anymore.”
Her whispering stopped.
Uncle Perry helped me to my feet. I brushed off my clothes, and we started out.
Far off in the distance in the direction of Heaven-stone, the clouds began to part to reveal the bluest of blue sky.
And I felt like a child opening a gift and discovering she had been given herself.
Finally and forever.