Afterthoughts
was
someone out here, watching me. I saw him the other day at my house
in my yard. At least it looks like the same person to
me.”
    Jay looked around and asked the old
man if he had seen anyone.
    The old man just shook his head and
continued to push his wife into the emergency room.
    “ Looks like he’s gone
now,” he added as he took Paige by the arm and led her toward the
door. “Let’s go back inside with Aileen.”
    After thirty minutes passed, the tall,
thin doctor walked in solemnly and asked everyone to join him in
the chapel just off of the waiting room. “I’m so sorry,” he said as
he took Paige’s hand. “We did all we could, but Sarah lost a lot of
blood internally,” he said as he placed his other hand on Aileen’s
arm. “She was just too weak to fight.”
    “ No!” Paige screamed
before she realized anything had sprung from her vocal cords. Jay
held her closely to keep her from jumping up from the chair. Aileen
broke down hysterically with Jones’ arms wrapped tightly around
her, trying to comfort her.
    “ What else? What else
could happen?” Paige was becoming hysterical herself. “Not Sarah …
Not Sarah too! Why couldn’t I stop it? Why ?”
    “ Paige … look at me
… look at me !”
Jay grabbed Paige’s shoulders and turned her to face him. “Paige,
there was nothing you could have done! It’s not your
fault!”
    “ I should have stopped her
… I should have …” Paige’s sobs were becoming inaudible as she fell
into Jay’s arms. He held her tightly as Aileen walked over and put
her arms around Paige as well.
    “ It’s not your fault
Paige. There’s nothing you could have done.”
    Aileen tried to comfort
her.
    “ I’m so sorry I failed
her, Aileen. I’ve really failed her.”
    “ No … Paige.” Aileen tried
to comfort her as difficult as it was. The four of them stood
sobbing in the chapel. Both Jones and Jay realized that the best
they could do was to just hold them and let them fall
apart.
     

Chapter 10
     
    Sarah’s funeral seemed to drain most
of what energy the two of them had left. Paige had a hard time
letting go. Aileen seemed to have a harder time. The ceremony had
been a long one. It seemed as if everyone wanted to say something
about Sarah. There seemed to be an unusually large crowd this time
and Paige wondered if some people came just out of curiosity. The
graveside service was beautiful. “All three Steckler’s are at rest
with each other,” the minister said softly and with great hope.
“All of their suffering is done. They are all together in
peace.”
    “ This is
unbearable,” Paige thought to herself. She
knelt down by the casket, a long stem red rose in her hand and wept
silently as her heart seemed to disappear from within her chest.
She felt empty. She felt as if all of her being was being lowered
into the third grave along with Sarah and she wasn’t sure how to
handle that. She had failed. Her best friend and sister was now
gone because she had failed. The pain of that reality was
unbearable. Paige wanted to crawl down into the grave site and be
buried with Sarah. That was what she deserved.
    A soft rain began to fall.
Paige didn’t notice at first. When she did, she lifted her head to
the sky and let it wash her face. “Wipe
away my tears,” she thought. “I need help.” She stood
back up and placed the rose on Sarah’s casket, gathering new
strength with that simple gesture.
    “ I won’t give up, Sarah. I
will find out who destroyed your family. I give you my promise.”
She kissed the mahogany, laid her hand on the side, and turned to
walk away. Jay and David stood side by side watching her. David
walked to her and placed his arm around her shoulders to walk her
to the car. Jay only watched from a distance, wishing he could be
the one to comfort her right now.
     
    Paige spent the next two weeks helping
Aileen deal with all of the arrangements and the settlement of the
Steckler’s Estate. The entire estate, with the

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