The next couple of days were a blur for Addison. She had somehow gotten wrapped into the funeral arrangements for Grace’s father, mainly because Grace’s mother was useless. She spent her time looking at her husband’s things or holed up in her room, crying. Addison knew that everyone handled grief in their own way, but to not have her involved in the funeral arrangements was just weird.  Grace kept assuring her that she knew what she was doing and to leave her mother be, so she did. She left her alone and helped Grace as much as possible.

She was also struggling to write a speech that would fit Grace’s father’s memory as well. The family had a long history that went beyond the walls of the house, and to put into words what Grace’s father meant to her would be hard. Very hard. She’d gotten some semblance of a speech written out, but she was struggling between keeping it or just speaking off the cuff. She had 24 hours to figure it out.

But today wasn’t about the funeral. Today was the private viewing for the family, and Grace had insisted that Addison and Heather come along. She didn’t want to impose on such an important family moment, but Grace wouldn’t have it any other way – so the three of them, along with Grace’s mother, were riding in a limo to the funeral home. It was the first time Addison had seen Grace’s mom for more than two minutes, and she looked worn but proper in a simple black dress, white belt and her hair pinned back in a low bun. She didn’t say a word the whole ride, or even look at anyone. It was obvious she was the one dreading this more than anyone else.

Grace had been running on all cylinders since early that morning, but even she had seemingly put all the funeral business aside and was doing nothing but staring out the window. Addison fidgeted nervously as they pulled up to the funeral home, not sure how the next hour or so would go.

“Should we even be here?” Heather whispered as the four of them exited the limo, Heather and Addison standing in the back of the crowd to let Grace and her mother greet family.

“I don’t know, but Grace wanted us here. So we’re here. Just hang back until she needs us,” Addison whispered back as they began to file into the grand funeral home on the outskirts of Savannah. It looked like a grand Southern mansion had been built in the middle of the country, the serene area providing a sense of peace for Addison. She followed the family and funeral directors into the chapel area, a beautiful area with high ceilings, wooden pews and, at the front, the casket holding Grace’s father.

While everyone else kept walking, she froze at the back row of pews, suddenly feeling very sick. She felt the tears sting her eyes as she lowered herself into the nearest pew, begging herself to not have a panic attack and run away. The enormity of the situation was starting to hit her - that she was in this space to say good bye to a man who had doubled as a father for so many years - and it was almost too much.

“Hey – you OK?” Heather said softly as she appeared beside Addison, kneeling on the floor beside her. Addison took in a couple of deep breaths to steady her nerves before she nodded and allowed Heather to help her up from the floor. They walked slowly to the front of the chapel as the sounds of cries and sniffles filled the air. Addison felt the tears start to fall as she and Heather finally made it up to the casket. She took in the peaceful body of the great man that had helped her through so much and smiled tearfully. Heather sniffed beside her as she ran her hand over his suit coat, noticing that he was wearing his favorite navy suit with the gold buttons.

“This was his favorite suit,” Addison noted out loud as Grace walked up to join them, tears staining her face.

“He made sure we had this one picked out,” Grace chimed in softly, taking Addison’s hand in hers and gripping hard. “He had it pressed and hanging in a special spot. It’s almost like he knew his time was near.” The girls stood in silence for a minute, Addison trying not to break down as she took in the moment. Grace’s father still looked regal and strong, even in death; his hair was combed over with not a hair out of place, and everything was crisp. Addison could feel a breakdown coming back as the tears began to fall harder, and she quickly excused herself to not cause a scene. She managed to hold the sobs back until she made it outside and was sitting on the steps leading to the entrance.

“God Addy – I’m so sorry,” she heard Heather say as she sat down beside Addison and wrapped her in her arms. “I know this must be hard for you…”

“It’s unfair I have to go through this twice!” she sobbed, clutching Heather’s arm tightly. “Unfair!” She continued to sob as Heather rubbed her back and rocked her gently, Addison losing track of how much time they spent outside. By the time she was done, she knew all of her make-up had run with the tears, but she didn’t care. She’d been holding in her emotions for Grace’s sake, but having the breakdown made her feel better.

“Do you want to go back inside?” Heather asked gently. Addison shook her head.

“I want to just stay out here for awhile. Stay with me?” Heather smiled a little and nodded, moving closer to Addison and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The girls sat in silence as Addison looked out across the fields that surrounded the funeral home. The sense of loss was one she’d felt only once before, and she had hoped to not feel it again for a very, very long time.  If she was honest with herself, she had hoped not to feel it ever again – she’d rather die than feel the emptiness that came with seeing someone else she loved died. Now, it was too late…she just had to figure out how to deal.
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JC trudged to his dressing room, wanting nothing more than to shut the door and take a long nap. Taping was in full swing, and it had been a very long day. He was thrilled though that, for the most part, the crews had done their part to fulfill their individual challenges – made his job more fun.

As he collapsed into his make-up chair, his phone buzzed from his pocket. He answered quickly when he saw that his sister was calling; he hadn’t spoken to her in a couple of days, and he was curious to see how things were going out there. “Hey!” he greeted enthusiastically as he picked up her call.

“Josh. Man is it good to hear your voice.” She sounded exhausted, which worried JC. Something told him the wake might not have gone well.

“Everything OK Heather? You don’t sound great…”

“It’s OK. Well, not really.” He could hear the edge in her voice, which made him sit up straight in his make-up chair in his private dressing room.

“What’s going on?”

“Well…it’s Addy,” she started with a sigh. “I’m worried about her Josh. She had a breakdown today, and I know this can’t be easy for her. Probably brings back memories of her own parents, which isn’t good, I’m sure. She’s been crying on and off for the past four hours; I think she might finally be asleep.” JC swallowed hard as his mind began going a million miles a minute. He knew the history behind the close bond shared between Addison and Grace’s family, and he had figured this funeral wouldn’t be easy on her. To hear that she might not be handling it well set off something inside that had him really worried.

“I think I should come out there,” he said quickly. “You guys need someone who isn’t emotionally tied to this situation who can be there as the rock. All of you have a vested interest in that family, and I know the funeral won’t be easy. I should be there. I should’ve gone with you.” JC knew it was a bullshit excuse he was pulling right now, but he just felt like he should be there to support them. Support her.

“Are you crazy?! You have a show to tape! I know you met Grace’s family a couple of times before and want to show your respects, but the funeral’s tomorrow. You’re gonna have to either catch a red-eye to Atlanta and drive or catch a private flight, and both options are crazy.” JC was already out of his chair and heading down the hallway to find his assistant, who had made the taping with a couple of friends.

“Both are doable, trust me. Today’s the last taping for a few days, so I can finish this and hop a flight out there. I’m coming. Just find me a hotel in Savannah.”

“Josh. Seriously. You don’t have to come. I can handle this all on my own.” JC spotted Chase in the wings of the set, talking to some people, and headed over to him quickly.

“Heather. I know how emotional you get. And to be quite honest, I should probably come out there and pay my respects anyway. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll call when all the arrangements are made.” Before she could protest again, JC hung up and flagged down Chase. He walked over quickly with a confused look on his face.

“JC? I thought you’d be taking a break, which is why I didn’t – ” JC held up his hand to stop Chase from talking, wanting to get everything situated quickly.

“You’re not in trouble, I swear. I need you to do something for me. And fast.”
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The morning of the funeral came too quickly for Addison. She had stayed in bed as long as possible, hoping she would simply wake up from a bad dream and move on with her day. But when she woke up that morning, she knew it wasn’t a dream.

Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed at 8am and tip-toed down the stairs. The house was quiet, but she could hear voices from the kitchen and smell breakfast already going. She could feel her stomach rumble in response to the bacon, eggs and French toast cooking in the kitchen as she walked across the breakfast nook into the kitchen.

“It smells so good – ” she started as her eyes scanned the kitchen, finding Grace and Heather. She froze when her eyes landed on JC, gasping quietly. He gave her a smile as he held up his coffee mug, tipping it in her direction. She could feel the women stare at the two of them, the awkward silence making it harder for Addison to form words.

“Morning Addison.” JC broke the silence, keeping his eyes on her.  “Coffee?” Before Addison could get a word out, she bolted for the kitchen door that led to the back yard, walking as fast as her bare feet could carry her as far away from the kitchen as possible. She heard JC calling out her name but continued to walk, trying to pull her scrambled brain together again. It was safe to say he was the last person she expected to see in the kitchen that morning.

Before long, she heard feet running up and felt an arm reach out for her. She stopped in her tracks and spun around, coming face to face with a slightly out-of-breath JC. “What the hell are you doing here?” she blurted out without thinking. “I swear, you were not here last night when I went to bed.” She could tell JC was trying to keep a smirk off his face as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“I caught a red eye after a taping last night. I’m here today and will leave tomorrow afternoon with Heather. Just felt like I should be here to pay my respects, and I don’t have another taping until the middle of next week.” Now that JC had mentioned the red-eye flight, Addison noticed that his eyes looked bloodshot, and he just looked tired overall.

“What time did you land?” Curiosity was getting the best of her; she wanted to know why exactly he was there, but she needed to ease into it first.

“Uh…around 4am Savannah time. Took about six hours to get here, then add in the time change and…yeah. But I slept most of the flight, so I’ll be fine through the funeral.” Addison shook her head and continued to walk, still not believing that he was actually there. She kept her pace slow though, allowing JC to walk beside her without killing himself.

“Why are you here?” She didn’t stop walking but looked over at him. “What made you come?”

“Before I answer, can we sit somewhere? You don’t have shoes on, and it’s not like we’re in the city where there aren’t snakes and other creatures that can bite.” Addison smiled a little and nodded, pointing at a fire pit that was set up not far from where they were. They made their way over silently, Addison trying to calm her nerves as much as possible. She sat in a chair across from JC and kept her eyes on him.

“OK. Now. Shoot. Why are you here?” He ran his hand through his hair before shrugging.

“I just…I felt like I should pay my respects. It was the right thing to do.”

“Bullshit Josh, and you know it. Are you gonna tell me the truth, or am I gonna ignore you the rest of the time you’re here because you’re lying?” He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat up straight. It was silent for a few moments before he finally answered.

“Look Ads. I know that this must be hell for you. Don’t think I forgot everything you told me about your history with this family – how they took you in when you were 12 after your parents died, how they legally adopted you at 13, and how they’ve been your only family since that time. I know that Grace’s dad was like a second dad to you, and I just…I wanted to be here for you.” Addison felt the tears welling up again as she bit on her lower lip to keep them from falling.

“You don’t have to be here,” she replied softly. “I can handle it on my own.” JC sighed and stood up, then walked over to the chair nearest to her and sat down.

“No Addison. You can’t. It may have been awhile since you and I spent some time together, but I remember you. I still know you. No one else understands the bond between you guys except for Grace, and she’s grieving right now, too. I know you don’t want to burden her with your true feelings, and Heather won’t get it because she doesn’t know the whole story. But I do. I know. I just…I just want to be here for you.” Addison felt her heart melting at JC’s sincere words. How could he still be the same amazing guy after all this time? And why was she surprised that he hadn’t changed a bit?

“That’s very sweet of you,” she told him with a sad smile, a couple of tears escaping. When JC gently wiped them away, she lost it again, her emotions letting loose for the second time in less than 24 hours. She felt JC pull her into his lap as the sobs came again, not bothering to hold back. She felt safe in JC’s arms, felt like he could make any issue go away. She allowed herself to get lost in that safe feeling as she cried for what felt like hours, letting JC comfort her with soft words and light touches. When she finally exhausted herself of tears, JC was still there, holding her, wiping the tears away.

“You feeling better now?” he asked with a soft smile, giving her a squeeze. She simply nodded. “Want to head back inside?” Addison preferred to stay out there with him, but she knew she needed to get back inside if they were going to get ready for the funeral and leave with everyone else. She nodded as she stood up, wiping the remaining stray tears away.

“I…I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted as they started to talk back to the house. “Thank you for coming. Thank you for remembering.” JC took her hand and held tight, Addison not even bothering to let go. It felt too good to let go. He didn’t respond, but no words needed to be said. As much as Addison hated to admit it, she knew that JC’s presence would make the funeral easier to handle, that he would be able to calm her nerves. She also knew that could spell trouble for her and her emotions, but for now, she wouldn’t dwell on that. She was just grateful he was there.
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The funeral was beautiful. JC was surprised at how many people attended the funeral, and how many more had sent their condolences in one way or another to the family. JC and Heather sat in the row behind Grace, Addison and Grace’s family members, but JC always kept one eye on Addison. She was flawless when she gave her own eulogy, leaving not one dry tear in the house as she talked about how the family had taken her in, how Grace’s father had doubled as a second father, and how much she’d miss him. It even had JC in tears, but she shed none. She was perfect.

After the funeral and burial, JC headed back to his hotel to give the family space. He barely spoke to Addison during the entire thing, but he knew he’d be able to talk to her later. He was also dead tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep the next few hours away. He managed to get out of his suit before he collapsed on the comfy queen size bed, falling asleep in seconds. A soft knock on the door startled him awake.

“Hang on just a second,” he called out groggily, checking the time on the nightstand. It was nearly 8:00, which meant JC had been sleeping for a good six hours. Groaning at how much of the day he’d wasted, he pulled on a pair pajama pants he dug out of his small suitcase and trudged to the door. Addison greeting him shocked him awake.

“Oh God. I woke you up. I’m so sorry – I’ll just come back.” Before Addison could turn away and leave, JC grabbed her arm gently.

“No no. I needed to wake up anyway – I’ve been out since I got back. Everything OK?” He could see that her face was still red with embarrassment, which he found absolutely adorable.

“Yeah yeah – just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. I couldn’t get a hold of you on your phone, so I just came by. Had to pick up something from a shop nearby anyway.” JC wasn’t sure how much truth there was to the shop story, but he didn’t say anything. He was just glad she’d come by.

“I’m fine, I promise. You eulogy was beautiful today Ads. I know he would’ve been proud.” She smiled sadly and nodded her thanks.

“I appreciate that. I’m just glad it’s over and we can move on. I think Grace’s mom is finally coming out of her shell and showing some life now that he’s really gone. She actually apologized to us for the way she’s been acting, which caused Grace to break down completely, finally. The two of them were sobbing in her dad’s office when I left. I had to get out of there.” A sad look took over Addison’s face, and JC invited her in quickly before she started crying again.

“Are you sure you’re going to be OK? I know I keep asking, but I’m just worried about you.” Addison nodded as she sat down on the edge of JC’s bed and wrung her hands nervously in her lap.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m already better now that the funeral’s over. I’m ready to get home and move on. The reading of the will is tomorrow, which is why I’m staying until Monday – I think Grace is sticking around for another week to tie up loose ends.”

“Do you think she’ll move back now that her dad’s gone?” Addison shrugged.

“I don’t know. She might. She says she loves LA and her dad wouldn’t expect her to, but I’m not sure she wants to leave her mom here like this. I think her mom’s sister is moving in for awhile, which will help – but still. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was back here in a year.” JC nodded as a phone started ringing. Addison rolled her eyes as she reached in her dress pocket and hit the ignore button. “I know that’s Heather or Grace. I’ll get back in a little bit. Do you…do you want to come back with me?” JC smiled and shook his head.

“I’m good here. I’ll probably grab a bite to eat, watch some TV and head back to sleep. My body’s screaming at me to get more sleep.” Addison chuckled and shook her head.

“I can’t believe you flew out here like this for just one day. You’re crazy, but it meant the world to me.” The mood turned serious as JC moved from the door to the bed, sitting down beside Addison. “It really meant the world to me. Thank you for coming out.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I’m just sorry I waited so long to fly out. I should’ve been here when Heather was.”  JC watched Addison continue to wring her hands, knowing she was nervous. He placed his hands over hers gently to steady her, tucking a piece of stray hair out of the way when she looked up at him. He swallowed hard as he got lost in her eyes, trying not to drown completely in them.

“Is it…is it OK if I stay with you for a little bit? Hang out? I can’t handle the sadness in the house right now. I’ll just text Heather and tell her that we’re going to grab a bite to eat.” JC smiled and nodded, excited that she was going to stay for a little while.

“Sure. Stay as long as you want. Know where we can get some grub?” Addison nodded with a bright smile – the brightest JC had seen that day.