Page 59 of For the Love of the Broken Man

Jase’s father’s death hadn’t been at the hands of enemy combatants, but rather at his own. The scars of war had done a number on James Langston, and the fact he had a queer son who had desecrated the sanctity of marriage sent Jase’s father into a downward spiral.

The Master Sergeant had put his service revolver in his mouth and blown out his brains. His mother was at work at the commissary on base at Ft. Hood where they’d been transferred after Jase’s father’s latest deployment. She’d been the one to come home to find him dead in his old leather chair in their living room. Jase always hated it for her, but it firmed his resolve that his father was a heartless son of a bitch.

Jase didn’t try to contact his mother while his father was at home, but he’d sent her a wedding invitation after he’d found their address by less than legal means in the Pentagon’s database. She’d sent him a gift card to Crate & Barrel with a no need for thanks note at the bottom of the card. He got the hint.

When James killed himself, she called Jase to break the news to him, and he and Danny took Kayley to Texas for the funeral. The Army labeled it an accident to save itself and Jase’s mother from the embarrassment that a man who was so obviously unhinged that he could be sent over the edge by a wedding invitation, had served as a training coordinator in the Middle East. His mother would receive his father’s pension, and that was all Jase cared about because his parents only had meager savings.

His mother, of course, couldn’t live on post anymore, and Danny, Jase’s wonderful husband, had talked her into moving back to Holloway, Virginia, to be near them. He’d said, “Kayley would love to have a grandmother, Miss Virginia.” Jase’s mother glanced at the eight-year-old with the gorgeous eyes and blonde waves, and she was as sunk as Jase had been when he’d met the little girl.

“Danny and Kayley were the ones who talked her into coming here. I mean, look at them. How the hell could you turn them down.” Jase pointed to his handsome husband and his thirteen-year-old daughter who was speaking with Rocky and Ryan, both home from their respective colleges for the funeral.

All the kids had grown up. Ryan was at Virginia Tech, having chosen to stay close to home. Rocky was at Duke on a basketball scholarship, having grown to be a very large man—even taller than Matt Collins and Jason Johnson.

Jase had taken his husband’s name when they married because he didn’t want to be known by his father’s name. The man meant nothing to him.

Terry Wells was in California at UCLA double majoring in Design Engineering and Art History while on a football scholarship. Jase knew Jon and Mickey missed him, but they were thrilled he planned to go to law school to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps.

Megan Warren was in junior high school in Dillwyn. She was mainstreaming, and she was thriving. She worked hard, and Jase knew she had lots of friends, which wasn’t a surprise at all. How could anyone not love Meggie?

Mickey had never contacted his father or his half sister, having decided he had enough love in his life with Jon and the kids. He didn’t have a particularly good opinion of his father, so he didn’t want the man to tarnish the wonderful life they were living.

“We’re sorry, Jase, that you lost her. We know you were all happy. It’s a shame it ended so soon.” Vanna hugged him tightly. Five years had been a short period of time, but who’d have ever thought his mother would have dropped dead at work from a ruptured aneurysm? She worked at the town library, for crap’s sake.

“Yes, it was quick, but I wouldn’t have wanted her to suffer. Hell, Katie had her fair share of suffering when she was diagnosed, but she’s too tough to give into cancer, bless her.” Jase looked over at the woman who’d been like a mother to him when his own couldn’t. When they’d found out about her breast cancer diagnosis, they’d all pitched in to help around Katydid so she could concentrate on getting well. It hadn’t exactly gone well in the beginning.

“Jase, what the hell are ya doin’, son?” Katie Simmons had walked into her kitchen at the Katydid to find Jase cleaning out her refrigerator. Word had circulated through town about her diagnosis and surgery, and the neighbors had dropped off casseroles, salads, and desserts. Jase put what he could in the freezer, but he had to clean out some things to make room in the fridge.

“Um, some of your church friends brought by some food for you and Josh, Miss Katie. I’m trying to make room for it. Some of this stuff can go.” Jase pointed to the table.

She walked over and perused some of the things he’d placed on it before they found their way into the garbage for her beloved compost heap that fertilized her garden. She picked up an ugly ceramic pot and took off the lid. Jase had emptied it out, finding grease inside it which he’d washed down the garbage disposal. He was trying to decide about the ugly pot.

“Where’s my grease?” Katie snapped at him. The fire in her eyes took him aback.

“I, uh, I washed it down the sink, Miss Katie. I thought you’d forgotten to throw it out,” he’d explained, slowly backing away from the redhead. She was clearly pissed, and while she didn’t have her long, red hair any longer because of the chemo treatments, she still had the fire in her soul.

“Get outta my kitchen!” Jase didn’t question it because she obviously meant business, and there was a block of kitchen knives on the counter next to where she stood.

He apologized after she got over being mad, and she explained to him the many uses for good, clean, bacon grease, teaching him many recipes as she went through the ravages of fighting her cancer.

Jase took her to the clinic in Blacksburg for her treatments and the two of them sat eating popsicles while she spouted out ingredients for some of the dishes she made with love for her family. She told him she was handing down recipes to another member of her family, which touched him deeply. He valued that special time with her. When she was declared cancer free, they had a big party at the Katydid.

Jase watched Katie wrap her arm around Meggie’s shoulders as she spoke with her and Jon. It was nice to have family there to support him.

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see his husband of five years smiling at him. “How you doin’, babe? Stu wondered if you were ready for the service to start.”

The kindness in Dan’s eyes had helped Jase get through the day. Jase had been there when Dan’s mother, Dottie, had passed, and he knew how grateful Dan must have been because Jase didn’t think he’d have gotten through it without the man he loved.

“Yeah, I guess we better. I got my ticket this afternoon to take her to Texas where Dad’s buried. I spoke with the man in charge of the cemetery, and they said they didn’t give a care if I sprinkled her ashes there or not. The airlines told me I had to check them,” Jase told him with a little laugh.

It was fucking ludicrous, but it was how the world operated, Jase supposed. Logic never played into anything.

As everyone settled into pews at the little funeral home in Holloway, Virginia, Jase looked around at the family and friends he’d accumulated. He turned to the back and saw DB Jeffers wink at him, which was a surprise. He thought his boss was in Syria.

“On behalf of Jason, Daniel, and Kayley, thank you all for coming to support them in their time of grief. We never know when God’s going to call us or our loved one’s home, and none of us could have predicted Virginia Langston’s time would come so suddenly, but…” Pastor Stu began the sermon. Javier, their good friend, sang Jase’s mother’s favorite hymn, “Ave Maria,” in Italian. The man had an operatic voice which Jase planned to quiz him about at another time.

After the song and a few readings from Pastor Stu about the love of family and the rewards of the afterlife, he motioned to Jase to read the eulogy. Danny leaned toward him to whisper, “I love you, Jason. I’m right here with you. Always.”

Kayley stood with him and walked up to the podium, which surprised him, but she held his hand and wouldn’t let go. He appreciated the supportive touch.

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