Regan Wolfrom - After The Fires Went Out - Coyote

He kept on for a while, before inviting the family to speak. Katie went first, with Sky still draped around her, talking about growing up with her little brother and how he used to be so much stronger than he looked, how at age seven he’d picked her up, his fourteen-year-old sister, and carried her down two flights of stairs because he was playing fireman, and that’s what firemen are supposed to do.

Then she told a story about Zach’s first date, when he’d been so nervous that he called her from the bathroom at the restaurant for advice.

Funerals would be a hell of a lot easier to sit through if you didn’t have to start thinking of the dead guy as a real person.

After Katie it was Dave Walker’s turn, and I was tempted to sneak out the back just in case he started talking about the day his son was killed.

But he didn’t mention it; he just talked about how much he loved his son, and how he’s now lost two of his boys and that if it wasn’t for the children he still had left he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

When Dave Walker started to cry…it was too much for me. I looked around, hoping no one would notice my tears.

I’m not even supposed to like these people.

The last person to stand up to talk was Zach’s girlfriend, a pretty blond girl with a cute french accent and everything good that goes with it.

The one thing I remember about my father’s funeral was that it was the one and only time I’d forgotten to check girls out.

“I love Zach,” she said. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t believe he lost his life for no good reason.” I think she was looking right at me. “I can’t believe that so many people are dying for no good reason. And the people responsible just sit here like there’s nothing wrong with that.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant that for me. Me, or Stems, or both of us. Or every person in that tent.

“We’re all the same people,” she said. “Five years ago we were friends and neighbours. Now we don’t trust each other. Now we shoot each other.”

I noticed Katie inching toward her.

“I’m not finished,” the blond girl said. “I have more to say…about Zach.”

Katie put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Tell us about Zach,” she said.

The blond girl tried to smile, and then she talked about her boyfriend, for long enough that she seemed to forget about assholes like me.

After Katie helped Zach’s girlfriend back to her seat, Livingston came back up for a closing prayer.

He started in English, but said every second line in French, like they sometimes used to do in elementary school. Livingston’s French is even worse than mine.

Once he was done the prayer and invited us all to the table of refreshments, I heard what was a huge sigh of relief from pretty much everyone, in both official languages.

And then I found my way to the coffee.

And Katie Walker found her way to me.

“Baptiste,” she said as she came in for a hug. “I’m so glad you came.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, the first time I’d said it. Because I’d meant it.

“I wish you could have kept him safe. I know you did your best. You weren’t sitting with Sara…”

“I wasn’t sitting with Ryan Stems. I’m not up for that.”

She nodded. “I don’t like him, either. My youngest sister grew up with the Lamarche boys.”

“He’s never made amends.”

“Let’s not talk about that.”

I nodded. “I don’t know what to talk about.”

She smiled. “I don’t, either.”

The pause was a little awkward.

“So you and Sky…” I said.

“Me and Sky. We’re engaged, actually.”

“Since when?”

“Since last Wednesday. Bad timing…but what else do you do when you’re snowed in?”

“That or Scrabble.”

“I’m awful at Scrabble. I keep making up words.”

“That probably makes you good at it. You just need to find stupider opponents.”

“I don’t have time to play against you right now,” she said. “Maybe later.”

Sara found me then, putting on her fake smile as she approached. She was still pissed at me.

“Did I hear you’re engaged?” Sara said as she gave Katie a hug. “Congratulations.”

Katie held out her left hand for inspection.

“What is this?” Sara said.

“What?” I said.

“That’s my ring.”

I took a look at the ring on Katie’s finger. It wasn’t too big, just a diamond jutting out of a twisting gold band.

“Are you sure?” Katie asked. “Maybe it’s just the same model.”

“It was a custom design,” Sara said. “My ex-husband had it made in Montreal. Where did you get that?”

“I…I’m sorry,” Katie said. “I didn’t know…you can have it back.”

“No…but thank you. I don’t want it back. That’s why I gave it away in the first place.”

“So you sold it?”

“No…I gave it to one of my sisters.” Sara began to cry. “I told her to hold onto it in case I ever thought about getting married again.”

“Your sister…”

“She died at Carman Lake. Both of them did.”

“So maybe she left the ring in town,” I said.

“She used to wear it,” Sara said. “On her index finger.”

“I’m sorry,” Katie said. She began wrenching on her ring finger.

“No, please…keep it. I like the idea of someone being happy wearing it.”

“I don’t know…”

“Think about it…don’t decide right now. But do you know where you got it?”

“Sky found it…at Silver Queen Lake. In a jewelry box. I should go get it for you…in case you recognize anything else…”

“Not right now,” Sara said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“We’ll be back at it after Christmas,” I said. “We’ll talk about it then.”

“Okay,” Katie said. “Thanks, guys. I’m going to go check on my parents.”

She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before leaving.

I turned to Sara. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No…”

I gave her a hug.

“Not here,” she said. “Not now…”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Guess we’d better talk to the rest of the Walkers.”

We made our way to Dave and his wife.

“Thanks for coming,” Dave Walker said. “I do appreciate it.”

Sara gave him a hug, and then one to his wife. “I’m sorry,” she said.

I shook Dave Walker’s hand.

Then he turned away.

I didn’t mind.

I hated me a little bit, too.

We left the tent after another twenty minutes of awkward mingling and solemn nodding, with Sara’s eyes so puffed out from emotion and exhaustion that I was worried she’d collapse.

I felt a hand pull on my shoulder.

It was Livingston.

“There’s a problem,” he said. “You guys can’t leave.”

“What are you talking about? I need to take her home.”

“Our men have spotted three pickup trucks up the road. I think they’re waiting for you, Baptiste.”

“Shit.”

“You’re not prepared for them.”

“I have stuff back at my truck.”

“But is it enough?”

“You’re loving this, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not,” Livingston said. “Those are the men who killed Zach Walker.”

“Then get your men and let’s take care of this.”

“You’re expecting us to pick a fight before Zach’s even buried?”

“I expect you to want some kind of revenge.”

“They’re probably not after us.”

“There we go,” I said. “There’s the Livingston I remember.”

“Just stay here for now…they’ll give up eventually.”

“That’s a joke, right?”