Athena ran to her husband then, slapping him viciously before she pounded his shoulders. Liam took the blows, his face impassive against the abuse and then he was cradling his wife when she slumped against him. Her head moved on his chest in a show of unacceptance.
“Who? Wh-who would’ve done this?”
Liam closed his eyes, praying silently for the will to stave off the effects of his own grief. “It’s still being sorted out but they think he did it to himself, Thea.”
A kind of horrified wonder had taken shape in Athena’s extraordinary eyes when she looked up at Liam.
“There was a gun,” he explained. “A newspaper with a story on a gay club. There were riots there during the summer and they...they think he-he killed himself because he was gay.” Liam allowed several moments of silence to pass after his wife’s sharp gasp filled their bedroom.
“The guards found him last night,” Liam continued. “They couldn’t reach Humphrey so they called Aaron. Aaron says Stone confided in him that he was gay.”
Athena bowed her head and began to rock herself and moan low in her throat.
“Aaron and the rest of the boys say Stone was acting strangely the last few weeks especially. They could tell it wasn’t business related.”
Athena had gone rigid. She wasn’t blinking.
“Thea? Athena?” Liam’s called was gentle, yet his tone gained insistence with each passing second.
When she eventually moved, it was to bonelessly slide from the bed. Liam caught her before she could hit the carpet. He tucked her against him in a protective hold. Her head rested on his thigh, as quiet sobs claimed her body.
~31~
Four Days Later...
Humphrey and Vale escorted their mother across the crowded graveyard that chilly afternoon. Along the curb, cars stretched almost as far as the eye could see.
Athena and her sons were soon descended upon by the numerous attendants come to pay their respects. Among them, were a large number of the press. Liam watched his wife and sons disappear into the crowd before he left the limo’s long back seat. He took his time standing, not at all sure his legs were capable of the job.
His boy was gone. Stone was his boy. Biology didn’t matter. It had never mattered. Now, he was gone. Liam squeezed his eyes shut, feeling pressure weigh on his eyes. He told himself not here, not now.
He had held it together somehow during the service. He could still hear the strains of Ave Maria drifting into the lofty heights of the cathedral and Father Prucelli’s moving words in honor of his son. His son. His son they were about to place in the frigid autumn ground.
“Not here, not now,” he said again and forced himself to stand.
“Pop,” Liam summoned the insincere smile he had worn that day. He waved to Pitch who was approaching along the line of cars. He escorted Candace Strong on one arm and his mother on the other. Liam’s hand froze mid-wave.
“Erica.”
Erica Lewis, lovely as ever, moved on ahead after waving for Pitch and Candace to go on without her. She ran to Liam. They embraced warmly and for a long while.
“Thank you for coming,” Liam whispered, turning his face into the clipped strands of her hair now tamed into a short, chic style.
“Of course, I would come!” She whispered back fiercely. “Oh Liam, I’m so sorry.”
“He was my boy. Mine. I loved him, I loved him Erica. He knew that. He knew that, didn’t he?”
“Shh...yes, yes love he knew that-”
“Then why? Why didn’t he-he come to me?”
“Liam,” Erica leaned back capturing his face in her gloved hands. “Don’t do this. Stone loved you. You were the only father he knew and you were a damn good father. You’ve been a damn good father to all your boys-don’t ever forget that.”
Liam released the tears he had suppressed since his world had shattered four days ago. Erica drew his head to her shoulder and rocked him slowly.
“Stay with me,” he said.
She glanced around. “That’s not a good idea. But you should come see me soon.”
“Paul?” Liam referred to Erica’s husband Paul Lewis.
“We should talk,” she said and pressed her hand to his cheek. “First, you need to say goodbye to your son.”
~~~
“Mrs. Tesano?”
Athena didn’t turn from the gravesite. She had remained there long after the burial ceremony.
“Thank you for coming,” she told the young woman who had spoken. Her tone was abrupt, a clear indicator that she didn’t wish to be bothered.
“Apologies, ma’am, for intruding, I...only wanted to tell you what a wonderful man your son was.”
Athena turned from the gleaming gray chrome casket that had yet to be interred. She observed the girl with a wary eye. “You knew my Stone?”
“We worked together in the shipping department during the summers when he was just starting at Tesano. Everyone is devastated. I just wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me.”
