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Yet there was still enough sun to spray the bluffs The sight ht turned what you’d only think were regular old rock-rocks into bands of deep rust-red and gold and, best of all, neon orange, as bright as Iraqi sand On the water itself, the fall’s ripples shimmered like molten lava

When she saw this, Ellie realized: Alex’s parents were right This here Alex’s moht and beautiful and there were so many colors, even as clouds threatened, it really was the perfect place to begin--and to end To sleep forever This didn’tsuddenly okay But the ache in Ellie’s chest wasn’t quite as sharp It felt like her insides were the lid on a jar of strawberry jah had finally twisted to release all that pressure with a little pop

Toood at that Without her even asking, he bent and picked her up so she could wrap her legs around his middle and thread her are, just the way her daddy used to when she was only a little kid

Please, God Gripping her cloth sack by the neck, Ellie buried her face in Toht Please ain

Chris went first His cloth sack was heavier, andhis fist over the water, Chris said, "I’ to say It’s weird that I lived in Rule, but I don’t know the Bibleparts, I don’t know But I keep having this drea, Chris cleared his throat When he started up again, his voice quavered and Ellie saw the first tears rolling down his cheeks "I keep drea about this mountain and a valley, and it’s beautiful, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen But I think it’s beautiful in my dream only because you’re there, Peter You did a lota lot that rong, really wrong, but I think youyou did it out of love That doesn’t htbut I understand, a little better, aboutabout love Because you did save me You c-cared what happened to m-me Nobodynobody ever d-did that before So I wish I could’ve s-saved you Because I n-never got a ch-chance to tell you, I never s-said it" Chris stopped again and used his arm to wipe his eyes "I love you, Peter," he said, lips tre--and his weren’t the only ones "And I forgive youand I hope you let ain, because I miss youI m-miss"

And then Chris couldn’t talk any that hard His fist relaxed and he let part of Peter go in a rain of gray dust and ashes that the breeze snatched and whirled and spun down to golden water Then they all released Peter to the wind and the lake until he was gone

For a little while, maybe just a few moments, Chris stood alone, with only an empty sack It was Alex ent to Chris first, and all of a sudden, he was crying into her shoulder For a second, it was just the two of theether, until Alex looked to her and Tom Alex’s face et In the sunset, her hair was red as the rocks When Alex held out her hand, Ellie’s heart flopped in her chest

This is good She clung to To was still on the s bounced after, not only because they didn’t want to be left out, but whenever Alex went, they followed unless you made them mind When they were close, Alex pulled To, too

And this--Ellie slipped an arm around Chris’s neck, so she held thearden

They stood in that e time No one pulled back until Chris was ready So it took a while and that was fine What was the rush? Even crying with Chris, Ellie never felt so warh, she did have to take her turn Her sack wasn’t half so large, but that was all right There was still plenty for everyone

A week ago, the saht she asked Tom about Grandpa Jack, Ellie had said, "I don’t knohat to say It doesn’t have to be about God or anything, does it?"

"It can be whatever you want You don’t have to say anything, honey, if you don’t want to" Crouching, Toet war, and ith that? "There are no rules If there are words, say them If not, if your heart’s too full, that’s okay, too"

Noith her right fist suspended over the water, and Tom’s hand in her left, she stood on her oo feet Alex was to her right, very close, and she felt Chris move behind her, which was the perfect spot

You can do this This is for Eli and Roc, too This is for everybody

"I didn’t want you" Her teeth snuck out to grab her lower lip, which had started to quake, but she couldn’t both chew her lip and talk, so she let go Her eyes were blurry again, and she figured, crap, she was going to cry through this whole thing "You weren’t my ideaand II was reallyt-time I was m-mean to ev-everybody, es-especially Grandpa J-Jack" Her voice thinned and went squeaky high, and she kept having to snuffle Behind, she heard Ghost whine and then felt his nose bump her butt "And I’m really s-sorry about that You turned out to be the b-best friend I everI ever h-hadand he was a good grandpa and you pro-protected me and made me feel better M-ed up and she could barely see It was like she was underwater Oh boy, she just knew this was going to happen