the paramedics had entered the house. She was sitting on the
wooden porch steps, shivering in the cold and stroking Looking for You All My Life49
Lizzie's soft, warm coat, preventing the confused animal
from going inside and getting underfoot when Jed walked
up, took off his jacket, and hung it over her shoulders. Then
he sat down next to her and gathered her into his arms.
"Your mom told me everything."
Hot, silent tears rolled down her chilled cheeks as she
leaned into his embrace. "I've killed him, Jed."
"No, no, Maggie, you didn't kill him," he spoke softly,
his words flowing like a gentle stream. "He was an old, old
man. He'd had a good life working on the land that he loved.
He was a good man, but he was due to go anytime. You
didn't kill him."
"But he was reading the paper."
"I know, I know..." he whispered as he stroked her hair.
"It's been a really bad day, Jed."
She thought she heard him chuckle ever so softly, and she
looked up to see, but his face grew serious. "Come on,
sweetheart, let's get you home. There's nothing you can do
for the old fellow now."
She looked down at the dog. "What about Lizzie?"
"Let's bring her along. She seems to like you.
Maggie brightened just a little. "Yes, she does, doesn't
she."
~ven after several days and the reassurance of good
friends, Maggie still struggled with feelings of guilt
over Arnold Westerly's death. Though she knew it
would be uncomfortable to attend his funeral, she was deter-
mined to do it for his sake. The day following Mr. Westerly's
death, Scott had handed her a delicate glass figurine of a
young girl in a long blue dress, with dark hair curling around
her shoulders. She had a sweet smile and was holding a
basket of kittens. "Mr. Westerly asked me to give this to
you," Scott explained quietly. "He said it had belonged to
his wife, but for some reason he thought you'd like it. I think
you made quite an impression on him, Maggie." Of course,
this had only started the tears to flowing again, but she
placed the figurine on her desk as a reminder of him.
Only a handful of his relatives attended the funeral ser-
vice, and his granddaughter Jeanette, the one he'd been so
fond of, shared some happy memories of her childhood sum-
mers spent on the Westerly farm. Afterward, Maggie lin-
gered, taking a moment to speak to Jeanette, telling her of
how her grandfather had been remembering his grand-
daughter only days before.
51.
52Melody Carison
"Oh, so you're the one who wrote that article?"