Arrow Inferno
Chapter 47: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Farewell Mum!

***

Three days after Will left the shores of Ghana, his mother was buried in a quiet and solemn ceremony. Sharon, his sister, was a wreck. Will on the other hand had a stoic look about him. He'd remained withdrawn since he got back home. He wasn't speaking much and always seemed preoccupied which certainly wasn't like him. The people gathered were in fact, surprised when he stood to give a eulogy. Will didn't read his eulogy but rather spoke from the heart in a low, sad voice. The look of pain, love, and grief in his exhausted eyes as he gave a touching eulogy was so heartbreaking it brought tears to people's eyes.

Will's military buddies flanked him and Sharon during the ceremony. Ty, his fellow Arrowhead and immediate supervisor, was so worried he remained beside Will throughout. The graveside service was short and even more solemn. Unlike Sharon who sobbed throughout the ceremony, Will neither made a sound nor shed a tear. He just looked lost which somehow, seemed to worry his sister even more. Although Will stood still like a confused zombie throughout the ceremony, he couldn't remain still when the remains were being lowered into the grave. A small involuntary sound escaped his lips as he swayed slightly. But for Ty's hand which shot out quickly to hold the soldier steady, he might have fallen. And that hand remained casually around Will's neck until the end of the ceremony.

For Will, the grief within was overwhelming. He kept telling himself to wake up from the terrible dream that was unfolding. He blocked his mind to what the priest was saying and just stood there staring. At a point, he saw a beautiful wreath with Stan's name on it and wished he were there beside him. Stan had a way of making him feel better. Yes, he'd fucked up with that nonsensical bite and idiotic knockout but he was the best. If only he could cuddle against him like he loved to do... Or better still, snuggle up against his wolf... Will would have given anything to be in Achiase with his wolf and his man that very moment because he knew that those two would have somehow helped him deal with his pain better. After the graveside service, the guests were asked to meet for the reception at the residence of Mrs. Williams, Will's mother. Those who didn't think they could make it to the house waited to wish Will and Sharon well before leaving. Amongst those people were two males and a female who looked very familiar to Will. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched them approach. The dark-skinned man was Jeremy and the Caucasian was Philip. Then there was Paige who looked even more striking in person. There was a fourth person. An elderly lady who looked a lot like Jeremy. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Mama G." Will breathed the moment the four stopped before him.

"Hello, Will." Gloria, Jeremy's mother smiled. "I wish we were meeting under pleasant circumstances. Come here." She opened her arms and gave Will a warm hug. "Be strong," she whispered.

"Thank you." Will stepped back and then hugged Paige. Then he shook the hands of Jeremy and Philip. "Your presence means a lot." Back at the house, Will was surprised at the setup he met. He'd thought it was going to be the usual family affair with finger foods in the living room but it wasn't so at all. On his mother's beautifully decorated lawn were two separate buffet tables. One had an array of dishes whilst the other was a finger-food, desserts, and 'make it yourself sandwich' buffet. Will could also see an entire setup of assorted drinks with smartly dressed waiters ensuring every glass was filled. Country music, which was his mother's favourite, played coolly in the background whilst the guests, made up of family, friends, neighbours, and work colleagues, helped themselves to the scrumptious array of food. It was indeed a lovely set-up. Will was grateful to Sharon for putting everything together. Although he'd had a hard time concentrating on anything much due to the grief within, he'd noticed the plush décor at the service, his mother's beautiful gown, the casket, and other things and acknowledged that everything had been really classy and on point. Strangely enough, Sharon had refused to take the credit card he'd given to her to use. She'd told him that they would take care of it after the funeral. From what he'd seen so far, it was a very expensive funeral but he was very content because his mother deserved everything. She had been simply the best.

Will went inside the house and then into his mother's bedroom where he'd been staying since he got back from Ghana. Somehow, he felt closer to the woman in that house because weirdly, he felt her presence in the house. He sat quietly on the bed for about thirty minutes before feeling calm enough to join the guests at the reception. He did what was expected of him...went around to thank everyone for their support, sympathy, and presence. To his surprise, the admiral gave him a hug when he got to him.

"Take some time off work, son." Admiral Mathias told Will. "Whatever time you need." For the past two years, he hadn't gone on leave. "You've earned it."

"Thank you, Sir."

After expressing his appreciation to all the guests, Will went to sit all by himself and pretended to be on phone to deter people from coming to him. He didn't feel like speaking to anyone. His strategy worked...or seemed to. Until Jean Broody, the crazy doctor who was also the husband of Jackson took a seat beside him. The man clearly couldn't take a hint.

"For how long are you going to pretend to be on that phone, soldier?" Jean drawled. "That phone is off. Bradley just sent me a message that he tried to call you but your phone is off."

With a groan, Will brought the phone away from his ear and slipped it into his pocket. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be. Grief obviously turned you into a Delilah. People act worse." He said with mock seriousness, drawing an involuntary chuckle from Will. "Listen, I know it's difficult and all but know that you were very lucky to have such a beautiful soul as a mother. The one time I met her, I thought she was an angel."

Will nodded. "Thank you." Jean had said as much on that day. It had been his mother's birthday and he'd invited a few of his friends. Jackson had come with Jean. And his mother had loved Jean.

"Hey, know this." Jean brought his head closer to Will's. "When you feel that she's with you, know that she really is." He declared with all confidence.

"Really?" Will turned his eyes on Jean. "Because I feel she's around me all the time."

"You actually feel her?" Jean's eyes went wide." At Will's nod, they went even wider. "All the time?" Will nodded again. "Shiiiiit!"

And for the first time since he heard of his mother's passing, Will actually laughed. For a moment, he'd forgotten he was talking to a clown. "Jesus Christ, I thought you knew what you were talking about, for fuck's sake."

"Dude, I was only trying to appear wise beyond my years." Jean drawled. "I sure as fuck didn't expect you to tell me that. Damn! Do you think we need to call the ghostbusters or something?"

"Christ!" Will laughed. "You're an idiot, Jean Broody."

"Hey, I try." He grinned. "At least now I can tell my sexy husband that you still remember how to laugh and can even deceive people in addition." He stood up just as Ty and the other Arrowheads came around. "Gotta go. Had a call from the hospital. I am always just a phone call away, buddy. Call me anytime, okay?" He added softly.

"Will do, Jean. Thanks."

After hugging Will and Ty, Jean left.