A Time to Die (15 page)

They were good, solid, caring parents who’d cared enough about him to challenge him, and keep him out of harm’s way. Suddenly, Eric missed them. He wished he could find words to comfort Kara’s parents. He wished he’d attended the funeral. He saw his desire to make peace with his parents as another unexpected gift from Kara.

He turned back to Mrs. Fischer’s voice as she resumed reading Kara’s letter to them.

Kara’s mother lowered her head and wiped her eyes. No one spoke. No one moved. She rose and smiled, in spite of the tears. “This gathering together was Kara’s final wish. We’ve made out
checks to you, and we want you to use the money on the things she wanted you to have.”

Eric stood stiffly. The others followed. He felt numb, overwhelmed. He watched Vince embrace Kara’s mother, and shake Mr. Fischer’s hand. He saw Christy and Kara’s mother huddle in a corner talking. Then Elyse ran over and hugged Kara’s father. He wished he could reach out, the way the others could, but he didn’t know how to. He was afraid if he stayed much longer, he’d lose control in front of everyone. He knew they’d understand, but he didn’t want to cry.

Eric went over to the Fischers and thanked them.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Mrs. Fischer told him. “Please come over and visit with us. Vince and Elyse have been Kara’s friends forever and always stopped by. You were obviously very dear to her. Maybe we could talk, get to know you better. Please feel that we’re here for you.”

“I’d like that,” Eric said, almost surprised that he really did want to see them again.

“I have to go back to work,” Christy told him, “but I’ll see you at home tonight.”

Once he was outside, Eric gulped air in an attempt to regain control of his raging emotions. He carefully laid the sketch of himself across the backseat of his Chevy. At the end of the driveway, he saw Vince standing beside his car, staring up at the sky. Eric stopped, unsure of what to do. He wanted to leave, but something inside made him hesitate. “Kara was something else,
wasn’t she?” Eric asked, coming up alongside Vince.

“She was one of a kind,” Vince answered. “Have you read the note?”

Eric still clutched it in his hand. “Not yet.” He wasn’t sure he had the emotional strength to read it just yet. He missed her terribly. Suddenly, Eric wanted to talk about Kara, about what was happening inside him. He wished he were better at sharing his feelings. Vince was good at talking about such things. Vince had plenty of problems. Yet, in some ways, he was lucky. “I was wondering,” Eric said, just as Vince was opening the door of his car. “Would you like to go somewhere and talk?”

“Why?”

“Kara always wanted us to be friends. The three of us. She cared about both of us—in different ways, but she cared. Remember how she told us to go have a soda together and pretend she was with us?”

“I remember.” Vince’s eyes regarded Eric sadly. “But she’s gone, Eric. What do
you
want from me?”

Eric knew, then, that he wanted a friend—needed a friend. Someone with whom to share memories of this special girl and her generous spirit. Someone who understood what he was going through because she was gone forever. “I want to talk,” he said. “If you want to. If you’ve got the time. For your sake, for mine, for Kara’s memory.”

Vince opened wide the door of his car. “Come on and get in. I’ve got plenty of time. You’re right—Kara would want us to be friends. We can’t let ourselves ever forget her. Let’s go to the mall, like old times.”

Dear Reader,

F
or those of you who have been longtime readers, I hope you have enjoyed this One Last Wish volume. For those of you discovering One Last Wish for the first time, I hope you will want to read the other books that are listed in detail in the next few pages. From Lacey to Katie to Morgan and the rest, you’ll discover the lives of the characters I hope you’ve come to care about just as I have.

Since the series began, I have received numerous letters from teens wishing to volunteer at Jenny House. That is not possible because Jenny House exists only in my imagination, but there are many fine organizations and camps for sick kids that would welcome volunteers. If you are interested in becoming such a volunteer, contact your local hospitals about their volunteer programs or try calling service organizations in your area to find out how you can help. Your own school might have a list of community service programs.

Extending yourself is one of the best ways of expanding your world … and of enlarging your heart. Turning good intentions into actions is consistently one of the most rewarding experiences in life. My wish is that the ideals of Jenny House will be carried on by you, my reader. I hope that now that we share the Jenny House attitude, you will believe as I do that the end is often only the beginning.

Thank you for caring
.