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Tears fell as Colin stared at the casket of the woman who became like a second grandmother to him.

Granny C was finally laid to rest as the coffin lowered to the ground.

His arms wrapped around his wife’s shoulders as she sobbed.

The sounds of praying and sniffling and crying could be heard around him as the priest said the last rights for Granny C.

She was now being buried on top of her husband, Coco’s grandfather from her first marriage.

Through the blur of tears, he looked at the casket of his grandfather and grandmother waiting to be buried next to Granny C and her husband.

They’d all discussed it and felt that it would only be right to have everyone together in the end and had bought the two areas for his grandparents to rest next to Coco’s in Barbados.

Both Granny C and Grandpa Norris had found love for a second time.

Neither one had been looking but during the course of his first trip to Barbados the two had bonded and it blossomed into love for each other.

It had come as no surprise to the family that Granny C would pass shortly after their Grandpa Norris passed away.

It had been their time, and they had a wonderful life together even if it had been a short one.

He turned over the reins to his grandsons and moved back to Barbados until his final days with Granny C by his side.

He and his brothers had wished for more time but were grateful for the time they were given with the old man, and he believed that living in Barbados with Granny C’s love and care for him had extended his life longer and he was able to enjoy meeting the next generation of Norris’s being born.

Colin felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and turned to see Linnel next to him, giving him a flower to toss onto the casket and passing another one to Coco. When they did that, he turned and hugged Colin.

“Thank you, son, for organizing all this and setting up the catering for later.” Colin nodded, getting more emotional.

It had taken some time, but he and his father-in-law were now very close, and he felt like he now had a father figure in Coco’s father.

Linnel stepped back and wiped the tears from his eyes.

He hugged his daughter and then returned to his wife, holding her hand as the casket lowered into the ground.

The crowd moved closer, and he saw his father approach his grandfather’s casket and rest his hand on top of it.

Tears of grief at his father’s death, but then he turned and smiled at Colin and walked up to him, giving him a hug and Coco a hug before stepping back into the crowd.

His father was now trying to make amends with him and his siblings and told them that before grandfather died, he reached out and begged Brock to get help and that it was time for him to stop running or he was going to miss out on their lives and those of his grandchildren.

He didn’t think that it was just a father’s last words to his son but possibly a woman was involved too with his decision to make things right with his grandchildren and to go to counselling over his grief of his deceased wife. It was a time of love and healing now.

He looked at the sea of faces and even though they’d lost two of their loved ones, they had all gained so much more.

Their family was now bigger with new futures to look after.

Colin dropped his hand and caressed Coco’s belly, feeling the life of his child moving inside of her.

He was sad that his Granddad Norris and Granny C would not be there to see their first child, but he knew they would be watching over the baby when he or she came.

“How are you holding up, my love?” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her lips.

“I’m doing okay.” She gave him a watery smile.

He took out a Kleenex and took care of the tears and her runny nose.

“Ready to go?”

Everyone else had begun to make their way to the cars and head to the hall they had rented at Granny C’s church.

She nodded but then she moved away and bent down; he reached to hold her shoulders as she leaned forward and touched the ground where his grandfather was laid to rest.

“Thank you, you have given me back so much, making my grandmother happy again in the end, and for being there for all your grandsons and showing them unconditional love. I love you, Grandpa Norris. May you rest in peace and rise in glory.”

His grandfather had left one other surprise for them. He’d wanted his siblings to give their wives shares in the company and he’d done that without a thought. Now both he and Coco had shares in her company, his restaurants, and his grandfather’s. They now shared everything in life together.

He picked his wife up off the ground and escorted her back to the waiting car, turning one last time, his gaze travelling over their graves and even though it was a sad time, they also were celebrating a new life, their child, and he knew that no matter what, their children would be surrounded by love from everyone in the family.

Their babies’ cousins could not wait to meet her or him, especially Kaitlyn, who was eager to have more family to love and play with.