I faced her, mouth slightly parted. I shook my head back and forth. “Why?”

She reached forward and grabbed my hand, placing mine in both of hers. “Follow me.”

Donna released me and started walking away. Glancing back at Turner, he mouthed “sorry” to me, and followed his mom. This couldn’t be happening. His family had officially lost their minds. What business could I possibly have here? I said my goodbyes the day my parents were placed into the ground. Did she want me to sit and talk to them? Sorry, but I wasn’t one of those people. I didn’t come here, lay on the grass and speak to them like they could hear me. If there was any place I felt my parents, it was at home. My arms were at my sides and I was feeling absolutely defeated. I didn’t want to fight, and I didn’t want to be here. Squaring my shoulders, I’d do whatever it is that she wanted me to do and then I would high tail it out of there. Donna wouldn’t be hearing from me for a while. She had to know that this wasn’t okay. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be giving Turner the silent treatment after this as well. I knew one thing, when I got back home, I’d be asking him to leave. This was all just cruel.

Reluctantly, I walked behind them, keeping my distance. I went over every possible reason why I was brought here but nothing prepared me for seeing the rest of the Brooks clan. There they stood by a freshly dug plot and a small casket that was no bigger than the size of an . . . infant. I stopped in my tracks, my hand going to my mouth. I gasped, shaking my head back and forth. Turner heard me and started to come to my aid. Donna held him back and told him to go over with everyone else. When she approached me, she was very cautious.

“It’s going to be okay,” she told me.

My mouth opened and closed. “Is that?” I didn’t want to finish.

She nodded. “I made a few phone calls. I know you probably don’t want to be here or do this, but when this pain starts to feel a little less and you think about Noah, I want you to know exactly where he is, and that he had a place . . . with you.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I was speechless. The anger I’d previously felt was pushed back and sadness seeped into me. “But the rest of the family is here.”

She looked confused. “Of course they are. Don’t you know why?”

I shook my head no.

A serene smile came across her lips. “Because, honey, my Turner has fallen for you. The moment I saw it, you became family, and that means we are all here for you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will. Come.” She guided me to where everyone was standing.

Turner took my hand and gave it a squeeze. Paul stood in front of everyone and spoke.

“Annabelle, I want you to know that we are all deeply sorry for your loss. You’ve been dealt some very challenging hands in your short life, and yet you seem to have handled it all with grace and dignity. Instead of making decisions to hide from what God has put on your plate, you showed perseverance during what could be the most trying time in a person’s life.” He paused and looked directly at me. “And now this. I know none of us may truly understand how you could be feeling at this very moment or for the last couple of days, but we wanted you to know one thing—you are family. You are part of something bigger than you think. Donna and myself, and of course our boys, we are here for you. Anything you may need, all you have to do is ask. Although we may get nosey and just assume we know what’s best for you.” They all let out a small chuckle. “I’m sure you can tell by what my wife has done here. This is not a traditional funeral or anything. Why Donna chose to do this was simply because Noah deserved a place to rest, and you, my dear, you deserved peace of mind and to know because you have a place with us, so did he.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. My tears turned into a river, and I was full on sobbing. Never in my life would I have thought people would care enough about me to do something like this. Paul wasn’t done. Just as his last words left his mouth, he stepped aside. I was too preoccupied by the gathering of everyone, and the baby’s casket, I hadn’t even seen what had been behind him. There was a small grave stone that read:

Baby Noah

Oct 21, 2015

Loved by one, felt by many

I went to my knees. Turner had the mind to try and catch me, but I shooed him away. I needed my space. “Oh my God,” I whispered. Both of my hands were covering my mouth and my cheeks were soaked. “I never even thought . . .” I trailed off. If a person was capable of sensory overload, I was having it. My brain didn’t want to wrap around the possibility that there were such generous people in this world, or people who thought beyond themselves to do such a kind thing.

I glanced up at everyone around me as they all watched me. Turner, Donna, Paul, Wrigley, Dodger, Camden, and Keegan. Macie wasn’t there, but it was okay. “Family,” I said out loud. “This is what a family is.”

Turner kneeled by me. “Yeah, beautiful, this is family.” He kissed my forehead and wiped some of my tears away.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Keegan sniffled, and Camden put his arm around her.

“Anybody need a joke to lighten the mood?” Wrigley asked.

Dodger slapped the back of his head. I’m starting to think that was his defense against anything that made him uncomfortable—making people laugh.

“Geez, so dead around here,” he grumbled.

“Wrig, go wait in the car, would ya?” Paul sighed.

A giggle bubbled up my throat. I couldn’t help it. “He doesn’t have to go. It’s okay.”

Reaching his hand out to me, Wrigley offered to help me up. Turner growled. I took it and stood.

“You’re my girl, Belle.”

“Thank you.” I beamed. “In fact, thank you to all of you. Especially you, Donna. I don’t know how you knew what to do, but you did. I’ve not been a part of a family in so long, that this is truly overwhelming. Noah was a very special boy. All I wanted for him in his short life was to know and feel what love was. I hope he did.” A single tear streaked down my face.

“No doubt he did,” Turner said, pulling me into an embrace.

“You’re in trouble Mr.,” I mumbled into his chest.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” he replied.

A groundskeeper approached all of us and asked if he could go ahead with lowering the casket into the ground. He said we could stay to watch if we wanted. I didn’t. This was all more than I could handle in one day, and I felt like I was ready for a nap.

“Would you two like to come to the house for dinner? Won’t take me long to whip something up,” Donna offered. “In fact I’d like all of you to come, boys.”

“Thanks, Mom. But I’ve gone some plans with Annabelle this afternoon.”

My eyes shot to Turner’s. “What now?”

“You’ll see.”

Great! He may not live to see another day the way he was going with all the unexpected stuff today.

“Oh, Donna?” I called her back before she had gone too far.

“Yes, dear?”

I looked at the ground and swallowed the lump in my throat. “Th-thanks. For this. For all of this. For Noah and me. It was more than I could have ever expected or known I wanted.”

Her eyes became glassy. She strode toward me and pulled me into the most caring and motherly embrace I’d received since my own mom had held me.

“Always.”

She turned and walked away. Family . . . it really was the cornerstone or foundation of who we are.

“Turner,” I warned.

“Before you say anything, just hear me out.”

“No. No, no, no. And I mean absolutely not!”

“Annabelle, you’re getting worked up over nothing.”

His “nothing” was certainly something. I was currently standing in front of a building that had a sign on the outside that said: Touch the sky, and fall to the earth.