“It’s O.K., son,â€? Tom said as he stood up and walked to Jason’s side. “Let me help you find your seat.”

“No, I’m sorry, I’ve got one more thing to say, Mr. Mitchell.” Jason walked back to the podium as the look of an infantry solider returned to his face. “That day – the day he died we were taking heavy fire and I didn’t think we’d make it out alive, but Pete… Pete kept his cool and maintained his military bearing. I didn’t even know where I was – I lost it. He told us that if we believed in him we’d make it out alive. And we did.” Jason walked over to the casket, dropped to one knee, and squeezed Mindy’s hand gently.

Billy and Tom were too grief-stricken to say anything. Billy sat and stared at Sgt. Coleman and Mindy holding hands until he was asked by the funeral director to help carry the coffin away with the rest of the pallbearers.

The image of the two figures holding hands was still in his mind as the funeral procession made its way into the cemetery.