What Happened to the McCrays?

by Tracey Lange

“Yeah. But the pain is part of it, part of making it permanent. I figure they’re forever, so they should hurt a little, you know?”

People around town told him what a great guy he was to be such a rock for the Higginses, but he didn’t feel like a great guy. Amid his own deep grief over losing Mrs. H, and while watching Casey and Wyatt stumble through those first awful weeks under the weight of such pain, there was a small, incredibly selfish part of Kyle that had never been happier.

When they were considering buying it twelve years ago, Kyle had pointed out to Todd the threat of ongoing maintenance issues with such a big old house. He still remembered Todd’s response: Yeah, I know. But she has her heart set on it. Kyle said no more about it. He’d also been a man who liked to give his wife what she most wanted when he could. There was no feeling like it.

“They’re good with her too. The only time I see her come alive is when she’s with them, or talking about them. She smiles, she even laughs.” “I’ve seen it,” Coach said. “It’s like, for just a little while, she forgets she’s not allowed to be happy.”