my relatives are going to judge you.”
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Daniel made a sound somewhere between laughter and crying.
A few people glanced toward his brother.
Then Theo read the final instruction.
“And don’t start breaking promises just because I’m not around to remind you.”
He lowered the paper.
“I nearly didn’t come today.”
His voice became quiet.
“My dad told me people would misunderstand. My mom thought it would upset everyone. My sister said it was a ridiculous idea.”
He looked down at the dress.
“But she lent it to me anyway.”
A young woman near the back of the chapel covered her mouth.
Theo’s sister.couldn’t remain seated any longer.
Just minutes earlier, I’d been thinking about asking Theo to leave.
Now I realized he’d been sitting quietly among us, terrified that honoring his friend’s final request might hurt the people he loved.
I stood and walked toward the podium.
Theo froze.
For a second, he seemed to think I was coming to stop his speech.
Instead, I wrapped my arms around him.
He was taller than me now.
I remembered the little boy who’d once arrived at our house with missing front teeth and muddy sneakers.
Now he bent toward me and began sobbing.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
I held him tighter.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I should have explained.”
“You’re explaining now.”
“I didn’t want to upset you.”
“You haven’t.”
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I gently touched his shoulder.
“Please finish, Theo. Tell us what Jack wanted everyone to hear.”
He nodded.
Then he looked directly at Daniel and me.
“I wasn’t trying to disrespect Jack. I was just trying to keep the promise I made him.”
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I never wanted to make this day harder for you.”
That was when I
