Chapter 5

Ennis made lunch for himself and sat around talking to Jack as he ate. He told Jack about how the girls were doing and asked how Bobby was faring. Jack told him that he'd been keeping an eye on his son over the last eight months and that he was going to be okay. It was clear that despite his unhappy marriage, Jack had loved his son and now wished that he'd spent more time with him between fishing trips. They both had regrets about their lives but it was almost over now.

"He's a good kid," Jack told him as they sat on the sofa. They had considered sitting outside the trailer but it would look like Ennis was talking to himself, and he didn't need that kind of attention. "Lureen did her best with him but she wasn't really the type, you know? She had her head in her daddy's business an' that was that."

Ennis nodded. "Still, he had you, bud." Jack shook his head.

"Not so much towards the end. After...you turned me away that time I started drinkin' durin' the day. Was so miserable that I just didn't wanna make the effort with him. I feel terrible 'bout it now but...nothin' I can do."

Ennis put his arm around Jack and tried to comfort him, and his attention was then drawn by a knock on the door. They exchanged a glance and Ennis got up to answer it. Standing outside was a delivery man holding a large box.

"Ennis Del Mar?" he asked, and Ennis nodded. "Delivery from Lightnin' Flat. The woman who sent it says it's essential that it don't get broken, so..." Ennis thanked him and took the box inside; Jack's ears had perked up at the mention of Lightning Flat, and was now hovering as Ennis took the box to the kitchen counter.

"What...?" He didn't get any further, and now felt very strange about this package. He knew exactly what this was.

Ennis opened the box to reveal an urn and a letter, and he stared at them. "Jack...is this...?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, feeling a strange kind of pull towards the urn. "They're my ashes..." He looked at Ennis. "My mama...she sent 'em."

Ennis took the letter and opened it; Jack leaned over his shoulder so that they could read it together.

Ennis,

I know what it was between you and my son, and it's okay. I only ever wanted him to be happy, and I'm sure you made him happy when you met up in the mountains. A mother always knows, and I knew what he felt for you.

A few days ago, Jack's widow sent us the rest of his ashes from Texas, saying that we should have them. His daddy said that the ones we had were going in the family plot, but that didn't happen. I knew you wanted them, and wanted to scatter them on Brokeback, so when his daddy was out I bought an urn just like it and put some dirt in there, and hid away Jack's ashes. I let his daddy bury the new one and now we've got the other half I'm sending it all to you.

I know you loved my boy, so I'm asking you to do what you wanted and scatter them where he would've wanted. I wish you two could've been together because it would've made my boy so happy, but maybe you two will be together one day anyway. God works in mysterious ways, after all. Best of luck, Ennis.

Love,

Rose Twist

They stared at the letter, taking it all in. "Your mama's a sneaky one, Jack," Ennis observed, feeling glad for this fact. It was okay for him to love Jack.

"She sure is," he agreed. "There's more to her than meets the eye." They then looked at the urn. "So all of my ashes are in there, includin' the ones that Lureen had. Wonder why she sent 'em up?"

"I dunno, but...I'm glad she did. There's somethin' I wanted to do an' I didn't think it'd work without the other half."

"What's that?"

Ennis turned to face him, taking his hands. "Jack...I want us to always be together, you know that. When I die, that'll happen but then what about my body? I can't be buried if your ashes are scattered. Don't seem right. So I was thinkin'...I wanna be cremated an' have mine scattered on Brokeback with yours."

Jack's lip trembled and he looked down, not knowing how to react to such a sweet gesture. "Ennis...I dunno what to say. I think that's a great idea."

"An' you know what else? Those shirts...I want them with us. They could be burned, an' added to all the ashes."

Jack grinned and kissed him, feeling more in love than ever. "Okay. But who's gonna do it? No priest is gonna do that for two guys."

"I was thinkin' about askin' Junior," Ennis told him. "She's the smartest girl I know an'...the way she looked at me sometimes, it was as if she wanted to talk to me 'bout somethin' important. I think that somehow, she knew why it didn't work with her mama or Cassie. She knew I loved someone but couldn't be with 'em, so...if I tell her everythin' I know she'll do this for us."

Jack cupped his cheek. "I think it's the best idea I've ever heard, Ennis. An' if this is what you want then it's fine with me." They sat down on the sofa together, still clasping hands. "I know this whole thing is really weird, but...I'm glad we're together again."

"Me too," Ennis replied, feeling Jack's cold lips upon his. The feeling took some getting used to, but he did like how they could still show their affection in some way. Jack may be dead, but he was here and that was all that mattered. Everything would come together in its own way. There were only five days left, and he would not waste them.