One morning, Paul got up earlier than usual. He sat out on the balcony and watched the sun rise over the horizon. John joined him and said, "That's a beautiful sunrise, isn't it?" Paul said, "I guess." There was a tone of sadness in his voice. John asked, "What's wrong, Paul?" Paul said, "Even though I'm doing better, I sometimes think I'm still not over my father's death. Oh, John, how did you get over your father's death?" John said, "The loss of a friend or a loved one is not something one gets over. You'll always miss them, but over time, dealing with it gets easier." Paul asked, "How did you cope?" John said, "Uncle Bob helped me a lot. My grandma helped a lot, too. Her house was a safe place for me to go when things got really bad." Paul said, "I have some pretty good friends." John said, "That's good. Hang on to them." Paul then said, "People have told me that I should just move on already." John said, "Don't listen to them. Everyone grieves differently. Never let anyone tell you how to feel. You feel how you need to. It's okay to feel sad, angry, or even lonely." Paul said, "You don't mind if I cry, do you?" John said, "Of course not. Never be embarrassed to cry. You'll cry all your life. The only time you won't cry is when you feel that it's time to move on." Paul cried for a while and then said, "Thank you, John." John said, "You're welcome." When the two bands met for breakfast, Erin said, "Paul, your eyes are a little red. Have you been crying?" He said, "Yes. I'm still in the grieving process, but I'm doing better. John gave me good advice this morning." Lola said, "That's good." John asked, "Would you like to sing a song for your father at tonight's concert?" Paul said, "I think I'd like that." At the concert, the two bands performed "Calypso" by John Denver. Paul said that his father really loved the song. He shed a few tears at the end, but he managed to make it through with help from his friends. After the concert, Peter asked, "Are you all right, mate?" Paul said, "Yes, I am. I couldn't have done it without you guys." The two bands hugged and retired for the night.

TO BE CONTINUED