Chapter 98 - That Fateful Night Changed Our Lives

Funeral Services for McKenna Rose Bongiovi will be held at the Bongiovi family home in Red Bank, NJ at 2pm today. 

 

The family will only receive invited guests at the ceremony.  Her interment will be at that the Monmouth County Cemetery, there she will be placed with her sisters Rowan and Spencer Bongiovi. 

 

Sources close to the family say that Jon Bon Jovi and Beth Adams are struggling to deal with the loss of their daughter, the third one in just as many years.  The same source has raised question as to the manner of the infants death.  Coroner's report said that her death is unexplained, further fueling questions as to her cause of death.  Investigators are currently taking another look into the infants death as fact emerge.  Photo source is confidential. 

 

 

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Beth throws the remote at the TV, "What the hell are they talking about?  What new facts?  Who are they talking to?"  She's at her vanity, getting ready to receive McKenna when the funeral home brings her home.  They spent the night getting the house ready to receive friends and family.  Flowers arrive all day and Beth has grown tired of answering the door.  Lupetta, Dani and Maria are all there taking care of what needs to be done.  Both are grateful for the three of them, they know that they're saddened by the loss of McKenna, too.  Beth turns around and looks at Jon, whom is still in bed.  "Babe, it's 1:00, you need to get up and get in the shower."

 

He's in bed, laying on his side facing the nursery door.  Before they went to bed last night, he was in McKenna's room for hours.  There he grabbed one of her blankets when he went to bed.  He slept with her blanket in his arms and cried himself to sleep.  Not much has changed since then, he's still in bed crying. "I can't."

 

"Come on babe, yes you can.  Please don't make me do this alone." she gets up and walks to him.  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reaches over and caresses his cheek.  "You can do this honey."

 

"I can't.  I can't see her, Beth.  That would kill me."

 

"If you don't you know that you will regret it." she leans over and kisses the side of his face, "I need you and the kids need you.  Please take a shower."  She hears the doorbell and looks at the time.  "Must be family is arriving already or more flowers."

"Someone will answer the door."

"Babe, please get up.  I can't do this by myself.  Please.!"  She begs him.  She doesn't want to do what lies ahead anymore than he does, "She deserves us both being there, Jon.  Come on."

Jon looks up at her and he can see that she's trying really hard not to cry.  She needs to get them through today and then she will break down and give into the lump in her throat and the knot in her stomach.  He sees that he needs to get up, she's counting on him and McKenna does deserve the best goodbye that they can give her.  "I will.  Babe, I'm so sorry, I don't want to move."

"I know, I know.  I'm right here with you and I just want to crawl under the covers with you and pretend that this isn't happening.  The kids need us."

He pushes back the covers and slowly climbs out of bed.  When he's to his feet, he stands in front of her and pulls her to a stand.  He wraps his arms around her and holds her tight, whispering to her, "I am so sorry that you are going through this again." 

Her hold gets tighter on him and she says, "I wish we weren't going though this again.  What are the odds."

"Not in our favor."

He showers and they meet downstairs.  As he hits the bottom of the stairs, he sees his dad's cousin leave.  The one that owns the funeral home.  That tells Jon that McKenna is home.  He looks around for Beth, and he can't see her.  He can hear her though.  Following the sound of her voice, her strong commanding voice, he finds her in the living room directing Maria where to place some planters.  "Babe, what are you doing?"  She turns to look at him.  He's dressed in a black suit, with a gray shirt.  He looks very debonair. 

"I'm organizing these flowers that don't stop coming.  Did we put memorial contributions can be made?  Why all the damn flowers?" she's frustrated and looking for a distraction.  She seen Mike leave too.

"Come on, McKenna is here."  he just barely gets it out of his mouth before the tears roll again.  Beth sees that and hands Maria the plant and goes to him.  She takes his hand.

With a deep breath, she says, "Let's go see her."  Beth knew that she was there, she seen her come in.  Stephanie wanted to be with her for a minute, so Beth left her with her.  She leads him to the great room that was set up just like it was for Rowan and  Spencer.  He took one step in and could see her little pink hat.  Another one that was made and handed down before he was even born.  The tradition was a strong, stronger than he is right now.  The takes another step, his crying gets harder and then he sees her little face. 

"Oh my God, she's beautiful."  he covers his mouth and looks down at her.  Beth has her hand on the small of his back, rubbing it, letting him know that she was right there.  "She can't be dead."  He leans over and kisses her cheek, feeling the cold, he drops to his knees.  Beth went right with him.  He stares at her and cries, "She can't be gone, this can't be happening."  He reaches in and touches her little fingers, "She's so perfect."  Beth lets him talk and stays at his side as long as he's on his knees.  Just like before, he rests his chin on the side of her little casket and just looks at her.  His tears roll down his face and land inside the casket. 

When he can stand, he does and looks around at the people that have gathered there to pay their respect.  They had no idea that so many guests had arrived, when they were with McKenna, the rest of the world didn't exist.  He sees Richie walking toward him and when the meet, Richie hugs him and tells him, "She's with her sisters.  She's in a good place."  Jon couldn't stand to hear that.

"She belongs here, not with her sisters and not in a good place.  She belongs here." and he sobs again.  He's crying so hard he can't catch his breath, he can't even talk now.  Richie looks at Beth and he can see what she's trying to say without even talking.  Richie leads Jon to the couch and has him sit.  Jon sits there with his head in his hands and just cries.  His family and friends know that he should be left alone, he's in no mood for small talk.  Beth took her place at his side and acknowledges their guests as the arrived, from where she was sitting.

The longer that they sat there, it seemed the more angry that Jon got.  Beth would see him look up at his daughter and it took his breath away.  He knows that there are many people to support him and they all are there out of love, but he wonders what they all must be thinking?  Burying another baby?  How can any parent do that?

The service felt like it took forever.  Jon dreaded the ride to the cemetery, he remembers Beth not wanting to take that ride because that was the final act.  Once she's there he'll never be able to look at her again, he'll never be able to touch her again.

McKenna Rose was laid to rest with her sisters, leaving behind three big brothers, a big sister, and a broken mother and father.