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“Daddy, can I have ice cream? My voice hurts.” Dona hugged on to me.
“Sure,” I said, reaching for the phone. Wyatt reached over and handed it to me but didn’t say anything. “Thank you.”
We ate.
We talked.
We cried.
And then they fell asleep around me. I could do nothing but lay there listening to them breathe. It gave me peace; they were each little parts of her.
For the first time in six days, I didn’t need a drink to fall asleep.
DAY 7
“Dad, do you need help?”
I glanced at her as she stepped up beside me. I hadn’t gone back to our…Melody’s and my room. Instead, I had just spent the morning with Ethan, helping him get dressed in the new suit my mother had bought for him.
“Could you, please? I’m down a hand.” I smiled and turned to face her, not expecting her to know how to tie my tie. However, she reached up and flipped it perfectly, even pulling it up to my neck. “Who taught you how to do this?”
The smile on her face dropped and I wished I hadn’t asked. She had grown up so much, such a beautiful young woman now.
“Thank you, princess.” I kissed the top of her head. I grabbed my crutch and we walked out of the bathroom. Ethan was helping Wyatt put on his coat…we still hadn’t heard him speak. He was the first one up that morning, taking a shower by himself and even waking the rest of us up.
“You boys ready?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ethan muttered softly and Wyatt just looked at me. It sounded like they were really saying no and I didn’t blame them. Dona went over to him and wrapped her arms around his.
Knock knock.
“Come in.” I looked to the door.
Cora came in dressed in a black dress similar to Dona’s. She didn’t say anything, just came over to me and hugged me. I stood there for a second before hugging her back.
“Thank you for taking care of everything,” I whispered, knowing she and my mother wouldn’t let one thing go out of place.
“Of course.” She swallowed and turned back to the kids. She put a white jasmine on the boys’ coats and a bracelet around their wrist. Reaching into her bag, she also handed each one of them sunglasses.
“Once we get outside, keep them on until we get to…until you want to take them off.”
“Thank you, Aunt Cora,” Ethan replied. I expected her to move, but she didn’t; she hung her head and then pulled them into hugs.
“Your mother loved you all so much okay? So much,” she said, and I felt my throat close. I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t do this. But I stepped out into the hall with them.
“Brother.” Neal reached out to me, gripping my hand and standing tall. It had taken him a while to get used to the prosthetic leg, but now you couldn’t even tell.
“All of you go on ahead, we will be right behind you.” My mother stepped up beside me, her hand on my shoulder.
Dona looked as if she was about panic.
“I promise I’ll be right behind you,” I said to her.
“Come on, Dona.” Helen walked over to her, taking her hand, and it was then that I noticed all of the females were dressed in the different variations of Melody’s favorite black dress.
One by one they walked off before leaving me with my mother. She placed her hands on my face.
“Just get thr
