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As she looks up at me, I catch a glimpse of sadness in her gaze. "I want to keep his memory alive, especially for Shaun." Her words hang in the air for a moment, heavy with the weight of loss and a desire to hold onto what is gone.
"I miss him too," I reply with a heavy heart, trying to hold back my emotions.
Tears well up in her eyes as she whispers, "I miss him."
"Look, Mom! Ricky!" Shaun exclaims, pointing excitedly at a tree.
Finally, after a long search, we find a tree that Shaun and Scar love. It is a towering and majestic pine tree with perfectly shaped branches that reach in every direction.
"This is the one," says Shaun, his eyes shining with excitement.
I look over at Scar, who smiles in agreement.
"What do you think, Mom? Do you like it?" asks Shaun eagerly.
His mom smiles warmly. "I love it, monster. You did great," she says, hugging him.
I approach one of the workers at the farm, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile. "Excuse me, sir," I say. "Could you help me with this tree?"
The worker, a burly man with calloused hands, acknowledges with a curt nod. Grunting with exertion, we carefully shift the weight of the tree onto the base and begin dragging it slowly toward my truck.
Shaun eagerly joins in, his tiny hands grasping onto one of the lower branches. His eyes shimmer with awe as he marvels at the size of the tree. As we approach the truck, we pause to catch our breath before hoisting the tree onto the flatbed.
After completing the task, I turn to the worker, thanking him for help. His rugged face breaks into a smile, and he nods in return before heading back to the farm.
The worker grins. "No problem at all," he says. "It's always nice to see families enjoying the holiday together."
Warmth spreads through my body when I hear 'family.' It's something that I've always yearned for, to have a loving family with Scar by my side, with her belly carrying my babies. I look at Scar, and she returns my gaze with a look of love as if she knows exactly what I'm feeling.
When we arrive home, we carefully carry the towering tree into the living room. The fragrant smell of pine fills the room, and we feel the warmth and coziness of the holiday season.
We spend hours carefully decorating the tree with lights, ornaments, and tinsel to create a masterpiece. As I hang the last ornament on the tree, I can’t help but smile. "Looks like the tree is complete." I take a step back.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Shaun appears from behind the tree holding a Batman ornament and exclaims, "Not yet!" with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, well, we can't leave Batman out." I chuckle. With a gentle lift, I place him securely on my shoulders.
"Where do you think I should put this?" he asks.
As I stroll around the tree, my eyes scan the area for the perfect spot. And then, I see it—without hesitation, I point. "What do you think about this spot?"
"Okay." As Shaun stretches his tiny arms to reach the branch, he carefully holds the ornament and places it on the tree. Lightly tapping the top of my head, Shaun says happily, "There, now it's complete."
Scar gently sets down a tray with three steaming mugs of cocoa. "Not yet," she says with a smile. "Lights." Scar walks over to the tree and lifts a plug. She then turns to us and asks, "Are you ready?"
"Yep," Shaun chirps.
Scar gracefully bends down and plugs the tree in, filling the room with a warm and inviting glow from the multi-colored lights.
As we stand before the tree, Shaun whispers, "It's pretty."
I extend my arm for Scar, who snuggles against me with a contented sigh. Shaun leans down and kisses her cheek, saying, "I love you, Mom."
A radiant smile spreads across Scar's face as she looks up at him and replies, "I love you too."
Shaun then turns to me and hugs my neck, whispering, "I love you too, Ricky." My heart swells with happiness, and I feel as though time stands still.
With a voice cracked by emotion, I reply, "I love you too, kid." Scar looks at me with a gaze of pure love and adoration.
