AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maddison scrunches her face up, as if she’s struggling to see them even though they aren’t that far away. “Yeah, I see them, Daddy. They’re funny looking.”
“That isn’t a very nice way to talk about your family,” Xander says, grinning.
“Those monkeys aren’t part of my family,” Maddison protests.
“Yes, they are. Those monkeys are your real parents. We’re bringing you back to them today,” he tells her, neither of us able to contain our laughter any longer.
“Daddy, that isn’t funny. I know I’m not really a monkey.”
“Lizzy, did you want anything from the concession stand?” Xander’s mother asks, bringing me out of my daydream.
“No thank you, Anna. I’m good.”
“Well, these two minions and I are going to go see what kind of goodies we can find.” Xander’s father rubs his hands together, smiling at Sean and Maddison who shout with excitement.
As the three of them make their way over to the concession stand, Anna and I find a bench to sit on. I’m so glad we came today. The kids are having a blast, and the weather is perfect. It’s warm, with a nice, comfortable breeze.
“It means a lot to me and Conor that you invited us to tag along with you and the kids today,” Anna says, her voice almost too quiet to hear over the crowd of people.
Truth be told, coming here today is a little out of my comfort zone. The last time we were here, I still had Xander. He bought a stuffed animal for Sean; I was pregnant with him at the time. Now, Xander is gone, and my life will never be the same. The decision to invite Conor and Anna hadn’t been an easy one, but making them a bigger part of our lives is an important component in healing our family.
“I’m really glad you could make it. I’m sorry I—”
Anna reaches over to squeeze my hand as I begin to choke up. “I know, dear, and it’s okay. We understand.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, unable to raise my voice any higher past the giant lump in my throat.
After the accident, I stayed pretty close with Conor and Anna for a while. In fact, I was closer to them than anyone else at the time. They understood what I was feeling and going through better than anyone else could.
That changed though. They began to feel more like a reminder of what I lost. It was too painful to have them around. Pulling away was selfish. Xander’s parents and the kids need one another—they’re all they have left of Xander.
“I want you to promise me something,” Anna turns her gaze to me, locking her eyes on mine. The dark color of her irises reminds me of Xander, but instead of sorrow and loss, I feel peace.
“Okay, sure.”
“I want you to promise we can all do something like this together once a month. I think it’ll be good for all of us.”
“I agree.” I smile, squeezing her hand a little tighter.
“Great.” She scans the crowd before turning back to me. “I didn’t want to mention this in front of the kids in case you didn’t feel comfortable with it, but Conor and I were talking about keeping them overnight sometimes. We just want the chance to know them better and for them to know we’re here for them.”
Tears fill Anna’s eyes, and I find myself having to fight off my own. A tightness builds in my chest, my guilt nearly suffocating. I love Xander’s parents, and although it may not have been intentional, my selfishness hurt them.
Anna and Conor did an amazing job raising Xander, and they were all so close. I know how important it is for Sean and Maddison to get to know them better. They can share things with the kids about their father that I can’t.
“Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea,” I tell her.
