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As the boys talked, Natalie waited for Hazel to walk to them, but she didn’t pick up speed at all. Watching her friend, she let herself think about Hanna and Henry for a moment. Natalie thought about them every day, but the pain that had been there for years was not there. She was now at peace with the friends who were gone, and her guilt was also mostly gone. The fact that she lived that day would always leave her with a little guilt, and she knew that Hazel would carry guilt too.
Once Hazel got near enough, Natalie gave her a hug. Hazel returned the hug willingly. It had taken time for her to respond to the hugs Natalie started to give her. “Can you believe we’re walking our kids to school already?”
Hazel chuckled at her. “No. Once you set your mind to something, there’s no stopping you.”
“Hey, I just decided to adopt some kids, and one the perfect age just dropped into my lap.” She turned to follow the boys down the sidewalk.
“Seems pretty fishy to me,” Hazel replied.
“I love that they get along so well.” Ignoring her, she nodded at the boys walking a few feet in front of them.
Hazel sighed. “I do too.”
“How about we do this again in another five years?” Natalie asked.
“Then they’ll be in the fourth grade,” Hazel pointed out.
“I mean with another set of them. Kindergarten again. Maybe girls this time.”
Hazel stopped and turned toward her, “No, because I do all the hard work of having a kid, and you just go out and find one. You always cheat.”
“Not this time, Haze. This time I will have to go through all the hard work.” Natalie hugged her again. “Sam and I are expecting.”
“Congratulations, Natalie.”
“Thank you, Hazel. But now you have to get pregnant too. We need to do this together,” Natalie insisted in her whiny voice that always got to Hazel.
Natalie knew she was telling her friend way too soon since she was only a few weeks along. But she had always dreamed that their kids would be close in age.
“Are you telling me to get knocked up because you are?” Hazel demanded.
“Yes, let’s do it together this time. It’ll be so much fun!” Natalie put her arm around her friend.
“No. How does Sam even put up with you?” Hazel pushed the arm off.
“He loves me, so he does.” Natalie laughed at her expression as the school came into view.
“I wonder how often he regrets that?” Hazel said under her breath.
“Never, Hazel May. Never.”
After all these years, she loved having Hazel back in her life. Over the years, she hadn’t even realized what she had been missing by not having her so close. And she knew that if she had married Jason that July day two years before, she never would have had her back in her life.
Watching Milo run into Sam’s arms near the elementary wing of the school, she smiled at the scene. Sam was a great father, and she couldn’t ask for a better husband. Everything he did was for his family.
“And you will always be crazy, Natalie. Now I have to go get some pictures of my son on his first day of school.” Hazel walked away, taking her son’s hand and leading him into the building.
“Mom, Dad is here!” Milo yelled at her in case Natalie could possibly miss the gorgeous man standing next to her son.
“I see that, Milo. Hello, Mr. Sullivan.” She grinned at him. “Ready for another year?”
“It will never be as good as the first one, but I am ready. Are you ready, Mrs. Sullivan?” He took Milo’s hand and they walked him into the school.
“It’s just a library, Sam,” Natalie said. Today was her first day as the school librarian. She had taken the job and turned in her notice at the city library in the spring and spent the summer with the boys and Sam. There had been many trips to his parents’ cabin and to visit her mom’s family. Since she had met them, she had learned that she may not look like them, but she acted just like them.
“Your dad has the video camera ready.” Sam pointed out Patrick, who was recording the entire hallway around them, including a few seconds longer on John Henry than any others.
“He is awful with that thing. He must have already taken loads of their boys.” Natalie loved having stepbrothers, especially because she never had to live with them. But she still wished that her dad had married Faith years. So many wasted years.
“Saves me from even bringing a camera.” Sam pulled her to him as Milo ran off to his grandfather to get his locker in a video.
“One day, they will appreciate these tapes,” Natalie said, thinking of all her tapes, most she hadn’t even made it through yet.
Natalie watched her dad recording the images of her son’s first day of school, catching every little thing. Who was going to be important to her son next year, in ten years, in twenty? Who was the face he’ll be happy he sees in all the videos? Will there be some that are so painful he won’t even be able to watch?
Ever so quietly, Natalie whispered, “Look, Mom. Look what Milo is doing today.”
The End
