it day by day. And lean on each other when the pain becomes too much. When you feel like crying, don’t try to hide it. When you need a hug, you come to me or Gamma, or Poppa, or whoever is closest to you. When you need to talk, you find me. Don’t bottle your emotions. You’re going to need to let them out because it’ll make it a little bit easier to get through this.” I take my eyes off him and find Gemma several feet away, surrounded by ducks. In this moment, she looks happy, like her world isn’t falling apart. “We need to be there for Gemma too. We understand what’s going on a little bit more than she does. She’s going to need us to be as strong as we can be.”
He looks at Gemma and nods before setting his gaze back on me. He lowers his voice even more and his eyes begin to shine with impending tears.
“It feels like she’s already gone.”
My arm around his shoulders flex. “I know it does.” I’m forced to clear my throat when my voice cracks. “But she’s not. She’s still with us, and we’ll cherish every minute of the time we have left with her.”
Gray doesn’t say anything else after that. Just grabs another few pieces of bread, gets up from the bench, and walks over to stand beside his sister. The both of them toss food to the ducks while I sit back and watch. Seeing the two of them standing side by side, big brother and little sister, hearts shattering inside their chests, reminds me again why I’m exactly where I need to be at the moment.
My eyes drift past them to the center of the lake. Gilbert and Lucy come gliding smoothly across the water. The mated geese pair have been occupying the lake for over twelve years now and have become quite famous with the locals. Molly has always been fascinated with them and would compare our love to the bond that Gilbert and Lucy share. Geese mate for life. If one dies, the other mourns the loss. Some so much that they never take on a new mate.
It’s absurd, but I’m actually envious of them right now. I want what they continue to have. My mate healthy by my side.
When we walk into Molly’s room later that evening, an older nurse is switching out one of her IV’s. I’ve been here so much that I know a lot of the staff by name now. This nurse’s name is Terry.
She looks at us and offers a kind smile. “Hey.”
All I can give her in return is a grunt. Gray completely ignores her and goes straight to his mother’s bedside. Gemma smiles, but it’s not the natural one she normally gives. I’m sure the three of us look grave, but I don’t have in it me to care at the moment.
Once Terry is done, she messes with Molly’s blanket for a moment before she picks up a clipboard, rounds the bed, and approaches me and Gemma.
“You know,” she begins, smiling down at my daughter. “I couldn’t help but notice how pretty you are and how much you look like your momma.”
Gemma’s eyes light up with interest. “Really?”
Molly and I have told Gemma plenty of times she looks like her mother, but I know she enjoys hearing it from someone else. Especially someone who isn’t family or friends.
“Absolutely. Your beautiful red hair looks exactly like hers.” Terry bends over and looks closely at Gemma’s face. “And it looks like you got the same unique freckle right here.” She taps the apple of her cheek. “It’s sort of looks like a heart. I noticed your mom has one too, in the same spot.”
Gemma touches her cheek, and her mesmerized eyes fly to her mom. When she looks back at Terry, her lips are tipped up into a genuine smile.
Terry lowers her voice. “And I bet your brother would like knowing he has his mom’s chin and eyebrows. Maybe you can tell him sometime.”
Gemma nods rapidly. “I will.”
Expression soft with a smile, Terry pats Gemma’s head before she turns to leave. Seeing the joy in Gemma’s eyes, I call her name before she walks through the door.
“Thank you,” I say gruffly when she looks back at me.
Her smile turns sad when she nods and exits the room.
Spinning on my heel, I find Gemma already sitting on her knees on the chair beside Molly’s bed. She’s leaning over looking