Page 9 of The Path To Us

Chapter Three

Addy

I curl my body around my little girl and hold her tightly. Peter and Bethany, Chris’s parents, wanted us to come to their house for the night but I know my girl. She needs her home. Even though she has another home she shared with her dad.

Her tears have slowed down a little bit, but not much. To Zoey, her daddy was a Super Hero. Untouchable. Her hero. She would look at him with stars in her eyes and he would look right back at her the same way.

A soft knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts and I lift my head, not sure I heard it correctly. Then our lap dog (he really isn’t a lap dog, but try telling the giant lab mix that) we adopted from the shelter a year ago starts to lazily bark.

“Macaroni, shh,” I tell him, scratching behind his ear as he lays cuddled next to Zoey, always on watch for his girl. Every time I call the dog by name I have to stop myself from laughing. Obviously, Zoey named him and at the end of the day, Macaroni doesn’t care what we’re calling him, as long as we’re showing him love and affection.

I start to shift out of the bed to see who could be here but am stopped by my daughter’s thin arms wrapping tighter around me.

“Mommy?”

“It’s okay, Zoey. I’m here.”

“Don’t go.”

“I’ll be right back. I promise.”

“No, you can’t go, Mommy!” Zoey cries harder and shifts so her entire body is wrapped around mine.

I place a hand on her back and do my best to soothe her. “Shh. Shh. Baby, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Just need to see who’s at the door, okay?”

Another knock and I move to stand but she won’t release her grip. So I shimmy out of bed as best as I can and stand, holding onto Zoey as she clings to me.

“Hang on,” I call out. I move aside the shades and glance out the front window, noticing Beau’s big black pickup is parked in the driveway.

“It’s okay, Zoey, it’s just Uncle Beau.”

She lifts her head from my shoulder and I open the door. He enters without asking, taking Zoey from my arms immediately and holding her tight, burying his face into the crook of her neck. He looks up at me and holds out an arm for me and I fall into his strong embrace.

No words are spoken, the only sounds to be heard in the living room are of our cries. Beau shifts his hold on Zoey and she wraps her arms and legs around him. He takes a seat on the couch and I sit next to them, keeping a hand on Zoey’s back. Over her head, our eyes connect and I see so much sadness in the depths of his hazel eyes, I feel my heart breaking all over again.

Zoey sits back a little and looks at Beau, holding his face between her little chubby hands. “My daddy went to heaven, Unca Beau.”

“I know, Squirt. I know.”

“I want him to come back.”

“Me, too.“

“Can you make him come back? He said you’re so strong, you can do anyfing,” Zoey says, looking so closely at Beau like she’s willing him to make it happen for her. A tear slides down his cheek and he leans forward, resting his forehead against hers.

“I wish I could, Squirt. You don’t know how much I wish that I could make him come back. But it’s not how it works. I guess God thought it was time for him to be with Him and he’s going to help God keep an eye on us.”

Her eyes widen and she gasps. “He can do vat? Weally?”

Beau wipes her cheeks with his thumb and tugs her closer. “Yeah, really. Your daddy was so important that God needed his help in heaven. We might not have been ready to let him go, yet, but I know God’s taking care of him.”

Her lower lip trembles. “I still want him here.”

“I do, too, Squirt,” he says, hugging her tightly. “I do, too.”

The two cry together for minutes, hours, I don’t know how long. What I do know, is that when she falls asleep in his arms, he doesn’t move her right away. The two have always had a special bond, though Zoey is easy to bond with. After one more squeeze and kiss to her head, he stands and carries her to her room but when he shifts to lay her down, she starts whimpering, eyes opening wide on alert.

“No. Don’t go.”

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