Page 74 of Fractured Grief
Hazel and I had prepared all the ingredients, and I had her add each one to the pot before turning on the gas and handing her the spoon. I guided her to stir slowly, and we watched as the chocolate melted and all the ingredients combined to make our cocoa.
It was almost ready when I glanced over to see Indy watching us with love in his eyes. “Want to take over while I get the mugs and marshmallows?”
“Sure.” His cheeks flushed so prettily I couldn’t resist kissing him as I passed.
Once I had the mugs ready, Indy guided Hazel to sit on one of the kitchen stools and plated the cookies. I set mugs in front of Indy and Hazel, watching as he helped her ration her marshmallows after she tried to tip the whole packet into her mug. A few spilled out, and she quickly snatched them up and popped them into her mouth, beaming mischievously at Indy.
She was too cute for words, but I could tell she’d be a handful as she grew up.
We sat around the kitchen island, enjoying our snack, and my heart swelled at the sense of home and life these two created. They filled the darkness with light and made hope bloom in my heart, the grief of my Pa softening because these two souls shone so brightly. I almost couldn’t contain the emotions welling inside of me as I watchedthese two interact. They had a special bond, forged in heartache, and I don’t think I could love them more.
We were finishing up our drinks when Lyric came home. He seemed subdued but not more so than was usual for him lately. He took in our rather domestic scene.
“You made cookies without me,” he gasped, playfully.
“There’s some left. You can have it and help us next time.” Hazel hurried over to Lyric and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the kitchen and making him sit down before she pushed the plate of cookies in front of Lyric. “Mr. Seb and I made them so Daddy could rest. They’re extra yummy. We made hot cocoa too, but there isn’t any left. You can have the rest of mine.” She was so adorable as she offered Lyric her nearly empty cup.
“Oh no, that’s okay. I’m happy to have my cookies with milk. You should finish your cocoa.” He rose to get himself a glass of milk. “These cookies look delicious!”
“They’re pretty good. Not the same as the ones I made with Mommy, but still yummy,” Hazel explained.
Lyric looked as lost as I did when Indy spoke up. “Snickerdoodles were Lexi’s specialty. She used to make them with chocolate buttons on top. That’s probably the cookies Hazel’s referring to.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how to make snickerdoodles. Chocolate chip are the only cookies I can bake,” I shrugged.
“Don’t worry, Seb. These cookies are good, and we can teach you how to make Mommy’s special snickerdoodles next time.” Hazel ran around to hug me as she spoke.
“I’d love to learn, Hazel. Thank you,” I said, beaming at this little girl who’d come to mean just as much to me as her father.
Hazel ran back to Lyric, and they sat at the counter chatting. Indy made his way over to me, and I opened my arms, loving the way he slotted right in.
He reached up on his tiptoes to try and kiss my cheek and pulled me down to whisper into my ear. “Thank you for embracing Hazel and letting her into your heart. It means the world to me.”
“Anything for you. She’s amazing. Thank you for trusting me with her,” I whispered into his ear, loving the way his body shivered. “I love you both.”
His smile was sunshine. “Really?”
“Of course.” I leaned against the counter with Indy in my arms as we watched Hazel and Lyric chat animatedly about something.
Hazel’s sweetness made my brother smile, and that alone lifted my spirits. He was so good with her. While in many ways, he was still a big kid, I knew he’d make a great dad one day, if he wanted.
I needed to talk to him about the appointment I was going to book for him. I’d happily go with him; we all would. We took care of our own.
Resolve rose in me as I watched them. We would help Lyric deal with whatever came next.
For the rest of the day, we all chilled, chatted, watched movies, and played Uno. Hazel continued to draw Lyric out of his musings and encouraged him to sit with us on my three-seater couch, as a family. It was sweet how she endeavored to include him every chance she got. She kept trying to make him smile, and I could tell Lyric couldn’t help but be charmed by her.
We decided on homemade pizzas for dinner, and we all helped make them. Hazel loved placing the cut-up toppings on each pizza, and she and Lyric kept stealing and eating cheese and other toppings, thinking we wouldn’t notice.
The giggles coming from those two warmed my heart and gave me hope for Lyric’s future and his own recovery. He’d always had a big heart, and seeing him be playful and mischievous with Hazel was somewhat of a relief. The old Lyric was still in there.
Once we were all full and dinner was cleaned up, we readied ourselves for bed. Hazel made Lyric promise to stay the night and insisted he be the one to read with her before bed. The expression that crossed Lyric’s face at herinsistence could only be described as a look of awe. “I’d be honored, Miss Hazel.”
Hazel beamed at my brother, not grasping the gravity of the situation as she bounced off to brush her teeth, shower, and get ready for bed with Indy.
“You okay, bro,” I asked, as Lyric watched them leave.
“Ah, yeah.” Lyric blinked as if coming out of a daze. “You’ve found yourself something special here, with those two.”
