Page 23 of Have a Bear-y Little Christmas
“Yeah. But she had a sickness since she was born, so she made sure we understood it and that we were ready for when things happened.” The girl grimaced. “I wish it hadn’t, you know. But I think it’s better than what a lot of other kids have had to go through when one of their parents dies.”
I really had no idea what to say. Our children were having a full-blown conversation about debilitating illnesses and familial death like it was completely natural. I looked at Remy, and was somewhat mollified when he looked as bewildered as I felt.
“I miss her,” Eva said, through a mouthful of her burger. “But we visit her a lot.”
“Visit her where?”
“At her grave.”
“Oh, I’ve never been to a grave. Is it nice?”
“Technically, she’s not really there. We scattered most of her ashes and buried her urn, but it’s where we visit her to talk,” Addy chimed in. “That makes it nice.”
Resting my chin in my hand, I watched them talk about topics children usually wouldn’t have any interest in. The three had a sort of connection I’d never expected. Maybe it came from experiencing too much too fast, or maybe it came from having a lot of empathy. Whatever the reason, I certainly never could have predicted this.
“Do you wanna try my tater tots? I don’t think I can eat all this.”
“Sure! Do you want my pickle? I only like pickles when they’re really cold, and this is hot from the burger,” Eva said.
Just like that, the conversation moved on. Remy and I shared another confounded look. I doubted I’d ever identified with a stranger so much. Was this the universe trying to show me that I needed to get out more and socialize, or was it trying to warn me that my son was a little bit freaky?
Eh, maybe both.
The kids started scarfing down their food, and Remy and I had to pause eating a couple of times to remind them to chew.Even Max, who was normally a glacial eater at best, was devouring his food. Hmmm, maybe that was the secret. Have him do a challenging exercise with a little dash of adrenaline, and bada bing bada boom, suddenly he has an appetite. Not a bad strategy. Clearly, the walks we’d been taking weren’t quite as stimulating as I had thought.
The kids finished way before Remy and I did, and I worried they would get bored, but no, they went right back to their uncomfortably frank conversation. Then again, maybe we adults could learn from them. Touchy subjects were only touchy if we treated them as such, right? If everyone was enjoying themselves and comfortable, maybe there was no need to be apprehensive.
“Are you going to be tiny forever?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever be as big as your dad, but I’ve already gained a bunch of weight since I wentinto remission, and I almost never have to use my wheelchair anymore. I still need my walker, but I’ve gotten so much better that we actually left it in the car!”
“Our mommy had those. We painted the walker pink! She said it was her favorite moba in vice.”
“Mobility device,” Addy corrected. “But you did a good job remembering that, Eva.”
The young girl nodded, and I didn’t miss how Max was grinning from ear to ear. It struck me that I was seeing one of my big fears being resolved in real time.
Max, as darling as he was, had missed out on a lot of socialization for the past three years. He’d spent far too much time around busy and stressed adults in the medical profession, and not enough time around kids his age. I’d worried that other kids would sense what was wrong with him and shun him, or worse, be freaked out by his mobility aids and the fact that he was so small compared to others his age. Although he was indeed gaining weight, so many of his bones were still visible, and those dark circles under his eyes hadn’t eased at all in the months he’d been in remission.
“Pink? That’s cool! I’ve got stickers all over mine, but if I was going to paint it, I’d paint it purple. Because that’s the best color.”
“I am very sorry to inform you, but actually the best color is green,” Addy said.
Although I had just met her, I was beginning to get a pretty good read on her personality. Clearly, she was smart as a whip, but not so far removed that she couldn’t communicate with those in her own age bracket.
“I like pink!” Eva, however, was a little more nebulous. I got the feeling that she was also quite intelligent, but not the best speaker. That, or she straight up didn’t like talking. Which wasfine, especially since I was witness to the fact that she could make friends just fine with only a few words.
The kids’ conversation ranged from why their preferred colors were the best, to the best superheroes, to their favorite foods. Thirty minutes later, Max suddenly flashed me a dazzling grin.
“I think my food has digested and I’m nice and warm, can I go back on the ice again?”
“Oh, yes. I’m ready to go too!” Addy said.
“Are you sure, Addy? What about your shin?” Remy asked.
“It’s fine now. I have a Band-Aid, and the blood has stopped.”
“Please, please, please,” Max said, even though there was no need. I was already going to agree. “Can me and my new friends go skate together?”
