The Day

(35) Epilogue

I pursed my lips to the side and pretended to think about it. “Okay.”

“Yes!” he whispered, pumping his fist once.

“But,” I started, and he groaned, giving me a face that told me he was hoping this wouldn’t happen. He should know me. I’m always up for double-standards. “You have to do me a favor too.”

“What do you want, mom,” he said flatly, his posture deflated.

“Oh,” I said, pretending to be flattered. “I’ll let you chose this time.”

“Ok,” he said slowly, knitting his brows together in confusion as he thought of something he could do to help me. “How about I pick Holly up from school every day for the next week?”

I stuck out my lip. “All right, that’s pretty good. But you’ll have to put the cars seat in your car by yourself.”

Nick clapped his hands. “Done.”

I turned back to the dishes. “All right then, see you at five.”

“Thanks mom, you’re the best.” I heard the scuttling of his shoes as he ran back to his room and slammed the door shut to get ready. Not even a minute later, I heard the shower start.

Alex was suddenly at my side. “He’s taking a shower?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I told him he can go with his little girlfriend to the movies, as long as he is at the park at five.”

Alex understood immediately. He knew me too well. “And what’d you get out of it?”

“He’s picking up Holly from school for the next week,” I informed him.

“Nice,” he said. There was a pause as he tried to find the right way to say the next few words. “Are you okay?”

I nodded but tried not to break down and tell him that inside, I was a mess. “Yes, everything’s fine/”

“Are you going today?” he questioned.

I scoffed. “When have I not?”

Alex shook his head and sighed. “Not to the lake. To his grave.”

“Oh,” I said dryly, feeling the punch in my stomach anytime someone reminded me of him. “I am.”

“Hailee, please stop. I know you too well after sixteen years of marriage to know that you’re not all right.” He reached over and pressed down the lever for the sink, shutting it off. He got a nearby towel and dried off my hands. Then he turned me to him and took my face in his hands. And for I second I was reminded of the way I always got lightheaded whenever Brent did that.

Brent died twenty two years ago. He was in a fatal car accident on his way to my house – with Sarah. The driver’s seat, where he was sitting, was the point of impact. They were crossing an intersection when another car didn’t bother to stop at the stop sign, and it barreled into them, killing Brent instantly. Sarah was taken up to an emergency room by helicopter, as she had extensive spine damage. She was alive when the ambulance got there, but when they told her to move, she couldn’t. They feared the worse and called to have her on an emergency list. She’d also gotten extensive head damage from her forehead smashing into the windshield, but that was the least of her concerns.