The Wish List

She Talks To Angels

"Of course, Ty." He bowed his head again before holding the door open for me to get in and walking around the car. I shut my door gently, afraid of the loudness I knew would echo through the car if it was shut hard.

"Where are we going now, Daddy?" Tessie asked, "Are we going home?" Ty smiled into the rearview mirror, shaking his head.

"We're going to go visit Ally's sister." I glanced back to find Tessie frowning, looked incredibly confused.

"I thought your sister was sick and she died." Tessie whispered.

"She did. We're going to go see her memorial." She started to nod, as if she sort of understood, before going back to her tablet and saying the words on it out loud, sounding them out.

I sent Ty an amused look, to which he only laughed at before starting the car and pulling away from the ceramic shop.

*

"It's cold out here, Daddy." Tessie mumbled, jumping over a rock. Ty wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him.

"I know, baby girl. We won't be here long."

I smiled at Tessie as she pulled away from Ty and skipped over to me, grabbing my hand and staring up at me with a mischievous look.

"Do you like Daddy yet?" She asked. I nearly started coughing at the randomness of the question.

"You know I like Daddy, Tess." I responded, my eyes scanning the tombstone beside me for the right one.

"No, Ally. Do you like Daddy lots?" She repeated, making a gesture with her arms. I laughed, squeezing her hand.

"You don't need to worry about that, sweetie." She frowned but didn't ask anymore questions. Ty grabbed her arm so she wouldn't follow me as I walked toward the only tombstone in the isle with thousands of dead and fake flowers resting on top of it.

"Hey, Stephie." I whispered, knowing very well that she hated the nickname. She used to throw her hands over her ears and talk over me so she couldn't hear it.

"I got the angel for you. Well, actually I got a few." I pulled the ceramics from the bag in my hand and knelt down.

"You used to look at the one with the blue wings a lot, and the one with the pink. Then there was the baby one, the one I also loved because it reminded me of you." I laughed, "But I guess I understand why you loved them so much now. They reminded you of us, right? Jason, you, and me? We were the three angels." I pushed a few flowers out of the way and set the angels in the middle, pushing the flowers I had moved back after a second.

"I miss you, Steph." I wrapped my arms around my legs, shutting my eyes to prevent any tears from escaping them, "I miss the way you used the laugh when I'd come in to visit in nothing but my Power Puff Girls Pj's." I said.

"I miss the way your eyes would light up whenever we talked about that boy band you were obsessed with. I hated them, you know. But I listened to them for you." I glanced over at Ty, smiling sadly.

He was standing, tense, with his arms draped over Tessie's shoulders.

"I wish you would have told me about Ty and Tessie before the list. I could have helped them sooner." I continued, "I can see why you liked him so much, he really is sweet and cute. I agree." My head dropped a little as I let out a shaky breath.

"Mom and Dad haven't been home, so I haven't been able to tell them what you wanted me to, the first thing on the list. But I promise I will, Steph. I promise." I reached out and touched the ice cold tombstone, my lips quivering a little.