The Alternate Journey Part Two

Chapter 4

"Thank you for doing this with me tonight," Maddie smiled softly at her mother as she pulled on a sweater and reached for a bottle.

Hannah looked up from the items she was collecting in her hands; the glasses, the blanket. "Oh honey, of course," her eyes welled up as she looked over her daughter, swallowing back the tears that came when she thought of it all. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Maddie nodded, taking a deep breath as they made their way out onto the deck. Settling into the outdoor couch, they arranged the blankets around their legs and Maddie opened the bottle of Scotch. Hannah handed her the glasses, one after the other, as she poured drinks for the both of them. Handing one back, Maddie sat the bottle aside and sighed; leaning back into the cushion.

"Do you want to say something?" Hannah's voice was soft and low as she looked over to her daughter; too young to be handling something like this.

"What do I say?" Maddie laughed lightly and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't believe it's been over a year and a half since he..." She stopped, shaking her head and taking a deep breath. In her mind was visions of him, of his smile, of his laughter, of his voice; of all the things he would be saying to her if he could step into this moment. "Okay. Okay." She whispered, knowing fully well he wouldn't want her to wallow for too long. "Okay." She blinked at the tears that slipped from her eyes and lifted a smile, and her glass, to her mother. "To Bishop."

"To Bishop," her mother repeated, clinking her glass to Maddie's before they drank and settled into the silence there next to each other. Maddie leaned back and looked up at the stars, taking another sip as she let her mind wander over the handful of months she was married to Bishop, over their life together.

And this year, unlike last year, the smile pulled slow and wide across her face. Though there were tears, they were nothing like they had been the previous year. Though there was sadness, it was nothing like the heavy weight she had carried last year. Though the memories were fast and full, they brought with them not only sadness and grief and loss—they brought happiness and contentment and the same spirit of life Bishop had brought to her.

"One of my favorite memories of him..." Hannah's voice was quiet as she cut into the moment. "Was that first Christmas you brought him home."

"Yeah?" Maddie smiled as she drifted back with her mother.

"Yeah," Hannah nodded, moving to take her daughter's hand in hers. "He was so...in love with you." Maddie felt the lump in her throat grow. "And he was so obvious." The tone in her voice made them both laugh. "And he knew that coming here would be a big thing, knew that your family would be a little leery. But he came and he stood tall to Kyle..."

"Jesus," Maddie rolled her eyes as she remembered the back and forth between them.

"And he answered all of the questions without flinching and he was so charming and sweet and then he...he let you sneak right into his room after I went to sleep."

"What?!" Maddie turned wide eyes to her mother.

"Please," Hannah narrowed hers. "You think I don't know what happens in this house. You think you're sooooo sneaky."

"I..." Maddie stammered, her cheeks flushing; completely caught. "I don't know what to...I don't think it's fair that I have to answer to this without him here." The words slipped from her mouth and as they settled in her mind, she felt her tears sneak back.

"I don't either," Hannah voice cracked as her emotions got the best of her. Each of them took a moment to feel it, a moment to miss him. And then Hannah took a deep breath and pulled on her daughter's hand, bringing her closer to her. "And that next morning, he came down before you did and he put on that apron and helped me make breakfast and he just...he made sure your mother knew enough about him to love him. He made sure I knew how much he loved you. And God Madeline...he loved you."