Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

LILY

Finally, the weekend had arrived, and I was incredibly relieved and eager to head to New York to join Ryan. The thought of him grieving all alone had been weighing on me. I hated that he had to endure such a difficult time by himself.

Noah suddenly looked up from his sketchbook, which had absorbed his complete attention since the jet took off. His little brow was furrowed in concentration as he asked, "Are we going to see Grandma and Grandpa?"

I sighed softly, prepared for the inevitable follow-up question. "You'll be seeing Grandma, but not Grandpa," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.

His gaze shifted back to his drawing, brows knitted in thought as he continued to focus on fixing what seemed to be a mistake in his sketch. "What about Grandpa?" he asked, his tone casual but curious.

I paused, glancing over at Liam and Ethan. They had suddenly become attentive. Liam's face showed visible worry, and his eyes darted around nervously, clearly sensing that something had happened. "Grandpa..." I started, taking a deep breath as I sought the right words to convey the difficult truth. "Grandpa was called up to heaven. He received a call, and he went to answer it."

Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous.

"Like Fryer?" Ethan asked, his voice small and uncertain.

Fryer was a dog we had gotten for Ethan on his last birthday, but tragically, he had died before reaching six months. We suspected he had been bitten by something during a hike, and we hadn't realized how serious it was until it was too late. I nodded. "Yes, like Fryer."

Ethan's face fell, and his eyes began to water as he looked up at me. "So we won't be seeing Grandpa again?" he asked, his voice quivering.

I reached out and pulled him into my arms, holding him close to my chest. "You're going to see him one last time," I said softly, trying to offer some comfort, "but he won't be able to talk to you."

Noah, who had been silently absorbing the news, dropped his drawing book and came into my embrace as well. I could feel their grief, and I let them cry against my chest, hoping my presence would offer them some comfort.

Meanwhile, Liam had retreated to the window seat, his eyes fixed on the view outside. He plugged in his headset and covered his ears with music, perhaps trying to block out his emotions.

of Ryan. Sometimes I think I should have named him after Ryan; it seems fitting given how much he

************

Sarah was home, but Ryan had left to take care of some affairs

us warmly, her face lighting up with joy at the sight of the boys. Without delay, she whisked them away to her room, probably wanting to find comfort in

medication, but I'm not particularly hungry right now. What

**************

was a small gap through which I could see that the world outside had turned pitch black. I fumbled around on the mattress, reaching out in the darkness for my phone,

holding my phone in his hand. I shifted my gaze from him to the phone,m. "What are you doing with my

apology in his eyes. "Your phone kept ringing incessantly,"

calling?" I asked as I rubbed my temples in an effort to ease the pounding pain. "Dr. Amell," Ryan responded as he walked over to the bed. "Why did I have to hear from him

you had bothered to answer my

deeply, clearly feeling guilty. "I sincerely apologize for not reaching out," he said earnestly. He lifted my hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. "Things have been

eyes, but it didn't entirely soothe my irritation.

"I understand, that things are hectic," I said softly. "All Lasked was that you at least call me back or

sent a text," he admitted, his shoulders slumping with defeat. "Whenever finished work, it was always really late. The few times I tried calling at that

the past. "It's fine," I said gently. Leaning in, I pressed a kiss to his lips. "How are

of my neck. "It feels so surreal to know he won't be

down his back, wishing I could somehow alleviate his

presence is more than enough," he said, pressing a tender kiss to my neck pulse before pulling back slightly. "I'm

brows. "Noah mentioned him on our way here, so I told the boys that he's no longer with

"Thank

my phone chimed, drawing our attention. The text was from Dr. Amell, and Ryan's expression darkened

heard, you weren't on good terms with Dr. Amell," he