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.

than not, Liam reminds me of the adult version of Ryan. Sometimes I think I should have named

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

but Ryan had left to take care of some affairs related to

the boys. Without delay, she whisked them away to her room, probably wanting to find comfort in their company while she dealt with her own grief. I decided to let them be; it seemed like a good way for Sarah to

and I still feel exhausted and restless. I know I should eat something to take with my medication, but I'm not particularly hungry

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

drawn tight, and while the curtains blocked most of the view, there 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, which

Ryan stepped into the room, holding my phone in his hand. I shifted my gaze from him to the phone,m. "What are

hint of concern and a touch of apology in his eyes. "Your phone kept ringing incessantly," he said, his tone

would be alleviated by the rest, was still very much present. "Who kept calling?" I asked as I rubbed my temples in an effort to ease the pounding pain.

shot him a glare. "Maybe if you had bothered to answer my calls or return them,

my hand. He sighed 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 really chaotic over here. I've been trying to familiarize myself with all of Dad's investments and accounts, and it's been a

in his eyes, but it didn't entirely soothe my

said softly. "All Lasked was that you at least call me back or drop a text. It

finished work, it was always really late. The few times I tried calling at that hour, you didn't answer, so I figured it was too late to

Leaning in, I pressed a

of my neck. "It feels so

wishing I could somehow alleviate his pain. "I wish there was something more

he spoke. "Your presence is more than enough," he said, pressing a tender kiss to my neck pulse before pulling back slightly. "I'm just not sure how to break the news to the

said, gently rubbing my finger across his brows. "Noah mentioned

sadly. "Thank you," he

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

on good terms with Dr. Amell," he grumbled. "Why is he suddenly being