Disclaimer: Ninja Turtles are not mine but Chloe and her grandparents are. Please do not sue and no flames.
Memorial Shrine
After getting out of the shower, I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. When I got there, eleven year old Chloe Calls was cleaning off the stove and counter.
"What would you like us to make for breakfast?" Chloe asked.
"I'm thinking French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage with hot chocolate," I replied with a grin.
"Sounds good to me."
"Any chance we could have a grief session after training and include your grandparents?"
"It's fine with me but I'll have to ask my grandparents."
"No problem."
Chloe put on a kettle of water to boil and sprayed a frying pan. I started mixing some eggs and milk to dip into the bread that was being used to make the French toast. We put the bacon in the microwave and let that cook first. After the bacon was cooked in the microwave, the sausage went in next.
Chloe and I chatted while making the French toast. Then we used the rest of the mixture that was used to make French toast to make scrambled eggs.
Later, after practice, I headed over to the cat area and sat down on the sofa. A few moments later, Chloe and her grandparents entered the room.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Chloe asked me.
"I wanted to know if the room at the end of the hall is being used for anything," I replied.
"Not currently," Grandma Calls said.
"I wanted to see if I could set up a shrine in memory of Master Splinter," I admitted. Even though Splinter passed away eight months ago, I still missed him greatly.
"That's fine with me," Grandpa Calls said. Chloe and Grandma Calls nodded in agreement.
"I also want this to be a surprise for my brothers," I said.
"I won't say anything to them," Chloe promised and her grandparents nodded in agreement.
"I'll go get started," I declared and then raced out of the cat area.
I started bringing some items into the shrine room. Leo and Raph were practicing in the dojo. Chloe and Donny were working in the lab. Chloe's grandparents had just left to go play bingo.
I looked around the room trying the best way to set it up. A few moments later, I went through each of the items I brought into the room and got to work.
Several minutes later, I finished setting up the room. Once I looked it over and made a few adjustments, I headed downstairs to make dinner.
During dinner, we were eating spaghetti with salad and breadsticks using chopsticks. There was a fudge chocolate cake currently baking in the oven.
"Mikey, this dinner is really good," Leo told me.
"Glad you like it," I said with a grin.
"Smells like you're cooking something for dessert," Donny said.
"That's right and there'll be another surprise after that," I said.
"Can't wait," Raph said and then took a bite of salad.
We chatted while we ate the rest of our dinner. Eventually, I got the cake and put it on the table.
"Help yourselves," I said after I sliced the cake. Each of us selected a slice of cake and continued to chat while we ate it.
Later, my brothers, Chloe, and her grandparents followed me upstairs. We stopped once we reached the room and the end of the hall where my surprise was behind the door.
"What's going on?" Donny inquired.
"Behind this door is a surprise for all of us," I declared, opened the door and all of went inside. I closed the door after all of us were inside the room.
I put photos of all of us with Splinter all around the room. I also set meditations candles and incense on the floor which were currently unlit. I also put Splinter's old meditation pillow on the other side of the room. To the left of the pillow was a picture of Splinter and to the right was the plaque containing the message that we got on our 16th birthday.
For My Sons
Throughout the years, I have watched you grow.
Each of you developing your own interests yet staying as one.
You have made me a proud father.
I love all of you.
"When did you do this, Mikey?" Raph asked me.
"I've been working on it all afternoon," I replied.
"How were you able to do it?" Leo asked.
"I got permission from Chloe and her grandparents to set up this room and then I went through some items that I thought would be perfect for the Splinter shrine," I replied.
"How long did it take you to do this?" Donny asked me.
"Some of the morning and most of the afternoon," I replied and then I noticed my brothers giving me an odd look and asked, "Everything all right?"
Suddenly, my brothers threw their arms around me. I returned the gesture and all of us broke down completely.
Several minutes later, I pulled away when I heard sniffling. I looked and saw Chloe's grandparents looking at her with concern and walked over.
"We don't know what to do," Grandma Calls said helplessly.
"We've never seen her like this," Grandpa Calls said. "Not even as a baby."
"I'll handle it," I offered and then walked Chloe to the nearest corner and asked with concern, "You all right?"
"Seeing this made me realize that I never thought of doing anything in memory of parents," Chloe said, her voice breaking.
"It's not too late if you want to do something," I said, wrapping their arms around Chloe who returned the gesture. "Also, you still have that photo album that we gave you on your 9th birthday."
"I know but it's not the same," Chloe said and I felt my shoulder getting wet. "I really miss my parents even though I enjoy living with my grandparents."
"You've been doing a great job helping us deal with our loss of Splinter," Donny said gratefully wrapping his arms around Chloe who returned the gesture and then broke down completely.
I pulled away and walked over to Leo and Raph. The three of us wrapped our arms around each other and squeezed tightly.
"This is one of the best things you've ever done, Mikey," Leo told me.
"I wanted to do something in memory of Splinter and I thought this was something I could do," I admitted.
"You did a good job," Raph said and then the three of us released each other.
Just then, Chloe released Donny and walked over to me. The two of us wrapped our arms around each other.
"Sorry if I upset you," I apologized.
"Don't worry about it," Chloe said.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later."
Chloe and I squeezed each other tightly. Then we released each other.
After Chloe's grandparents and my brothers went to bed, Chloe and I were in the cat area. We were talking about our losses.
"Your parents sounded like wonderful people," I said.
"They were and they were so much in love with each other," Chloe agreed.
"I thought I'd be over Sensei's death by now."
"My parents have been dead for a few years now and I still miss them."
"Are you ok with talking about your parents?"
"Right now I am."
Chloe and I spent the next several minutes talking about her parents and Splinter. Several minutes later, we realized it was getting late.
"I'd better get to bed so I'm not tired for training tomorrow," I said.
"Which Leo wouldn't be too happy about," Chloe reminded me.
"True but he's been a great Sensei in the dojo."
"Glad to hear that."
Chloe and I wrapped our arms around each other and squeezed tightly. Then we released each other, left the cat area, and headed for our rooms.
The End