Searching for A New Beginning Part 8
"What do you mean it's your fault?" Daisy's heart nearly stops. She really hopes her sweet, innocent Ezra hasn't killed his wife!
His tears return, Ezra starts to sob, and practically his whole body shakes. Daisy doesn't know if whether to comfort him or to back away from him.
"How did she die?" Daisy asks when Ezra still doesn't say anything.
He tries to calm down, but it's difficult after crying so hard. He sniffles a few times and takes a deep breath.
"She was driving late at night. It was foggy and hard to see." His lips start to quiver again, but he stops himself. "There was another car and he was drunk and they crashed and she rolled over and she was gone," he explains so softly that Daisy can hardly hear him.
Now Daisy moves over to comfort him. She wraps her arms around him and he leans his head on her shoulder. "Ezra, how is that your fault? You weren't driving the other car, were you?"
"No," he sniffles. "But it was my fault. It will always be my fault."
"Ezra you didn't do anything."
"We ran out of milk."
"You ran out of milk?" Daisy doesn't think this is a very good time to worry about milk. Here he is, pouring his whole heart and soul out to her, and then he worries about milk.
"We didn't have any left and Samantha wanted milk. I was going to go get some, but Kaylee told me I had a hard day at work and she'd go get some. Of course Samantha never got her milk and it's all my fault!"
Daisy brushes the hair out of Ezra's eyes and lightly shakes the side of his face in an effort to calm him down. "It's not you're fault," she assures him.
Suddenly, anger takes over Ezra's sadness and he pulls away from Daisy. He stands up in a rage. "It is too my fault! It's my fault I didn't insist that I go! It's my fault Samantha doesn't have the mother she so desperately wants! It's my fault I'm not dead instead of her!"
"Don't ever say that!" Daisy yells back also getting up to look him in the eyes. "Maybe you don't know why now, but I'm sure God had a reason for taking Kaylee instead of you. What would Samantha do without her father? You're everything to her. What would I do without you?" A single tear slowly slips down her face leaving a wet trail behind.
Ezra moves forward and wipes away the tear with his thumb.
"Ezra, you can't change the past," she says softly. "All you can do is make the best of the present."
"Maybe you're right," he finally sighs. "If Kaylee had never...... Well, you and me would never happen."
"No, we wouldn't"
He gives a weak smile and takes her hand in his. "I love you, you know."
"And I love you back."
And together they walk down the beach towards Sarah's house hand in hand.
*****
"Whose that with your daddy and your grandma?" a little girl with blonde pigtails asks Samantha.
It's graduation day for Samantha and all the little kindergarteners are lined up in the back of the auditorium waiting to walk up. Samantha is standing behind Lea, her best friend. Daisy is sitting between Ezra and Sarah in the audience.
"That's Daisy. She's my Daddy's girlfriend."
"Oh," Lea giggles. "That's gross."
Samantha disagrees. "No, it's not. My Daddy loves Daisy. I heard him tell her yesterday. He didn't know I was there," she whispers secretively.
"Are they gonna get married? Then she'd be your new mommy?"
"Maybe," Samantha answers although she doesn't really know.
The teacher quiets all the children down and the graduation march starts. All the little five and six year olds walk down the aisle wearing small versions of a cap and gown. Ezra and Sarah start taking zillions of pictures.
They walk up onto the stage and the ceremony begins. Everyone receives their diplomas and they sing a few songs they had learned in class.
After the ceremony, all the new graduates meet their parents in the cafeteria for some refreshments.
"Hi, Daddy!" Samantha beams when she finds him. She proudly shows him her new diploma.
"I am so proud of you!" Ezra scoops her up in a big hug. Sarah gives Samantha a big kiss.
"Congratulations!" Daisy says to her.
They all walk over to the cookie and punch table where Samantha's teacher, Miss Springfield, happens to be standing.
"What a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Friedken!" Miss Springfield says with a bright smile. "And is this your lovely wife?" she asks towards Daisy.
"Oh, no!" Daisy answers while turning a little red. She hadn't expected anyone to think that her and Ezra are married. "I'm just a friend of the family."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you just the same. Samantha here is very bright girl. I'm sure she'll just do wonderfully in first grade," Miss Springfield gushes.
"She really likes school," Ezra points out.
"Yes, I can tell. Oh, hello there, Mrs. Smith!" Her attention is diverted to another one of the parents.
Samantha grabs a cookie and runs off to play with all of her friends before they all leave for summer vacation. Sarah goes off to chat with all the other grandmothers.
Daisy takes a bite of her chocolate chip cookie and raises her eyebrow at Ezra. "Didn't know we looked married," she jokes.
"Me neither," he slips his hand into hers. "But maybe we ought to be."
"What do you mean it's your fault?" Daisy's heart nearly stops. She really hopes her sweet, innocent Ezra hasn't killed his wife!
His tears return, Ezra starts to sob, and practically his whole body shakes. Daisy doesn't know if whether to comfort him or to back away from him.
"How did she die?" Daisy asks when Ezra still doesn't say anything.
He tries to calm down, but it's difficult after crying so hard. He sniffles a few times and takes a deep breath.
"She was driving late at night. It was foggy and hard to see." His lips start to quiver again, but he stops himself. "There was another car and he was drunk and they crashed and she rolled over and she was gone," he explains so softly that Daisy can hardly hear him.
Now Daisy moves over to comfort him. She wraps her arms around him and he leans his head on her shoulder. "Ezra, how is that your fault? You weren't driving the other car, were you?"
"No," he sniffles. "But it was my fault. It will always be my fault."
"Ezra you didn't do anything."
"We ran out of milk."
"You ran out of milk?" Daisy doesn't think this is a very good time to worry about milk. Here he is, pouring his whole heart and soul out to her, and then he worries about milk.
"We didn't have any left and Samantha wanted milk. I was going to go get some, but Kaylee told me I had a hard day at work and she'd go get some. Of course Samantha never got her milk and it's all my fault!"
Daisy brushes the hair out of Ezra's eyes and lightly shakes the side of his face in an effort to calm him down. "It's not you're fault," she assures him.
Suddenly, anger takes over Ezra's sadness and he pulls away from Daisy. He stands up in a rage. "It is too my fault! It's my fault I didn't insist that I go! It's my fault Samantha doesn't have the mother she so desperately wants! It's my fault I'm not dead instead of her!"
"Don't ever say that!" Daisy yells back also getting up to look him in the eyes. "Maybe you don't know why now, but I'm sure God had a reason for taking Kaylee instead of you. What would Samantha do without her father? You're everything to her. What would I do without you?" A single tear slowly slips down her face leaving a wet trail behind.
Ezra moves forward and wipes away the tear with his thumb.
"Ezra, you can't change the past," she says softly. "All you can do is make the best of the present."
"Maybe you're right," he finally sighs. "If Kaylee had never...... Well, you and me would never happen."
"No, we wouldn't"
He gives a weak smile and takes her hand in his. "I love you, you know."
"And I love you back."
And together they walk down the beach towards Sarah's house hand in hand.
*****
"Whose that with your daddy and your grandma?" a little girl with blonde pigtails asks Samantha.
It's graduation day for Samantha and all the little kindergarteners are lined up in the back of the auditorium waiting to walk up. Samantha is standing behind Lea, her best friend. Daisy is sitting between Ezra and Sarah in the audience.
"That's Daisy. She's my Daddy's girlfriend."
"Oh," Lea giggles. "That's gross."
Samantha disagrees. "No, it's not. My Daddy loves Daisy. I heard him tell her yesterday. He didn't know I was there," she whispers secretively.
"Are they gonna get married? Then she'd be your new mommy?"
"Maybe," Samantha answers although she doesn't really know.
The teacher quiets all the children down and the graduation march starts. All the little five and six year olds walk down the aisle wearing small versions of a cap and gown. Ezra and Sarah start taking zillions of pictures.
They walk up onto the stage and the ceremony begins. Everyone receives their diplomas and they sing a few songs they had learned in class.
After the ceremony, all the new graduates meet their parents in the cafeteria for some refreshments.
"Hi, Daddy!" Samantha beams when she finds him. She proudly shows him her new diploma.
"I am so proud of you!" Ezra scoops her up in a big hug. Sarah gives Samantha a big kiss.
"Congratulations!" Daisy says to her.
They all walk over to the cookie and punch table where Samantha's teacher, Miss Springfield, happens to be standing.
"What a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Friedken!" Miss Springfield says with a bright smile. "And is this your lovely wife?" she asks towards Daisy.
"Oh, no!" Daisy answers while turning a little red. She hadn't expected anyone to think that her and Ezra are married. "I'm just a friend of the family."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you just the same. Samantha here is very bright girl. I'm sure she'll just do wonderfully in first grade," Miss Springfield gushes.
"She really likes school," Ezra points out.
"Yes, I can tell. Oh, hello there, Mrs. Smith!" Her attention is diverted to another one of the parents.
Samantha grabs a cookie and runs off to play with all of her friends before they all leave for summer vacation. Sarah goes off to chat with all the other grandmothers.
Daisy takes a bite of her chocolate chip cookie and raises her eyebrow at Ezra. "Didn't know we looked married," she jokes.
"Me neither," he slips his hand into hers. "But maybe we ought to be."