A Mother's Love
Darrel Curtis Senior stopped and turned off the car engine as he did so. His wife- Mariah Curtis- gave a small smile as she gazed out the window at their current surroundings. Her light hair seemed to glow in the sunlight that penetrated the inside of the car, and he felt himself begin to smile. Their smiles both remained as they both turned around to look at the three anxious and excited young boys that sat in the backseat of their car.
"You boys ready?" Mariah asked her three sons happily and enthusiastically. When all three confirmed her question, she and Darrel both got out from the car then moved to the back seat and let the three out of the car and out onto the grassy field. She let out a chuckle as she watched her boys run and jump around in the nearby area of the open and empty field.
Darrel and Mariah had three sons together during their marriage. Their oldest was Darrel Junior, who everyone called Darry, born in the year 1945 and currently eleven years old; he looked like his father more than his mother. Their second boy was Sodapop, who sometimes would go by the nickname "Soda" or "Pepsi-Cola", born in 1948 and currently eight years old; he looked more like his mother rather than his father. Their third and youngest boy was Ponyboy, who sometimes was called "Pony" for short, born in the year 1951 and currently five years old; he didn't particularly look more like one parent than the other, but he was more of a mix and resembled both parents. The two young parents prided themselves in their boys, and they were proud of how their boys were turning out to be as they grew up.
"Boys," Mariah called, "Come help your father unload the car."
All three boys went running to the car in obedience with their mother's request. Darrel took the actual picnic basket, Darry took the smaller bag that was filled with outdoor activities, Sodapop took the checkered blanket they'd all be sitting on, and Ponyboy held the small weights that would keep down the edges of the blanket to prevent it from blowing away; Mariah helped her youngest boy along, knowing the weights might have been a bit too heavy for a small boy.
"Are we gonna play football today, Dad?" Sodapop asked eagerly and enthusiastically.
Darrel chuckled at his son's excitement as they walked. "Yes we are," he answered with a smile, "You, me, and Darry are gonna play a little after we finish eating later on."
"What about me?" Ponyboy asked eagerly, "Can I play too?"
The other three Curtis men laughed. "Sure, Pony," Darry answered his youngest brother, "You can play too. We'll teach ya how."
Sodapop looked at their mother. "What about you, Mom? Can you play football with us too?"
Mariah and her husband shared a look before a skeptic look found its way to her face. "I don't think so, sweetheart," she answered honestly, "I'm not very good at football. Besides, if I play, who's gonna be the referee?"
Sodapop thought for a moment. "I guess that's true."
The five continued to walk through the field until they reached an area of the field with a few scattered trees. They set the blanket out on the grass, then set down the edges with the weights. They then set the picnic basket down along with the small bag, also being used as weights. As soon as the blanket was set, the five family members all sat down and the two parents began to unpack the picnic basket. As they did so, the two parents had to practically hold down the three boys as they unpacked the basket to prevent them from unloading the contents themselves, the whole time, laughing their heads off as they did so.
The five all finished their lunches within an hour. Darrel and Mariah were thankful that they'd made and brought an extra sandwich for each when the two older boys asked if there were any more, along with the youngest boy who'd asked for at least half of one, that ended up being shared with his father.
Not long after they all finished eating, the four boys in the family all got up. Darrel went into the bag they'd brought and took out the football they'd brought and divided themselves into two teams: himself and Sodapop, and Darry and Ponyboy. Mariah sat in the grass underneath the tree they'd set up underneath, hiding her little camera so the boys wouldn't see it quite yet- she'd take it out as soon as they were playing and distracted so they couldn't tell her to put the camera away.
As the four men of the Curtis family ran around the area of the field, throwing the football back and forth to each other, the woman of the household smiled brightly as she watched. Mariah loved her husband and their three boys with all her heart, and she couldn't imagine life without those four men and boys around her. She had never physically felt the love she felt for her men ever before in her life before the four ever came into her life. She had never understood the love a wife or mother could feel until they were in her life that other women had always talked about while she was growing up.
And she wouldn't trade that feeling of love for anything in the entire world.
As the sun began to set, the members of the Curtis family began to pack everything they'd brought with them to go home. The whole time, Mariah continued to get distracted by the sunset. Eventually, she stopped what she was doing completely and called her three sons to her. As she did this and as they ran to her, Darrel watched on curiously as to what she was going to say to their three boys.
"Look at the sunset, boys," Mariah began, "Isn't it pretty?" When the three boys agreed, she continued: "I want you boys to always look at the sunset every day, ok? Every day for the rest of your life. And when you do, I want you to think about how far the sunlight shines as the sun sets. It spreads all across the world, covering everything and everyone in the world with that light. When you think about that, think about how much me and your dad love the three of you, ok? Never forget that. And as you grow up, I want you boys to think about how a sunset also makes you feel warm and protected, just like me and your dad should. That way, even when me and your dad are gone, you guys can all look at a sunset, and you'll always remember how much we love you boys. No matter what, you boys have to promise me you'll do that, ok?"
The three boys nodded and all said in unison, "We promise."
Mariah smiled before pulling her boys in a hug, then kissing them each on the forehead. She then pulled out her camera and took a picture of her boys with the sunset behind them; then a time that would automatically take a picture of all five of them as they posed for the camera with the sunset behind them.
"These pictures," Mariah began, "Are going to be reminders for you three about how much me and Daddy love you, and to always look at the sunset, and remember how much we love you."