AN: OK. I'm going to be honest. This year's Mother's Day chapter is kinda short. But finals are over and I have a lot of time off this week so hopefully I'll get more writing done.
"Mary! Mary! Get up!" Her brother bounced on her bed, "Let's go! We have to hurry!"
With the morning energy usually reserved for small children and weirdos, Mary sprang out of bed and chased Toby down the stairs. They stopped short in the kitchen doorway.
"Good morning, you two."
Their mother sat on the counter, hands folded in her lap.
"How did you get here before us!?" Mary gasped.
"Princess," Lenora slipped to the floor and booped her daughter on the nose, "I'm your mother. I know everything."
"Papa told you what we were planning today, didn't he?"
She looked over at her son, "Maybe."
The children laughed and dived under her arms and over to the counter. Mary pulled a pan out of the cupboard and Toby pulled the eggs, cheese, and butter out of the fridge. Lenora chuckled and retrieved the bread from the drawer and the peppers from the fridge.
"Alright," Mary pushed her sleeves up, "I'll cut the peppers and potatoes. TB, can you make the toast?"
"I have a better idea," Otto took the knife from his daughter, "I'll cut ze peppers und potatoes und you make ze coffee und eggs."
"Nein!" She took the knife back and shoved him away, "You don't get to help this year, traitor."
"Was!? You told zem?"
"No! They figured it out themselves! It's not my fault we raised them to be smart!"
Otto huffed and rolled his eyes before taking the knife from Mary once more, "I'm still doing the cutting. Ten year old mermaids don't get to use knives."
Mary pouted up at him before nodding and filling the coffee pot with water. Toby, Mary, and Otto made breakfast, pushing Lenora away any time she tried to help. It wasn't long at all before the 'betrayal' of their father was forgotten and they were all laughing once more.
After breakfast, they all got dressed and piled into the car. They could see Jim and Barbara making their way down the sidewalk, the boy waving his hands wildly as he soke.
"Mama? Papa? Would it be alright if Mary and I talked to our first parents alone for a moment?"
Their parents exchanged a look for a moment before Lenora looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Of course, Toby Bear."
"Thank you."
The brother and sister slipped out of the car and ambled slowly through the cemetery. Unbeknownst to them, Otto and Lenora followed just within earshot.
"Who should we ask first?" Mary asked, "Your's or mine?"
"Um...Yours. They're closer," Toby replied.
They wandered a little further and came to stop at the graves of Kano and Lydia Wang. Mary smiled and knelt down, bowing her head.
"Hello, Mommy. Hello, Daddy. Happy Mother's Day. Toby and I had something we wanted to ask you. You see one of our classmates, his mommy died this year. This is his first Mother's Day without her. So, if you could find a way to let him know that she's still with him and still loves him? Her name is Mrs. Johnson. Her grave is...um…"
Toby looked around, "Three rows over."
"Three rows over. Thank you. Love you. See you soon for Father's Day. Maybe sooner!"
With that, she stood, dusted off her legs, and took her brother's hand. Otto looked up at his wife from where they were hidden. She wiped her eyes and nodded. They had heard about the other woman's passing well before their children had. All they had known at the time was that Seamus was going to be missing school for a little while. Eventually, it had been Steve and Eli who were the first to know what had happened.
They continued deeper into the cemetery until they reached the graves of Ralph and Sherly Domzalski. Toby smiled and sat, cross legged in between the graves.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Mary and I wanted to ask you something. Oh! Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Anyway, our classmate, Seamus? His mom died this year. I don't know if you know her. Mrs. Johnson? She's...um…"
"Six rows up and two over."
"Yeah. What Mary said. Maybe if you could find her you could tell her that Seamus misses her. This is his first Mother's Day without her and that makes it her first without him. He's mean but that doesn't deserve to have his Mama taken away like that. So, if you can help her, maybe it'll be easier for us to help him. Love you. See you soon."
With that, Toby got back to his feet and took his sister's hand. Together, they made their way back to the car. Otto sat on the hood and Lenora was leaning back against his chest, the picture of innocence and slightly breathless from trying to beat their children back to the car.
"Were you two being smoochy?"
"What makes you ask that, Princess?"
Toby wrinkled his nose, "'Cuse your faces are all red like you were running. That usually only happens when you guys get all smoochy or are leaving the Hero's Forge."
LLB
Seamus ducked back behind the tombstone and hugged his knees.
"VVhat did you two talk to your parents about?" Herr Scaarbach asked his children.
"We just had some questions."
"And we wanted to ask them to do something for us. To help one of our classmates."
"That's very sweet of you."
"I just hope it helps. He hasn't been the same since she died."
Seamus sighed and tiptoed back over to his mother.
"Mom? I don't know if you can hear me or anything or if you could hear them but...They were right. I miss you. Dad's been different since you've been gone. And last night was really hard without you. Don't be mad but I've had to sneak out for the full moons...I-I hope Mary and Toby's first parents can find you. You should celebrate with them since we can't celebrate together anymore. I love you, Mom..."
He leaned back against the back of the tombstone and didn't even bother to wipe his tears. He was sore and there were scratches over his arms and legs from the night before. He was tired.