Part Seven: Ten Years After the Accident
Miranda sleepily slipped her arms around her father's neck as he carried her to bed.
"Goodnight Sweet pea," He murmured, as he put her in her bed. Margaret came to the door.
"She's always loved you doing that Ben, sometimes I think we spoil them." Ben shook his head,
"Can you spoil a child by loving him or her?" He asked, and Margaret gave a resigning sigh.
"I suppose not, but if you could our four would be the most spoiled babies on earth!" Ben laughed along with his wife.
Miranda Rose was nine and 364 days, and her little sister Molly Miranda was seven. After that two more babies had been born. Libby-Jane, short for Elizabeth Janine, who was six and Ben Junior who was four. He was called BJ, and as his father often stated with teasing pride, "At least his B and J stand for something!" Those four children were all very much loved and wanted.
"Now we'd better get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow, Miss Miranda's turning 10."
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"Molly, Angel, please put your coat on. Libby-Jane where are you, Shortcake! Come out from there, and bring BJ with you. Miranda Sweet pea, be a love and hold these flowers for me. Ben! Come on! Angel, don't do that, see Molly, here let me kiss it better. Shortcake put on your coat, you're a big girl of six, and you can look after yourself. BJ my little Scamp, come here." Margaret issued instructions and got her children ready. They were starting of Miranda's birthday in way they always had, ever since the first year after the crash, a visit to Rosemary and her baby's grave.
Ben ran downstairs and scooped BJ into his arms. Putting his son on his shoulders he opened the door.
"Alright, I want you all to be on your best behaviour okay?" Ben said seriously, four little voices saying, "Yes daddy!" made him smile.
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Ben bent alone over Rosemary's grave.
"Take care wherever you are my Rosemary." He whispered, putting a spray of pink rosemary on the grave. Ten years and he had never once forgotten to do that, a tear crept to his eye, and he brushed it away.
He joined his family visiting Daniel's new grave, dug only that summer. After a few minutes' thought and reflection, the group gathered up their belongings and went home to enjoy Miranda's birthday in a way that was fitting for such a beautiful girl.
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"Margaret, here's to us, to all the times we've shared together. To our love and our happiness, and our children. Ten years ago I never would have seen myself here. I would have imagined Rosemary and our daughter Molly, but now I wouldn't trade for the world. Accidents happen, and for all that accident took away my wife and baby, it brought a new one into my life." Ben raised his glass and kissed his wife.
"To us, to all the years we've had and all the years to come. I too would have seen a future with Rob and our two perfectly planned children and not even thought of you. But that night changed everything. It changed for the worse, you lost your wife and baby, I lost my husband. It also changed us for the better, we found each other, and I was saved the heartbreak of a divorce with Rob." They clinked their glasses and took a sip.
Gazing into each other's eyes they kissed once, twice, thrice, and continued, one for every year.
Ten years had come and gone since that horrible night, but with each other, they found the warmth and love to recover and then the strength to continue, for whatever the years ahead may hold.
Miranda sleepily slipped her arms around her father's neck as he carried her to bed.
"Goodnight Sweet pea," He murmured, as he put her in her bed. Margaret came to the door.
"She's always loved you doing that Ben, sometimes I think we spoil them." Ben shook his head,
"Can you spoil a child by loving him or her?" He asked, and Margaret gave a resigning sigh.
"I suppose not, but if you could our four would be the most spoiled babies on earth!" Ben laughed along with his wife.
Miranda Rose was nine and 364 days, and her little sister Molly Miranda was seven. After that two more babies had been born. Libby-Jane, short for Elizabeth Janine, who was six and Ben Junior who was four. He was called BJ, and as his father often stated with teasing pride, "At least his B and J stand for something!" Those four children were all very much loved and wanted.
"Now we'd better get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow, Miss Miranda's turning 10."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Molly, Angel, please put your coat on. Libby-Jane where are you, Shortcake! Come out from there, and bring BJ with you. Miranda Sweet pea, be a love and hold these flowers for me. Ben! Come on! Angel, don't do that, see Molly, here let me kiss it better. Shortcake put on your coat, you're a big girl of six, and you can look after yourself. BJ my little Scamp, come here." Margaret issued instructions and got her children ready. They were starting of Miranda's birthday in way they always had, ever since the first year after the crash, a visit to Rosemary and her baby's grave.
Ben ran downstairs and scooped BJ into his arms. Putting his son on his shoulders he opened the door.
"Alright, I want you all to be on your best behaviour okay?" Ben said seriously, four little voices saying, "Yes daddy!" made him smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben bent alone over Rosemary's grave.
"Take care wherever you are my Rosemary." He whispered, putting a spray of pink rosemary on the grave. Ten years and he had never once forgotten to do that, a tear crept to his eye, and he brushed it away.
He joined his family visiting Daniel's new grave, dug only that summer. After a few minutes' thought and reflection, the group gathered up their belongings and went home to enjoy Miranda's birthday in a way that was fitting for such a beautiful girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Margaret, here's to us, to all the times we've shared together. To our love and our happiness, and our children. Ten years ago I never would have seen myself here. I would have imagined Rosemary and our daughter Molly, but now I wouldn't trade for the world. Accidents happen, and for all that accident took away my wife and baby, it brought a new one into my life." Ben raised his glass and kissed his wife.
"To us, to all the years we've had and all the years to come. I too would have seen a future with Rob and our two perfectly planned children and not even thought of you. But that night changed everything. It changed for the worse, you lost your wife and baby, I lost my husband. It also changed us for the better, we found each other, and I was saved the heartbreak of a divorce with Rob." They clinked their glasses and took a sip.
Gazing into each other's eyes they kissed once, twice, thrice, and continued, one for every year.
Ten years had come and gone since that horrible night, but with each other, they found the warmth and love to recover and then the strength to continue, for whatever the years ahead may hold.