Chapter 5
Child Consolation
Theresa covered her face. The tears that spilled from her eyes cascaded down her cheeks onto her letter to Fox. Theresa knew the letter would remain unsent, but it helped her deal with her sorrow. As she folded the letter she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. They were small, deliberate steps.
"Mommy?" Theresa lifted her head and gasped. She closed her eyes and felt as though a part of her had revived.
Theresa spun around to find her son standing behind her clutching his teddy bear. "Mommy?" He repeated concerned. "Why are you crying?"
Theresa rushed over to her little boy and wrapped her arms around him. "My little boy," She cried as she kissed him on the forehead. "I've missed you!" Having Ethan Martin in her arms helped eradicate the sorrow that plagued her soul.
Ethan Martin hugged his mother tightly. "I missed you too." He said tearfully. Theresa opened her eyes to find Ethan standing in the doorway. He gave her a slight nod before he left the pair alone.
"Are you okay?" Ethan Martin asked with concern etched on his young face. Theresa smiled despite her tears. "I'm feeling much better with you here with me."
"Mommy, where's Fox?" Ethan Martin asked.
Theresa froze. Hearing his name from his son's lips almost threw her back into the realm of despair she had been trying to fight. Theresa took deep breaths to control the sobs that were threatening to escape. "Keep it together. Stay calm. Not in front of your son." Theresa thought to herself repeatedly. "I can't break down. Not in front of Ethan Martin."
Ethan Martin had not been present at the funeral. No one told him that Fox had died. Instead, Ethan Martin was told that Fox was going away for a long time. The young boy had a hard time accepting Fox's disappearance. At first he became angry that Fox hadn't bothered to tell him goodbye, but Ethan Martin knew there was more to the story. He knew something was wrong. In Ethan Martin's young perspective, Fox was his buddy. Buddies simply did not leave without saying goodbye.
"Where did Fox go?" Ethan Martin asked holding his mother's hands in his own. Theresa held on to his small grip to fuel her battle against her emotions.
Ethan Martin watched Theresa carefully. "Fox didn't tell me bye either." He said quietly. His small head bent down as he tried to hide his tear-filled eyes.
"Come here." Theresa said as she pulled her son into a loving embrace.
"I thought he liked us." Ethan Martin said- his voice slightly muffled.
Theresa pulled away. "He did, honey." She said smoothing her son's hair out of his eyes.
"Then why didn't he say bye? He was my buddy."
"I know." Theresa said feeling fresh tears pool in her eyes. "But it's not Fox's fault that he left."
"Where did he go?" Ethan Martin asked. "Is he coming back?"
Ethan Martin knew the answer the minute he saw his mother fight back her tears. He watched her struggle to control her voice. "N-N" Theresa abandoned the attempt to speak and shook her head instead. She couldn't bring herself to say 'no' aloud. It was just another dart thrown at her already damaged heart.
Ethan Martin wrapped his small arms around his mother's neck. "Please don't cry Mommy." He whispered. "I don't like it when you're sad. Please smile. Please be happy. Fox would want you to be happy."
Theresa clutched her son tightly to her chest. Her son's words echoed in her mind.
"You really liked him huh?" Ethan Martin asked when Theresa loosened her hold.
Theresa smiled. "I did."
"He liked you too." Ethan Martin said playing with his mother's hair. "He told me so."
"Really?" Theresa asked wiping her eyes.
"Uh-huh. He said you were very pretty." Ethan Martin confided seriously.
Theresa could not help but laugh at her son's seriousness.
"You laughed!" Ethan Martin said, his little face brightening up at the sight of his mother's smile.
"You made me laugh." Theresa said as she grabbed little Ethan and began tickling him relentlessly.
"Mommy!" Ethan Martin squealed as his laughter filled the room. The dark gloom that had been prevalent in the room suddenly seemed to disappear.
Exhausted from laughter, Theresa and Ethan Martin laid on the floor. "Mommy?" Ethan Martin said.
"Hm?" Theresa asked.
"I won't ever go anywhere without telling you bye first." He said.
Theresa sat up and looked over at her son curiously. "You won't?"
Ethan Martin nodded. "You're my mommy. I have to tell you bye 'cuz I love you."
Her son's love coated the broken pieces of Theresa's heart. If only there was someone to put her heart back together. If only.
Theresa covered her face. The tears that spilled from her eyes cascaded down her cheeks onto her letter to Fox. Theresa knew the letter would remain unsent, but it helped her deal with her sorrow. As she folded the letter she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. They were small, deliberate steps.
"Mommy?" Theresa lifted her head and gasped. She closed her eyes and felt as though a part of her had revived.
Theresa spun around to find her son standing behind her clutching his teddy bear. "Mommy?" He repeated concerned. "Why are you crying?"
Theresa rushed over to her little boy and wrapped her arms around him. "My little boy," She cried as she kissed him on the forehead. "I've missed you!" Having Ethan Martin in her arms helped eradicate the sorrow that plagued her soul.
Ethan Martin hugged his mother tightly. "I missed you too." He said tearfully. Theresa opened her eyes to find Ethan standing in the doorway. He gave her a slight nod before he left the pair alone.
"Are you okay?" Ethan Martin asked with concern etched on his young face. Theresa smiled despite her tears. "I'm feeling much better with you here with me."
"Mommy, where's Fox?" Ethan Martin asked.
Theresa froze. Hearing his name from his son's lips almost threw her back into the realm of despair she had been trying to fight. Theresa took deep breaths to control the sobs that were threatening to escape. "Keep it together. Stay calm. Not in front of your son." Theresa thought to herself repeatedly. "I can't break down. Not in front of Ethan Martin."
Ethan Martin had not been present at the funeral. No one told him that Fox had died. Instead, Ethan Martin was told that Fox was going away for a long time. The young boy had a hard time accepting Fox's disappearance. At first he became angry that Fox hadn't bothered to tell him goodbye, but Ethan Martin knew there was more to the story. He knew something was wrong. In Ethan Martin's young perspective, Fox was his buddy. Buddies simply did not leave without saying goodbye.
"Where did Fox go?" Ethan Martin asked holding his mother's hands in his own. Theresa held on to his small grip to fuel her battle against her emotions.
Ethan Martin watched Theresa carefully. "Fox didn't tell me bye either." He said quietly. His small head bent down as he tried to hide his tear-filled eyes.
"Come here." Theresa said as she pulled her son into a loving embrace.
"I thought he liked us." Ethan Martin said- his voice slightly muffled.
Theresa pulled away. "He did, honey." She said smoothing her son's hair out of his eyes.
"Then why didn't he say bye? He was my buddy."
"I know." Theresa said feeling fresh tears pool in her eyes. "But it's not Fox's fault that he left."
"Where did he go?" Ethan Martin asked. "Is he coming back?"
Ethan Martin knew the answer the minute he saw his mother fight back her tears. He watched her struggle to control her voice. "N-N" Theresa abandoned the attempt to speak and shook her head instead. She couldn't bring herself to say 'no' aloud. It was just another dart thrown at her already damaged heart.
Ethan Martin wrapped his small arms around his mother's neck. "Please don't cry Mommy." He whispered. "I don't like it when you're sad. Please smile. Please be happy. Fox would want you to be happy."
Theresa clutched her son tightly to her chest. Her son's words echoed in her mind.
"You really liked him huh?" Ethan Martin asked when Theresa loosened her hold.
Theresa smiled. "I did."
"He liked you too." Ethan Martin said playing with his mother's hair. "He told me so."
"Really?" Theresa asked wiping her eyes.
"Uh-huh. He said you were very pretty." Ethan Martin confided seriously.
Theresa could not help but laugh at her son's seriousness.
"You laughed!" Ethan Martin said, his little face brightening up at the sight of his mother's smile.
"You made me laugh." Theresa said as she grabbed little Ethan and began tickling him relentlessly.
"Mommy!" Ethan Martin squealed as his laughter filled the room. The dark gloom that had been prevalent in the room suddenly seemed to disappear.
Exhausted from laughter, Theresa and Ethan Martin laid on the floor. "Mommy?" Ethan Martin said.
"Hm?" Theresa asked.
"I won't ever go anywhere without telling you bye first." He said.
Theresa sat up and looked over at her son curiously. "You won't?"
Ethan Martin nodded. "You're my mommy. I have to tell you bye 'cuz I love you."
Her son's love coated the broken pieces of Theresa's heart. If only there was someone to put her heart back together. If only.