Six months since last chapter.
"But I wanna stay here." Lily throws herself on the ground.
Roger tries to pick her up, but she is determined to stay on the ground.
"Lily-bug, we're just moving down stairs."
"I...Don't...Wanna."
Roger sighs showing early signs of getting tired of the dealing with her whining.
"Lily Marie Davis, you're coming downstairs!"
"No."
"Yes."
"No!."
The two of them stand there facing eachother in some sort of draw. Lily, to her credit, has been this equally determined about staying here since her parents told her.
Mimi and Roger wanted their own space, and with Collins getting fired and becoming weaker we figured he could move in here again.
The door opens and in comes 'The She-Herd', as Roger likes to refer to them when they all arrive together. Mimi, Mo, Joanne, and Alison stand there with mixed emotions of boredom and amusement.
"What's the matter?" Mimi asks, trying to stifle an 'I told you so' look.
"She won't go downstairs." Roger muttered in reply.
Maureen laughed from behind Mimi, "And whose the adult here?"
Roger tossed his back to stare at her, "Shut up, Mo."
"Yeah, shut up, Mo!" Came from the little girl.
Mimi's eyes widened, and Joannne ducks behind Alison to hide her laughter.
"Lily Marie Davis, say your sorry."
"No!"
"Yes."
Here we go again.
"Mommy? Uncle Collins is here." We can hear Thomas slowly coming up the stairs.
The little girl on the floor's head comes up swiftly and I turn my camera on her. Thomas comes in a spots Lily on the floor and smiles...one of Benny's smiles.
"Mommy, can I go see Lily's new room?"
Roger looks at the little boy, "Lily doesn't want..."
"Shhush! Daddy." Lily promptly gets off the floor, finger over her mouth then walks to Thomas, grabs his hand and leads him out.
The group of us stare in disbelief before we hear, "Daddy! We can't get in."
Roger still doesn't move.
"Daddy!"
And he's out the door, passing Collins who is pointing towards, "Lily and Thomas?"
"Uh-huh." I mutter
"Aren't they like four?"
"Uh-huh." Comes Mimi's reply.
"Well, every little kid has a best friend." Maureen sighs.
Well, at least they're only four.
Collins walks up to me and we embrace, "Hey, Mark."
"Hey, how you doing?"
"Fine. I'm getting my old room right?"
"Uh-huh."
Six months later.
Mimi and Alison are holding their respective child on their laps in the church. Roger sits next to Mimi, while looking at me fighting tears in his eyes.
"Too fast." He mouths.
I nod.
Thomas looks up to his mom, "Mommy?"
"Uh-huh, baby?"
"Why are you crying?"
"Becuase Mommy's sad."
"Why are you sad?"
Alison tries to smile patiently at her son, "Because Uncle Collins is gone. Aren't you sad, honey?"
The little boy shakes his head.
"Why not?"
"Because now Daddy has more comp'ny in heaven."
He turns back around and rest his head against her chest.
It's heard knowing where we are at. Why. Somethimes I just wish it would all stop, just for Lily and Thomas' sakes. That's all. Just to stop for a moment.
Until next time, this is me...signing off.