Chapter 4 - Growth
He often visited Jennifer's grave. This time, it was together with Miles. He was already four years old and Gregory thought it was the right time to take Miles to the graveyard where his mother was resting. Miles could now understand the situation, that was very important for him.
Gregory walked slowly towards her grave, feeling Miles' little hand in his. When they arrived at the right grave, he crouched down to Miles' height. He gave his son the flowers that his wife loved and let him put them at the stone on which Jennifer's name was written.
'Your lovely mother is resting here, Miles,' Gregory said and swallowed.
'Mother is here?' Miles asked him. He nodded.
'She is always watching you. From above.' Gregory pointed at the sky. Miles looked up.
'She loves you, just as I love you, Miles,' he said, pulled him close and hugged him.
'You miss mother?' He asked his father, as he spoke into his shoulder.
'Everyday, my son. But I have you, you always make me happy.' He kept Miles in his embrace and both looked at the stone.
'She gave me you when she left,' Gregory said.
'She is not coming back home,' Miles commented softly.
'No, but she will always be there in our hearts.' Miles nodded and pointed at his chest. His father smiled softly.
'Yes, my boy. There.' Gregory pushed Miles' little hand on his chest. It made his eyes a little damp and he rubbed the wetness out of them.
They stayed silent for a while and then Gregory stood up, taking his son's hand again in his.
'We will visit you again, very soon, sweetheart,' Gregory spoke out loud.
'Goodbye, mother. We will come back soon,' Miles said and looked at his father if he had done that well. His father could only smile at him and hold back his tears.
'Come, Miles, let's go home.' Both walked down the path and exited the graveyard hand-in-hand.
During dinner, Gregory had noticed Miles staring at the photo of Jennifer Edgeworth that stood on the cabinet since her death.
'I have the same hair as mother, father,' Miles said and pointed at his little bangs. Gregory smiled at his son and gave a nod.
'Yes, Miles, indeed' he replied.
In the evening, Gregory had tucked Miles in and read him a story. A little after midnight, he too went to bed.
It was not shortly after he had fallen asleep when he felt someone carefully shaking his shoulder. He turned around as he heard a soft 'Father?'.
'What is it, my boy?' he asked him sleepy and yawned. Little Miles stood next to his bed in his red pajamas.
'I…,' Miles began and did not look his father in his eyes.
'What is wrong, my boy? You have stomachache?'
'No, no...'
'Then what is it, Miles?' Gregory let his son lay down next to him and covered both of them with his sheets.
'I saw mother in my dream,' Miles said to him softly. Gregory did not expect those words coming out of his son's mouth and just looked at him. Today definitely had a big impact on him.
'You saw her? You dreamt about her?' He eventually asked his son, who replied with a nod. Gregory pulled Miles towards him for a hug and stroked his back.
'What did she say, Miles? Did she talk to you?'
'No. She smiled and hugged me.'
'…She loves you very much.'
'I love her too,' Miles whispered and buried himself in his father's chest. Gregory closed his eyes and felt the warmth of his little boy. It hurt, but also made him smile.
'And…I love you too, father.' His father hold tightly onto his son, and felt a warm feeling flowing through his body. He kissed his son's forehead.
'I love you, my son.'
They visited Jennifer's grave more often together after that day. Miles put the flowers at her stone each time they came to see her. The head and caretaker of the graveyard always smiled and waved at Miles when they passed by the entrance and Gregory knew it had been a good choice to let his son come with him. Miles now understood that even though she was not there physically, Jennifer Edgeworth was always remembered and present in their hearts.