Chapter 10 - We Finally Came Home
Two years later, we moved into a small blue house with a fenced backyard and a swing set Quincy helped pick out.
Violet was two and a half, running everywhere on sturdy little legs, talking in full sentences, and obsessed with the three-legged rescue dog we adopted and named Lucky. He followed her around like a shadow and let her climb all over him.
Quincy was nine, tall for his age now, confident in a way that still surprised me sometimes. He had friends. He played soccer. He still had bad days when the memories came back too strong, but he knew how to ask for help. He knew he was safe.
On a warm Saturday in October, we had a small birthday party for Violet in the backyard. Just us, a few neighbors, and the therapist who had become part of our family.
Violet blew out her candles with Quincy’s help. She had frosting on her nose and laughed like the world had been made just for her.
After the guests left, Quincy and I sat on the back steps while Violet played in the grass with Lucky.
“Mom?” Quincy said after a while.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think Lily would have liked it here?”
I looked at him. He didn’t ask about Lily often anymore, but when he did, I never brushed it off.
“I think she would have loved it,” I said. “I think she would have been really proud of her big brother.”
He nodded, satisfied.
Violet toddled over and climbed into my lap, pressing her sticky face against my neck.
“Mommy,” she said, clear as anything. “Love you.”
I held her tight and looked at Quincy.
“I love you too,” I said to both of them. “So much it hurts sometimes.”
Quincy leaned against my side, and for a long moment, the three of us just sat there in the quiet evening light.
We had been through hell.
We had lost too much.
But we had each other.
And that was enough.
That was everything.
Violet reached up and touched my cheek with her small hand.
“Home,” she said.
May you like
I smiled through tears I didn’t bother to hide.
“Yeah, baby,” I whispered. “We’re home.”
