Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Reading the paper, I looked up over my glasses at Teddy, who was working on fixing our radio. When he finally looked up, tears began to well in my eyes.
"Whats the matter, Lydia?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"'Attorney Christopher Chamber fatally stabbed in a fast food restaurant'." I read aloud.
"Oh, you've got to be shitting me." Teddy said, coming over and looking for himself.
"I'm not." I sniffled, "I can't believe he's gone, Teddy. We haven't seen him in ten years, but it feels like just yesterday he was saving you from that tree."
"What's wrong with mom?" Our son, the oldest out of our three kids asked, peaking his head around the corner.
"Nothing Normy, just go up to your room and take Lily and Max with you." Teddy said. Norman nodded, and took his younger siblings hands, bringing them up to their bedrooms.
"Why, Teddy? He was doing so well." I cried, my tears blurring my vision and the ink as they fell from my face onto the paper.
"I don't know, Lydia, life and death can be a funny thing." Teddy said, rubbing my back. "It says services are in a few days, should we go?"
"Yeah." I croaked, "we can see the others."
••• In my peripheral vision I could see Teddy standing behind me, dressed in a black button up shirt and a pair of black pants. I was putting in a pair of earrings, and I smiled lightly as Normy, Lily, and Max came in, the boys were dressed in black pants and black button up shirts like Teddy, and Lily wore a black sundress with some blue flowers printed on it.
"Mommy looks pretty." Three year old Lily observed, running up to my leg and wrapping her little body around it. I chuckled and picked up, turning around.
"You look great, Lid." Teddy said, taking my arm.
"Yeah, I certainly don't feel great." I chuckled.
"Why, do you have a fever?" Asked Lily, putting her little hand on my forehead. She liked to play nurse, just like her very own mother did as her job.
"No sweetie, I don't have a fever." I said, chuckling "why don't you walk with your brothers, huh?"
"OK." She grinned, and I carefully set her down and watched as she walked next to Max, who was just a year younger than her.
When we got to the funeral ceremony, we watched as Chris's grave got lowered into the ground. I didn't cry, but Teddy did. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Gordie standing with his son, Dennis, and Vern with the four kids he apparently had after high school with his high school sweetheart.
When we went inside for a brunch type thing, I went up to Vern, cherry flavored PEZ in one hand and Lily holding my other.
"Vern Tessio?" I asked, tapping on his shoulder. He turned around. "I think you remember me, but I still owe you cherry PEZ."
"Cherry PEZ? What for?" He asked, "wait a minute... are you Lydia?" He questioned.
"Yeah, that's me." I smiled, "remember that weekend in summer when we went to find Ray Brower, and you told me something that was veryuseful."
"It was?" He asked, "what's your last name?"
"It was Pierce. But, now it's Duchamp." I said, "and that's Lily, and Teddy's over there with the other two."
"You're married?! And you have kids?!" Vern exclaimed, "well, I've gotta meet 'em. I'll be right back, April."
His wife, who I leaned was named April smiled and nodded. Teddy was talking with Gordie, and they both smiled and all hugged when they saw each other.
"Man, good work Verno." Gordie said, "you got these two hitched!"
"I know it!" He exclaimed, "and that's the other two, then? Both boys?"
"Yeah. Max, Normy, say hi to Vern." Teddy said, and they both waved.
"Hey, Denny, wanna go outside and play army?" Asked Normy, and Denny nodded. "Come on, men!"
Lily chased after them, giggling and squealing as her bare feet hit the grass. Max looked at Vern, then to Gordie.
"My grandpa stormed the beached as Normandy, you know." He bragged, and Gordie, Vern, and myself all giggled a bit.
We followed the kids outside, watching as Normy pretended sticks were guns, and shot at various squirrels running around the yard.
"Haha! I beat you!" Normy cheered.
"Shut up!" Denny exclaimed.
"I don't shut up, I grow up, and when I look at you, I throw up!" He gagged.
"Then your mother goes around the corner and licks it up!" Denny shot back, smirking.
"Then your mom eats the leftovers!" Normy laughed.
Vern, Gordie, Teddy and I watched as they played army. Lily tried to participate, but was failing miserably. They were essentially us when we were that age. What I wouldn't give to be that young again.
