A Silent Hope

Chapter Thirty Nine

Mackenzie

You're born, you exist, and then you die.

Some lives were shorter than others, while some lived a long but not necessarily happy one. Some were unfortunate to experience nothing but hardships and pain. Few were blessed with happiness.

In my twenty-seven years on this earth, I'd had my share of pain and heartbreak. But, I'd also gotten enough happiness and love to make living worth it. I was lucky enough to be brought up by good people. I'd gotten a stepmom who loved me as her own despite not sharing the same blood or skin color. A father who adored me and siblings who had my back although we fought like cats and dogs.

I'd gotten my heart broken and mended. I knew the ache of losing and the triumph of gaining. As much as I'd wanted to give up on life, I've had just the same amount of will to live it. The same can't always be said for everyone.

Paul.

Paul was an example of a life cut too short. A reminder that things didn't always go the way we planned or dreamed. He was a good person who'd gotten an unfair deal. From an alcoholic father to losing his mom at the tender age of thirteen. He'd been raised right and made something of himself since then. He'd done what his father failed to do. He made his granddad proud.

But Paul didn't get to have his happy ending. He didn't get the chance to meet the girl or to fall in love. He didn't get to marry and have the three kids he wished for. His happy soul wasn't lucky enough to sync with another or old age wasn't something he'd get to ever experience. The life he envisioned for himself was not given to him despite his efforts.

Thalia.

Thalia could probably write a book on the life she'd live. From being abandoned by her mom who committed suicide shortly after, to having to grow up in foster care. Being taken in and then abandoned multiple times. Being given hope, only to have it ripped away from her.

Giving up a child can never be easy. Learning of that same child's limited time soon after must've been devastating. I didn't know the pain Thalia felt as she watched Zac die or the pain she encountered since then. Just like I didn't know the pain of growing up the way she did. I didn't know the trauma she most definitely still dealt with and will deal with for a long time.

I didn't know what either of our futures had in store for us, but I did know I wasn't going to spend much time dwelling on it.

As I laid on the sofa, head on Thalia's lap as she read, I snuggled my face into her tummy. The brunette was focused on her book, occasionally pushing away my wandering hand from under her shirt. I was as comfortable as I could get and my heart felt lighter than it did yesterday.

It was a couple of months since Paul's passing and we'd visited Mr Lahey over the weekend. The old man still wasn't doing much better, often forgetting about his grandchild's death. It was crushing to say the least.

Though my eyes remained closed, my mind searched for a way to tell, or rather ask Thalia the question I'd been holding in. I didn't want to overstep, but I also didn't want to make this decision without her.

"Are you hungry?"

I peeked an eye open to see up at her when the question was asked. "Huh?"