My brothers best friend

Chapter 26: A Step Toward Healing

Chapter 26

Valerie's Point of View

The kitchen was a mess, but it felt like home. Flour dusted the countertops, and the air was thick with the warm, sweet scent of chocolate chips melting into the dough. Jack was grinning up at me, his hands covered in flour as he tried to roll the dough into shapes, but most of it ended up stuck to his fingers or the rolling pin.

"Look, Valerie! I made a dinosaur!" He held up a misshapen lump of dough, his eyes wide with pride.

I laughed, wiping my hands on the apron he insisted I wear. "It's... a very creative dinosaur, Jack."

He squinted at the dough in his hands and then at the shape he was trying to form. "Yeah, he's just... a little extra special."

"Extra special, huh?" I grinned, leaning over to help him. "I think it needs a little more work. Let me show you how to make it look like a real one."

Jack's face lit up with excitement, his energy infectious. As I showed him how to shape the dough into something vaguely resembling a dinosaur, I couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth. The simple joy of the moment, the sound of Jack's giggles filling the room, was a welcome distraction. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, my world had felt like it was falling apart, but now, here in this little kitchen with Jack, everything felt... manageable, even if only for a few hours.

"You're good at this!" Jack exclaimed, eyes wide as I molded the dough into a much better version of his dinosaur. "Can we make more?"

"Of course we can. We can make a whole dinosaur family!" I said, my voice playful, but it felt real this time. A part of me had forgotten what it was like to just have fun, to let go of the heaviness that had been following me around for so long.

Jack's laugh echoed again, and for a moment, I could almost pretend that things were okay. That everything was fine. I looked over at him, watching as he moved on to making cookie dough "rocks," and I realized how much I missed moments like this.

The sound of the front door opening interrupted my thoughts. Jake. His voice called out from the hallway, but it was faint, muffled by the distance.

"Val, you in here?"

I glanced up at Jack, who was already racing toward the door, shouting back to Jake. "We're making dinosaurs!"

I smiled, watching him sprint, leaving behind a trail of flour footprints in his wake.

I was trying to forget. Trying to enjoy the moment before it was gone.

But Jake's voice, his tone, carried something else now. Something that tugged at me.

Jake's Point of View

I could hear Jack before I even stepped into the house. His voice, bright and full of energy, cut through the quiet. "We're making dinosaurs!"

I smiled despite myself, the sound of his excitement a reminder of what was still simple and good in the world. As I walked through the front door, my mind was still tangled with worries—about Valerie, about her health, the way she'd seemed distant lately—but I pushed it all down for a moment.

Jack came barreling into the hallway, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Jake! Look!" He held out a lump of dough that could only vaguely be described as a dinosaur. "I made a dino!"

I laughed, squatting down to get a better look. "That's an extra special dinosaur, Jack. You've got talent."

Jack beamed at me and then turned back to the kitchen, already lost in his next project. I hesitated, taking a deep breath before stepping into the kitchen myself.