This Little Light of Mine

19: 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝗺𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 '𝐑𝗼𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝗺𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝗼𝗺𝐢𝐧' 𝐒𝗼𝗼𝐧

December 18th, 2031

Tim and Lucy continued to stay home every second of the day with Bennett, and love on her. Not a moment passed when they weren't with her. They knew she'd be leaving them soon, and they wanted to keep her while they could.

"Bennie girl, oh how we love you" Lucy whispered into her six year olds ear the morning of December 18th. Bennett was no longer able to answer her in a way they could understand. It was mostly mumbles and attempts at speaking, along with multiple breaths at a time, due to the fact Bennett couldn't breathe as well, hence the oxygen she wore constantly.

Tim and Lucy would take time switching who sat with her and held her. They always had a movie playing for Bennett on their living room television, though she wasn't able to watch it, and probably couldn't even hear it that well. Nonetheless, they wanted to make sure they had something playing, even if it was solely for their sake.

The hospice nurse had made her rounds that morning, as she did most mornings, and made sure to speak with Tim and Lucy for a few minutes before she would leave for the day.

"Her heart rate and oxygen levels are still dropping and worsening." The nurse told the parents, "I recommend calling in everyone to say goodbye, I'm not sure she's got much longer." She said, sadly. Tim and Lucy slowly nodded, "We will. Thank you for all you've done for us, we're so grateful." Lucy said, in between sniffles. The three of them exchanged their goodbyes, before the hospice nurse left the Bradford home. While Lucy continued to sit and hold Bennett, Tim stepped away to make the phone calls to their favorite people. He called Angela, Nyla, Grey, Nolan, Tamara, Genny, and anyone else important to them.

"The hospice nurse just left. She doesn't think Bennie has much longer, so we want you all to come say your goodbyes, if you can be here. You guys are welcome to stay as long as you wish, even to be here when she goes. We know it would make her happy to have you here with us." He said into the phone each time, and each time, every person said that they were on their way, and would be there as soon as they could. Tim hung his phone up, before he made his way back to his wife and daughter.

When he returned, he found Lucy and Bennett just where he had left them. This time, Max was there. He was laid on the floor beside the chair Lucy and Bennett were in. Tim wondered if Max understood what was happening, but he knew that the dog understood that something was going on with his girl. That changed nothing, as Max was never one to leave his girl's side, no matter what.

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Tim and Lucy's friends and closer family members all arrived at their house around 3:00 that afternoon. They each entered the house, as they took turns hugging Tim and Lucy, and expressing how sorry they were that this was happening, and that they were glad to be asked to be there when Bennett goes.

The parents knew that was what their daughter would have wanted. She loved being around all of those people, and sometimes would rather be with them and their families.

After some time, Tim and Lucy gave each person there a few moments to sit with Bennett, should they have chosen to, talk to her and say their goodbyes. They knew Bennett couldn't hear them, but no one wanted to think about it. They wanted to speak it to her, in case she still had some form of hearing left.

Once each of them had a little bit of time with the six year old, her parents took back over. They stayed that way for a while, before carefully leaving their six year old's side, to go eat dinner with their friends. Angela and Wesley had brought over dinner, and had brought enough to feed everyone that day, and plenty would be left for another meal for Tim and Lucy afterwards. The meal time consisted of small talk, laughter, and the group enjoying the memories they had made with Bennett. Yes, she was still there, but they couldn't think of a better way to handle the meal that night, than with celebrating everyone's favorite little six year old.

After dinner had finished, Nolan and Bailey helped clean up, as Tim and Lucy sat with their daughter once more, Max still laying by Bennett's side. "Thank you guys, again, for being here. It means everything to us, and we know Bennett wouldn't have wanted anything else for something like this." Lucy said, a soft smile forming, before she looked back down to her daughter.

Everyone that Tim had invited over to the house had made no plans on leaving anytime soon. Those with small children had made plans with a babysitter to watch them until they would be home, though there was no telling when that would be, and the babysitter's were each very understanding of that fact.

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The evening continued on as planned, Bennett's parents spending every last second with her, while also making small talk with their friends and family members that were with them. They once again engaged in talking about happy times they shared with Bennett, as they didn't want to focus on anything else at that exact moment. They knew there would be a time for that, but until that time had arrived, they wanted to continue to live with happiness, though they always would.

Periodically, they would check Bennett's vitals the way the hospice nurse had shown them to do it. Every time, small sighs of relief could be heard, though they knew she was tired.

After one last switch from Tim holding her to Lucy holding her, they decided that was the last time to switch her that night. Tim, however, sat right beside his wife and daughter, as Lucy held Bennett as close as she could.

The later the evening ran, the closer they knew they were getting. They didn't want to think about it or acknowledge it, but they knew the time was coming, and that it would be there before they knew it, and before they were truly ready. But all that mattered was that Bennett was ready, and Tim and Lucy had to accept it.