Soul Serenade

35

Sitting together in the comfort of their home, Miranda and Ben exchanged a look of shared concern before turning their attention to William, who was engrossed in a video game. They knew they had to break the news to him gently, but there was no easy way to say it."Hey, buddy," Ben began gently" Mind pausing the game"

"We need to talk to you about something important." Miranda tried to keep a smile on her face but she knew this news was going to be hard to deliver

William looked up "What's up?" he asked

Miranda took a deep breath, reaching out to take William's hand in hers. "Sweetie, we're going to be moving to Los Angeles," she said softly

William's face fell, his eyes widening with shock and disbelief. "But I just moved here from Baltimore. Why do I have to move again?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with frustration and sadness.

Ben exchanged a glance with Miranda, his heart aching at the pain in his son's eyes. "I know this is really tough, William," he said gently, "and we're really sorry to ask you to make another big move so soon."

Miranda squeezed William's hand reassuringly. "We know it's hard, sweetheart, and we wish things could be different," she added, her voice filled with compassion. "But this move is an opportunity for our family, and we promise we'll make the transition as smooth as possible for you."

William's eyes filled with tears as he processed the news. "I'm going to miss my friends, my school, and everything about Seattle," he admitted, his voice quivering with emotion. Miranda pulled William into a comforting hug, holding him close as he cried. "It's okay to be upset, William. Change is hard" she whispered, her voice filled with love and understanding.

Ben joined the hug, wrapping his arms around both Miranda and William as they held onto each other tightly. "We love you, buddy, and we'll get through this together as a family," he reassured William

Miranda gave William a gentle squeeze, looking into his eyes with a warm smile. "You know, buddy, you might be surprised by how much you'll like Los Angeles,"

William looked up and sniffled "Really?" he asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

"Yeah, really," Ben replied, nodding encouragingly. "LA is a pretty amazing place with lots of fun things to do. There are beaches, amusement parks, museums, and so much more. Plus, the weather is great almost all year round, so we'll get to spend a lot of time outside"

William chuckled despite himself, the mention of sunshine and outdoor activities capturing his interest. "I do like the beach,"

"That's the spirit" Ben exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with encouragement. "And who knows? Maybe we'll even find some awesome soccer leagues for you to join. You could make new friends who share your love for the game"

William's smile grew a little wider at the thought of playing soccer in sunny California. "That actually sounds pretty cool," he admitted, his voice tinged with newfound enthusiasm.

Miranda and Ben exchanged a relieved smile, grateful to see a spark of excitement in William's eyes. "See, it's not all bad news, right?" Miranda asked him

"Yeah, I guess you're right," William nodded

"Do you think we'll ever come back to Seattle?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

"You know, William, life is full of surprises. We're excited about this opportunity in LA, but we can't say for sure where we'll be in the future." Ben replied

Miranda nodded, adding, "That's right, sweetie. Sometimes plans change, and we might find ourselves back here in Seattle or somewhere else entirely. The important thing to remember is that home is wherever we are together as a family."