It Wasn't Worth it...

Chapter 9: Memories

As the sun reached the middle of the sky, me and Ritz sat in silence on the porch swing. A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming lilacs, mingling with the faint hum of city life.

I was still lost in the sea of grief, but the warm presence of Ritz beside me slowly began to thaw the icy grip of sorrow.

Ritz gazed at me with eyes that seemed to understand my unspoken pain. A small smile played upon his lips, as if to say, "I'm here for you."

As if to break the spell, my stomach growled loudly, an insistent reminder of my physical needs. Ritz's smile widened, and he looked at me with a playful glint in his eye.

"You know what they say," he said, his voice a gentle whisper. "A hungry belly makes a grumpy puppy."

A chuckle escaped my lips, and a flicker of lightness returned to my heart. Ritz had a way of finding joy in the most unexpected moments.

"Let's go get some grub," he said, hopping off the swing. "I know a great little burger joint around the corner."

As we walked, I felt a sense of gratitude wash over me. Despite the pain I was still carrying, I had Ritz by my side, a constant source of support.

At the burger joint, we ordered burgers and fries, the comfort food of champions. As we ate, we shared stories of Velvet and laughed, the weight of the day gradually lifting.

"Remember that time she tried to make her own pizza for her birthday but ended up burning the crust to a crisp?" Kid Ritz chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "She was so determined to prove she could cook, but it was a disaster."

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"And that wasn't even the worst part," I added. "She then tried to hide the burnt pizza in the trash, but our dog, Sparkles The Second, got to it first."

Kid Ritz gasped, his laughter bubbling over. "Oh my gosh, I had forgotten about that! You sent me a video of his eyes glowing red as he devoured that pizza. It was like something out of a horror movie."

"Speaking of horror movies," I said, "Do you remember when Velvet begged us to go with her to see 'The Exorcist' and ended up sleeping with the lights on for a week?"

Ritz nodded, taking a bite out of his burger.

"She was terrified! But she refused to admit it, so she pretended to be brave by painting her nails black and listening to heavy metal music." I laughed, picking up a french fry.

"She had a knack for getting into the most ridiculous situations," Ritz mused. "But it was impossible to stay mad at her because she always had a way of making everyone laugh."

"She did," I nodded, taking another bite of my burger.

"What about the time Velvet tried to bake a cake for my birthday?" Ritz asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

I nodded, a chuckle escaping my lips. "How could I forget? She forgot to add the sugar and ended up with a brick of a cake."

Ritz laughed, the sound surprisingly loud over all the chatter surrounding us. "And then she tried to cover it up by smothering it in icing. It was a disaster.."

As the day wore on, Kid Ritz and I shared story after story, each one funnier than the last. And with each story, I felt a little more like myself. The sadness was still there, but it was no longer all-consuming. Thanks to Ritz, I was finding my way back to the light.

As we finished our meal, Ritz looked at me with a contented sigh.

"You know, Ven," he said, "even on the darkest of days, there's always a little bit of joy to be found."

I nodded, my heart filled with a sense of peace.