Life Goes On But Grief Is Neverending | The Outsiders FF

1. Every year, it seems to echo

It's June 1995 in rural Texas and the Curtis household is welcoming home their new addition.

Ponyboy shuts the curtains as the last rays of the sunset mix into the upcoming starry night causing the nightlight to make abnormal large shadows of his figure appear all around the nursery. At the far end of the room Angela finishes setting up a Playskool Deluxe baby monitor for them and their daughter to have near by throughout the night.

"Think we'll get back to the groove of this baby thing." Ponyboy snorts at Angie's words, "Never say groove again." Fondly remembering their disastrous first years of parenthood and their many sleepless nights in that rundown apartment.

He walks over to the newly bought white bassinet picking up a soft knitted blanket on the way. Both are gifts from Two-Bit's third daughter Aurora. "All we got to do this time around is be emotional support and glorified babysitters."

Angela smiles that same old smile from their youth which gained a more cutting edge over the years. She makes her way over to him as he covers their lovely grandbaby Allison Miller and turns on the lullaby setting of the baby monitor. The familiar melody of the rock-a-bye baby fills the room not even making Allison fuss at all in her sleep.

Ponyboy places an arm around Angie's shoulder as they watch over their first ever grandkid for a full minute. With a quick peck on Allison's forehead they head out of the room to have a drink in their kitchen.

Angela smoothly walks around all the unopened boxes of their daughters stuff and various baby items that were acquired from the hospital in the past week. She makes a beeline for the refrigerator wanting her ice cold pink lemonade before they head to bed for the night. Pony grabs the oddly shaped mugs with chipped paint from the upper cabinet and watches Angie fill their mugs with a delightful look in her eyes.

He gives her a soft kiss on the lips when handing her her puke green mug before taking a sip from his own highlighter green mug. She sits on a stool avoiding the tower of yearly phone books spread atop the kitchen table in need to be thrown out but that's a problem for the morning. He leans against the countertop to enjoy their lemonade and reminds himself to get actual chairs for the table.

"They would have loved her." The words seem to echo and Ponyboy knows he'll be hearing those same words for the next few years. Either from Angela or himself as they watch Allison grow up just like their daughter. Especially when they had her in that rainy spring of 1970.