Bikeriders Serenade

A Day For Lori

It was a cool, gray morning, the kind that wrapped the world in a blanket of stillness. The clouds hung low, casting a soft, muted light into the bedroom as Austin sat at the edge of the bed, staring out the window. The rain tapped lightly against the glass, each drop an echo of the quiet tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He hadn’t moved for a while. Fifteen years had passed since his mother, Lori, passed away, and yet the ache in his chest remained as fresh as the first day.

The air in the room felt heavy, weighed down by the grief that lingered just beneath the surface. Austin’s chest tightened, the familiar sting of loss pressing down on him. He took a shaky breath, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke into the quiet, “Mom.” The word hung in the air, fragile and raw. Memories flooded his mind—her warm smile, the way her laugh filled a room, how she always seemed to know when he needed her most.

*If only she were here now.*

A part of him wanted to crumble under the weight of it all. The longing, the sadness—it was all-consuming. But he couldn’t fall apart. Not today.

Behind him, Lucy stood in the doorway, her heart aching at the sight of her husband. She had seen Austin in pain before, but this was different. Today, he was grappling with a loss that could never be fully healed. Quietly, she crossed the room, her bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor, and knelt beside him. The warmth of her presence seemed to break through the fog of his thoughts, pulling him back to the moment.

“Austin,” she said softly, her hand gently taking his. Her thumb traced slow, soothing circles over his skin. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through today, but I’m here. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

Austin glanced down at her, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. His throat felt tight, and when he spoke, his voice was rough, like he’d been holding it all in for too long. “I miss her so much, Lucy. I thought it would get easier... but every year, it feels like I lose her all over again.”

Finally, he let the tears fall, unable to keep them in any longer. Lucy wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a gentle embrace. He rested his head against her shoulder, letting the pain flow out of him as she held him close. The scent of her familiar perfume—a soft vanilla and sandalwood—helped ground him, pulling him out of the swirling storm of emotions.

“I know,” she whispered into his hair. “I wish I could take this pain away from you.”

For a long time, they sat like that, the only sounds in the room being the soft patter of rain against the window and Austin’s quiet, shaky breaths. When he finally pulled back, Lucy wiped away the tears from his face with a tender touch.

“How about I call Ashley?” she suggested, her voice warm and steady. “Maybe you two could spend the day together—do something your mom would’ve loved.”

Austin nodded slowly, his grief-stricken face softening just a little at the idea. “Yeah... Mom always loved when we spent time together. I think it would make her happy.”

Lucy offered him a gentle smile before rising to her feet. She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, her touch filled with love, before walking into the living room to call Ashley.

---

Across town, Ashley was at a friend’s house when her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. Seeing Lucy’s name flash across the screen, she smiled and picked it up. “Hey Lucy!” she greeted, her voice light and cheerful. But as soon as Lucy explained how hard Austin’s morning had been, Ashley’s tone shifted, a deep understanding filling her words.

“Of course, he’s having a tough day,” she said softly. “It’s Mom’s anniversary... I know how much it still hurts him. It still hurts me, too.”