Saving Kate

Charley.

"Kate, be careful!", Dad yelled at me while I ran around our backyard. "Daddy I'm six now I'm not a baby anymore!" He just smiles ,picks me up by the swoop of one arm,and says," You'll always be my baby girl never forget that."  

"Whatever Dad where's the cake!"

"Kate your Aunt is here.", says Tyler snapping me out of my memory.

I just semi-smile. "Oh...Okay."   As I walk into the living room I see Aunt Lily, Uncle Frank, and their two devil dogs. Ugh why did they bring them?

"Hey Aunt Lily and Uncle Frank." As I welcomed them with hugs I get bit by the most ferocious yorkies I have ever met. "Oh stop Hans and Chewy." Yep my family is full of geeks.

"Oh it's so good to see you darling! You've gotten so beautiful I swear you look like a model."

"Thanks same to you, I could've swore that was you on the runway rocking those wings!"

she just laughs and does some dance that looks like the whip and twerking put together.

"And you dex! you've grown up so much!" Dex just smiles and goes back to his iPad.

As she turns to me she smiles and ask if we could take a walk. 

As we walk I notice how the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It's a beautiful day,just a sad beautiful. As we walk on the sidewalk we sit down a bench  that me and Dad used to sit at when he was lecturing me and giving me his "life lessons". Which just ended up with a new refill of birth control.

"Look Sweetie I know this is hard and this isn't how you expected things to happen, but I'm here for you so you can be weak sometimes okay? I know you feel like you shouldn't for Dex, but that's why the family is here and that amazing boyfriend of yours. Were here to be strong for you so you don't have to hold in the pain. It's okay to not be okay, okay?"

I just nod and say "Okay."

"So how do you feel?"

"Numb. I feel like a zombie. I want to be grateful for the time I had with him, but all I think about is the time I'm losing with him.  I have to stay strong for Dex, but I also need to be able to cry so I know I'm actually feeling. He was the only man I needed and now he's gone. He was the only one I knew for a fact would always be there for me and love me and he's gone. It's not fair. I miss him Aunt Lily, I miss him so much and its only been two days. how is one week gonna feel or two years? I don't know if I can do this."

She swipes the tear from my cheek and says,"It's okay to not be okay." 

TYLERS POV

"Oh my gosh Dex that's the third time you've beat me! No wonder your sister hates video games."

"Yeah that and the fact that I made a bet that every time I won I could slap her." 

Just seeing that play down made me laugh.  

As Uncle Frank enters the room he sits down by me and gives me a beer. I guess my look gave it away he just says,"Look after the few days you've earned a beer." I just awkwardly say thanks and take a sip. Well that was weird. After his second chug he coughs and says," How Dex doing? He holding up?"

"I honestly don't think it's hit him yet. He's kind of just trying to play video games and act like nothings wrong. I try to talk to him, but he just says he's okay and goes back to his games."

"Hmm." After two gulps and a scratch to the belly he just shakes his head. "Maybe thats his way of coping. We all have our ways you know?"

"I guess."