We Are Free

Zac's Birthday Bash

We go home the next day. We unpack and do laundry. When I'm doing laundry I hear Flint start throwing up. I wait for him to finish and clean it up. Then he throws up again. I get puzzled. I look at his food bowl and his food hasn't been touched since we left. His water was though.
      "Hey babe."
      "What?" She says.
      "Um, Flint hasn't been eating do you know why?"
     "No I don't."
     "Well he is throwing up to."
     "That's odd we just have to keep an eye on him."
     "Jace." Emily comes to me. She is crying and holding flint.
     "What?"
     "Flint keeps puking and he layed down he won't answer me. I'm scared you have to help him."
     "Halo get a blanket or a towel." She leaves the living room. I take Flint from Emily. She is still crying.
      "Honey get your shoes on and tell Andrew to get his on."
     "Okay." Halo comes back and lays a towel on the counter and I lay Flint in it I wrap him up and Halo gets the kids ready. I grab my keys and put my shoes on.
     We get in the car I hold Flint and Halo drives. We go to the vet clinic and check him in. They find us a room and take us back. We lay Flint on the table and he looked dead he wasn't moving. The only way I new he was alive was he was breathing.
     I could see his stomach moving up and down. Emily has stopped crying but I can see the worry in her eyes. The doctor comes in and checks Flint over. She looks at us and by the look in her eyes I could tell it wasn't good. Emily knew to and so did the rest of us. She shakes her head.
     "I'm sorry but Flint will be lucky to make it through tonight. It's in his best interest if we just put him to rest." She says.
     "Flint is going to die?" Emily says.
     "Yeah, it's the best thing for him." I say to her.
     "No he can't no." She breaks down and Andrew starts crying and I see a tear roll down Halo's cheek. I try to fight back tears to but fail. A silent tear slides down my cheek. It felt heavy and it was pure hurt and sadness.
     The tears I had cried the day my mom died and the day of her funeral. I hold Emily she is fighting me and crying. The vet gives us a minute to say are goodbyes. I let her go, both go up to Flint and look at his almost lifeless body. Emily pets his head. She looks at me.
     "Why why Jace why did God have to take Flint he was the best kitty ever, and now he won't be here anymore."
I walk up behind her and put my hand on her shoulder.
     "Tell me this, if you are in a garden what flowers do you pick?"
     "The most beautiful ones."
     "Exactly, God is taking Flint because he is beautiful. God feels Flint will be safe and better with him."
      "He can meet mommy. They will cuddle and play together."
     "Yes they will and Flint just like mommy will be in a better place."
      "Okay."
      "We can get a new pet though."
      "Not now I don't want a new pet I want Flint."
     "I know baby." The vet comes in with the medicine.
     "Will it hurt him? I don't want him to be in pain when God takes him."
      "No he won't be in pain."
      "Okay."
     "You can pet him." I pick Emily up and Halo picks Andrew up. They pet Flint and she puts the medicine in him. She checks his heart and slowly shakes her head.
     "He's gone." She takes his collar off him and clips it back together. She hands it to Emily. Emily takes it in her hands and looks at his name tag. She hugs me. I clip the collar onto a loop in her jean shorts.
     Flint meant the most to her. They were inseparable. Wherever she went he followed. When she took a nap so did he, when she went to bed so did he. When she was sick he didn't leave her side. She won't remember our moms death but she will remember this one.
     They wrap Flint in the towel and we leave the vet. We go home still in tears. Flint is gone and we won't hear him running around at 4 in the morning to wake us up. We won't hear him purring on the back of the couch and we won't hear him crunching his food as we ate at the table.
     He was a good cat and he meant the world to us. Maybe we won't be able to get a new pet. No other pet can replace Flint. Even though he liked to kill the mood and he was annoying, he was family. It feels like the day my mom died another hole in my heart and it can never be filled.
     Emily sits in the back crying silent tears and holds his collar in her hands. Andrew has stopped crying he doesn't really understand. Halo was crying to. I could see tears roll down her cheek every once and a while. I want to cry to and I eventually do.
     We finally get home. The car ride seemed forever. We get home and Emily curls on the couch and holds Flint's collar. She keeps crying. I hold her and whisper to her.
     "It will be okay. Flint is in a good place now."
     "It's not fair though. Why does everyone I love get hurt or die. You got stabbed, mom died, and today Flint died. It sucks."
      "Well I promise we will get another pet."
      "I don't want another pet I want Flint."
      "I know baby I know."
      "Unless we get turtles."
      "We could get turtles."
      "Really?"
      "I don't see why not."
      "Ohh a bunny."
      "Okay how about one of these days we will all go to the pet store and pick out a new pet but for now let's deal with Flint."
      "Okay." She lays back on my chest and holds her blanket. She falls asleep and I lay her down in her bed. I go to the kitchen and look at the food bowl and water bowl. I pick the food bowl up and put the food back in the bag. I dump the water out. I wash the bowls and dry them, I stack them up. I get a box.
      "What you doin babe?" Halo asks me.
      "Picking up Flint's things before Emily wakes up."
     "Oh want help?"
     "No just distract Andrew."
     "Okay." I clean the litter box and put it in the box I lay the litter in it. I put the scooper in a bag and put it in there. I put the liners and baking soda in the box. I put the mat and food bowls in the box I lay the food in there to.
     I close it up and put it in the garage. I wipe my face and go inside. The next day at work Zac tells us when his party is. We tell him about Flint. During the lunch I stand up and blow my whistle.
      "Okay guys listen up. The boss and I have been talking. We know that most of you have kids and they have things going on. So we have decided that the work day will be from 7:30-2:30 instead of to 5.
     Working to 5 will be counted as over time but I will not be here, boss man will. So starting tomorrow you will get out at 2:30." They start clapping I'm excited to. I can get Emily from school and take her to dance. Anna can have some more down time. When work is over I pick the kids up and we go to the store. Halo headed home she hasn't been feeling to good today.
     I get some soup and we each pick out a preset for Zac. We go home and wrap his gifts. Halo lays in bed. I check on her. She was wearing some spandex and one of my shirts.
     "How you feeling?"
     "Like shit. I should be fine tomorrow I think I just need some sleep."
      "Okay, well I got you some soup."
      "Thanks."
      "You are welcome." I leave the room and start dinner. I bring Halo some food. I do the dishes and the kids take baths. I clean the kitchen and Halo sleeps. I put the kids to bed. The week goes by and it's been much easier getting out of work at 2:30.
     Halo hasn't been going to work though.  She is still sick. Her throats hurts, her head hurts, her ears hurt, her stomach is upset, and she has no appetite most the time. Saturday is Zac's party's.
      "Babe I can stay home." I say.
      "No you are fine. Go to his party."
      "Are you sure?"
      "Yeah if I need you I will call you."
      "Okay." I take the kids to Zac's mom's house.
       "Hi Jace." His mom says.
       "Hi I'm glad to see you are doing better."
        "Thank you how have you been?"
        "I have been good."
        "Where's Halo?"
        "Home, she isn't feeling to well."
        "Oh the poor thing."
        "Yeah." The kids quickly start playing with other kids I take Zane and play with him he is almost a year old. He is talking a little more and walking. He walks to me.
      "Up." Zane says.
      "Yes sir." I pick him up and put him on my lap. We sit and talk Zac comes out.
     "Happy birthday bro." I say to him
     "Thanks."
     "One year older another year dumber."
     "Well maybe.""
     "Hi Jace." Chloe says.
      "Hi." Soon we are all talking and having a good time. I get a text from Halo saying she has started throwing up. I ask her if she wants me to come home. She says no but if she doesn't stop she wants to go to the doctor.
    I say okay and continue with what I am doing. I'm still worried about her though. The kids play in sprinklers and mud pits. They dance with glow sticks around their necks, arms, ankles, and wasits. Emily and a few others do cartwheels. Andrew plays with them to. We eat every now and then. I help bring the cake out. We sing happy birthday and eat cake.
      When we finish cake he opens presents. When he finishes opening presents he puts them away. Zane plays with the wrapping paper. Zac let's him rip it up and put it in a plastic bag. Halo texts me again saying she needs me to come home.
      "Umm.... I need to run."
     "Give me their stuff and I will take care of the rest."
      "You sure?"
      "Yeah go take care of your lady."
      "Thanks man."
       "No prob." I give him the bag and head home. I get there and Halo is waiting for me. She gets in the car and we go to the hospital. She checks in and they take us to a room. The nurse comes in and takes her vitals. When she is done she leaves.
     "Okay a crazy thought could you be pregnant?"
      "No, it's possible yes but I'm not having any symptoms. Pluse I just got my period 2 days ago."
      "Okay I was just curious." The Doctor comes in and checks her out. She tells him her symptoms. He runs some tests. We sit and wait for what seems like forever.