Everything we want

Chapter Ten

Sometimes just help a big hug and no endless discussion about what to do.

When Jay went to bed that evening, Zoey lay in bed still awake. He looked in on her and she pretended to be asleep. But as soon as he had closed the door to her room, Zoey got out of bed and crept down to the living room. She needed money. A lot of money. There were a few coins in her piggy bank, but they were far from enough, because she had done some research - a flight to the space costs approximately $ 200,000. Luckily for her, her dad often put his wallet in the bowl on the coffee table or on the kitchen counter...

CPDCPDCPD

A loud childish cry woke Jay in the early morning. Tiredly he looked at the clock - half past seven showed it to him. He picked himself up slowly. He had hardly slept during the night. His thoughts clouded his mind. He dreamed of Erin's death, Zach's kidnapping, the dead children and his time in Afghanistan. The events eventually merged into pure chaos. Again and again he wondered what if.

With a jerk he finally got up and trotted into Zoey's room. She cried and angrily smacked her brother, who simply laughed.

"Oh man. Zoey. Nothing happened. Besides, you didn't hurt me, it just tickles."

"You're stupid!" She yelled, "Now she's gone!"

"What's going on?" Jay asked, standing in the doorstep.

"Zach has sat down on Cosima!" Zoey howled and continued to beat her laughing brother.

"All right? Uh... Zoey, get off your brother and stop hitting him."

Zoey stopped, crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her head in her typical I'm-stubborn position.

"That's no reason to freak out. It's just your stupid fantasy anyway!" Zach hissed at his sister as he pulled himself up.

"Hey. Zachary, that's enough." Jay warned and knelt in front of his little daughter, "Honey. What's going on, huh?"

"Cosima will not come back because Zach's always so mean." She cried.

"Cosima doesn'texist! Wake up from your fucking dream!" Zach yelled.

"That's enough! Go to your room!" Jay said angrily and gently turned back to his daughter, "You know Zoey, if Cosima went away because Zach was mean, then she's not a good friend."

"Maybe, but Zach has sat down on her." Zoey explained.

"Maybe she just got a little scared and she'll come back later." Jay said.

"No she won't, because Zach offended her."

Jay bit his lower lip hard, as he got. overwhelmed. Recently he was with Zoey at the pediatrician. It was just a routine exam, but the doctor eventually also raised his concerns that Zoey was trying to balance her mother's loss with an imaginary friend. Jay should show understanding for this invisible friend and play along. Sooner or later Zoey would process the loss and her imaginary friend would disappear by itself.

"I'm pretty sure Zach didn't know Cosima was sitting there. After all, only you can see her."

"He should have apologized, but he just laughed at us."

"I know. But how can Zach apologize? He can't see her and besides, she's gone." Jay explained.

"He should have apologised right now." Zoey said.

"I know, but don't blame your brother. He doesn't have such a big fantasy and neither do I."

"Nevertheless she is gone."