Comic-Con Dreams

Home Sweet Home

The flight was long, but the kids were pretty well behaved. Maddie slept for almost half of the flight, she was a little grumpy because she was cutting some new teeth and that earned Kai a few judgemental looks. Not only that but the poor wee thing had lost her favourite stuffed bunny that she always slept with. Luckily Kai had 'back up bunny' in her handbag, it wasn't exactly the same because by the time Maddie had gotten attached to her bunny Kai couldn't find the same one for a spare. She thought about flipping the dissaproving passengers off just for the fun of it, but decided to just ignore them. Her focus was her children and she was doing the best she could to keep them happy.

She was glad when they finally touched down, her mother in law Connie was waiting there to pick them up and drive them back home.

"Gamma!" Maddie squealed excitedly when she saw her and ran as fast as her chubby little legs would take her.

"Hey sweet pea" she grinned. "Grandma missed you. Oh and you too my handsome little man" she said as Oscar ran in for a hug too. "Did you guys have a good time?"

"I saw Captain Amerwica!" Oscar told her happily.

"How exciting! What was he like?"

"Really really tall" Oscar said "With big muscles" he added, making Kai and Connie giggle. "Mumma took lots of photos".

"Oh I can wait to see them".

"Thanks for picking us up" Kailin smiled.

"Not a problem honey" she smiled as she gave her daughter in law a hug. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah... yeah I really did. It was just what we needed" she smiled.

On the way home Connie stopped to get Oscar a happy meal from McDonalds. Oscar was determined he wanted 'Nuggies' for dinner, and Connie loved to spoil her grandson.

"I hope you got to go out and have a little you time while you were away. I know you've been avoiding going out lately" Connie told her.

"Lace made sure I did"

"Good. I always liked that girl" she smiled.

"Connie can I ask you something?"

"Sure honey"

"Did you find it hard to move on, after Bob?" she asked, knowing that her husband had passed when her and A.J were still in high school, she was just the right person to give her some advice and perspective.

"Of course. When you spend a big part of your life with someone, it can be hard to suddenly be without them. Bob was the love of my life, and I know A.J was yours. But don't ever feel guilty about wanting to get on with your life. He would want you to be happy" she assured her.

"When did you feel like you were ready to get back out in the world. I know I've just been hiding away from it all. Somehow it just all seems too hard to face".

"It caught me by surprise I think. I never really thought I was ready, but I happened to meet Dennis out of the blue and we clicked. It had only been 10 months since Bob had passed, and I wasn't sure I was ready to move on, so I stalled for a while until my good friend Barbara finally talked me into it. It was the best move I could have made, as you well know" she grinned as she spoke fondly of her second husband.

"I can't help but feel a bit guilty. I don't want the kids to grow up and think I wanted to forget their father or replace him"

"Oh don't you worry about that sweetie. I know you will always keep his memory alive for them, and his memory will always live on in his children. But you need to be happy too. I know you love your children to bits, but they can't be all you have. Trust me, I know."