A New Beginning

Chapter 28: Get Back Up

Chapter 28: Get Back Up

"Mommy, what's wrong with Uncle Peeta?" Thomas asks as his mother peels potatoes for dinner as her son playing with some of his toy soldiers at the kitchen table. Sybil sits on the floor, banging pots with a wooden spoon.

It had been approximately a month since the sinking and things were no better for her brother or the tiny child at her feet. Peter and Sybil had basically moved in with them, which was fine if her brother's emotions didn't cast a gloomy shadow over them all. Even her son, Thomas had noticed, trying to play with his favourite uncle like they used to, but only getting a "not today" or a "not right now" as an answer. She could tell her son was becoming worried and even a bit depressed himself, something she didn't want for him or her brother.

Holly swallows hard. She peels a few more potatoes before she answers. She was hoping she wouldn't have to talk to her son about the concept of death until he was much older, but then her brother lost his wife and now he has to raise her sister by himself.

"He's very sad Thomas," Holly says.

"But why?"

"Well...he got hurt on the ship and then Aunt Emma...she went to heaven to be with Jesus..."

"Oh..." Thomas says. "Is heaven a good place mommy?"

"It's an amazing place, you remember about our times going to church and the pastor speaking about where good people go?"

"Uh huh..."

"Aunt Emma was a good person so she gets to be with Jesus."

Sybil bangs loudly on a pot, babbling loudly that interrupts them.

"Is Uncle Peeta going to stay with us forever?" Thomas asks.

"I don't think so honey, but he's going to stay with us for a little while until his leg gets better."

"Okay..."

"Besides, you like having Sybil around to play with don't you?" Holly asks, adding the potatoes to a big pot of stew on the stove.

"Yes Mommy, but she can't really play yet. She can't walk and you have to be careful what you leave around because she'll eat it"

"That's because she's just a baby. Babies need special attention when they're young because they are so small and don't know any better of what not to eat. They can't run or feed themselves yet. You were once a baby too."

"I was?"

"Yes you were, you were a precious little thing."

"Did I drool and make messes too?"

"More than your fair share honey..."

"But now I'm a big boy, I can count to thirty-six, run, colour and say my ABCs."

"Yes you can, now can the big boy please put his toys away and help Mommy set the table for Daddy when he comes home?"

"Okay..."

Thomas gathers his toys and puts them away and gathers the spoons and forks.

Holly continues stirring the pot of stew on the stove and looks down at the little girl at her feet. Sybil is clanging away on the pot and screeching. Holly feels as if the little one is banging out her frustrations on the piece of kitchen wear. To lose her sister in such a disaster and her parents even earlier, it will undoubtedly affect how she grew. She knew Peter would do his best to be a father to her, but he is only one man and he's still quite young to be put in this position. She knows he will have to deal with Emma's company as well. In this situation, Peter would be the heir to the company, but since there is no documentation that the couple married and that most of the witnesses are most likely dead, it would be hard to prove. It is not like Peter wants to run the company anyways, he's so depressed, Holly can barely stand it. She feels so sad for her brother. He mostly stays in the spare bedroom upstairs all day and when he does get up, he never comes downstairs. Holly has to bring him his food and she often sees him just staring out the window, as if waiting for Emma to walk through the door. He's also made no contact with Emma's father's company to at least tell them that there is still one living heir left. It would be a lot for a tiny 7-month old child to inherit everything.