The word spread rapidly amongst the Abernathy's family and friends that little Melody Abernathy was gravely ill. Much more quickly than either Greg or Susan might have expected, everyone knew.
Meanwhile Greg and Susan were trying to live life as normally as possible for a while, because they knew very soon those days they considered normal would be over for good. Through their efforts to do their respective jobs, their colleagues and work associates gradually learned the news too, so that by the Wednesday following the July 4th holiday weekend, when they asked to take time off on Friday to spend with their family, everybody they spoke to understood.
Approximately 500 miles to the north of where the Abernathys lived, Alan and his wife Cindy were preparing for the change to their family too. They were bringing their children for a relatively brief, last visit with their young Aunt Melody. Alan spoke to his father every day during the intervening days between when he first heard the news and the day he and his family arranged for their visit. He learned that while Melody was in good spirits and genuinely looking forward to their visit and the zoo, she was also growing steadily weaker day by day, taking longer naps every afternoon and sometimes in the mornings too.
And so it was with some trepidation that they made the journey they'd made several times before, flying to Los Angeles for an extended weekend with Susan and Alan's father, Greg, and their family.
Alan and his family arrived late on Wednesday evening, and were not surprised to learn both Melody and Jessie were already in bed.
"Zack isn't though," Susan told their guests. "I'll let him know you are here."
"Please, make yourselves at home," Greg invited while Susan went to inform Zack company was here.
"Hi you guys," Zack said with a grin.
"Hi Zack," Alan said, stepping forward to shake Zack's hand. "You know why we've come."
Zack's smile faded slightly. "Because of Melody. Greg said he told you."
"Last Saturday," Alan agreed. "How is she?"
Zack glanced in surprise at his mother and Greg. "I'm sure Mom or Greg told you," he answered, doing his best to side-step the question.
"Yeah I know," Alan assured her. "But I wondered what you thought ... from a brother's perspective."
Zack shrugged. He knew Alan was Melody's half-brother too. "I don't know. Ever since Mom and Greg told me she's going to die soon, I keep watching, wondering if the way she behaves is what someone does when they're dying ... but it's not. Mostly it just seems like a different version of normal for Melody."
"How do you mean?" Alan asked.
"She's still a little sore and stuff because of the surgery, but generally speaking she seems to feel great. She likes to show me how she can run farther than she could before without getting out of breath. We've been swimming in the pool some in the afternoons when I'm home, and she can actually do it now. Yesterday she swam across the whole pool by herself. She's been asking Jessie and me to teach her how to dive, and I would except I'm not sure she should be doing that." Zack looked hesitantly at his mother as he said that.
"You can, Zack, if you'd like to teach her," Susan told her son.
"Are you sure it's okay, Mom? Considering?" Zack questioned.
"Melody is allowed to do anything she would like to do and is able to do within reason," Greg said.
"Yeah, okay. Maybe I'll show her how tomorrow, after you get home from the doctor," Zack said.
YOU ARE READING
Legacy of the Dreams
FantasíaThis is Book 10 of the Dreamers Series. In this story, life for Greg and Susan's family goes back to normal following the release of Greg's movie, and solving the mystery behind their most disturbing dreams from their past lives. Normal, but with a...