Chapter 65
Chapter 6: Cone
the tragic bombing that shook the city’s school of
My fingers tightened around my phone as I watched the shaky footage playing out in front of me until the video cut into a chaotic scene, medics rushing through the wreckage, the muffled cries of terrified children in the background.
Then my heart stopped seeing Elise.
She was on the screen, screaming and crying as her husband was carrying Eunice in his arms,
I felt sick as Rylie’s words echoed in my head, and I saw them in reality. It was Eunice with blood all over her. I couldn’t believe it was the little kid who smiled and laughed happily with chuldren
Elise collapsed, cluiching at her daughter’s hand, I felt something tightened in my heart as I watched her cry with agony
yand despair
“Parents and students are still reeling from the devastating explosion that claimed innocent lives and left many critically injured. Rescue teams arrived within minutes, but it was already too late for some.-
Joh my God.” I whispered, shaking my head as if denying it would change reality.
i crying, some clinging to their injured classmates, teachers covered in soot and blood, trying to comfort them
The footage continued–children c despite their fear.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the images burned into my
I had prayed so hard and prayed that Rylie’s nightmare wasn’t real
And no prayer could take away the pain I was s
seeing on the screen
A knock on the bathroom door almost made me drop my phone. When another knock followed, my heart started beating faster with nervousness.
But I shook my head, reminding myself where I was
No, that person is not here.
We’re safe.
“Mi?” Gavin’s voice from outside calmed me down.
I took a shaky breath, and forcing a smile, I reached for the doorknob, assuming Rylie hat woken up and was now in Gavin’s arms.
But when I opened the door, he was alone.
I glanced past him toward the bed, and there they were my kids, sull sleeping peacefully
Gavin didn’t say anything right away. His eyes flickered to my phone, still clutched in my hand, then back to my face.
He sighed. “You watched the news?”
I exhaled slowly, pressing the phone to my chest as if I could erase the memory of the tragedy I had just seen. “Y–yeah, I saw it,” I said, my voice tracking 1 bit my lip as I walked toward my kids.
Gavin put his arm around my shoulders. “I saw Rylie’s best friend. Eunice… Tell me she’s okay, Gavin–that she survived.”
But Gavin’s only answer was to pull me into a hug. His silence was louder than any words.
Larpped back, shaking my head as my gave landed on my kids–especially Kylie
____“She was brought here to the hospital along with the other injured ones,” he said quietly. “Unfortunately, after a day, she didn’t make it. Actually,
Today is her burial.
Tucked in a sharp breath, my chest tightening. Reality is cruel.
“How am I supposed to tell this to Rylie!” I whispered.
Chapter 65
A soil whimper from Ry he broke through the silence as if on cue.
“No. Funior.” Ryber’s Engers curled into the blanket. A tear dipped down her cheek.
I koelt beside her. “Baby wake up” I whispered, brushing her hair and kissing her tears away. “Mommy’s here”
She gasped, her eyes opening as another sob tore from her throat. “Eunice! Mommy, Eunice.”
Her any s ing around my neck, and she ching to me as if I would disappear, roo
I rocked her gently, kissing the top of her head shh, baby. I got you, I got you”
She hrcopped against my shoulder, “Mommy, is Eunice dead?” she asked, and her words knocked the breath our of me,
↑ inhaled sharply, feeling the weight of her question pressing down on me. My armi tightened around her, and for a moment. I just held her, trying to find the right words
| wwallowed hand. “Do you know what that word means, baby?”
She sniffed and pulled back. Her green eyes, usually filled with happiness, were now clouded with sadness and pain.
Slowly, the nodded. “It mean the won’t come back. Mommy? Right?”
T
I took a deep breath, holding her close. “Yes, baby, li means she won’t be with us like she used to be.”
Her lower lip trembled, “But where did she go. Mommy)”
I stroked her hair, choosing my words carefully. “When someone we love dies, it means their body stops working–like when a toy runs out of bateries and can’t rum on anyone
Her birle brows furrowed “But can’t they just get a new battery, Mommy? I want Eunice back. I want her to play with me”
1 placed my hand over her chest “Unfortunately, we can’t do that. Their body is gone, Rylie. But you know what? Their love, kindness, and happy things about them stay in our hearts. That’s where they live now–inside the people who love them.”
Rybe looked down at my hand on her chest, then covered it with her tiny fingers warm against mine. “So Eunice is in my heart?”
I nodded, my throat tightening. “Yes, baby. She’ll always be with you–in your memories, in the love you have for her.”
She bit her lip. “But where is the really. Mommy? Like, where did she go?”
I smiled softly, tucking a stray curl–behind her ear. “She went to heaven, sweetheart.”
Rylle blinked up at me “What’s heaven like?“:
no pain, no
I smiled, remembering a dream I once had of Grandma. “Heaven is a beautiful place, Rylie. It’s like a paradise. In that place, there’s no sadness–only happiness. It’s where people go when it’s their time to rest, and they get to be at prace”
t
“Is the happy there. Mommy!”
Tappout
er the peopl
prople she cares about.
led. “I believe she is, baby. She’s surrounded by love and will always watch over
Rylie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Can I still talk to her?”
I smiled softly. “Of course. You can talk to her anytime. She might not answer the way she used to, but she’ll always be listening.”
I watched as Rylie processed everything. Then, in a shaky voice, I caressed her hair. “Do you want to say goodbye to Eunice, Rylie?”
She looked up at me. “I can do that?”
“Yes, you can, Rylie
“I want to see her. Mommy. I want to say goodbye
I pulled her close, wrapping her in my arms. “Okay, baby,” I whispered, kissing her head. “We’ll go. V
We’ll say goodbye to her.”
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