Chapter 65

sixty-five

PAUL

Three days later, I still hadn't told Amy that Liam was moving to Chicago. I was hoping Amy became used to not having him around. So far, she hadn't asked to call him and we hadn't sent him any drawings. I didn't know how long that would last, but I hoped it'd be for a while.

Amy rushed into the kitchen. Her backpack bounced against her shoulders, jiggling the plastic containers inside.

"Try not to run too much while the cookies are in your backpack," I said to her. "Otherwise, the children in your class will only have crumbs to eat."

Amy stood on tiptoes to take her drink bottle off the counter. "I'm ready to go to school."

"I'll meet you in the entryway. I have to get my jacket."

With a happy smile on her face, Amy disappeared into the hallway.

I walked into my bedroom and opened the closet. Hanging on the left-hand side was my red jacket. It was bright and warm and made me feel happy .

As soon as I saw Amy, I smiled. "I'm ready, too. Let's go."

Amy held my hand. "One of the boys in my class has a dad who doesn't live with him. They only see each other on the weekends."

"Oh. That's…interesting. Apart from eating cookies, what are you looking forward to today?"

"Thomas the turtle is getting a friend. Mrs. Polanski said it's a boy, but he doesn't have a name. Can we ask Liam if he wants to build a snowman with us this weekend?"

I bit my bottom lip. "He won't be able to come to Sunrise Bay this weekend."

"Is he busy?"

I opened the door of my truck and clicked Amy's safety harness into place. "He's very busy."

"Can we call him and ask?"

"That's not a good idea, Amy. He's starting a new job next week."

Amy's eyes lit with excitement. "Is he coming to live with us again? I could draw him some more pictures. Liam loves my pictures."

I put the keys in the ignition and took a deep breath. "Liam's going to live in the same city as his dad. It's a long way from here."

"But he can still come and see us. I like Liam's truck and, when we go for long drives, he tells the best stories."

I shook my head. "He won't be able to see us very often. He'd have to fly in a plane and it would take a long time."

"When will we see him again?"

With a heavy heart, I turned to Amy. "He's staying in Chicago forever. We won't see him again."

"Like Mommy?" Tears gathered in Amy's eyes .

"No, not like Mommy. Liam hasn't gone to heaven. He's going to live in Chicago."

"But why can't we see him again?"

"Liam has a different job. He needs to help other people now."

"I still need him. He could help us."

I opened my door and sat beside Amy on the back seat. "It's not as easy as that. Chicago is a long way away. You can still send Liam pictures of what you're doing."

"I want him here."

"I know you do, but he's not coming back."

Amy sat silently in her car seat.

"I'm sorry, Amy."

She dropped her chin to her chest. "Can we go to school now? I want to see Thomas the turtle."

I kissed the side of her face. "It'll be okay."

The single tear falling down Amy's face told a different story.

And the saddest thing was that I didn't know if our lives would ever be okay again.