Page 90 of Dreams Do Come True

“Yeah, Lyric, that was your mum and dad,” I say softly.

He looks around. “Mama, dada.”

I sit down next to Monica and Kean.

“They’re in the baskets,” Monica tells him, stroking his hand.

“No come?” he asks, looking at me.

“No Lyric, no come,” I reply softly.

He sniffs and pulls his teddy close, while holding tightly onto my shirt, as if he’s afraid I’ll go as well.

The vicar steps forward and starts the service. Monica and a man called Reval, who was Reggie’s best friend, both stand up and say something, and then the service is over, with both coffins being carried outside to the graveyard at the back of the church.

We all gather around the double grave. I move Lyric so he can see what’s happening.

The vicar says prayers, and the baskets are lowered into the ground.

“No, mama, dada,” Lyric cries out, trying to get down.

“Shh, Lyric,” I say, trying to settle him.

“Scare,” he says, crying, tears falling down his face.

“You’re scared for mama and dada?” I ask gently.

He nods.

“They’re safe, they can’t feel anything,” I tell him softly. What am I supposed to tell him? How do I help him make sense of this and feel better? Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring him today. I pull a tissue out of my pocket and wipe his face. Unconsciously, I lean into Kean, who slips his arm around me. River is awake and watching from his arm.

Kean kisses the side of my head and then Lyric’s.

“If anyone would like to throw dirt or a flower on the coffins, now is the time,” the vicar announces.

Daniel hands me a flower from a bunch I hadn’t noticed he had picked up from somewhere.

“Thanks,” I say, taking the yellow carnation. I walk closer to the grave and pass it to Lyric. “Do you want to drop this in the ground?”

He takes the flower and throws it in.

“Well done,” I say, moving back.

Kean steps forward and throws a flower in for River. We move out of the way so others can drop flowers or dirt in.

After that, the funeral and burial are over, people come over to chat to me and Kean and to see the boys. All the time, I’m aware of Temp, Sly and Ben standing close by, watching over us.

Reval and his wife, Macy, come over to introduce themselves and to see the boys and meet us.

“I’m so glad Doris lived long enough to give birth and that you used the name they picked out,” Macy says, holding River.

I tried to hand Lyric to Reval, but he wouldn’t let up his death grip on my shirt.

“It was the least we could do. We’re putting pictures of Reggie and Doris up in their rooms and creating memory books about their parents,” I say.

“Would you like to write things about Reggie and Doris that we can add to the book?” Kean asks.

Macy sniffs and nods.