Page 2 of Manny Included
“Eric!Where would I go?I belong with you and your brother and sisters.I swear to you, I will not leave you.”Pete rocked and petted, his own expression one of devastation.“I will not leave you.I’m your Pete, right?You guys are my kiddos.”
Jesus.What a fucking mess.If Tony wasn’t already dead, Bay would… do what?It was too soon for where that thought had been heading.Everything was still too fresh.He needed to get these kids into therapy.He made a mental note to get Will on it.Then he went through his bag and grabbed a pair of sweats and headed for the bathroom.If Pete had needed his help, he would have asked, right?
A sharp whistle cut through the air, little Belle standing there, her hair a mass of tangles, a huge bathrobe wrapped around her.“Stranger!Pete!Stranger in the house!”
“Jesus fuck, Belle.It’s Uncle Bay—you don’t remember me?”Granted it had been two, no probably three years since he’d seen the kids, but still.
She stared at him, searching his face.“You… you sent the babies from Japan?”
Well, at least she remembered the gifts he’d sent.“For your birthday.And then more at Christmas because you said in your thank-you card that you really liked them.”He’d bought her the whole damn set over the last couple years.Tony always got persnickity if he just sent them a check, so he’d been happy there was something he could just buy time after time.
“They’re in my bedroom.Have you seen Mamma and Daddy?”
His heart clenched.Did she think they were coming back?Hadn’t the Pete guy told them?Of course he had, he’d said they were hysterical.Was this denial?He didn’t have a fucking clue how to handle this.Give him a boardroom full of angry men and he was all over it, but kids were not his thing.He realized she was staring at him, and he swallowed.“What do you mean, honey?”
“Petey said that we couldn’t see their bodies.That either you and he would go and look at them.I want to see them.”
Oh no.No way.
He shook his head, going down onto his haunches so he was at her level.“No, honey.You don’t want to see them, trust me.”
“I have to!I have to give them goodbye hugs.Please!”
No, the coffins were going to be closed because they’d been pretty messed up according to Will, so he didn’t think this was a good idea at all.“We can figure out another way for you give them goodbye hugs, okay?”
“How?How?Pete said they’re in Heaven.Did he lie?”
“No.No, of course he didn’t lie.They are in Heaven.”Would she understand at all about how they weren’t in their bodies anymore, either?Christ.“Pete?”
“Coming.”Pete came back out, holding his arms open and Belle ran to them.“Hey, sweetpea, how can I help?”
“I need to see Mamma and Daddy and hug them goodbye, but Uncle Bay says I can’t go see them.”She was ramping up to be hysterical.
“Okay, listen to me.Your Uncle Bay loves you, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“If he says you can’t, there’s a reason.They’re gone, baby girl.I will hug you as much as you need, but you need to trust us.There’s a reason.”
Her lower lip quivered, but she took one breath and then another.“Why?”she asked.
Bay pursed his lips and decided to go for honest.“Because seeing them would be really, really hard and something that kids shouldn’t have to do.”
“But they asked me for a hug goodbye, and I was mad… I said no.”
“It’s okay, honey.They loved you very much and they understood.They knew you loved them too.”
Pete nodded to him.“That’s absolutely right.Come on, would you like some milk?”
Please go with Pete to get milk.He could not deal with this on no sleep and he really, really did not want to lose it right now.That was the last thing any of them needed.
She nodded.“Can I stay home from school today?”
“Yes.You and Eric both can.”
“All right.I want milk and to stay with you, Petey.Please.”
“Of course.Let’s get your Uncle Bay a coffee and we’ll make you milk.”