Chloe lets out a low ‘ooo’ sound, her lips round as she watches it in amazement. Movement from the corner of my eye has me turning to look at my brother, his eyes damp as he leans down to slide his bouquet into the other attached vase.
Rocking back on my heels, I push upward, standing beside him as we watch Chloe inch closer to the butterfly. She reaches out her tiny fingers and the butterfly lifts back into the air. It slips past me and Chloe runs behind me, watching as it floats away.
“They both would have loved her,” Wyatt says quietly as we turn around to watch her as she steps into the pathway that winds around the cemetery. She walks over to the other edge of the grass, plucking a dandelion from the ground below.
“She would have loved them too,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I wish they were here.”
“So do I, sis,” Wyatt admits as he slides his arm over the tops of my shoulders, pulling my side against his. “I miss both of them every single day.”
I turn to look up at my brother, his dark blue eyes meeting mine. “They’d be proud of you, you know.” A tender smile drifts across my lips. “You’re making a difference in the world. You’re saving lives.”
His smile is sad as he looks down at me. “It won’t bring them back,” he says softly, his voice filled with sorrow. “I hope I can save someone from suffering the same fate as them.”
“And even if you can’t, it’s because it was beyond your control,” I remind him. My brother has always been his biggest critic. Living with the guilt of patients dying has to weigh heavily on him, even if he doesn’t show it. “You always do the best you can.”
He lets out a soft breath. “I know.” He tears his gaze from mine, turning to look at Chloe as she sits down on the ground, picking the petals from the stem. “They’d be proud of you too.”
“You think so?” I question him, watching Chloe as she stands back up and turns to face up.
“I know so,” he says, giving my shoulder a squeeze before releasing me. “You’ve done well, little sis.”
Chloe comes sprinting towards us, half tripping over her own feet as her giggling drifts through the breeze. She recovers without falling, stopping in front of Wyatt and I.
“You wanna go get ice cream, little one?” My brother asks her, bending down to scoop her up.
“It’s not even lunchtime yet,” I half scold him, a smile tugging at my lips as we turn back to the gravestone. My eyes trail over the lettering, over our parent’s names.
Until we meet again.
“You know there’s an international ice cream for breakfast day, right?”
“Is it today?” I question him, lifting an eyebrow.
“No, but we can pretend it is.”
Chloe twirls her stem between her fingers before looking at me eagerly. “Eye cweem?”
I bite back my grin, rolling my eyes at my brother before tapping Chloe on the nose. “Only because you asked.”
Wyatt chuckles, glancing back at the headstone before he starts to walk away. I pause for a beat, staring back at the granite stone.
“Love you mom and dad,” I tell it quietly, the words catching on the lump in my throat. I linger for a moment or two, my heart beating steadily in my chest before I turn away and follow after my brother and my daughter.
Wyatt holds her close to his chest and I watch her as she points out into the distance, the two of them having a quiet conversation as we head through the cemetery and make our way through the gates. Dust kicks up from Wyatt’s shoes as he walks through the gravel, heading to his truck parked in the small lot along the road.
“I’m glad you were able to come today,” I tell my brother as we fall in step walking up to the passenger’s side of his truck. I pull open the back door for him, moving out of his way as he sets Chloe down in her carseat. “It was nice to do this together.”
“I’m sorry I’m not around more,” he tells me, stepping back after securing her buckles. He grabs the door, gently closing it. “I just—it’s hard, being in Cheyenne.”
I reach for his hand, giving him a gentle squeeze. “I know, Wy. We’re just glad you’re here right now.”
He squeezes mine back, his smile not reaching his eyes before he lets go. There’s sadness in his gaze before he turns away and walks around to his side. I glance back at the cemetery one last time before climbing into the truck.
Wyatt has made a life for him outside of Silverspur and I can never be anything but proud of him.Just like our parents would be.
The three of us find an empty table out front of the creamery and sit down with our ice cream. Chloe lifts her spoon, a few rainbow sprinkles rolling off the scoop as she pushes it past her lips.Chocolate coats them, making a mess around her mouth, but it doesn’t bother her at all.
“Darn, girl, you’re messy!” Wyatt laughs, handing her a napkin. “I think we’re going to need more of these than what we grabbed.”
