“Sure, I understand,” he murmured, rubbing his neck while studying the floor. “But… How is all this going to affect our wedding plans?”
I stared at him, struggling to understand why he would ask such a question.
“Tristan, we lost my parents today,” I reminded him, my voice unsteady. GetParenting Tips
“I know, sweetheart, and I’m truly sorry,” he responded quickly, moving closer to kiss my forehead. “I’m only saying we have some important practical decisions to make.”
I desperately wanted to believe that shock and grief had made his words come out poorly, and I convinced myself he was simply struggling with everything that had happened.
Surely the man I had loved since seventeen could not truly believe what his distant manner seemed to imply.
After the guardianship paperwork was finalized, Tristan visited our home and asked a question that made it pa!nfully clear his earlier reaction had not been caused by temporary shock.
Once the doctors approved their discharge, I brought my brothers home from the hospital. I prepared grilled cheese sandwiches, carefully removed the crusts, and allowed them to curl up beside me beneath the comfortable quilt on my bed.
That evening, I watched them sleeping peacefully under the covers, listening to their quiet breathing.
Leaning toward their pillows, I whispered a promise I wanted them to remember, even if they were still too young to fully understand its meaning.
“No matter what happens, I will always be here to protect you,” I whispered lovingly.
