Page 59 of Drake Eternal

Better to just let her fume, unable to confront me as she wanted.

We drove through the streets of Nairobi back to our lovely hotel, and I felt immense relief that in only two days, the three of us would be on our way to meet Liam at the airport for the rest of our trip. I thanked my driver and then went to our hotel suite, using the key card to get inside where I found Sophie and Kate sitting on the patio watching the sunset.

I bent down and kissed Sophie on the head. “Hello, my two favorite girls,” I said and then went over to Kate and kissed her as well.

“Hi, Daddy,” Sophie said and held up her coloring book. “See what I’m coloring? It’s a rhinoceros.”

“And so it is,” I said and smiled, taking it from her hand and examining it closely. “I like her eyelashes.”

“They’re long.”

“They are. She’s very beautiful.”

I handed the coloring book back to Sophie and then went to the small kitchenette and placed my briefcase down on the desk beside it. Kate came over and put her arm around me, her head on my shoulder.

“How was your day? Do I smell whiskey on your breath, by chance?”

I turned around and pulled Kate into my arms, smiling. “You would be right. Michael had me in his office to say goodbye and we had a couple of drinks and reminisced about Liam. Michael wants to come visit Liam’s grave with us, so he and Miranda will meet us at the airport.”

“Oh, that’s so nice. Everyone will be together this year to visit the grave.”

“It’s going to be great. With your father and Michael, and with Liam…” I shook my head, momentarily overcome with emotion. My throat choked and my eyes brimmed with tears.

“Oh, my love,” Kate said and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I kissed her back, the feel of her warmth against me making my heart swell. I loved her so much…

We spent the next two days just lounging around the hotel, enjoying the amenities, the warm weather, the palm trees, the pool just outside our balcony. Sophie loved it and when she wasn’t splashing in the pool, she was coloring or watching movies on the flatscreen.

As for Kate and me, we spent it just decompressing from both our lives. It was a relief not to have to go into the hospital and face an OR shift or rounds checking on patients, as much as I loved my profession. I needed a break from the hectic pace and the stress of it.

By the time our flight was set to leave for Ethiopia, I was rested and ready to face our next adventure.

As we planned, Michael and Miranda met us at the airport in Nairobi, which was one of the main hubs in Africa.

“You don’t mind if I come along?” Miranda asked me as we stood in a circle after embracing when we saw them arrive. “I know this is important to Michael and so I wanted to come along.”

“Not at all,” I said and gave her another hug. “This is important to us all, and if you’re part of Michael’s life, I want you to be here, too.”

We boarded our flight to Addis Ababa together, and after a few short hours, we arrived and took a taxi to the hotel where we would stay overnight. Maureen, Chris and Liam would be arriving the next day, and would stay with us while we visited Liam’s grave. Maureen and Chris would stay in Addis Ababa at the hotel until we brought Liam back for the rest of his summer stay with them.

I’d bought Ethan and Elaine first class tickets on Emirates, because I wanted Ethan to be as comfortable as possible, considering this might be his very last flight. They were scheduled to arrive the next afternoon after a layover in Dubai.

Soon, we would all be together. Then, we would charter a small plane to Arba Minch Airport. That wasn’t the end of our trip. From there, we would charter a chopper to Yebelo, where we would stay overnight.

Liam’s flight arrived an hour before Ethan’s and when I saw his face, the mask firmly in place as he disembarked the plane, I felt a surge of joy.

He grabbed his suitcase and made sure to turn it into a scooter so he could show off to us all.

Sophie squealed with delight when she saw him riding over to us, and that alone made everything worthwhile.

Brother and sister hugged, and I knew that no matter the temporary separation, they loved each other and would have a strong bond the rest of their lives.

When Ethan’s plane finally arrived an hour late due to some weather, I watched as he was pushed in his wheelchair towards us at the arrivals gate. He was wearing a special respirator to protect himself from Covid. It had a built-in oxygen mask, so he could get enough oxygen while wearing it.

He looked tired, his eyes haggard, and I doubted he had much sleep, but we would be able to rest once we all arrived in Yebelo. The small hotel I’d booked was comfortable and we made sure that the room was wheelchair accessible. He needed to be as refreshed as possible for the trip the following day to Liam’s grave.

Sophie and Liam ran up to his wheelchair and put their arms around his neck, on each side. “Grandpa!”

He smiled and squeezed each one in turn, stroking their hair. “There’s my kids. How was your trip?” He spoke with a notable wheeze, and part of me was afraid he wouldn’t make it, but then I kicked myself. It would be the fatigue and once he was rested, he would be better.

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