Page 7 of Doctor Frost

“Oh no, I’m okay,” she said, still staring at the paper in front of her.

“Okay then.”

I grabbed my plate and carried it over to the table where I sat down and cut into chicken and popped a piece into my mouth.

“Dad…can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything.”

As she smiled up at me, all I could see was my wife. God, she looked just like Kenzie, and the older she got, the more the resemblance stood out. She had her hair and her eyes, even her smile was the same. Some days, it was hard to look at her without remembering everything about my wife, not that she was ever far from my mind.

“Well…there is this dance at school…”

“Ah, yes, I saw that permission form on the fridge door. The Christmas dance, right?” I questioned.

“Yes, you said I could go.”

“Yes, and I signed the form. You took it into school, right? Or do I need to talk to your teacher?”

She nodded. “No, I took it in.”

“Good.” I turned my attention back to my plate. “So, what is this question you want to ask me?”

“Dad, I was wondering, would it be okay if I got my hair done for that? I’ve been saving my allowance, but I am short,” she asked, looking up at me with hope in her eyes.

I looked at her, at her beautiful brown hair that had natural copper highlights, exactly like her mother, and cleared my throat.

“What did you want to do to your hair?”

She looked up at me and shrugged. “I just wanted to get it cut a little.”

Relief flooded me. I was hoping she didn’t want to colour it like some girls in her grade. Her hair was far too beautiful to change, and I’d have had a hard time agreeing to that.

“I think that could be done, and you keep your allowance.” I winked.

“Thanks, Dad.” Clair smiled and went back to her homework just as Tommy came into the kitchen, pulling the juice carton from the fridge with his small hands.

“What you doing there, sport?” I asked, watching him struggle to reach the table.

“I want some juice.” He shrugged before making his way over to the cupboard to grab his cup off the counter.

He placed the cup down and was about to open the carton of juice, only I stopped him and did it for him, pouring him half a glass, then placing his glass in front of the empty chair.

“Thanks, Dad.”

He sat down on the chair beside me while I continued to eat my dinner and Clair worked on her homework. I smiled as both my kids sat with me. We’d all gone through a hard change after losing Kenzie. She was taken so suddenly, and it had changed all of us. We’d all struggled to find a new dynamic, making our smaller family life work. It was hard, stressful, and I worried how not having a other might affect Clair and Tommy in the future. I did my best to be there for both of them, but I barely understood my own feelings.

“How would you guys like to hit the Christmas market on the weekend with Mrs. Jenkins?” I questioned.

Claire’s eyes lit up. The Christmas market was something she’d always done with her mother and since she’d passed, I’d avoided the topic. Honestly, it had been hell even thinking of this time of year, since Kenzie had died so close to her favourite holiday.

“YES!!!!” she screamed, her eyes lighting up! “I can’t wait!”

“What about you, sport?”

Tommy nodded as he drank his juice.

“Okay, it’s a date. Get your homework done.” I winked as I took the last couple bites of my chicken, sat back, and watched my kids.

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