Page 62 of Healing Hearts
He climbs into the truck, bubbling with stories about his day. Once he’s strapped in, I decide on a course of action.
“We’re going to buy some flowers, bud,” I say, starting the truck. “One set is for your dad, and the other is for your mom. Think you can help me with that?”
“For my dad?” Amir says.
“For his grave,” I say.
“Mom and I used to do that,” Amir says. “We used to take flowers to dad’s grave and to Grandpa’s, but we haven’t done that in a long time.”
“No?” I ask, and I make a mental note to get three bundles of flowers. While we’re there, we might as well honor Jim too.
“No,” Amir says, and then he seems lost in thought. “I think Christmas was the last time.”
I want to ask him if he thinks doing this will upset Emily, if maybe she hasn’t done it in so long because she decided it wasn’tthe best thing to do. But he’s a five-year-old kid, and I don’t want to put him in a weird position.
I’ll stick to my plan, and I’ll brace myself for Emily telling me I’ve done it all wrong, if it comes to that.
At the flower shop, Amir looks around, picking up bundles of flowers and then putting them back.
“Having trouble deciding?” I ask.
“Well,” Amir says, gesturing to the premade bundles, “I want red for my dad. Just red. And I want purple for Grandpa. But they’re all mixed up.”
“Ah,” I say. “How about we tell Mrs. Maynard what we’re after and see if she can get us what we want?”
“So we’re not buying one of these?”
“We don’t have to. She’ll make special bundles for us if there are certain things we want.”
“Yes,” he says with finality. “Let’s do that.”
Sometimes his decisive personality makes me laugh a little on the inside. I try not to let it out in case he thinks I’m laughingathim. His personality quirks entertain me, and I’d never want him to takewhohe is to be a bad thing.
Amir points at the flowers he wants, and he’s very specific about how they should look within the bundles. His dad gets red carnations and red roses. His grandfather gets lavender and some other flowers I don’t recognize. When it’s time to get his mom flowers, he turns to me.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“Maybe we use some of the flowers from your dad’s and grandpa’s arrangements and then add in some white with them?”
“Yes!” Amir says, his enthusiasm returning. “Just like Trent sent.”
Mrs. Maynard sends me an amused look as she makes up the third bundle and then rings up the total. I take out my card and pay for them.
“Now we just need to get your mom,” I say as I carry out two of the bundles and Amir carries the third.
“Maybe you can tell her to meet us there,” Amir says.
In the truck, I take out my phone and text Em to ask if she’s busy.
Just finished showing. Going to get Amir. You at work still?
Nope. I have Amir already, actually. Sorry. Should have told you. We’re going to the cemetery. Want to meet us there?
There’s a long pause before I receive another message, and then when I do, it’s just one word.
Okay.
My heart hammers in my chest as I drive to the cemetery. I’m really not sure I’ve done the right thing here, but it was the best I could come up with.
