Page 2 of Forget Me Not
“Mackenzie?” His mother pressed her palm to my back. “We should go home now.”
I shook the sorrow from my eyes and looked up. His father was watching me with such sadness, that I lost my breath. I was being selfish. These people had lost their only son, and I was standing here acting as though I was the only one dealing with the heartbreak.
My voice cracked as my eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop it. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry. I got twenty-one years with him, and you…” her voice faltered as she fought back the sob. “You’re all I have left, Mackenzie.”
I pulled her into an embrace and let the emotions wash over me. Catherine and David were all I had left of Danny. Maybe somehow, we could get through this gut-wrenching heartache together. I’d lost my parents, and now I’d lost the only man I would ever love. I gave one last glance at the upturned dirt and willed my heart to beat. I had insisted on his grave being blanketed by our favorite flowers—only I hadn’t expected the profound sadness they would create when I saw the brilliant blue against the red dirt.
My feet refused to move, as if every step were a bullet to my flesh. I could hear the murmuring of voices as David guided me into the car and slammed the door shut. My stomach coiled with nausea as he pulled out of the graveyard, leaving behind my heart and soul.
My tears fell unabashedly as we navigated home. David and Catherine had taken care of terminating our apartment lease and had some friends pack our belongings up. Until today, I hadn’t gotten out of bed—the grief consuming my entire being. His parents felt moving back in with them was the right thing to do. They worried about my mental wellbeing, knowing I had already lived through the loss of my parents. And honestly, they were right to move me home. I couldn’t bear to go back into our apartment again. It reminded me of him too much. Even their house was a constant reminder of what I had lost, at least I had them to soften the pain.
“Mackenzie.” David, Danny’s father, pulled my hand into his. “I know this is hard—we miss him too. I hear Catherine crying at night and there isn’t anything I can do to ease the heartbreak. But you can get through this. He would want you to. This won’t be the last time something hard is thrown your way. Keep getting up and putting one foot in front of the other. You must. Danny loved you so much and I have to believe he’s watching you now.”
I nodded, absorbing his words. He was right. Danny wouldn’t want me to wither away and die. He would expect me to get up and keep living. Only I didn’t want to do it without him. Squeezing David’s hand, I forced a smile. “I know. But Danny promised forever and always. How am I supposed to be happy when he isn’t here to share in it?”
“You just do. Life is hard. Things happen we don’t plan for, but we must survive. We love you, Mackenzie. Nothing will change that. You’ve been like a daughter to us and his death doesn’t change that.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The pain was too fresh to think of a life without him. Forever wasn’t long enough. Thinking of anything beyond tomorrow was entirely too difficult.
Mackenzie
Ten years later…
“Alright, class. Who can tell me what the value of x is?” I watched as hands flew into the air.
After taking a year off from college to recover from the events that turned my life upside down, I finally graduated. And now, at nearly thirty-one, I loved my job. There was still a gaping hole in my heart that mourned Danny, but in his death, something wonderful happened.
“Ms. Stanton.” The school secretary, Mrs. Harris, stood at my door. “You’re needed in the front office.”
“Is everything okay?” I tilted my head in confusion. When she simply stared, I knew something was off. “Okay then. Children, take out your textbooks and complete page two hundred and nineteen. This is for a grade so do your best.”
I stepped out into the hallway to find Miss Langston. “I’ll cover you until they can get a sub.”
“A sub? I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
“It’s Danny.”
My entire body tingled with panic as her words filtered through my mind. “Danny?” My voice cracked with fear. “Is he okay?”
“He’s going to be fine, but he fell on the playground and we think he broke his arm.”
“Take me to him.”
My heart jumped into my throat when I stepped into the front office. My whole reason for surviving was curled up in the principal’s lap, tears streaming down his face. As soon as his eyes caught mine, he called out, “Momma.” He wriggled free and attempted to stand.
“Whoa. Hold up, buddy.” I squatted beside him and brushed the wetness from his cheek. “How did this happen?” I glanced up at my friend and boss, Karen Peters.
“He was on the monkey bars and slipped.”
“Alright then. I guess we need to get you to the emergency room and get an x-ray.” I hoisted him up and held him against my chest.
“I can walk, Mom. Geez.”
“You can. But I want to carry you.”
“Call me and let me know what they say. I’ve already put in for a sub for the rest of the week, so don’t worry about this place. I’ll get Megan to write up some plans for your students.”
