"I thought you were sleeping," Marissa didn't realize that she was so busy staring at her kids' sleeping faces that she didn't hear Sophie coming inside.
Placing her palms on the mattress, she straightened and rested her back on the hardboard. After hugging each other, they all came to the bed. Kids shared with her how they missed their father and Marissa listened to them very patiently.
Their pain needed to be acknowledged and she gently explained that from now on, their father would watch over them from afar. He would share in their happiness and sadness, cheering for them as before. The only difference was that they wouldn't be able to see or hold him.
While saying the words, she could feel sharp pain clawing her heart, but she had to offer solace to her children. They were far too young to bear this kind of grief.
They never knew what a father figure could be like and then when they got him, they were over the moon.
