spent the rest of the night going through old photo albums, allowing me to express a whole new gamut of emotions. I loved looking at the old photographs of my childhood. The tears started as I looked at the pictures of my dad and me. He was my hero and I missed him so much. I wished that he could be here right now to help me get over this because if there was anyone that could, it would have been him. My parents were the happiest couple I had ever known. My mother had gotten pregnant with my brother when she was only eighteen. The two of them married right away and were together until the day he died. I thought that Jamie and I would be just like them. I knew that we probably would have been if Charlie was still here.
I looked at the clock, surprised to see that it was already midnight. “Well, I’m going to bed,” I said.
“Me, too! It’s way past my bedtime.”
We kissed good night and headed off to our rooms. I walked into the room that I had slept in my whole life and a sense of calmness temporarily overtook my troubled mind. My mother had since repainted my pink walls yellow, and had taken down the posters of my teen idols and replaced them with beautiful beach-themed prints, but it was still my room . The place that always provided me with a sense of comfort no matter how I was feeling. I unzipped my suitcase and took out a pair of pajamas. I was too tired to unpack and decided to save that for the morning. I quickly changed and took out the picture of me and my two loves, placing a kiss on the cool glass of the picture frame before setting it on the nightstand. “Mommy’s really scared, Charlie, so I’m going to hold your hand, if that’s okay,” I whispered.
We walked around the Magic Kingdom all morning long. I wasn’t much of a ride person so I would just sit it out on a bench, while Jamie and Charlie took in all of the attractions. I didn’t mind and my tired feet actually welcomed it. Charlie’s smile was a mile wide as he and Jamie exited the Buzz Lightyear ride. “That was so much fun! You shoulda come!”
I smiled at his enthusiasm. “Nope, that’s what Daddy is for. I’m a big chicken when it comes to rides.”
“That one wasn’t bad at all, Hope,” Jamie said.
“Well, I’ll take your word for it. Ever since I threw up on the tea cups in front of everyone on my class trip when I was a little girl, I’ve avoided any form of unnecessary motion.”
He shook his head and laughed.
“I’m hungry!” Charlie exclaimed.
I looked at my watch, surprised to see that it was after one. “Well, can you two tear yourselves away from your fun to eat some lunch?” I asked.
Charlie flashed his toothless grin and smiled. We decided on Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Café. We found a table outside and sat down with our burgers, listening to the screams from Splash Mountain. “Dad, can we go on that one next, please?” Charlie pleaded.
Jamie nodded. “Only if you eat all of your lunch first.”
Charlie quickly took another bite of his burger. I pulled out my camera, and Jamie and Charlie both rolled their eyes. They were all-to-familiar with my photography addiction and were usually good sports about letting me snap pictures of them, but every now and then, I would get the occasional protest. “Come on! Just one…for me?”
“One? This is like your hundredth picture that you’ve taken today!” Jamie said.
“Please?” I said, sticking out my bottom lip and pretending to pout.
“Fine!” Charlie moved closer to Jamie and rested his head on his shoulder.
“Smile!” I shouted before snapping the most perfect picture.
“Would you like me to take a picture of the three of you?” an older woman who was passing by our table asked.
“Oh, that would be great!” I said, jumping on the chance for another picture. I moved my chair closer to Jamie and leaned my head on his shoulder, while Charlie stood on the other side of him and leaned his head on his other