Status: On-Going
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Chapter 18
I hurried down to the basement and sat down on the couch. “Hey. Sav. Come here for a minute,” I said, patting the spot next to me on the couch.
She came over and curled up next to me. “Alright. So, sissy has a new friend. And he wanted to be here to help us tomorrow at the funeral, because it’s going to be a super sad day and he’s going to help us feel better, okay?”
“Mmhm. Is he your boyyyfriend?”
“Well, yes, actually,” I stuttered out, staring down at her. “He is. And I like him a lot and I really want you to meet him. Would that be okay?”
“I would love to meet him. Can he play Monopoly with us?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I asked, glancing up to see Tyler standing in the doorway.
Savannah followed my line of sight. Her mouth dropped as she recognized who was standing in front of her.
“Hey Savannah!” Tyler said with a wave and a smile.
Savannah’s eyes went wide as she turned back to me. “Sissy – that’s Tyler Seguin,” she whispered, glancing out of the corner of her eye.
“Yes it is,” I whispered back, smiling a little.
“Well, okay. I’m going to say hi to him but then can I meet your boyfriend?”
We all immediately started laughing and Savannah sheepishly looked over at Tyler. He slowly came over and sat on the edge of the couch on the other side of me.
He held out his hand and said, “Hey munchkin. I’m Tyler. And well, I am Riley’s boyfriend.”
“No way,” she whispered, shaking his hand excitedly. She glanced at me again so I smiled and nodded. “That’s so cool. Wanna play Monopoly? I’ll play nice I promise.”
“I would love to play!” he said excitedly, moving to sit on the floor.
“Only for another little while, okay Sav? You need to go to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day and I’m sure Tyler’s really tired too.”
“Okay. Just 20 minutes?”
“That sounds reasonable,” I replied with a wink.
About a half an hour later I was tucking her into bed while Tyler watched from the door. As soon as I’d said my good nights she asked if she could say good night to Tyler alone. He moved into the room as I returned to the couch. A few minutes later he sat down next to me.
“Sorry, but she’s my new favorite person,” he said, pulling me closer to him.
“Understandable. I kinda like her too. What’d she say just then?” I glanced up and noticed his eyes were a little red.
“She told me her favorite player was Marchy,” he said with a laugh. “Although I already knew that thanks to your little video.”
“You look like you were crying.”
“She said her favorite player was Marchy because I was her big brother’s favorite player. She said me and Marchy are best friends just like her and her big brother used to be and that’s why she loves Marchy so much.”
I climbed up and straddled his lap so I was eye level with him. “Thank you for coming,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry it took me so long,” he replied. “I’m sorry you had to sit down by yourself and explain to that beautiful little kid what happened to her mom and brother.”
I nodded as the tears started falling. “I’m sorry Jeremy never got to meet you.”
“Yeah,” he replied, pulling me in closer. “I’m sorry for that too.”
-
I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Wandering around the house, I eventually found Tyler and Savannah in the kitchen. “What’re you doing?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“We’re making pancakes!” Savannah exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
“Well that’s good because I am absolutely starving,” I replied, moving to lean against the counter and watch. I noticed the plate stacked high with already made pancakes. “Jesus, how long have you been up?” I asked Tyler.
“A couple hours,” he responded, helping Savannah pour more batter into the pan. “Don’t burn yourself, lady,” he continued distractedly.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“We didn’t have to. She came in looking for you around 8. I wanted to let you sleep. Today’s going to be a hard day, Riley. You needed sleep. I was going to wake you once we were done so you could eat and get ready.”
“Right,” I whispered, the full reality of what was happening today finally sank in. Tyler came over and gave me a quick kiss.
“I’m right here,” he mouthed as Savannah giggled in the background. “Now, go sit down and let me bring you your breakfast, woman.”
-
Between eating, cleaning up and getting dressed and ready to go, the morning simply flew. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the church. Me and Savannah, along with Tyler, Addy, Ellie and the Wrights waited downstairs as everyone filed in. Once the funeral was ready to start, we headed upstairs to take our seats. I held Savannah’s hand tightly as we headed in while Tyler walked next to me. I stayed focused on the ground, not wanting to deal with looking at the caskets.
About halfway up the aisle I felt Savannah tugging at my hand. “Sissy!” she whispered. “Look! Look, sissy!”
I looked up to see two rows filled with Bruins, all wearing jerseys with “Garrison” across the back. I grabbed for Tyler’s hand and turned to see his eyes were filling. “I had nothing to do with that,” he whispered, shaking his head.
She came over and curled up next to me. “Alright. So, sissy has a new friend. And he wanted to be here to help us tomorrow at the funeral, because it’s going to be a super sad day and he’s going to help us feel better, okay?”
“Mmhm. Is he your boyyyfriend?”
“Well, yes, actually,” I stuttered out, staring down at her. “He is. And I like him a lot and I really want you to meet him. Would that be okay?”
“I would love to meet him. Can he play Monopoly with us?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I asked, glancing up to see Tyler standing in the doorway.
Savannah followed my line of sight. Her mouth dropped as she recognized who was standing in front of her.
“Hey Savannah!” Tyler said with a wave and a smile.
Savannah’s eyes went wide as she turned back to me. “Sissy – that’s Tyler Seguin,” she whispered, glancing out of the corner of her eye.
“Yes it is,” I whispered back, smiling a little.
“Well, okay. I’m going to say hi to him but then can I meet your boyfriend?”
We all immediately started laughing and Savannah sheepishly looked over at Tyler. He slowly came over and sat on the edge of the couch on the other side of me.
He held out his hand and said, “Hey munchkin. I’m Tyler. And well, I am Riley’s boyfriend.”
“No way,” she whispered, shaking his hand excitedly. She glanced at me again so I smiled and nodded. “That’s so cool. Wanna play Monopoly? I’ll play nice I promise.”
“I would love to play!” he said excitedly, moving to sit on the floor.
“Only for another little while, okay Sav? You need to go to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day and I’m sure Tyler’s really tired too.”
“Okay. Just 20 minutes?”
“That sounds reasonable,” I replied with a wink.
About a half an hour later I was tucking her into bed while Tyler watched from the door. As soon as I’d said my good nights she asked if she could say good night to Tyler alone. He moved into the room as I returned to the couch. A few minutes later he sat down next to me.
“Sorry, but she’s my new favorite person,” he said, pulling me closer to him.
“Understandable. I kinda like her too. What’d she say just then?” I glanced up and noticed his eyes were a little red.
“She told me her favorite player was Marchy,” he said with a laugh. “Although I already knew that thanks to your little video.”
“You look like you were crying.”
“She said her favorite player was Marchy because I was her big brother’s favorite player. She said me and Marchy are best friends just like her and her big brother used to be and that’s why she loves Marchy so much.”
I climbed up and straddled his lap so I was eye level with him. “Thank you for coming,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry it took me so long,” he replied. “I’m sorry you had to sit down by yourself and explain to that beautiful little kid what happened to her mom and brother.”
I nodded as the tears started falling. “I’m sorry Jeremy never got to meet you.”
“Yeah,” he replied, pulling me in closer. “I’m sorry for that too.”
-
I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Wandering around the house, I eventually found Tyler and Savannah in the kitchen. “What’re you doing?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“We’re making pancakes!” Savannah exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
“Well that’s good because I am absolutely starving,” I replied, moving to lean against the counter and watch. I noticed the plate stacked high with already made pancakes. “Jesus, how long have you been up?” I asked Tyler.
“A couple hours,” he responded, helping Savannah pour more batter into the pan. “Don’t burn yourself, lady,” he continued distractedly.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“We didn’t have to. She came in looking for you around 8. I wanted to let you sleep. Today’s going to be a hard day, Riley. You needed sleep. I was going to wake you once we were done so you could eat and get ready.”
“Right,” I whispered, the full reality of what was happening today finally sank in. Tyler came over and gave me a quick kiss.
“I’m right here,” he mouthed as Savannah giggled in the background. “Now, go sit down and let me bring you your breakfast, woman.”
-
Between eating, cleaning up and getting dressed and ready to go, the morning simply flew. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the church. Me and Savannah, along with Tyler, Addy, Ellie and the Wrights waited downstairs as everyone filed in. Once the funeral was ready to start, we headed upstairs to take our seats. I held Savannah’s hand tightly as we headed in while Tyler walked next to me. I stayed focused on the ground, not wanting to deal with looking at the caskets.
About halfway up the aisle I felt Savannah tugging at my hand. “Sissy!” she whispered. “Look! Look, sissy!”
I looked up to see two rows filled with Bruins, all wearing jerseys with “Garrison” across the back. I grabbed for Tyler’s hand and turned to see his eyes were filling. “I had nothing to do with that,” he whispered, shaking his head.