Another Loss

"Yes. Yes, she is in heaven."

"My mommy talks to my daddy, too. But she cries a lot while they are talking so I decided to take a walk. Did you bring her those flowers?"

"Yes, I did. Emily loved flowers."

"I like flowers, too. I have some on my dress. See?"

Her pudgy little fingers pulled the hem of her dress out so she could show him.

"There's one. And there's one. I don't know how many there are. But there are a lot."

"Yes, there certainly are."

"My name is Brianna and I'm five."

"Well, Brianna, I think that is a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl. I'm Kyle."

"Do you know my mommy? She says that I'm b'utiful, too."

"Well, your mommy sounds like a very smart woman but I don't think we've ever met. Do you think she might be wondering where you are?"

"I think so. But I'm not sure I should go back. She told me, "Stay put!" And I said, "Yes, ma'am!" 'Cause that's what you're 'sposed to say when you're being good. But I got bored and now I am here with you. So she is going to be in a mood when I get back."

"Well, maybe you and I should go together, so that she won't be worried. We can check her mood together, OK?"

"OK. Maybe we should bring flowers. My daddy always brought my mommy flowers when he was in trouble."

"That sounds like a very good idea."

Kyle figured his best bet was to make their way back to the caretaker's house at the main gate. He was certain that's were a mother missing her child would go. He didn't want to frighten the little girl so they casually strolled back, with three lilies from Emily's bouquet.

About halfway through their journey, Brianna took a hold of Kyle's hand as she stumbled and struggled to keep her balance on the damp grass in her dress shoes.

Abi Jacobs realized that her daughter Brianna wasn't sitting behind her as soon as she finished crying. She hadn't meant to break down and lose control again. It had been more than a year, after all. But money was tight and the insurance money was almost gone, and she was working 60 hours to make ends meet and barely scraping by. She told her husband to sell that damn motorcycle but he never listened and her anger and frustration had spilled over once again.

She panicked almost immediately, frantically searching around head stones looking for any sign of her daughter.

Then, looking far off in the distance she saw Brianna, sitting on her knees in the grass talking to a man. Abi laughed quietly at the realization that this dress would soon match all the others, with giant grass stains at her knees. She was also shocked by two things. First, that her little peanut had been brave enough to wander that far. Second, that she seemed to be speaking to the man. Brianna had withdrawn almost immediately after her father had been killed in the accident, and she wouldn't even stand near any man, even her grandfather. But there she was. Chatting away.

Abi felt like she should run down and reclaim her daughter, but she didn't get any sense that the man posed any kind of threat. Still, she watched them carefully. After a few minutes the pair started walking back towards her, but she didn't think they had seen her yet. Her hand rushed to her mouth and a tear formed in her eye as they got closer. Brianna had taken the man's hand, giggling and smiling as she slipped in her dress shoes.

That smile always warmed Abi's heart, and unfortunately Brianna hadn't been smiling all that much lately.

For the first time, she could see the man clearly and Abi had to giggle again. Her daughter had excellent taste in strangers. Tall and handsome, check and check. His jeans and t-shirt stretched in all the right spots to indicate that all of the best muscles were hidden underneath. But it was his casual stroll, and gentle laugh and voice, and the smile that was plastered to his face as he let Brianna lead the way, that started the tingling in her stomach. Those delicious feelings that she had put away while she mourned and coped, were rushing back.

Kyle didn't notice the woman watching them until they were about 20 feet away but spoke up as soon as he noticed her.

"Does this one belong to you?"

"Oh, my GOD! Brianna, why did you wander off?!"

The woman raced towards the girl and dropped to her knees hugging the little girl fiercely to her chest.

"Mommy, you're squishin' my guts."

"Don't ever do that again young lady!"

The stern voice, didn't quite match the smirk on the young woman's face. Kyle guessed the woman was in her late-twenties. The blond curls were a match, so were the green eyes, and the cute part, too. It took the tug on his pant leg to make him realize that he had been staring. He looked down into Brianna's shining smile.

"We're in trouble. Use the flowers," she whispered, a little too loudly.

"OK, OK. Hi, I'm Kyle Watson."

Kyle extended his hand and once he had hers, he couldn't quite force himself to let it go.

"Abi Jacobs. Thank you for bringing my daughter back."

"Oh, it was no trouble. Uh, these are for you."

"Why, thank you, Kyle Watson."

"You're welcome, Abi Jacobs."

"I'm hungry," Brianna added.

Kyle couldn't help but laugh and Abi soon followed. Brianna joined in so that she wouldn't feel left out.

"Can I buy you ladies lunch?"

Abi smiled and reached her hand up to touch her face to confirm that it was actually there.

"Yeah, I think we'd really like that."

***