When There Is Nothing Left But Love

I quickly knelt down next to Gregory and pacified him, saying, “Silly boy, Mommy only left for a while. How could I have left you behind? Didn’t we agree that we’d stick together?”

However, Gregory could not be so easily appeased. He frowned in deep thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up. Extending his tiny pinky towards me he claimed, “We didn’t make a pinky promise last time, so it didn’t count. Now we have to!”

I put on an unsmiling face and hooked my pinky with Gregory’s. He cheered up considerably afterward.

Looking down at Gregory clad smartly in a tuxedo, I guessed that the three of them were heading out to dinner. In a friendly manner, I asked, “Are you going out to dinner tonight, Gregory?”

Before Gregory could reply, Ashton cut in with a low voice, “We’re going to meet my parents. You have to come too.”

We’re going to meet the Hall family? I thought, amused. I guess today isn’t a wasted trip after all.

I smiled cheerfully at Ashton, then replied, “Sure! Let me go back and change. Wait here for me.”

“It’s alright,” Ashton commanded, halting me in my tracks. “You can come as you are. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Ashton got into the

tightly onto Gregory’s hand. At least I’ve saved some time and trouble going back

actually supremely interested to meet the Hall family. They must be a callous bunch who attempted

in the back with Gregory while Ashton sat in the front. We seemed to have come to a mutual understanding that the earlier matter with John

was thrilled to see me and naturally chattered on endlessly, filling me in with all the news from school

with the younger children at school, do you? Do

with my sister always and protect her. I won’t

made an amusing contrast with his still-babyish voice. A picture of Gregory and Audrey holding onto each other suddenly surfaced

I looked at him fondly, commending, “You’ve really grown up into a fine young man,

away from the mirror the instant our eyes met, All that remained was the stiff, icy

another look of utter

didn’t seem to care that I had told Gregory about Audrey. It felt like he had

It seemed as if we’d arrived at

while holding onto