For Everly: Chapter 3: Family

The floor tiles turn to sand, and the ceiling melts away to reveal a perfect powder-blue sky. Mama sits beneath an umbrella, sunglasses perched on her head. Dad builds a sandcastle with seven-year-old Everly as a two-year-old James splashes in a little blow-up pool nearby. The Florida sun dries the tears on my face. 

"This was the last vacation we took," I say, "before Dad died." The smell of salt water on the breath of wind takes me back and I actually smile.

I'm surprised when I see Peter, another Peter, sitting near the younger me. Peter has been in my family for four generations, helping us pretend as children, helping us cope as adults, and everything in between. 

"I could stay here forever," I say, tilting my face to the afternoon sun. Peter takes my hand and nods. 

"Me too." I grin at him and he smiles at the sand between his toes. 

"We used to go here every summer," I say, the reminiscing bringing forth a hundred emotions. "James and I would wake up early to play video games, and Mama would cook eggs and toast but not bacon, because she thought bacon was what helped cause Dad's heart attack." The words stop making sense to me after that, even though I continue talking for several minutes. Peter nods and adds his own memories. 

"I tagged along for one trip," he explains, gesturing to himself. "I've never had a family until yours, Everly." 

We pause. 

"I'm so sorry, Peter." 

"Why?" Little James splashes Little Everly and Little Everly starts to cry. 

"That you have to watch my family go through everything," I say. "You suffer with us, but you don't have to." 

Peter takes both of my hands and looks me square in the face. Suddenly, nothing exists except me and Peter, and nothing matters except the moment we're in. 

"I chose to watch over your family," says Peter, as something beautiful happens in his eyes. "It's my duty now and I love every second of it..." His voice trails, wanders, and comes back. "...my only regret is that I haven't been with you longer," he finishes. 

I nod, trying to grasp that there could be people like Peter, who are willing to sacrifice their happiness for their adopted family. I stand on the edge of the shoreline and spread my arms to hug the world, the way I used to when I was Little Everly. I hear Peter snap his fingers behind me.