The Moments We Live For

Chapter 4

"Awesome job, kiddo," Mo told Dray as he helped unpack his things from the cardboard boxes. "It's getting dark. You know what that means."

"Lightning bugs?" he asked.

She nodded. Lily and Morgan looked up from the toys they were playing with. She had let them stay up later to catch fireflies.

They had officially begun moving into their new house, and the backyard was huge and fenced in.

It was a painful process. The kids were confused and didn't want to leave. Mo felt guilty for adding another big change to their life, but she couldn't keep staying in her sister's house. It hurt too much.

Mo and Shauna loved staying up on summer nights to catch fireflies, and she wanted to recreate every special moment she could.

Liliana had gotten her cast off awhile back. She walked with a bad limp for the first week or so before it straightened out, but she knew the little girl was excited to finally be able to run around and keep up with her brothers.

She helped them put on some shoes. They were in pajamas, but that was okay. She could give them baths in the morning and change their sheets.

Mo had to quit her job. She had quickly used up all of her paid time off and vacation time, and the company was unwilling to move her to remote/online work. It was summer, and the last thing the kids needed was to be shoved aside into some stuffy daycare.

She would figure it out. She just had to take one step at a time.

"Look," Lilliana giggled, running towards where Mo was seated on the step to show her the bug cupped between her tiny hands. It flew away as soon as she tried to show her and Mo smiled softly.

"I caught one, too," Dray yelled, running back and forth like crazy, Morgan on his tail.

She didn't know how they had so much energy. They had been moving boxes all day. It had been such a long month. Summer was in full swing, and hopefully things would start to settle soon.

Despite the disruption from moving, Lilliana and her brothers were doing great. Some days were harder than others, but kids are resilient and they adapted so well.

Mo wish she could say the same thing about herself. She was numb honestly. She had to take care of her niece and nephews. She didn't have time to mourn her losses. Not her sister or her brother-in-law, nor her job or old life.

But she was proud of the things she had accomplished. She never expected to be a mom at twenty-five, but she was honored to take on the task. She hoped her sister was proud of her.

She missed Shauna like hell. She didn't realize how much they talked, how much she depended on her until she wasn't there.

Mo sighed, brushing off her pants and standing up to join the kids. She just had to live in the moment.

---

"The bench is finished. I received the nameplate and am going to install it tonight. If you want to meet me in the morning here, you can help me load it in my truck and take it over," Kane told the park manager over the phone. They agreed on a time and he hung up the phone.

It had been an unbelievably busy month and he was happy to finally check some things off of his to do list.

"Do you think you could make your dad and I a new dining room table?" his mom asked from where she was lounging at his desk. She came to keep him company. She was good at keeping books and always checked his numbers.

"Absolutely, but what's wrong with the one you have? Didn't you just buy it?"

She sighed, "It's too big. I just want a small one for the kitchen nook. I think I'm going to do something else with the dining room."

He looked up surprised. "What? No, you can't. I love Sunday suppers in that room."

She smiled, "We can eat in the kitchen, Kane. It won't be any different."

"What would you even use the dining room for anyway?"

She shrugged, taking the glasses off the bridge of her nose.

"See? You haven't even thought about it," he sighed, wiping the stain off his hands with a rag.

"I'm glad you're getting some help with that thing. It weighs too much for you to be lifting it on your own."

He knew she changed the subject.

"There was no way for me to carry this thing alone."

He continued working while his mom snooped through his desk like she always does.

"Kane, you're Facebook page looks terrible." she said after a few quiet moments.

"Thanks, mom."

"You should hire someone to help you with that. You know Jessie from church, his mom gets all her business from these social sites now."

She was right. He really did need some help, but he felt like if he hired someone, it would no longer be his. He liked proving that he could do it all on his own.