Sinfully Imperfect

26. Zen Slap, Diamond Bullet & Just Us

"Lily genius, where are you?"

"C'mon, Lil, baby, stop playing hide and seek."

"Oh, my God, this gal!"

"Okay, Lil, fine! I lost, now c'mon!" The little girl's laughter was followed by a little hand wrapping itself around my leg, making me chuckle. I dropped my sight to see her, who was staring at me with her beautiful doe eyes and a dopey grin dangling from her lips.

"Biggie lost, Biggie lost, Biggie lost!!" I stifled my laughter and scowled at her as she continued to chant while clutching my leg. "Are you mad at me?" she whispered, her laughter dwindling. Oh, my God, how could someone be angry at such an adorable creation of God? As I scooped her into my arms, I laughed at her and shook my head in denial. And boy was she light! She was light as a feather!

"So, Genius, where were we?" She groaned as she pulled out her notepad.

"Could you just come in for a minute, Soph?" Grace was beckoning to me.

"Hold on a second, I'll be right back." With that in mind, I went to meet Grace. When I walked into her room, I spotted her standing on a stool, reaching for something.

"Thank God you've arrived! Could you kindly remove that box? "

"Sure!" As I got up onto the stool, she got off. I reached for the box with my hands extended out. While her phone began to ring, I carefully gave her a glass box. She proceeded to pick it up while passing me an apologetic smile. I was ready to hop off, when a particular picture caught my attention. My hands had already grabbed it before I had a chance to respond. It was a photograph of a couple hugging and smiling at each other. I jumped off the stool and sat on it. The man had Ben's hair color and facial shape, but Grace's eyes. The woman was tall, slim, and dark-skinned. She had a small button nose and jet black hair. Her lovely doe eyes were laden with a diverse variety of emotions. I didn't know why, but they seemed somewhat familiar to me, as if I knew who they were and had seen them before, but when? Where?

Who were they, exactly? My thoughts began to swirl as I examined the photograph more precisely and calculatedly. That's when I realized Lily didn't resemble Grace or Ben in the least. How didn't I see it sooner? In reality, Lily resembled both of those figures. With Lily's dark skin, her large doe eyes, and her jet black hair, everything made sense, but still nothing made sense. Were they Lily's parents if Lily resembled them? But what about Grace and Ben? Who were they? Grandparents?

"They're my children." Grace's words drew me out of my tangle of questions and doubts. I locked my gaze on her weary, tear-streaked eyes. But my mind was blank, and all I could think of was asking, "Lily's their daughter, isn't she?"

She walked up to me after closing the door behind her. She sat down on the couch, and the tears that had been suppressed were now allowed to flow freely.

"He's my son, Kayden, and she's Danica, my daughter-in-law." She let out a faint sob as she spoke in hushed whispers.

"Where are they now?"

"Heaven." I swooped her up into my arms and softly stroked her. Losing someone is never a pleasant experience, and when it's your children, it takes its toll. I felt her anguish and suffering.

"What happened to them? Sorry, you don't have to answer anything if you don't want to. "

"No, that's ok! For our own sake, it's sometimes crucial to let things out." Before recounting the entire tragic incident, she brushed her tears away and gave me a feeble smile.

"It was March 20, 2015, in Spain. Everything began and concluded there. Six years ago, we all went to a fair. Lily had just turned a year old. That night was a blast for us all. I recall that we had a wonderful evening of photoshoots. However... that night... " She gulped and paused, caught up in the moment. I gently squeezed her hands, urging her to keep going.