Is It Worth It?

Chapter 24

EMILY'S POV

He slightly smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Then he left the room and Declan came running in...

- Hey baby boy

- Hey mommy. Hi uncle Harls.

- Hey little man

- Do you want to see your baby sisters?

- Yes mommy!

Harley passed the babies to me and I told Declan to sit next to me. When he did I helped him hold the babies and Harley took a picture. It was our first family picture with the twins and without Derek.

- What do you think Declan? - Asked Harley

- They are so pretty mommy, when will I be able to play with them?

I smiled at him and said:

- Oh baby, they are really small now, they can't play with you yet, but probably when they start walking you'll be able to.

He was so happy to meet them, he couldn't stop smiling.

- What are their names mommy?

- The one on your left is Maddison Grace Prentiss-Morgan and the other one is Mila Elizabeth Prentiss-Morgan

- Can I call them Maddie and Mila?

- Yes baby, of course you can.

- Was I this tiny?

- Yes honey, you were just like them, but with blonde hair and blue eyes.

He was so into protecting them and caring for them. He was holding them like they were fragile, he will be a great big brother. Some minutes passed and he said:

- Mom, where is dad?

I froze, I have told everyone around me Derek is dead except his son. I took a deep breath and a tear slipped down my cheek. He cleaned it with his thumb just like Derek use to do.

- What happened? - He was getting impatient

- Emily, let me take the girls, so you can talk to Declan.

- Thanks Harls.

He left the room with the girls, while I took a deep breath and told Declan, an eight-year-old boy, that his father died, and it wasn't the one he wanted dead.

- Honey, I want you to know that your father loved you with all of his heart.

- Mom, what's going on?

- Declan, honey, your dad passed away two days ago in the field...

He was staring at me with a blank expression, I was holding my tears in because I needed to be his life support and be strong for him.

- Honey?

- How could this happen to him?!? How could someone do that to him?!?!

He was crying and screaming at the same time and I just held him tight and let him express his feelings and unburden. He cried and cried for a good 10 minutes until he looked at me and said:

- He wouldn't want you to be crying mom.

- He wouldn't want you to be crying either.

- That's why we won't cry anymore.

He wiped his face aggressively and said:

- "Declan you need to protect your mom and siblings", that would be what he would tell me in moments like this, he would make me promise, and now I have to keep his promise.

- Honey you don't need to protect me, I'll be fine baby. I will need your help with the twins and I do need you to promise me that if you need to talk about your dad or anything please come to me.

- Yes, mommy, I promise.

- Okay baby boy, we will be fine, we will get through this.

I said while hugging him tightly. We both stayed quiet for a while just letting the tears flow and our memories of Derek come to us...