A Wish Too Far

Chapter 10
Epilogue

Ben finished setting the silverware on the dining room table, the sounds of his wife Sarah chopping carrots in the kitchen already making him feel hungry. “Perfect, table’s set!” he announced, looking over the well-appointed table with its four settings for the grown-ups, and then over at the little fold-out table and two small plastic chairs in the corner for the kids.

As he walked back into the kitchen Sarah smiled up at him. “Think we should check on Lucy and her,” she chuckled, “boyfriend?”

Ben smiled. “I think they’ll be fine. That little Liam is a sweet little boy, I don’t think we have to worry about a thing.”

The doorbell rang. “That’ll be them!” Sarah chirped and dropped the knife to greet Liam’s mum and dad. A middle aged couple smiled and extended hands for shaking when they opened the door. Ben figured Liam must have been a change of life baby.

After the obligatory greetings Liam’s dad looked about and asked, “Where’s the kids?”

“They’re up playing in Lucy’s room, I’ll go up and get them,” Ben replied.

Ben walked upstairs, hearing the happy squeals on giggles of playful children growing closer until he entered his daughter’s room. There Liam and Lucy were jumping gleefully up and down on her bed, hands locked together, looking exhilarated. They were still dressed in their matching school polo shirts, Lucy in her frilly pink princess skirt and Liam once again out of his shorts, hopping up and down in only his Ben Ten cartoon print underoos. That kid sure had a problem keeping his clothes on. But he was just an innocent little kid anyway, so Ben wasn’t too upset, it was nice to see a kid so relaxed and carefree. He did frown briefly as he looked at the two pairs of dirty little feet bouncing all over the pink and purple princess bed sheets. But he couldn’t stay angry when his girl looked so happy. “Okay kids!” he called. “Time to get some food in those tummies, Liam’s mum and dad are here and we’re ready for tea.”

Liam lit up even more, dropping to his bottom on the bed and asking, “Mum and dad are here?!”

“Yep! You wanna go see them?”

Liam nodded vigorously, as though the going the whole day at school and a few hours beyond that was an eternity to be away from his mum and dad.

“Okay then, but you gotta get your shorts on for dinner,” Ben reminded the boy, holding up his baggy blue board shorts, emblazoned with flames down the sides.

Liam sulked for a moment but conceded that the grown-up knew best, slipping his shorts back on. He then hopped up to race downstairs but Lucy gripped his hand hard. “You gotta wait for me silly,” she chided.

Liam pouted for an instant before she leant in and pecked another little kiss on his cheek. Even though she’d been his ‘girlfriend’ for a whole week, Liam still blushed bright red and smiled a mischievous little grin. “’Kay,” he mumbled, letting her lead the way. Ben just marvelled at the two little ‘lovebirds’ skipping out of the room hand in hand, so fresh and hopeful. They had their entire lives in front of them.