It’s after midnight when we finally head to bed. Before we do, I mention to Maia that Luca and Sophia invited us to a barbeque at their house later that day. Wade: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. We can cancel if you’re not feeling up to it. I’m sure they’ll understand. Maia: No,…
The house is empty when I return from my jog. Maia didn’t say she was leaving or tell me where she was going, so I’m concerned-hoping she’s okay. It’s just me and Tami when Tami arrives home from school. Tambara: Can you teach me how to ride my bike, Daddy? The other kids at school…
Tami has school, so we leave Chestnut Ridge early the following day and return home just before sunrise. Everyone seems to be happy to be back. But I’m thrilled because after selling the fruit from the money tree, I realize I’ve completed my aspiration, and I’m now fabulously wealthy! Not only that, I’ve received a…
Dad and I decide to take Tami into the Banks Family Mausoleum. She looks around at all the pictures on the wall. Tambara: Pop-Pop, who are all these people? Kai: These are your people—your great and great-great-grandparents. Tambara: Great, like superheroes? Kai: *smiles* They were, in my opinion. But, they are your great-grandparents, because that’s…
Hiro has me up and out of the house first thing in the morning, just as the first of many snow flurries falls. Stepping one foot out the door into the bone-chilling mountain air is enough to remind me how much I hate the snow. Meanwhile, back at the house… Tami wakes up and immediately…
Xavier joins us as we return to the rental, which seems to have put an extra spark of joy on Maia’s face. I guess it’s her way of making up for Clyde’s absence. Either way, she’s smiling, and I love to see it. While she gets started on dinner, I lead Xavier to the couch….
Maia agrees and we arrive in the New Appaloosa neighborhood to see a few horse competitions. But regret slaps me in the face as soon as I approach the doors of the Equestrian Center, as the scent of moist hay mixed with horse manure snatches me back to my days cleaning out our cow shed…
It’s the morning of Winterfest, and I wake up to see Maia slumped over and sitting on the side of the bed. My first instinct is to ask her how she’s doing, but the answer is in her body language. She’s still trying to hold it together, and there’s not much I can do about…
Trying to avoid bogging Dub and his family with too much bad news at one time, I decided not to mention that we also lost the youngest of the Brown Triplets, Jamelia Serrano (ATC Part 13 – Banks Day 46.4). But I still wanted to honor and remember her here. Jamelia was a lot of fun to…
Clyde Tilley (Frog Scenario: Part 7 – Day 46.4) played his role as Dub’s adversary perfectly (he was one of my favorite characters and basically wrote himself). He often came across as critical and harsh, but his entire goal in life was to keep Maia safe and shield her from the pains of the world….
