“Molly, Arrietty, and Jonas time to come in!” I shout outside to the kids swimming in the pool. 

One by one, they each run inside dripping went with towels wrapped around them. Jonas, now seven, slides on the floor with his wet feet and I can’t help but giggle. Oh how I miss you so much, Jonas…

“Come on, dry off. Daddy will be home soon.” 

“I can’t wait! Daddy has a big surprise-”

“Shut up Molly!” Arrietty,the middle of the two, warns her younger sister as she pats her legs dry.

“What do you mean surprise?” I question my youngest.

“I- I can’t tell!” She tries to hide behind her older brother.

“Jonas?” I question him.

“Nothing.” He pushes his sister away slightly and sits on the floor to dry his own legs.

“Alrighty then, if you don’t want to confess to me then you’ll have to answer to the... tickle monster!” Molly and Arrietty panic and dash off, while Jonas remains on the floor.

“I’m not scared, I can handle myself.” He tries putting on a brave face. 

“Alright then,” I take a step forward, pretending like I’ll leave him alone. At the last second, I turn and attack him. Kneeling down, I scoop him up and began tickling his belly and his feet as he squirms trying to get away while laughing.

“I’m home!” Erik calls, the front door slamming shut after. I hear my two little girls run screaming joyfully to him. Soon, he enters the kitchen. Arrietty clinging to his leg, while standing to his foot making him walk stiffly. He holds Molly in one of his arms. He holds a bouquet of beautiful flowers in his left hand.

“Dad! Make her stop!” Jonas says in between fits of giggles. I stop momentarily and he runs to his father and clings to his other leg for support.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Honey.” He smiles holding out the flowers. I stand up with a smile of my own and accept them. As I do so, the sleeve of my shirt rises revealing my Mark.

“Mommy, what’s that?” Molly asks pointing to it.

“It’s a Mark, sweetie.” I pull down my sleeve again and grab the flowers from Erik, who looks at me worriedly. “Thank you.” I smile at him and smell them. Lovely.

 I walk into the kitchen, pull out a vase and fill it with water. I set the flowers inside, overhearing the conversation in the other room.

“Dad, what is a Mark?” Jonas asks innocently.

“It tells the date you are supposed to die.” He replies hesitantly.

“How come we don’t have them?” Arrietty asks.

“Because we don’t need them here.” Erik replies.

***

12 years ago…

“Jonas, I love you.” I hold his hand, trying to hold in my tears. He lies next to me on the hospital bed, barely alive. Colton and Erik stir behind me. Jonas’ mother cries into his father's shoulder on the other side of the bed.

He winces in pain, “Iris, I love you. I love you so much.” He winces again and draws in a shaky, deep breath. 

“Jonas, this bullet is not going to be the thing that kills you. You were shot before, you can make it through again.” 

“Iris,” he breathes in again, his eyelids beginning to fall. “I- I- I love you…” 

The heart monitor flat lines.

***

“Iris?” Erik brings me back too. He stands in the kitchen entrance with the children next to him.

“Hmm?”

“I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh, so this is what Molly was telling me about.” I smile.

He looks at Molly and she squirms behind her siblings.
“I guess so,” he looks back to me with a smile. “Follow me.” He instructs. I walk up to where he stands and give him a quick peck on the cheek. He returns one and then grabs my hand, leading the way.

He leads me outside to his black SUV. He instructs the kids to get in and we buckle them into their car seats. He opens my own door and helps me climb in. Before shutting it, he takes a blindfold from his back pocket.

“What's this?” I look at it quizzically.

“Let me put it on.” As he ties it, I hear the kids giggling in the back.

“What’s going on Erik?” 

“You’ll see,” I can tell he’s smiling.

He shuts my door, and a second later his opens and closes. The familiar purr of the engine turns on. I wish I could drive this… safely at least.

“Hold on!” He says excitedly. The car jerks backwards, fastly and then he pulls down the drive just as fast. The kids cheer him to go faster and faster, but he holds back. It’s because I’m here, right? I smile at my own thought.

***

10 years ago…

“Iris, I think we should leave. Start somewhere new where our memories won’t follow us.” Erik sits next to me on the bench. I stare out the window at the gloomy day. It’s been two years since he… left.

“And go where?” I feel the warmth of his hand cover mine. I turn and stare into his thoughtful eyes. 

“Somewhere. You pick.”

“I- I don’t know.” I look back out the window to the grey clouds and rain that pours from them. They remind me of tears. Perhaps they are the ones I can’t seem to let out.

Erik stands and crosses the library. He searches in a desk and pulls out an old scroll looking thing. He strides back over to me and unrolls it. A map of the world stares back at me. The Society seems to stand out to me more than ever now.

“You decide.” He smiles happily. “Wherever you go, I go.” He walks behind me and covers my eyes with his hands. “Point, and we shall find our new home.”

I’m not going to get out of moving, am I? 

“Nope.” Erik replies laughing. I guess I spoke that out loud. 

I hold my hand above the map and make some circles in the air. Finally, I point my finger to a place and Erik un-covers my eyes. 

“France,” I breathe taken aback.

***

“Iris, we’re here.” Eriks parks the car. How long of a ride has it been?

 I hear him unbuckle the children first and then come to my door last. 

“You’re not going to kill me right?” I tease.

“I hope not.” He chuckles and unbuckles me. He takes my hand and carefully helps me out. “Watch your step,” he warns cautiously.

“Erik, I took a bullet for you. A step won’t kill me.” I joke.

“You never know… Now, stand right here.”

I hear the children giggle as Erik takes the blindfold off. I shut my eyes to let the surprise have a bigger effect.

“You can look now.”

I open my eyes slowly. It’s dark out, but the candles on and around the picnic table provide more than enough light to see. Around it all, a garden full of beautiful flowers sits. I hold my breath, unable to speak or move.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Erik whispers in my ear and kisses my cheek. I turn to him and embrace him. Tears spilling down my face as I kiss him. I let go and look at our kids. Jonas looks away disgusted, while Molly and Arrietty beam with joy.

Erik leads me to the table, the kids following behind. Pearly fine china is expertly placed around the table. Covered bowls litter the table but in an elegant way. A main dish sits on a big platter, covered by a lid. I can smell it all and it smells delicious, unfortunately, I can’t tell what any of it is.

I take a seat and Molly and Jonas sit on either side of me. I laugh as Erik glares at them when they don’t look.

He takes a seat on the other side and Arrietty sits beside him. He unveils the main course, revealing stacks of mini grilled cheese sandwiches. I laugh and Erik beams knowing he got the dish right. He pulls off the lids of the other dishes revealing bowls filled with corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and cooked carrots glazed in honey. He leaves the covers on three other bowls. When I reach to uncover them, he tells me not to.

We all pile our dishes with the food and stay quiet as we eat.

“Thank you, Erik, Jonas, Arrietty and Molly, for this wonderful meal and evening. I- I don’t know what to say.” I smile at them all. I kiss Jonas, Arrietty, and Milly on the cheek or forehead and give a kiss to Erik lastly. “Thank you.” I whisper in his ear.