Healing Begins

As Ashley walked through the front door of her house, she was greeted by Ender, his eyes wide with concern. He had been waiting for her, and he could see the sadness in her eyes. He ran up to her, throwing his arms around her waist. "Mommy, why did the baby die?" he asked, his voice trembling. Ashley knelt down, holding Ender close. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Sweetie, sometimes babies are born with problems that can't be fixed. Avery had a heart condition, and it was very severe. The doctors did everything they could, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough." Ender looked up at her, his eyes searching for answers. "But why couldn't they fix it?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. Ashley sighed, trying to explain it in a way that Ender could understand. "The doctors did everything they could, but sometimes these things are just out of our control. It's not anyone's fault, and it's not because of anything we did or didn't do." Ender nodded, but Ashley could see the sadness in his eyes. He was still trying to process everything that had happened. Ashley held him close, trying to comfort him. "I'm so sorry, Ender. I know this is hard for you too." As they hugged, Avan walked into the room, his eyes filled with concern. "Hey, how was your talk with Mrs. Johnson?" he asked Ashley. Ashley stood up, still holding Ender. "It was okay, I guess. They just wanted to make sure I'm doing okay." She looked at Avan, and he could see the pain in her eyes. Avan walked over to them, putting a hand on Ender's shoulder. "We're all here for you, buddy," he said. "We're going to get through this together." Ender looked up at Avan, his eyes welling up with tears. "I miss Avery," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Avan knelt down, holding Ender close. "We all miss her, Ender. But we're going to keep her memory alive, and we'll always remember her." As they hugged, Ashley felt a sense of gratitude towards Avan. He had been a rock for her and Ender, supporting them through this difficult time. As they pulled back, Ender looked up at Ashley. "Mommy, can we talk about Avery?" he asked. Ashley nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Of course, sweetie. We can talk about her anytime you want." Ender thought for a moment, then looked up at Ashley. "Can we look at pictures of her?" he asked. Ashley smiled, a small smile. "Yes, we can look at pictures of her. I have some in my room." Ender nodded, and Ashley took his hand, leading him to her room. As they sat on the bed, looking at pictures of Avery, Ashley felt a sense of peace wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, they were starting to heal.