Shay sat on one of the big, uncomfortable chairs in the fancy room, her little legs swinging back and forth as she tried her best not to cry again. Grandma and Mommy had both said that everything would be okay, and that Grandpa was watching over her, but it was still so… weird. He wasn’t here. She couldn’t hug him or show him the drawing she made of them together at the park last week. He was gone, and she didn’t really understand why things like this happened.
Still, Shay tried to be a big girl, like Mommy said. She had a job today: to sit quietly and wait. But waiting was sooooo hard. People were talking in low voices everywhere around her, some crying, some whispering. Shay fiddled with her bracelet, twisting it around her wrist as her eyes wandered the room. That’s when she saw him.
Standing off to the side, not talking to anyone, was a man she didn’t recognize. He had a drink in his hand (grown-up drink, probably… Shay wasn’t allowed to have those yet, but she’d tried Grandpa’s once, and yuck, no thanks). He looked super serious, just watching everyone like they were on TV or something. He didn’t look sad, but he didn’t look happy either. He just… looked. That was weird, right? Like, if he wasn’t sad, why was he here?
Curiosity bubbling over, Shay slid off the chair and walked toward him. Mommy and Grandma were busy talking to some lady in a big hat, so they wouldn’t notice if she totally wasn’t sitting quietly like she was supposed to.
Stopping a few feet away from the man, Shay tilted her head up to look at him. “Hi,” she said, her voice small at first. Then, when he didn’t look at her right away, she repeated louder, “Hiii!”
That got his attention. His eyes flicked down to her, one eyebrow raised. Shay blinked back up at him. “Who are you?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest like Mommy did when she meant business. “I don’t know you. Did you know my Grandpa? Were you his friend? Or are you someone else’s friend? Like Grandma’s?”
The man looked like he was going to answer, but Shay didn’t wait. There were too many questions. “Are you sad? Because you don’t look sad. Everyone else is sad. Are you here because of the…the… um… will? That’s my uncle’s name but mommy says Will means something different today. What’s in Grandpa’s Will anyway? Are you in it? Did you write it? Why are you standing all the way over here? Do you not like people? Do you not know anyone? Are you shy?”
Her questions came out so fast she barely had time to breathe.
@Littlefeets
@astxrism your CHILD is talking to strange men. What are you teaching these kids Dori?