Kindness
The news bear rested on Timmy’s knee, his arms folded in front of his chest. He seldom cradled it, and usually leaned back in his chair. Some would have viewed that as a lack of care, but he was just a relaxed character.
“Did you do anything for Mothers’ Day, Timmy?” Clementine wanted to know.
Timmy shook his head.
“No, it was just another Sunday for me,” he answered.
The room seemed to get colder in response. I seemed to instinctively stare at Timmy, demanding some sort of explanation.
“I’m not close with my parents anymore,” he outlined. “I live alone. I have a flat. I visit my brother’s grave, Felix’s grave. Sometimes I run into my parents there, but I didn’t this Mothers’ Day. I don’t know if they went.”
Timmy glanced up from the news bear at the rest of us, almost blankly. My eyes darted around at the faces. Some of the more long-running members of the group, like Debbie, appeared unsurprised. For even Lorelai, this wasn’t a dagger. I couldn’t claim that close family relationships weren’t a kindness, but, my God, the loss of them could also be a curse.
Abbey Sim is the founder of Huldah Media. She is a creative writing, law and theology student who lives on the lands of the Dharug people in Sydney, Australia. Abbey desires to explore themes of hope, love and longing through her storytelling. She is the author of 'Shadow' and 'From the Wild'.