Her brother turned his head away from Auntie Gail. “Me, Me, do it.”
“No, Daniel, it’s Auntie’s turn. Be a good boy now.”
“Me, Me.” He banged his fist on the arm of his chair.
A hurt expression flashed across her aunt’s face. Megan’s sympathy gene notched up. It was hard for her aunt to take rejection. “It’s okay, love. You feed him. I might get to eat a hot dinner for a change, eh?” Her aunt winked at her, keeping her tone light and jolly.
Megan mouthed an apology and fed Daniel in between eating small mouthfuls of her own dinner, which was delicious as usual. Auntie Gail was one of the best cooks she knew. It was always a pleasure to come here for a meal; at least, she was guaranteed to get something other than a bowl of cereals or beans on toast.
She fed Daniel until he’d had enough and refused to open his mouth, then she concentrated on eating the rest of her meal. Her aunt and uncle were easy to talk to, they spoke about what each of their day’s had consisted of and always involved Megan in the conversation.
“When is your next day off, dear?” Auntie Gail asked.
Although Megan had booked a few days off in order to carry out her audacious plan, she had no intention of telling her family. “Not until next Wednesday. I’m having to work extra shifts at the moment as there are several colleagues off work, either through holidays or sickness. I don’t mind though, more money for me, right?”
“You work too hard. A young lady of your age should be out there enjoying herself,” her uncle admonished good-naturedly.
“You worry too much. I adore my life. Maybe adore is a tad over the top, I love it, how’s that? Gone are the days where I go out clubbing every night, not that I ever did that, not really. I’m too much of a home girl, you know that.” She glanced at her brother whose eyelids were drooping. “I miss spending time with Daniel and the adventure sports we used to throw ourselves into as kids.”
“It needn’t be like that, not nowadays,” her uncle said. He left the table and returned to place a brochure down beside her.
She opened it and flicked through the pages. “My goodness, how on earth did you hear about this?”
He tapped his nose. “I have a few contacts. What do you think? Daniel would love to do something like that, wouldn’t he?”
Megan angled the brochure in her brother’s direction. “What do you think, Daniel? Would you like to go to an adventure park one day?”
His eyes drooped even more until a soft snore escaped.
“Maybe not.” Her uncle laughed.
“We’ll ask him again when he’s less sleepy. I’ll need to do some research into the facility, but it looks to be a thrilling experience for both abled and disabled alike. It would be wonderful to go with him, I’m sure he’d be delighted at the chance to do it.” She smiled at the man who had cared for her, treating her as his own daughter, since she was very young. “Thanks, Uncle Sam, you’re the best. You both are. I don’t have a clue what our lives would be like if you hadn’t stepped up to the plate and offered your home to care for him. We’re both so appreciative of you putting your lives on hold to ensure he has a quality of life like no other.” Her eyes misted up and she dabbed at them with her serviette.
“Hush now, you’ll start me off,” Auntie Gail said, swiping a serviette across her eyes. “It’s a pleasure. Our lives have been enriched immeasurably by having you two around us. We don’t see caring for Daniel as a hardship, we see it as a calling. It’s made better people out of the pair of us, in the long run.”
“You’ve sacrificed so much over the years to take care of us. I just want you to know that both Daniel and I love you for putting your lives on hold to make ours more fulfilling.”
Her uncle squeezed her hand and smiled. “Megan, it’s what families do for each other. Your parents were both very special people, it broke our hearts the day they died eighteen years ago. Gosh, has it really been that long? I guess it must be. The time has flown by, you know why?”
“No. Why?” she asked.
“Because we’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. You mustn’t think looking after Daniel is a chore for us. No doubt there are days where we think that, but as a rule, we do it because we want to and not because we have to.”
“Words fail me as usual. You were not obliged to step into our parents’ shoes, but you did it without a second thought. In my opinion, that shows how much compassion you have running through your souls. I’ll always be grateful to you, especially with the anniversary coming up.”
“Anniversary?” Auntie Gail frowned and looked over at her husband.
“Of the crash,” Uncle Sam filled in.
“Oh my! How silly of me. You really shouldn’t dwell on that, Megan. Try to ignore the date when it comes around every year. We can do little about it, it’s not as if we can turn back the clock, is it? As much as we’d all want to do that, it’s time we forgot about the past and lived for the future.”
Megan smiled and reached out for her aunt’s and uncle’s hands. “As I’ve said a thousand times before, you’re both angels in this world in which there are so many dark demons. It’s a better place with you in it, of that I’m certain.”
“Count yourself in that equation too, Megan, you’re a very special young woman who deserves nothing but the best in this life. The way you put your brother’s needs before your own… not every twenty-something would be willing to do that.”
“Daniel and you guys are all I have left. I
