Arriving at Ben’s school twenty minutes later, Lauren climbed out the car and leaned against the bonnet, the warmth of the sun kissing her face. She tapped her foot lightly, glancing at her watch as she eagerly waited for school to finish. She had missed him so much. She couldn’t wait to see him again. What she wasn’t looking forward to was the talk they were going to have.
The school bell rang, and moments later, Ben emerged from the crowd of children, his backpack bouncing on his shoulders as he spotted Lauren and ran towards her, a wide grin on his face.
Lauren took him in her arms, squeezing him tightly. ‘Hey there, champ! How was school today?’
‘Guess what? I got an A on my maths test!’
‘Wow, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you. Let’s go and celebrate.’
Ben nodded enthusiastically. ‘Yeah! Can we go get ice cream? Please, please, please?’
Lauren laughed. ‘Ice cream sounds great, but I was thinking of something even better. How about we go to Burger Haven?’
Ben’s eyes lit up. ‘Really? Burger Haven is the best!’
‘And so are you. Come on, jump in.’
They climbed into the car, and as they drove towards the restaurant, Ben talked excitedly about his day at school, regaling Lauren with tales of playground adventures and classroom antics. Lauren listened with rapt attention, her heart swelling with love for her son.
Before long, she pulled up outside ‘Burger Haven’, a family-owned restaurant, which had been a staple in their lives for as long as Lauren could remember.
The bell above jingled as they entered, and they were shown to a table straight away.
‘Can I get a cheeseburger with extra pickles? And a chocolate milkshake too?’
‘Of course, you can. It’s a special day, after all.’
Ben looked at her perplexed. ‘Special day? Why, Mum?’
Lauren leaned over and ruffled his hair. ‘Just because I get to spend it with my favourite person. That makes it special.’
Ben fidgeted with the salt and pepper shakers. ‘We’re learning about space now. Did you know Jupiter has ninety-five moons?’
‘That’s amazing! I bet you’re having a lot of fun with that. How is Jay?’
‘He moved away … I miss him.’
Lauren’s heart sank upon realising she hadn’t been there to comfort him. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart. It’s hard when people leave, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah. But we promised to stay in touch. He said he’ll send me snapchats.’
‘That’s good. Sometimes, people leave, but that doesn’t mean they stop caring about us. We just have to find new ways to stay connected.’
‘Yeah, I guess so. I miss Nanna, too.’
Lauren’s voice caught in her throat slightly. ‘I know, Ben. I miss her too. It’s been hard without her, hasn’t it?’
‘Yeah. She always made the best cookies and told the funniest stories.’
‘She did. She loved you so much, you know. And even though she’s not here with us, we still have all those wonderful memories. She’ll always be a part of us.’
‘I wish she didn’t have to leave.’
‘Me neither. But sometimes, people have to go, it’s part of life. It’s hard, but we learn to remember the happy times and keep them close to our hearts.’
‘I’ll always remember Nanna.’
‘Me too, Ben. Me too.’
A waitress approached their table.
‘Hey there, you two! The usual for you, Ben?’
Ben nodded eagerly. ‘Yes, please! Extra pickles and a chocolate milkshake.’
‘And I’ll have the veggie burger with sweet potato fries. Thanks, Carol.’
Carol gave them a warm smile then walked off with their order. Ben leaned back, swinging his legs under the table. Lauren watched him, her heart heavy with the weight of what she needed to say. The plaster had to be pulled off and there was never going to be the right time. Better to get it over and done with now.
‘You know, Ben, I’ve been thinking a lot about our family lately.’
Ben looked up, curious. ‘What about it?’
Lauren’s voice was gentle. ‘About how sometimes, families have to go through changes. And those changes can be tough, but they can also help everyone be happier in the long run.’
Ben frowned, picking at the napkin in front of him. ‘What kind of changes?’
Lauren took his small hand in her own. ‘Well, I’ve been wondering how you’d feel if . . . if your dad and I didn’t live together anymore.’
