I packed the last items of clothing into a box. The kids and I were moving to a new condo a few blocks over from the townhouse. I thought I would be able to deal with living in the same house, but I just couldn't. Everywhere I looked there were memories of Kylie. Every night I would lie awake on the couch, I couldn't bring myself to sleep in our bed without her there, it just didn't feel right. I sat on the end of our bed staring down at our wedding picture in my hands. We were so happy on that day. How did this happen?

"Dad?" Cody popped his head in the door, "What's up buddy?" I said wiping a tear away, and placing the frame in the box next to me.

"Dad its all my fault."

"What?" I was confused as I pulled him onto my lap.

"I was mean to Mom and thats why she died." he said.

"Cody" I sighed wiping the tears out of his eyes, "It was an accident" it broke my heart all over again.

"No Grandma says God punishes kids who are mean to their parents and I was mean to Mommy, and now she's dead."

I wanted to kill my mother in that moment. Cody had been living the past five weeks thinking Kylie died because of him. And I had been so wrapped up in my own grief that I hadn't noticed the deep sadness my son had slipped into.

"Cody, Grandma was wrong, you're a good boy, okay?" I said wiping his tears away.

"So I can still play hockey?" he asked, "Yes Cody you can still play hockey." I laughed.

"DADDY!" Emily and Shayne burst through the door and hurled themselves onto the bed. "The moving truck is here!" Shayne yelled.
...
It was a short ride from the townhouse to the condo complex. We walked into see Shawzie, Tazer, Sharpy and Bicks standing in the empty condo.

"Uncle Jonny!" Emily said running into Tazers arms, "Hi Em!" Tazer said lifting her up. "Hey what about me?" Shawzie said poking her stomach, "Hi Shaw!" she said giggling.

"SHARPY" The boys ran at Sharp practically knocking him over."So," Sharpy said picking up Cody and roughing up Shayne's hair, "What can we help with?"
...
We split up into rooms, setting up furniture and putting away clothes. Sharpy and I were putting together Emily's bed when he said,

"I'm sorry about this whole thing man"

"Thanks, for helping out, means alot" I said.

"Are you alright, man, really?" he asked

"Yeah," I said, "fine."

"You know we'll always be here, anything you need, just call" he said patting me on the back.

"Thanks man."

"Daddy!" Emily came running in and jumping into my lap, "Is this my room?"

"Yup" I said, "Do you like it?"

"Yes!" she smiled, and kissed me on the cheek. Emily reminded me so much of Kylie it was scary. From her long, curled blonde hair, to her big blue eyes, to her big smile, under pink lips, she was like a photograph of her mother.
...
A few weeks passed and we were finally adjusting to our new normal. I had to focus on getting in shape for the season, which was a welcome distraction.

The kids had gone back to school, Emily was in kindergarten and Shayne and Cody had just started second grade.

"Daddy" Emily said as I tucked her in one night, "Where is Mommy?"

"Mommy's in heaven you know that Em" I said confused.

"A boy in my class says heaven isn't real." She said looking down at her bear.

"Well, he's wrong." I said, "And dumb, but don't tell him I said that okay?"

she giggled, "Okay."
...
The next day I was at practice while the kids were at school. We were undressing in the locker room when I got an interesting call from the kids school.

"Mr. Kane?" the voice on the other line said.
"Uh yeah this is me." I said plugging my ear from the banter in the locker room.
"We're going to need you to come in, there's been an incident."
"Uh what kind of incident?" I said confused.
"Well, your son Shayne, he's been in a fight."
I was shocked, "I'll be right there." I said.

"Eh, Kaner whats goin on?" Bicks said.

"Shayne got in a fight." I said. The boys got pretty riled up, but I was nervous. Shayne was small for his age and I figured he had probably lost.
...
I walked into the front office to see a boy much larger than Shayne sitting there with a bloody nose, and his parents. Hey, he won was honestly my first thought.

"Mr. Kane you can go right in." the office assistant said. I opened the door to the principals office to see Shayne sitting in a chair, his hands in between his legs, smirking. We both snickered at each other.

"Mr. Kane" the principal said viciously, "Please sit."

"As you probably know the school has a zero tolerance rule for fighting." she started, she was an evil looking woman.

"Well, what even happened Shayne?" I asked looking at him.

"He was making fun of Emily at recess" he said, "he made her cry, he said she was bad at hockey, and he told her there was no heaven, and then he pushed her down."

"He pushed her?" I said turning my head from Shayne to the principal.

"Do you want to tell me why my kid is the one in trouble when that big kid is pushing my daughter?!" I said getting angrier and angrier.

"Well ask your son how he retaliated." she said.

I looked at Shayne, "Well" Shayne said, "I saw him push Emily on the ground so I punched him in the nose."

"I still don't see why my son is the one being punished." I said throwing my hands up.

"He struck another student!" The principal .

"After he pushed my daughter!" I yelled. "He was defending her, he didn't start the problem."

"Mr. Kane this is not a hockey game, we do not encourage our students to fight back."

"Well do you encourage you students to push little girls?" I said sharply."How old is this kid anyway?"

"Jackson is in 5th grade." she said folding her arms over her chest.

I almost laughed at the ridiculousness, "So, my second grade son beat up a 5th grader for pushing his sister in kindergarten and he's the one being penalized."

"Well," she stuttered, "yes"

I rolled my eyes, "What is this ridiculous punishment anyway?"

"Well we are going to suspend Shayne for the remainder of today and tomorrow."

"You're kidding me right?" I said.

"I am not, we'll need you to sign these." she shoved a packet of papers towards me. "This is ridiculous." I said signing the papers.

"Where is my daughter?" I said.

"She returned to class." the principal said.

"Could you call her down here please?" I asked.

"Mr. Kane it would disrupt the class."

"Well, she is my daughter, she is in kindergarten and if you don't call her down here right now I will go get her myself." I said sternly.

The principal looked stunned, but picked up the phone and called Emily down to the front foyer.

Shayne and I walked through the front office past the fifth grader and his parents, when his dad stood up. "You better tell your kid there to stop beating up on everyone."

"Hey pal did you ask your son what he did" I said, "because the next time your son touches my daughter he's gonna have a lot more problems than getting sent to the principals office."

"Jackson," the principal opened the door, "the three of you can come in now." I stared into his face, then he turned and walked into the office.

Shayne and I met Emily in the front foyer.

"Daddy!" she said running into my arms.

"Emmy!" I said crouching down to hug her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes" she said, "But that boy said I stink at hockey."

"I know Em, he's just jealous." I said, and it was true. Emily was an amazing hockey player. She was four years old playing on the best U7 team in the city, the Junior Lady Shamrocks.

"Thanks Shayne!" Emily said hugging her brother, and kissing him on the cheek.

Shayne and I got home to find Tazer, Bicks, Sharpy, Shawzie, and Seabs playing x box. Our condo had become more of a team hang out sport and I preferred it that way.

"Uh Oh sent home from school early" Bicks said.

"He beat the crap out of a fifth grader." I said taking his backpack and putting it on the counter.

"Nice" Shawzie said fist bumping Shayne.

"Don't encourage it" Sharpy said.

"he pushed Emily." Shayne said.

"Thatta boy!" Sharpy said patting him on the back.

"Pushed Emily?" Seabs said.

"To the ground." I said.

"he's lucky your Dad didn't go in there and kick his ass for you." Tazer said, we all laughed. Probably because it was true. I'll admit I overprotect Emily.From the moment she was born I promised I would never let anything happen to her, and now she was the closest thing I had to Kylie.

That night the kids were watching tv while I sat in the kitchen studying a new powerplay, when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and my heart almost stopped.


It was Kylie's mother.

Notes

Emily age four (the link didn't work last time)

I couldn't find pictures for the boys sorry!Let me know what you think!