Ben’s treatment continued for many more months.
Chris never missed a single day.
Two years later, we finally received the news I had prayed for every day.
Ben’s tests no longer showed any signs of the disease.
That summer, we returned to the same ocean.
Me, Ben, and Chris.
Ben pulled the two silver bracelets from his pocket.
He fastened his own around his wrist.
He placed Lily’s in the sand.
Then he began building the same kind of sandcastle they had built during that first trip.
Chris sat beside him.
A wave came in and destroyed half of the castle.
Chris reached forward to quickly rebuild it.
But Ben stopped him.
“Relax, Daddy.”
He looked toward the ocean.
“Lily used to say that just because something falls apart doesn’t mean everything is over.”
Then he picked up another handful of sand.
Chris did the same.
And together, they began rebuilding what the wave had destroyed.
