The holiday was not over, but time was ticking by, shrouded by the faint illusion of everyday bliss. 

My two uncles arrived, along with their wives. One of them was so heavy with pregnancy that I feared her belly might drop anytime.

We all patiently waited for my grandparents to arrive. While the house was submerged in laughter, Vivian, my younger sister, and I were a quiet mist. There was an overwhelming burden on our chests. 

Our uncles spoke of my father's years as a toddler. They recounted sweet memories that did little to lift my mood. Uncle Duke expressed his excitement at finally going to be a father. It was a melody that faded into my distant ears.

" Someone's gonna die..." Vivian finally spelt out my thoughts on a clay tablet.

Their eyes snapped at us. A faint hue of fear was visible in the way they shared a glance.

" No one's gonna die," our mother chimed, with a great save. It was a kind of damage control, but the idea had taken root in some minds.

Uncle Duke's wife took Vivian and I for a walk in the garden. Silence toppled over unsaid words, leaving a hollow in our hearts from cold anticipation.

“ Do you think we should pray over what you said?”

“ You believe me. Right?”

" I know you wouldn't joke about something like that," she said and rubbed Vivian's shoulder. 

Sharing that weight with her could have been the reason we managed to appreciate the things she said about the flowers in the garden. Not long after, Uncle Duke and my father sauntered towards us, wearing the look of a clouded sky.

" It has happened," Vivian  whispered to me, as the men led us inside.

We met a graveyard inside. The laughter was gone. The shadow of a departing reaper hung around on the porch. It was a plane crash and granny and grandpa didn't make it out.

Uncle Duke's wife went into labour the moment she heard the news. I wasn't sure if she was wailing because of the loss of her beloved in-laws or as a result of the pangs.

Before dusk, she delivered. A beautiful pair of twins. A boy and a girl. Meeting the babies felt like a restoration of hope to my entire family. It felt like what was lost has be restored, and our thanksgiving braced their new journey.