“Always Brothers,” Liahona, March 2018
Always Brothers
The author lives in Iowa, USA.
“I always want to be with my own family, and the Lord has shown me how I can” (Children’s Songbook, 188).
Seth bounced up and down in the back seat and sang a crazy song. “Please settle down, Seth,” Dad said. “I need to focus on driving.”
“I can’t settle down,” Seth said. “It’s just so awesome!”
Dad smiled. “I’m glad you’re excited to meet your new baby brother.”
When they got to the hospital, Seth raced to Mom’s room. He knew where it was because Mom had been there for five days already. She had to stay at the hospital because Baby Caleb was sick, and Mom was a little bit sick too. Seth had asked to see Caleb at least a bajillion times, but Mom always said, “Not yet.” She said that the doctors would decide when Caleb was strong enough for a visitor.
Today the doctor had called. Today was the day!
When Seth walked into Mom’s hospital room, she was already holding Caleb. Seth ran over to see his new baby brother. Caleb was tiny. He looked way smaller than Seth’s baby cousins. And there was something different about his nose and ears. He looked like a little elf!
“Hi, honey,” Mom said. “Come wash your hands, and then you can hold the baby.”
Seth washed his hands with special soap. He climbed onto the hospital bed next to Mom. She leaned over to hand him the baby. Dad helped Seth put his hands in just the right place.
Seth looked down at Caleb. “Hi, Caleb,” he said. “I’m your brother, Seth. You’re going to sleep in my room, and I can show you all my toys, and we can play at the park.”
Baby Caleb looked right at Seth. Seth thought he was the best baby ever.
When Seth’s arms got tired, Dad took a turn holding Caleb. Mom held one of Seth’s hands and looked into his eyes.
“Seth,” she said. “Do you remember in Primary when you learned about the plan of salvation?”
Seth nodded. That had been a good day. Sister Lopez had a moon and a star and a big planet earth on sticks. Seth got to hold the sun.
“Do you remember how we lived in heaven before we came to earth and how we are going back to heaven when we die?”
Seth nodded again.
“Baby Caleb is still very sick. And the doctor says that he won’t live very long. He is going to die soon and go back to heaven.”
Seth looked at Mom. He looked at Baby Caleb in Dad’s arms. Then he frowned. His throat felt tight. “But I love him. I want him to stay here and share my room and play with me. Doesn’t he want to stay too?”
Mom put her arms around Seth. “Of course he wants to be with us. We’re his family. But he will see us again.”
“He will?”
Mom nodded. “Dad and I were married in the temple. We were promised that our family could be together forever. You and Caleb will always be our children.”
“That means that Baby Caleb will always be your brother,” Dad explained. “And you’ll see him again in heaven.”
Seth was sad. He felt kind of mad too. But he thought about meeting Baby Caleb in heaven and smiled just a little. He reached out and rubbed Baby Caleb’s soft hair. “We’ll be brothers in heaven? That’s awesome.”
Mom kissed Seth’s cheek. “It is awesome.”