The Ascent

Chapter 51

Author's note: I didn't really have the time to correct this as much as I wanted so any corrections are welcome. 

It did not.

Isaac slept so restlessly that she wondered how he ever got any rest. It seemed as if he was acting out movements from his dream, and more than once, he almost fell out of bed, the only thing preventing him from falling to the ground being Jasmine's helping hand. Even though it was exasperating sometimes, Jasmine didn't mind taking care of him. It made her feel warm to look after him, reminding her that deep down, she always wanted to have children, lots of them.

"Are you okay?" Asher mouthed as she tried to tuck Isaac in for the one-hundredth time.

"Fine, but a bit tired," Jasmine mouthed back as she noticed that Asher was facing similar issues. While Arman did sleep peacefully, almost without moving, Ariyana was quite the opposite. She was trashing around, occasionally kicking both her brother and father.

It made Jasmine realize that he was probably lying earlier to spare her the embarrassment, and she was more than grateful for it.

"Is that normal?" Jasmine asked, pointing at Ariyana.

"Yep," Asher said with a huge grin that seemed to say, 'That's just my little Ari. I love her for who she is.'

"Can you sleep like that?" Jasmine couldn't help but whisper. "It doesn't look very comfortable.

"Yeah..." Asher responded. "It's not a problem for me."

"How can you do it?" Jasmine asked, genuinely curious.

"Practice," Asher said with a huge grin.

Jasmine rolled her eyes at his bad joke, and according to a silent agreement, they both closed their eyes, trying to get some much-needed rest.

Usually, Jasmine was the type of person who fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, not waking up until the morning. However, ever since they went on the run, she found it increasingly difficult to do so. Probably because every sound startled her awake, making her heart beat like crazy, which wasn't surprising considering everything she had been through, everything she had seen.

Then, of course, she would have to go through the whole calming process again for a few hours, which felt like seconds of sleep. It was exhausting as Jasmine felt tired every morning. Especially since she needed all the strength she could get to survive, to stay sane and energized if not for herself, then for her group, for the people who stood by her side when she needed them the most.

The air is warm on her skin, comfortable. She wants to soak up that feeling, to make it last forever.

Summer days like this one, which are neither too hot nor too cold, are rare, and Jasmine plans to enjoy it to the fullest. After all, some things are too precious. You need to enjoy them while you can.

The cherry tree sways in the wind, and even from where she is standing on the balcony, Jasmine can see the petals slowly drifting in the wind as if by magic. Her eyes follow the delicate petal gently depositing itself on the ground.

Lost in the beauty and tranquility of the sight before her, she can't help but startle a bit as strong hands hug her from behind. However, she relaxes soon enough, leaning back into the hug, recognizing the warmth and gentleness of those familiar hands.

"Why are you up so early?" he whispers in her ear, his breath tickling the sensitive spot, her weakness. "Did the baby wake you up again?"

"No, I woke up on my own," Jasmine says as a gentle smile spreads over her face, thinking about their precious little one. "I guess I was lured out by the beautiful weather. I always try to make the most of it."

"It's beautiful," Asher says, putting his head on her shoulder, nestling comfortably. "I mean you."

Jasmine bursts out in quiet laughter, not wanting to wake up the children who are fast asleep in the room right next to their own, with the baby on the other end of their bedroom. One big, happy family.

"When did you become so cheesy?" Jasmine asks with mirth sparkling in her eyes, turning around to look at her husband.

Even thinking the word to herself feels strange, and she feels a tingling on the inside even now that they have already been married for more than a year. It was the type of happiness she never thought she would be able to experience, especially because Jasmine felt unworthy of that kind of happiness, that there was something wrong with her, that she wouldn't get to have the picture-perfect life many people dreamed of.

Jasmine was often plagued by thoughts of being an undeserving person, a bad daughter, and a terrible friend. Logically, she could tell she didn't do anything wrong, but in her heart of hearts, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Love turned me into a block of cheese, so I can't stop being cheesy," Asher continues, spurting out adorable nonsense.

Even though she wanted to stay serious, to hold on to the facade of indifference, Jasmine couldn't erase the smile from her face. He is too much. Asher is cheesy, but he is hers. The one person she trusted the most and was ready to die for, and knowing he felt the same way was comforting.

"How did we get here?" Jasmine wonders quietly. "After our first encounter, it would have never occurred to me that we would get to this point. Even simply surviving seemed like an impossible miracle."

"I never did apologize to you for just grabbing you like that when we first met, did I?" Asher asks, his voice containing a tone of playfulness for which Jasmine wasn't sure where it would lead but was eager to find out.

"You sure didn't," Jasmine says, mimicking his tone while bringing her face closer to his.

"I should atone for my sins then, shouldn't I?" he asks, licking his lips seductively.

"You most definitely should," Jasmine answers, her lips mere inches from his.

As their lips connected fire against fire, threatening to burn through everything in its way, a loud pain pierces Jasmin's side, leaving her breathless as she gasps in pain.

The pain managed to wake Jasmine from the magical dream that confused her and made her happy at the same time. It was perplexing because she never thought about Asher as her potential husband. She was convinced that she never saw him in that light. On the other hand, the dream made her happy because it helped her experience powerful and complex emotions that she had never felt before, emotions she never thought she would feel.

"What?" Jasmine exclaimed, looking around confused, trying to distinguish between the dream and reality.

Another kick to her stomach made her realize that she was still in the apocalyptic present and that the happily ever after future didn't exist, or at least not yet. She hoped it would one day. And that hope was just what she needed to return the faith in their survival that she had somewhat lost when she learned that one of those things was inside her body.

The vicious kicking she was experiencing was coming from Isaac, sleeping next to her, who seemed to be going through a particularly horrible nightmare judging from his extreme thrashing and turning.

"Isaac, wake up," Jasmine said, gently shaking him awake. "It's okay, it's just a dream. Everything is okay. Wake up."

After a few more twitches and turns, Isaac's eyes finally popped open, and upon seeing Jasmine right next to him, he jumped into her arms, crying convulsively.

"Shh, you are okay," Jasmine said soothingly, hugging him back as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and it felt like it.

It was a sad world they lived in when a child as innocent and good as him had to suffer such horrible nightmares.

All she could do was hold him.

Comfort him.

And never let him go.