Ashen

Part Nineteen - Epilogue 2/3

Epilogue II: Four years later, 2300AD

Smiling to himself, Jasper stood in the doorway of the extra bedroom he'd been airing out in the upstairs of his family's new house. Who thought he'd ever have a beautiful place like this? An amazing, kind, badass wife like this? A world where 'hauntings' didn't mean the trauma of his past, but instead the love of his life? At that moment, from downstairs, he heard her call.

"Jasper!"

Jogging down the steps, still excited to see her even after four years of spending every day together, he answered. "Yeah, babe?"

Meeting him at the bottom, she gazed sweetly into his eyes, a dash of concern written across her face. "Can you go catch Noah?" With an exasperated- and just the tiniest, tiniest bit entertained- sigh, she explained. "I asked him to do the dishes, he says 'one minute' and then books it down the street."

Also just the tiniest, tiniest bit entertained, Jasper gave his wife a quick peck, promising. "I'll get him back." As she watched the man who had blossomed into such an incredible father race out the door, she shouted:

"Thank you!"

Placing a solid bet his son had run in a down-hill direction where he'd gain more speed, Jasper sprinted. After about thirty seconds, he made out a small figure zooming in the distance. He shouted to the nine-year-old. "Hey rascal!" He watched as Noah peeked over his shoulder, then sped up. Jasper just laughed, and with only a little bit more effort, caught up to him easily. Noah exhaled sadly as Jasper scooped him up, and tossed him over his shoulder. Turning back homeward, the father teased. "When are you going to realize I'm always faster than you?"

Resting his elbow on Jasper's back with his chin in his palm Noah whined. "C'mon, Dad. Please don't make me do the dishes? I just did homework for an hour."

Smirking and putting on a voice, Jasper responded. "An hour! Why didn't you say that in the first place? Of course you don't have to do your chores."

Noah pushed up on his hands excitedly. "Seriously?!"

"No." Jasper tried to sound firm but had a difficult time, and reached back, ruffling up his son's hair. "You think your mom and I want to do the dishes after a twelve hour shift?" Noah was quiet, so he prodded a little more. "Hm?"

Huffing, the boy answered. "...No."

"Exactly." Jasper put his foot- very gently- down, then added lightly. "Don't worry. Someday you'll grow up, have kids of your own, and make them do the dishes."

"But that's forever from now!"

Shrugging Jasper hummed. "I don't make the rules, bud."

His son's eyebrows twitched together. "Yes you do."

"Oh, that's right. I do." Jasper said, pretending this wasn't his plan all along. Slipping back into lesson mode he prompted. "So when I say to do the dishes...?"

Letting himself flop down in defeat Noah droned. "I do the dishes."

"And you don't...?"

"Run away."

"That's right." At this point, they had reached home, and stopping before the door, Jasper placed his son down, speaking in a hushed tone. "Plus, your mom could use a break now more than ever."

Suspicious, Noah questioned. "Why?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell you this..." Far too excited to keep this to himself another day, Jasper crouched down, whispering. "But you're going to have a little brother."

Noah's eyes widened in excitement as he asked. "Can he do the dishes instead of me?"

"Is that all you think about?" Jasper shook his head, but couldn't get rid of the smile on his face, and pushed his son's back gently. "Go on, get inside." Nodding, Noah shuffled to the door, but at the last second, leaned back.

"Wait!" Staring at his father with a tiny fire of determination in his red eyes, Noah wondered. "Can I name him?"

Jasper raised a brow. "Can you do the dishes every day for a year?"

Noah thought for a second, then with a shrug, went inside, dropping the subject. "Not worth it."

Taking a moment to bask in the midday sun, Jasper grinned toward his future. A minute later, his wife joined him on the sidewalk, arms crossed like she was upset, but a smile dancing across her lips. "Babe, did you tell Noah I'm pregnant?"

Poker face on, he answered. "Why do you say that?"

Stepping closer, October challenged. "He just told me that Turbo is a good name for a boy."

Unable to summon a twinge of guilt, Jasper confessed. "I may have told him."

His partner shook her head playfully. "You're lucky I love you."

"You're right." Smirking, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and to her adoring violet eyes, declared. "I'm the luckiest man in the world." 

It was then that, surrounded by her husband- the thrum of his heart and the love in his eyes- October felt the first kick of the new life inside her. 

Stay tuned for the final epilogue on Monday, July 6th, 2020