It’s been 16 years since I thought the thread of the universe had abandoned me, snapped by the hands of a cruel man who had taken what I thought was most precious to me at the time. So long, yet I remember the day so vividly..
Though, as it may seem, the universe isn’t as unforgiving as some people make it out to be. Sometimes it offers you a second chance, even if it’s only followed by the hardships it drags you through.
Mine..? I could hear her outside, with our son, the both of us having grown older and finally freed from the clutches of yet another institute that kept us encased in its walls. I wake up to her every day now, knowing that everything we went through, together or apart was worth every second for these moments.
The sun shone through the windows of the cottage I was in, brooding over a canvas that I had been working on for the past six months and gently adding its final touches. Our daughter, Amelia, sat on the ground beside me and idled away in my footsteps as she clumsily dragged her fingers across much more simple pieces of paper scattered across the floor. Glancing down at her just in time with a smile as she got up to call for my attention regardless.
“Daddy, daddy..! I drew mommy and her big truck..!” She squeals as she bounces on her feet, rocking back between her toes and the balls of her feet as she holds the paper up as high as she can. I loved seeing her like this, usually so shy and quiet when we take her out but at home - Even the most trivial thing could excite her so much she’d be waving her hands around, giddy as ever. It reminds me of Cass’ when we were younger. Hell, I can even get her to do the same sometimes, even at our age.
“Well.. You keep makin’ so many masterpieces and we’re gonna run out of space on the wall, eh?” I chuckle as I pick her up and examine her drawing while she settles on my knee. With nothing to do, she starts smearing her fingerpaint over the rest of her fingers.
“I just know you’ll be as good as me someday, Amy. When you’re way too big to fit in my lap, that’s for sure.”
She giggles in response, a gentle usher leaving my lips as I help her over to the sink to wash the paint off of her fingers. My rough, scarred hands holding such contrast to her own.. I couldn’t be more glad that they do. We were safe here..
The jingling of keys, followed by the familiar creaking of our front door and an exasperated sigh turned my attention. Cassie traditionally walking over to me and pressing a brief kiss to my lips as I let Amelia run off to probably make another mess somewhere else before she pulled away.
“Welcome back, sweetheart..” I mutter with a smirk, Cassie opening her mouth to speak before Damon pipes up behind her.
“Dad! Mom took me by th’ lake and I found dis BUG!!”
I turned my body to fit into my wife’s own, feeling her hands come up to rest on my chest while I had my arms loosely around her waist.
“He still thinks you’re scared of bugs, hun’..”
I hear Cassie whisper into my ear with a quiet giggle as I have my head turned towards Damon. He had a grin that stretched from ear to ear as his salmon pink hair fell over his eyes - His hand outstretched to display some sort of.. Water bug? It was abnormally large and crawled in circles in his palm. In truth, they still did unnerve me. I was a city boy at heart, even if I grew to prefer this peaceful rural environment more than the concrete jungle.
I steeled myself, silently exhaling through my nose as I reached out my hand to gently take the bug into my hand and inspect it before placing it back into Damon’s palm; much to his obvious shock and disappointment.
“It’s cute, bud’.. You promise to put him back where you found him though, right?”
Damon was pouting now. I could feel Cassie trying to suppress laughter as she nuzzled into the crook of my neck.
“Yeah.. I’ll put ‘im back.” He begrudgingly nodded before he gave me a quick pinkie promise, giving his mother one last pleading look, as if she could force me to be squeamish over a bug.
“C’mon love, you’ve had your chance at bothering your father, put the bug back, ‘kay?” Cassie coos over Damon in that maternal tone she seems to have developed as she leans in and kisses the top of his head. Brushing his fringe out of his eyes and behind his ears.
A long overdue sigh of relief leaves me once Damon leaves the house again as that foxy giggle escapes Cassie freely once he’s out of earshot. That in and of itself was enough to put a smile back on my face, soon stealing a kiss of my own from her lips before I grab the kettle and start to fill it with water.
“The usual tonight, then?” I ask as I leave it on the stove to boil.
“Mm, you really are easy to please, aren’t you?” Cassie replies with a hum.
“I’ve always said I was a simple man..”
“I guess that is true..”
She wraps her arms around me again, this time tighter and pulling me into a real embrace as I can’t help but let out an endearing laugh. Nestling into my wife before our fingers intertwine, the rings that bind us grazing against each other. To be her husband.. Living like this, I couldn’t be happier.
What more could I want, anyway..?