Epilogue
Ten Years Later
“Abigail, get your ass down here right now,” Jaxson said.
At the screams, Jaxson ran a hand down his face and turned toward Steven, his oldest son, who had clearly just told a scary story to his youngest brother and sister.
“They asked,” Steven said.
“You asked about clowns for your seventh birthday, but we made sure one didn’t arrive,” Jaxson said.
Steven went pale. His oldest son had developed a fear of clowns.
What he didn’t realize was Steven had disobeyed television curfew and stayed up late at night, watching television when horror shows were on.
This had started his fear of clowns, as they had a season of it.
Of course, Steven was banned from having a television in his room, and he also had to do chores.
Tillie eventually said he clearly had learned his lesson as they went to one of the town fairs, and Steven had ended up locking himself in a toilet as a clown talked to him.
After that, his rebellious son liked to find ways to let out that streak, which also meant telling horror stories to Lilah and Peter.
Abigail, his second oldest child, came to the top of the stairs and sat her ass right down on it. “What?” she asked, folding her arms against her chest.
At the birth of Steven, his father had said he hoped he had a child who was just as much of a pain-in-the-ass know-it-all as he was.
His dad got his wish. Abigail and Steven were exactly like him growing up, and since he now had to live with two of him, he had apologized to his parents.
He loved his kids, but they were pains in the ass.
Of course, only to him. When it came to their mother, they were good as gold.
Thankfully, Tillie was not bamboozled, as their kids hadn’t learned the fine art of sneaking, so Tillie would witness their behavior without them even realizing it.
His parents’ advice in bringing up kids was to work as a team. Don’t let them divide and conquer you. He and Tillie were a team.
Jaxson looked up the stairs as his wife knelt down behind Abigail, and with a few choice words, his daughter’s face transferred into a smile, and she came downstairs.
“I’m sorry, Daddy, but I was not going to let Gary go around bullying people. That is not fair and it’s not cool, and I didn’t like it.”
“You hit him!”
“He was shoving people into lockers. So, yeah, I hit him, and I would keep hitting him as well if the teacher hadn’t pried my hands off him.”
“Go and sit, and get ready for movie night,” he said.
“That’s it?” Abigail asked, looking a little shocked.
“You said it was a bad call, I’ll go into the school tomorrow, talk to your teachers, and get it sorted out. Case closed.”
Tillie made her way downstairs, and he looked up to find his wife smiling, smugly.
“What did you say to her?”
“I happened to remind her if she needed a champion, she had to get on your good side, and you’d deal with it.”
“They’re growing up way too fast,” he said.
“Is that why we’ve got number five on the way?” she asked, rubbing her stomach.
Jaxson couldn’t keep his hands off his wife. He loved her more now than he ever did. She had given him more love than he could have ever hoped for.
“Popcorn is done,” Steven said.
“It’s movie night.”
“Come on, maybe we can sit in the back and make out,” Jaxson said.
Ten years, four kids, with another on the way, it had been a roller-coaster of a marriage, but one filled with love and laughter. This was what Jaxson always wanted, and every time he looked at Tillie, he always craved.
The End