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I walk inside to find Sarah with little JJ on her hip. He’s about a year old. I show her the lottery tickets I bought at the gas station on the way home as I put my keys down. “We never win anything on those,”
I walk over to her and kiss the top of her head. “No,” I agree. “But they’re fun,” I mess up JJ’s hair and he stares at me as I do so. “How are you?” I ask him and he coos in response reaching for me. I hand Sarah the tickets and take him into my arms.
“He tried biting me today,” Sarah answers as she gets a spoon from the kitchen. I look at him.
“Is that true?” I ask him and he attempts to hit me in the face with one chubby hand. “I think he’s trying to take after his name sake,” I call out as she comes back.
I sit him down in the play pin that’s set up for him in the living room. Sarah turns the TV onto the news as we both begin to scratch at our tickets.
Neither of us win anything. “Told you,” she says as I gather them up and throw them away.
When I come back our former high school is on the news. “Did someone finally burn the building down?” I ask sitting down next to her as she cuts it up.
“… high school basketball team won tonight’s match,” me and Sarah trade a look before cheering which startles JJ.
To be fair I think the last time that school won anything was back when my dad was a freshmen there so it’s been a few years.
The next day I get up early and kiss Sarah goodbye before heading to work. Technically we made enough off the gold that neither of us need to work, but I prefer it.
Besides, what better job is there then fishing out on the open water?
“This sucks,” topper complains as he hauls the net up over the side as I check the lines again.
“Not liking pouge life?” I ask as I go over to him to help him untangle some of the fish from the line.
“No, I’m used to owning people like you,”
“Well, not anymore,” just then one of the lines start pulling and me and topper both run to is. I immediately start wheeling.
“Feels like a big one,” I admit and as soon as I say those words the fish gets away because of course it does.
“Damnit!” Topper shouts.
“It’s fine. There’s plenty of others,” I say patting his shoulder.
We pull up at the dock outside of Heywards seafood at six. We unload the fish and crabs that we caught. Popes father comes up to us. “How are you two doing?” He asks taking the Bucket of fish from me.
“Can’t complain. Got a decent hull. Which makes it a good day,” I admit and he agrees.
I climb into the new Twinkie. Yes I replaced it. I had to after Cleo blew the last one up. I actually bought this one from the junk yard and figured out how to fix it up.
That Friday night is date night for me and Sarah. We try to go on a date at least once a month. We hand little JJ over to Kiera who promised she would watch him for us.
We end up walking to one of the restaurants in town. “So you and topper really are getting along?” She asks in between sips of wine.
“You mean have I thrown Him over board yet? No,”
She smiles at that. “Please don’t. You don’t look good in orange,”
“Ouch. That hurts,” she kicks me under the table and i kick her back.
Saturdays are usually my day off and I often go to Church to try to talk to JJ just to keep him updated. I kneel down in front of the alter. “Hey, God it’s me again. I know I’m not good at this but I just wanted to talk to JJ so I’m going to do that.
Hey man, how are you up there? I hope you aren’t causing too much trouble. Don’t know where they’re put you if you did. Thought I’d update you. Kiera is still interning to save the dolphins and she’s taking care of that land for you. Cleo and pope and still the same. They’re finally planning their wedding which it took them long enough. And I think little JJ is trying to become like you.
God help both me and Sarah if he does. Alright well I’ll let you go. We all miss you buddy,” and then I stop speaking. Hopefully he heard me.
I hope he did.
Yeah, we’ll be ok.