It was early in the daytime when Miles traveled with Gwen to Earth 616B. Hand in hand, they stood on a porch in Queens as he rang the doorbell. Gwen waited anxiously, fidgeting with her feet, until they were greeted by a beautiful redhaired woman.
"Hi!" It was Mary Jane Parker. "How are you guys?"
"We're good, Mrs. Parker." answered Miles, who extended his hand first.
To his surprise, she accepted his handshake with a warm hug. "Call me MJ." she said.
"Uh, okay... MJ." The boy couldn't ignore how nice this woman smelled. "How are you?"
"Oh, we're fine." She turned to the girl and hugged her too. "It's great to see you two!"
"Uh, thanks..." Gwen replied awkwardly, "... thanks for inviting us."
"Don't be strangers." Stepping back, MJ waved them through the door. "Come on in."
When they entered her house, which was neatly maintained and scented, they discovered two rugrats playing on the carpet of their living room with another woman; Gwen jumped as soon as she recognized the large afro on her bulky stature.
"Jess!?"
"Gwen!"
"Oh, my God!" Gwen rushed into the arms of her former mentor, dancing giddily. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, for one..." they turned to the waddling toddler playing with Mayday, "... finding my son a playmate. His name's Gerald, though I prefer Gerry."
"Gerry?" Gwen repeated observantly. "How old is he?"
"Only a few weeks."
"A few weeks?" The blonde's head nearly fell off, as did Miles'. "How is he walking already?"
"Beats me." Jess shrugged with a proud smirk. "Spider-genes, I'm guessing."
"Nice." Miles chimed in. "Makes me wonder if you guys have daycare centers for spider-children."
This got him the Spider-Woman's full attention. "That... is not actually a bad idea." She waved an acknowledging finger.
"Eh..." he did his best to play it down, "... it just came off the top of my head."
"But seriously," she encouraged, "we could use more of that input."
"Yeah, sure." With a brisk nod, Miles glanced away; he was still on the fence.
Seeing this, Jess thought it best to change the subject. "So... how are you holding up?" she asked softly.
He paused at her question, raising an eyebrow, before answering with a pocketed shrug. "To say the least, I'm... coming to terms with it." Pausing again, he took a deep breath. "Just gotta get through the funeral... and then it should be all good."
"I'm really sorry—"
"Don't." He waved her off. "It's okay... really."
Jess pursed her lips apologetically; she knew his pain all too well... she just wasn't the right person to console him.
Gwen, with some reluctance, put her arm around Miles. Thankfully, he didn't brush off or pull away from her this time; he just stood there, contemplating, with his fingers now on his chest. By now, he was coming to accept the loss of his mother... he was just tired of all the reminding condolences being showered his way. He just wanted... no, needed... a break from it all.
But soon enough, Miles caught the attention of Mayday, who squealed in rabid excitement. The three women ducked as she catapulted herself into the boy's arms and got to pawing his face with her sticky little hands.
"Aww, did somebody miss me?" he cooed, nuzzling her.
With a sad puppy-eyed pout, the toddler nodded; she was too cute for her own good.
"Wanna play?"
To this, the curly haired toddler clapped eagerly.
"No roughhousing, if you can avoid it." MJ advised.
Miles gave her a salute. "You got it, Mrs. Par—I mean, MJ."
Taking Mayday, he laid down on the carpet, rolling onto his back so she could bounce on his chest; with the swelling almost gone now, it was no longer hurting.
"Go easy on him, honey!" yelled Peter from the kitchen, smiling with a cupcake in hand. "Wouldn't wanna reopen his stitches now, would we?"
"No, daddy!" she blurted innocently.
The teary howls of laughter that filled the room could have shattered all the windows, as well as shaken the whole neighborhood.
The only person who didn't join in was Gwen, who paled blue at the imitating sight of her boyfriend's head bobbing on the floor... just like it did at the hospital... when the doctors did those hard chest compressions on his lifeless form... right after his heart attack.
"Gwen?"
"Huh? What?"
MJ had her hand on the girl's shoulder, staring at her worriedly... as did everyone else.
"What happened?" Gwen looked around the room with a questioning scowl. "Why's everyone staring at me? Did I do something?"
"You... kinda just went rigid..." Miles answered, "... like you short-circuited or something."
"Short-circuited? I don't..." It took her a few seconds to realize what had happened, then she groaned ashamedly. "Oh... I did that thing, didn't I?"
MJ inched closer, holding both her shoulders now. "Gwen, it's okay."
"No, it's not." She raised her trembling fingers to her temples. "I just... I don't know how to control it."
"You can't control these things... they just happen."
"Well, I..." she sighed, trying not to lose her composure again, "... how do I stop it then?"
"With time... however long it takes." MJ pulled back to give her more breathing room. "But if you're not ready, we don't have to do this today."
"I want to." she insisted, shifting her eyes between her peers... Miles, especially. "Can we start now?" she then pleaded.
To this, the woman sparkled. "Of course."
*****
"I really appreciate you for doing this."
"It's the least I can do."
Gwen and MJ were sitting upstairs in one of their study rooms, which had a wall of bookshelves and documents. Their sofas, which were adjacently arranged in front of the computer desk, were remarkably comfortable. This, along with the quiet warming ambience, made it so much easier to relax and clear one's head.
"I sure hope they have these sofas back home." Gwen commented, cushioning her back and shoulders. "I could sleep here all day."
"It was actually Pete's idea to get these."
"Really?"
"Yeah," the woman nodded affirmably, "and I can honestly say it was one of his better ideas that paid off."
Both chuckled at this.
"Certainly better than investing in a spider-themed restaurant." the girl added, unable to help herself.
MJ popped up incredulously. "He told you about that!?"
When she nodded, they laughed themselves almost to exhaustion.
Once they calmed down, Gwen took a moment to gather herself before she started. "So..." she cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands, "... I'll start with the good stuff." She looked to MJ, who smiled encouragingly. "Things are going pretty well in my life now, both as Gwen and Spider-Woman, since Noir managed to prove my innocence in Peter's death... my Peter, that is."
"I know."
"I'm also closer with my bandmates now than before." she listed next. "I mean... I still haven't told them my secret, of course, but I tell them just enough so that they understand where I'm coming from and why I'm the way I am." She puffed out afterwards. "It also helps that I don't have to wear a mask around my dad anymore."
"That's good."
"Even still..." Gwen lowered her gaze solemnly, "... something inside me just isn't the same anymore, which I know is an ironic thing to say." Miles and his mother crossed her mind again. "I'm still struggling with the death of Mrs. Morales, but I'm doing the best I can to be strong for Miles." Her throat hardened when she got to her next point. "It's just... ever since that day with the Goblin, and then the hospital, I've just been losing it time after time, almost nonstop."
"You had a flashback, didn't you?" MJ inquired knowingly.
Sucking her lips, she nodded weakly. "When the doctors were trying to bring him back... after his heart attack..." she clenched her body, fighting to control her emotions, "... and how I couldn't do a damn thing about it." Her breathing became shuddered now, and she shut her eyes painfully.
"But he's okay now." she was calmly reminded.
"I know, but..." Gwen almost lost her train of thought, "... what if things go bad again?" Her eyes glistened when she turned back to MJ. "I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, completely out of breath, and then having to make sure he's alive by contacting him like a needy insecure girlfriend... and when I'm not, I end up having to sleep in my dad's room again." She gripped her hair, almost wanting to scalp herself. "It's like I've been reduced to an infant with separation anxiety... is this what I am now?"
"Does Miles have a problem with this?"
"No," she shook embarrassedly, "he understands and tries to support me as well, but I can't help feeling that I'm unloading too much on him while he's still grieving."
"Are you afraid of pushing him away?"
"Yeah." she responded, more relaxed now.
MJ, who deeply understood this girl's pain, straightened herself as she proceeded to share a bit of her own story. "My husband and I went through similar tribulations... and though I'm not a professional therapist, I can honestly say that these feelings stem from having something to live and fight for." She paused, allowing Gwen to process this before continuing. "Pete would constantly be worried about me and Mayday and vice versa. There were so many knots in our relationship that we had to untie." She leaned back, staring out through her sunlit window.
"Wasn't easy, huh?"
"Nope." She shook her head, smirking. "But we have the whole rest of our lives to work through it," she turned back to Gwen, "just like you two now... should you choose to."
Gwen stared at this woman, contemplating for a minute, until she drew her own conclusion. "No one can ever predict the future... but it doesn't mean we can't fight for it."
Smiling to this, MJ added the cherry on top with an "Amen."
*****
Back downstairs in the living room, Miles was still on the carpet with Mayday in his lap while Jessica, sitting opposite him, had Gerry in hers. Peter was seated between them in a triangle, somewhat jealous of his daughter's affection towards him.
Jess, who had been waiting to speak to the boy, took her chance now. "Hey, Miles."
"Yeah?" He lifted his head from Mayday.
"I know we got off on the wrong foot," she began nervously, "but I stand with what I offered before. We could use more people like you in our community."
"Community?" he frowned.
"If you ever decide to, of course." she hurriedly clarified. "Don't think I'm rushing you."
"No, no, I get it." He waved simply. "I am open to the idea, don't get me wrong, but right now... I'd rather just focus on being my own Spider-Man."
To this, Jess nodded understandingly; there were still plenty more hurdles to overcome before she could ever get this boy to trust them again, but this was nonetheless a promising start.
When Miles looked back down, he found Mayday resting her ear against his chest and silently listening to his mother's heartbeat, her eyes glowing with sentiment. Peter adored this sight, as did Gwen when she came down the stairs with MJ. The boy, however, stared ahead, his mouth in a thin line, while reminiscing... the memories, while easier to bear now, were still painful.
"Wanna hold my baby?" Jess asked Gwen out of the blue, lifting her son.
"What...? Me?" She tried to backpedal. "I can't—"
"Sure you can," the woman insisted, "watch."
When she brought her son to the awkward blonde, he latched onto her like a koala and rested his tiny head against her neck. In an instant, Gwen warmed up to the infant and cradled him tenderly. "He's so cute!" she cried.
"I told ya children were rejuvenating." Peter declared, folding his arms smugly.
Holding Gerry, Gwen joined Miles on the carpet to show him off. The three adults watched on, all smirking, as the teen couple played with their kids.
"Future parents in the making." he whispered, which got a giggle from the two women.
*****
When the morning of the funeral arrived, Miles stood shirtless in front of their bathroom mirror while getting dressed, tracing his fingers over the surgical scar of his no longer swelling chest, which formed a straight vertical line between his pecs... it felt strange... like rubber almost.
The mark of a mother's love.
To him, it was still surreal having her organ beating inside his body. Nothing else really felt different, for it was all in his mind; all his memories before the surgery felt like memories of another life. This heart took care of him for fifteen years in someone else's body... and now it was going to take care of him in his own body forever, which gave the boy some comfort at last.
Even though she was gone... part of her would always remain.
*****
The funeral took place on a sunny afternoon in Cypress Hills, near their home in Brooklyn. All their extended family members were present, which included cousins, uncles, aunties, grandparents, and even friends of friends. Gwen and George Stacy were also there; they were sitting next to Jefferson in the front row seats near the closed casket, which was gracefully polished and adorned with flowers, as well as a picture frame of Rio Morales that was centered on top.
When it was Miles' turn to step up, he brought with him a microphone that was attached to a boom box, both of which belonged to his one and only Uncle Aaron. He took his first deep breath, tapping the mic to make sure it was working nicely, before he began his eulogy.
"Where do I even start with my mother, Rio Morales? What can I say about her that hasn't already been said?" He looked to his encouraging audience, to Gwen and his father specifically. "She was a passionate woman whose unmatched wisdom was rivalled only by her selfless love." Her picture gleamed under the sunlight and reflected on his saddened smile. "She knew how to make others feel special around her... it's just unfortunate how easy it is to take that love for granted until it's gone..." he did a long pause before adding, "... or so I thought."
This garnered a few curious glares before he continued.
"During surgery, I had this dream... if I could call it that. The details are kinda sketchy, but bear with me for a minute." Everyone fell silent while Miles cleared his throat. "I dreamt that I was in this space between time, as they call it in those sci-fi movies, and my mom was with me while we went to visit Uncle Aaron." He paced back and forth, all eyes following him, while he acted out the scene with his hands. "We each had a balloon, and I think she told me not to lose it... even stressed it... because we were the only two people who had a balloon... and mine was broken."
The seats then rippled with confusion; most had no idea where he was going with this story.
"What I'm basically saying is that she was my guide, even in that space between time, up until my balloon ran out of life." He stopped in front of the casket, as if he could see through its lid. "Without my balloon, I couldn't leave that place... so..." he inhaled shakily, holding his chest again, "... she ended up giving me hers... then told me to go." His voice cracked at the last word.
Gwen and Jefferson looked at Miles sympathetically, both understanding now, as they too held in their own tears, which bolstered the boy's courage.
"My mom gave me two of her greatest gifts, which are my two lives." Raising a finger, he pointed it to the sky. "My second life began when I woke up from that surgery, and I'm gonna live it to its fullest... I owe her that... and all of you too." He pointed next to his whole family, most of whom were now weeping on each other's shoulders. "A part of me is gone now... while a part of her lives on until the end of my days, whenever that is."
To conclude his eulogy, Miles held his breath as he pressed the mic into his chest and allowed everyone to hear his mother's gentle heartbeat through Aaron's speakers.
Ba-dump...
Ba-dump...
Ba-dump...
A single tear trickled down Jefferson's proudly smiling face as he vibed to her rhythm.
Miles, in this instance, felt no shame in crying anymore. Allowing his lips to curl while his nose turned pink, he exploded into grotesque sobs. As he waddled back to the seats, Gwen launched out of hers and wrapped him in her arms. The teens dropped to their knees as he buckled under the anguish, wailing harder than he ever did in the hospital. His dad, kneeling himself, secured both of them in his bigger arms, safeguarding what was left of his family for as long as it would take.
Miles was so lucky to have had a mother like Rio Morales.
Jefferson was even luckier to have married a woman like Rio Morales.
But most of all, both were luckiest to have lived with Rio Morales.
*****
After the burial, Miles stood with his father at his mother's grave, along with Gwen and George who were idling nearby with their heads down respectfully. With everyone else gone now, they could finally have some peace and quiet. The name on this gravestone read, Rio Morales, yet it still didn't feel real to anybody, especially to a family of two that was once three.
"I'm gonna miss you, mom." he whispered.
"I'm so proud of you, son." Jeff shook him lightly. "You did good."
Smiling through his dimples now, he turned to the empty space on his left and said, "Thanks for coming too, guys."
One after another, a group of Spiders, all in formal suits too, uncloaked themselves, along with Miles G. Morales who stood at the forefront. Peter, Peni, Ham, Noir, Hobie, Pavitir, and Margo were all here in person.
"Thanks for lending us your cloaking tech." said Margo to G while brushing her hair.
He nodded back with a smirk. "One-time thing... but you're welcome.
"Come here, you all!" Opening his arms wide, Miles accepted a group hug from all his friends, which included his braided twin from Earth 42. Seeing them here was more than enough to lift his spirits. "I'm so glad you're all here!"
"We're always here for you, kid." said Peter.
"Why wouldn't we be, bruv?" added Hobie.
"That was such a beautiful speech." Pavitir wiped his eyes, hugging him tighter.
"If there's anything you need from us," Peni proposed, "don't hesitate."
"Right now..." Miles responded, pulling back, "... you guys are all I need."
"Go on, son." He turned back to see his dad waving him off. "Get outta here."
To this, he surprised the man with a speedy hug, which he gratefully absorbed. "I love you, dad." he said to him.
"I love you too, son." he said back, almost breaking again.
They held each other for what seemed like hours until they pulled apart. When Miles left the cemetery with all his friends, Jeff stayed behind, deep in more contemplation, until George patted him on the shoulder.
"Come on." He motioned off somewhere. "Drinks are on me."
*****
"Does it ever get easier?"
"Given enough time... sure."
Jefferson sat with George in a bar where it wasn't too noisy or crowded, each with a light glass of liquor in hand.
"Some days, however..." George continued with a sip, "... more difficult than others." He stared off wistfully. "When I lost Helen... she was my wife... I felt cheated." A scowl drew lines on the man's forehead, all of which Jeff could count. "I was bitter, depressed, and mad at the world. But I was so desperate to escape the pain and avoid falling apart that I buried myself in my duties, which obviously didn't impact my relationship with Gwen the best way."
Jeff sighed. "That's rough."
"Yeah." George elaborated some more. "It will take time, trust me, but I can't promise that you won't have a few relapses along the way."
"Figures."
"But you will be okay with it eventually."
Jeff then shook his head. "I don't know if that's the best or worst part."
"It's debatable." George took another sip. "What comforts me though is the fact that her legacy lives on in my daughter, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
The two men smiled sadly before Jeff raised his glass. "To Rio Morales..."
George followed suit. "And Helen Stacy."
Clinking their glasses, they drank in honor of their late wives. As they did, Jeff could swear that he spotted a bald bearded figure in the corner of his eye watching them from outside the window... but when he shifted his glance, whomever it was was gone.
Nah, it couldn't be...
*****
Sometime later, back in her own dimension, Gwen strode through the doors of her gymnasium into a setting that mirrored her first canon event, which was her high school prom dance. The place was decorated with banners and light shows while populated with dresses and tuxedos. The blonde was wearing a jacket over her own dress while caked in a bit of makeup.
This won't happen like last time...
On her right, she waved to her bandmates, all of whom were flocking around Hobie Brown and chatting him up near the refreshments. He winked to his drummer when he saw her.
"Miles?"
Gwen circled in the empty space for any signs of her date, but she couldn't yet find him. She circled some more, banking left and right with rising suspicion, until a hand spun her around by the shoulder.
"Hey." There he was.
"H-Hey..." she stammered, ogling this young man's attire.
Instead of coming in a typical suit, Miles wore a loosely buttoned dress shirt that was tight around his waist and tucked into his belted trousers, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, which somehow made him sexier. He also had this near-intoxicating fragrance.
"Is this really my boyfriend?"
"You tell me." He smirked. "You look perfect."
"Thanks." She blushed while brushing her hair to the side. "I just can't believe I'm in another prom. I haven't been to these since..." she caught what she was about to say and shuddered, "... sorry!"
"It's okay, I get it."
Suddenly, the music changed from its upbeat hip-hop to a slower more romantic tune, along with the lights; Hobie had helped himself to the DJ as a favor for the young couple.
"Thanks, Hob'." said Miles quietly before he extended his hand to the girl. "Shall we have this dance?"
Gwen took it gladly. "We shall."
Taking her waist, he pulled her close while she looped her arms around his neck. They began rocking in a rhythmic motion, as did everyone else soon after. Gwen and Miles stared into each other's souls, once again losing themselves from the world around them.
"I love you."
"I love you more."
Reading each other like a book, they sealed their lips together as they continued dancing, not caring who was watching them... this night belonged to them forever.
*****
Jeff was alone on his rooftop, admiring the new mural of his wife that was painted next to his brother's, when he received an unexpected visitor. This man's face was identical to the one on his wall, except he had a fuller combination with grey highlights.
"Aaron?"
"Hey..." the bald man that was supposed to be his deceased brother shifted his glance awkwardly before turning it to the wall art, "... it's a nice painting."
For a meeting between ghosts, the former police lieutenant supposed that this was a good place to start their conversation. "Yeah... it is."
Rio's mural had her sparkling smile framed with flower petals and angel wings, all of which were mixed with the brightest colors of the spectrum imaginable; his son truly captured her.
"My nephew used to enjoy art." Aaron went on while gazing down.
"Used to?" Jeff was concerned at first, but then he put two and two together. "I see." They stood in silence for a bit longer until he shifted the topic and asked, "How are you guys doing?"
"Eh..." he shrugged, "... better than we used to. We still got plenty of ground to cover, more pieces to pick up than we had hoped, but other than that, we're fine." He looked back to his brother, his different brother, with a muted smile. "My Miles is thinking of doing his studies again."
"Really? That's good."
"That while he's still trying to clean up our city and help his mom." he added.
The mere mention of that other Rio piqued Jeff's curiosity. "And is she good?" he inquired, trying not to sound weird or anything. "I mean—"
Aaron snickered a little. "She's okay."
"Cool, cool..." he looked away, sighing tiredly.
"I'm really sorry." Aaron decided to get off his chest suddenly, which reeled back the other man's attention. "I should have tried harder... to fix things between us before..." he trailed off.
Despite their strange circumstance, Jeff understood right away where this Earth 42 variant of his brother was coming from. "Me too..." he answered simply, "... I'm sorry too." A new thought crossed his mind right then, and he had to get it off his chest.
"What's up?" asked Aaron, reading him like a book.
With an inhale, Jeff began, staring back at his wife's mural. "Why didn't I try harder to convince her from doing what she did? Why didn't I fight harder to take her place?" He begged these questions furiously. "Why did I just let her do it?" He tightened his fists, wanting to punch himself.
"There was no stopping her." Jeff side-glanced to Aaron, open-mouthed. "One thing I know about Rio is that when she put her mind to something, nothing was gonna get in her way, no matter what." This assurance seemed to relax him again. "You were lucky."
With another sigh, Jeff concurred with a nod. "Yeah... I sure was, huh?"
"But if you want..." Aaron raised another idea, "... I could try hitting you up."
He was quickly waved off. "Thanks, but..." he pointed back to the wall, "... I already got my diamond right here."
"It's cool," he raised his hands defensively, "just tryna help a brother, that's all."
"I appreciate that."
Once again, silence fell upon the two 'brothers' as they stood side by side, resting their gaze on the wall painting while pondering nostalgically.
"It's good that you're here." Jeff finally said.
"Likewise." Aaron replied, both smiling.
*****
Back on the clock tower, Miles sat with Gwen on their usual spot while drawing in his sketchbook; his latest sketch was that of his mother holding her heart in that glowing ball of energy, just like in the dream. Gwen watched him unashamedly, favoring his skill with the pencil, while resting on his shoulder and lacing her arms around him, which he didn't mind at all.
"How are my two lovebirds?"
The couple turned their heads back to see Peter B. Parker, who was also in full costume, perching on the dome above and behind them.
"Hey!" they greeted him in unison.
"I hope I'm not interrupting."
"No, no, it's fine." Miles motioned him to come over.
Hopping down, the older Spider-Man kept a respectful distance while admiring the beautiful sunset skyline over their heads, the gentle breeze whistling through his aged brown hair as it did through the teens'.
"I'm curious." he said, which raised an eyebrow.
"About what?"
"What you'll do now with your second life, as you said."
"Why?"
"With respect," Pete waved warily, "you don't just come out of something like this and expect to be the same person as you were before... something else has to have changed."
"I..." Miles wagged his finger, "... I see your point."
"So?"
"So...?" He glanced away, feeling all eyes on him as he pondered for a moment. Soon enough, he answered. "For one... I am thinking of a career change."
"From theory dynam—wait, that's..." Pete stammered to correct himself, "... quantum physics, I mean. You wanna change from quantum physics?"
"Yeah," he nodded simply and elaborated, "I feel like focusing more on developing stem cells and artificial organs, if you get my drift." When he touched his chest, they understood.
"Neat." The man smiled proudly.
"If I can do this," Miles concluded, "I could save more than one life."
Everyone took a minute to absorb this conversation until a distant siren echoed from the city below, the same city that never sleeps. Both teens stood up to don their masks.
"You comin'?" he asked Peter, who merely shrugged.
"Nah, you two got this."
With a firm nod, Miles jumped with Gwen off the clocktower to tackle the oncoming disturbance, their movements synched like airborne ballerinas. Alone, they were strong, but together, Spider-Man and Spider-Woman were unstoppable.
*****
That very same night, Miles laid with Gwen in his bed, their arms around each other, while naked under the bedsheet after their first lovemaking session in forever. Her skin was comfier than any pillow he could ever afford. She was now resting her head on his chest while his fingers caressed her messy blonde hair.
"Hey, Gwen."
"Yeah?"
"About this Earth 8..."
Lifting her head, she stared into his brown eyes with her sparkling blue ones. "What about it?" she asked a little concernedly.
He paused to choose his next words carefully. "Are you expecting things to play out the way it did for those other versions of us?"
Her hair tickled his skin when she shook. "Whatever happens between us... it'll be on our own terms." She smiled lovingly. "We write our own stories, remember?"
"That's true." The boy mirrored her face.
"If it happens, it happens." Kissing him, she laid back on his chest, tracing its scar with the tip of her fingernail. "Whatever future awaits us... we'll face it together... we've got the whole rest of our lives, after all."
Miles kept toying with her hair until she drifted off soon after... a sleeping beauty.
How am I so lucky?
Alone once more, he reached for the stethoscope in his bedside drawer and put it around his ears. Pressing in the chest piece, he heard his mother's heartbeat again and relaxed to it.
She wasn't truly gone... she was right here... taking care of him like always.
"Goodnight, mom."
THE END.
*****
A/N: If you made it this far, thank you all so much for reading my story. Feel free to give any feed back. What were your favorite parts in the whole story? Which was your favorite chapter? Could be multiple. Votes are more than welcome too! You can also follow me on AO3 and FFnet, both of which have the extended love scene.
Have a happy end of the year holiday!