Chapter Text
Gina woke up early in the morning. She was naked and wrapped in the warmth of another body. Her head rested on a bare chest that rose and fell with a calm pace. It smelled like a mix of sweat and something unmistakable to him. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shane’s mermaid's pendant hanging from a chain around his neck.
Last night, they had decided to celebrate his eight years of sobriety by sharing an intimate moment. Gina had always loved how passionate, raw, and affectionate Shane could be when they were together, the perfect blend of tenderness and intensity.
Outside the half-open window, birds were already gathering, unusually close. One of them landed softly on the frame, with a curious tilt of the head.
Shane, in his forties, had a body shaped by years of hard work rather than training. His calloused hands and broad back spoke of a life of labor. He had a softness around his middle and his left leg, making its quiet claim every time the weather changed, but he moved with a steadiness in him that hadn’t been there when Gina first met him. Back then, he was struggling with his own demons and was trying to erase his own sorrows with alcohol. There had been a time when things got dangerously dark, but he had made it through.
But now, he was unrecognizable. Silver had started to lace his dark hair and the creases at the corners of his eyes. These made him look older, yes, but also more grounded. He smiled more often now with honesty that softened his face. From somewhere below, a cat meowed gently, and some cows were mooing.
Gina leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Shane’s breathing got interrupted as he was waking up, but he didn’t open his eyes.
“Good morning, my love!” muttered Gina in his ear.
He smiled, eyes still closed, feeling her gentle affection. Gina traced some lazy circles over his chest.
“Come on darling, time to wake up” Gina continued.
Shane groaned softly
“I prefer to stay here,” he murmured, almost like a child refusing to get up.
Gina kept kissing his jaw and cheeks as a sweet attempt to wake him up. Shane responded, pulling his wife closer into his embrace, snuggling his nose in her crown and playing with his mahogany curls with his fingers.
Gina chuckled, “Who will feed our chickens if you stay here? We need to leave the bed, you know,” she said.
Shane finally opened his eyes, blinking against the morning light. “I know,” he said, giving her a last hug. “This feels so good”
He would have loved nothing more than to spend the entire morning just holding her.
Gina pressed a quick kiss to his lips, understanding him without words. “I'll get the kids up. Could you make us some fried eggs?”
Shane sat on the bed and stretched his arms over his head “Yep, I will” he said while he rubbed his eyes with one of his fists.
Shane watched her with affection and a lazy grin across his face, before getting out of bed himself. He was lucky to being married with someone like her.
The kitchen got really noisy, with the kids moving around, getting ready for school.
“Mom, where's my lucky gridball shirt?” the younger boy, Jack, called out from the table, his face buried in his backpack.
“Have you checked the laundry?” Gina called back.
“Yes, but I don’t see it” he whined in exasperation, almost crying.
“Take it easy, champ” Shane said, while rubbing his son’s hair. “I’ll lend you mine. But take care of it.”
Jack’s eyes lit up as Shane looked for one of his Tunnelers shirts.
“Thanks, Dad!” he said, giving him a quick hug around his waist.
“Tess, did you remember to put your homework in your bag?” asked Shane
“Yes Dad” replied their middle child Tess, her mouth was full of food, still in her pajamas. She put a wooden sword over the table.
“Tess, don’t put toys on the table” said Gina.
“But…but a monster can appear at any time! Marlon says we must be prepared!”
“Well, if a monster wants to take breakfast with us, maybe we should be polite and invite him!”
“Jas” shouted Shane, while moving the pan and adding eggs to the plates “take your breakfast before it gets cold!”
Jas, now a teen, appeared fully dressed and with light makeup.
“Ok, Uncle Shane, I go” she sat on one of the chairs and ate the scrambled eggs.
The morning moved along in its usual rhythm, voices overlapping, dishes clattering. It was chaotic, but warm.
Jas looked at her younger siblings with a smile “Hey, you guys ready to go with Miss Penny?” she asked.
“I’m almost done!” Tess replied, finishing her juice quickly before running off to finish getting dressed.
“Yeah,” Jack said, as he shoveled the last bit of scrambled eggs into his mouth “I'm ready.”
Both kids run to their rooms. Jas shifted her face to her godfather.
“Uncle Shane, could I go with Vincent and Leo to the Calico Festival this weekend?”
“Don’t you have a math exam next Tuesday?” Shane replied.
“Yes, but I’ve studied a lot already!” Jas responded, putting on her most persuasive smile.
Then, Jas decided to pull out her usual tricks on Shane. “Come on, Uncle Shane, please? It'll be great, and I swear I’ll study twice as hard this week!” she said, her voice sweet and pleading.
Gina, watching from a distance, already knew what was about to happen. Her husband had a soft spot for Jas.
“Ok, alright, but only this time,” Shane said with a severe tone.
Gina and Jas knew this wouldn’t be the only time.
“Yeeeees! I love you, Uncle Shane!” Jas exclaimed, hugging him and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Can you lend me some dollars?” she added.
“Yes, sure,” he said, taking his wallet without hesitation. Jas smiled.
“You are the best, Uncle Shane!” said Jas taking the money.
“You’re spoiling her, you know that?” Gina murmured in his ear, giggling.
The moment the kids left, Shane walked towards Gina again and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, smelling her hair.
“You know,” he whispered, “the house it's too quiet when they are not around.”
Gina smiled as she stacked the plates. “Don't get any ideas.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “Too late”
“No, Shane, seriously, stop!” Gina said with a laugh while Shane began to kiss her back. “If you keep this pace, you are going to make me pregnant again!”
Shane blinked and looked into her eyes. He bit his lip, trying to suppress a small, playful smile. “Honestly? I wouldn’t mind…”
Gina rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious you're not the one who carries them.”
Shane grinned. “Come on, my Grumpkin! Jas is going to college next year. Tess and Jack are growing up so fast. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the sound of little feet again?” he leaned closed and continued with a low, dangerous voice. “Besides, your body is so sexy, how could I not want to be over you, every hour of the day?”
“Shaneee!” Gina tried to scold him, but couldn’t repress a smile as Shane kissed her neck and back again with more intensity.
Suddenly, the phone rang, and Shane pulled away. It was Marnie, his expression shifted. She never called this early unless something was seriously wrong.
“Marnie? What’s wrong?” Shane’s voice was tight. His body went rigid as he listened.
“Yes, yes… I understand, oh Yoba, this is… wait for me, okay?” His tone was now serious, his voice shaking just slightly.
“What happened?” Gina asked, now concerned.
Shane took a long pause before talking again.
“It’s my mom…she died”.