Eden had no intention to take over for Dante, though. She had already decided she wanted another life. A different life, with her baby. She felt like she had done exactly what she had been prepared for, her whole life, but now, she really needed a new chapter to start. One where she could be really, truly free. She wanted Dante’s funeral to be her last goodbye to her previous life. Her last goodbye to Ghost, and his Songbird. Although Dante’s death should have probably kept her depressed for days, she couldn’t find that sadness in her heart. Perhaps it would come later, at night, when she was left alone. Right now, she was surrounded by Jack, Circé, and Rolf, all three acting very caring and protective.
They got her back in her hospital room, sitting her upright this time, so she could see everything going on outside the large window next to her bed. From there, she could see all of the destruction that had ravaged the already ugly neighborhoods. It was a lot. It would probably take months to rebuild everything, and she hoped it would be built into something much, much better. That was the only reason Eden had agreed to temporarily become part of the Zodiac, so she could see that the promises to them were kept and a new dawn in Chicago. One where her child would have no idea about sleeping on an old mattress, holding a gun, or risking death during a Dive. Where their baby could breathe clean air, eat fresh fruits, and see trees grow. Hours later, a tear would go down her cheek, and she would smile, imagining that future, with Dante’s child in it. Their love child.
The End
EPILOGUE
“Kids, time to eat! Come down! Now! …Don’t make me repeat myself!”
He put the plate on the table, checking that he hadn’t forgotten anything. The table was set for six people and was already filled with big plates full of food to share over a colored tablecloth. It smelled wonderful throughout the room. He snapped his fingers and turned around to grab what he always forgot: the water pitcher. After double-checking a second time, he made a satisfied nod. Then, he walked over to the old gramophone sitting in a corner of the room, sparkling clean. He pulled open the large drawer under it and slowly looked through the records to pick one. He chose one, took the large record out of its vintage packaging, and put it on. After a few seconds of lazy spinning, gentle jazz music began to play, filling the room with the smooth sound of a saxophone and a soprano voice. The man hummed along with a faint smile.
“Oh my God, it smells divine! My husband is the best cook,” chuckled a pretty blonde woman upon walking in.
He turned around, finding her on the doorstep in that pretty blue dress that suited her so well, her long hair in a bun. She put down the fresh baguette on the table.
“Of course,” he smiled. “That’s what it takes to be married to the best wife!”
He received his wife in his arms as she walked up to him, putting a gentle kiss on her cheek. Then, he moved his hands to her slightly round tummy, caressing it.
“Is he moving?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Not yet. You know it’s too early...”
“I can’t help it. I can’t wait to meet this one.”
“I know! Speaking of children, did you call the others?”
“I just did. How long do you think it will take them?”
“If they don’t want to be forbidden from playing in the White Reality for a week again, less than five minutes,” she sighed.
“Good. I’ll go get Mom, can you feed the birds?”
“Will do, chef.”
The man smiled at his wife, hugging her once more before she turned around, walking up to one of the kitchen cabinets. Their kitchen was beautifully set up, all in clear wood and white counters, with a lot of natural light and dozens of plants in every corner. The cooking space was already back to being spotless, dishes drying on a rack, and a hint of lemon floating in the air. There were all sorts of spices and dried herbs displayed in glass jars on wooden shelves, a pot with wooden cooking utensils, and flowers in bloom in the white vase by the window. Family pictures were displayed across the wall, with the same smiling faces looking a bit older in each one. The whole room screamed warmth and happiness.
“Uncle, can you set the timer to five minutes? If the kids aren’t here by then, no Diving for them this week!”
“They just turned off their game, they are on the way,” chuckled a voice echoing in the room.
The man nodded with a satisfied expression, and after exchanging a wink with his wife, made his way to the garden.
It was a beautiful garden, perhaps the best on the street. Like the rest of the residential area they lived in, it was pretty quiet, except for all the birds they could hear. It had been the main reason why he bought this house: he wanted to offer his mom her dream garden, and now, the place truly blossomed. There were trees, bushes, and all sorts of plants, with the vegetable garden being the main center of focus. It wasn’t the perfect type of garden with any precise spacing, but one could tell all the flowers and plants were well attended and happily blooming in response. A pretty calico cat greeted him by rubbing itself against his ankle as soon as he stepped out.
“Hi, there,” he said.
Right after the calico cat, another one came up to him, meowing for a treat or a pet. The man sighed, and ignored the cats, walking toward the back of the garden. Cautious not to step on the green grass, he followed the stone path to the end of the garden, near the little pond. Right beside the pond, there was a pretty white gazebo with wooden furniture he had made all by himself, and colored cushions.
There, a woman was reading a book out loud to the little girl on her lap, and seemingly, to the four dogs and twice as many cats gathered around them. He sighed with a faint smile. The dogs were each of a different breed, and the cats had all moved from the street to their garden permanently. His mother just had this habit of spontaneously adopting any stray she found, and nobody ever tried to stop her either. It had started with two pups when he was young, and since, she had never turned away anything that had fur and a hungry stomach. Now it seemed like all the local strays knew where to come if they ever felt hungry. He had grown up surrounded by pets, and he loved it. As soon as he got close enough, the dogs reacted, three of them running to him with happy barks and wagging tails.
“Daddy!”
The little girl jumped down from her grandma’s lap and ran to her dad, pushing through the gathered canines. He laughed and greeted her with open arms.
“So that’s where you were, baby tiger! Hiding with Grandma, huh?”
“Grandma was reading me a story...”
