Project Songbird

Chapter 44: The End

~Several years later~

"Goodness, it's warm today." I take my sun hat off and wipe the sweat from my brow.
"PAAAAPAAA!!!!"
"Hm?" I sit back on my heels and glance down the hill to see Asher, running up as fast as he can. I smile and then stand, dusting the dirt off of my legs.
"Hello!" The daycare teacher waves as she walks up the hill behind him, surrounded by a few more children. I wave back at her as I start down the hill to meet up with them.
"I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
The teacher chuckles softly, "Oh no, of course not. He was a perfect angel."
"Thank you for watching him." I watch as he races around with his friends.
"It's no problem, but I do have a question." She says.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Are you going to put him in public school? He's getting up to the starting age." She said.
"Um, I'm not sure yet, but I will definitely keep it in mind." I reply.
"If you ever need any suggestions or more information about the school, just let me know. He can also stay over and join Alissa as she starts next year too." She said, "He is such a bright boy."
"I'll have to discuss it with his father." I replied, "Thank you again for watching him."
"It's no problem at all. See you tomorrow." She smiles.
"Oh, actually we can't make it tomorrow." I shake my head, "But we will see you Sunday."
"Oh, alright, Sunday it is." She looks down to the other children, "Come on children, time to go home."
"Come on Asher, let's start dinner!" I call him.
"But I don't wanna yet! I'm having so much fun!" He tumbles around the tall grass.
"I'm making stew tonight." I smile as he jumps up, "My favorite!" He hurries over as fast as his little legs will carry him before he rushes past me, "Last one home is a rotten egg!"
I turn back to the teacher and wave goodbye to her before I turn to catch up to my son. He's already making his way through the town as I make it to the open gate. He turns around and grins, "I win!" He dances around the fountain in the middle of our town.
It had taken a few years to build but we had our own town. Houses for everyone. It was surrounded by enormous walls to keep us protected at night. London had managed to clear our names but people still hold grudges. Some would try to come in the middle of the night to get their revenge. But most of the public accepted us with open arms. Our town sat between the mountain range and the city that we helped rebuild from the ground up.
I slow my pace and stop at a nearby table. The freshly grown food caught my attention.
"Good afternoon Ethan, can I interest you in any vegetables?" Jack looks up from his newspaper. After dealing with painful machines that poked and prodded us, it was agreed that the town would be electronic free.
"Hm, I'm not sure, everything looks so good." I tap my chin.
"I just pulled it from the garden this morning." Jack smiles as he sets the papers to the side.
"Papa, Papa!" Asher grabs my hand, tugging it, "We're supposed to be racing!"
"I know Darling, but I'm trying to figure out what to add for dinner." I gesture to the table.
"Aw, I hate vegetables." He crosses his arms over his chest in a huff.
Jack chuckles and then leans over, "But they are good for you. Make you grow big and strong like your father."
"Like Dad??" Asher looks up at Jack with wide eyes. Asher absolutely idolized Tyler, wanting to be just as strong as him.
"Oh absolutely," Jack leans forward and drops his voice to a whisper, "How do you think he got so tall??"
Asher is still for a second before he jumps up and grabs an armful of vegetables, "Let's take these!" And he races off.
"Ah-! Asher, wait! And there he goes." I sigh, digging into my pocket.
"Ah, ah, don't worry about it." Jack waves me off.
"Are you sure?? That was like half the table." I raise a brow.
"It's alright, I don't have to go buy any seeds yet." Jack smiles, "Consider it a thank you for tomorrow."
"If you are-"
"Papa come on! I'm starving!" Asher yells and I sigh again, "I'll see you later Jack, tell Mark I said hi."
"Absolutely!" Jack grins and then picks up his newspaper again, leaning back in his rocking chair. I turn away and start down the path again. Asher stands at the fountain, waiting for me to catch up, "Why are you so slow!" He whines.
"I'm not as young as you." I ruffle his hair as he joins me and we make our way around the fountain. It's a short distance until we make it to the front porch. I open the door and Asher races through, setting all the food down on the coffee table as he is still too short to reach the countertop. He turns to face me, "When is Dad coming home??"
"It might be some time tomorrow," I pick up the vegetables and carry them over to the sink. Asher pushes over a dinning room chair and stands on the seat so he can reach, "Can I help finish the stew?"
I plug the sink and fill it with water, "Can you wash the vegetables for me?" They still had some dirt on them.
"Yes!" He scoots over to be in front of the sink, grabs a cucumber, and sticks it into the water, beginning to wash.
I take the carrots that I already prepped and begin to cut them up on the cutting board, "So did you have fun at daycare today?"
"Yes! Alissa and her friends taught me a new game called Wall Ball. You throw a ball at the wall and it bounces back. If you catch it you throw it but if you miss, you have to touch the wall before someone tags you out! It was so fun! I was so fast!" Asher grins as he sets the washed cucumber in the other half of the sink and grabs a new vegetable to wash.
"Did you learn anything new in class?" I scrape the carrots into the large pot sitting on the stove.
"Just more numbers. It's kind of boring, I'd rather be outside." He says.
"What do you think about joining Alissa in public school next year?" I grab the cucumber.
He shrugs, "I dunno."
His eyes stare out the window before they light up, "Ooh, Papa, can I go out back with Bandit!"
I glanced out the back window to see the dog that seemed to have adopted us, "I thought you wanted to help me with dinner?"
"Oh yeah," He deflates a little and then goes back to mopily washing the vegetables. I roll my eyes and then chuckle, "Alright, alright, you can go play with Bandit, but stay where you can be seen."
"Yes!" He leaps off the chair, "Thanks Papa!" He races out of the house through the backdoor where I hear him call out for the dog.
"What I wouldn't give for just a little bit of that energy." I place the dining chair back where it goes before turning back to the stew.