James P.O.V

Side Chapter

Starting Over

Every day I wake up expecting to see Anna sitting near the fireplace reading a book and Aaron sitting somewhere near her. I head over to the fireplace and sit in the chair that Anna would normally sit in.

I think it’s been three weeks since they left home, this house feels empty without them here, I wonder if this how they felt when I left them. I looked at my left arm only to see a white sleeve lazily hanging on the arm rest.

I… should’ve never left home.

“James?” Deborah walks into the living room giving me a worried look. “Are you ok?”

“Yea I’m fine.”

“….” Deborah quietly stares at me, after a few a seconds of silence, she sat down on the sofa near the fireplace.

“You’re thinking about the kids aren’t you?”

“Heh heh.” I let out a little laugh. “Am I really that easy to read?”

“Well, we spent so much time together it would be weird if I couldn’t figure you out.” Deborah gave me a beautiful and warm smile.

That smile, I can’t remember how many times that smile alone kept me going, it’s one of the reason why I fell in love with her.

“This spot.” Deborah softly patted the sofa. “When Anna was a baby we sat in this spot and all watch the fire together.” The warm smile on Deborah’s face, turn into a melancholic one.

“I worry about them too you know. I worry that we made a mistake letting them go, I worry that we may never see them again.”

“There’s no need to worry Deborah, as long as they work together nothing can stop them, they’re very strong.”

“I know that, but I still can’t help but to worry. I feel that I was the one that made them leave.” Deborah look at me with tears running down her face.”

“What made you think of something like that?”

“I…. When you left….” Deborah pauses and took a deep breath as if she was trying to calm herself down. “When you left, I…. gave up on everything. I abandon our kids and drown myself in self-pity. I can’t help but to think that they left because I’m a terrible mother.”

I could tell that Deborah was trying to hold her emotions in, but every now then her words would break apart as she try to stop herself from crying.

“Even if you were the perfect parent, Anna still would’ve left, there’s no way she would be satisfy staying here. Plus if you really want to blame someone, you should blame me. It’s because I left home that all you went through such an ordeal, I’m the one that made this family suffer.

“I guess we’re both terrible parents aren’t we?” Deborah laugh as she wipe her tears away.

“Yea it seems so. We took our kids for granted, now that their gone I am filled with regret that I didn’t act more like a father.” It was only at the end when they wanted to become adventurers that I started to interacted with them more.

I felt a small amount of pain shoot through me as I remember how we spent time training together, and how I spent a day with Anna in the city. I wish I did more with them.

“I wish I could start over.” I softly mutter to myself.

“Then why don’t we start over?”

“Huh?” Deborah gets off the couch in walks over to me and sits on my lap.

“You said you want to start over, and I think we should try again.”

“I didn’t know you could rewind time.” Deborah lets out a small laugh.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“If we can’t go back, then how do we start over?” Deborah lean towards me and softly kiss me on my lip. Before I could process what was going on, it was already over. I look at Deborah who gave me a warm smile.

“I think the problem with us is that we’re focusing too much on the past. When I said we should start over I didn’t mean we should look at the past I meant we should keep moving forward and forgive our past mistakes.” Deborah leans towards me again, except this time she brought her face close to my ear.

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“I think we should try having another kid.”

“What?!” If Deborah wasn’t sitting on my lap right now, I probably would’ve jump out my chair.

“You don’t want another one?”

“No it’s not that, it just don’t you think we’re too old for this?”

“Hmm, are you calling me old James?” Deborah gave me a fake pouting look. Even though we’re both approaching our forties, Deborah doesn’t look day over twenty-five. Her beautifully long violent red hair and bright green eyes looked exactly the same as the first time I met her when we were kids.

“No I’m not calling you old, it just well I’m kind of getting to that age when I can be consider a grandpa.”

“James… you do realize I’m older than you right?” Deborah gave me forced smile that hid a malicious intent.

“Really? Seeing how young you look, I always thought I was the oldest. You’re really good at hiding your age.” Using old age was the worse excuse I could up with, especially since Deborah gets upset when people make her remember how old she is.

I expected Deborah to lash at me about her age, but for some reason she ignore it.

“You still haven’t answer my question.” Deborah stare at me patiently waiting for me to answer. I guess I can’t skip over this can I?

“I would like to have another kid, but look at me.” I wave my empty sleeve where my left arm is supposed to be at around. “You really think I’m capable of raising a kid?”

“Of course you can, if we work together I know we can create a happy family.” Just looking at Deborah eyes that was filled with confidence gave me the confidence that I’ve been missing for a long time.

“I… would love to have another, but only if you truly want one.”

“Of course I do.” Deborah gave me another smile before getting up. “Stay right here, I need time to prepare.”

“Huh, we’re starting right now?”

“Of course we’re starting right now, unless you’re telling me old age has affected your stamina.” Deborah stuck her tongue out to mock me.

“Well I guess we’re going to find out.” Just as I was about to get up from my chair Deborah places her finger on my forehead and pushes me back down.

“I told you to stay here, I’ll call you when I’m ready.” With those last words Deborah walks away and heads towards our room.

I turn my attention back towards the fireplace and blankly stare at it, as I patiently wait for her.

“Starting over huh?” I mutter to myself.

For a long time, I punish myself for every single terrible thing that happen around me. My family misery, the people that died in the forest, and…. Jack’s death.

I tighten my grip on my arm rest thinking back to that day. Even though years past, I couldn’t move past it, it still feel like I’m in that forest desperately trying find a way to save everyone that died in it. But I don’t think anyone who died that day especially Jack wanted me torment myself over there death.

Yea, none of them would be happy if I let this second chance that Deborah gave me slip out my hand. So from here on I’m going move past my mistakes and try to start over again.

A/N: Well this chapter kind of came out of nowhere. I was working on my latest chapter, and then all of sudden I was smack by this idea to create a side chapter that shows what the parents are doing.

So yea, I pretty much started and finish this last night, and I really like it. It gave me the idea that I should do more side chapters that focus on stuff that I just can't fit in my story since it isn't a slice of life.

Who knows maybe I'll do more erotic chapters since you guys apparently like the bathroom scene. But only when I feel like creating it, and if you guys want it, and also if I don't die from cringe by writing it which I nearly did from the last one. Anyway Thanks for reading.