spectators are yelling at them from the stands.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Hell yeah! Why do you think you made it to the hospital in time?”
He looked so pleased with himself, Joe laughed out loud.
“I knew you’d enjoy that,” Travis said, slapping him on the back. “Now, I’d love to stay and talk longer but it’s time for me to get back in and apply what I’ve learned to my own life—which is why the obstetrician.”
“Wait, you...” Joe couldn’t believe he was saying this. “You’re being reincarnated ? That’s really a thing?”
“It’s totally a thing.”
Hope seized him. “Mandy…?”
Travis smiled, shaking his head. “Nope. You won’t be my father this time around, but you will be in my life. That’s the way it works. We’re still on the same team—we just play different positions.”
Even more dazed, Joe said, “I don’t remember you being this big on football analogies.”
“Sorry,” Travis said, not sounding it in the least. “Should I switch to sewing or something? Tell you how life’s like a tapestry and the design can only be seen from above and the underside looks like a bunch of—”
“That’s okay, I think you’ve made your point. But Travis…you said I’ll be in your life. Will I know you’re you ?”
“Your brain won’t but your heart will. And mine will too. When you get along in one life, you tend to get along in all of them.” Travis breathed in deeply and then let out a satisfied breath. “So you have a choice to make, Dad. I’m good now—better than good—so you can stop punishing yourself, let go of all the guilt and fear, and face life head-on. Or you can let it defeat you and cheat yourself of everything you want—including your chance to know me again in a few years. You gotta know which one I’d pick,” he added with a look of such longing, Joe’s heart contracted painfully.
Then Travis grinned and stood up. “I’ve really gotta go now. It’s almost time, and I don’t want to miss my chance to meet Annabel.”
“Annabel?” Feeling whiplashed, Joe jumped up from his chair. “Wait! Who’s Annabel? And can I hug—”
Travis grabbed him in a tight embrace, and Joe closed his eyes, feeling the tears he’d been holding back stream down his cheeks as he breathed in his son. The last time he’d held him, all he’d smelled was the nightmarish miasma of a violent death. Now the memory faded in the familiar summer scent of Travis—shampoo, warm cotton, a little too much cologne and a whiff of Pepsi.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, Dad,” Travis said in Joe’s ear, rubbing his back. “You probably won’t remember most of this, but your heart will. Say it with me now—everything happens for a reason.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Joe parroted.
“Now say it like you mean it.”
Joe smiled and hung on. “I love you, Travis. So much. I’ll find you.”
“I love you too, and I know you will, but say it again, and keep saying it until you believe it. Everything happens for a reason. And love is worth whatever you have to risk.” Travis gently untangled himself from Joe’s grasp. “I’ll see you in a few years.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Joe sighed as he sat down and looked out over the yard. It truly was beautiful here, and he’d hate to leave it behind, especially if he didn’t have to. If it would spoil the design. Ariel and Brent. They were everything good and true in his design. And the baby… “Everything happens for a reason.”
Suddenly exhausted, he yawned and leaned back with his fingers laced over his belly and his legs stretched out in front of him. Just before his eyes closed, he saw a little brown-haired girl in jeans running along the tree line, laughing as a red-haired boy chased after her.
He heard the faraway sound of the boy’s call. “Annabel, wait! I can’t keep up!”
Odd—they didn’t have any neighbors nearby. But it would be all right, because everything happened
“Oh yeah?”
“Hell yeah! Why do you think you made it to the hospital in time?”
He looked so pleased with himself, Joe laughed out loud.
“I knew you’d enjoy that,” Travis said, slapping him on the back. “Now, I’d love to stay and talk longer but it’s time for me to get back in and apply what I’ve learned to my own life—which is why the obstetrician.”
“Wait, you...” Joe couldn’t believe he was saying this. “You’re being reincarnated ? That’s really a thing?”
“It’s totally a thing.”
Hope seized him. “Mandy…?”
Travis smiled, shaking his head. “Nope. You won’t be my father this time around, but you will be in my life. That’s the way it works. We’re still on the same team—we just play different positions.”
Even more dazed, Joe said, “I don’t remember you being this big on football analogies.”
“Sorry,” Travis said, not sounding it in the least. “Should I switch to sewing or something? Tell you how life’s like a tapestry and the design can only be seen from above and the underside looks like a bunch of—”
“That’s okay, I think you’ve made your point. But Travis…you said I’ll be in your life. Will I know you’re you ?”
“Your brain won’t but your heart will. And mine will too. When you get along in one life, you tend to get along in all of them.” Travis breathed in deeply and then let out a satisfied breath. “So you have a choice to make, Dad. I’m good now—better than good—so you can stop punishing yourself, let go of all the guilt and fear, and face life head-on. Or you can let it defeat you and cheat yourself of everything you want—including your chance to know me again in a few years. You gotta know which one I’d pick,” he added with a look of such longing, Joe’s heart contracted painfully.
Then Travis grinned and stood up. “I’ve really gotta go now. It’s almost time, and I don’t want to miss my chance to meet Annabel.”
“Annabel?” Feeling whiplashed, Joe jumped up from his chair. “Wait! Who’s Annabel? And can I hug—”
Travis grabbed him in a tight embrace, and Joe closed his eyes, feeling the tears he’d been holding back stream down his cheeks as he breathed in his son. The last time he’d held him, all he’d smelled was the nightmarish miasma of a violent death. Now the memory faded in the familiar summer scent of Travis—shampoo, warm cotton, a little too much cologne and a whiff of Pepsi.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, Dad,” Travis said in Joe’s ear, rubbing his back. “You probably won’t remember most of this, but your heart will. Say it with me now—everything happens for a reason.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Joe parroted.
“Now say it like you mean it.”
Joe smiled and hung on. “I love you, Travis. So much. I’ll find you.”
“I love you too, and I know you will, but say it again, and keep saying it until you believe it. Everything happens for a reason. And love is worth whatever you have to risk.” Travis gently untangled himself from Joe’s grasp. “I’ll see you in a few years.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Joe sighed as he sat down and looked out over the yard. It truly was beautiful here, and he’d hate to leave it behind, especially if he didn’t have to. If it would spoil the design. Ariel and Brent. They were everything good and true in his design. And the baby… “Everything happens for a reason.”
Suddenly exhausted, he yawned and leaned back with his fingers laced over his belly and his legs stretched out in front of him. Just before his eyes closed, he saw a little brown-haired girl in jeans running along the tree line, laughing as a red-haired boy chased after her.
He heard the faraway sound of the boy’s call. “Annabel, wait! I can’t keep up!”
Odd—they didn’t have any neighbors nearby. But it would be all right, because everything happened
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