“My kids? That’s rich. Weren’t they yours this morning when they recited the alphabet so well?”
“It’s common-sense love, of the two of us, I’m the more levelheaded and well behaved, so when they’re acting accordingly, then, of course, that’s my side showing, while you, on the other hand….” She laughed and threw a berry at me, which I caught handily and bit into.
It’s true; ever since we smoothed out all the misunderstandings between us and I came to accept things as they are, she’s been like a little hellion around here. We were both excited, and a little bit scared when we got confirmation that she was indeed carrying my children, but I’ve never been more excited about anything in my life.
Our wedding had been rushed since I wanted her to have my name before the babies came, but that too had been magical, held at night under the stars right here under this very tree. It was her idea to have it that way, our way of having Gramps and her aunt there with us as if it was their wedding as well. Our only guess had been the other couple in town who understood what we were going through since they were living it themselves, and Mrs. Horton, of course, along with some of the others who knew the story and were looking forward to their own afterlife romance.
It still amazes me how open and honest they are about it, among each other, of course, and answering their questions has become easier with time. I knew that outside of whispering hollow, though, no one would believe, and somehow that made it all the more special, especially the way the old folks around here protect us from the outside world.
I, too, work hard at protecting what we have along with Garrett, the only other male who’ve experienced this. Having someone else, someone who, before moving here, was as levelheaded as I am, saying the same things, and sharing the same experiences, has gone a long way to helping me understand and accept without too much pushback. And I find that once I accepted things fully without regret, our lives have settled into one of tranquility.
There are days when I pinch myself because life just seems too perfect, and even more days when I just revel in the beauty of it all. Our relationship might not be the most conventional, but it works for us, and that’s all that really matters to me. In the three years since we got married, I can honestly say that I’ve had more fulfilling days than at any other time.
Things have progressed to the point where our two nighttime visitors have become more of an extension of us than a bother. We’ve worked it out to where they show up only after we’re asleep, and they never interrupt our daily schedules. That’s not to say that their presence isn’t felt some days, but they never interfere with our lives.
Something else that came in handy is that they're like built-in babysitters. The first few months after the twins were born, they were the ones who woke us up when we were both too tired to hear the kids fretting over the monitor. I’m still not a hundred percent sure how it works, truth be known, how some mornings I come awake feeling like I’d gone ten rounds with the champ, and then others I awaken feeling refreshed.
These days more often than not, the marks on my wife’s body are left there by me since the other two seem to have calmed down a bit now that they know they’re free to show up in our lives. I, on the other hand, still have a lot of time to make up for, and I do it well. I make sure not a day goes by that she doesn’t know how much she’s loved; both she and the kids have become the best part of my life, a life I never expected.
Moving to the little town was a no-brainer, not only because it was the only place where Hal and Jan could exist, at least that’s what we know for now, who knows what tomorrow will bring, but also because this place beats the big city when it comes to raising kids hands down.
Here we’re free, my little family and I, to be who we are. I work much less now than I did before I found my love, and for some odd reason, even with my hours cut, I’m way more productive than I’ve ever been. Mrs. Horton claims it’s because I’m at peace now; maybe she’s right. And maybe it has something to do with the amazing woman at my side.
I find doing things with her, and the kids in mind makes for a better and more relaxed life. I work maybe three hours in the morning and another two at night, if that, and the rest of the day is spent running around behind her and the kids. I lump her in with them because, more often than not, she’s the one leading them in whatever hellscape they’ve come up with to keep daddy on his toes.