Burning Sage

Epilogue

Junior sat in the driver's seat in silence, with the engine running and hands still on the steering wheel.

His heart raced, making his chest feel constricted.

He looked up towards the clear blue sky, as if asking for strength and his eyes became watered with unshed tears.

"Dada."

He snapped his head to the back and wiped underneath one eye.

Junior looked at three replicas of Sage, strapped up in high seats playing with toys. They had rich brown skin and curly black hair. Their lips were plump with beautiful brown eyes on each side of a button nose.

Junior chuckled at the thought of how they looked nothing like him, "Who called daddy?" He asked unbuckling his seat belt.

The triplets stared at him in silence and wide eyes.

"So none of y'all want to talk now?" He asked as he stretched his hands to the back to tickle them.

Fits of laughter erupted in the car, as Junior tickled their small upper bodies. One of them apologized and soon enough all three chanted 'sorry'.

Junior laughed then stopped to sit properly, "Let's go," he announced before switching the engine off to open his door.

He straightened his black button up shirt that layed over black denim jeans. He paired that with white sleek sneakers.

He opened the door to the back seat and unbuckled Zahair first. He placed him on the ground, then unbuckled Zion who was in the middle.

"Stay here," he told the two on the ground who seemed fidgety.

He reached over to unbuckle Zyaire and placed him near his brothers.

They all wore black, just like Junior. They requested for their outfits and Junior didn't deny them that.

Meeting them for the first time, a person failed to tell them apart but Junior knew his kids well.

Zahair was the reserved one, who spoke up when he was with his brothers. He doesn't like people easily, with a selected few that he preferred. Physically, he was the only one who had a small birthmark on his right wrist.

Zion loved animation, and Junior suspected he'd grow up to be what was classified as a nerd. It was easy to befriend him, tune in a favorite show and he'll remember you for that. He had one dimple, whereas his brothers had the full set.

Zyaire was the talkative and outgoing one. His confidence was sky high, making him the protector of the trio. He had already had his first argument with Junior at the mere age of three and there were more to come. He had a small beauty spot just between his upper lip and nose.

"Where we going?" Zyaire asked loudly.

"See mommy," Zahair responded.

"Yeah, we're going to see mommy," Junior confirmed as he locked the car.

The boys held hands, as they usually did when walking together and Junior held onto Zion's.

...

Brandi and JP were still going strong after almost four years and they were expecting their first child. They moved in together two years back and JP enjoyed going to the home Brandi made out of his house.

"Honey, I'm home," Brandi announced as she walked through the door.

"I'm in the kitchen," JP shouted back.

"You're always in the kitchen, you'd swear a man knows how to cook," Brandi commented as she appeared in the kitchen to find JP in the fridge, "Get out of the fridge," she grabbed his t-shirt.