To Hell and Back

2

Third person

The man smiled as he held his daughter, rocking her gently in his arms and calming her cries. She calmed, beginning to giggle slightly and smile up at her dad to the best of her abilities. 

The woman whom he was there with let out a loud cry, scaring the man. He jumped, turning to look at her having another pain she had just had birthing their daughter. He was confused, they were only supposed to have one child; if she was having another, then something happened that was really unexpected, and it must be a miracle. 

The doctors and nurses rushed over to her, helping her through the birth, all equally astonished at the suddenness of it. They didn't let it show on their faces, though, and instead did their jobs. 

When the second child was born, it was proven to be a boy, a special birthmark across his forehead of the big dipper. He was crying much more profusely than any other doctor had heard a newborn cry, but they assumed it was just something to do with him being born a little late or something else. 

The child was cleaned up and swaddled, then handed to the mother. She looked down at the child with a soft smile, taking note of his birthmark. "Mason," she mumbled, looking up at her husband. "We'll name him Mason, Mason and Mabel." The husband smiled and nodded at the decision. She looked down at her son again thoughtfully, especially studying his birthmark. 

"Mason Astrophel Pines."

-

The woman smiled as the kids ran around the house, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder in contentment. She closed her eyes for a few moments, opening them again to her son tugging gently on her pants. 

"Mama?" he asked, looking up at her with watery eyes. She immediately lowered herself down to one knee, looking at her son with concern. "What's wrong, baby?" she asked, holding his face gently. He sniffed, "Someone said my mark on my head makes me look dumb." She laughed quietly to herself. "Awe, Mason, honey, no. That birthmark makes you special," she smiled. He looked at her, confused. "Really?" he asked, tilting his head. She nodded and smiled. 

She looked up at her husband, and he smiled back at her. She looked back at Mason, her smile growing more playful. "In fact, it means you're destined for greatness. You're important and special and are bound to shine just like the stars in the sky that look like your mark. You're our own big dipper," she said sweetly. "Ooh, that's a cool name, Mama! Dipper! I'm Dipper!" he said excitedly. She chuckled. "Okay then, Dipper," she played along, smiling at her husband again. He laughed in response, and she giggled back. 

"Alright then," she spoke as she turned back to her son, "go on out and play with your sister." Mason, or now Dipper, nodded and happily ran out to his sister, going to tell her that he was Dipper now. 

The couple laughed at each other for a moment, turning back to watch their kids play with squirt guns in the yard.

-

"Come on, lets go see Santa, kids!" the mother cheered, earning a loud "yayyy!" from the pair. "Now kids, remember your manners, okay?" their father reminded, and they nodded at him. "Yes Daddy," they spoke happily, getting a smile back from their dad. "Okay, come here you little munchkins-" he said mischievously, running after the two to tickle them. The two giggled as they ran away from him, running through the spaced out trees that were decorated with blinking colorful lights. 

Their mother laughed at the sight. "Come on kids, we need to go wait in line to see Santa! After, we can go get hot chocolate and big candy canes!" she said excitedly. The two giggled. "Okay Mama!" they said in sync as they ran to stand beside her. Her husband followed behind the two, tickling Mabel in the ribs. She giggled as she tried to swat her dad's hand away.