Alaska

Chapter Thirty-One

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Twenty-six weeks...

As May began creeping in and the sun lingered on during the evenings, it was clear to the people of Ohio that summer was approaching.  The sky was at a constant clear and the sun felt hot on everyone's faces and nobody felt like being outside for long periods of time.

This exciting and ecstatic weather however, was dampened when Ariel announced on Saturday morning at Violet's house that her parents were in town, and a funeral was being held the next day, in memory of her still-born son.

Jason Junior was buried a week after his death during a private ceremony with Ariel, Jason and his parents- but the real ceremony was being postponed until Ariel's parents could arrive for it.  She had been planning this day for the past week and wasn't in the brightest of moods.

"What time tomorrow?" Violet asked softly as the three of them sat at Violet's moth-eaten sofa with a bowl of potato chips.

"The ceremony is at eleven o'clock and then a small wake is happening at Jason's house for lunch time," Ariel replied with a glazed look in her eye.

Lexi scowled and protectively wrapped her arms around her large and ever growing belly bump, feeling more close to her daughter than ever.

Just then, the front door swung open and Ashton sidled in, lime green earphones stuck inside his ears and blaring Avenged Sevenhold.  He had just gotten back from work and his blue eyes rounded at the sight of the three girls huddled on the couch.

"Girls night?" He muttered, amicably.

"Yeah, so get out, loser!" Violet called.

"Excuse me, but I believe this is my house too!" He scoffed.  He glanced at Lexi who smirked, gave a cute wink and then paced into the corridor for his room.

"I'm gonna go say hi to him," Lexi said, bouncing up.  "I'll be back in a minute."

"More like say hi to his crotch!" Violet laughed.

"Gross!" Ariel giggled.

Lexi rolled her eyes and waddled into his room.  It gave off the familiar scent of his cologne, but there wasn't a stench of cigarettes anymore.  In fact, Lexi couldn't remember the last time she had seen Ashton smoke a cigarette.

He was sitting on his bed and looking up at Alaska's dream catcher as it hovered on its string, its feathers drifting down.

"Hi," Lexi smiled.  "How was work?"

"Work was work," he replied glumly.  "Come sit!"

Lexi plopped herself down beside him on his Simpsons bedspread and he leaned in to peck her on the cheek which sent warm chills down her spine.

There was a painful quietness around them, something that aggravated Lexi a slight amount as they looked up and watched the mobile dream catcher above them.

"What are you thinking about?" Lexi asked, wanting to break the silence.

He was jerked back to life at the sound of her voice.  He tore his gaze away from the dream catcher and looked at her with sad but thoughtful eyes.

"I haven't been to a cemetry since her death.  And it's the same cemetery she's buried in that we're going to tomorrow," he said, quietly.

Lexi scowled, unsure of how to respond to this fact.

"Won't it help that you'll see her grave?" She asked.

Ashton shrugged.  "I don't know.  It'll remind me that she's dead.  Something I don't like.  I like to think she's still out there, in Belgium."