How to Help Howell?

EPILOGUE

Five Years Later

Phil runs around with a small boy perched upon his shoulders, clinging on for dear life and shrieking with pure joy and excitement at this new fantastic makeshift roller coaster.

"Whoa, we're going so fast!" the young and impressionable 6-year-old cheers out over the animated roller coaster sound effects Phil makes. They might be coming from his mouth, but that isn't the point.

"Oh no, the big dragon is coming after the roller coaster!" Phil called out in warning with pretend fear trembling his strong voice.

"Iiiiiiiii'm gonna getcha!" another growls from behind Phil who was still parading the small boy around like he is a character on his prized parade float.

"Ahh! Dragon!" cries the boy, giggling louder than before. The 'dragon' makes a series of menacing monster noises and then pries the child off of Phil's back, the former parade float turning around with a wide grin taking up his whole face.

"Can the dragon fly me around? Like really really fast?" The boy asked, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Not really really fast, Daddy's missing a leg, remember? I can still fly you around like a fierce dragon, but not too fast. That alright, Shane?" Dan sighs and looks at the little boy. Shane nods and smiles again.

"I want Daddy to fly me around like a dragon!" Dan smiles at Shane and complies, slowly meandering around the room until he comes to a stop and plops the child onto the couch.

"Snack time?" Phil calls to the two boys now sitting on the sofa, looking exhausted.

"Snack time!" they both yell back in unison and can't help but laugh at their reaction. Phil comes into the lounge with a tray holding a bowl of cookies and three glasses of milk.

They all eat their snack of cookies and milk while watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, at Shane's request. His father's favorite show must have rubbed off on him. After 15 minutes of snack and Buffy, the unavoidable question finally popped out.

"How come you have two legs and Daddy only has one?" Shane asks confused, looking back and forth between the two.

"You see, Shane," Phil started, preparing his storytelling voice. "Daddy was a superhero! And he saved a man and his family from a real live bad guy! Isn't that cool?" Phil tries to explain. Shane's eyes get really wide and his face lights up with admiration.

"Whoa, Daddy was a superhero?!" Shane looks truly amazed and Dan smiles back at him and gives Shane a small wink.

"Daddy was very brave. And he was very lucky too. Daddy is what we call a medical miracle. Isn't that right, Daddy?" Phil looks back over at Dan with his own admiring look.

"Yep. We're all very lucky I'm able to be here today. Every day we should be really, really thankful. But you know, Shane, other Dad is a superhero too. Did you know he saved my life?"

Shane looks truly shocked and moves his head back and forth between his two parents.

"My daddies are superheroes!" he announces to no one in particular. The small boy falls back on the couch and lets his chest slump down.

"This is heavy," he mumbles. Dan and Phil look at each other, then can't help but burst out laughing at the most perfect son that they could have ever asked for.

Phil twists the gold and crystal ring still on his finger, and eyes Dan as he does so. Dan's face breaks out into a grin and he leans over Shane to meet Phil's lips. A small and quick peck, but they don't need any more. Their eyes say it all.

"I'm bored, can we go play video games now?" Shane asks with a hyper and eager tone.

"But of course," Phil agrees with a terrible French accent as he stands up. Phil gestures to the box of video games they keep next to the television.

"Ze decizion es all yours, Monsieur" Phil bows and lets Shane picks out his favorite game and plugs it in.

They all spend the rest of the afternoon playing on their video games and laughing at each other. The way it should be. The perfect couple has transformed into the perfect family. Well, they definitely weren't perfect. They have their flaws, but so does everyone else. One thing this family does have that most "perfect" families don't is really the only thing that matters.

Infinity.