Live Like A Dream

Going Home

The driver had picked Jared, Evelyn and Athena up at around 11am and had made their way to Lexi's house. Jared sat in the passenger to allow the girls to sit together on the backseat, seperated by the baby seat between them.
Lexi gave the driver a zip code and he sped off down the highway toward New Jersey.
"You're quiet." Lexi remarked.
"It just feels strange to be going home after all this time, after all that has happened." Evelyn replies looking out of the window.
"You never forget where you come from, where it all started." Jared states from the front of the car.

The driver pulls into a familiar part of town and Lexi starts to fill with excitement.
"Our high school was just down there!" She squeals.
The driver takes a left and pulls up outside of the school. Evelyn takes a photograph on her phone.
"Who would have thought after all those classes we took together we'd be back here one day?" Evelyn smiles.
"I always hated that school." Lexi remarks.
"I hated school in general." Jared agrees.
The driver continues on his journey.
"That was my house just there, my mom and dad divorced just before I moved to the city with Mike, some couple with a young son live there now." Lexi points out.
The driver drives slowly up the street.
"I used to walk this way, to come and sit with Ev while she was caring for her Mom." She reminisces.
The driver comes to a stop outside a modest small home.
"Im home Mom." Evelyn whispers.
Evelyn opens the car door and walks toward the house. She stands infront of it just staring at the boarded up windows.
Jared gives her a few moments alone before joining her. He stands behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.
"This is where it happened, when she passed. I tried to keep up the rent after she'd gone but when my store got broken into there was nothing left, theres nothing left here for me anymore." Evelyn explains.
"She would be so proud of you Cupcake, I'm so proud of how far you've come, you've faced so many struggles and you've fought back every time." Jared smiles.
Evelyn takes his hand.
"Come on." She tells him. They walk down the same street for a few minutes, the driver following them in the car slowly, Lexi and Athena inside.
They reach a small row of shops, Evelyn stops and stands infront of a small coffee shop.
"This was my store." She peers inside.
"Do you want to go inside?" Jared asks.
Evelyn nods. They enter the coffee shop and Evelyn looks around.
"It looks so different, I had painted it blood red inside, I always regretted it but it was my first baby." She smiles. Jared approaches the barrista and orders four coffees. Evelyn goes to invite the driver and Lexi inside but stops at the door frame and searches the wood.
"What are you doing?" He asks.
"Here!" She squeals.
The wood had been painted over but the carved out text underneath remains.
'Evelyn May Lexi 2015'
She snaps a picture of it and goes to get the others.
The four of them sip their coffees, Evelyn bounces Athena on her knee, she would only laugh for Jared and she was determined to join in on the fun. 
The driver remains silent until Jared tries to include him in the conversation.
"My apologies, I never asked your name!" He extends his hand for a handshake.
"Steven, Mr Leto, thankyou for the coffee, I cant say a client has ever invited me for a coffee!" He laughs.
"Jared please, you're more than welcome, the least I can do for keeping my family safe this past few days." Jared grins.
"It has been a pleasure sir...Jared." Steven stutters.

Evelyn and Lexi sit together shielding their phones from Jared's view.
"This was an idea I had for my dress, I think something like this would look stunning on you!" Lexi shows her options of wedding dresses for her approval.
"Hmm, I don't like how its short at the front, I want it floor length, thats the only thing I've decided on." Evelyn thinks.
"What about this one?" Lexi pulls up another picture.
"No, god no, Jared would be wrapping his jacket around me to protect my modesty!" She laughs.
Jared leans over and takes a look at the dress. He smirks.
"That is a dress to be saved for the honeymoon Lexi." He winks.
"Where are you thinking of honeymooning?" She puts her phone away.
"Honestly we haven't decided where we're going to get married yet, let alone a honeymoon." Lexi snorts.
"For a chronically organised man, I really suck at planning weddings." Jared laughs.
"But give him a buisness plan and he'll have it up and running within weeks!" Evelyn teases.

The party return to the car and Steven the driver takes instructions from Lexi to their next stops on the tour.
They drive past an old abandoned park.
"Its so sad that it's got into this state!" Evelyn whines.
"Jared there was a skate ramp just over there where Evelyn had her first kiss!" Lexi points to the far corner.
"Oh really tell me more!"he turns in his seat as Evelyn turns a shade of bright red.
"I was fourteen Lex!" She squirms.
"I'm pretty sure you said you were going to marry him, you had your dress all planned out for what was he called? Robert?" She reminisces.
"Toby...Robert was the other one." She rolls her eyes.
"How many guys did you make out with down here Cupcake?" Jared pretends to act shocked.
"Oh only three or four." She teases.
Jared climbs out of the car and opens Evelyn's door.
"Come with me." His tone changes almost sinister.
She complies and climbs out of the car.
He picks her up and throws her over his shoulder, marching toward where the skate ramp was.
"Jared put me down!" She screams with laughter.
"Here?" He asks ignoring her protest.
"Yes!" She squeals.
He places her down onto her feet and pulls her closer.
"I'm sure you can add one more to the list, the last one on it." He smirks.
She pulls his face down to hers and gives him a deep long kiss.
He finally breaks away for air.
"So did I beat the others?" He winks.
"I dunno, Toby was pretty good if I remember right." Evelyn states sarcastically.
"You little pain in thr ass." He laughs and takes her hand leading her back to the car.

Steven starts his journey again.
"Back to New York sir? If you're to catch your flight home?" Steven asks.
Jared turns to Evelyn asking her approval.
"One more stop if thats okay?" She asks quietly.
Jared nods and allows her to give the address.

They pull up into a cemetery on the outskirts of town.
Evelyn unstraps Athena and climbs out of the car.
"Do you want me to stay here?" Jared asks politely.
"No, please come." Evelyn asks.
"Always." He replies and follows her.

They walk across the graveyard, Evelyn carrying the baby.
"I never even asked if your mother was buried or cremated." He whispers.
"Thats okay, after the funeral, I never came back here, it was too much for me." She replies.
Jared follows her to a small plot with a simple headstone.

May Louisa Drake
Mother to Evelyn
Forever missed

Evelyn pauses for a moment and tears roll down her face.
She kneels at the grave. Athena reaches out and touches the stone.
"This is your grandaughter Mom." Evelyn weeps.
Jared hangs back for a moment and then cant take any more, he kneels beside her and hugs her.
"And this is Jared, you would have loved him." She smiles.
Jared looks at the stone.
"May, I promise I will love and protect your daughter, and our daughter until my last breath on this earth." He whispers.
Evelyn dries her tears and stands.
"Okay I'm done here, shes not really in there anymore, shes with me everyday instead." She croaks.
"In here." He points at her heart. "And in hers." He points at Athenas heart.
Evelyn leans and kisses the stone and walks away.

The drive back to New York is quiet and sombre. Athena is asleep by the time they reach Lexi's house. The two best friends hug and say their goodbyes once more, breaking Evelyn's heart after such a reminiscent day.
If it weren't for Jared talking to her all the way back to the apartment Evelyn would have passed out with exhaustion.