Savagery - one shot

Picnic

Luke's POV

1 month later after epilogue

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"C'mon guys, let's go!" Ashley says, trying to push me out the door.

I laugh, "Okay, okay hold on a minute! I need to make sure everything is packed for our day in the park."

Sandwiches. Check. Fruit salad. Check. Juice boxes and water bottles. Check. Picnic blanket. Check.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something," Repeating the list again out loud.

"Cookies!" Ashley shouts with her two front teeth missing.

"Oh, yeah, cookies," I repeat before reaching over to playfully pinch Ashley's nose. She moves away quickly and sticks her tongue out at me. I feign hurt by putting my hand over my heart and sighing dramatically. She giggles and I smile at her.

"I've got the cookies," Clara reports coming from the kitchen, putting the package in the picnic basket.

"What kind?" Ashley questions.

"What do you think?" I reply.

"Hmm," Ashley mutters, thinking hard with her little index and thumb finger rubbing on her chin.

"I have no idea," She declares.

"Well, then you'll find out when we get to the park," Clara tells her.

She blows a raspberry, then marches out the door.

"Hold on Ashley!" I shout.

I run out after her. I can't handle any of my family being alone since what happened thirteen years ago. Even though it was long ago, no one could ever recover from the things I witnessed and did myself in that abandoned house in the woods.

I hold onto Ashley's hand with my free hand, "Stay close to daddy, okay princess?"

"I won't ever let go, I promise," She tells me.

"And I won't let go either." I tell her.

"Pinky promise?" She asks me.

"Pinky promise." I hook my comparatively large pinky around her tiny pinky finger.

"Okay, let's go," Clara says, locking the door and walking to the car with us.

***

We park the car in the parking lot and get out of the car. Clara has the blanket under her arm and I have the picnic basket in my hand.

"Do you want to hold anything Ashley?" Clara asks her.

"I'm good," She replies.

"I thought you were a big girl. Big girls help their parents carry stuff," Clara states.

"I think I do best standing here and looking cute," She smiles.

"That is what you do best," I chuckle, ruffling her hair.

She pouts and pats her hair down, trying to fix it.

"We're going to find a spot somewhere shady to eat," Clara tells us.

"Can we go to the park?" Ashley asks.

"Yeah after we walk and eat," Clara responds.

***

We sit down under a huge and shady oak tree. Clara lays down the checkered picnic blanket on the ground and I place the basket on it. We sit down and take out the food. I pass a sandwich to Clara and one to Ash with no crust.