* / 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙳𝙾𝙶.

his previously downturned expression illuminated. "four months? go on then, lay it on me. what have i got to look forward to that isn't more peas-on-the-carpet." he adored being a father; in fact, after a slew of unsatisfactory jobs, jaden was sure he had always meant to be a dad. "she's real smart and has her mom's feistiness, for sure. my aversion to vegetables. we're working on that—with both her and me." without his wife, jaden wouldn't have ever been able to identify what an eggplant was at the store, let alone differentiate between lettuce types. "barbara gordon, professor x, cyclops, daredevil. sure, there are a few, but come on. it's about time we had a little more excitement."

@jadcnlapointe

"i can imagine. i mean, me at thirteen was all black hair dye and eyeliner. my mom had to search for her makeup under my pillow every night, and she was lucky if i shut up about getting my septum pierced for longer than three minutes. i still have the scar." and he noted to himself to not let jacie pierce any part of her body unless she was truly, truly sure of it. of course the scar wasn't visible, but his nose did dribble a little too often when the weather took a turn. his nose scrunched, and jaden shook his head. "no, no. i get it. it sucks. maybe i should stick to the basketball, eh?"

it's hard to pinpoint from which helixes of dna little jacie's argumentative attitude comes from . but there's no denying the spunkiness is one hundred percent next generation lapointe . her mouth works to form another simple ' no ' to her fathers comments , which juniper is certain she can't give context for , and then happily sits on the floor , playing with her plastic vehicles . " well , " juniper begins , twirling across the linoleum to stir the pot of nondescript soup -- a toss whatever's left in the fridge special . " tell me how you'll make it up to me first . that may be the only thing that makes me smile today . "

jaden softly peeled juni away from the hob once jacie was firmly distracted. he threaded his arms through hers, twirling her in his hold, resting his chin against her shoulder in a tender embrace. "hey. i know this is tough, but we got this. i'll do whatever you need me to do. the dishes, the laundry—i'll go pick up groceries tomorrow on my way home if you like. and tonight, well, how about i call my mom and she can take jacie for a few hours? it can be me and you, a smoke, a bed. whatever you need." parenting was a joy but, god, those terrible twos were no joke. "the soup smells amazing, by the way. whatever you've thrown into there. you make magic."

in his younger days, when his hair was down to his shoulders and he had stolen his mother's eyeliner to smear across his waterline, jaden found it impossible to hold down a job. he simply didn't care enough—late starts, missed shifts, and elongated breaks in order to play video games in the bathroom stall. it was no surprise when his employers turned around and gently let him go. it was only within the last few years that the man had truly pinpointed what he wanted to do, what would strike him joy. he was a father now, someone who had his dreams of seeing his name in lights squashed like an ant beneath his boot. the least he could do was prepare other young hopefuls to follow, and out stride, his footsteps. he had decided to stop by the natural history museum to browse the collection of fossilised shark teeth. yes, he had quite the abundance, but they were never quite enough. his brow cocked, and he swivelled on his toes to follow the voice. "phoebe. of course i remember you. god, those were the glory days, huh? stealing extra-large slushies because they barely paid us enough to get the bus home." it felt like a lifetime ago—before his career, before his marriage, before the accident. it was impossible for jaden to pinpoint where to start. "are you working here now? no free drinks here, i bet. you got any perks at all?"

it was the second time that month that jaden had been mistaken for a store employee. it seemed that, whenever he had money to burn, he ended up in the nerdiest corners of providence peak—his arms clutched some thick graphic novels as he browsed the 'sale' aisle and attempted to find some other steals. "i do know a lot about comics and, surprisingly, a lot about toddlers too. you tell me whatever you need and i'll try my best. i like to refer to myself as a professional nerd." and it was a miracle that such a chronic geek had managed to find such a beautiful wife and, in turn, bring an equally precious daughter into the world. "personally, i adore the x-men comics. there are some amazing characters in there, and some great representation—multiple disabled characters, strong women, people of colour. it's the type of thing i'm trying to raise my daughter on. it's also badass."

"Back-issues?" Wren echoed, tilting her head with the question. She knew she was a little out of her depth here-- comics were never really her speed, but it was her sort-of-nephew's birthday and he was really into the superhero thing, so... here she was. Wren listened to the other's memory with a smile, nodding encouragingly as he revealed the reason he was here. "What does your daughter like to read?" She hesitated for a second more before asking, "And-- sorry to bother you, but you seem like a little bit of an expert. Do you know anything about Darkkhawk?"

"yeah. they're the instalments of comics that aren't new. there's a brief moment where comics are considered new, and if not they end up here. it's why they're usually a whole lot cheaper than the monthly releases." and he gestured over to the sign that guided potential shoppers to the fresh stock. "these are the only ones i can afford these days. in retrospect, it made sense my dad bought me these instead of allowance. two dollars on comics is an easier sell than a crisp ten." it was a wonder he didn't work there, stocking shelves and drooling over boxed action figures that would forever remain behind glass. if he didn't have a young family to support, perhaps the comic store would have been a contender for employment. jaden's eyes sparkled at the question. "hey, you're not bothering me at all. my daughter isn't really old enough to read, but sometimes i treat her to a few pages of x-men once i've checked they're toddler-safe. what do you need to know?"

"That sounds sweet of him and that was a really good idea. Well I only got allowances from doing chores around my grandfather's ranch but I still miss a kid sometimes," he replied with a chuckle and smile on his face. Wesley only missed being a kid because of his grandfather, being a kid meant that they would still be around and he missed him so very much. "Yikes, I feel you. I am lucky that my son is just interested in stuff animals and fire trucks. Still can't believe he would be four." @jadcnlapointe

"a ranch? where'd you grow up?" jaden hadn't been back to alabama in decades. the thought of a ranch, of rolling prairies and pecan pie, was a distant memory. the only time he was reminded of his countrified upbringing was when he was particularly angry and the southern lilt came out in his accent. "i bet that was awesome. i never really got the country-boy upbringing, but i'd love to go back there someday now that i have my own family." if they would even accept them, now. his fingertips continued to flick through comics he knew he could never afford. "four? god, i thought two was old. terrible twos, or whatever they call them."

"you know, i'm probably being a hypocrite. mine would've been equally as weird. i was a strange kid, an even stranger teenager, and a weird-ass adult too." but, by some miracle, he had convinced the most beautiful woman on the planet to be his wife. there were still moments where jaden would pinch himself upon waking up to assure himself the life he had created was still real. "she has. you're right. juni was trying to avoid an avalanche of flying firetrucks and ambulances the other night. she was probably regretting our choice of gift." but he would do anything to keep his daughter happy, even it meant being pelted with plastic vehicles. "we didn't even want kids. now i couldn't imagine a life without her."

it was difficult for jaden to imagine a world where childhood wasn't somewhere blissful, something full of endless fields and all the exploration a young boy could possibly need. his parents would have done anything for him, and in turn he had grown up to be the same kind of dad for his daughter—selfless, devoted, wildly loyal, and willing to give her everything she ever needed. "i guess it would be boring to have a normal guy in a superhero comic, but there are so many guys out there that would love to see themselves in these pages. i mean, how many disabled superheroes can you name? i can think of three at a push." if only he had the artistic talent to write himself into the narratives he had grown up obsessing over. "she's two. only just two, actually, which is crazy since it feels like she was born a week ago."

"It's the biggest lie we're ever told." Remi commented, a glance his way. "Growing up." It sounded as though his life had been simpler back in youth for him and it wasn't something she could relate to. "Must have been nice, your dad being interested in your interests, my dad stuck with the allowance." Throw money at things was her dad's way, but then she'd learned as a teen just how much he didn't care. "Happy belated birthday to your toddler." Remi smiled. "As amazing as they are they're so expensive, right? My son's just really getting into comics and this is quite the hobby to keep up with. I kind of wish he was into a drum set." ( @jadcnlapointe )

of course, jaden loved being a father. it had been the cherry on top of the cake, the highlight of his entire life, but to say they were easy work would be a disservice. "oh yeah, they're real expensive. i mean, we knew it would be, but after two birthdays and christmsses i have about a dollar in my bank account." and a dollar would hardly go far to buy him some comic books. instead he would tell himself he was window shopping, that he was simply getting some fresh air and browsing rather than practically drooling at the shiny printed pages. "how old is your son? he sounds super cool. do you need help picking something out for him? at least comics are quiet. i was the worst kind of kid, i was into both."

@jadcnlapointe

maybe it was boring. maybe nobody else would find it interesting to read about, someone mundane and normal with nothing to write home about. superheroes weren't made from stock like jaden's, from family men with struggling businesses and medical bills suffocating him. "yeah, you're right. it's probably a lame idea. nobody wants to read about those people..." his selection of comics kept climbing, even if he hadn't the funds to even begin to cover them. "god, i can't imagine—my daughter just turned two. fourteen and eight seems like a lifetime away."

"A La Pointe toddler, apparently," the comic book store owner replied, glancing over with a joking smirk. "If you think that's ridiculous, wait as she gets older. My teens are actively trying to make me broke; My youngest is succeeding in it." However, Hero was more than okay with doing everything in their power to make their children happy. Even if it means their wallet screaming in anguish at them constantly. Scanning over the new inventory that's been brought out, they thought for a moment. With the holidays recently and 2024 around the corner, they were feeling a rather giving mood. "Tell you what: Grab two, pay for one, and I'll give you the other one for free. Call it a Loyal Customer Thingamabobby Freebie." ||👾@jadcnlapointe

"how old are yours? she just turned two, and already she's got her mom's attitude. i mean, i love that attitude, but it's cute seeing this little thing... this little juni taking on the world with my aversion to vegetables." becoming a dad had been an unexpected twist in jaden's story, an event that wasn't planned, yet every word, step, and milestone filled him with pride. it no longer mattered that they were broke. it no longer mattered that his life wasn't 'perfect'. she was his perfect, his slice of paradise. "are you sure? you really don't have to do that. it's just—it's been a lot." what with medical bills, raising a toddler, and deciding to break away from his steady income to pursue a lifelong dream. he continued browsing through the comics, running his fingers over embossed covers and thick outlines. "being a dad isn't as easy as they make it look."

life at the moment had become an insane balancing act . between concluding a busy season of holiday nail appointments , keeping up with maintaining the household and attempting to keep a feral , gremlin-like child alive . only one of which does she feel like she's succeeding at . " you're a little too late on the onion duty . " hand swipes away the slobber left behind on her cheek and points to the pot already cooking away on the stove . " you can totally tackle the dirty dish mountain , though . " while jacie looks content playing with the truck , it's all a ruse . " she's been a terror . i wish she was a stuffed animal girly . i took a flying ambulance to the ribs earlier when somebody decided they preferred the firetruck . " a brow raises and gives the toddler an accusing look , only to be met with a small ' no i not , ' in response .

"no i not, huh? is that right, little nugget? i don't think mama is a liar. do you want to be a firefighter, hm?" it was ironic, really. a few years ago jaden had relied on the emergency service to cut him from the twisted metal of his car wreck. now his daughter was throwing ambulances across the floor to collide with her mother, a mother that he would have perhaps never met if fate hadn't chosen him. he gently took hold of jacie's tiny hand, playing with chunky fingers, kissing nails that were the side of half-grains of rice. "okay, go play parking lots. daddy's on dish mountain." the toddler was lowered onto her feet. she wobbled, but quickly righted herself and tottered back to her stack of nondescript vehicles. "sorry for missing onion duty. i'll make it up to you." a squirt of dish soap in slowly filling hot water. "how was your day? one thing that made you smile, one thing that made you want to tear out your hair. go."

@jadcnlapointe

the breath of a laugh escaped jaden's nostrils. it felt as though it had been an eternity since he had treated himself, taking time to shop for something with the money his parents had so lovingly gifted the young family. "i mean, why don't they write comics about real guys? where are the superheroes with a kid and a wife and a business that is barely getting off the ground. normal people, you know?" he had never been all that good at art. the stick-and-poke tattoos that had once decorated his legs were testament to that. if only he had been handed artistic talent. he could write jacie into those pages, immortalise her in print. "it is pretty sick. how old's your niece?"