Fanfic Girlie ;)

Or when his father would show up randomly with brand-new books and a slightly used Game Boy. He remembers the disapproving look his mother gave his father, only for his father to shrug, saying, “He’s just a kid. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt ’em.”

He remembers becoming so fascinated with cars, spending his summer days outside with his dad, working on his mom’s car after it broke down for the hundredth time.

Asking his mom for a quarter just so he could go to the gumball machine and win a plastic toy that he cherished and never let go of.

Coming home with his report card full of A’s, then being rewarded with breakfast for dinner and a movie his mother rented, only to fall asleep in her arms.

When his parents would work things out, just for a little while, making it seem like they were an actual family. Even if it was only for a little while, it felt nice.

Or when he’d play out on the street with the other neighborhood kids, running after the ice cream truck with the dollar he got from his dad.

One of his last memories of his mother was when he used to take care of her after what she called her “medicine time.” He knew what she was doing but he said nothing. If he would’ve told anyone else this, they’d say she was a sick, selfish woman, but he didn’t blame her. She too had a hard life. Jason was unfortunately mature for his age. He took care of his mother with pride. She was the one who sacrificed everything to make sure he had a smile on his face, to make sure he went to school clean and fed. Maybe not in the newest clothes but they were new to him because his mother bought them just for him and he would always love her for that.

Jason wasn’t a stranger to struggling. He knew he was poor, but that never stopped him from being optimistic and cherishing the little things in life. He held onto those memories with a tight grip. Some people would choose to forget them after coming up in life, but not Jason. He may have struggled, but that made him who he was. He’s not ashamed of his past.

Which brings him to now.

It was 2:45 in the morning, and you stood over the stove in a big T-shirt and socks, cooking breakfast for dinner. Jason admired you from afar as memories of his mother’s smile appeared in his mind. He missed her dearly.

“Ya’ know, she woulda’ loved you.”

You perked up, hearing him speak. “Who, dear?” you questioned with a smile.

He pushed off the counter behind you, coming closer. “My mother.”

You paused for a second. He rarely talked about her. He’d only ever told you she passed from a drug overdose, never going into much detail. But little by little, as time passed, he opened up more.

“Really? What was she like?”

“Strong,” he answered, as if he were reminiscing on old memories. “She was a strong woman who worked her ass off. She gave me everything she had. Some nights she’d go to sleep hungry just to feed me.”

He said it not like it was something sad, but something he wasn’t ashamed of.

“We used to have nights like this. She’d make me breakfast for dinner, and we’d sit on our fire escape and watch the world below us. We used to play this game where we’d list off the things we’d do if we had a million dollars—”

He paused for a second. He blinked rapidly, as if he were trying not to cry. You didn’t dare point it out, afraid he’d retreat back into himself.

“She’d, um…” He let out a dry chuckle, holding back tears. “She’d tell me she’d take me far away, buy us a house on a big field, and we’d live happily ever after.”

Jason sniffled as he aggressively rubbed his eyes, not wanting to cry in front of you. Immediately, your eyes became watery. You turned off the stove and engulfed him in a big hug.

He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around you, holding you tight. Even though you were smaller than him, he held onto you as if you were his anchor to this world.

The two of you stayed like that for a good minute, rocking back and forth in silence.

“You know it means the world to me when you open up to me. I love hearing stories from your childhood. It makes me feel closer to you.”

Jason chuckled. “Ya’ wanna hear more?”

You perked up from his chest, looking at him with a big smile. “Of course I do.”

After all the pain and suffering Jason had endured, you were a new chapter in his life. Someone he could see himself creating more fond memories with—memories he’d look back on one day with a smile.