Falderol Falls: Jason Greenman
Jason was unhappy. He'd been unhappy for so long, he wasn't sure there had ever been a time he WASN'T unhappy. He'd been an unhappy child--always competing with his brother for the limited attention of his parents. He'd been an unhappy teen--labeled the nerd-boy at school, he'd never really had friends or done any dating to speak of. When he'd met Rose, he'd been over the moon, though even that had been spoiled a little by the fights he'd had with his family about his decision to pursue her. He supposed he must have been happy when Rose finally agreed to marry him, though thinking back on it he could only remember the niggling worry that he was acting rashly and merely to get attention. It had certainly been a weight off to move away from Riverblossom, though he missed his brother and niece. But all that had been only minor when compared to THAT NIGHT.
After all he'd been put through, he'd thought at least he'd be able to come home and Rose would comfort him the way she always had. And he'd thought surely this was the worst thing that could happen in his life. He'd been wrong, of course, because soon after those THINGS crawled out of him.
He still wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, and he was more than a little grateful he'd blocked out the memory. He only knew that Rose took to them like bees to a lilac and he'd been forced to endure her cooing to them at all hours of the day and night. He realized that she was part plant and thus wired to procreate, but did she have to care for spawn that wasn't even hers? And, for that matter, plants weren't known to CARE for the seeds they grew--they just sent a lot out into the world and hoped for the best. It seemed to Jason that three kids and countless plants in a greenhouse should be enough to occupy her time. She had her mind set, however, and he had neither the strength to oppose her nor the funds to move out on his own. He merely filled his time so much she was forced to look after the Things alone.
The other children grew, too, though he had nearly as little to do with them. He wasn't at all sure they were even his children. The boy looked very much like Rose and had brilliant green eyes that hadn't come from Jason's genes. The girl might have looked a little like him, but he still wasn't convinced.
And then Rose had gone out and gotten a job--as the manager of one of Daisy's stores. Suddenly Jason was expected to watch these ... children ... while she was gone--little diaper fillers he'd never even wanted! After working a full shift at a crappy movie theater an hour away, he came home for five hours of sleep and a full day of "baby"sitting. It had almost been a relief to be fired after his third late arrival at the theater because Rose hadn't come home on time. Sure, their income suffered and Rose was mad at him, but it had given him time to pursue other interests. Especially once They started going to school.
It turned out his paintings weren't bad, and mostly they were snatched up by eclectic city folks at outrageous prices. Jason ended things with the experienced Angela and began to focus entirely on his paintings while family life went on around him.
One night near the end of summer, after a long day of painting, Jason was unable to sleep.
He got up and wandered downstairs, thinking maybe he'd have a talk with Rose. Maybe it would even end in a bit of... y'know. He finally spotted her through a window.
It was true that on some level, Jason knew Rose had to be adept at finding her own fun. She was, after all, forced to spend nearly half of every day totally alone while the rest of them were asleep. And probably even more than that, now that he was spending so much time painting. But seeing her alone like that, happy and playful without him, suddenly made him realize what he'd been missing for so very long. He loved Rose and she loved him. She hadn't chosen the children over him--she'd tried gently to show him the joy that could come from children, regardless of how they'd been brought into the world. And he'd missed out on all of it because he was too selfish and stupid to realize how selfish and stupid he was.
The next evening, he quietly stopped painting shortly after the children came home from school and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. He wasn't sure who had been doing that chore, since he generally didn't eat with the family, but he was determined to have more of a role in their family life. After dinner, Rose called him into the kitchen. To his surprise, everyone was standing there, waiting for him. He noticed a cake with half a billion candles sticking out of the top of it and then the noise began.
He'd forgotten all about his birthday, but his family had remembered and decided to surprise him with a quiet party--the kind he liked the best. He blinked back tears as he stared into the glow of the candles.
"What'd you wish for, Dad?" Pepper asked after he'd blown out all the candles.
"Shhh, Pepper! He can't tell you or it won't come true!" Pansy protested.
Jason merely smiled as he picked up the first slice of cake. With a family who loved him, what else did he need to wish for?
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