"Doctor, is Matilda fine?"
A man with deep eyebags desperately asked the doctor.
The doctor looked at the man's worried face.
He wants to ask something else as well, doesn't he.
The doctor's smile injected fresh air into the worried man's body.
"She is completely fine. Your wife is strong. And I'll answer your other question as well! Congratulations, Mr. Lanhouse—you are now a father."
The father cried.
Sniffling, he looked questioningly at the doctor,
"Can I go in?"
"Haha, of course you can. Go ahead, sir."
"Thank you, Doctor. You've been wonderful throughout."
"Thank you as well, sir."
The father rushed in and saw his wife's smile.
His dear Matilda's eyes had never glowed this bright before.
The baby rested on her bosom, his bottom on her right arm.
Using her free hand, Matilda signaled her disheveled husband to quiet down.
Making a mortified expression, Mr. Lanhouse nodded rapidly.
Watching her husband act so foolishly, Matilda chuckled soundlessly.
This day will be etched deep in my soul. I am so happy...
Mr. Lanhouse quietly kissed his wife.
Caressing the sleeping babe, he softly asked,
"Ida, what should we name this little rascal?"
Matilda caressed her spellbound husband and softly replied,
"Sean. Sean Lanhouse."
Tears streamed down the middle-aged man's face.
He hugged his wife and gave her a hard peck.
I love her. I love her so much. Thank you, God... And Dad, guess who suggested naming my kid after you? Yes, your beautiful and perfect daughter-in-law. Rest in peace, old man. Your legacy marches on...
*****
"Seany, come back by six, yeah?"
"Yes, Mommy."
"That's a lie, isn't it, Seany?"
"Yes, Mommy, hehehe..."
Giggling cutely, the five-year-old Sean Lanhouse scurried out of the kitchen.
His mother, swamped with cooking, smiled and shook her head.
This boy, ah!
Little Seany enjoyed his day to the fullest.
Playing tag with his buddies, then watching the big brothers from across the street play pickup.
Playtime went satisfyingly, as always.
"Seany, Jojo, Billie—you three follow me."
Big Brother Joshua came and summoned all the kids.
Lining up in a single file and chatting nonstop, they followed Big Brother Joshua to their homes.
"Thank you, Josh. How's your ma?"
Auntie Matilda came out to fetch her little one.
Joshua smiled and replied,
"She's fine, Auntie. She asked if you were going to the Barker wedding."
"Tell her yes, Josh. Ask her to call me tonight, yeah? Bye-bye, you three."
"Bye-bye, Auntie."
"Bye-bye, Auntie."
"Bye, Auntie Matilda. Also, Auntie, Seany bruised himself."
"AHHH..."
Screaming, Seany snuck into the house.
"Ahh, this child, honestly."
Matilda followed her naughty kid inside.
*****
"WE ARE THE KINGS!"
CLAP CLAP
"WE RULE THE COURT!"
CLAP CLAP
"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"
CLAP CLAP
"VICTORY IS OURS!"
Kings County College students gave their absolute best.
Their college gymnasium was literally rumbling.
It was the last possession of the fourth quarter.
Kings County point guard Sean Lanhouse had the ball.
The scoreboard read 58–32.
The home ground had indeed proved incredibly intimidating for the away team.
Sean Lanhouse dribbled.
The Kings County center came toward him and stood his ground.
Using his teammate as a screen, Sean escaped from the hawking opposing defender.
He was free.
The seconds turned into a single second.
Smiling, he jumped and shot.
Swish.
Biiippp.
The referee blew the whistle, and the crowd erupted.
The scoreboard read 60–32.
Sean Lanhouse had just scored a twenty-one-foot buzzer-beater.
Completely unnecessary, but holy fuck was it thrilling.
*****
The theater was houseful today.
Lana was perplexed.
She didn't even know the bloody movie's name, yet the hall was packed.
Am I living under a rock?
It took her three minutes to understand why.
The movie being played wasn't professional at all.
Shoddy, even.
But the scenes were about her.
Her and her boyfriend, Sean.
Smiling, she silently sobbed.
Turning toward Sean, she noticed him intently gazing at her.
Every person in the theater is probably their family.
Barely holding back her tears, she continued watching the movie.
It ended about fifteen minutes later.
The lights came on, and every face turned to them.
Cheers and congratulations bombarded them from every angle.
Lana's heart beat fast as she watched her man drop to one knee.
Sean, looking at his stunned girlfriend, smiled,
"Will you marry me?"
"... yes... sniff... YES, YES, YES, SEAN, YES, ABSOLUTELY YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!"
*****
Sean was returning to Teal City after recording a podcast in the nearby Weeping City.
It was a small podcast, but being the manager of an SBL player really took its toll.
It was very late, and he was just about to enter Teal City.
Home was still miles off.
Taking out his phone, he messaged his wife:
Babe, I'll probably wake you up. I'm already saying sorry. Here it is —> SORRY ; )
Smiling, he slipped his phone into his pocket.
It was then, when he looked out, that he noticed something had gone wrong.
Swerve...
CRASH.
The driver had suddenly swerved the whole car and smashed headfirst into the divider.
"WHAT THE FUCK. MARCUS, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN—"
He had to stop mid-sentence.
Marcus was convulsing horribly.
He was... bashing his own head into the steering wheel.
What the fuck!
Sean didn't take any chances.
Getting out, he was horrified to witness the huge pileup of cars ahead.
Looking to his left, he saw a lane.
A little sign read: Brew Lane.
He made up his mind then—to hide somewhere in that lane.
...
..
.
[THOROUGH PONDER HAS ENDED. YOU HAVE LIVED THROUGH SEAN LANHOUSE'S LIFE.]
The unconscious body of Zaire Zontes twitched.
It was brief.
All that happened was that tears dripped out.