~ What would Night and Jin's life be like if it was just the two of them? With a third on the way?

That's what this'll show. Night and Jin's life if Hartz had passed away... ~

    “Mama, are you sure you don't need any help…?” A soft voice called out to her, causing a small smile to decorate her lips.
    “Baby boy, don’t worry about me, I can handle this. Don’t you have some homework to work on?” Her motherly tone carried warmth, a small playful tone carried as well while her grey eyes cast over to him. Her son’s ghostly pale cheeks tinted to a bright pink color, a small nervous laugh coming from him as he grabbed his backpack.
    “Perhaps a little…”
    “I’ll tell you what? If you finish your homework, you can help me with dinner.”

Jin felt himself smile and nodded as he pulled out his homework, nodding to his mother.
    “Yes mama…” He said, smiling wider when her gentle hands brushed through his jet black hair. Night kissed his head and grabbed the laundry basket from the floor carefully, grunting softly when she stood straight. A noise of nervousness sounded behind her which caused her to stifle a laugh, looking behind her yet again.
    “No need to be scared my little spirit, I’m okay.” The blonde female told him, hopefully easing her adoptive son’s anxiety.
    “You make me nervous…” Jin whined quietly, terribly close to getting off of the couch to help her out.
    “Sweetie, I’m okay, I promise you.”
    “You’re almost eight months pregnant mama… You have to let me help…” Jin countered, arms crossed as his English book decorated his lap.

Night laughed softly and adjusted the basket into one arm, her now free hand resting on her heavily pregnant belly.
    “I may be pregnant, but I’m a hard-working mama. I have to support my baby while my other is on the way.”
    “You work two jobs…”
    “Two jobs I love very much, Jin. I’m okay, I promise you that.”
    “Mama…”
    “Baby boy, I’m serious.” Her eyes held a stern yet caring look, shifting her weight to one of her swollen feet as her hip stuck out with the basket on it.

She really looked like a mother…

Jin puffed his cheeks out and then sighed, nodding and going back to his homework.
    “Yes mama…” The teen said, completely defeated as he started his English. Night smiled softly and blew a kiss before walking from the room, finally going to start the laundry.

~~~

She rushed her way around with hot plates in hand, brushing past the others to get to the door.
    “Walking!” She alerted as she walked from the kitchen, a smile on her lips as she made her way to one of her six tables. “Alright! A four-cheese mac for you and the eight ounce sirloin for you. Can I get you folks anything else?”
    “Oh no sweetie, we’re okay, thank you.” A wonderful older woman told her, her and her husband moving to start eating their meal.
    “Well alright then, I’ll be back to check you in a few.” The young mother smiled, walking off to check up on her other tables.

When this beloved blonde wasn’t at home caring for Jin and things around the house, she works as a server at a local restaurant. One of the best actually due to her bubbly personality and contagious smile.
    “How are we doing over here, ladies? Are we saving room for some dessert this afternoon?” She asked another table, that infectious smile on her lips as always.
    “Not today, but the check would be wonderful.” One of the four women seated at the table told her, Night nodding.
    “Of course! Are we all together or separate today?”
    “Two separate checks today, please.” Another spoke up, their server smiling brightly at them.
    “Sure! I’ll be right back with those for you.” Turning on her heel yet again, she ventured off to print the checks for the table, trying to ignore the sharp kicks to her ribs caused yet again by her unborn daughter.
    “Are you overworking yet again?” One of her server friends asked as she also stood by the POS whilst the young woman printed off her checks.
    “Overworking? No, picking up hours so I can support my kids.” Night said, turning to her friend with a smile.

Yet her eyes held a different emotion.

Desperation…

    “Mama, it’s been six months. I know you miss him, but I can see this is still affecting you.” Heavenly told her, reaching and grabbing her hand. “Hartz was a good man and he treated you well, but you can’t let his death be the reason for you to overwork yourself when you’re nearly eight months pregnant.”
    “We were supposed to marry next summer, Heaven. I was going to marry my highschool sweetheart, of course this is still going to affect me.” Night countered as her mood shifted, her eyebrows furrowed together.
    “You’re trying to pull over 40 hours a week, it’s not healthy for you to be on your feet this much. And you babysit on top of this? Does your son know what you’re trying to do?”
    “No and he’s not going to ever find out. Hartz was the first man my son learned to trust after I adopted him, he was completely broken when we got the news. For him to find out I’m working my ass off to provide for him will stress him out further than he already is.”
    “Night-”
    “No, end of discussion.” Night frowned, turning around and putting on her bubbly facade as she walked to take care of her tables. Heavenly frowned and sighed softly, turning to go and check on her own tables.

A couple hours later, shortly after three in the afternoon, a certain petite little ghost boy came through the front door of the restaurant, greeting the host with a soft, shy smile.
    “U-uh, hi… Can I sit in Night’s section…?” Jin asked softly, his small hands hidden in his hoodie pocket.
    “Sure! Do you need a menu?” The host asked him, going to reach for a menu.
    “N-no, no, I’m okay…”
    “Alright, then if you’d follow me please.” the host smiled, seating him at a small table in his mother’s section. “Enjoy!”
    “T-thank you…” Jin said, setting his bag beside his chair before digging out his laptop. Being out in public places still made him nervous, but his mother helps him be at ease when he knows she’s working.
    “Hi baby boy!” Night smiled when she walked up to his table, giving his cheek a dramatic mama kiss. The action made a decent shade of red coat his pale cheeks, rubbing the spot Night just kissed.
    “M-mama…” Jin whined, causing his mother to laugh and pull her little book from her apron around her waist.
    “Sorry honey bun, you know I can’t help myself. You want your normal drink?”
    “I wasn’t planning to eat… I-I just didn’t want to be in the house alone…”

Night frowned slightly, reaching and running a hand through her son’s hair.
    “You’re eating, okay? I can tell you didn’t eat lunch at school.” The mother told him, writing down her son’s favorite drink before kissing his head. “I’ll grab you a menu so you can figure out what you’d like. Okay baby?”
    “Yes ma’am…” The small teenager said softly, nodding as he turned on his laptop.

~~~

Night laid on her side in her bed, tears coating her cheeks as Set It Off played from her little bluetooth speaker. She was all bundled up in her favorite of her fiance’s sweatpants, a blanket made from his old shirts wrapped over her head and around her shoulders. Her emotional grey eyes stared at the picture frame on her nightstand, another round of sobs coming from her as she curled up tighter around her pregnant belly. In the frame was an old picture of a teenage Night, her arm wrapped around a teenage boy older and taller than her. They both smiled as they stuck their tongues out at the camera, both looking very happy together.

That was five years ago…

Hartz was older than her, two grades higher, yet they both got along well. The two were friends before Hartz asked her out at the beginning of his Senior year, when she was a sophomore. They became engaged the winter before Night graduated college, the two getting a house together as the young woman finished her last semester. Jin entered their life and all seemed well in the world. That was until the car accident… They had just found out they were having a baby, Night sitting at home due to morning sickness flaring up heavily that day. The call she received from the police department hours later would haunt her forever, her and Jin’s cries echoing through the quiet home after the call.

    “Miss Slydale, I’m very sorry to say this, but your fiance passed away this evening…”

A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door and she sat up, brushing her tears away as she called out.
    “What is it, baby boy?” She asked, trying to keep her voice as straight as possible. The door opened and soon Jin’s head poked through the door, streaks of tears shining on his cheeks as he stepped in carrying a blanket. He shut the door behind him and padded over to his mother’s bed, no words spoke as he crawled on the mattress and into her arms. His sobs were quiet and a switch flipped in the mother’s head, doing everything she could to soothe her son as she forgot about her own sadness. “Shh… It’s all okay, I got you…”
    “I-I miss him…” Jin murmured, a small whimper passing his lip as he cuddled his mother and her pregnant belly.
    “Oh, I know baby, I do too… It’s always going to be difficult, but he’d want us to live up his memory…”
    “I-I want him back…”
    “I do too sweetie…” Night pet his head and rocked him in her arms, humming softly to Dad’s Song as a tear rolled down her cheek.
    “I-I like this song…” Jin sniffled softly, listening to the lyrics as calm washed over his body.
    “You are mama’s son, aren’t you?” Night smiled, kissing his head as she leaned back, the two cuddling and listening to the sad song playing softly. Night hummed softly to each song that played, rubbing gentle circles into Jin’s back as he fell asleep in her arms, the mother smiling softly as she stayed awake a bit longer.

The two slept in each other’s embrace hours later, curled up in their blankets as they slept their sadness away. Yet they couldn’t feel the ghostly presence of someone familiar, the pale mismatched eyes watching over his fiance and son from the afterlife as he smiled at the sight.

His family.

Their guardian angel~

NightBear15 signing off...