Forever Never Lasts

A loud ringing noise causes both adults laying in the cramped full sized bed to pick their heads up.

“S’you,” Jennifer slurs, putting her head back down and covering one of Gunner’s ears to block out the noise of Happy’s cell phone ringing from waking the toddler up.

The man grumbles, removing his arm from Jennifer’s waist and snatching his phone off of the nightstand behind him. “What?”

The room is quiet enough that Jennifer can hear Jax’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“Yeah, I still got ‘em. We had to pull off the road for the night.”

Shaking her head, Jennifer sighs deeply. When Happy closes the phone, she glances over her shoulder. “What did he want?”

“You just don’t mind your own business, do you?”

Jennifer slowly turns around to face Happy on the bed. “I am practically a hostage in this situation, Happy. You took me from Portland, against my will. The least you can do is answer some of my damn questions.”

“He was just checking up,” Happy shrugs, getting comfortable again. "And I never held a gun to your head, or nothing."

The blonde woman nods, keeping her voice just as quiet as Happy’s. “Jax called to check up at two in the morning?”

“Yes. Go to sleep,” Happy closes his eyes, keeping his arms crossed.

Slowly moving her hand onto Happy’s forearm, Jennifer runs her fingers across the man’s decorated, colorful skin.

He slowly opens one of his eyes, watching Jennifer stare at his arms. When she looks up at him, his eyes are closed again.

Sighing quietly, Jennifer slowly turns back toward Gunner and drapes her arm over the boy’s body. A weight slowly pushing down on her waist makes the muscles in her body tense. Peeking down at the source of the pressure, she exhales and tries to relax when she sees Happy’s arm.

“Go to sleep,” he mumbles.



“Is that good?” Jennifer smiles, running her hands through her son’s damp hair. He lazily puts a dry Cheerios in his mouth.

Happy leans back in his chair, staring at Jennifer holding the young boy in her lap. “How old is he now?”

“He’s approaching two,” Jennifer says quietly. “It seems like he was a baby not that long ago.”

“Looks just like his old man.”

Jennifer nods, resting her chin on the top of Gunner’s head. “Yeah, I know. He is Kozik’s kid.”

Both adults are silent, as Gunner finishes eating his breakfast from the small plastic bowl that the cereal came in.

“Thank you, again, for going to get him breakfast, Hap.”

The man nods. “Kid’s gotta eat. You shoulda let me get you something, too.”

Jennifer smiles, shaking her head. “I’m not hungry. Too nervous to eat, actually.”

“We still got over three hours until we get to Charming. You sure you’re gonna be okay?”

She nods, “Yeah. I have granola bars in my bag if I get hungry... I doubt I will, though.”

“What are you so nervous about?”

The blonde woman shrugs. “Things aren’t gonna be the same. Jax is in charge. I’ve been away for a… significant amount of time.”

Happy sighs. “I’m gonna tell you something. Don’t tell Jax I told you, though.”

Jennifer’s eyebrows furrow. Her grip on her son tightens, ever so slightly. “I don’t like where this is going.”

“Your old man,” Happy speaks slowly, carefully choosing his words. “He, uh, got caught in some crossfire about a week ago.”

“Oh, uh, okay? I’m confused, Happy. What are you getting at?” Jennifer shakes her head.

“He didn’t make it out.”

Jennifer’s eyes grow wide and she slowly shakes her head, as if Happy had just reached across the table and slapped her. “W-What?”

Happy stares at the woman sitting across the table from him, and simply blinks at her.

“He’s--”

“He’s dead, Jen.” Happy says quietly, with a shrug. “I just thought you’d wanna hear that from me, before randomly finding it out later.”

Jennifer shakes her head, staring Happy down with her large, glassy gray eyes. “Why would you tell me that?”

“We can stay here again, for a little bit, if you don’t wanna go yet,” Happy says quietly.

“I don’t know what I want anymore, Happy,” Jennifer whispers, letting Gunner slide himself out of her lap and slowly walk away from her toward the open suitcase on the ground across the room.

The tattooed man watches Jennifer rest her head in her hands.

“I can’t keep doing this shit, Happy,” Jennifer wipes the dampness from her cheeks. “I can’t deal with the death and…”

Happy watches her shake her head rapidly.

“I had my reasons for staying away, Hap. My son should not have to grow up watching people disappear from his life. He’s lost enough already.”

“I’m sorry, Jenny,” the man shrugs. “You needed to know, though.”

She shakes her head, “I probably didn’t.”

“I’m gonna go call Jax and tell him we won’t be leavin’ tonight.”

“Don’t call him,” Jennifer whispers, glancing away from Gunner and looking back at Happy. “Just… stay with me for a little bit?”