Forever Never Lasts

“Your uncle wanted us to go to the cemetery today,” Jennifer says quietly, placing the small spoon in her son’s mouth.

He takes the applesauce skillfully, allowing Jennifer to take the spoon back. Smacking his lips, he kicks his feet and gently smacks his hand on the plastic table of the high chair.

She smiles sadly, preparing another spoonful of the applesauce. “You’re hungry today, aren’t ya?”

Like clockwork, the young boy repeats the same motions.

“I think we should’ve gone. You could’ve met Opie and Kenny and Ellie.”

Gunner claps his hands together this time, gurgling after smacking his lips.

Jennifer turns around in the chair, allowing her eyes to narrow at the man leaning on the doorframe leading into the kitchen. “Juice.”

“Hey,” he says quietly.

Jennifer sighs, shaking her head. “How’d you get into my house so quietly?”

“Garage was unlocked. I didn’t think you’d answer the door if I knocked…”

She nods, “yeah. What’s up?”

“Ahhh!” Gunner claps his hands.

Jennifer turns back toward the child, continuing to feed him. “I’m listening to you, Juice.”

“Clay wants to see you.”

She sighs loudly, setting the bowl in her lap. “You brought him with you, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Juice nods. “You wanna see him?”

With a shrug, Jennifer picks the bowl up again and stirs the last bit of applesauce before feeding it to Gunner. “He’s my dad, Juice. Even if I didn’t wanna see him, I can’t exactly turn him away.”



“He looks just like Kozik,” Clay says quietly, staring at the child in Jennifer’s lap.

She nods, tucking a straying piece of hair from her bun behind her ear. “There’re a lot of things he’s already got from Koz.”

“He’s stubborn, though, ain’t he?”

Jennifer slowly shakes her head, feeling the young child rest his head back against her chest. “Not really. He just kinda rolls with the punches.”

Clay shakes his head, “At that age, you were already outta control – fussy and all that. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind you were my kid. We’re gonna have to work on him, though. Morrow's don't just roll with the punches.”

Shaking her head quickly, Jennifer gently pulls the child closer to her torso. “No. I-I think he’s fine just the way he is.”

Clay straightens up a little.

“I don’t want him to turn out like any of us,” she says after silence blankets the living room for a few moments.

Clay smirks, “what’s wrong with us?”

“What’s not wrong with us?” Jennifer muses, without skipping a beat. “I just want better for him. That’s all.”

Clay sighs loudly. “You been in touch with Gemma lately?”

“No,” Jennifer says simply. “I only talk to Jax and Tara on occasion, and whoever else decides on drop by.”

He nods, relaxing into the couch slightly. “Listen, Jenny,”

Gunner looks up when Jennifer stops gently spiking his hair.

“I’m not too sure what’s gonna happen from here on out,” Clay shrugs. “Jax is runnin’ things now. I… I got no control.”

Bouncing her leg nervously, Jennifer stares at her father. “Yeah…”

“I’m probably kept in the loop less than you are, now.”

“Okay?”

Clay rubs his temple, inhaling deeply from the oxygen tubes in his nostrils. “All I’m sayin’, is just keep an eye out. You ain’t got Kozik here to watch your back anymore, and you got a kid to look after now.”

Swallowing heavily, Jennifer shifts uncomfortably. “What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t know exactly how safe you are, Jenny,” Clay says quietly. “And I don’t want anything to happen to you, or your son.”

“Jax isn’t gonna let anything happen—”

“Jax can’t even protect the mother of his children, what makes you think he’ll be able to protect you, Jenny?”

She swallows the lump rising in her throat.

“I just don’t want you caught off guard, alright?”

“Yeah, I understand,” she nods, shifting Gunner on her lap. “Do you wanna spend a few minutes with Gunner before he goes to take a nap?”

Clay smiles lightly, “yeah, sure.”

Jennifer stands up, walking around the coffee table and setting Gunner in her father’s arms. “I’m gonna go make sure Juice is still alive.”

“Good idea,” Clay nods, setting the infant on his lap.

The kitchen is silent when Jennifer enters the room, quietly leaning onto the island counter and looking at an occupied Juice. “Who are you texting?”

“Nobody,” Juice says, looking up from his phone. “Why do you ask?”

Jennifer sighs, shrugging lightly. “I need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“A favor that no one else can find out about.”

Juice’s eyebrows slowly rise. “I dunno.”

“It’s nothing bad,” Jennifer says, shifting her feet lightly. “Just… hear me out before you say yes or no, alright?”

Setting his phone on the counter, Juice crosses his arms and leans onto the countertop as well. “Alright.”