Gen 1.10 Parole

Time seemed to speed up for Lupe in an endless loop of child care and science and household chores. Before she knew it three years had gone by and Shane was up for parole, just in time for Hazel's fifth birthday. Since Hazel was still shy around Shane, Lupe opted to keep the celebration to just her, Juniper, Hazel, and Shane. Lupe tried to get Jasmine to come too, but she was still feeling angry with her father and she had her own family to look after now.

Shane was also feeling shy around everyone, so he stepped back and manned the camera for Lupe. He realized that in all his years of writing to her and getting letters and snapshots from her, the only pictures he got with her in them were selfies. He didn't tell her, but he'd saved every one of her letters, all the pictures, and all the drawings from both girls. Juniper had started sending him sketches and comic strips too. He didn't know why she did it, but he loved them.

He clicked away as Lupe picked his baby girl up to blow out the candles. He tried to capture the tender look that the mother and child exchanged. Juniper stood behind them, so excited she looked like she might burst and singing her heart out. She was still a huge fan of birthdays! Floyd curled up in his bed waiting until the crumbs would start to fall. Maybe someday they could be a family. Maybe someday they'd gather with Marnie and Marlon and their son Jed and Jasmine, her new baby Jo, and her husband Sebastian and celebrate something. Maybe they'd all stop being mad at him someday.

Author's Note: I've got a bunch of vignettes written that don't really fit together and I've got some important stuff to get through with this family like establishing Junie and Haze's friends and the third child and how they come about. I've also got the seeds for drama up my sleeves but I don't have a real timeline that works for actual humans. Here's Hazel in the stylist's booth: