(Extreme walls of text ahead)---
After Harwood's death, I felt quite empty inside, perhaps somewhat guilty of giving him so much grief in previous lives, or perhaps because I made him spend his retirement enslaved to me. I don't know what the rest of the household thought, but a cloud of grief hung over all of us for a while.
Seeing Willow's bright and happy face made it all better, though. She was truly a perfect little girl, though I was always too busy at work or in the home kitchen to spend time with her. DeAndre picked up most of the work.
We needed another sculptor, and Julienne stepped up to the role. She was feeling restless from a lack of work.
Harwood liked to haunt the lot on occassion after his passing. I decided to speak with him since I had the chance to.
"I'm sorry for everything," I said.
"Yeah, I kind of found out."
That was a little odd. How could he find out? He was a ghost, not a watcher.
"You can find out a lot of things when you're in limbo," he continued.
"I was a terrible person back then," I said.
"Hey, at least you're changing," he said. "We never talked much this time, but I appreciated how you tried to make things better. It was a wonderful time with you."
We spent the night just chatting. Harwood was having a great time in the after-life. His best friend was there waiting for him, and he got to make amends with his ex-wife. He was able to learn everything he never got to on earth, meet the great artists he idolized, and make new friends. "I don't really get why you want to be immortal when the afterlife can be so great."
"It's just a mission. With all that knowledge, you can find out what it is," I said. "I couldn't imagine a better sculptor than you, Harwood. Take care."
"Thanks, Journs."
"Also, you have a daughter. Her name is Gwen," I said before he left.
"You think I would ignore my family? I've visited them too. I wish I was there for her, but Gwen is in good care."
And he disappeared into the aether.
I wanted to make things better, and I did. No cheating, only one fling before I met Julienne, no enemies, and all my housemates thought highly (or at least not badly) of me. But there was one more thing I had to do.
I asked Julienne outside during pouring rain. We were sweaty and forgot to shower between our work schedules, and I was still in my pajamas. It was almost freezing outside.
"I've mentioned that I've been a terrible person, and I came into this with a lot of baggage," I said.
"And you've done wonderfully, dear. I don't know everything that has happened, but I couldn't ask for a better man."
I told her everything on the spot. About Union Cove and my nearly-tortured housemates. How Ilyona and Lysithea ran off when I came home from work unruly and exhausted, and how Perigrine and James were often passed out on the floor of a cramped house and I did nothing about any of it. About Twinbrook, and my quick marriage to Gala. How I yelled at her until my throat was raw, and hit her across the face for cheating on me with Buddy while I then ran off to smooch Marc in front of the diner. About how I started over and tricked Molly into marrying me. How I moved in Lolly and openly left my wife for her. How I tricked Harwood and Sofia into marriage. How I screamed at everyone until my throat was raw and the plan was unraveled.
"It's in the past," Julienne said. "But I guess I should ask where was I in all this?"
"I gave you a kiss after work one day during the third one, and I wanted you to live with me. I left because I felt that I didn't have a lot of time left with you. You were 50 at the time. I feared you the next time, but my life felt so empty without you. And when I failed, you were the only one to care."
"So you always loved me?"
"Julienne, I couldn't bear life without you any of the times. And I can't now."
"After all that you went through, I can't bear to break your heart."
I wanted to marry her on my front lawn. In freezing rain with tears down my cheeks. She couldn't wait any longer either.
"I promise to stick by your side and keep my faith in you," she said as she slipped the ring on my finger. "You deserve another chance. You deserve me."
"Promise?" I whispered.
"Promise."
We kissed under the storm, and I still cried knowing that Julienne still accepted me after everything.
