𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 • 𝘣𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴 [✔]

chapter one hundred forty

"Why does she have green hair? That's silly." A young Claudia questioned her mom from her spot on the ground. The mother and daughter were seated across from each other, coloring in an old coloring book. Janis had colored the mermaid on her page with green hair which seemed odd to Claudia.

"She's a mermaid, babe, her hair can be as colorful as the rainbow. It makes her look cool and badass. Let's see your princess." Janis said.

Claudia put down her yellow crayon and showed her mom her colored page. "I tried to draw a prince, but I can't get the face right."

"I see. What's the prince's name? Is it Robbie?" Janis asked.

"No. . . It's Fonzie or Freddie, I can't decide."

"Ah, okay. And you're the princess?" Janis asked as she picked up a different crayon to color with. Claudia put down her page and grabbed her yellow crayon to finish coloring the prince's crown.

"No, it's you. See? I colored her nails red and made her hair really pretty." Claudia explained to her mom.

"Well thank you my sweet girl. When you're done we can put it on the fridge."

And that's exactly what they did. Well kinda. Janis didn't have one single magnet but she still wanted to put her daughter's artwork on the fridge where she promised it would be. So she improvised. She found the last bit of painter's tape she had in a kitchen drawer and used it to tape the drawing on the fridge.

"It looks badass." Claudia commented. Janis didn't even scold her for using that type of language, not when she used it daily. But if Claudia ever asked what her first word was, Janis was definitely going to make something up. (Surprise, Claudia's first word was shit)

2:37 PM
LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Janis slowly opened her eyelids. She really wasn't sure where she was, but all she wanted to do was go back home. She looked at her surroundings. She saw a flower arrangement, a coffee cup, a tv playing happy days and Edward Reagan sittin on the world's most uncomfortable chair.

"Am I dead yet? Is this hell?" Janis spoke.

Edward lightly chuckled. "No and no. You are very much alive. You're in the hospital, Janis. You fainted." He got up from the chair and scooted it more towards her bed then sat back down.

"Oh. Where's Claudia?" Janis asked.

"Downstairs in labor."

"What?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah, Baby Barnes decided to come a week early. Ben is downstairs with her."

"What? Holy shit, I need to be with her!" Janis tried to sit up, but she was far too weak. She eventually gave up on trying to get out of bed. "Shit, what kind of mom am I? Claudia's in pain and all Ben can do is hold her hand and tell her it's going to be okay while she screams her lungs out and pushes a baby out of her v-"

"Janis!" Edward interrupted her. "Sorry, but it's not the end of the world. Claudia's in good hands. You need to be resting, your blood pressure was too low."

"I just . . " Janis sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I mean it."

"Jan, I can come back later and we can talk about it-"

"Edward, shut up and listen to me. I have screwed up many times in my life. Too many to count. I hate myself everyday for what I did to you, not just you, but to Layna too. I hurt you both,"
Janis grabbed Edward's hand. "I understand if you hate me until I die or if you never want to see me again, but I want you to know that meeting you was the best damn thing that ever happened to me. I will forever love you unconditionally, Edward Reagan."

Edward squeezed Janis' hand. It was his way of showing that he understood every word she said. "Janis, I know. I'm not mad at you. As for hating you until you die, that will never happen. One, because you said it yourself, you're immortal," He and Janis laughed at his words. "Two, I could never hate you. Not now, not ever."

"I'm going to cry now." Janis admitted.

"Save the tears for when you see your little grandbaby." Edward said.

Not even a minute later, Ben rushed into the hospital room with the biggest smile on his face. "She's here." He confirmed.

Janis gasped. "A girl."

An: girl dad ben is canon because i said so