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Chapter Fifteen:

Reid was greeted by the scent of cooking when he got home. He could hear giggling upon entering the kitchen and found Morgan wearing a floral apron, checking on something in the oven. Jenna was watching closely while Rossi sat in the background looking like he was trying not to laugh.

Morgan looked up. "Hey buddy, Rossi let me in. Savannah sends her love along with a desert from Collet's. My boys and I made this casserole."

"It's spicy chicken," Jenna said gleefully. "Uncle Morgan won't tell me all the ingredients but I told him you could guess them when you tasted it."

"I never heard you claim to be taste genius."

"Actually there are people with highly advanced palates who can—"

"Are you one of them?" Morgan asked teasingly.

"No but I could guess based on what you usually keep in your pantry."

Morgan turned to Jenna. "Your daddy thinks he knows everything."

Jenna laughed.

Rossi got up and stretched. "He always has and always will, world without end etc…" he said and sighed. "I need to get going. It was great seeing you Jenna."

"Are you sure you don't want to stick around for dinner?" Reid asked.

"No thanks, spicy doesn't agree with me the way it used to. I'll see you around though."

He said good-bye, hugged Jenna and then Reid, and then gave a fist-bump to Morgan as he left.

Morgan kept Jenna entertained most of the evening with stories about his boys. He and Reid also shared old stories about how they used to prank each other when they worked together. This had Jenna in stitches and Reid managed to crack a few genuine smiles.

After dinner and dessert they watched an old Disney movie called Zootopia. Reid could not help but share anecdotes about each animal to the annoyance of Jenna and Morgan. Jenna was on the verge of falling asleep by the time the credits rolled. Reid gently guided her to bed.

Once she got changed Reid tucked in and Jenna asked: "Dad are all your friends going to be visiting now that Mommy's gone?"

"They just want to help you feel better," he said. "Is that problem? Are they bothering you?"

"No, I like seeing everyone. It doesn't stop me from missing mom though."

Reid rubbed her back. "I know. I still miss her too." Reid stopped himself from promising that it would get better when he knew it would get worse.

"I love you Jenna," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too daddy," she said and fell asleep.

Reid found Morgan texting on his phone in the family room. Morgan stopped and went over to give him a big hug.

They held onto each other. Reid wouldn't let himself cry but he did let Morgan hug him for a minute longer.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday," he said. "The hospital went into code black and Savannah just couldn't leave and I couldn't find a sitter for the boys in time—"

"It's okay Morgan," Reid said. "You needed to be there for your family."

Reid plopped on the couch. Jane's couch. It still held up after all these years.

"Ally texted me on the way home. She and the rest of the Ascher family should be here by tomorrow afternoon."

"You're cool with your in-laws right?" Morgan said as he sat back down.

"Yes, but the family is just huge and I already feel overwhelmed enough as it is."

"Is there anything the team and I can help with?"

"Just keep being here for me and Jenna," Reid said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not tonight."

They just sat in silence for another hour. Reid enjoyed just having Morgan by his side. It was something he still missed after all these years. Eventually Morgan got up, gave him another hug, and left. Sometimes words didn't need to be exchanged when the connection was close enough.

…

It was in the middle of the night when Reid woke and felt her calling out to him. He quickly got out of bed and opened the bag containing some of Jane's person effects. One of which was her keys. He picked out the smallest key and plunged it into Jane's hope chest. He remembered moving it in and how heavy it was. Jane's uncle, a carpenter, insisted she had to have one and even paid to have it shipped to D.C. It was a beautiful piece and but he would never touch it until now.

He opened it and breathed in the scent of cedar. The first thing he saw a journal. He knew this was why Jane woke him. He opened the leather journal and found a note clipped to the front:

Spencer if you're reading this, I am probably dead which is an awful thought but I thought I'd write this in the event you went through my things and found this weird little journal. I got the idea from a movie called "The Notebook." I thought about making you watch it with me but then I thought it would make you too sad. This is the story of how we fell in love in the event you succumb to dementia like your mother. Another awful thought but I enjoyed the therapy of writing while you're gone. I don't want you to end up like her. I just like to have contingencies. This is our story and I hope if I die first it won't until we're both old and wrinkled. In any event just remember that I love you and always will.

Love,

Jane

Oxoxo

The thick journal was only a third full. Two thirds of a life left blank. He put the journal back in the chest. There would be time to read later.