Cottage
#1, Cottage by the Sea, Ocean View, New Jersey, 2015
“Well,
what happened after that?”
“Huh?”
Luke Walker looked into the eyes of his adopted daughter more than 30
years later. “Well, there's not much to tell. You pretty much know
the rest. I joined the Coast Guard after Christmas, when my hand was
fully healed. Stayed with them until Uncle Ben died of cancer in
2002. He left me the Cottages and his remaining vintage surfboards in
his will.” He patted the slightly splintered wooden steps of his
cottage. “I took him up on the offer. I was working at the Coast
Guard Academy in Cape May by that point. Figured this would be a nice
place to retire.”
Rey's
friend Finn leaned over the porch railing. “And two decades later,
Leia become Governor of Pennsylvania.”
“I'm
more interested in when she figured out she was pregnant.” Rey
smirked. “Considering Ben's age, it must have happened right after
they moved in together, maybe even during the summer.”
Luke
laughed at the knowing look on her face. “Yeah, Leia announced her
pregnancy around Thanksgiving. Ben was born in February.”
“It
must have been rough,” Poe, now a young man, added from the metal
couch, “going to college while you were having a baby.”
“From
what Hank said, it wasn't easy.” Luke shrugged. “But you know
Leia. She's tough. She not only passed her classes with flying
colors, she was valedictorian. Hank, little Ben, Charlie, Ben Kenobi,
and I went to her graduation. The Rogues held a massive party at
Hobbie's apartment in South Philly, most of which I don't remember to
this day.”
Poe
frowned. “When did Hank and Leia break up?”
“Yeah.”
Rey played with the strings on her hoodie. “From what you said,
they were pretty into each other.”
“That
happened after little Ben was caught robbing hotels with a bunch of
his buddies in downtown Philly and at the Shore when he was supposed
to be away at Drexel.” Luke sighed. “They blamed each other. Hank
and Charlie went back to full-time fishing.” He put an arm around
Rey. “I know they were talking about offering you a job.”
“If
I accept it,” Rey insisted, “I'm going to talk to Uncle Hank
about Aunt Leia. I think he still likes her.”
“To
be honest, so do I.” The older man stroked his beard. “Maybe we
could set them up with a dinner at my cottage or something.”
“What
happened to everyone else?” Finn sat down on the other side of
Luke. “Jyn, the Rogues, and all the rest?”
“I
know some of it.” Poe shrugged. “My dad is still running his two
shops on the boardwalk and in town. He's talking about retiring. Snap
Wexley and I may take it over. Snap considered going to the police
academy like his mom, but he doesn't think he has the stomach for
it.”
“Jyn
and Cassian live in Holly Beach, near Cassian's family. They took
over Jyn's dad's construction business when he died.” Luke grinned.
“Jyn works with the construction crews, and Cass runs the business
aspects. They built the new D'Qar Villas where the Coruscant Condos
used to be, among others.”
Poe
made a face. “Thrawn was taking bribes, among other things, from
Empire Industries. He wasn't arrested, but was stripped of his
mayoral position. I think I heard he's working for what used to be
Empire Industries now. They were spun off into something called First
Order.”
“Chirrut
and Baze still have their place.” Rey rubbed her stomach. “The
boys and I just ate there yesterday. They make the best hot and sour
soup at the Jersey Shore.”
“Yoda
finally died in 1985.” Luke shook his head. “I got to talk to him
a few more times before he finally passed on. I never learned more
about surfing than I did from him.”
“And
Ahsoka still has her show,” Poe added, “though she's mainly on
late at night now.”
“Jan
Dodonna passed away in 1999. His family runs the Green Yavin Hotel,”
Luke continued. “Carl Rieekian retired from his shoe store, but his
daughters run it now. By the way, he was asking about you the other
day, Rey. Wanted to know if you'd decided on college yet.”
“Not
yet.” Rey made a face. “I might just work a year to make money,
then see how I feel.”
Finn
grinned widely. “Maz is still around. We saw her a couple of days
ago, when we were up on the boardwalk. She's still selling tickets at
the Marine Adventure Pier.”
“Wish
she hadn't scrapped the Kamakazi Star after the fire.” Poe frowned.
“That was my first roller coaster.”
“I
miss it too, and the Whacky Shack. And I'd like to spank those two
kids who were fooling around on the pier and burned Dracula's Dungeon
down,” Luke grumbled.
“Dad
kept in touch with the Wicket family after they moved out of town in
1987.” Poe pulled his old Air Force jacket around his arms. “Davy
Wicket's currently living in Mount Airy with his wife and three sons.
He writes sci-fi novels and fantasy screenplays. You might have heard
about his movie about the family of little people who find a magical
baby and rescue her from an evil witch.”
“I
love that movie!” Finn's smile was infectious. “I'm such a sucker
for cult fantasy.”
“What
happened to Uncle Adam?” Rey asked softly. “You don't mention him
often, Dad.”
“I
don't talk about him because I have no idea where he is.” Luke
stroked his beard, his voice softer. “Adam went on trial that
March. He was eventually found guilty on charges of murder, grand
theft, conspiracy, harassment, and arson. He and most of his boys
were sent to the New Jersey State Penitentiary for twenty years. Adam
got out early on account of good behavior. He dropped by the Cottages
once, in May of 2000, to tell me he wanted to start over on the West
Coast and we shouldn't try to seek him out. I'm guessing he did. Leia
and I haven't heard from him since.”
Poe
narrowed his eyes. “Dad told me Brendol Hux got out of the charges.
His came from one of those rich old Philly families. His son Armie is
buddy-buddy with Ben Solo. I hear they're campaigning for Trump now.”
Luke
could see the angry light in Poe's eyes when he mentioned Trump and
quickly changed the subject. “Hera's also still fishing. Kanan
retired after he started having trouble with his eyes, but Zeb and
Chester's remain as her crew.” Luke nodded. “Ezra's an English
and journalism teacher at Lower Ocean View Regional High School.
Sabine's a commercial artist in Brooklyn.” Rey loved her dad's
sweet smile. It made his whole face light up. “They had Pinchy for
years. He lived longer than most lobsters who had been out of the
water for weeks do. Hera told me they've kept lobsters for pets ever
since.”
“Chip's
with Aunt Leia. He's her secretary and translator.” Rey giggled. “I
know, because she talks about how much his fussing drives her crazy
whenever she's here.”
Arturro
popped his head of graying curls out from under the cottage. “Yeah,
I know,” Luke told him “I'll call about getting the wi-fi in the
cottages fixed as soon as I can.”
Poe
chuckled. “And Arturro came back here and became a computer
consultant. And we still can't understand a word he says.”
“You
know, Rey, there's something I want to show you.” Luke lead her to
the back of the cottage. Finn and Poe shrugged and followed them. “I
think you're old enough for it now.”
Rey's
brown eyes lit up like fireworks as Luke pulled out Twilight. “Wow,
Dad! Is this Uncle Adam's board? The one in the story?”
“It's
yours now.” Luke patted her on the back. “I thought you might
like to take it out for a swim before your Uncle Hank gets back, and
you decide what to do. Maybe I could even teach you some of the
things Yoda taught me. After all, it has to go somewhere, and little
Ben isn't a fan of surfing.”
“Teach
all of us!” Finn reached for a copper-colored board with a red
stripe.
“I'll
go get mine!” Poe dashed off to his cottage.
“Please,
Dad.” Rey's big dark eyes pleaded with him. “I want to learn the
ways of the Jedi and become a great surfer, like you and Uncle Adam.”
“Well,
you can't do that until you're in the water.” Luke grabbed a pink
board behind her. “Last one in is a rotten hermit crab!”
He
laughed as he chased the trio across the street, stopping only to
take a brief look at the Cottages, his weathered, battered, beautiful
homes, before following them onto the sand.
The
End
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