Epilogue
Almost 14 years later-2015
"How ya doin'?" Josh was muttering to himself in the mirror. "How're you doing? How you doing?"
"It's how YOU doin'," Joey said, startling him.
"Right," Josh nodded. He was nervous. It was his first prom that night, and he was going stag, but he was hoping to meet a nice girl there. He just needed the right pick up line and the right timing.
"Here," Joey said, handing him a tie. "You look sharp, man! That's great!"
"Thanks, Dad," Josh said, sighing. "Why am I so nervous?"
"It's cos you're going into a room full of girls. I used to get nervous about that too," Joey said.
"Yea right," Josh laughed. He had heard stories from Uncle Ross and Uncle Chandler. His Dad used to be a stud.
"Do not go in there with that pick up line," Phoebe said, coming into the room too.
"It worked all the time," Joey argued. "It even worked on you, remember?"
"Barely," Phoebe scoffed. "You ready, kiddo?"
"As I'll ever be," Josh said. He closed the hand painted Italian box carefully, donning on the watch his Dad had given him for his 13th birthday. He was now 16 going on 17 in three months. That's almost 14 years since he came to live with his Dad.
"You look so handsome," Phoebe gushed. "Like your Dad did on our wedding day."
"Not an easy thing to achieve," Joey joked.
"Stand next to our son," Phoebe said, gesturing. They obliged, and she snapped a photo of them. Josh didn't mind her saying "our." He felt that she was the next best thing to a mom to him. He missed his mother still, but memories of her were faint and few in between. He had been very young when she died. Her picture was taped to his mirror, the one of her in Rome standing in front of the Colosseum with her arms spread wide and an even wider grin on her face. It was next to the one of his Dad and her at Lake Como. He knew his Dad had loved his mother. He could tell from his voice every time he spoke of her. Phoebe and his Dad hadn't gotten together until Josh was about five. She had had a bad break up with some guy, and his Dad had been there for her. Things just went from there. They had lived in the apartment for a while until they had decided to be closer to Monica, Chandler, Jack, and Erica. It seemed to be the trend because eventually Ross, Rachel, and Emma followed them to the same neighborhood too.
"Me next!" Ginelle shouted, rushing over. Josh smiled at his younger sister. Born in 2006, she was nine years old now. He grabbed her into a sideways hug as Phoebe took another photo.
"Good luck," she said to him, kissing his cheek. He loved his little Ginny. She was very sweet and feisty all in one.
"Okay," Josh said, setting her down. "I'm all set. I wish I could drive Aunt Monica's Porsche."
"I don't even get to drive that thing," Joey laughed, ruffling Josh's hair.
"Have fun. Be safe, and don't do anything I wouldn't do," Phoebe said, hugging him.
"Sounds good," he grinned. He went out with Joey and got into the car together while Phoebe and Ginny waved from the window. They drove to the school in silence. Josh was thinking about his mother. Throughout the years, he saw these little things that made him believe she was there with him like she had promised. He was looking for that tonight, but he hadn't seen it yet.
"Good luck," Joey echoed Ginny when they stopped in front of the school.
"Thanks, Dad," Josh grinned. He got out and surveyed the school. Ready or not, here goes. Then, the wind rustled in such a way that touched his face in a gentle manner, and he swore he heard his name being whispered.
"Thanks, Mom," he whispered. He smiled. She had come. Now he felt ready to do anything.
...
Joey drove along listening to Drops of Jupiter. He played it when he was alone and when he wanted to think about Kathy. He knew she knew he had loved her. He wished he had said it, but over the years he convinced himself she knew anyway. Phoebe had tried to tell him she'd seen Kathy a few times in spirit form. She said Kathy looked good and happy. She had also told him what Kathy had told her the day she had died. Joey couldn't believe Kathy had caught on to Phoebe's feelings when he had missed them completely. It had worked out, though, and he couldn't be happier. There was still a hole where Kathy had been, but it hurt a lot less now than it had in the beginning, and for that Joey was grateful. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. Then he started singing along. He pictured Kathy singing along with him, and he started to laugh.
"I did it," he said. "I got our son to almost 17. God help me for the last year of high school and the beginning of college, but I have Phoebs, and for that I thank you." He was quiet for the rest of the drive home.
"Everything okay?" Phoebe asked when he came inside. Ginny was reading on the couch.
"Yea," he answered, looking at his family and grinning at her. "Everything's perfect."
The End
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