25. The Summer House

Loki loved summer for two simple reasons, the small house in Oklahoma that Sasha insisted on having and the porch swing that came with it. He didn't worry about allergies like all of the others in their strange family, he could spend all day outside without sneezing or watery eyes and he often did the yard work while Tony was on the couch, surrounded by tissues and cold medicine. The nights lessened their symptoms a little, just enough to have a bonfire and s'mores for the little ones. Addison loved the bonfire and Eli loved eating the leftover chocolate.


What Loki loved in those moments was curling up on the porch swing with Sasha situated against his chest, the porch light and the dancing flames illuminating the book in her hands as she reads to him. It was a different book every night, never the same thing twice. That was when he was the most relaxed, when he was warmed by Sasha and she was cooled off by him. Her voice is soft so as not to disturb the rowdy kids, just loud enough for Loki to hear. He would close his eyes, picturing the scenes she described, everything else dropped away and was replaced by calm. It was perfect, the moments he looks forward to most on the annual trip besides swimming with his children.


"'Where did you go, if I may ask?' asked Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along," Sasha read quietly as she relaxed against Loki contentedly,"' To look ahead.' said he...'" Pepper was the first to notice the moment Loki fully relaxed, snapping a quick picture to add to the family's vacation album later.


Loki would cherish that photo years down the road when it's yellowed and torn, showing it to anyone who would look at the hospital where Sasha practically lived. He'd describe to her what it was, how the night had felt when she could no longer remember. He would curl up beside her on the narrow bed with her favorite childhood book, doing the voices for the characters as best as he could. He didn't want to face the reality, he didn't want to accept that the one woman on this miserable planet that he loved was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it. When her eyes slipped closed for the last time, Loki hugged her tightly to him, crying and praying that he could join her, but that wouldn't happen for a very long time.


When it finally did, though, he found himself back at the little house. It was early summer, the bite of winter just beginning to fade away and the plants all green and colorful. Sasha leaned against the porch railing, in that pretty yellow sundress that she had loved so much when she was in her twenties and pregnant with Addie. She was smiling at him with a book in one hand, stretching the other out for him to take as she led him inside. And there was Tony, still stretched out on the couch, but no longer suffering from allergies. Natasha was dancing with Clint, Pepper was taking pictures of everyone. The only people missing were the children and Loki knew that was because they still had long lives ahead of them.


He was happy.