FINAL BONUS CHAPTER 35: The Last Fridge

Ten years later.

Milo is 34 now, not 24, not 29, 34, freckles 47 on nose still, but now with more wrinkles when he smiles, because 10 years of smiling more than 24 years of cold makes wrinkles, good wrinkles, warm wrinkles, freckle wrinkles.

Black nails still chipped, lip piercing still shining, but now with tiny scratch from Mara's real camera that is now big real camera, because Mara is 7 now, not 2, not 2 and 8 months, 7, real photographer, real camera, real photos, real gallery.

Blue good luck shirt still same shirt, 10 years same shirt, now with 15 drool patches, because 10 years of babies, 10 years of Mara, 10 years of Sarah baby sister now 6 with mismatched socks, 10 years of drool, 15 patches, not 9, 15, each patch memory, each patch baby, each patch love, shirt faded, blue still good luck, but now more patches than blue, but still blue, still good luck, forever shirt.

Lucien is 38 now, CEO still but half retired, half Provence, half New York, half Taraba, three tables still one table, three fridges still three fridges, but now five fridges, because Mara opened Mara fridge in her room, small fridge with 50 photos, and Milo's mom opened mom fridge number two, big fridge with 100 photos, so five fridges now, 550 photos total, 150 New York, 150 Provence, 100 Taraba, 50 Mara room, 100 mom second fridge, 550 photos, 550 warm fridges.

Lucien white shirt with no tie, 15 dirt patches now, matching Milo 15 drool patches, tradition, 10 years tradition, ring 10 years, freckle dot faded more but still freckle, still love, still good possessive 10 years.

Mara 7, 5 freckles still, but now 8 freckles, because freckles grow, like Milo, like lavender, 8 freckles on nose, mismatched socks every day, real camera every day, big real camera, not toy, not small real, big real, that she bought with her own gallery money, because Mara had first gallery at 5, second gallery at 7, sold 10 photos at 5, 20 photos at 7, $5,000 real money, not baby money, Mara money, real photographer money, like Milo.

Mara has gallery in barn now, next to Milo barn gallery, two galleries in barn, father and daughter galleries, stone walls with 200 photos total, 100 Milo, 100 Mara, father daughter galleries, warmest barn ever.

Mrs. Alvarez is 80 now, still flies, Tupperware rice and beans 10th plane, 10 planes, tradition, grandson 21 now, real photographer, real teacher, teaches Taraba and Provence and New York photo classes, three places, three tables, one table.

Sarah toddler now 11, flower big big girl, baby sister now 6, mismatched socks, both photographers, both with real cameras, both with galleries, because Milo taught them and they teach others.

Lena and wife have baby now, baby with mismatched socks, because tradition, baby drools on blue shirt, 16th drool patch coming tomorrow.

Eleanor and Henri, 79 and 78, with baguettes and cheese and 100 pancakes, but now 100 pancakes for 70 people, because family grew, 70 people now, not 60, 70, biggest table ever, three tables one table plus Mara table plus mom second table, five tables one table, 70 people, 70 claps.

Milo's mom, wrapper bright, 65 now, warmest grandma, with two fridges that smile, 200 photos, with mango tree and mango juice and rice and beans and pancakes.

On tenth anniversary, June 15, ten years after blue shirt wedding in lavender real purple, Milo woke at 5 AM, same as always, light perfect, blue shirt 15 drool patches, anniversary shirt 10 years, ring 10 years shining, freckle dots inside faded but still freckles, still love.

Lucien woke at 6 AM, white shirt 15 dirt patches, anniversary shirt 10 years, ring 10 years.

Mara woke at 6:30 AM, real camera big, mismatched socks, 8 freckles, calling "Papa Milo, Papa Lucien, lavender real purple again, 10 years again!"

They walked in lavender field, real purple, 10 years later, three now, plus 70 people via video and in person, but walk alone first, tradition, three, father father daughter, camera tripod, big real camera, toy camera for backup, tradition.

Milo stopped at same lavender stem where family key and white ruin and two socks hung 10 years.

Key still there, 10 years, tarnished, rusted a little, but still hanging, with 10 years of sun and rain and lavender and snow and sun again, still hanging, still home, still forever.

White ruin still there, 10 years, faded, almost white again, but still hanging, with 10 years of sun and rain, still home, still forever.

Two socks still there, 10 years, faded, pink blue green yellow faded but still mismatched, still hanging, still tradition, plus Mara 10 socks now, because Mara hung 8 more socks in 10 years, 10 socks total hanging on same lavender stem 10 years later, 10 socks, 10 years, tradition, plus 20 toy photos, plus 20 real camera photos, plus Mara gallery photos, plus Milo 550 photos small versions, all hanging on same stem, same lavender stem 10 years later, still hanging, still home, still forever, now heavy with 10 years of hanging, but still hanging, because lavender stem is strong like Milo is strong, like family is strong.

Milo took photo — key, white ruin, 10 socks, 40 photos small, three hands, Milo ring hand 15 drool patches, Lucien ring hand 15 dirt patches, Mara real camera hand 8 freckles and mismatched socks, plus 70 people behind via video and real, plus five fridges, plus two galleries in barn, plus three tables one table plus two more tables, five tables one table, plus 550 photos, plus 15 white ruins, plus $200,000 real money total 10 years, plus 80 babies plus Mara, plus rice and beans 10 planes, plus 100 pancakes 70 people, plus mango juice, plus 10 years of lavender real purple.

He would develop it in barn darkroom that is now two galleries that is now office that is now school, red light, yellow gloves too big, but now 10 pairs, small yellow gloves for Mara and Sarah sisters and Taraba kids and Provence kids and New York kids, 10 pairs, 10 years, 15 white ruins.

"We have 15 white ruins now," Milo whispered, 10 years later, looking at key and ruin and 10 socks hanging 10 years.

"We have 15 white ruins, 1 family key, 10 socks hanging 10 years, 15 drool patches, 15 dirt patches, 8 freckles on Mara, 47 on you, 550 photos on five fridges, 200 in barn, 50 in New York, $200,000 real money, 80 babies plus Mara, 10 planes rice and beans, 100 pancakes 70 people, five tables one table, 70 people, 10 years," Lucien whispered back, counting 10 years of counting, 10 years of good possessive, 10 years of our table forever.

Mara laughed, 7 years old laugh, snotty laugh like Milo 10 years ago, freckled laugh, real camera laugh, "We have real purple 10 years again!"

They walked back to stone house, where Eleanor made 100 pancakes again, with blueberry freckles, 1.4 pancakes each for 70 people, but Milo eats 10, tradition, Mara eats 34, tradition, Lucien eats 2, tradition, Mrs. A eats 3 with rice and beans, tradition, 100 pancakes gone again 10 years later.

Milo taped tenth anniversary photo — key, white ruin, 10 socks, 40 small photos, three hands, 70 people, five fridges, two galleries, five tables one table — on all five fridges, same photo on five fridges, because forever table needs to be on all fridges 10 years later.

He wrote, with ring hand, 10 years later handwriting, still messy, still freckled boy but now 34 father husband photographer with five fridges, five tables, 70 people, 15 patches, 15 ruins:

TEN YEARS LATER, LAVENDER REAL PURPLE 10 YEARS AGAIN, KEY AND WHITE RUIN AND 10 SOCKS STILL HANGING 10 YEARS ON SAME STEM, STILL HANGING, STILL HOME, STILL FOREVER, NOW WITH 40 SMALL PHOTOS, WE HAVE CHILD 7 YEARS 8 FRECKLES REAL BIG CAMERA 2 GALLERIES, WE HAVE 15 WHITE RUINS, 15 DROOL PATCHES, 15 DIRT PATCHES, 8 FRECKLES MARA, 47 ME, 550 PHOTOS ON FIVE FRIDGES, 200 IN BARN, 50 NEW YORK, $200,000 REAL MONEY, 80 BABIES PLUS MARA, 10 PLANES RICE AND BEANS, 100 PANCAKES 70 PEOPLE, FIVE TABLES ONE TABLE, 70 PEOPLE, THREE HOMES, FIVE FRIDGES, TWO GALLERIES, ONE TABLE FOREVER STILL ONE TABLE FOREVER, I HAVE FIVE FRIDGES THAT SMILE NOW, FIVE TABLES THAT SMILE, 70 PEOPLE THAT SMILE, I AM WARMESTEST EVER EVER, OUR TABLE FOREVER 10 YEARS FOREVER. - M WITH FIVE FRIDGES FIVE TABLES 70 PEOPLE 10 YEARS FATHER HUSBAND FOREVER FOREVER

Lucien added, white shirt 15 dirt patches, ring 10 years:

Ten years later, he still wears blue good luck shirt with 15 drool patches, same shirt 10 years, faded but blue still good luck, still wedding shirt, still forever shirt, he still counts 70 people, he still eats 10 pancakes, now Mara eats 34, he still sees purple, he still owns me forever, now we own 5 fridges, 5 tables, 70 people, 2 galleries, small chair and big camera and 10 socks hanging 10 years, good possessive includes 5 fridges, 5 tables, 70 people, 2 galleries, 10 socks, 10 years, good possessive forever forever forever forever forever 10 years forever. - L WITH FIVE FRIDGES FIVE TABLES 70 PEOPLE 10 YEARS FATHER HUSBAND FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER

Mara added, real big camera, 7 years, big girl handwriting, real big camera stamp:

MARA REAL BIG CAMERA 7 YEARS, 8 FRECKLES, MISMATCHED SOCKS, REAL BIG CAMERA, 2 GALLERIES, 10 SOCKS HANGING 10 YEARS, I HANG 10 SOCKS, I TAKE PHOTO OF FIVE FRIDGES FIVE TABLES 70 PEOPLE, I HAVE $5,000 REAL MONEY, I AM WARMESTESTESTEST 10 YEARS. - MARA REAL BIG CAMERA 7 YEARS REAL PHOTOGRAPHER

And that was last fridge note, final bonus chapter 35, ten years later, five fridges 550 photos, five tables one table 70 people, two galleries 200 photos in barn, 15 white ruins, 15 drool patches, 15 dirt patches, 1 key, 1 ruin, 10 socks hanging 10 years on same lavender stem, still hanging, plus 40 small photos, plus real big camera, plus $200,000 real money, plus 80 babies plus Mara, plus rice and beans 10 planes, plus 100 pancakes 70 people, plus mango juice, plus five tables one table, our table forever 10 years forever, forever.