The young educator found himself adrift, much like everyone else around him, gazing at the half blood moon. A middle-aged man approached, offering a friendly pat on his back.
"Hey Jack, quite a sight, isn't it?" said the cheerful middle-aged man.
The man had dark brown skin with short, neatly groomed hair and an elegantly trimmed beard, giving him a dignified yet charming appearance. His black-rimmed glasses failed to conceal his intelligence and welcoming eyes. However, what stood out the most was the man's fatherly smile directed at the young professor. He was dressed in a clean, slightly used gray suit, expressing humility yet presenting a kept and tidy countenance.
Jack, the young professor, turned and smiled at the middle-aged man. "Hello, professor. I didn't even hear about the blood moon happening today. Did you?"
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, "Haha, Jack, you know we are colleagues now; you can call me Shawn."
Jack chuckled, "You are the one who taught me that a teacher for a day is a father for life."
Shawn's smile broadened when Jack said "father." He did treat all his students like his children, and Jack was his favorite child.
Shawn responded, "Yes, the astronomy department head did say she noticed some odd trajectory of the moon this morning. Haha, even joked about how the backward motion of the moon means the end of our world."
Jack also laughed, "People were saying the world will end in 2000, then 2012, now in 2025. Haha, I kind of want to see what the end of the world would look like."
Shawn asked, "Are you religious at all, Jack?"
Jack shook his head and said, "You know me, professor; if I can't see something, I don't believe."
Shawn laughed, "Haha, that reminds me of how in class, you refused to believe how many bones made up the ankle."
Jack, with a slightly red face, defended his younger self, "Of course, I couldn't believe it. The body part we heavily rely on having that many independent parts is just bad design. The more separate parts, the weaker the joint. It should be like the shoulder or hip; that makes the most sense."
Shawn, hearing this, laughed even harder. Years had passed, but the man in front of him did not change at all.
Shawn nodded dismissively, "Yes, yes, it is a poor design."
Jack felt his phone vibrate, taking it out; he saw a text.
"Have you gone out to eat?!!! 😤😡"
Jack's face lost all color. Shawn, seeing this, instantly knew who messaged him.
Jack stuttered, "S-sorry, professor, I am late. I need to get home."
Shawn laughed even harder than before and waved goodbye.
Jack quickly found a cab and gave his address.
Jack arrived in front of a townhouse in the heart of Greenwich Village. The building was made of brownstone with a classic façade, adorned with flower boxes and a welcoming entrance. It was a two-story building, boasting large windows that allowed natural light to illuminate the rooms and offering picturesque views of the tree-lined streets. Within one of the windows, one could see the back of a tall young woman with long straight black hair that passed her hips. Also visible to Jack was the table, and facing him seated was a young child with short black hair and bright green eyes that were staring at him with a mocking smile. The child bore 90% resemblance to Jack. He believed that physically the boy was only his son, but emotionally he was only his mother's son. Nevertheless, Jack would never say this in front of his wife. The child's smile grew wider seeing Jack; he appeared to be laughing at his plight.
Jack looked at his son with a defeated smile, blew him a flying kiss that seemingly tickled the child, and he began audibly laughing.
Jack took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.
The woman's figure left the visibility of the window for a moment and opened the door.
What greeted Jack was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. She had ethereal beauty that captivates those around her. Her long, flowing dark hair framed a face adorned with a cold yet breathtaking smile. Along with large intelligent hazel eyes. Her demeanor reflects a perfect blend of strength and grace. She had dark jeans along with a bright knit sweater, making her tall and slender figure even more perfect.
The only caveat to this picture-perfect beauty was the frown on her sword-like eyebrows and the greasy spatula in her right hand. She seemed moments from stabbing Jack with the spatula.
Jack swallowed and bravely leaned in to kiss the woman in greeting. But what met his lips was the taste of the oily spatula.
The woman only said, "Why?"
Jack started sweating buckets and stammered. He said, "Honey, I am sorry for being late. I was staring at the moon, and…"
The moment he realized that the truth sounded like the dumbest excuse imaginable. He shut his mouth and simply replied, "Sorry, Lilith. I will not waste time again."
Lilith sighed. She knew her husband often stayed late to allow his students to ask questions. Nevertheless, she wishes that her family of three is at the dinner table before the food is ready. And even though the food was just prepared, she felt dissatisfied.
Suddenly, the child jumped on to Jack and destroyed the moment of silence. "Dad, you were trying to get mom flowers but couldn't find any, right?"
Lilith looked at her son suspiciously, and Jack laughed awkwardly, not confirming or denying his savior.
Lilith then asked with one eyebrow raised, "Ralph, are you covering for your dad?"
The intelligent Ralph said, "Mom, I am really hungry."
The tyrannical Lilith could not defeat her motherly instincts. The moment her son requested food, all other topics were thrown out of her mind. She quickly left the entrance and prepared the final touches to the table.
Seeing this, the father and son duo high-fived each other. Jack then hugged and asked, "Ralphy, wanna see something cool?"
Little Ralph rolled his eyes and asked, "Another picture of a human skeleton?"
Jack awkwardly scratched the back of his head and walked out of the open door, while replying, "No. Look up there at the moon. Is it pretty? What?"
What greeted Jack was a moon that had become 75% blood red while the rest was still white.
The child exclaimed, "Wow, that is really pretty. The moon was not like that when mom picked me up."
Jack thought to himself the moon was not like that when I left the school. In less than 15 minutes, so much of the moon turned red. Technically it should occur over an hour. Deciding that this was not his field of expertise, Jack dismissed the astronomical anomaly.
Lilith's voice was heard saying, "Hurry up; the food will get cold."
Jack, still carrying Ralph, entered his home, leaving the world and all its troubles behind.