First a Courtesy Uncle, Now a Father

 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1—A Long Sit-down With Moe

Chapter 2—The Funeral

Chapter 3—The Trip

Chapter 4—Moe, A Parent  

Chapter 5—Life Goes On

Epilogue

 

 

 

Chapter 1—A Long Sit-down With Moe

                Larry had recently passed away.    Moe had never really had anyone in his life close to him that had died, and it hit him like a ton of bricks.   He hadn’t experienced terror before, but he had a nightmare that shook him straight to his core.   Fortunately, Maya was next to him and drew him to her chest to stroke his hair and listen to her heartbeat.

                ‘What’s wrong, Moe ?’, she asked.

                ‘My good friend Larry recently died.  I don’t think Sam took it well, either.   They were practically inseparable.’, Moe said, a bit sadly.    The two got up and she patted the place on the couch typically reserved for him.  

                ‘We need to talk Maurice.’, she said, gently.   When she used his full name, he knew it was serious.  He gritted his teeth, took a sharp inhalation, and sat next to her.   Tenderly, she patted his leg and softly grinned.

                ‘I’m pregnant.’, she said, almost in a whisper.   The two hadn’t been married for more than a year now, but Moe wasn’t thinking either of them were capable of bearing any children.  

                ‘It’s funny you say that, Maya.   Not long ago, Homer actually called me and wrote me into his will and testament as Maggie’s courtesy uncle.   So, not only am I an uncle, but I’m a papa too !’, Moe said.   He was conflicted over whether he should cry or celebrate.   Not long ago he had taken Larry to a morgue to have him embalmed properly and clean up his bar where Larry subsequently died.    That space that he filled without delay, steady as Swiss clockwork was now completely empty.     Looking at it now, his heart dropped.   Even in that moment, he felt himself getting all choked up.    How could he eulogize his friend if he couldn’t stop himself from crying  ?    He bucked up, straightened his posture, and gave himself a bit of encouragement. 

                ‘You gotta do this, Maurice.   Larry’s counting on you.   You might not have known him well but at least give the man the send off he deserves.’, Moe thought to himself.   With that encouragement, he breathed in, breathed out and returned to Maya.   It was a Sunday afternoon and Moe was a practicing interdenominational Presbyterian, so Sundays were his sabbath.  

 

Chapter 2—The Funeral         

                It was a sparsely attended funeral but those who had come had nothing but kind things to say about Larry.    There weren’t many dry eyes in the audience.    At last, it came for Moe’s turn to eulogize his friend, and although many of them didn’t know Larry, Moe spoke of him fondly and even wrote a poem he recited for the years of patronage he had given to his tavern.   He talked about the friendship they all had and said his final goodbyes before walking off the stage and back into the pew where Maya waited, dabbing at her eyes.

                ‘I never knew you were so sensitive and eloquent.’, she said, surprised.

                ‘Stick with me, babe, and you’ll learn so much more.’, Moe said, wrapping his arm around his lovely wife and soon to be mother of their children.  

 

Chapter 3—The Trip  

                Larry’s mother had come to the reception after the cremation and receiving of ashes.

                ‘He had always wanted to go to Pleasant Falls.’, his mother said, cradling the urn gently.    Homer was reluctant to take that perilous of a journey but with the prodding of Marge, he had no other recourse but to take him there, followed by Larry’s best bar-mates.

                Although it was a dangerous voyage, Homer and the gang made it to the top of the falls but wanted Moe to do the honors and release the ashes at the top of the peak.   While at the precipice, Moe said a few more words about Larry and sprinkled his ashes, a few errant tears leaking from his eyes.    Closing the urn, he handed it back to his mother and she thanked Moe, and then everyone else.     Quickly, she loaded herself in her car, belted herself in and took off towards her home somewhere in America.   The others lingered a bit longer before stopping for the day and returning to Springfield.  

 

Chapter 4—Moe, A Parent

                In eight more months, Moe had become accustomed to babysitting Maggie.  He couldn’t wait to introduce her to his own kid or kids.    She would probably love playing with them, and he could have more playdates with her while the Simpsons were away on business or Maggie’s siblings were busy with extracurricular activities.  

                Moe happened to be at work when he had received a call from Maya.   She was at work, but her water had broken.   Thinking it was best to not have a last call, he shooed everyone out of the tavern and closed it for the rest of the day.    He quickly drove to Maya’s aide and rushed her to the hospital.    She opted for an epidural and gave birth to two exquisitely healthy babies.   The first was a boy that Moe named Junior, obviously.   The little guy resembled Maya more in his facial features and Moe figured he had gotten lucky in the looks department.    The second born was the tinier, demurer Tiffany, whom Moe named after a woman who had helped him when he was down on his luck.   He figured that wherever she was now, she would be grinning from ear to ear.  

                Maya held a baby in either arm, but both were normally sized infants.   Despite this, she was looking forward to the challenge of raising them with Moe’s help.   She hadn’t been fatigued by the delivery of the fraternal twins, though it had taken a whopping seven hours.  All she wanted to do now was take the sweet angels home and place them in their crib.   Moe made certain she was comfortable.    It was only when Moe loaded the babies in the car and opened the door for Maya that she completely plotzed.    He propped her head back against the seat and buckled her safety belt.   As soon as the babies and she were secured, it was back home to begin a new chapter of their life together, as parents. 

 

Chapter 5—Life Goes On

                Sam still came to the tavern, but he never made any new friends after Larry had died.  Coming to Moe’s had been a bit bittersweet but it helped him move on.   He had his old familiar colleagues, and this had reassured him he wasn’t alone.    He noticed that Moe had transformed quite a bit, but he was still not a man that anyone could cross if it concerned his family or his business.    He was protective of his friends, and he was loyal to a fault.   That much was always constant.

                Moe and Maya watched Junior and Tiffany grow.   There were highs and lows but mainly, the days were filled with wonder, love, and endless sources of laughter that none of them would ever forget.    Maybe someday Junior would come to tend the tavern when Moe no longer could ?   There was no telling what he would do, but it was obvious that Tiffany would most likely become Springfield’s new veterinarian someday.  

 

 

Epilogue

                Junior did decide to bartend although he had side gigs playing Fallout playthroughs and campaigns with Call of Duty among many others.   He played in a garage band called The Barflies as a sort of tribute to Larry.   He had heard his dad speak so eloquently about his friend that he couldn’t help but honor the man.    Tiffany became the next veterinarian and Maggie went on to become even smarter than her sister Lisa.    Whenever she decided to marry, though, Moe was going to be there with his family, cheering and grinning the entire way.   

 

The End