[19] Chamber of Reflection

*Ping* 

Joe got distracted by the sudden vibration of his phone. 

'I should have put it on silent. Didn't I put it on DND?' Joe scratched his head as he removed the phone from his pocket. 

It was Peter hollering at him on iMessage. 

[Yo, how ya doing?] 

[Are you busy? Like right now?] 

"Hmm, what's Pete up to?" Joe wondered aloud. 

[I'm doing well. What's up?] Joe texted back. 

[Are you blind?] Peter asked with an accompanying emoticon. 

[I haven't checked in with my ophthalmologist lol.] Joe typed back. 

[I'm being serious, man. Are you busy?] Peter 

[Nah. Do you plan on taking me on a date?] Joe smirked. 

[Bleurgh, bitch *vomit emoji*] Peter immediately responded. 

[Anyway, it's Aunt May who's bugging me to invite you home. She says you haven't eaten her meals for a long time.] 

[Oh, Aunt May. That was unexpected. How's she doing?] Joe arched his brows, then nodded to himself.

[She's doing fine. Just come to our house at eight, alright? Gotta go.] 

Joe scoffed at the last message before pocketing his phone. There was no need to reply. Who knows what Peter was currently doing? Of course, saving the day as always. 

"I had initially planned to visit Gwen and give her a surprise gift, but it seems Aunt May beat me to it." Joe sighed softly as he walked out of his pigsty. 

The silence enveloped him, dense and oppressive, interrupted only by the resounding echo of his footsteps in the expansive emptiness of the two-bedroom apartment. Grotesque shadows loomed in the dimly lit hallway, casting a chilling atmosphere. Yet, Joe remained unfazed by the eerie surroundings; the shadows and unusual tranquility embraced him like a comforting presence.

He looked at the room opposite his: his mother's chambers—her little queendom, as she liked to call it.

A reluctant look marred his handsome expression as he stared at the door—the barrier that separated him from the place where her essence still remained. Since he had come to the apartment, Joe noted he had never ventured inside. Not because of fear, but... 

"Subconsciously, I still don't want to face the reality that she used to come out of this room," his voice cracked with raw emotion, deep and somber.

"I need to face it. Getting lost in devouring a lot of knowledge and swimming in experiments won't shield me forever from facing what I should have faced a long time ago." Joe exhaled heavily. 

He walked to the door, his hand hovering over the knob, and resolutely opened it. Slowly by slowly, inch by inch, he pushed the barrier away. 

Joe's eyes drank in the features of the familiar room that felt somehow disconnected from his memories. While Gwen's and Mary Jane's presences were subtly imprinted into the room, Veronica's essence pervaded every particle, every inch of space. Joe caught a whiff of lavender and old wood—her specific perfume mixed with her unique feminine scent, something he could never forget even if he wanted to.

It calmed his inner demons, brought him tranquility, and erased the disobedience and rambunctious hidden within him. 

"Mum..." Joe's eyes watered, the tears stinging his eyes as he fell deep into the abyss of nostalgic memories. 

The old vases that had never faltered in the face of time remained standing in the corner of the room. Joe smiled, emotions welling up in his heart. 'Those were her favorite vases. Touching them was akin to courting death." A short chuckle escaped his lips before he released a short sigh. 

Joe examined the well-made queen-sized bed, courtesy of Gwen and Mary Jane. Absent-mindedly, he walked to the old but classic wardrobe and tentatively swiveled it open. 

The bundles of clothes that had initially been there had lessened since Veronica had contributed most of her wear to charities and orphanages. She'd claimed that it would be a waste not to share her surpluses with those who needed it. 

It was then that Joe spotted an unassuming box hidden at the left bottom of the wardrobe. Without thinking, he gently picked it up. 

"Not heavy." He commented on the weight as he finally placed it on the bed. 

"Let's see what you hid here, Mom." Joe began to peel the box open. 

There were a bunch of her accessories like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and that sort of thing. Digging deeper, his hand clutched on something rectangular, small but compact. 

"Oh, I am speechless. I didn't expect you to keep these." Joe smiled in embarrassment as he held the perfectly framed photo. He intensely gazed at the picture of a little boy, barely six years old, cutely smiling with childish innocence. His clothes were dirty and soiled, but it didn't diminish his unbelievable cuteness, especially that gap between his two small incisors. Kneeling beside him was a young woman, so beautifully divine to be called a goddess. She exuded both angelic and demonic charm as she held the young boy in a loving, motherly embrace. From her expression, she seemed not to care about the dirt below her, and what mattered most was the bundle of joy she was holding. Her gorgeous smile mirrored that of the young boy, pure and unadulterated. 

Joe could feel her eternal love radiating from the picture, bombarding his heart with an extremely warm feeling. A lone tear escaped his eye and splashed against the glass protecting the photo. 

We were having a good time at the beach.

"Am I crying?" Joe stuttered as he sniffed back the snot that was threatening to roll out. He then quickly wiped the dampness on the glass with his shirt. 

"She would have definitely laughed at me." Joe exhaled deeply, his voice trembling, sending shivers through his body. 

"Don't worry, I won't cry anymore, mum." Joe declared as he smiled innocently like his six-year-old self. That's what his younger self used to say to her whenever he injured himself or got involved in a fight. 

"Memories," Joe muttered under his breath as he returned the framed photo to the box. Continuing his search, he found other pictures, fragments of a shared past.

"What could you be doing right now?" Joe gazed at the ceiling, complicated emotions in his eyes. 

"Looking over me? Or enjoying your time in the afterlife? Guess I'll never know." He shrugged to himself before returning the box to its initial position. He then proceeded to sit on the bed and look through everything that reminded him of her warmth.

"That's enough. I've made peace with her. I should continue being strong for her," Joe declared firmly. 

A short breeze whistled past the blinds, making the room cooler. 

'The window's still open?' Joe thought as he went to close them. 'I guess Gwen and Mary Jane forgot about it.' 

Giving the room a prolonged, last glance, Joe finally left the room. 

'I never would have expected that I would stay there for two hours. But I still got some time before visiting May,' he mused before leaving the house. 

'I've never taken a walk in Central Park or Times Square. It won't hurt to enjoy the scenery, have some moments for introspection, and maybe think about life. It would be a letdown to die before…' Joe intensely shook his head at the last thought.

'I'm not dying again. Never!' 

With a deep breath, Joe stepped out into the evening air. The wind carried the scent of summer as it blew across Joe's face, slightly melting down his stuffy emotions. 

Placing the AirPods into his ears, Joe took out his phone and opened a music app he had developed. He hit the shuffle button, and, as luck would have it, a song more in tune with his mood started playing.

"♪ When I met you in the summer ♪" 

"♪ Took my heartbeat sound ♪" 

His lips curved into a smile. I like that song. It has aged well like fine wine. 

...

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[Word Count 1350]