By the end of the conversation it feels as if barely any time at all has passed – and the man has an incredibly strange feeling of not being able to remember the details that he had just laid out in front of Saint Peter.  “Alright, well like I said during your pre-processing, there’s someone who’s been incredibly excited to meet you again since he made his transference over to this side.”

    Thoughts immediately flooded the man’s head of endless memories with his brother Jim. As if in a nanosecond, he was transported back to lawn chairs set up within his old house’s living room, cracking beers open and watching the Jets on local television with his brother. He pictured the day that he put his brother into the ground – a rare yet powerful moment where the man felt that he was OK to cry anywhere in the direct vicinity of others. His mind traveled back to the state it was in that day – fantasizing about the moment he’d be back with his brother in eternal glory whilst simultaneously traveling back to days of Indian sunburns in the back of a set of church pews. He couldn’t wait to see his brother again – and the thoughts of what his eyes might’ve looked like sent him into a secretive state of internal wonder.

    The two ascended up a flight of escalator stairs. “You see,” Peter begun to explain, “Heaven is entirely and totally personalized for each person that happens to cross our border. It used to be that we were just trying to fill space – but once technology improved down there on Earth, combined with our overpopulation issue, we had to take matters into our own hands. As such, you’ll notice that things don’t really have too much rhyme or reason like they would down there, but everything serves a purpose and everything’s for your own comfort.” The man took the opportunity to fittingly stare around his current situation as Peter went on – noticing the absence of anything he’d call “heavenly” in the transitional period. Yet, the space did seem to be filled with more clouds this time around. “The real good stuff happens when you’re fully inside. Apologies if it seems kinda barren right now.”

    Another door just like the one he originally popped out of suddenly appeared in front of the two figures. As the black rectangular void shut behind him, the man could see the top of another man’s head from the other side of some furniture. Stepping towards him, he immediately recognized the baseball cap and jersey that the man adorned. It was exactly reminiscent of the last time he’d ever seen him before he passed away – or, at least – the last happy time he could remember the two having. Everything was exactly as the man had always pictured it – Heaven at this point resembled a prototypical man-cave garage as the two had be accustomed to sharing jokes in. Decades of banter cascading the man’s thoughts, he stepped closer towards the opening that led to a great television screen, seemingly floating in mid-air. Displaying across it – full with complete commentary booming seemingly out of thin air was none other than Super Bowl III. Joe Namath was under center.

    “Holy shit. I’d never thought I’d see the day. I mean, I was actually pretty statistically certain I’d see the day. Unless they got so good at keeping you alive down there that you were gonna be rousing around that dirtball forever.” The voice filled the man’s ears with the memories of an entire lifetime spent in this same exact situation. An immediate smile beamed across his face. Perhaps nothing else in the world could have made this situation any more reminiscent of what he pictured it to be – gloriously spending an infinite amount of time bonding with his brother again.

    “They let you up here? What the hell! I’m gonna have to get on the horn with somebody. Peter!” The man swung his head backwards while cackling, but Peter was gone. “Oh! Damn, they work fast.”

    “Don’t you use the line on me that I was gonna use on you, you thief! Stealing my style, even in death.” The two immediately exchanged a monstrous hug. The man’s eyes drifted back towards the screen again as they sank backwards into extravagant chairs made from cloud. “God damn! That’s a big screen. Namath? I knew Heaven was gonna be perfect, but they got Namath in high-def now? This place is amazing.” 

    “You think that’s cool, wait til’ you see this.” The man snapped his fingers. The two magically appeared at first-row seats on the Jets’ twenty yard line. “Oh my god. Oh my god, The fourth down.” With a crystal clear view of Johnny Unitas, the two saw his pass fall to the turf, ending the Colts’ hope for any sort of comeback. The dynamic sound of the fans’ screams filled the mans ears – fully enrapturing him in the play unlike he’d ever been able to do through any television screen or endless highlight reel in the living room with his brother. Looking over at him, the two were suddenly right back to the chairs.

    “That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever been a part of.” “I know, right?!” His brother immediately responded. “I’ve spent probably about seventy percent of my time in Heaven waiting for your dumb ass and watching football highlights on the field.” The man’s eyes drifted towards his brother, standing near the same, wood-paneled refrigerator the two had used for decades. “Rolling Rock?” “One has been calling my name ever since I got up here. Same for the Marlboros.” 

    “I don’t mean to stir up anything negative, but how was the transition? How did May take it?” Travis’ face immediately sunk back from its state of youthful nostalgia. “She...you know her. Loud cryer, that one.” “Yeah, I know what you mean. I just know how close you two got after Wanda’s passing.” 

    The man pondered just how truly shocked he was that this was the first time since several times back in his end-of-life care that his late wife’s name entered his head. “She took it incredibly rough. They played back one time she was sobbing on the bed before I came up here.”

    “Is Wanda up here? Have you seen her?” “It’s all really personal, I haven’t really seen too much of anyone except Broadway Joe in a couple of weeks. I’m sure they’ll probably re-introduce you two before long. I’ve seen Barb genuinely just about as much as I’m ready and able to until another thirty or forty Super Bowls. You don’t fool me for a second though, you old goat. I know the first thing we were both thinking about after we passed on was getting back up here and cracking a beer.”

    “Damn skippy.” The man took a puff of his cigarette. He thought for a second about the constant rush of memories with his late wife that regularly filled his head in the weeks following her passing as well as the first few of his last few weeks of life. Deliberately and with anticipation, he shifted his thoughts to those of May instead. “Could I see what she was up to down there? My granddaughter, I mean.”

    “You could, but they highly advise against it. First thing I asked when I got up here was to see my little Tina again. They said - ‘Well...yeah, you can. But you might not like what you see. Generally, we tell you to wait until they come to join you. It’ll feel like nothing happened at all.’ I figured I probably knew what that meant once I pictured mom and pa looking down on me when we were still that age. Hell, even into my fifties and beyond I wouldn’t want those geezers getting all up into my personal business. What happens on Earth can stay on Earth for as far as I care.”

    “I see what you mean” the man began again, still half-desperate to know if his granddaughter was grieving healthily. “I guess I’m just curious is all.” “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with taking the whole thing weird. I was all weirded out for a good long while after I got here. But once I got my hello’s and hey’s out of the way, personal Heaven turned out to be quite damn nice. Worth the wait. You’re gonna love that stuff.”

    Somewhat puzzled by the notion of having more to anticipate in Heaven, the man shrugged off his internal hesitation as they began discussing about the logistics of their situation. “You don’t gotta go to the bathroom, you don’t gain weight, you don’t really have too much to ever worry about. Honestly, the only thing that can suck sometimes are the other angels. Although I guess we always had that problem on Earth, too. People can be total babies – even when they’re angels. You’d think drama would tend to fade out along with mortal bodies.”

    “It doesn’t, huh?” Travis responded, half-interested. “Nah. All the goons getting together at every gathering place have the same caddiness that everyone would walk around with down there. Cliques are – in fact – not unique to Earth.” “Well, I guess you die as you live.” “Guess so. So much for eternal peace.”

    It was strange, but the man felt the same sensation from within his stomach that he felt along with Peter during his wing fitting. It seemed as though he had just gotten there – but once he ran out of customary things to say when catching up with his brother, the two moved to card games. Once interest began to feign and beer ran dry, the two met faces and subconsciously knew that time was running out between them. Jim began a bit of a farewell as he exaggeratedly stretched from his cloud chair. “Welp...*yawn*, seeing your ugly mug was everything I’d been dreaming it’d be for ten years. Well, ten years for you, anyway. Could’ve been last Thursday for all I know.” “Same as always, Jim. Same as always.” 

    Peter re-appeared near the TV. “Yeah! Sports! I don’t really know the appeal – but maybe that’s cause I know who’s gonna win.” 

    “Yeah, and this douchebag spoiled the Super Bowl this year, too! Can you believe it! Try to have one beer with an angel and he tells you who’s winning the big game. Where were you on Earth! I could’ve made so much money!” Jim proclaimed.

    “C’mon Travis. Any time you wanna see your brother again, you’ll be able to by simply leaving your room. Before I get you there, though, there is someone else who’s specifically brought your name up a few times.”

    The two exchanged another colossal hug. Falling backwards into his cloud chair, Jim remained silent past his initial tirade about sports betting. Feeling somewhat odd, but ultimately intensely gratified and fulfilled after spending an undetermined amount of time messing around with his brother, Travis headed through the rectangular void once again.

1. THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

    Wanda was the first thing that hit his eyes as he stepped outside – this time transported directly in front of what looked like a bustling pub. Looking around, it reminded the man of all the times he’d previously spent with his wife and brother parading through the streets of Allentown and Philadelphia as a drunken buffoon – having the absolute time of his, now-previous life. She’d just stepped outside the door, and was still getting her vision adjusted as she stepped onto the patio. His face was stuck on her – but she only noticed after a second or two. 

    “Oh my god, Travis. I...someone let me know a bit earlier that you were coming but I had no idea it’d be this soon.” 

    “Surprise!” Peter interrupted from behind the man. “Brought him here a bit early!” The man’s face immediately shot up with excitement. “Reminds me exactly of how the Ritz used to look.”

    “Yeah, it looks like that for me too. I can’t believe you’re actually here. I was dreaming of this day for so long.” “You’re telling me,” he responded, walking up the stairs to grab her hand, “since the exact second you left. April 14th, 2002. You look as picturesque as the day I met you. As radiant as ever.” 

    “You’ve always been too much, Travis. You know, my buddies told me that sex doesn’t feel any better or worse up here.” 

    “I find that ridiculously hard to believe, but whatever you say love.”

    The two proceeded to make their way into the pub – well, I say pub – but for all intents and purposes it may have been the most eloquently designed restaurant you’ve ever seen in your life. Garnished with gold and lined with fine marble, the pub was still full of the jovial old souls you’d see in your local eatery. The same sports memorabilia still lined its walls and ceilings – in greater quantity and importance than you’ve ever seen.

    “Yeah, I can see why people come here.” Taking their seats, the man felt as if they were simultaneously sharing their anniversary dinner and back in high school – flirting with the casualness and lack of care that led them to their wedding. “Y’know, all I could picture on my bed, laying with May in my arms, was the image of that time that she made me laugh so hard I fell backwards into the cabinet.” 

    “You dunce! I could’ve killed you if I wasn’t laughing so hard!” 

    “It was maybe – the singular best moment of my life. I just wanted to tell you down there so badly that those little moments meant everything to me. Having you and May in my life was all I ever could’ve asked for.”

    “Travis, you’re going to make me cry.”

    “Good! You can start catching up to me you old bag!” Both grinning from ear to ear, they begin to take swats at each other. In purely cinematic fashion, at that very moment, a waiter arrives at their table.

    “Look down.” Wanda motions Travis towards the menu.

    “Oh, hell yeah! Yeah, I’ll have the veal parm.” Looking down, the menu was full of all of his favorites, with his favorite meal in bold typeface & underlined.

    “Knew it.”

    “And for you, Wanda?”

    “Chicken fried-steak.” 

    “As always. You haven’t changed an inch – and God help me for it.” Grabbing her leg under the table, she kicked towards him and motioned him to stop.

    The minute the waiter left, Travis scanned his wife’s face and felt that something was amiss. The gobbling of the two’s favorite pub food occupied much of the sound in the air. The man felt as though something was strangely missing from the situation, leaving the munching sounds to fall dead above the two’s head. 

    “Are you alright? I get to eternal paradise and it seems like I can’t get two words out of you.”

    “What, me? Yeah, I’m totally fine.”

    “I call BS. I’ve known you for an entire human life.” A silent pause takes dominion.

    “Really, Travis, I’m fine. Just mad that the Jets keep blowing games this late.”

    Not fully believing her but not fully in the mood yet to get on her tail incessantly, Travis looks dejectedly down at his half-eaten veal. “Yeah, you and me both.”

    The waiter makes his return to the table – dessert menu in hand. “Well, I’m assuming we’ll end up splitting some kind of overly large piece of chocolate cake – that is if I am in fact dead. And I’m pretty sure about the latter. Although perhaps not as sure as the premise of us eating a slice of cake the size of your head.” 

    “Well, I guess that answers my question.” The waiter responds, placing the menu back into the growing stack in his arm. “Do you ever really have questions up here?”

    “Don’t get smart.” The waiter leaves the table, chuckling.

    The two begin sipping their coffee cups and digging into the outrageously large slice of cake laid out in front of them. Half-occupied with how delicious and perfectly moist the cake selection is in Heaven, the man’s eyes dart back to his wife – prototypically paranoid; scouting her face for irregularities. “You’re definitely off. What’s up? I’ve known you my whole life – you can’t hide anything.”

    “Time passes so quickly up here.” She was still eating her cake half-hazardly, looking nervous and distraught as she stared into the swirls in her coffee mug. “Honestly, it’s hard to tell what happens in what order sometimes. The days end up blurring together. I didn’t expect you up here this soon – although I guess it wasn’t soon for you. The differences between the timing is still something I’m getting used to.”

    “Well, I figured when I got up here that you wouldn’t be looking like you shrunk my favorite shirt or something. What’s up?”

    She began to stare distantly outside the window at the endless landscape of cloud – the sky above it a shade of pink. “Am I the first person you saw?”