BY KEITH EPPS

Family and friends surrounded Paul and Melinda Ashton late yesterday afternoon at their home on Easter Lane in Stafford County.

Their parents were there, along with their siblings and children. Others trickled in and out of the house.

But the focus of the day was the two who weren't there. The Ashtons had just buried their precious 15-month-old twin sons, Jacob and Joshua.

The boys drowned in a tragic bathtub incident a week ago in the home.

Paul Ashton said his wife had put the twins down for a nap earlier that afternoon and was helping her oldest child with a school project when the twins somehow made their way into an upstairs bathroom and ran the water.

Ashton said he's not sure exactly how long the twins were in the tub, but "it was long enough it was long enough."

By the time the babies were discovered and rescue workers got to the house, the boys were in serious trouble. They were pronounced dead early Thursday at the VCU Medical Center in Richmond.

"We love them so much," Ashton said yesterday. "[The funeral] is the end of an incredibly painful and exhausting experience."

As is the case in any such incident, the Stafford Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. No charges have been filed and a police source said this week that none are anticipated.

Ashton says that while there was no criminal neglect, that doesn't diminish the pain he and his family are experiencing. The couple has three other children.

He said he and his wife had set up the house in a way that they thought provided adequate safety for the children.

They knew that water held a particular lure for the twins. They'd taken measures to keep them out of the toilet and the dogs' water bowl.

Still, Ashton said, they had no reason to anticipate what happened last week.

"In hindsight, it's easy to make judgments and to second-guess yourself," he said. "But sometimes, things just happen."

Jacob had just started walking, while Joshua had been walking for a couple of weeks. They apparently used their newfound mobility to get past a security gate and make the the ill-fated foray into the bathroom.

Ashton said his family's spirits have been helped immeasurably by the response they've gotten from the community.

He said neighbors and strangers alike have showered them with love and assistance.

"It's been fantastic," Ashton said. "It's reaffirmed our faith in humankind."

The Ashtons moved to Stafford four years ago. They came here from Camp Pendleton, Calif., where Paul Ashton served in the Marines. He now works as a business analyst.

Though they're hurting now, Ashton said he and his family still feel blessed. They still have a beautiful home and three other wonderful children, he said.

"We're going to miss [the twins] terribly," he said. "But every minute of those 15 months and 13 days we had with them was a blessing."