Secrets of the heart: The Sequel Ups

[arinnaval]

Chapter 36 I don’t need recommendation

Her flu was over, but she still felt weak.

Rory barely succeeded to get off the bed. Jess was highly concerned about her and called their family doctor to see her. He told them that Rory is okay and this was just a side effect from the flu. He recommended strong food and vitamins. Jess was about to push the poor man out of the door on his way out. He had not told him anything new. Jess needed some answers, not recommendations. He was furious and barely contained his urge to slam the door after the doctor.

‘Jeez!’ He grabbed his head and tried to contain his anger. Rory should not see him like this. Jess frowned.

‘Calm down Jess!’ Lorelai placed hand on his shoulder. She was following him downstairs and Jess turned around to look at her.

‘How can I do that? Huh?’ He snapped and entered into the living room. ‘I thought that she will be okay today! I thought that this old skunk would give us some answers!’

‘Take it easy Jess!’ Lorelai watched him slumped onto the sofa. He leaned hands over his knees and glared at the empty space. ‘Have patience! You heard him, she is alright!’

‘She is not alright, damn it!’ Jess snapped. ‘I can feel it!’

‘What?’

‘I’m telling you!’ He snarled and laced his fingers. ‘I know that something is wrong here!’

‘I’m worried too, but you can’t let her see you like this!’ Lorelai frowned. Jess’ words concerned her too. However, she could not let herself to be weak right now. Jess was too emotional and Rory was too weak. They both were not in shape now. ‘Jess!’ She called him, but he avoided her eyes. ‘Jess look at me!’ He finally did it. ‘Pull it together now!’

‘Excuse me?’ He frowned.

‘Your children are upstairs! They cannot see you like this either!’ She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the sofa. Jess narrowed his eyes against her, but Lorelai was not a person that he could scare her that easily. ‘Now! I know that you can do it easy! You can lie with one blink of your eye! Do it now!’

‘You want me to lie to Rory?’ Jess almost whispered.

‘I want you to be strong in front of her! I do not care how you are going to do this! Just do it!’ She frowned, but Jess released his arm abruptly.

‘I don’t need you to tell me how to act around my wife!’ He snarled.

‘Good!’ Lorelai smiled. ‘This is a nice change!’

‘What?’ Jess looked at her with confusion. ‘Are you crazy?’

‘I wanted you to come back to your senses.’ Lorelai shrugged. ‘Rory need you like this.’

‘Rory needs me in general.’ Jess frowned again. ‘I’m worried about her, mom.’

‘I know Jess and don’t ask me how I’m feeling.’ Lorelai sighed and frowned too. ‘But if your doctor says that there is nothing to worry about, then…’

‘It’s not about her physical condition, mom.’ Jess closed his eyes for a moment. ‘She looks upset these days. She’s trying to hide it, but she really is.’

‘You do know why she is upset Jess.’ Lorelai lowered her voice and threw brief look at the staircase. ‘I spoke with her one week ago. We talked about Jake and I told her that he is the little one. She cried and I felt awful.’

‘I cannot believe that it last that long.’ Jess shook his head. ‘I thought that it’ll pass with the time, but it’s only getting deeper.’

‘She told me that you two talked about this.’

‘We did and we talk when she wants to talk.’ Jess shrugged. ‘I don’t want to push her. She is too weak these days.’

‘I know.’ Lorelai looked at him carefully.

‘I wish I could help her somehow, but I don’t think I can.’ Jess ran fingers through his hair.

‘Maybe if you have new baby?’ Lorelai spilled without thinking.

‘What?’ Jess hissed and looked at her as if she was crazy.

‘Maybe that’ll help her…’

‘Are you insane?’ Jess snapped. ‘How would you even think about that?’

‘It’s just an idea!’ Lorelai frowned. ‘She needs something, Jess.’

‘We have four kids, mom!’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘I won’t put her passing through this again!’

‘You are scared?’

‘You damn right I’m scared!’ He was furious. ‘You know how dangerous every pregnancy is for her! Besides I think that she won’t agree too.’

‘You are right.’ Lorelai murmured. ‘She wasn’t.’

‘What?’ His eyes widened. ‘You told her?’

‘Yes. I did.’

‘I can’t believe this!’ Jess snarled.

‘I had to do something!’ Lorelei crooked her face. ‘Don’t look at me like I’ve done some crime!’

‘Sometimes I think I know you…’ Jess shook his head.

‘No chance my boy.’ She patted his shoulder. ‘No chance.’

‘Daddy?’ Ayn called him from the staircase and Jess looked at her. ‘Can I use your PC? I have to finish my paperwork for tomorrow and mine crashed.’

‘Okay.’ Jess nodded. ‘Ask your mother. She’ll tell you where it is.’

‘Okay. Thanks.’ Ayn smiled and hid upstairs.

‘Man, she grows up quickly!’ Lorelai exclaimed.

‘Tell me about it!’ Jess rolled his eyes.

‘I have to go now.’ Lorelai tapped his shoulder and went for her coat. ‘Call me if you need help, okay?’

‘I will.’ Jess opened the front door before her. ‘Greet Uncle Luke from me.’

‘Okay.’ Lorelai waved and Jess closed the door behind her back. He sighed and went upstairs. Rory was lying on the bed and looked at him in the moment he went in.

‘Ayn took your PC.’ She smiled weakly and Jess’ heart ached. ‘I heard that you have fun with my mother.’

‘Yeah.’ Jess sighed and joined at her in the bed. He took her in his arms. ‘Your mother is a very funny person.’

‘Yeah. I know.’ Rory nodded at his chest. Her head rested there.

‘Feeling okay?’ Jess rubbed her back.

‘I will soon I hope.’ Rory yawned. ‘I think I might sleep.’

‘Okay.’ Jess kissed the top of her head and his face faded. ‘Sleep now. I’ll be here.’

He hoped to find some answer soon. He did not need recommendations.
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Chapter 37 Talk to me

She was crying…again. He pretended that he did not hear her. It was harder with every night.

Rory was fine until the moment she got sick. Jess thought that she had gotten over it, but it turned out that she had not. She had a lot of time to think about it and that was bad. Jess had caught her several times, crying over Jake’s baby album. Then she had these nightmares and as if this was not enough, she had lost her appetite.

She started crying at night. He thought that she was sleeping and this was one of her nightmares, but she was awake. He had seen her face and her open eyes and her effort to hide this from him.

This was the third night and Jess’s temper was close to show up. He kept quiet of course. Rory did not need more cares. She suffered a lot and he was not able to help her with this. However, Jess swore that it would be the last night he would let her suffer like this.

The morning came and he opened his eyes without even a thought of a sleep. He had lost his sleep these days and just watched over Rory. He knew when she fell asleep and when she woke up.

‘Morning.’ He looked at her, sure that she was awake.

‘Morning.’ She smiled, but her smile did not reach her face.

‘It’s Saturday.’ Jess tried again. ‘The kids are here. Do you want to get out for a little walk?’

‘It’s cold.’ She stirred and looked at him. ‘And it’s snowy.’

‘Okay.’ Jess clenched his jaw, trying to suppress his temper. ‘How about something else? We could watch some movie and eat popcorn.’

‘With the kids?’ Rory rose up her eyebrows. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Yeah.’ Jess got off the bed and put his back to her. ‘It’s still early so I could prepare something for breakfast and then we could watch the movie.’

‘I’m not hungry.’ Her weak answer made him shut his eyes and swallowed the harsh words.

‘Maybe you will when I get ready with the breakfast.’ He answered instead and got out of the room before her new answer.

Jess went downstairs and prepared her favorite meal since she had become a mother - pancakes. She used to joke with him that their kids had forced her like the pancakes. That was their favorite breakfast too. Jess placed the ready pancakes on the table and covered them with a clean towel. He took the tray and put the dish with Rory’s pancake on it. Then he switched on the coffee machine. That was the only thing that she liked to drink now. Jess knew how much she loved her coffee.

When the tray was ready, he sighed and took it on his way back to the bedroom. Jess knew that it would be a battle to make her eat it all. This time he was determinant to win.

‘Here we go.’ He walked into the room and saw her sitting on the bed. Her legs had stretched out and her head rested on the headboard. Jess placed the tray on her thighs. He did not miss her frown.

‘I told you I’m not hungry.’

‘I heard, but I don’t care anymore!’ He snapped and sat close to her.

‘What?’

‘You have to eat even if I have to feed you by myself!’ His eyes narrowed.

‘I’m not a child!’ She frowned too.

‘I bet you’re not, but you’re acting like one!’ He grabbed the fork from the tray and shoved it in her hand. ‘Eat!’

‘No!’ Rory’s answer made him angrier.

‘Fine!’ He took the fork again. ‘Then I’m going to feed you!’

‘What are you doing Jess?’

‘I want you to eat and your refusal continued much longer than my nerves!’ He sliced one piece from the pancake with the fork. ‘What is your answer?’ His voice was the thing that made her reconsider her appetite.

‘Fine!’ She grabbed the fork back and shoved the piece of the pancake in her mouth.

‘Don’t eat it too fast!’ He warned her after her third piece.

‘Now I have to listen to your lection how to eat?’ She frowned again and shoved another piece.

‘Your stomach won’t agree with this. I’m cool.’ Jess watched her closely how she ate her whole pancake and then reached out for her coffee.

‘Happy now?’ She looked at him over the cup.

‘If you not throw up in the next few minutes I’ll be thrilled.’ He just finished his sentence and saw how her face crooked. ‘I told you!’ Jess murmured, watching her running to the bathroom. He followed her and helped her got off the ground. Her face was pale and her look accused him.

‘It’s your fault!’ She murmured, but he took her in his arms and carried her back to the bed.

‘It’s not my fault that you ate so quickly.’ He placed her back on the bed and fixed the blanket around her. ‘I told you to be careful, but you refused to listen.’

‘I wasn’t hungry.’ Rory frowned. ‘I told you that and you made me…’

‘I made you eat, Jeez!’ Jess threw her an angry look. ‘You are too thin and keep getting thinner, just because your lack of an appetite! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!’

‘I’m sorry, but that’s how I feel.’

‘I don’t know how you feel, because you’re hiding that from me.’ Jess sat close to her and took her hand.

‘I’m not hiding anything, Jess.’ She avoided his eyes.

’Now you’re lying to me and you promised me not to do this anymore!’ He snapped and Rory flinched from the sound of his voice.

‘I’m sorry.’ She bit her lower lip, but still did not look at him.

‘Talk!’ He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘Just talk to me! What is the problem now? I can help you.’

‘You can’t.’ She shook her head.

‘Try me!’ He frowned.
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