Fanfic: B&S episode 606: part 2/4
Season 6 - Episode 6 - JUST LIKE A PILL
By Marea67
About: Brothers & Sisters (general)
Rate: Can’t go higher than PG-13, as this is American Television, but I may add a few ‘deleted scenes’ here and there. ;)
Disclaimer: Just escaping from reality here, not created for financial gain
Summary: It is my very own season 6, you guys! Go with it! ;) Don’t complain! If YOU can do better, post your own story! (I dare you!)
***** PART 2/4 *****
*****
THE NEXT DAY
*****
“Is it true?” Paige pushes Andrew against his locker-door. “Alison says that she been kissing my boyfriend.” At least Andrew can bother to looks a little embarrassed.
“Paige, I’m sorry….” He starts.
“You kissed Alison?”
“I like her and she said…”
“I don’t care what she said, you’re my boyfriend… You were, at least….”
“Paige, we don’t have to break up over one stupid kiss, do we?”
“Why don’t I suck face with Stephen and we’ll discuss it then?”
Paige gives Andrew a sarcastic grin, knowing full well that Andrew hates Stephen, his biggest competitor on the football-field.
“That is not funny.” He says, slightly angered by the suggestion.
“Neither is kissing Alison to me…. We’re through… Now you can kiss her all you want.”
Paige gives Andrew an angelic smile, turns on her heels and calmly walks away, until she turns the corner, then she runs into the nearest girls-room and slams the door behind her and she searches for a place to cry quietly. There’s a soft knock on her door.
“Paige?” It’s Agatha.
Paige opens the door and Agatha squeezes herself inside the cubicle as well.
“How are you?” She asks concerned.
“It’s true. Alison and Andrew have been kissing.” Paige shrugs.
“That is mean.”
“I know.”
“Did you break up with him?”
“Yes, of course, there’s no excuse for what he did. Alison!” She shivers.
“Shall we go to the mall this afternoon?”
“Can’t. Promised uncle Kevin I’d help Olivia with her schoolwork.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Maybe tomorrow.” Paige suggests and gives Agatha a quick hug. “Thanks, you’re a real friend.” She says.
*****
“Tommy, have you spoken to Kevin already?”
“No, uncle Saul, I haven’t.”
“You must.”
“No.”
“Come on. You’re the one whose reaction is way over the top. Julia came to Pasadena two weeks ago. None of us even knew that, least of all Kevin. The closeness between Julia and Kevin isn’t Kevin’s work, but Scotty’s. Scotty is the one who remains in touch with Julia, but for instance also with Rebecca. He’s the one with the more ‘social’ skills.”
Tommy slowly shakes his head, tired of Saul’s meddling in his affairs, whether it’s work or his private life, Saul seem to have this need to constantly tell him what to do.
“That is not it, uncle Saul. I saw it with my own two eyes. The way that Elizabeth reacts to Kevin,… she reacts differently to me.”
“How can Elizabeth get to know you, if you’re hardly ever there.”
“And whose fault is that? Julia never lets me see her. She won’t let me take care of Elizabeth and the only way that Elizabeth was allowed to stay during the summer-holidays, was if she stayed with Kevin.”
“With Kevin and Scotty and Olivia and Daniel… It’s not just Kevin, it’s a whole family.”
“It was just because of Kevin.” Tommy says stubbornly.
“And that makes you afraid.” Saul’s conclusion makes Tommy look up.
“Afraid? Of Kevin?” Tommy laughs sarcastically.
“He is Elizabeth’s biological father and that worries you.”
“I am Elizabeth’s father, I won’t let anyone take her away from me..”
“Why are you sure that anyone wants to take her away from you?”
“Kevin wanted her from the moment he found out that she was his.”
“Ridiculous!”
“See! That is what I mean. Kevin is so good at spinning everything around, that you can’t even see it. It took me a while to see it too.”
“Because there is nothing to see.” Saul insists.
“Oh, no? What about all the ways he inserted himself in my family.”
“Inserted himself?”
“Kissing up to Julia, helping her, loaning money to her, staying in touch with her…. Only to get Julia to tell Elizabeth the truth.”
“Total nonsense. Do you want to know what I think?”
“No.”
“I’m going to tell you anyway. You’re intimidated by Kevin, because he turned out to be everything you wanted to be. He’s a father, a husband, has his own work and he’s loved by those around him. You could have had all of that too, but you decided to throw it all away. The fact that you lost Julia and Elizabeth is your own fault, don’t blame that on Kevin.”
“Oh, sure, so we’re back to ‘just blame Tommy’.”
“I’m sorry, Tommy, but the truth of the matter is, that your are to blame for what happened. You dug your own grave and now you want to blame anyone but yourself and it won’t work. You cannot force Julia to give up her friendship with Kevin.”
“Just watch me.” Tommy warns.
*****
“Hey, beauty, can we have lunch together?” Justin kisses Tyler quickly, before she can protest.
“Yes, we can. Scotty is in the kitchen…”
“Again? Does he sleep on the stove?” Justin wonders.
Whenever he visits the June-Flower he hears that Scotty is working. It is not healthy.
“Not yet, but I believe that if he continues to work 24/7, eventually Kevin will kick him out and then he’ll have to … sleep on the stove.” Tyler grins and Justin follows her to the kitchen.
“Scotty! Working again?”
“Someone’s gotta do it.” Scotty replies. “Tyler, who is in charge of the hotel tonight? You or Cleo?”
“Cleo. I’ll be working the evening-shift next week.”
“Great. I’ve been thinking about letting Bernard run the kitchen tonight.”
"Who are you? And what have you done with Scotty?" Tyler jokes, but then she asks, more seriously: “So soon? You said that you weren’t sure if he could do it.”
“I’m not. But, I have to do it eventually, so why not tonight. I don’t believe that tonight will be difficult… Unless something big happens, it will be a calm night.”
“Please, tell me that you won’t be cooking at Café 429.”
“No, tonight Kevin will make his famous “Pasta Kevin Walker”.”
“Really?” Justin asks. “I got to get myself invited.”
“Justin!” Tyler’s elbow hits Justin’s ribs. “You can’t do that. Kevin and Scotty want to be together….”
“With Olivia, Mateo and Daniel, we won’t have much time for a personal conversation, but that doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together… Why don’t you ask Kevin if he makes some more pasta for you and Tyler?”
“Tyler is right, we can’t impose.”
“Yes, you can, be gone by nine though.” Scotty winks. “Come on. Kevin is going to love it to cook for you two as well. He’s so proud of his pasta.”
“I’ll call Kevin.” Justin accepts and Scotty gets back to work, a frown of worry on his face, hoping he’s making the right choice.
*****
“I thought this would be a good place to start.” Nora stops in front of Holly’s old house. “I called the real estate manager, I know her through a charity, and I explained the situation to her, in very broad lines, naturally I didn’t give details, and she ‘completely understood’, though I doubt it.
However, that doesn’t matter, because she gave me the key and allowed me to see it with you. We can walk through the house as long as we want.”
“It’s empty?” Holly asks.
“The family that moved in after you, didn’t like the house after all.”
“I see…” Holly seems astounded when Nora holds up the keys to her former house. They walk up to the front-door and Nora gives Holly the familiar key. Holly steps inside, surprised that the place hasn’t changed that much. The other family hadn’t really put their own stamp on the house.
“It looks a lot like the way I left it.”
“Yes, doesn’t it?” Nora says quietly. The clicking sound of their heels echoes through the empty rooms. Holly’s fingers slide along some door-posts as if she tries to remember the feel of something.
“This used to be the bedroom.” Holly says slowly. She closes her eyes and tries to remember anything that could link her to William, there is something, but it’s out of her reach and she makes a frustrated sound. She suddenly opens her eyes, aware that Nora is staring at her.
“I’m sorry. That was stupid…. I don’t mean to be insensitive.” Holly seems downright embarrassed and Nora shakes her head.
“I knew this could happen…. You were my husband’s mistress after all… It’s good. I was emotionally prepared that for this.”
“Again, I’m so sorry, here I am trying to remember something that you’d prefer to forget about.”
“Did it do something to you? Did you 'find' him?” Nora asks hesitantly, but Holly shakes her head.
“No. Doesn’t mean that nothing happened here, just that I can’t remember…. It is so strange that everyone has told about me about my relationship with him, what they know of it anyway, yet, just like with Rebecca it is all so terribly far away from me. Like I’m completely detached from both of them….” She sighs.
“They were very important persons in your life,…. Maybe your memory is blocking both aspects, joy and pain….?”
“I don’t know, the mind is an interesting thing….” Holly answers vaguely, looking a bit startled when Nora takes off the little rucksack she had brought with her.
For a moment she realizes that no one who knows where they are and that if Nora would kill her here, no one would think to search for her here…. She then laughs at her own thoughts.
“What are you doing? … You didn’t bring a gun or a knife here, did you?” She jokes.
“Tempting. Why didn’t I think of that?” Nora answers before she starts to laugh as well.
Instead she takes out a thermos-flask and two mugs.
“I thought we should just have some coffee in the garden, relax a bit and see if that will help you reclaim some memory…” Nora answers and, amused, Holly follows her out into the garden.
*****
“Hey, Kevin, are you busy?” Julia asks after greeting Kevin.
“Depends on what you need me for.”
“I was wondering if perhaps you could also pick up Elizabeth, when you go to pick up Olivia? I have a job-interview and I don’t know if I’ll be back in time.”
“Oh. Sure. No problem.” Kevin replies hesitantly. “Ahm, have you asked Tommy if it’s alright?”
“Sorry?”
“I don’t want any problems.”
“Why should there be problems? I heard you always pick up Olivia, if your schedule allows. Elizabeth is in the same school, so what would be the problem…?”
“Nothing. I don’t mind, but Tommy made it clear that he wants some distance between Elizabeth and me.”
“Really?... Interesting... If he creates a fuss over this, just blame me and tell him to discuss it with me. I will then explain a few things to him.” Julia replies with a wink. She walks up to Kevin and kisses him on the cheek. “Don’t let Tommy boss you around. I’d rather see my daughter with you than with him.” She admits.
Kevin watches her leave, feeling uncomfortable over Julia’s words. He shakes his head, unsure what to do next, but now that Julia believes that he will pick up Elizabeth, he might as well do that. He can only hope that Tommy won’t be too angry or upset. Although he had no attention to apologize for what is going on, he doesn’t like fighting with his brother either.
*****
Jason lets the small golden necklace slide through his fingers. It’s just a small necklace with a little golden cross, but Robert gave it to him, years ago and it’s precious to Jason. And now it’s broken. Torn up in hotel-room that wouldn’t let him leave though doors which cannot be locked… Jason can’t shake the memory of the fear he felt.
“Still pondering on what happened?” Chad asks, looking up from his revised script.
“Yes, a bit. It bothers me…”
“Forget it. You just panicked.”
“I feel so stupid.”
“Don’t do that. It’s everything about that floor. You just get jumpy and nervous…”
“It’s not normal. You shouldn’t have to feel like that.”
“I said before, why don’t you perform an exorcism?”
“Perhaps I should call around.” Jason jokes. At that moment the phone beeps and Jason picks it up.
“Text from Kevin. If we will be at the hotel, next Friday… We can do lunch together?”
“I’m working that day, so yeah, I’m there.”
“I’m not sure, but at least you can meet him.”
Jason replies to Kevin and then plays with his phone.
“Jase, would you mind? Just stop moving about all the time. I’m trying to learn these new lines and your twisting and playing takes me out of my concentration.” Chad asks sweetly and Jason sighs.
“Why don’t I google the June-Flower and see what I can find out?”
“Good plan… If you can do it in silence…” Chad requests and Jason kisses him while passing by and, with Chad reading his script and Jason browsing on the internet, it’s becomes quiet in the Barry-McCallister home.
*****
When his telephone buzzes, Seth picks it up and switches it off. Kitty. Again. He’s grateful that it’s quiet in the library, where he does some extra studying. His time in Boston had thought him more about history than he had imagined. Suddenly history had become about real people, faces with names, whose letters he had read.
It had fascinated him more than he had believed it would and now it was a good escape-pod. The phone buzzes again. Kitty. Again. He sighs and he wonders how long he can stay mad at her. He had missed her so much and he had certainly imagined his home-coming a bit different from how it had turned out to be.
What bothers him most of all, is not that she kept the baby, he had actually been surprised when she had said that she went ahead with the abortion, but that she had lied to him about it. This was not about some overpriced dress, but about a baby, which is just too important, too much of a life-changer.
During all those talks on the phone, the texting they had done, the few times they talked to each other over Skype,… she had never mentioned that she was still pregnant.
A man approaches the table where he sits. He’s carrying a child in sling.
“Can I sit here?” He asks.
“Yeah, sure.” Seth answers. He hesitates before adding: “That is a cute child.”
“He’s a little angel, the light of my life.”
Seth smiles a bit nervously.
“My girlfriend is pregnant….” He says, not sure why.
“Congratulations. First?”
“Yes.”
“You must be very excited.” The man smiles.
“That is one way of looking at it, I suppose.”
“My wife and couldn’t wait for this little boy… We were so happy.” Past tense. Ouch.
“Where is your wife now?” Seth looks around if he sees someone else.
“She’s no longer with us… She died a month after our son was born.” Seth feels a bit embarrassed, that he hadn’t gotten that signal as well. He’s usually better at this.
“I’m sorry… Can I ask what happened?” Seth thinks of all the illnesses that comes to his mind.
“Stupidest thing actually. We had no idea at first what was going on. She was alone in the kitchen, there was a party outside. We just saw her come out of the kitchen. She was clearly choking, but we didn’t know what it was…
By the time we did, she was dead. It all happened so fast. The hospital reconstructed that she must have drank from a soda-can, accidentally swallowing a bee. She had never been stung by one, I know that for sure, she would always brag about that. She didn’t know she was allergic…
There was so much panic in our group. We lost precious time, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, before someone had the presence of mind to call 911. Then it took the ambulance time to get there and when they finally got there, she was already unconscious, and even believed to be in a coma… She never woke up….”
The man shrugs, but the pain is clearly on his face as he caresses his son’s cheek.
“She was so much in love with this little one.” Seth starts to feel light-headed.
“It must have all happened so fast.” Seth’s heart breaks for the man sitting with him, who is still so clearly in love with his wife.
“It sure was. I spoke to her last when the first guests arrived and just past two and she was declared dead by the time it was three o’clock, so, yeah…. very fast.” The man answers quietly and Seth doesn’t know what to say, when he sees this much grief.
*****
“Hey Cooper! Wait up!” Roddy grabs Cooper’s jacket and Cooper turns around. “I don’t know many people here and … since we sit next to each other… can we be friends, or do you already have a friend?” Cooper shrugs. He gets along with everybody, but no one in particular.
“Come on. I thought that perhaps we could hang out a bit? Your place? Or mine? … I would really like to make some friends.”
“Maybe tomorrow? I’ve got to ask my mom first, if it’s alright with her.”
“Really? Cool. Perhaps….”
“I got to go, my uncle is waiting for me.” And he points at Kevin’s car. “He’s supposed to drop me off for soccer-practice, so I have to hurry…. Bye! See you tomorrow!”
Cooper waves and runs away and Roddy waves back. He watches a while and sees how two girls get in the car as well. Then he sees them leave.
*****
End of part 2/4
**** COMMERCIAL BREAK*****
By Marea67
About: Brothers & Sisters (general)
Rate: Can’t go higher than PG-13, as this is American Television, but I may add a few ‘deleted scenes’ here and there. ;)
Disclaimer: Just escaping from reality here, not created for financial gain
Summary: It is my very own season 6, you guys! Go with it! ;) Don’t complain! If YOU can do better, post your own story! (I dare you!)
***** PART 2/4 *****
*****
THE NEXT DAY
*****
“Is it true?” Paige pushes Andrew against his locker-door. “Alison says that she been kissing my boyfriend.” At least Andrew can bother to looks a little embarrassed.
“Paige, I’m sorry….” He starts.
“You kissed Alison?”
“I like her and she said…”
“I don’t care what she said, you’re my boyfriend… You were, at least….”
“Paige, we don’t have to break up over one stupid kiss, do we?”
“Why don’t I suck face with Stephen and we’ll discuss it then?”
Paige gives Andrew a sarcastic grin, knowing full well that Andrew hates Stephen, his biggest competitor on the football-field.
“That is not funny.” He says, slightly angered by the suggestion.
“Neither is kissing Alison to me…. We’re through… Now you can kiss her all you want.”
Paige gives Andrew an angelic smile, turns on her heels and calmly walks away, until she turns the corner, then she runs into the nearest girls-room and slams the door behind her and she searches for a place to cry quietly. There’s a soft knock on her door.
“Paige?” It’s Agatha.
Paige opens the door and Agatha squeezes herself inside the cubicle as well.
“How are you?” She asks concerned.
“It’s true. Alison and Andrew have been kissing.” Paige shrugs.
“That is mean.”
“I know.”
“Did you break up with him?”
“Yes, of course, there’s no excuse for what he did. Alison!” She shivers.
“Shall we go to the mall this afternoon?”
“Can’t. Promised uncle Kevin I’d help Olivia with her schoolwork.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Maybe tomorrow.” Paige suggests and gives Agatha a quick hug. “Thanks, you’re a real friend.” She says.
*****
“Tommy, have you spoken to Kevin already?”
“No, uncle Saul, I haven’t.”
“You must.”
“No.”
“Come on. You’re the one whose reaction is way over the top. Julia came to Pasadena two weeks ago. None of us even knew that, least of all Kevin. The closeness between Julia and Kevin isn’t Kevin’s work, but Scotty’s. Scotty is the one who remains in touch with Julia, but for instance also with Rebecca. He’s the one with the more ‘social’ skills.”
Tommy slowly shakes his head, tired of Saul’s meddling in his affairs, whether it’s work or his private life, Saul seem to have this need to constantly tell him what to do.
“That is not it, uncle Saul. I saw it with my own two eyes. The way that Elizabeth reacts to Kevin,… she reacts differently to me.”
“How can Elizabeth get to know you, if you’re hardly ever there.”
“And whose fault is that? Julia never lets me see her. She won’t let me take care of Elizabeth and the only way that Elizabeth was allowed to stay during the summer-holidays, was if she stayed with Kevin.”
“With Kevin and Scotty and Olivia and Daniel… It’s not just Kevin, it’s a whole family.”
“It was just because of Kevin.” Tommy says stubbornly.
“And that makes you afraid.” Saul’s conclusion makes Tommy look up.
“Afraid? Of Kevin?” Tommy laughs sarcastically.
“He is Elizabeth’s biological father and that worries you.”
“I am Elizabeth’s father, I won’t let anyone take her away from me..”
“Why are you sure that anyone wants to take her away from you?”
“Kevin wanted her from the moment he found out that she was his.”
“Ridiculous!”
“See! That is what I mean. Kevin is so good at spinning everything around, that you can’t even see it. It took me a while to see it too.”
“Because there is nothing to see.” Saul insists.
“Oh, no? What about all the ways he inserted himself in my family.”
“Inserted himself?”
“Kissing up to Julia, helping her, loaning money to her, staying in touch with her…. Only to get Julia to tell Elizabeth the truth.”
“Total nonsense. Do you want to know what I think?”
“No.”
“I’m going to tell you anyway. You’re intimidated by Kevin, because he turned out to be everything you wanted to be. He’s a father, a husband, has his own work and he’s loved by those around him. You could have had all of that too, but you decided to throw it all away. The fact that you lost Julia and Elizabeth is your own fault, don’t blame that on Kevin.”
“Oh, sure, so we’re back to ‘just blame Tommy’.”
“I’m sorry, Tommy, but the truth of the matter is, that your are to blame for what happened. You dug your own grave and now you want to blame anyone but yourself and it won’t work. You cannot force Julia to give up her friendship with Kevin.”
“Just watch me.” Tommy warns.
*****
“Hey, beauty, can we have lunch together?” Justin kisses Tyler quickly, before she can protest.
“Yes, we can. Scotty is in the kitchen…”
“Again? Does he sleep on the stove?” Justin wonders.
Whenever he visits the June-Flower he hears that Scotty is working. It is not healthy.
“Not yet, but I believe that if he continues to work 24/7, eventually Kevin will kick him out and then he’ll have to … sleep on the stove.” Tyler grins and Justin follows her to the kitchen.
“Scotty! Working again?”
“Someone’s gotta do it.” Scotty replies. “Tyler, who is in charge of the hotel tonight? You or Cleo?”
“Cleo. I’ll be working the evening-shift next week.”
“Great. I’ve been thinking about letting Bernard run the kitchen tonight.”
"Who are you? And what have you done with Scotty?" Tyler jokes, but then she asks, more seriously: “So soon? You said that you weren’t sure if he could do it.”
“I’m not. But, I have to do it eventually, so why not tonight. I don’t believe that tonight will be difficult… Unless something big happens, it will be a calm night.”
“Please, tell me that you won’t be cooking at Café 429.”
“No, tonight Kevin will make his famous “Pasta Kevin Walker”.”
“Really?” Justin asks. “I got to get myself invited.”
“Justin!” Tyler’s elbow hits Justin’s ribs. “You can’t do that. Kevin and Scotty want to be together….”
“With Olivia, Mateo and Daniel, we won’t have much time for a personal conversation, but that doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together… Why don’t you ask Kevin if he makes some more pasta for you and Tyler?”
“Tyler is right, we can’t impose.”
“Yes, you can, be gone by nine though.” Scotty winks. “Come on. Kevin is going to love it to cook for you two as well. He’s so proud of his pasta.”
“I’ll call Kevin.” Justin accepts and Scotty gets back to work, a frown of worry on his face, hoping he’s making the right choice.
*****
“I thought this would be a good place to start.” Nora stops in front of Holly’s old house. “I called the real estate manager, I know her through a charity, and I explained the situation to her, in very broad lines, naturally I didn’t give details, and she ‘completely understood’, though I doubt it.
However, that doesn’t matter, because she gave me the key and allowed me to see it with you. We can walk through the house as long as we want.”
“It’s empty?” Holly asks.
“The family that moved in after you, didn’t like the house after all.”
“I see…” Holly seems astounded when Nora holds up the keys to her former house. They walk up to the front-door and Nora gives Holly the familiar key. Holly steps inside, surprised that the place hasn’t changed that much. The other family hadn’t really put their own stamp on the house.
“It looks a lot like the way I left it.”
“Yes, doesn’t it?” Nora says quietly. The clicking sound of their heels echoes through the empty rooms. Holly’s fingers slide along some door-posts as if she tries to remember the feel of something.
“This used to be the bedroom.” Holly says slowly. She closes her eyes and tries to remember anything that could link her to William, there is something, but it’s out of her reach and she makes a frustrated sound. She suddenly opens her eyes, aware that Nora is staring at her.
“I’m sorry. That was stupid…. I don’t mean to be insensitive.” Holly seems downright embarrassed and Nora shakes her head.
“I knew this could happen…. You were my husband’s mistress after all… It’s good. I was emotionally prepared that for this.”
“Again, I’m so sorry, here I am trying to remember something that you’d prefer to forget about.”
“Did it do something to you? Did you 'find' him?” Nora asks hesitantly, but Holly shakes her head.
“No. Doesn’t mean that nothing happened here, just that I can’t remember…. It is so strange that everyone has told about me about my relationship with him, what they know of it anyway, yet, just like with Rebecca it is all so terribly far away from me. Like I’m completely detached from both of them….” She sighs.
“They were very important persons in your life,…. Maybe your memory is blocking both aspects, joy and pain….?”
“I don’t know, the mind is an interesting thing….” Holly answers vaguely, looking a bit startled when Nora takes off the little rucksack she had brought with her.
For a moment she realizes that no one who knows where they are and that if Nora would kill her here, no one would think to search for her here…. She then laughs at her own thoughts.
“What are you doing? … You didn’t bring a gun or a knife here, did you?” She jokes.
“Tempting. Why didn’t I think of that?” Nora answers before she starts to laugh as well.
Instead she takes out a thermos-flask and two mugs.
“I thought we should just have some coffee in the garden, relax a bit and see if that will help you reclaim some memory…” Nora answers and, amused, Holly follows her out into the garden.
*****
“Hey, Kevin, are you busy?” Julia asks after greeting Kevin.
“Depends on what you need me for.”
“I was wondering if perhaps you could also pick up Elizabeth, when you go to pick up Olivia? I have a job-interview and I don’t know if I’ll be back in time.”
“Oh. Sure. No problem.” Kevin replies hesitantly. “Ahm, have you asked Tommy if it’s alright?”
“Sorry?”
“I don’t want any problems.”
“Why should there be problems? I heard you always pick up Olivia, if your schedule allows. Elizabeth is in the same school, so what would be the problem…?”
“Nothing. I don’t mind, but Tommy made it clear that he wants some distance between Elizabeth and me.”
“Really?... Interesting... If he creates a fuss over this, just blame me and tell him to discuss it with me. I will then explain a few things to him.” Julia replies with a wink. She walks up to Kevin and kisses him on the cheek. “Don’t let Tommy boss you around. I’d rather see my daughter with you than with him.” She admits.
Kevin watches her leave, feeling uncomfortable over Julia’s words. He shakes his head, unsure what to do next, but now that Julia believes that he will pick up Elizabeth, he might as well do that. He can only hope that Tommy won’t be too angry or upset. Although he had no attention to apologize for what is going on, he doesn’t like fighting with his brother either.
*****
Jason lets the small golden necklace slide through his fingers. It’s just a small necklace with a little golden cross, but Robert gave it to him, years ago and it’s precious to Jason. And now it’s broken. Torn up in hotel-room that wouldn’t let him leave though doors which cannot be locked… Jason can’t shake the memory of the fear he felt.
“Still pondering on what happened?” Chad asks, looking up from his revised script.
“Yes, a bit. It bothers me…”
“Forget it. You just panicked.”
“I feel so stupid.”
“Don’t do that. It’s everything about that floor. You just get jumpy and nervous…”
“It’s not normal. You shouldn’t have to feel like that.”
“I said before, why don’t you perform an exorcism?”
“Perhaps I should call around.” Jason jokes. At that moment the phone beeps and Jason picks it up.
“Text from Kevin. If we will be at the hotel, next Friday… We can do lunch together?”
“I’m working that day, so yeah, I’m there.”
“I’m not sure, but at least you can meet him.”
Jason replies to Kevin and then plays with his phone.
“Jase, would you mind? Just stop moving about all the time. I’m trying to learn these new lines and your twisting and playing takes me out of my concentration.” Chad asks sweetly and Jason sighs.
“Why don’t I google the June-Flower and see what I can find out?”
“Good plan… If you can do it in silence…” Chad requests and Jason kisses him while passing by and, with Chad reading his script and Jason browsing on the internet, it’s becomes quiet in the Barry-McCallister home.
*****
When his telephone buzzes, Seth picks it up and switches it off. Kitty. Again. He’s grateful that it’s quiet in the library, where he does some extra studying. His time in Boston had thought him more about history than he had imagined. Suddenly history had become about real people, faces with names, whose letters he had read.
It had fascinated him more than he had believed it would and now it was a good escape-pod. The phone buzzes again. Kitty. Again. He sighs and he wonders how long he can stay mad at her. He had missed her so much and he had certainly imagined his home-coming a bit different from how it had turned out to be.
What bothers him most of all, is not that she kept the baby, he had actually been surprised when she had said that she went ahead with the abortion, but that she had lied to him about it. This was not about some overpriced dress, but about a baby, which is just too important, too much of a life-changer.
During all those talks on the phone, the texting they had done, the few times they talked to each other over Skype,… she had never mentioned that she was still pregnant.
A man approaches the table where he sits. He’s carrying a child in sling.
“Can I sit here?” He asks.
“Yeah, sure.” Seth answers. He hesitates before adding: “That is a cute child.”
“He’s a little angel, the light of my life.”
Seth smiles a bit nervously.
“My girlfriend is pregnant….” He says, not sure why.
“Congratulations. First?”
“Yes.”
“You must be very excited.” The man smiles.
“That is one way of looking at it, I suppose.”
“My wife and couldn’t wait for this little boy… We were so happy.” Past tense. Ouch.
“Where is your wife now?” Seth looks around if he sees someone else.
“She’s no longer with us… She died a month after our son was born.” Seth feels a bit embarrassed, that he hadn’t gotten that signal as well. He’s usually better at this.
“I’m sorry… Can I ask what happened?” Seth thinks of all the illnesses that comes to his mind.
“Stupidest thing actually. We had no idea at first what was going on. She was alone in the kitchen, there was a party outside. We just saw her come out of the kitchen. She was clearly choking, but we didn’t know what it was…
By the time we did, she was dead. It all happened so fast. The hospital reconstructed that she must have drank from a soda-can, accidentally swallowing a bee. She had never been stung by one, I know that for sure, she would always brag about that. She didn’t know she was allergic…
There was so much panic in our group. We lost precious time, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, before someone had the presence of mind to call 911. Then it took the ambulance time to get there and when they finally got there, she was already unconscious, and even believed to be in a coma… She never woke up….”
The man shrugs, but the pain is clearly on his face as he caresses his son’s cheek.
“She was so much in love with this little one.” Seth starts to feel light-headed.
“It must have all happened so fast.” Seth’s heart breaks for the man sitting with him, who is still so clearly in love with his wife.
“It sure was. I spoke to her last when the first guests arrived and just past two and she was declared dead by the time it was three o’clock, so, yeah…. very fast.” The man answers quietly and Seth doesn’t know what to say, when he sees this much grief.
*****
“Hey Cooper! Wait up!” Roddy grabs Cooper’s jacket and Cooper turns around. “I don’t know many people here and … since we sit next to each other… can we be friends, or do you already have a friend?” Cooper shrugs. He gets along with everybody, but no one in particular.
“Come on. I thought that perhaps we could hang out a bit? Your place? Or mine? … I would really like to make some friends.”
“Maybe tomorrow? I’ve got to ask my mom first, if it’s alright with her.”
“Really? Cool. Perhaps….”
“I got to go, my uncle is waiting for me.” And he points at Kevin’s car. “He’s supposed to drop me off for soccer-practice, so I have to hurry…. Bye! See you tomorrow!”
Cooper waves and runs away and Roddy waves back. He watches a while and sees how two girls get in the car as well. Then he sees them leave.
*****
End of part 2/4
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