RP: For these people, I thank you

[jake_abernathy]

Date: November 24, 2011
Characters: Jake Abernathy, Star Abernathy (NPC), Neve Standheim, Shelby, Mack and Bryn Standheim (NPCs), Ezra Loy
Location: Jake’s place
Status: Private
Summary: Jake has much to be grateful for this year.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[ezra_loy]

Stepping into the house, Ezra returned Jake's smile, really pretty grateful for the invite. He kind of thought that Jake didn't have to invite him, although he appreciated that Jake valued family enough to extend the invite to him as well and not just Neve and her girls. "Happy Thanksgiving." Ezra said, laughing only slightly when he noticed Bryn happily taking up residence on Jake's lap. "And I see you've got a permanent companion again." He thought it was kind of great how Jake really did seem to care about Neve's girls, it was encouraging to him that Jake not only wanted to be with his sister, but that he also understood that the girls were part of that package. Though with Jake being a single dad, Ezra kind of thought he understood better than some.

Mackenzie shuffled into the house after her uncle and mumbled a 'Happy Thanksgiving.' which only received a 'look' from Ezra, so she stood up straighter and in a clearer voice said. "Happy Thanksgiving Jake, thank you for inviting us." She stopped herself from asking if she go could find Shelby and Star now. Her uncle had given her a bit of talk about manners on the ride over.

[jake_abernathy]

“I do think so, and I don’t think your mom would just say it. Your mom is an honest lady.” She would never call her daughters stupid, but she wouldn’t just say it to say it either, he thought. She had smart children, he knew, he knew them well enough to be able to say it.

“Oh okay, good,” Star said, setting her ipod aside and gesturing for Shelby to sit wherever she wanted. “Had a good holiday so far?” she asked. “We’ve not really done much so far, but it’s nice not to be in school for a bit. Ahh okay, but they are coming, right?” She still wasn’t pleased about their parents dating, and at least Mack and Shelby seemed to understand that.

Jake grinned at her, thinking of the many things he could say to Neve if Bryn weren’t here. “I might just try,” he said. “I think my mother and Rosa will understand.” Not that his mother was doing much herself, just flitting around helping here and there. She wasn’t the most skilled woman in the kitchen.

“Rosa is spending it with us. She is like part of my family, I have known her since I was your age,” he told the little girl in his lap. “She took care of me when my mom was busy with things, and she’s cooked for my mom and dad a long long time.”

Jake could tell by various expressions that Mackenzie was going to be a bit of problem, but he was determined for it not to be a huge one. He would treat her as he’d always treated her, no reason to change because he was dating Neve now. HE’d always treated her well. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he replied, and laughed softly as Ezra pointed out his companion. “I have, she is a most excellent lap warmer,” he said with a grin.

“You’re very welcome, Mackenzie. I’m glad you could come,” he told the girl. With the same kindness he’d shown her older sister, he said, “I think Star and Shelby are in Star’s room, if you want to join them.” He wasn’t going to force the issue with her, but neither was he going to stop dating Neve.

[neve_stadheim]

Bryn smiled brightly, she liked hearing Jake talk about her Momma. "Momma always said honesty was the best policy." She replied, though she didn't know exactly what that meant, she just thought it meant that she should always be honest.

"Yeah, I mean the holiday has just started. My Uncle made us breakfast this morning, he's not an awesome cook, but he can manage pancakes without setting the house on fire." Shelby said with a laugh, aware that Star knew her Mom's issues in the kitchen. Thankfully it wasn't a family trait. "We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade, which was kind of fun." She continued, glancing over at Star. "So how's your Holiday been so far?"

Neve had to wonder that was going on in Jake's head as he grinned at her, and oh, if little ears weren't listening she would have pressed him for what he might have been thinking. "Only might?" she asked, smirking. "You just don't want the guys from the fire department showing up." Neve teased, though she didn't mind being kept away from the kitchen, it was probably safer that way.

"Really? Rosa doesn't look that old." Bryn said this the only way a child really could, with such honesty that it couldn't be taken as an insult. "Oh, so kind of like how Uncle Ezra takes care of us when Momma's working?"

Neve winced at Mackenzie's attitude, though she would have to thank Jake later for taking it so well, and for being patient with her middle child. That fact only made her fall for him that much more, though she wasn't rushing things, she could see herself wanting a future with Jake, and these little gestures, the fact that he cared about her enough to deal with her rude child, it meant a lot to her.

[ezra_loy]

Mackenzie really was trying to be good, it was just so hard. Her Mom was dating Jake, a guy who she'd always liked, but her Mom wasn't supposed to date, and definitely not Jake. She still had the fear that her Mom would forget her Dad, and then she'd be the only person around to reminder him, or she and Shelby. She wanted to tell her Uncle Ezra not to be nice to Jake, and she couldn't help the glare she gave Bryn as her little sister practically attached herself to Jake permanently. She didn't hate him, she didn't. She just didn't want everyone forgetting her Dad because of him.

Ezra laughed and shook his head. "Be careful, that's how she lulls you into a false sense of safety, with cuddles and those big blue eyes." He warned jokingly. "Good luck getting her to move." His youngest niece was a cuddle bug, and Jake seemed like a fairly willing victim.

Mackenzie shifted uncomfortably, wanting to find Shelby and Star. She let out a relieved sigh when Jake told her where her sister and Star were, and that she could go join them. "Thank you." She said, glancing at her Mom who just gave her a look that she knew well, the 'Mackenzie Ann, be nice' look. She was almost a blur as she quickly moved towards Star's room and knocked on the door once she reached it. Mackenzie didn't wait for an answer though as she pushed it open and greeted her sister and Star. "Hey, so this is where we're hiding out, huh?"

[jake_abernathy]

Star laughed softly and smiled. She knew all about Shelby’s mom’s lack of skills in the kitchen. She’d known for a long time, and she’d used to tease her along with everyone else, that was, until her dad started dating her. Now she didn’t know what to do or say half the time. She didn’t want to like her anymore, but she’d known her for years, so it was hard to forget all of that. “Well, lack of fire is a good thing,” she said. “It’s been okay, I guess. I helped Rosa and my grandma in the kitchen for awhile.”

“No, the guys would never let me live it down,” Jake said with a rumbling laugh in his chest. That would be funny, most definitely, even if he and the guys didn’t get together much anymore, most of them more uncomfortable with him now than they would freely admit.

“Rosa isn’t very old, no,” he said, amused. Rosa had probably been in her early twenties all those years ago when she started, he thought. She’d treated him like a kid of her own, though, even if she didn’t actually have any children. Just nieces and nephews. “Yes, a lot like that.”

Jake smiled. “She doesn’t have to move. She’s good for now.” He hugged an arm around Bryn, resisting the urge to kiss the top of her head. He couldn’t deny that he liked having her in his lap, especially when she was so willing to cuddle.

He looked almost sadly after Mackenzie when she fled so quickly, but he knew she would come around. Eventually. He hoped.

“For now,” Star said, gesturing for her to clamber up on the bed as well. “Unless you want to hang out in the kitchen. It smells really good in there.”

[neve_stadheim]

Shelby laughed along with Star, because really her Mom's lack of cooking skills was amusing. "Thankfully other people are cooking today, then." She said, knowing that her Mom would stay out of the kitchen, and he wasn't going to think about the fact that Star's Dad could actually cook and kind of balanced her Mom out in that way. She nodded when Star said her Thanksgiving had been good so far, though in the back of her mind she wondered if her friend resented the fact that so many people were sharing the day with them, thus taking away time spent with her Dad. "Did they let you cook anything?"

"No they wouldn't, take it from someone with a lot of experience in that area." Neve said with a laugh. "Although in your case you could just blame it on me, so maybe most of the teasing would come my direction." She didn't want the fire department to show up, knowing that a good deal of the guys just didn't know how to act around Jake anymore. "I guess for your sake and mine I won't try and assist with cooking."

"Rosa's not old then, but everyone's older than me though." Bryn said, sighing heavily. She didn't want to be the baby anymore, because everyone reminded her of just how young she was. "I'm always the baby, expect when Abby's around 'cause she's younger than me."

[ezra_loy]

Ezra laughed. "Dear God, she's already trapped you." He joked as he reached out to tweak Bryn's nose. "You realize you're doomed now, right?" Ezra liked the fact though that Bryn at least seemed comfortable with Jake, even if his other two nieces weren't. "I swear Neve's trained the three of them on how to bat their eyelashes and get what they want." He paused for a moment before adding. "Or my ability to say no to them just sucks."

"Seems like a good enough place." Mackenzie replied as she climbed onto the bed with Star and Shelby. "Might smell good, but I think we'll also have to encounter our Mom and your Dad if we go in there."

[jake_abernathy]

Star wrinkled her nose faintly. "No, not today," she said with a sigh. "But I guess that's okay. I'm not that good yet anyway." She wished she were, though, so she could be involved like that. Do something special for her dad.

"I could, but it still would be me, and my house, and me having let you in the kitechen," he teased gently, chuckling to himself. "But you can watch and taste test, I'm sure. I don't think Rosa would kick you out if you only did that."

Jake smiled a little indulgently at Bryn. "Nothing wrong with being the baby," he told her. "It's a perfectly good thing to be." She was a sweet one,t hat was for sure.

"Happily doomed," Jake said with a smile. "Nah, they're good girls, all of them. It's just you who isn't immune," he joked.

"Dunno if he'll let your mum into the kitchen," Star said, smiling somewhat weakly. "Dinner'll be soon though, I know. It should be good."

[neve_stadheim]

Shelby shifted, nodding in response to Star's answer. "I'm not all that good at cooking either, but at least the fire department has been to our house in awhile." She kind of missed it actually, it was sort of fun to have the guys show up since most knew her Mom fairly well.

"You could always claim I bribed you to let me into the kitchen." She suggested with a twinkle in her eye, not elaborating on what that bribe might have been. "So I'm back to sitting on the counter and keeping my hands to myself, huh?" She giggled.

Bryn 'humphed' and gave Jake a look. "But I don't want to be the baby anymore." she replied. "I want to be a big sister." One of the girls in her class at school kept talking about her new baby sister and how awesome it was and Bryn wanted to know what it was like.

[ezra_loy]

Ezra had an approving smile on his face as Jake spoke, the more time he spent with his sister's boyfriend the more he liked the guy. "Good answer." He said with a nod. "Yeah well, I'm a big ole' pushover and they know it." Ezra loved his nieces, so he didn't mind so much that he had absolutely no ability to say 'no' to them.

"He won't if he's smart." Mackenzie replied with a laugh. "Mom's a hazard." And even though she wasn't getting along with her right now, she did love her Mom a lot, even if she couldn't cook to save her life. "Should we go out there if dinner's going to be soon?" She asked, shifting on the bed.

"Probably would be wise." Shelby spoke up, realizing maybe a little quickly that she was turning into a minority in their little group. Mackenzie and Star still seemed so bothered by their parents dating, while Shelby was maybe quickly realizing that both her Mom and Jake seemed happier now that they were together, but she wasn't going to say that to her sister or her friend.

[jake_abernathy]

Star grinned faintly. "Well, that's good, at least. Though I miss the guys from the station bein' around so much. A few of them still come sometimes, but not like they used to," Star said with a sigh. She'd always liked the guys her dad worked with, big burly men who always had a moment to cuddle a little girl.

"I could indeed," Jake agreed, thinking several things that the bribe could potentially be. Mm. He'd ask her about those later. He chuckled. "I said sit on the counter, and don't touch the stove. Not keep your hands completely to yourself," he said, smiling.

Jake blinked at Bryn's response, lips twitching. He glanced up at Neve, wondering when this had started. "You do, huh?" he said.

Jake gestured for everyone to come further in. "Please, come, sit. Relax. Dinner likely won't take much longer," he said.

"Nah, Rosalia will come get us," Star said. "Or my grandma." Star wasn't overtly acting out against the dating, at least not just now, but she was still having a lot of issues with it.

It was then that Rosa stuck her head in the door. "Wash up for dinner, por favor," the Hispanic woman said with a smile at them all. "It is ready now."

[neve_stadheim]

Shelby thought it sucked that the guys didn't come around as much anymore. "Yeah? I can't imagine if Mom's co-workers didn't come by as often as they do." Though that was really something that had started after her Dad had passed away.

Neve couldn't help but smile, wondering if Jake was thinking up a list of things she could bribe him with, and she was more than curious to know what that list might be. "The question is will you?" She asked with a smile. "Oh, is that what you said? So am I to assume you don't want me to keep my hands to myself?"

Bryn had no idea that she was making the adults sightly uncomfortable, and she smiled wide and nodded at Jake's question. "Uh-huh." She answered, and Neve met Jake's gaze when he glanced at her. "A classmate just became a big sister, this little girl was the youngest and now Bryn's started talking about not wanting to be the youngest." She explained quietly, worried that Jake thought maybe her daughter was on this kick due to something Neve had said. She couldn't deny the fact that she thought about having more children, and Jake might have come into those thoughts once or twice, but she hadn't said a word of that to her girls.

[ezra_loy]

When Jake motioned for them all to move into the house further, Ezra was the first to move, followed closely by Neve. This was still a little odd for him, being a part of an actual Thanksgiving celebration stateside, but he was more than appreciative that he was included. "You don't have to tell me twice to sit and relax."

Mackenzie was kind of relieved when Star said Rosalia would come get them when dinner was ready. "Good, 'cause I kind of prefer to be in here right now." She replied honestly, knowing she could be honest about this with Star and Shelby because they both kind of felt the same way.

Shifting off the bed, Shelby moved to leave the room after Rosalia poked her head into the room, and Mackenzie was soon to follow. "Guess we have to go join everyone else now."

[jake_abernathy]

"That is what I said, and I know you remember that," Jake said, eyes twinkling and thinking about what that discussion had led to, and how he would love to do that again.

Jake ahhhed and nodded, the situation making perfect sense. "I see. Given the cuddle bug here ideas, then," he said, grinning faintly. He couldn't deny for a moment his mind flashed to the thought of more children like he'd always wanted, and the passing thoughts of late that maybe it would still be possible... with Neve. Certainly she was a little older than him, and they would have to be careful, but... he was getting ahead of himself, and he shook his head ever so slightly and focused back on the subject at hand.

"It won't be too bad?" Star suggested, clambering off the bed and going to wash her hands in the bathroom. She could hear her grandma in the other room.

Amanda walked into the living room, smiling at the gathered people, and the little girl cuddled into her son's lap. "Neve, Ezra, Bryn, it's great to have you all here." Her smile was especially welcoming to Neve, who she had always liked, and who she was very pleased to have dating her son now.

[neve_stadheim]

Ezra and Neve are going to share a journal now

"Vaguely." Neve replied with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Might need a reminder on how that conversation went." She continued with a bright smile, enjoying the simply fun of teasing Jake just a bit.

She was relieved that Jake understood and she didn't have to explain further on the subject. "Giving her loads of ideas." Neve said, laughing softly. For now she just relieved that it was mostly a wishful comment on Bryn's part, though as a mother she couldn't keep herself from wondering if that wishful comment would become an honest request sometime down the road. That bridge would be crossed when or if it ever came up, she wasn't going to dwell on that thought right now because it always lead to other thoughts and desires that she herself had.

Mackenzie shrugged as she followed Star and her sister to the bathroom. "Whatever you say." She wasn't entirely convinced that it wouldn't be that bad, but if the older girls thought it might be okay, well, she was willing to at least try.

"Miss Amanda!" Bryn beamed from her place on Jake's lap, excited to see the older woman. "Momma said we had to thank you for inviting us." The little girl continued, and she thought about getting off of Jake's lap, but decided she liked sitting there too much to move.

Neve returned Amanda's smile, pleased that it seemed Jake's Mom had no issue with the fact that Neve was dating her son. She had always liked Jake's Mom, had even counted her as an ally whenever Jake's moods would get so dark he'd stop truly telling her what was bothering him or how he was truly doing. "My youngest is right, I did tell the girls you thank you for the invite." She explained with a laugh.

"Y'know it's nice to be here, thanks for the invite." Ezra commented from his place in one of the armchairs. He had only met Jake's parents once or twice over the summer, they seemed like nice people though, and again he was pleased that Neve had people in her life like this.