Wendy did her best to keep her mind far from the last conversation she had with Jax, no matter how heavy it had seemed to weigh on her subconscious. The last words he had spoken to her and that faraway look in his eyes she had never seen like the way she had earlier at Teller-Morrow. She knew something was wrong, but she knew she couldn't dwell on it too much; Jax had been through hell and back again in such a short time. She couldn't let the sympathy she felt deep in her heart get to her because that's when all would crash down on her. She needed to rest her eyes and let the thoughts slip away as she focused on her breathing, slipping her hand across the center console to find Nero's beside her. With a smile, she glanced in his direction and she knew in that moment everything was fine—all would be ok.
"Wendy. We're here." Nero's voice whispered in her ear. She woke with a startle, not realizing she had fallen asleep on the ride. She lifted her eyes, noticing the clock as Nero shut off the car. The ride out to Nero's farm didn't take nearly as long as Wendy had suspected; even Thomas and Abel stayed quiet in their car seats for most of the two hour long trip. Wendy had started to realize even before today how easily little baby Thomas gave into sleep when he rode in the car.
She slowly stepped out of the car, stretching out as she felt the stiffness settled into her muscles from the awkward position she had fallen to sleep in, the feeling leaving her body as she moved underneath the warmth of the sun. She lifted her face up to meet the sun, her dirty blonde locks falling over her shoulders as she inhaled the fresh air of the countryside, bringing a smile to her face. She felt happy in that instant, knowing all was well in her world.
Wendy glanced over her shoulder as she heard Abel call out her name as he climbed out of his car seat. It always brought a smile to her face when she saw that little boy, Jax's clone, hoping one day he would call her mom. Tara had done such a great job at raising him, for which she was grateful, but Abel was still hers and she wanted to do all she could to make up for the years she spent being the selfish junkie that had nearly killed her own flesh and blood. She would spend her whole life making it up to him and she still couldn't get over the fact that her ex-husband had chosen to tell their child who his first mommy was. She stepped over and took his hand as he reached out for her, the excitement in his blue eyes as a dog went running after a small flock of sheep off in the distance.
"Let's go see what else there is, Abel. Maybe we can find some other animals."
"Yea!" He smiled up at her before hurriedly leading her away from the car, leaving Nero to collect Thomas from his car seat, still half asleep.
Wendy was glad Jax had suggested she and the boys go out to the farm with Nero and his boy. It was like a vacation from the choking, suffocating environment that was Charming. It may have been her home since she was seventeen, but all of us need to get away from home once in awhile and recharge ourselves. Wendy wasn't even sure she cared to go back home, but she knew she couldn't avoid work for too long and Abel couldn't be away from school too much longer. Maybe she would call Jax later and check if all was well in Charming in case there was some messy club shit he didn't want the boys witnessing in some way or another. She didn't want Abel or even Thomas to see too much of the violence she knew Jax lived every day.
The morning after arriving at the farm, Wendy sat at the kitchen table, drinking her coffee as she listened to Abel and Thomas playing in the other room with Nero's son. Nero stood by the stove, finishing cooking a pan full of bacon and eggs for the boys for their breakfast. With a glance at her cell phone sitting on the table top, she rose to refill her mug.
"I think I might call Jax later and check in with him." She glanced at Nero as he moved the pan from the flame, shutting off the stove. He quickly jerked his head in her direction. "I think you need to give him a little more time, Wendy."
Her brows knit into a frown as she replaced the decanter of coffee back into its spot and reached for the sugar sitting on the counter. "Why? Jax would want to know everything's ok with the boys. I'm surprised he hasn't even called yet."
"I don't think that's such a good idea right now, Wendy." He said. She stirred in the sugar she had dumped into the steaming coffee in her mug, lifting her eyes in Nero's direction. He quickly looked away, moving to grab a bowl for the three bowls as the volume in the living room rose. She rose a brow, leaving her coffee on the counter as she found her hand on her hip. "What the hell is going on, Nero? Why is everything so quiet between you and Jax?"
"It's not something you need to worry about right now, Wendy. When we get back to Charming, then we can worry about Jax. Right now you're here with your boy and that's who you need to worry about."
Wendy was about ready to argue with Nero over this—over Jax and his boys—but she knew he was right. Jax was a big boy and he didn't need to be fussed over. It's not like she had much claim over him other than having a son with him, he was still only her ex-husband and she knew he still missed Tara. She knew she needed to move on, her heart needed to heal from the aching pain she felt still loving him when she had been nothing more than a means to release and comfort for him. That's just how he was.