Chapter 1: My Brown-Eyed Girl
Jack rocked the crying baby in the wicker rocker Gram's had given him. Little Blonde Amy was just under eighteen months. "Hush, little baby don't say a word. Daddy's going to buy you a mocking bird. And if that Mocking Bird won't sing, Daddy's going to buy you a diamond ring." Doug walked out into the unseasonably warm weather for Capeside. "And if that diamond ring turns brass," Doug sung along with Jack, "Daddy's going to buy you a looking glass." Jack looked up at Doug, who placed a hand on the back of the rocker. Amy's thumb found it's way to her mouth, and with a little moan Amy was asleep. Jack continued to hum to "Hush Little Baby," until it was safe to put her down again for the night. Five minutes later, Amy's thumb stopped pulsating signaling that she was indeed asleep. "Here, Let me take her." Doug said, bending down to get his boyfriend's daughter. "Thanks, Doug." Jack said, leaning back into the chair. He closed his eyes, these early morning wake-ups would end soon, he hoped. The light purple and silver sky of the sun rising over the ocean was beautiful, but signaled a long and busy day ahead.
"Why don't you get to bed, Jack? You still have another hour or two to sleep." "You're right Doug," He tried to lift himself from the chair, but was so tired that he found it difficult. "Up you go, McPhee." Doug said as he lifted Jack into his arms. Jack's light frame was easy to pick up, "Jack, how much do you weigh now?" "I don't know." "Jack, you have to eat. I see you push away your food at dinner. Do you do that at lunch too?" "I don't know... does it matter." "Jack, just because Jen died, doesn't mean that you can stop living yourself. You have to take care of Amy." "I know." Jack said, about to drift off into a peaceful sleep. "Make sure you eat." "Mmmm," Jack said. Doug placed the man on his bed, kneeling beside him and clasping his hands to his own, "I worry about you Jack." _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_
The shrill sound of the alarm woke a sleeping Jack up. Slipping his feet out from beneath him he noticed that Doug was laying in a fetal position, his head resting on his hands like a pillow. 'He's beautiful,' Jack thought, thoughts that would have betrayed him while he was in high school, 'he's perfect.' "Mmm," Doug sighed; an eye opened peaking up at Jack sitting on the bed. "Morning beautiful," Doug sighed, "Why are you staring at me like that?" "Because I love you." Jack replied, "and I want you to know that." "I love you too." "Do you still want to go jogging this morning?" Jack asked, their daily ritual had been a little disturbed with Amy's restless sleeping patterns. "Of course, when else do I get to be with my love, getting sweaty and or-- wait we do that nearly every night." Doug kidded, which resulted in a pillow thrown at him, "Oh, Now you're in for it." Doug jumped up and grabbed his pillow and swung it at Jack. "Oomph!" Jack wheezed, "Here you go!" He swung back, hitting Doug in the chest. Doug jumped on him, straddling his legs. "Pinned ya." He repeated Nayla off of The Lion King. He leaned down and kissed Jack. Jack put his arms around Doug's waist and smiled. "Come on," The energetic twenty-five year old said to his older partner. "Yes Mom," "Oi," Jack raised an eyebrow at him. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_
"You got the baby?" Doug yelled into Amy's room. Jack was putting Amy in a stroller for their morning jog. As a daily ritual for the summer, before Doug went in to work, he, Jack, and Amy would run along the beach. Doug knew he felt closer to Jen when he ran there. Jen loved the ocean and she and Jack would often visit in the mornings before school, just being together. Soul mates. *** "In we go, Ames." he placed a clean baby Amy in the blue and yellow stroller Jen had bought for Amy last year. Jack sniffed thinking about last year, Jen's last. He looked next to the crib at a picture of Amy's mother. Jack didn't believe he would ever feel whole again. He knew he was being a strain for Doug, all of his breakdowns. He didn't need medications, not like Andi. Andi was different. Andi and Mom were different.
The hole in Jacks heart hurt so badly every day. He wished he could fill it with the person he loved most. But he knew he would never see his soul mate until his time was up. 'Jen, I wish my time was up, just so I could see you again...' he would silently cry every night, long after Doug's snores surrounded him in the room. He tried to be brave; he tried to be the man Doug thought he was. He wished Doug would just let him cry on his shoulder sometimes. Jack was always the strong one. When would his time be to be the weak one? *** "Here we go," Jack said to Doug and Amy as they walked out the front door onto their porch, "Doug, help us down the steps?" "Sure thing." Doug lifted the front of Amy's stroller to help Jack down the stairs.
The two ran for an hour, in silence and puffing breaths. Amy as usual slept until they stopped for morning breakfast at Pacey's Ice House. Although the assistant manager, Tammi Blair was looking over it for him until he and Joey return from Boston. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_
Jack rocked the crying baby in the wicker rocker Gram's had given him. Little Blonde Amy was just under eighteen months. "Hush, little baby don't say a word. Daddy's going to buy you a mocking bird. And if that Mocking Bird won't sing, Daddy's going to buy you a diamond ring." Doug walked out into the unseasonably warm weather for Capeside. "And if that diamond ring turns brass," Doug sung along with Jack, "Daddy's going to buy you a looking glass." Jack looked up at Doug, who placed a hand on the back of the rocker. Amy's thumb found it's way to her mouth, and with a little moan Amy was asleep. Jack continued to hum to "Hush Little Baby," until it was safe to put her down again for the night. Five minutes later, Amy's thumb stopped pulsating signaling that she was indeed asleep. "Here, Let me take her." Doug said, bending down to get his boyfriend's daughter. "Thanks, Doug." Jack said, leaning back into the chair. He closed his eyes, these early morning wake-ups would end soon, he hoped. The light purple and silver sky of the sun rising over the ocean was beautiful, but signaled a long and busy day ahead.
"Why don't you get to bed, Jack? You still have another hour or two to sleep." "You're right Doug," He tried to lift himself from the chair, but was so tired that he found it difficult. "Up you go, McPhee." Doug said as he lifted Jack into his arms. Jack's light frame was easy to pick up, "Jack, how much do you weigh now?" "I don't know." "Jack, you have to eat. I see you push away your food at dinner. Do you do that at lunch too?" "I don't know... does it matter." "Jack, just because Jen died, doesn't mean that you can stop living yourself. You have to take care of Amy." "I know." Jack said, about to drift off into a peaceful sleep. "Make sure you eat." "Mmmm," Jack said. Doug placed the man on his bed, kneeling beside him and clasping his hands to his own, "I worry about you Jack." _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_
The shrill sound of the alarm woke a sleeping Jack up. Slipping his feet out from beneath him he noticed that Doug was laying in a fetal position, his head resting on his hands like a pillow. 'He's beautiful,' Jack thought, thoughts that would have betrayed him while he was in high school, 'he's perfect.' "Mmm," Doug sighed; an eye opened peaking up at Jack sitting on the bed. "Morning beautiful," Doug sighed, "Why are you staring at me like that?" "Because I love you." Jack replied, "and I want you to know that." "I love you too." "Do you still want to go jogging this morning?" Jack asked, their daily ritual had been a little disturbed with Amy's restless sleeping patterns. "Of course, when else do I get to be with my love, getting sweaty and or-- wait we do that nearly every night." Doug kidded, which resulted in a pillow thrown at him, "Oh, Now you're in for it." Doug jumped up and grabbed his pillow and swung it at Jack. "Oomph!" Jack wheezed, "Here you go!" He swung back, hitting Doug in the chest. Doug jumped on him, straddling his legs. "Pinned ya." He repeated Nayla off of The Lion King. He leaned down and kissed Jack. Jack put his arms around Doug's waist and smiled. "Come on," The energetic twenty-five year old said to his older partner. "Yes Mom," "Oi," Jack raised an eyebrow at him. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_
"You got the baby?" Doug yelled into Amy's room. Jack was putting Amy in a stroller for their morning jog. As a daily ritual for the summer, before Doug went in to work, he, Jack, and Amy would run along the beach. Doug knew he felt closer to Jen when he ran there. Jen loved the ocean and she and Jack would often visit in the mornings before school, just being together. Soul mates. *** "In we go, Ames." he placed a clean baby Amy in the blue and yellow stroller Jen had bought for Amy last year. Jack sniffed thinking about last year, Jen's last. He looked next to the crib at a picture of Amy's mother. Jack didn't believe he would ever feel whole again. He knew he was being a strain for Doug, all of his breakdowns. He didn't need medications, not like Andi. Andi was different. Andi and Mom were different.
The hole in Jacks heart hurt so badly every day. He wished he could fill it with the person he loved most. But he knew he would never see his soul mate until his time was up. 'Jen, I wish my time was up, just so I could see you again...' he would silently cry every night, long after Doug's snores surrounded him in the room. He tried to be brave; he tried to be the man Doug thought he was. He wished Doug would just let him cry on his shoulder sometimes. Jack was always the strong one. When would his time be to be the weak one? *** "Here we go," Jack said to Doug and Amy as they walked out the front door onto their porch, "Doug, help us down the steps?" "Sure thing." Doug lifted the front of Amy's stroller to help Jack down the stairs.
The two ran for an hour, in silence and puffing breaths. Amy as usual slept until they stopped for morning breakfast at Pacey's Ice House. Although the assistant manager, Tammi Blair was looking over it for him until he and Joey return from Boston. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_