After the shock of seeing Outsiders cancelled and the second shock of the season 2 finale, my brain went into overload. While we cross our fingers on the hope that like many shows before it, it's picked up and dusted off by another network...here's a little something to fill our Tuesday nights with. Enjoy! Comment! Thank you! *I do not own Outsiders or any of their characters. I do own the added characters.*
Chapter 1 – Meet Kayla
"They're here again, mama! They're here!"
Kayla peeked her head into the kitchen and came around to stand next to her son, "I see 'em Luca." She chuckled, "and hush all that yellin' baby or they'll hear you."
"Sorry mama!" he hollered, jumped down off his chair and took off to find his brother, curls bouncing.
Looking out the kitchen window, she could see her new neighbors getting out of that noisy little blue car that had been coming back and forth for the past week. The curly haired guy and the slim girl with him unloaded boxes, bags and a few pieces of furniture during several trips. Then yesterday, they brought a bed with that quiet black girl that used to work at the gas station. But they didn't stay.
This trip they brought a fourth person with them and he looked a mess. His longish hair shielded his face but watching them get him out of the car, Kayla winced, able to see from his movements that he was hurting.
"Seems those three would be better off just carrying him in, for how slow he's movin'." she muttered under her breath. She watched from the window for a few more seconds at the slow painful progress they were making up the walk to unit #6.
"Yep, looks like I need to bake them a cake." she told herself before turning to finish the lunch dishes.
Kayla called from the kitchen, "It's nap time boys."
"Awww!" was the responding chorus.
Kayla leaned on the doorframe, unsuccessfully trying to suppress her smile. She loved her boys like crazy. Her oldest, Jace, looked just like his daddy – all long and lean, already tall for his age. They shared a straight nose, sharp jaw line and slightly squinting eyes. Even though he was only 6, the cuddly baby fat was already gone – replaced with a now slim frame and straight shoulders. His coloring, he got from her, making his green brown eyes stand out against his tawny skin. In moments like this, just watching him, she was struck by just how handsome he was, especially since she had stopped cutting his hair over the summer. It lay naturally, in layers of copper and sandy brown, thick but not showing waves until the ends. He was solemn as a toddler, curious, always watching – absorbing everything around him easily. Now, young as he was, Jace had an air of maturity about him that people noticed. He was all boy, rough and tumble as they come but had a gentle spirit, thoughtful, slow to anger or frustration.
Now Luca, her baby, was quite a different story. At 4 years old that little boy was sweetness personified, all rainbows and sunshine. He never walked – he skipped, hopped, twirled and danced to his destinations. His sweaty hugs were the highlight of her days. He was blessed with her infectious laugh, the kind of unapologetic lusty cackle that made even the meanest old coot crack a smile. He had his daddy's sun kissed coloring, but beyond that it was Kayla's features that were on display. Her heart shaped face, huge dark brown eyes, long eyelashes. He had her full, pouty bottom lip and boy-oh-boy did he get his mama's dimples. His dark brown hair, a mass of curls just like hers, got him more attention than a little bit, every trip into town.
From the day they brought him home, Jace had been endlessly patient with his little brother. Always trying to hold him and help with him, letting the baby play with his face and hair for long stretches. And now, their brotherly bond was rock solid. Beautiful.
"Mama? " Kayla came out of her thoughts to Jace touching her hand. "Mama, when is daddy comin' home?"
"Well, baby, his job ain't over for 4 more days."
She watched sadness cloud his beautiful face for a moment. Jace and his daddy were extremely close and she knew that him being away was especially hard for their son. He missed him something terrible and marked the calendar everyday, monitoring how many more days until his return, always including him in their bedtime prayers.
"Tell you what, when you get up from your nap – we'll send him another email, how's that?"
Jace's face lit up. "One just from me? Nobody else?"
"Just from you." Kayla drew him into a hug, kissing his forehead then released him with a tap on the butt. "Now, let's do naptime for a bit."
"C'mon Luca, c'mon!" Jace hollered letting out a whoop, racing his brother down the hall.