Jesse stepped out of the van in the driveway of the two-story suburban home where she had spent the last three years of high school, and then some, and blinked the sunlight out of her eyes. She walked around to the other side of the van and opened the side door. She pulled her sleeping almost two-year-old daughter out of her car seat, grabbing the bag in front of her. She walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Josie Stronghold.
"Jesse!" Josie said, opening the screen door and pulling the younger woman, child, bag and all, into a hug. Josie stepped back and looked her over. "This must be Evangeline," she said.
"That she is," Jesse said as both women stepped into the house. The interior, Jesse noticed, hadn't changed at all in the two and a half years she had been gone. Steve came into the living room to meet them, and he too swept Jesse into a hug upon seeing her.
"She's a beautiful child," Josie said, extending her arms to Evie. Jesse handed her over, and Steve went out to the van to get the bags. "So how have you been?"
"Not bad," Jesse said. "Centropolis wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but it was a decent enough place to raise a child."
"Will told us about your parents," Steve said, walking in with the bags. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh yeah," Jesse said as they all sat down, Josie still holding Evie. "They're back where they belong." The doorbell rang, and five people walked into the room, three of them engulfing Jesse in a giant group hug on sight. Layla, Ethan, and Magenta stepped back, and they, including Will and Warren, sat down in various places in the room.
"I'm guessing this is little Evie?" Layla asked, taking the still sleeping child from Josie's arms. Jesse took the time to notice Layla's slightly bulging belly. Josie and Steve both left the young adults to catch up.
"Well who else would she be?" Jesse said with a smile.
"She's got your nose," Magenta said, watching her sleep in Layla's arms.
"And eyes," Jesse said proudly. All three women smiled.
"So," said Ethan, diverting the attention from the toddler, "why exactly did you not tell any of us she exists?" Jesse sighed.
"I really don't know," she said. "Zack and I broke up, and I needed to get out of town for a while. I went to Centropolis, and it was nice enough. When I found out about Evie, I was still angry at Zack for being an idiot. But that's neither here nor there. I just never got around to telling you about the pregnancy, and then I saw you less and less, and… it was just so easy to hide."
"You still could've told us," Layla said, playing with the sleeping child's long blonde hair.
"We've already decided that I've been an idiot," Jesse said. The doorbell rang, and everybody looked at everyone else. Will got up and answered the door, though everyone already knew who it had to be.
"Hey Will," sounded Zack's baritone voice. Everyone looked at Jesse. "Is everyone else here too?"
"Umm," said Will, fidgeting a little. "Now's not the best time. If you could come back a little later-"
"Did I miss a memo?" Zack said, pushing past Will. He came to the living room entrance and stopped in his tracks upon seeing who was there. "Jesse…" Jesse flinched at the sound of his voice, but stood up anyway. Zack walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Uh…" Jesse said, standing still as Zack hugged her. He let her go and took a step back. Jesse looked at the floor. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and caught his eyes as everyone else left, taking Evie with them. "I've been watching you on the news."
"I've been checking up on you, too," Jesse said, looking down again.
"I've missed you," Zack said, leaning over to look into her eyes.
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," Jesse said, still not able to meet his eyes. "Something I've been hiding that I shouldn't have." Zack placed two fingers over her lips, stopping her.
"Let me say something first," he said. "I was an idiot. I should've asked you out the first time I kissed you. When you left, I was a wreck. I knew I should've agreed to us moving in together, but I was being stupid. Once I realized this, you weren't answering my calls. I even tried tracking you down, but you covered your tracks too well. Then, when you came back on the scene in Centropolis, I went there to find you. But, even then, you still wouldn't talk to me. So, I just, kind of gave up. Can you ever forgive me?"
Jesse stood stock still, as if waiting for the other foot to fall. When he said nothing else, she spoke. "I ignored you for two and a half years, and you ask for forgiveness?" She let out a bark of laughter, then fell silent. The silence resonated through the room as Zack, and everyone listening in the kitchen, waited for her to continue. "I should be the one on my knees, begging forgiveness. But don't be so ready to take me back. There's something I should've told you long ago. I had a baby."
Zack's face melted over into shock. He was silent for a moment as it shifted over to indifference. "Do I know him?"
"I would hope so," Jesse said, looking straight into his eyes. "Unless much has changed since I've been gone, I'm pretty sure you know him better than anyone else."
"What do you mean?" Zack asked.
"It's you, Zack," Jesse said impatiently. "She's yours."
"She?" Zack said, astounded, as he sank into a seat. "Mine?"
"I know," Jesse said, talking fast as the news sunk in. She sat on the sofa next to him. "I should have told you when I found out. I had no right to keep her hidden. I was just still so mad at you. But that's no excuse, I know. There is no excuse for what I did. I should've--"
"But you still came back," Zack said, looking at her. "You didn't have to, but you did."
"But, I kept your only child a secret for two and a half years," Jesse said, shocked that he was forgiving her so easily. Zack pulled her into a hug. She was so shocked, she almost forgot to hug him back. Almost. He held her, once again, at arm's length.
"And don't think I'm forgiving you that easily," he said, though his face said differently. "You definitely owe me."
"What's my sentence, Judge?" she asked, laughter visible on her face.
"Well," he said, placing a finger on his chin, as if he were thinking, "for two and a half years of not answering my phone calls or communicating to me in any way, dinner tonight."
"Should I bring Evie?" Jesse asked.
"Not tonight," Zack said, a glint in his eyes.
"But who's going to watch her?" Jesse asked, already looking forward to tonight.
"Considering she's your kid, I'm sure there won't be any shortage of volunteers," Zack said. At that, Layla burst back into the room.
"I'll watch her!" she said excitedly. Jesse and Zack looked at each other and burst into laughter.