Chapter Four: Grandma
My mother came three days before Jack's birthday. When I answered the door she was damn near bouncing on the other side with a huge smile on her face. It was early and I had just gotten up for work and was getting ready before I woke Jack to take him over to Emily's. I was shocked to see her here this early, Tacoma was almost a four hour drive from here and it was only six thirty. She jumped to give me a hug and I was quick to return it so she didn't fall and hurt herself.
"Hey, mom. What are you doing here, so early? I thought you were coming tonight?" I asked as she finally pulled herself away and walked inside.
"I know, but I was so excited that I couldn't sleep last night so I drove down early this morning." She said brightly as she took off her jacket. Even in the middle of summer you need to at least wear at least a light jacket. That is if you aren't a super natural creature with unusual body heat.
"I was just getting ready for work. I have to take Jack to Emily for the day, but you could probably stay the day with her and the boys." I said with a shrug as I finished getting ready.
"Why can't he get stay here with me while you work today?" She asked looking a little disappointed.
"Because I have a schedule with Emily and it wouldn't be fair to cancel last minute and Jack doesn't know you. I think he would be more comfortable if he got to know you while he was around people that he already knows." I said. Mom still looked disappointed, but nodded her head in understanding. She seemed to think for a minute before a smile started to sneak across her face.
"I'm how much you're doing for that little boy. You can already see a change in you." She continued to smile and I looked at her funny. I hadn't changed had I? I was just trying to take care of my son the best way I could.
"I'm going to go wake up Jack. Stay here, we'll be down in a couple minutes." I said and she nodded before I walked up the stairs. I quietly walked into Jack's room. He was sound asleep clutching the silver wolf stuffed animal that Rachel had gotten for him to his chest as he curled around it in a ball. I smiled and walked to the side of the bed before turning on the light. Jack groaned and rolled away from the lighted and throwing his arm over his face while the other still clutched the wolf.
"Jack it's time to get up. Someone's here to meet you." I said and lightly shook his shoulder to rouse him more from his sleep.
"Go way daddy. No wake now." Jack mumbled and snuggled more into his bed. I sighed, I would have to play hard ball.
"Then I guess we can't go get ice cream after I pick you up from Emily's." I sighed and headed for the door. I heard the covers get thrown off the bed and Jack scrambled to get up.
"No! No! I up! I up! I want ice cream!" He yelled as he hurried to grab my hand, trying to pull me back into the room. I chuckled at his reaction and let him pull me back.
"Ice cream only if you hurry and get dressed and brush your teeth." I said and Jack ran to get clothes out of his closet. This reminded me that mom was bringing my old dresser and toy chest. I would have to get that out if her car later. Jack hurried to strip out of his pajamas and put on a green shirt that said 'Play Hard And Get Dirty' that Rachel had picked out for him the night before and a pair of denim blue jeans. When he finished, he ran down the hall toward the bathroom, only stumbling once. He came out a couple minutes Jack came out of the bathroom.
"Can Wachel get ice cream with us? After I spend the day with Miss. Emily and Levi?" Jack pleaded. I smirked; Jack liked to involve Rachel in everything.
"You can call and ask her, but first there is someone here to meet you." I said and offered my hand to help keep him steady while he walked down the stairs. When we got to the bottom my mother turned around on the couch and gasped when she saw Jack. Jack looked up from the floor and saw my mother and quickly hid behind my leg. Mom slowly got off the couch and walked toward the two of us as Jack peeked at her from behind me. Mom kneeled down with a small smile on her face.
"What's your name little guy?" Mom asked leaning just a little bit closer.
"Jackson Paul Lahote. What's your name?" Jack asked as he came out from behind my leg a little bit. Mom beamed at him.
"My name's Beth, but you can call me grandma." Mom said, excited by the term. Jack looked up at me.
"Are we still going to Miss. Emily's to see Levi?" Jack asked. I nodded.
"Yep. And grandma is going to spend the day with you at Emily's. How does that sound?" I asked.
"Do we still get to get ice cream later?" He asked. I looked confused, but nodded.
"Okay, she can come." He said and walked over toward the door to put on his shoes. I broke out in a fit of laughter. Only a kid would think that someone spending the day would impact ice cream.
Mom rode with Jack and me to Emily's. Mom and Jack made conversation as she tried to learn more about him. Emily had no problems with my mom staying the day with her and the boys while I worked. I called Rachel on my way to Emily's from work and invited her to ice cream at the only ice cream stand in La Push. Jackson was warming up to my mother and seemed split between talking with Rachel or my mother. I just sat back and watched as they conversed with my son. I think the two of them actually forgot I was here. When we got home my mother made dinner and I got the dresser and toy chest placed in Jack's room, placed the lamps on his bedside table with their new shades and loaded what Rachel had designated into the dresser along with the toys into the toy chest.
Jack was excited about his birthday. Each morning he would announce the dwindling days when we woke in the morning. Today was the day; Rachel and Emily came over to decorate while I was sent out to pick up the cake, ice cream and some chips at the store in Forks. Jack came with me to get him out from under the girls' arms. All the guys were coming with their imprints and Billy was coming with Jacob and of course mom was going to be there. She has stayed the past couple days at the small motel in Forks that was just outside the La Push border.
Jack got three cakes for his birthday because of the number of people and the fact that the pack would be attendance. One cake was vanilla, one was chocolate and the last was marble. Each cake had cream cheese frosting with one word piped on each in green writing. When the cakes were put together they would say 'Happy Birthday Jackson!' with a different dinosaur on each. Jack skipped through the store to the counter that we would pick up his cakes. The baker was more than surprised that we were picking up three cakes for a little kids birthday.
The party was going down without a hitch. The imprints were fawning over the kids with my mother and the guys and I stood by the corner of the house with beers in our hands. The boys played in the mini pool and the sandbox with their trucks. We had eaten and opened presents, had cake and ice cream. The only people where Rachel, Jack, my mom and I as we picked up the left over plates and wrapping paper that had been discarded or blown away by the wind. My mom had just left and I was taking Jack to bed while Rachel did her nightly routine. I had finally talked her into staying the night even though Jack was still here, but we both hated the separation. The imprint was really started to kick in because the lack of time Rachel and I had been spending together and the wolf missed his mate. So we were going to 'reconnect' tonight, if you know what I mean.
"Daddy?" Jack asked as he pulled on his pajama bottoms.
"Yeah Jack?" I turned to look at him.
"Wachel, spends a lot of time here." Jack said and claimed up into his bed.
"Yeah." I said, wondering where he was going with this.
"Why doesn't she live here?" Jack asked looking up at me with his grey eyes shining with curiosity as he held tight to his stuffed wolf. I faltered. I didn't know what to tell him. Rachel and I had talked about moving her in with me, but first it had been her being at college and then getting settled at her new job at the elementary school and lastly, Jackson coming into our lives.
"Well… She lives with her dad and Jake and she wanted you to be comfortable her before we moved her in." I said and Jack looked up at me as I struggled to figure out what to tell him.
"How about Rachel and I talk about it and then we can see what Rachel has to say about it?" I asked hoping he would let me do that and not through a fit if Rachel said she wanted to wait a little while longer.
"Okay. Night daddy." Jack said and snuggled into the blankets on his bed. I smiled and ruffled his hair before turning off the light on his night stand and heading for the door. I turned on the nightlight before getting to the door.
"Good night little man." I said and closed the door heading down the hall to my own bedroom with Rachel sitting on the bed. I climbed into the bed next to Rachel. She smiled and moved her arms around my neck and started kissing up the side of my neck. My wolf growled happily at the affection from his mate.
"Hold on Rach. We need to talk about something." I said and softly removed her hands from my neck.
"What is it Paul?" She asked looking concerned.
"Jackson asked me why you don't live here with us." I said. Rachel sat up straight; the mood was killed as quickly as it came. I sighed I knew this was going to happen. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling.
"He asked about that huh?" Rachel asked in a strained tone. I nodded not moving my eyes from the ceiling. This was a touchy subject between the two of us.
"He said that you spend a lot of time here and wanted to know why you didn't live here. I told him that I would talk to you and that it was completely up to you." I said, only taking a quick peek at Rachel's expression. She sat still on the bed with a blank expression. I quickly returned my eyes back to the ceiling.
"Is that something that would be okay with you?" Rachel asked quietly. My attention snapped back to her. I was shocked I had been asking her to move in for almost a year and all it took was Jack asking to get her to cave?
"It would be more than fine with me. I would love to be able to see you more and Jackson likes it when you're around. The wolf would definitely love that you're here more, sharing the bed." I said as I scooted closer and kissed along her jaw.
"Alright. I'll talk to dad. We'll need to talk to Jackson about a couple things and I'm sure the guys will help us move my things from dad's to here." She said as her voice began to quiver when I started to kiss down her neck and my hands slid under her shirt.
"I love you. Jackson loves you. I can't wait to call this place ours." I said and Rachel moaned and laid down on the bed next to me.
The rest of the night was spent showing her how much she meant to me and what I planned to do to her for the rest of our lives. This was the next step and I couldn't wait to see where it went.
