Chapter Seven
1996
"Merry Christmas." I smiled at Rhiannon and Evan as they both stumbled out of their rooms, still half asleep.
"God, Mom, how are you so cheery?" Evan grumbled.
"Yeah, Mom, it's, uh, eight in the morning." Rhiannon added. I laughed a bit, holding my cup of coffee.
"It's Christmas, you know how much I love Christmas." I made up an excuse. Rhiannon raised an eyebrow at me, smirking a bit. That's something else she inherited from her father.
"Is it just because it's Christmas or did something happen last night?"
"Uh, excuse me?" I raised my eyebrows at her, cocking my head a bit. Evan grimaced.
"Ew, Mom, what the fu—"
I snapped my fingers, pointing at him directly after. "Language."
Evan grumbled about being sixteen, he can say what he wants, and I tried my best to not get onto him for it. It was Christmas, after all. Rhiannon kept watching me, a smirk still evident on her face, but—because she was intelligent—changed the subject.
"So, uh, what time are Dad, Sarah and Kelly coming over?" she asked.
"Don't know, they didn't quote a time. Don't open their presents until they get here though."
She nodded. "Got it."
I turned around, starting to make breakfast for them. I heard Evan grab a present and turned on my heel, making him stare at me wide-eyed. He had a big box in his hands—which was his, it was his PlayStation he had been asking for all year along with a few games I knew he'd enjoy. "Ah, ah, ah, put it down. After breakfast."
"But Mom—"
"After breakfast. Trust me, you'll be glad you waited."
Evan grumbled again, setting the present down back in its place. He walked over to the couch, flopping onto it face first and just laying there, as if he were defeated. Rhiannon looked at me, leaning in close so she could whisper.
"Was it that paleontologist guy?" She probed, a grin on her face. I looked at her for a moment before looking at the eggs and bacon in front of me.
"I don't know what you're talking about, kiddo."
"Mom, come on, tell me. Please? I'm not a child anymore, you know."
I looked at her, raising my eyebrows. "I understand that, Rhiannon, but it's awkward talking about that kind of stuff with you."
"Aha, so you did have sex!" Rhiannon exclaimed, louder than I would have cared for her to.
"Shh!" I hissed at her, a blush creeping on my face. "If you must know, yes, we did—"
"—Disgusting—" Evan's muffled voice came from the couch.
"But this is still none of your business. Okay?" I raised my eyebrows at my daughter, who shifted her weight from her left foot to her right foot. After probing me, I watched as her face fell. "What's wrong?"
"Well… Does this mean that you and Dad are officially over? Like old news?"
I sighed, making Evan's plate. His was easiest. The boy loved over easy eggs, much like I did. Rhiannon liked hers over medium. "I don't know, Rhiannon."
"Mom, it isn't like I don't like Alan. I do, I really do. He's pretty cool. But he just isn't…" she trailed off.
"He isn't your father." I finished for her.
Rhiannon swallowed hard. "Yeah. I mean, after, uh, you two got remarried I-I thought that, uh…"
"That we would have lasted?"
"Yeah." Her voice was quiet, and I put my arm around her.
"Look, I know this is hard for you two to accept, but… It's hard for me, too. I know it may not seem like it, that I moved on from your father like it was nothing but… believe me. Alan and I have a great relationship, but I feel as if it may not last much longer."
"Why not?"
I shrugged. "Well, I think he still has feelings for Ellie. And I don't want to feel as if I would be… a last resort, I guess. I know it isn't that way, but that's how I would feel."
"Wait." Evan piped up. Rhiannon and I looked at him. "You're dating Alan? Alan Grant Alan? And you didn't tell me?" He looked as if I had stabbed him in the back. I chuckled a bit.
"I was going to whenever I felt it was the right time."
"No, no, no. Mom, you don't understand. This is Alan Grant we're talking about here. I've been a fan of him ever since I was a kid—"
"Evan, you're sixteen. You're still a kid." I corrected him. Evan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. But Mom, you know how big of a fan I am."
I chuckled a bit. "I'll have him come over one night for dinner, how does that sound?"
"Fucking fantastic."
"Language."
1997
"Dad are you mad?" Kelly asked as she made her way into the trailer. Evan and I followed behind Kelly, me letting Evan in first. I was in next, and Ian was last.
"No, I'm not. I'm furious." Ian slammed the door behind him. I jumped a bit, looking at him. Ian glanced at me before looking around the trailer. "What is this?" he looked at Kelly. "This looks like your room."
"I was gonna clean it up." Kelly stated.
"Right now!" Ian snapped. He looked over at Evan. "Some of this your mess too?"
"No, not really." Evan shook his head.
"Help your sister clean it up anyway."
"Dad—"
"Do what I say!"
"Ian, really," I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it."
"Hey, you were the one who knew they were going to-going to, uh, be here." My husband snapped at me. I stared at him.
"Oh, bullshit, Ian," I snapped back, and I could hear Evan mutter, "Oh, here we go," under his breath. "I told them to get out of the camper and I watched them leave it."
"Uh, yeah, but you didn't stick around to be sure that-that they actually stayed gone, Kerri!"
"Oh, so this is my fault, is that it?" I rolled my eyes. "Everything's always my fault, right? Never your fault? You know, if you cared more about your kids—"
"Kerri, goddammit, don't go there—!"
"Why, can't handle the truth, Ian?" I snapped at him. Instead of retorting back, like he seemed to start to do, Ian instead went to the radio on the side of the camper, dropping the argument. He stared at it. "What is this? Eddie?" he raised his voice. "Eddie!"
As he did so, Sarah made her way into the camper. Ian continued to bitch.
"There's a hundred switches!"
"Ian don't be mad." Sarah started, grabbing his arm for a second before helping Kelly and Evan clean up. I was gonna call you in a day or two to let you know where I was. I always do, don't I?" At this question, Ian just hung his head and sighed. "Come on, I'm the best kind of girlfriend there is; one who travels a lot. You like that, right?" She asked as Ian faced her. I rolled my eyes, helping the kids clean up and trying to ignore them. I grabbed a plastic baggy, picking up some trash and placing it inside. "You love your independence." I handed Sarah another bag, and she opened it.
"Well, I've gotten used to being apart, but that doesn't mean that's how I want to, uh, live." Ian said. I rolled my eyes. You had it, dude, and you tossed that out the window. Ian looked at both Kelly and Evan. "K-Kelly, Evan, this is, um, tall talk."
"I'm seventeen. In case you forgot." Evan rolled his eyes.
"Just for a minute," Ian ushered Evan and Kelly off to the side. Kelly looked at her older brother.
"It's like a height restriction at an amusement park." She joked dryly. Sarah bent down, helping me pick up crumbs off the floor.
"If you wanted to rescue me from something, why didn't you bail me out of that fund-raiser at the museum three weeks ago like you said you would?" She looked at Ian, who was leaning on one of the computers. I raised my eyebrows at him before glancing at Sarah. Ian looked at me for a moment and I quickly went back to what I was doing.
Trouble in paradise, you two?
"Uh, this is a s-slightly different situation." Ian responded.
"Or-or why not rescue me from that dinner with your parents that you never showed up for? Why not rescue me when I really need it—actually be there when you say you will? You know, I have made a career out of waiting for you."
Oh, yes, definitely trouble in paradise. Was I a bitch for thinking this was great? Probably. But this was just fucking great. I loved it.
"You know," Kelly spoke up. "Sarah has a pretty good poi—"
Ian looked at his youngest daughter. "It's so important to your future that you not finish that sentence." He had her set the trashcan down. "Please, give us privacy. Outside!" He glanced at Evan. "Both of you."
"I didn't even say anything!" Evan argued.
"Outside." Ian looked at me. "That means you too."
"Excuse me?" I looked at him.
"This is between Sarah and myself, this doesn't concern you, Kerri."
I heard my son mumble something about everyone hating the middle child before walking to the door with Kelly.
"Fine. Then you two can pick this shit up yourselves." I dumped my bag of crumbs out onto the floor of the camper, storming over to the door where the kids where. I heard Ian sigh and mutter under his breath. Sarah stood, walking over to him.
"Ian, come on. Come on, look." She had him sit down. The kids and I stopped, listening in. "I love that you rode in on a white horse. I really do. It's very touching, very dramatic," she knelt in front of him. "I just need you to show up in a cab every once in a while, too."
"Come on, let's go," I told the kids. Kelly opened the door and began to walk out.
"K-Kelly, what are you doing?" I heard Ian asked. I rolled my eyes. "No, no, no! Hey, hey, hey! Don't go out there. It's not safe! Stay in here. Come back, shut the door."
Kelly did so, and the three of us stayed inside the camper. Sarah stood.
"Okay, I know what I'm doing." She said. "Uh, you guys should definitely go." She looked at Ian sincerely. "But I'm gonna stay. I love you. I just don't need you right now."
Ian stood. "I'll tell you what you need: uh, a good antipsychotic."
"I'll be back in five or six days," Sarah argued.
"No, you'll be back in five or six pieces."
"What bothers you is that I'm not afraid of this place and you are."
"Of course I am, that's the whole thing."
Rumbling was heard and Kelly, who walked over to the window as Ian and Sarah were arguing, stood up straight and looked over at us.
"Hey, what's that sound?" She asked. All I could think of was worst case scenario—a T. rex or something along those lines, but as Ian and I walked over to the window and looked out, we saw what seemed to be an army of helicopters coming towards the island.
"This is perfect. You two, come here," Ian grabbed his kids by their hands, walking out of the camper with them. Once outside, I watched him let go of Evan and try to wave the helicopters over to where we were. "Here we go. I'm gonna get you both outta here on one of those right now. Hello! Over here!"
As he was talking, Sarah and I walked over to where he was, watching as Ian was futilely waving the helicopters over here. I could hear Nick taking pictures of the sight as Eddie was looking with his binoculars.
"I don't get that," he said quietly, but then louder he said, "It says InGen on the-on the side of that chopper!"
Ian looked back at him, and Kelly followed suit soon after. Eddie continued, confused as the rest of us.
"I don't get that. Why would Hammond send two teams?"
Ian, still holding on to Kelly, made his way over to Eddie, taking the binoculars.
"Cut the umbilical, Dad!" Kelly yelled at him. Sarah and I followed suit.
"Doesn't he trust us?" Sarah snapped. "We haven't even started."
I could tell, however, that these helicopters were bringing in huge trucks. Almost every single one of the choppers had a truck dangling down from it by four ropes tied together.
"Sarah, uh, I don't think Hammond would do something like this," I said quietly.
