There was a quiet that filled the house as the sunlight burst through the window, the atmosphere as bright as it was every day in Albuquerque at noon. Two young men sat in silence at the table, not exactly uncomfortable but a little out of place in the unremarkable suburban home. A blonde woman stood, leaning against the kitchen counter as she half-listened to a conversation over the phone. Skyler sipped at a warm cup of coffee, eying the men at the table with concern as she pressed the cell snug against her cheek.
Marie had been talking her ear off for thirty minutes now and, like always, Skyler allowed her to get it all out of her system. As much as she hated to admit it, her younger, eccentric sister had come out of the whole Heisenberg ordeal much better than Skyler herself had. Perhaps it was due to her sister's denying, carefree nature, or maybe it was because her husband didn't turn out to be the key player of the most powerful drug empire in the United States. Nevertheless, while Skyler had spent the last eight years wallowing in hopelessness, Marie had long since moved on.
"His name is Devon," she prattled about some new man she had met at the DMV, "He's an orthopedic surgeon. Would you believe it? Divorced, rich, and a total silver fox if you ask me. He has two kids, though, which isn't too much of a deal breaker since they're both in high school and spend most of the time with their mother anyway. I mean, we've only been on two dates but I'm telling you, Sky, I feel like we have some real potential."
Skyler moaned in agreement as she had been doing for the last six years since Marie started dating regularly again. She let her sister yammer on about Devon just as she had for George and Chris and Rodney and all the other names that came and went. Skyler had already prepared for the conversation that would come in a few weeks: the one detailing why things with Devon didn't work out and how Marie never really saw herself marrying him in the long run. She knew her sister would make some comment dripping with thinly-veiled condescension about how she should do what Skyler's been doing and 'focus on herself.' And Skyler would 'hmm' in response.
But she had to cut the conversation short this time. She had actually invited Flynn and- she still couldn't believe it-Jesse Pinkman over for lunch. She had given it a lot of thought, and as much as she hated to admit it, it actually felt good to talk to somebody about the whole ordeal. Sure, there was always Marie, but the only comfort her sister could offer was to talk about how horrible of a man her former husband was. While she believed every word of it, that sort of dialogue only served to make her feel worse. Marie hadn't experienced all of that pain firsthand. Marie was not as close to Walt as she had been: as Jesse had been.
Jesse was unique because he spoke as a person who had really cared about her husband, no matter how much pain it caused him: a perspective that was as refreshing as a cool drink of water in the middle of the Albuquerque desert. She never knew how much she needed to hear his side of things, and she still wouldn't admit to how much she enjoyed his company. She'd have him over from time to time, always using her son as a buffer in case it seemed for a moment that she actually liked having Pinkman around. He got her to talk in a way that she hadn't since she found out about Walt's criminal actions. It was such a cliché thing to say, but she could feel the weight of the past near-decade lifted from her shoulders. It was as if, after years of trudging in the shadows, there was finally a light at the end of this Heisenberg tunnel.
"Sky?" the muffled voice echoed into her ear, "Skyler, are you still there?"
"Yes, Marie, I'm still here," she murmured, holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder. Flynn and Jesse were sitting patiently at the kitchen table, and Skyler held up a finger to indicate that she was close to hanging up. They could hear Marie chattering through the phone even from their seats, and Jesse didn't know how to feel at the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in ages. His usual go-to emotion for that sort of thing was guilt, and it was a fitting one for the women whose husband died right in front of him. He shivered, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that was creeping into his stomach.
"You don't mind if I stop by, do you Sky?" she piped, inviting herself over as usual. Skyler's pale blue eyes flickered with panic, scanning the two young men sitting at the kitchen table before uttering a worried reply.
"Uh, actually Marie," she stammered, staring directly at Jesse, "Now's not a good time." The scruffy man could sense what was going on and began to panic himself.
"Hm, that's too bad," Marie hummed on the other end of the phone, "Because I just pulled into the neighborhood. I'm just gonna check in." At this Skyler began to pace, running a thin-fingered hand through her loose blonde hair before responding.
"Marie, really. Don't," she insisted, practically shouting through the phone, "Now is a really bad time." Jesse tensed up, preparing to stand from his chair to leave. Skyler stood in silence, waiting for her sister to reply.
"Have you been drinking again?" Marie questioned, and Skyler had never felt so patronized. After all the years that she had gotten on her younger sister about her stealing or lying or mouthing off, the tables had finally turned. Skyler was horrified that Marie would even ask such a question.
"Marie, no," she swore, "It isn't that." Skyler waited again for her sister's voice, practically feeling her disbelief through the phone.
"I just pulled into the driveway," Marie replied quietly, "I'm coming in."
Skyler ran to the front of her house, peering out the window only to see the purple figure drawing near. She locked the front door just as Marie reached into her purse, pulling out the spare key she had practically forced Skyler to give her. It was not uncommon for Marie to check up on her from time to time given the depressed state she was constantly in, but now was the worst possible moment for her to arrive. Soon, she was knocking on the door.
"I'm not leaving until you let me in, Sky!" Marie yellowed through the door, jiggling the knob and pushing against her sister's weight. Skyler tried to keep it shut, but she was awfully weak these days. It wasn't before long that Marie had pushed her way in, an offended scowl etched onto her pale face.
"What is the matter with you?" Skyler screamed at her sister, who winced at her outburst. Marie stood her ground, shouting back with the same strength.
"I'm your sister!" she retorted with the same look she always used when she didn't see anything wrong with her actions, "So sue me for making sure you weren't drinking yourself into a stupor!" Skyler crossed her arms, blocking her sister from the kitchen.
"Well, here you have it. Sober as ever," she scowled, gesturing over herself, "Now if you would please go…"
"Is that Flynn I see?" she asked, pushing Skyler aside. The older sister quickly tugged at her purple cardigan, keeping her from walking any further. Marie squirmed, trying to break free from Skyler's grasp. "Can't a woman visit with her nephew?"
"Aunt Marie,.." Flynn began hesitantly, standing and holding up his hands to keep her from going any further. She smiled up at the young man, forgetting about the fuming woman behind her.
"How are you, sweetie?" she asked, holding out her sweater-clad arms, "Give your aunt a hug!" Flynn obliged, wrapping her is an embrace and trying to turn her away from the kitchen as her chin rested on his shoulder. Unfortunately, it was too late.
"Who's your friend?"
The room fell silent. Flynn felt his aunt's arms around him slacken as she stumbled backwards not believing what she saw. Skyler and Flynn stood side by side with matching wary faces as Marie drank in the scene in front of her. Jesse straightened in his chair, blue eyes wide and flashing with fright.
"Hello, Mrs. Schrader."
Author's note: Sorry that these chapters seem a bit disconnected and random. It'll all connect in the end (I hope). :-)
