Hey!
So like everyone wants Lou and Josh to have a conversation. Well...not yet! I have the next twenty chapters mapped out, so that isn't going to happen for a while...sorry! :)
Enjoy!
Leo scratched the back of his head. "I don't understand. What's so bad about her? I've met her. She's my mum's best friend. I mean," he shrugged. "Auntie Mara's really nice."
"She's just annoying. Why is she happy being around us? And she comes over for dinner last night and suddenly she's a part of the family? Why does dad even like her? God, I hate her." Josh mumbled, staring up at his ceiling. "She's gotta be faking this. But dad doesn't have that much money…"
"Dude, she couldn't be after your dad for money." Leo shook his head with a chuckle.
"How would you know?" he snapped.
He looked up at him in shock and then swallowed, standing up. "Sorry, mate, I think I should go. Maybe you should talk to your dad about this or something."
"Leo, wait," Josh sighed, but he was already gone.
Louisa skipped into the kitchen and grabbed her father's arm. "Daddy, guess what!"
"What?" he chuckled.
"My play opens Saturday! Only a few more days! I'm so excited!" she squealed. "Will you come?"
"Of course, I will. Everyone will be there. I'll make sure of it."
"Everyone in drama is so nice. Fiona and Danni are there so they're already good friends. And then there's Amy and Quinn and Ben and Taylor. They're all so supportive and talented."
"Good," Jerome smiled. "How much are the tickets?"
"Five for children eight and under; and thirteen for children over nine, and adults," Louisa replied, pressing her lips together.
"Jeez, that's a lot of cash." he breathed.
"Sorry, daddy," she giggled.
Amber scooped a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into her mouth and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Alfie, if the baby's a boy, what would you name him?"
"Um, Rusty,"
Amber made a face at her ice cream. "I think it should be…Theodore."
Alfie's head shot up.
"If it was a girl?"
He blinked. "Kassidy."
"I like Rose."
"Kassidy."
"Rose, Boo."
"Kassidy, Ambs."
"Rose Kassidy, then," she shrugged.
"Kassidy Rose—"
"Alfie," she huffed.
"Amber," he mimicked her.
His wife took a deep breath and spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth. "Fine, Kassidy Rose."
"No, Ambs, Rose Kassidy is fine." He assured her.
"Alfie," she snapped and he looked at her wide-eyed. She smiled. "I like Kassidy Rose better."
Gracie smiled at her sisters and stood up on the chair at the dining room table. "Good morning, everyone, and welcome to my mother and daughters' tea party," she hopped off the chair and landed on the floor, her black tap shoes smacking the hardwood. She straightened her tiara and picked up the tea pot, which had belonged to Jerome's grandmother, and Jerome had been generous, allowing her to use it for such a special occasion. She carefully cradled it and stepped up to Mara's chair. "Would you care for tea, Miss Jaffray?"
"Yes, thank you, Miss Clarke," the woman smiled and held her tea cup out so Gracie could pour it, almost expertly.
Gracie carefully walked around the table to where Louisa and Alice sat. "Would you care for tea, Miss Clarke?"
Louisa held her up out. "Yes, please, thank you, Miss Clarke."
Gracie turned to Alice. "Would you care for tea, Miss Clarke?" And Alice accepted gratefully.
Once Gracie was seated and they had dished themselves small sandwiches, Louisa spoke up, "Gracie, where did you learn how to serve tea?"
"Felicity, the American Girl Doll movie," she blinked.
"Leo," Josh called, walking into the Lewis' backyard.
Leo looked up from where he sat on the tire swing. "Hi, Josh."
"Look, I…I'm sorry that I snapped." He ground out and Leo laughed, cutting him off.
"You're not good at apologies, are you?" Leo shook his head in amusement and hopped off the tire. "Don't worry about it mate. I keep forgetting that you're different from my other friends. I have to get used to being friends with a Clarke. That's what my dad said. It's hard."
"Yeah, because no one can put up with us for that long," Josh mumbled.
"No, I'll put up with you forever dude. You're my best mate."
Josh stared at him and a smirked pulled at the corner of his lips. "I still think you're annoying."
"Well, this was your most elegant tea party, Gracie. Thank you for inviting all of us." Alice smiled.
"I wanted to make it perfect for Mara."
"Aw, thank you, sweetheart." She smiled, standing so she could peck Gracie's cheek.
"I'm not interrupting am I?" Jerome asked, entering the room from the kitchen. He grabbed a green apple from the bowl that had been pushed to the end of the table and took a bite.
"No, we're done, daddy," Gracie smiled.
"Did you have fun?"
She nodded immediately.
"Good," he ruffled her hair and walked over to Mara, giving her a once over, eyeing her crimson dress.
"What? Don't you like it?" she asked.
"I haven't seen you in red since we were seventeen…." He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her. "Beautiful."
"Hush," she scolded bashfully.
"Okay, kiddies, and Mara," Jerome winked, standing at the head of the table. "Announcement—"
"We're meeting another girlfriend?" Josh asked boredly.
Jerome chose to ignore him. "Louisa's play at school, Beauty and the Beast, will be opening Saturday night. So if anyone has plans, cancel them, because we're all going." His eyes flitted to Josh briefly. "All of us."
"Mara you are coming, right?" Louisa asked hopefully.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she promised.
"And Auntie Poppy, Uncle Gabe and your cousins will be coming over as well." Jerome added.
"Really?" Gracie squealed.
And her siblings echoed her excitement with their own exclamations.
"Does everyone understand that from seven to nine, you will be with us?"
"Yes, sir," they nodded.
Mara attempted to wiggle out of Jerome's arms but he just squeezed her tighter and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"Don't leave," he mumbled.
"J, I have school tomorrow. I have to go home." She laughed, turned and pecked his lips.
He sighed sadly and hung his head.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she promised, lifting his face and kissing him again before heading out the door.
"You know, one of these days," he called after her as she made her way down the walkway, and she turned to him, "You'll leave here in the morning and come back in the afternoon. This is where you belong."
"Be patient, J." she blew him a kiss and continued on her way.
Review?
So...who wants to go to a BVB concert on 12/9 in St. Louis with me?! No one? Alright...
"And if forever never comes then I- And if forever never comes then I- And if forever never comes then I- I'll hold on and hold on. Now you know why I'm lost without you and there's nothing I can do. You're the one I can't go without. If I ain't holding on to you then I'll be holding out forever. I've got you now and I'm not letting go of you. Never be together long enough 'cause every moment I'm with you it's like I'm holding on to heaven." -Holding On To Heaven, Nickelback
-Rachel