Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys!! Spring Break arc begins. Hope you guys like it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 52: Confiding
Julie stood patiently at baggage claim, waiting for her suitcase to come around. She was tired, her head hurt, and she just wanted to sleep away her entire spring break. She couldn't close her eyes while she was waking. All she saw was Jimmy, confused and sad as she handed the ring back to him. Her heart broke all over again. She wanted him, so badly, but it was over, it had been for months, they both just has to learn to live without one another.
"Hey kid," Cal walked over, "Sorry I'm late." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged herself close.
"Hi Daddy," She whispered. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," He said. "Are you OK?" She nodded. "Are you sure? You've been weird the past few phone calls."
"I um," She sighed, "I'm good. I went with Tammy to a couple therapy sessions." He nodded and they walked to the car. He put her bag in the trunk. "How's Mikey?"
"He stood up the other day," Cal said proudly. Julie looked at him and nodded, scratching her shoulder, "Whoa." He grabbed her hand.
"What?" She said.
"Where's that ring?"
"What ring?" She mumbled pulling her hand away, sheepishly.
"The little gold one with the red stone that you never take off," He laughed and looked at her. "The one that you almost had a nervous breakdown over because you took it off to do the dishes in August and then couldn't find it." She looked down. "Jimmy gave it to you right?" She nodded. "Did you break up?"
"Dad, I don't really want to talk about it." She looked out the window.
"OK," He nodded, "Have you heard from your mother?"
"Dad," She groaned. "Jaime is the last person I want to talk to at this point." He sighed. "She sent me a letter," She mumbled, "I didn't read it closely but apparently she's been in Italy a lot. Josh is traveling for work."
"I see," He nodded. She closed her eyes. "Julie, honey, I'm worried about you."
"Really, I'm fine," She shrugged, "Jimmy and I broke up, it's not the end of the world. I can live without Mom, I did it for fourteen years."
Kelly smiled as she slid into a booth with Liam at a diner in New York. They'd been holed up in his parents' Upper West Side apartment since Spring Break began, even if they hadn't actually had sex yet, but he'd insisted that she needed to try to fries at this place. He slid next to her and kissed her on the cheek and then began tonguing her ear. She giggled. He slid his hand onto her thigh.
"Liam," She blushed, "We're in public." He rode it up and down her inner thigh and she shuddered happily, "There's more to me than what's in there you know."
"I do know that," He teased, "But I love it in between your thighs, I'd live there if I could." She kissed him.
"You're a very dirty boy," She whispered. He laughed and they kissed harder.
"Kelly?" She stopped at looked up.
"Emily," She swallowed, "Uh, hi."
"Hey," Emily nodded. "Liam, I'm guessing."
"Yeah," Liam smiled, "Kelly must have told you about me, it's always nice to meet her friends."
"Emily's not exactly," Kelly sighed, she'd spent weeks convincing Scooter that she wasn't planning on spending Spring Break with Liam, and she hadn't planned to, like everything with him, it just sort of happened. "Liam Nichols, this is Emily Vanderbilt." Emily waved awkwardly, "How is everything? How's the gallery?"
"Gallery's fine," Emily said. "Scottie said you were going home for Spring Break."
"It's not really Scottie's business what I do anymore," Kelly said snottily. Emily nodded.
"You should stop by while you're in town," Emily said, "Dave's series on Janet really is spectacular," Kelly nodded, "Nice meeting you Liam." She walked away.
"That's his," Liam asked, "Sister? Sister in law? What?"
"His cousin," She sighed, "She's amazing, and smart and talented, she's openly bisexual, which is really cool, because she's not really in your face about it. She and his brother Dave own and run this amazing gallery down in SoHo, it would be cool to go."
"You want to go see your exboyfriend's brother's photos of your exboyfriend's other exgirlfriend?" He said.
"Dave really is a brilliant photographer," She said, "And I haven't seen them in a really long time. There are some really great shots of my legs when I was seventeen if you want to check those out."
"That's disgusting," He raised his eyebrows.
"That's Dave," She laughed. She was trying to cover how sad she was feeling. These people weren't her family anymore, she hadn't learned how to accept it yet.
Rick sat on his and Cassie's bed staring at the opened envelope. He still hadn't read the letter. He was afraid to. He didn't even know how to deal with it. It seemed like the world was crashing in around him though, so maybe hearing from his mother would help him. He pulled the stationary out.
Dearest Ricky,
Well, sweetheart, I'm sure your father told you why you're getting this letter. You're going to be a father. This is my way of giving you parenting advice.
First of all, whoever this child's mother is (I have my own hopes for who she is, but I'll keep that to myself.) love her dearly, no matter what happens she's giving you something very special, respect that.
Secondly, cherish every second with your children. Richard, nothing has ever meant more to me than the time I had with you and your sister and brother. You were the most precious gift God gave me.
Thirdly, if the baby won't sleep, I suggest keeping it in the bed with you, at least for a while. I used to sleep with you close to me, it was the only way to stop your crying.
I love you so much, and know that I'm proud of you. I know you'll be a wonderful father, because I've seen you care for Jimmy and Kelly over the past few years. You'll be wonderful, congratulations.
All my Love,
Mom
He smiled. It had everything he wanted, her humor, the way she could make everything seem alright with just a word.
"Hi," Cassie walked in.
"Hi," He looked at her, "How are we doing?"
"Ugh," She lowered down slowly, "We're moving very slowly." He laughed. "You read the letter." He nodded. "What was Evelyn's advice?"
"If the baby won't sleep we should have it in bed with us," He said. "I don't know. I just wish I could talk to her."
"Mm," Cassie nodded. "I know you do." She kissed him. "It's only two months away." She swallowed. He nodded. "I'm scared."
"Don't be," He whispered and kissed her, "We're great. We've got our nest egg together now. And you're healthy and Eva's healthy. We're never going to have to buy this child clothes between Tammy and Allie," Cassie laughed. "I love you."
"I love you too," She said. "I just like hearing you reassure me."
"Oh Tammy," Ana looked at herself in the mirror. Tammy smiled. "Sweetheart, it's gorgeous."
"I thought that ivory was more appropriate," Tammy said, "And you said you didn't want a gown."
"I'm way too old to wear a wedding gown," Ana laughed. Tammy frowned.
"You aren't, but it's fine, I have like fifty gowns to make anyway, for prom, so the cocktail dress it is," Tammy laughed. "And Kelly and I agreed on pink roses."
"No," Ana shook her head, "Lavender." Tammy looked at her. "It's the only thing Tom asked for sweetheart."
"Fine, you fight Kelly," Tammy shrugged, and plopped on the couch, "Why lavender?"
"They were Evelyn's favorite," Ana said softly. Tammy looked at her. "I think it's nice."
"Does it bother you?" Tammy asked. Ana sat down next to her.
"No," She said, "Honey, it doesn't. He loves her, I wouldn't want him to ever not, it's the same way I still love your dad."
"Dad didn't die," Tammy said. "But that can happen? You can love more than one person."
"Yes," Ana nodded, "Is everything alright with you and Fulton? Is there someone else?"
"No, it's not me," She shook her head, "It's just all my friends." Ana nodded.
"People fall in and out of love kiddo," Ana shrugged, "But that doesn't mean they stop caring about each other. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but someday you and Fulton might," Tammy swallowed, "I know how after next year, you want to go to New York, to FIT."
"Parsons," Tammy said. Ana looked at her. "I don't want to go to FIT anymore, I want to go to Parsons, The New School. Its way harder to get into, but it's the design school of the new millennium."
"Yeah," Ana said, "But either way, it's in New York." Tammy nodded. "So what if you meet someone in New York? Do you think you wouldn't care about Fulton anymore?"
"Why would I need anyone else?" Tammy asked.
"I'm not saying it will happen," Ana sighed, "I don't want it to, but sometimes people outgrow each other. It happened to me and your dad, right?"
"Right," Tammy said. "Is it hard to let go of something like that?"
"Are you for you?" Ana asked, "Or for a certain future step brother and a certain pair of best friends?" Tammy nodded. "You guys are young, this is part of growing up."
"Do you regret that you and Daddy stayed together so long?" Tammy lowered her head.
"No," Ana said, "If I had broken up with your dad in high school like a normal human, I never I would have had you and Tommy." Tammy laughed. "I do love your dad, honey, but sometimes people aren't made for forever."
"And you think you and Tom are?" Tammy asked.
"I hope so," Ana smiled. "Alright, the dress is perfect."
"It's not," Tammy said, "I have to finish the hem, and the beading's not quite right."
"Tammy," Ana said shushing her, "It's perfect. You need to focus on getting better. You've been distracting yourself."
"I am better Mom," Tammy assured her. "I even stopped seeing the scared girl."
"How's your sex life?" Ana said.
"Mom!" Tammy stood up. "I'm not talking about this with you. Besides, I don't have sex, I never have had sex."
"Tamara," Ana said, "I am not an idiot. Also Pauline found you and Fulton naked in your bed last year." Tammy frowned. "So?"
"I'm going to go over to Fulton's," Tammy said.
"That's what I thought," Ana smiled as Tammy grabbed her coat and walked outside. She walked down the street to Fulton's.
"Hey," He answered the door. "Why didn't you call?" She stepped up and crushed her face against his. "Whoa, hi?"
"Hi," She smiled. "Um, so even though all our friends are breaking up, and I'm moving to New York after graduation, you're always going to love me right?"
"Of course," He nodded. "I always have loved you, that's never going to change." He ran his hand over her hair. "Why?"
"I just love you so much," She kissed him again. "I'm ready Fulton."
"Are you sure this time?" He asked. She nodded.
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