A/N: As with Freckles' parents, the names of Jane's parents are based on those of Jane Seymour's real-life parents, John Seymour and Margery Wentworth.
P.S. Both Cate and Jane's stories take place on the same day, with Cate's story taking place in the afternoon and Jane's story taking place at night. I figured I would combine both stories into one chapter because they both happen on the same day.
It was Wednesday, December 17, 2008, when Cate was at Whitehall High's cafeteria or lunch. She had just purchased a Mountain Dew from the vending machine to go with the school lunch of the day, which was pasta with meat sauce with Caesar salad and a dinner roll on the side, when Lizzie approached her.
Lizzie nervously asked, "Hi, Cate. Can I chat with you for a bit?"
Cate, who had long forgiven Lizzie for her affair with Tommy and had been civil to her since the discovery of the affair, replied, "Sure."
After receiving the approval to talk, Lizzie found an open table for them to have lunch at and chat, and replied as soon as both she and Cate were seated, "I want to apologize to you for ruining your relationship with Tommy. I shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place. I had let my attraction and desire for him get in the way of my better judgment. And my insecurity and dependence on having a boyfriend in my life to be happy was getting in the way of my thinking too. I was weak, and I am deeply sorry for how I hurt you,"
Cate could tell that Lizzie meant every single word that she had just told her. Plus, she had gradually warmed up to Lizzie over the past two months since she ended her relationship with Tommy over the affair. She had noticed that Lizzie had stopped flirting with guys since then. Everyone at school, especially the Tudor Six, was starting to see Lizzie in a new light.
"I forgive you. I know you have been trying to work on improving yourself. We all have. And we're proud of you for it," Cate said with much honesty and warmth.
Touched and a little bit surprised that Cate was being so friendly with her, Lizzie responded, "Thanks, Cate. It took me a while to forgive myself for how I have acted over the years and topping it all off with flirting with a guy who was already in a relationship. I took the affair with Tommy as a major wakeup call. I realized I had relied too heavily on relationships and dating to make me happy over the last few years. I felt like I was incomplete without being in a relationship or having a fling or two. Yeah, I definitely acted desperate for male affection. Because of the affair, I made it a goal to learn how to love myself more."
Impressed by Lizzie's newfound wisdom, Cate said with delight, "That's wonderful! Doesn't self-love feel great?"
"Totally! It has allowed me to learn more about myself that I never knew before," Lizzie replied. She then jokingly added, "This self-discovery is even more gratifying than seeking out guys to fill the void of unhappiness I was feeling."
Both girls laughed at this comment.
The two girls then spent the rest of lunch talking about many common interests they didn't know they shared. Both were shocked to find that they shared similar interests in Old Hollywood movies and TV shows, vintage fashions, writing, and art. Both girls screamed in delight when they shared that their favorite Old Hollywood actor was Jimmy Stewart. At that point, they discussed how some of their favorite films included Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Vertigo, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear, Window, and The Philadelphia Story, all of which featured Stewart. Then, they gushed over the latest fashions of the day. The rest of lunch block went by so fast that they were startled to hear the bell ring.
"Wow! Where did that come from?! I could have sworn we were talking for only a couple of minutes," Cate exclaimed.
In disbelief that it was already time to rush for their next classes, Lizzie replied, "I know right?! Time for that race against the tardy bell once again."
Following a light sigh over how quickly time went, Cate said, "Well, I will catch up with you soon, ok?
"Sounds good! Talk soon," Lizzie said with much glee as both girls put away their lunch trays and raced to get to their next classes.
As the girls darted for their classes, they both had huge smiles on their faces. They felt glad that they were able to learn more about each other and become friends. Cate and Lizzie both knew this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
When Jane had arrived home from dress rehearsal for the Holiday Dance Show at around 6:30, she gave her mother, Mrs. Marjorie Seymour, and father, Mr. John Seymour, big hugs. She also gave a big hug to Tommy, who had been home for a few hours following a meeting with Whitehall High's Science Club.
Mrs. Seymour then asked Jane, "How was your day, sweetie?"
"Pretty good. Can't complain," Jane said.
Smelling some meatloaf cooking in the oven, Jane flashed a huge grin on her face. Her mom's homemade meatloaf was always one of her favorite meals, and she was in need of something hearty to eat after dancing her butt off at dress rehearsal.
"Mmmmm that meatloaf smells amazing as always, Mom," Jane said enthusiastically as her mouth began to water.
Mrs. Seymour then happily replied, "Thanks, honey." Handing over an envelope to Jane, she then said, "I have something for you from the Whitehall Fine Arts Scholarship Fund."
Jane's heart pounded upon hearing that news as she new exactly what was in the envelope. It was a letter which would say whether or not she had won the local Fine Arts Scholarship she had applied for the month before. She really wanted to win this scholarship as the prize amount was $5,000, which would help immensely for her first year of college. After taking a deep breath, Jane grabbed the envelope, opened it, and read the letter that was inside.
After reading the first line, she yelled with much joy, "I won! I won! I can't believe it!"
Her parents and brother all screamed in delight along with her and then congratulated her on winning the scholarship. This was followed by all four of them jumping up and down with much excitement.
"Oh my goodness! This is so wonderful, sweetie," Mrs. Seymour said with much joy.
"I know. I can't believe they chose my world peace themed quilt out of the many entries submitted," Jane replied.
Tommy responded, "I couldn't think of anyone who deserved the award more than you,"
With tears of joy running down her cheeks, Jane replied, "Thanks, Bro! To be honest though, I though Gina would win. She submitted some really nice watercolor paintings of what she envisioned world peace would look like. I thought they would go for a more traditional medium displaying the assigned topic of world peace."
Letting out a chuckle, Mr. Seymour said, "Don't underestimate yourself, darling. Gina is definitely a great artist, but you have a talent that is absolutely exceptional. You could be the next Picasso of quilting."
Jane felt more tears run down her cheeks as her father said all those kind words of endearment regarding her artistic talent. She had been doing quilting as a hobby since the age of four, when she and her family went to a local art exhibition which showcased a variety of quilts. She fell in love with the craft upon seeing the intricate designs and hearing how quilting works, and she quickly picked up on the art form. By the age of nine, she was making complex quilts that her elementary school art teacher and neighbor, Mrs. Emily O'Keeffe, compared to those of quilters who had been in the field for well over 20-30 years. It was Mrs. O'Keeffe who had encouraged Jane to apply for the Fine Arts Scholarship a few months prior, and she was thankful that she took the advice of her former teacher, who was a very close friend of the Seymour family, to submit her work.
"I am definitely going to thank Mrs. O'Keeffe after dinner for her urging me to apply for the scholarship," Jane said with much gratitude in her voice.
"Good idea, sweetheart. I remember you were hesitant about applying for it until she gave you a push to send in your work," said Mrs. Seymour.
Jane then said, "Thanks, Mom. I thank you and Dad and Tommy for also supporting me and my work also. Couldn't have gotten to this point without all of you."
"You're welcome, darling," Mr. Seymour replied.
Hearing the timer go off for the meatloaf that was in the oven, Mrs. Seymour said, "Dinner's ready! Who's hungry?"
"Me," said Jane, Tommy, and Mr. Seymour in unison.
When dinner was served, Jane thanked God for her newfound fortune. She also mentally thanked Mrs. O'Keeffe for urging her to apply for the scholarship. She then looked over at her family and gave them a smile to thank them for all their love and support over the years. Jane was truly blessed and happy.