Hey all, I do have every chapter from here on out planned, it's just a matter of writing them. This chapter grew to be longer than I planned for it to be, but that's okay. I hope everyone has a good weekend or day, whatever day it is you are reading this.
Enjoy!
"I don't even know how you're going to get Wade to leave this place long enough," Lemon sighed, from her spot in the booth. Books of party ideas strewn about the table Zoe and Lemon have paper and a pen to write down ideas and what needs to be done.
"I've got that covered," Zoe said, waving her friend's concern away. "We won't even be in town. I can stay if you're going to need my help," she offered.
"Nope, I've got this covered," Lemon said, shaking her head. "Party planning is my expertise. I can't mess anything up, you've so kindly laid everything out in order of how to get things set up," she playfully stated, motioning to that sheet of paper outlining what needs to be done at what time.
"Lemon, I don't like leaving all of this on you," Zoe sighed.
"Hogwash," Lemon snorted. "The hardest part is keeping that husband of yours away long enough for this to get set up for him," she stated, flipping through a book to write something down.
"Whose party?" Wade asked, walking over to bring his wife a refill of tea and Lemon a glass of club soda. "You know what, I don't even want to know, because I won't be a part of this," he stated, pointing to Lemon and Zoe, "craziness," he finished, taking the dirty dishes leaving them be.
"We should have done this at my house," Lemon sighed, getting everything in order.
"It's not a big surprise party," Zoe retorted. "He already knows I'm planning something for his big day," Zoe retorted. "He doesn't want to know, so I won't tell him," she shrugged.
"Still, I'll go back to my place and work on getting things done, and I will run it by you later for the okay," Lemon stated, putting everything into a folder, so it didn't get wrecked in the bag she placed it upon.
"If you're sure you don't need my help," Zoe told her. She didn't mind helping out. Her day is completely free. Wade's working, Will is in Fairhope with his girlfriend, Aurora is off having an adventure with Grandpa Earl. As much as she enjoys working, she has cut back her hours over the years, not wanting to miss out on the lives her children live. Zoe works a few days out of the week and as much as she enjoys work, being with her family brings her more joy.
"I've got it," Lemon nodded. "It's rather nice to plan something this over the top, my kids refuse parties like this," she smiled.
"As teens they don't want their mother's any longer," Zoe sighed, going through the same thing with Will. They have a great relationship, but they no longer want the big parties, and the simple things they wanted as little kids. Instead, it's about his friends. Zoe doesn't mind, in fact she loves that he wants to be out with his friends having fun and making the most of his childhood.
"Isn't that true," Lemon sighed. "I don't even know how many times a day I need to chase my son from his room to spend time with his family. And to make matters worse he is looking into colleges in California, if he even decides to go," Lemon huffed on the verge of tears.
She couldn't imagine the pain that was causing Lemon. Zoe wouldn't know that feeling for another 3 years before Will is off out in the world by himself. She does know it wasn't easy for her dad to let her go.
"You have to let him grow, Lemon. What he does with his life is up to him. You can't force him to go to school after high school if he doesn't want to," Zoe tried telling her friend with a sigh.
"Yes, that's what's been told to me," Lemon sighed. "I just don't want him to make any mistakes and regret it later on in life," she spilled. Who did want that for their kids?
"A lesson he needs to learn himself. It's horrible at what's at cost, but there's not much we can do," Zoe shared.
"I need to speak to the Mayor," Lemon stated with a sparkle in her eye at the very idea of what she wants to set up.
"What do you have in mind?" Zoe asked curious to see what her friend had in mind. Many things that Lemon comes up with scares her, this time she's not sure if she should be scared of the idea or join in.
"They have a career day at school, but it doesn't have that big of an impact on you at such a young age, local colleges come and talk, but it's nothing like we need," Lemon said, Zoe agreed with her friend there.
"I agree with you there," Zoe told her friend. "Tell me what you have planned, and I can help you convince Lavon," she said. Anything to help her kids is something she can easily get on board for.
"I was thinking we get town square set up with different booths and fill them with different colleges, and people from town. Some with no college degrees like Wade," she said, not to be mean, because despite not continuing his education after high school he still made something of his life. "You can have a booth as well," Lemon stated.
"You don't need to bribe me, I'm on your side, with all of this. Have a real career day for everyone. To get them to see what's really out there. Let's do it," Zoe nodded.
Lemon nodded, and together they went out in search of Lavon to get things set up. If they did get the green light to do this, which Zoe's sure Lavon will do, the hardest part is going to be to get a representative from different colleges and universities to their little town. Whatever the trouble Zoe doesn't mind going to the length to give her kids a chance to thrive after high school.
"Where's your brother?" Zoe asked, entering the house to see Aurora on the couch reading a book. Things with Lavon took a bit longer than either one figured it would. Lavon jumped right in and helped figure more of it out, saying he could pull some favors. They found a time, a few months away, for the event to take place. So by the time Zoe made it home both of her kids should have been back from their days outings.
"He's in his room. Stella broke up with him, that's what I can gather," she shrugged. "He's been a mess," she informed her mom.
Zoe sighed, heading up to her son's room to talk to him. Your first heartbreak isn't an easy one to deal with. She can remember when she was 15 and Chase broke up with her. It felt like her world ended, that her heart broke into a million tiny shreds. Zoe can laugh at it now as they had only been dating for three whole weeks. Loving as a teen was easy and nothing like the love she's experienced as an adult. She may be able to laugh at the heartbreak she suffered at her son's age, but his heartbreak wasn't going to be something they can laugh at.
"Will," Zoe called out, knocking on his bedroom door.
"It's open," he called out, pausing the game he was playing, dropping the controller.
Zoe studied her son, but couldn't find red swollen puffy eyes or a stuffy nose from crying. His anger and sadness weren't out. Sitting on his bed playing video games, he seemed calm and happy. It didn't look like he had been dealt with a breakup. Zoe sat at his desk, spinning the chair to face her son.
"Aurora mentioned something about Stella breaking up with you," Zoe tossed out, watching his reaction. Will didn't flinch or look away. His face stayed neutral through it. "How are you holding up?" She asked.
"How am I supposed to be holding up?" He asked his mom. "I'm not going to cry because she squeezed the life right out of my heart," he hissed. Zoe remained quiet as he let his emotions get the best of him. "I tried to get her to stay, she refused. What's there to say?" He asked his mom. He wouldn't pine over her. She's the one missing out on what their relationship could be.
"It's okay to be sad about the breakup," Zoe shared, getting up. She'd have Wade talk to him later. What she went through and what her son is going through, where they might be the same on paper, they weren't the same and this is one of the areas that Wade needs to chat with him.
"I am sad about it, but I won't let it ruin me," he told her, picking his controller back up. "I get you want to help me, but I really need time to process. I will come to you or dad," he told his mom.
"Okay," Zoe nodded, walking to the door. "Dinner will be a good 45 minutes to an hour," she informed him, letting the topic of his breakup go. Everyone deals with them differently.
"Can we have Mac n' Cheese with shrimp?" He asked, giving his mom the saddest look he could. "I did just get my heart stomped all over," he tacked on for extra measure.
"I'll see if your dad can grab some shrimp on his way home," Zoe told him, shaking her head at her son. She wanted to make him comfort food so the baked Mac n' Cheese was on the table, the shrimp wasn't. Will had recently taken to shrimp having stayed away from it when he was little.
"Thanks Mom," Will smiled, going back to playing his video game.
Zoe shook her head, shutting his bedroom door calling Wade as he made her way downstairs to the kitchen to get started on the Mac n' Cheese. She was ready to leave a voicemail as she didn't think he would pick up in time when his voice rang out.
"Hey, sorry, I'm running late, but I'm out the door," Wade stated, grabbing what he needed. Ever since the kids were little they made it a priority to have dinner as a family every night. There were a few days over the years that it couldn't be possible.
"That's not why I'm calling," Zoe sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Will has requested shrimp Mac n' Cheese and I couldn't say no. Stella broke up with him today," she informed her husband.
"I'll grab the shrimp on my way," he sighed, feeling bad for his son. "How's he doing?" Wade asked, locking his office up and using the back door to leave the Jammer.
"He says he's fine," Zoe shared. "He's playing video games. It's out of my element because I don't know how guys deal with breakups, it's not the same," she sighed. All she wanted to do is comfort her son over what's a tough time for him.
"It's not the same, the last thing he wants to do is cry into a pint of ice cream and talk about feelings," Wade teased her.
"It would do you some good," Zoe retorted back playfully.
"We can have ice cream and talk emotions after dinner," Wade suggested. "I'm on my way," he said, getting into his car. He hadn't felt like walking in the rain today, happy to see it cleared up in mid-afternoon.
Growing up he did have a few girlfriends, he couldn't say he loved them as they never lasted long enough to fall in love with them. He may have let an I love you slip a time or two, because he didn't want to fight. As a teen he didn't know what love meant, at that age it meant a heated make-out session behind the bleachers, while reaching second base or a halfway to third. He's had the talk with his son before, but now that he's older Wade's starting to think that it's time to revisit that talk. When he went to talk to Will about the breakup or the lack of talk about everything, he'd move it into the whole safe sex talk, just because he doesn't know if or when his son will decide it's time. Better to be safe.
Getting home he greeted his wife with a kiss, handing over the shrimp. He popped his head into the living room to say hello to his baby girl. Aurora didn't even look up from her book as she replied. Wade chuckled heading upstairs to talk with his son.
"Is it safe to come in?" Wade asked, gently knocking on his son's door.
"Yeah," Will called out, pausing his game once again. "Let me guess mom told you?" He asked with a sigh.
"She did," Wade nodded. "We don't like having secrets," he told his son. "And I want to make sure my son is good," he shared, sitting next to Will on the bed, grabbing the second controller, to play a round of Madden with his son.
"I'm fine," Will sighed, restarting the game to include his dad. "It sucks that she broke up with me, but it wasn't like we were friends to begin with," he shared.
"That doesn't matter," Wade said. "Being with someone you have feelings for, and they call it quits cuts deep, and I don't want you to bottle your feelings up. Men can share their feelings and express their emotions the same way women can, never think you can't," he shared, giving his son a nudge.
"I know," Will nodded. "I just don't want to talk about it. When I do, I will find you," he stated.
"Okay, and as embarrassing as you think this is, it's not because it's life, so I need to know that when you're ready to take any steps with your next girlfriend or any of them that come after, that you're being safe," he shared, waiting for his son to pick his team.
"For the record, I haven't crossed that line and I won't until I'm ready. And we've gone over being safe, and I will be when that time comes," he shared. "I'm not embarrassed by it," he shrugged.
"Okay," Wade nodded. "Just know I'm here anytime you need to talk," he assured his son.
Just like that all topics of breakups and of life stopped as they played a little football until it was time to get washed up for dinner.
"I'm so sorry, I let the ball drop on the party," Lemon apologized, joining Zoe at the practice. "I've just been busy getting things set up and created for this town wide career day; it slipped my mind," she sighed.
"I get it and don't worry about it. We'll just have a little party with family. He wouldn't have liked what we planned anyway," Zoe told her. She would rather have a small birthday celebration than a big one, it made more sense and more Wade. "How is everything coming along?" Zoe asked, having time to have a chat with her friend, with no patients in the waiting room.
"Slow, but it's all a work in progress," Lemon sighed, glancing at the clock. "I've got to run, I only stopped in to apologize for not pulling through on the party for Wade."
"It's fine, go, I would hate for you to be late on my account," Zoe told her. She'd get Earl and Jesse to help her get Earl's place set up for Wade's big day. With Lemon flaking on her, it was a huge blessing in disguise.
Lemon smiled and rushed out of Zoe's office. Zoe went to pick her phone up to call Earl when she spotted her son enter her office with blood all over his white shirt. "What happened?" Zoe asked, getting up and following her son into the exam room.
"Brady wouldn't shut up about Stella and why she broke things off," Will sighed. "I know violence is never the answer, but I couldn't help it," he explained, removing the ice pack he had over his bloody throbbing nose.
"No, it's not, and we'll discuss this with your dad later tonight," she told her son, taking a look at his nose, as she gently cleaned the dried blood from his face. With just looking at it, she could tell it was broken. His nose stood slightly crooked and both eyes were slowly turning black and blue.
"I'll take whatever punishment you want to dish out without complaint," he told his mom.
"Mind telling me what happened? Brady's been your best friend for the last ten years," Zoe said, getting a nose splint. Brady is the first friend he made in kindergarten.
"It's nothing," Will said, wincing when his mom placed the splint on his nose.
"It's something. You wouldn't end up with a broken nose over nothing," Zoe told him, taping it in place.
"Can I explain when Dad is around? I don't want to tell the story twice," he sighed.
"Yeah, that will be fine. Go straight home," Zoe warned him.
"Yes Mom," Will said, jumping off the exam table to go straight home. He doesn't want to be in more trouble than he already is in.
The rest of her work day went by slowly, knowing she was watching the time to when she could pack up and head home. Wade had the day off, so he'd already be home. She really wants to know what Brady said to make Will resort to fighting. Arguing with your friends is common, but getting mad enough to cause physical harm is something else.
On her walk home she made a call to Earl to discuss having a small get together at his house for Wade's birthday, Earl easily agreed and said it would be handled. When she walked through the door, Will and Wade were waiting for her in the living room. Aurora up in her room. She took a seat next to Wade, waiting to hear their son out.
"It's stupid," Will sighed. "Basically Brady was saying that she only went out with me because the person she wanted to date was with someone else and that she didn't even like me, and the first chance she got to break up she took it because the other kid had broken up with his girlfriend," he explained.
"And that required you to punch your best friend?" Wade asked. He's been mad at his friends and fought them, but it was when he was drunk, and not over anything like that.
"He made me mad for not only talking to me like that but making Stella sound like some harlot," he sighed. "And I couldn't let that slide," he shrugged.
"I can appreciate what you did for Stella, but we don't go around punching our best friends or anyone for that matter," Zoe told her son.
"It won't happen again, and I've already apologized to Brady, and he apologized, and we're good," Will shared.
"Go up to your room while we figure out your punishment," Wade told him. Will nodded and left his parents alone. "I don't think we might agree on this, but I think he's learned his lesson the hard way. He's already patched things up with Brady and I don't think we should punish him," Wade shared with his wife.
"I've been thinking about his punishment since he walked into my office with a busted nose and I think that is punishment enough. So I do agree with you. He learned his lesson the hard way, and he took it upon himself to make amends without being told. Grounding him and taking things away won't teach him what he already knows," she said, being on the very same page as her husband.
"Okay," Wade nodded, surprised Zoe was there with him. "I'll go tell him," he shared, getting up. He pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead before going to talk to his son.
Zoe sighed, falling back into the couch. She really hoped that Will has learned his lesson because next time they won't be taking it easy on him. Zoe smiled, opening her arms to give her daughter a hug as Aurora joined her on the couch. "How was your day, my girl?" Zoe asked, ready to listen to what happened to her daughter.
"You can't tell me this is what you planned with Lemon?" Wade asked, coming to take a seat next to his wife outside, watching the kids play together in the backyard.
"No, this was plan B," Zoe smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. "There was supposed to be a party at the Jammer for your 50th, but things happened and this seemed like the better fit for you," she explained.
"Yeah I agree," Wade nodded, kissing her temple, as he pulled her closer.
"Look who is finally the big 5-0," Jesse chuckled, leaning against the railing on the back porch.
"Why are you laughing?" Wade asked with a smirk. "It won't be too many more years, and you'll be in your 60s," he retorted, wiping the smile right off his brother's face.
"Don't mention it," Jesse sulked.
"I'll make sure to re-gift the cane," Wade teased. As a gag gift, Jesse had gotten him a cane.
"You would," Jesse laughed.
They had a nice cookout, complete with cake, ice cream and presents. It was by far better than any kind of party they threw for him at the Jammer. Getting time with family was the only gift he needed. It wouldn't be much longer before he wouldn't be able to enjoy family gatherings like this.