Learning to Live Again: 4/?
By Emilie Eden
Disclaimer: See part one.
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"AHHHH!" Caitie shrieked as she jumped out of her car and ran up to Val.
Val laughed as Caitie hugged her tightly. "I missed you!"
"I missed you, too!" Caitie pulled back and sighed. "It's been too long."
"I know. I'm sorry, really, I am..." Val bit her lip. "It's just...with everything that happened..."
Caitie nodded her head as she lead Val to her car. "Yeah, I know, I don't blame you."
"Oh, hey, can you go by the house? I left my car there."
"Sure." Caitie and Val got in and started driving. "Sorry it took so long."
"No problem," Val grinned slyly. "You were busy with Jamie?"
"It's not like that," Caitie replied, glancing at Val out of the corner of her eye. "It's not."
"I didn't say anything..." Val held up her hands in defense.
"You implied," Caitie muttered under her breath. "Don't argue with me, ok? Cause I could run circles around you," she grinned.
"So I heard!" Val smiled. "Tyler told me about that. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks," Caitie blushed slightly.
"But he also told me you were single."
"So? I don't see a wedding ring on your hand, either." Caitie stuck out her tongue. "I don't need a guy around to make me happy. I'm very happy with my life as a single woman."
"Well, that's good," Val nodded her head. "At least you're not like Heather."
Caitie rolled her eyes in disgust. "If I was, I would hope you would slap me real hard. God, I can't stand her! All she does is talk about herself. It's sick! It's like, 'me me me'." Caitie sighed and looked over at Val. "Sorry you had to spend the day with her."
"I'm sorry, too," Val laughed. "You're right though, she's so annoying!" Val let out a sigh. "We only got to talk for like, five minutes. The rest of the time Heather was hanging around. Ok, yeah, she's his fiance but...I don't see how Tyler puts up with her."
"Me neither," Caitie shrugged. "You know what? We should do something to get back at her for being such a snot. If they lived in a house, we could roll their yard," she laughed.
"We'll come up with something." Val reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. "Tyler gave me his spare key before I left. Can you believe that? Heather would kill him," she grinned. "He was like, 'Oh, Val, come over anytime. If you need a place to stay, you know that I'm here for you. If you need to talk, don't hesitate to call or drop by.' Please!"
"Sounds like he still has feelings for you," Caitie commented as the car slowed to a stop.
Val rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. He's getting married, Caitie. Besides, I'm so not interested. We're not in high school anymore." She glanced out the window and saw that they were already at the house. "Oh. That was fast."
"Do you want to follow me or...?" Caitie trailed off, noticing the look on Val's face. "Val? Are you okay?"
Val nodded. "I'm fine. Yeah, I'll just follow you there." She climbed out of the car and ran to her own.
Caitie waited until Val started up her car and began driving towards her. She hit the gas and drove to her own house, every so often checking her rearview mirror to make sure Val was still behind her.
A few minutes later, Caitie pulled into her driveway. Before Val could drive in, Caitie jumped out of the car and motioned for Val to wait there.
Val leaned her head out of the window. "What?"
Caitie let out a groan. "Hold on, ok?" She walked over and pushed the motorcycle out of Val's path, muttering under her breath. "Ok!"
Val drove into the driveway and got out of her car. "You own a motorcycle," she concluded.
"Not exactly, but since it rarely leaves the driveway, you'd think it really was mine." Caitie rolled her eyes. "Do you need any help with your stuff?"
"No thanks, I got it." Val went back over to her car and started getting out her things.
"Are you sure?" Caitie asked again. She saw Val waving her away and she sighed. "Ok. I'm gonna go ahead and inside. I'm freezing."
"Ok," came the sound of Val's muffled voice.
Caitie ran inside the house and pulled off her coat. She rubbed her hands together as she blew her breath on them. "Jamie?"
Jamie stuck his head out of the kitchen door. "Yeah?"
"What are you doing?" Caitie asked, a suspicious tone in her voice.
Jamie tried to look as innocent as possible. "Uh...nothing." He smiled at her.
"Mmhmm, right." Caitie tried going into the kitchen, but Jamie popped into the living room and blocked the entrance.
"Why don't we just stay in here?" He suggested. "Where's Val?"
"James." Caitie gave him a look. "Detach yourself from the doorway and let me by."
"Oof," Val mumbled from where she was trying to get inside the door.
"I think Val needs help," Jamie announced in a sweet voice, smiling at Caitie again.
"I'm going to find out what you're up to," Caitie assured him, before going over to help Val.
Val sighed with relief when Caitie helped her drag her large duffle into the house. "I was thinking that with only having one bag, I was packing light," she mumbled. "Guess I was wrong."
Caitie laughed. "You can just leave it here in the foyer. James, being the manly man that he is, will take it to the room you're staying in."
"This is only temporary," Val reminded her.
"You're staying as long as you have to. Don't try to convince me, or yourself, otherwise. I always win." Caitie smirked at Jamie. "Isn't that right, James?"
Jamie visibly winced. "Why do you call me James? You say it just like my mother used to. 'Clean your room, James.'" He mimicked in a high pitched voice. "'Do your homework, James.'"
"Because, you're always in trouble," Caitie grinned. "James."
"Caitlin." Jamie returned, smirking to himself.
"Help me out here, Val," Caitie nudged her friend.
"Um," Val blinked in confusion. "James?"
Caitie let out a sigh. "You suck at this."
"I know," Val admitted, laughing. "What's the point of this, anyway?"
"There isn't one," Caitie shrugged. "We just like to annoy each other. We have no life. It's pretty sad, actually."
"She is correct," Jamie agreed, before adding, "Valerie!" He abandoned the kitchen door and went over to hug Val.
A little girl suddenly ran out of the kitchen and over to Caitie. "I have cookie!"
Caitie crouched down in front of the girl. "Who gave you a cookie?" She asked, already knowing the answer. The girl pointed to Jamie. "James, I'm ashamed of you. Not only is your daughter up after her bedtime, but you're giving her sugar?" Caitie sighed. "What will I do with you?"
"What? She woke up!" Jamie defended himself.
The girl then looked up at Val shyly. "Hi..." She looked about two years old, with brown eyes and dark hair that was in pigtails.
Val smiled and waved. "Hi, my name is Val." She looked over at Caitie curiously.
Jamie glanced back and forth from Caitie to Val, before holding out his hand. "Lexi, let's go read a story, ok?"
"Okie Daddy." She took Jamie's hand and he lead her down the hall.
Caitie watched them walk out, before crossing the living room and sitting down on one of the couches. Val followed her and sat beside her. "So..." Caitie began.
"I didn't know Jamie had a daughter," Val commented. "Tyler forgot to mention that."
Caitie nodded her head. "I guess Tyler forgot to mention something else then."
"What?"
"Alexia, that's her full name, she's not Jamie's daughter," Caitie replied. "Well, I mean, she is but..." Caitie took a deep breath. "She's not just Jamie's daughter. She's my daughter, too."
By Emilie Eden
Disclaimer: See part one.
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"AHHHH!" Caitie shrieked as she jumped out of her car and ran up to Val.
Val laughed as Caitie hugged her tightly. "I missed you!"
"I missed you, too!" Caitie pulled back and sighed. "It's been too long."
"I know. I'm sorry, really, I am..." Val bit her lip. "It's just...with everything that happened..."
Caitie nodded her head as she lead Val to her car. "Yeah, I know, I don't blame you."
"Oh, hey, can you go by the house? I left my car there."
"Sure." Caitie and Val got in and started driving. "Sorry it took so long."
"No problem," Val grinned slyly. "You were busy with Jamie?"
"It's not like that," Caitie replied, glancing at Val out of the corner of her eye. "It's not."
"I didn't say anything..." Val held up her hands in defense.
"You implied," Caitie muttered under her breath. "Don't argue with me, ok? Cause I could run circles around you," she grinned.
"So I heard!" Val smiled. "Tyler told me about that. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks," Caitie blushed slightly.
"But he also told me you were single."
"So? I don't see a wedding ring on your hand, either." Caitie stuck out her tongue. "I don't need a guy around to make me happy. I'm very happy with my life as a single woman."
"Well, that's good," Val nodded her head. "At least you're not like Heather."
Caitie rolled her eyes in disgust. "If I was, I would hope you would slap me real hard. God, I can't stand her! All she does is talk about herself. It's sick! It's like, 'me me me'." Caitie sighed and looked over at Val. "Sorry you had to spend the day with her."
"I'm sorry, too," Val laughed. "You're right though, she's so annoying!" Val let out a sigh. "We only got to talk for like, five minutes. The rest of the time Heather was hanging around. Ok, yeah, she's his fiance but...I don't see how Tyler puts up with her."
"Me neither," Caitie shrugged. "You know what? We should do something to get back at her for being such a snot. If they lived in a house, we could roll their yard," she laughed.
"We'll come up with something." Val reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. "Tyler gave me his spare key before I left. Can you believe that? Heather would kill him," she grinned. "He was like, 'Oh, Val, come over anytime. If you need a place to stay, you know that I'm here for you. If you need to talk, don't hesitate to call or drop by.' Please!"
"Sounds like he still has feelings for you," Caitie commented as the car slowed to a stop.
Val rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. He's getting married, Caitie. Besides, I'm so not interested. We're not in high school anymore." She glanced out the window and saw that they were already at the house. "Oh. That was fast."
"Do you want to follow me or...?" Caitie trailed off, noticing the look on Val's face. "Val? Are you okay?"
Val nodded. "I'm fine. Yeah, I'll just follow you there." She climbed out of the car and ran to her own.
Caitie waited until Val started up her car and began driving towards her. She hit the gas and drove to her own house, every so often checking her rearview mirror to make sure Val was still behind her.
A few minutes later, Caitie pulled into her driveway. Before Val could drive in, Caitie jumped out of the car and motioned for Val to wait there.
Val leaned her head out of the window. "What?"
Caitie let out a groan. "Hold on, ok?" She walked over and pushed the motorcycle out of Val's path, muttering under her breath. "Ok!"
Val drove into the driveway and got out of her car. "You own a motorcycle," she concluded.
"Not exactly, but since it rarely leaves the driveway, you'd think it really was mine." Caitie rolled her eyes. "Do you need any help with your stuff?"
"No thanks, I got it." Val went back over to her car and started getting out her things.
"Are you sure?" Caitie asked again. She saw Val waving her away and she sighed. "Ok. I'm gonna go ahead and inside. I'm freezing."
"Ok," came the sound of Val's muffled voice.
Caitie ran inside the house and pulled off her coat. She rubbed her hands together as she blew her breath on them. "Jamie?"
Jamie stuck his head out of the kitchen door. "Yeah?"
"What are you doing?" Caitie asked, a suspicious tone in her voice.
Jamie tried to look as innocent as possible. "Uh...nothing." He smiled at her.
"Mmhmm, right." Caitie tried going into the kitchen, but Jamie popped into the living room and blocked the entrance.
"Why don't we just stay in here?" He suggested. "Where's Val?"
"James." Caitie gave him a look. "Detach yourself from the doorway and let me by."
"Oof," Val mumbled from where she was trying to get inside the door.
"I think Val needs help," Jamie announced in a sweet voice, smiling at Caitie again.
"I'm going to find out what you're up to," Caitie assured him, before going over to help Val.
Val sighed with relief when Caitie helped her drag her large duffle into the house. "I was thinking that with only having one bag, I was packing light," she mumbled. "Guess I was wrong."
Caitie laughed. "You can just leave it here in the foyer. James, being the manly man that he is, will take it to the room you're staying in."
"This is only temporary," Val reminded her.
"You're staying as long as you have to. Don't try to convince me, or yourself, otherwise. I always win." Caitie smirked at Jamie. "Isn't that right, James?"
Jamie visibly winced. "Why do you call me James? You say it just like my mother used to. 'Clean your room, James.'" He mimicked in a high pitched voice. "'Do your homework, James.'"
"Because, you're always in trouble," Caitie grinned. "James."
"Caitlin." Jamie returned, smirking to himself.
"Help me out here, Val," Caitie nudged her friend.
"Um," Val blinked in confusion. "James?"
Caitie let out a sigh. "You suck at this."
"I know," Val admitted, laughing. "What's the point of this, anyway?"
"There isn't one," Caitie shrugged. "We just like to annoy each other. We have no life. It's pretty sad, actually."
"She is correct," Jamie agreed, before adding, "Valerie!" He abandoned the kitchen door and went over to hug Val.
A little girl suddenly ran out of the kitchen and over to Caitie. "I have cookie!"
Caitie crouched down in front of the girl. "Who gave you a cookie?" She asked, already knowing the answer. The girl pointed to Jamie. "James, I'm ashamed of you. Not only is your daughter up after her bedtime, but you're giving her sugar?" Caitie sighed. "What will I do with you?"
"What? She woke up!" Jamie defended himself.
The girl then looked up at Val shyly. "Hi..." She looked about two years old, with brown eyes and dark hair that was in pigtails.
Val smiled and waved. "Hi, my name is Val." She looked over at Caitie curiously.
Jamie glanced back and forth from Caitie to Val, before holding out his hand. "Lexi, let's go read a story, ok?"
"Okie Daddy." She took Jamie's hand and he lead her down the hall.
Caitie watched them walk out, before crossing the living room and sitting down on one of the couches. Val followed her and sat beside her. "So..." Caitie began.
"I didn't know Jamie had a daughter," Val commented. "Tyler forgot to mention that."
Caitie nodded her head. "I guess Tyler forgot to mention something else then."
"What?"
"Alexia, that's her full name, she's not Jamie's daughter," Caitie replied. "Well, I mean, she is but..." Caitie took a deep breath. "She's not just Jamie's daughter. She's my daughter, too."