Silent Heartbeats 21: Giblet Gravy
By Maureen
***
*Ready?* Alex asked when his foster son, Jamie, came into the living room, bag in each hand.
"Yeah," he replied, running his hand nervously through his shaggy black hair. "Are you sure I can't stay home?" Jamie had decided to grow his hair longer and was firmly stuck in the shaggy stage.
The duo was heading to Alexs' sister's house to spend Thanksgiving. She lived with her husband and children an hour away in the next town over. His entire family was going to be there and Jamie wasn't sure it was his proper place to be with them. He wasn't used to being around 'family' and certainly not during the holidays.
Jamie had never had a traditional anything, much less Thanksgiving. His Thanksgivings were (if he was lucky) TV dinners in the bedroom he shared with his older brother and Christmas was usually spent the same way. He had received a few presents from charity organizations that had somehow gotten his name, but that had become rarer the older he became, and by the time he was fifteen there was nothing. New Years was spent with friends wandering the streets, causing whatever mayhem they could without being arrested. Family was a concept that was completely alien to Jamie, but he had been learning for nearly a year now, that family wasn't always who you were related to by blood, but those that stuck by you, no matter what. And Alex, among others, had certainly done that.
*You're going. Now stop whining, I want to get there before it gets too late,* Alex was firm, knowing the reasoning behind Jamie's hesitance. *We're having a good, old fashioned Thanksgiving whether you want to or not!*
"But I don't know your family! I'm not even your real son!" Jamie replied sullenly from the passenger side of the car.
Aha, Alex thought, the truth comes out. He turned to Jamie without starting the car. *James, you are my son, no matter what. I'll probably never have kids, and your biological father will never be a true father. Face it, like it or not, we're stuck with each other. I'm proud to be your dad, okay? You are family. You just had the luxury of avoiding the insanity of relatives for most of your life.*
Jamie just stared at him in shock. He nodded mutely, not sure how to respond.
Alex began the car and they pulled out of the apartment parking lot.
***
"Why're we staying for three days?" Jamie asked, half way to the house. He reached up to the light switch on the ceiling, turning on the little light.
*Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, Friday we are going Christmas shopping and Saturday we're just hanging out. We'll come home Saturday night.* Alex replied, once they stopped at a street light.
One problem with sign language was that it was impossible in the dark. Alex had already replaced the tiny light bulb on the ceiling once since Jamie had come to live with him, and that was the first time he had to in the six years he had owned the car! The other problem was that it was nearly impossible while driving.
Jamie turned the light back off, lost once again in thought. He said I was his son, he thought, his son. Not once in his life had he ever been proud to be someone's son.
***
The house was in a nice neighborhood, about the same as the one Hank lived in. The houses were well kept, not nearly as big as Tyler's, but at the same time, larger than Val's. Jamie was slightly intimidated by Val's house though and felt completely out of place at Tyler's.
Alex pulled up to the curb, behind another car. *I have two sisters,* he said, *Erika lives here with her family and Melissa is visiting with her family. Melissa is divorced, Erika's husband is Doug.*
"Okay," Jamie said, knowing he had already forgotten. It wasn't important in the grand scheme of life.
They rang the bell, and through the small windows on either side of the door, Jamie could see a herd of children running to the door, all vying for the privilege of opening the door. A woman waded through them, opening the door.
She was perhaps a few years younger than Alex, with chestnut coloured hair. She wore a peach sweater over khaki pants and loafers. She hugged Alex quickly before trying to do the same to Jamie.
Jamie stepped back quickly, suddenly afraid. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex say something to her, and she quickly backed away, murmuring.
*Sorry about that,* Alex signed, *She gets a little too enthusiastic, but she's harmless.*
*Like a snake,* Jamie replied without thinking. The first minute of 'a traditional thanksgiving' and he was already screwing up!
Alex shot him a 'look' and headed inside before they let anymore cold air into the house. Jamie followed Alex and his sister into the living room where two other adults sat. He stood there awkwardly as the introductions were made. "Hi," he said, not really caring who they were.
*The older kids are in Karl's room,* Alex informed him allowing him to disappear, *Upstairs, end of the hall.*
***
Jamie had dropped his bag and backpack by the front door, but he retrieved the backpack as he headed upstairs. He had brought a couple Anne Rice books with him, both borrowed from Catie, as well as his gameboy and a few games.
Jamie didn't bother to knock on the bedroom door, he just walked right in. Sprawled around the room were three other teens between thirteen and seventeen. They looked at him curiously. "I'm Jamie," he said by way of introduction.
The girl, who appeared to be the oldest, said something, before motioning him into the room. Jamie closed the door behind him, it was an unwritten rule, teens never left their sanctuaries open to be violated by adults.
She pulled out a piece of paper from the desk she sat at and quickly scrawled a message across it. /I'm Jenna, this is Ashley and Karl. My mom said you were coming./
The trio were obviously used to being together at family functions and the four sat, staring at each other.
Jamie finally got fed up with staring at the others and pulled out his gameboy and favorite game, Paperboy II. Karl, the youngest, crept over, looking over Jamie's shoulder as he played. "You like video games?" Jamie asked finally.
"I can't see you," Jamie said, knowing the boy was sitting just behind him. Daniel quickly scooted around to face him. "So, do you?"
Karl nodded enthusiastically, jabbering on about something. Jamie sighed. People were stupid and thoughtless and careless. Even Alex's family. Before Jamie could interrupt, Jenna smacked Karl on the shoulder, saying something. Karl immediately looked ashamed, and reached for the paper.
/I want a X-Box, I already have a PS2/ he wrote, his handwriting tiny and messy.
"I want some new videos," Jamie told him, "Especially X-Men and the Star Wars Trilogy set. I already have Episode 1."
The night progressed fairly rapidly after that, with the teens deciding to watch True Lies on TV.
***
In the living room, the adults were being boring and drinking coffee. "So what's it like having a foster kid?" Doug asked. He had four kids, Jenna and Karl from a previous marriage and Sasha and Evelyn with Erika. "Make sure he isn't running off with the good silver?"
"He's not a criminal," Alex replied smoothly, simply ignoring why Jamie had become an EMT in the first place, "He's just a kid who's been kicked around by life so much, that it's all he knows."
"How can parents hurt their kids?" Melissa asked, rhetorically. She had three children and couldn't conceive of harming any of them intentionally.
"I don't know, Mel," Alex replied, sipping his coffee, "All I know is that Jamie is doing remarkably well. As long as his life maintains a general routine and he knows what to expect, you'd never be able to tell him apart from any other normal teenager," Alex gave a wry grin, "It's when I drag him to family Thanksgiving dinners that he gets upset."
"He was skittish earlier," Erika added, referring to when she had tried to hug him.
"He doesn't like to be touched, especially by people he doesn't know. He's jumpy, cautious. You would be too if you were him."
"When are you going to go into private practice?" Melissa asked, "You've been at that station for nearly five years now!"
"I don't know, I like the station, keeps me young."
"You took that job kicking and screaming, ranting about how you were going to transfer out after a year," Doug reminded him.
"Things change," Alex responded stubbornly ending the conversation.
"Well, who do you think's going to win the game tomorrow?" Doug asked, switching topics.
***
The next morning, the house was a zoo, with Melissa and Erika getting in each others way trying to cook dinner and Alex and Doug already staked out on the couch for the football game. The little kids were running around the backyard and the older kids were still waking up.
"Mom!" Karl complained, as he shuffled into the kitchen, "I want to watch a movie but Jamie's still asleep!"
"Well, wait then," his mother replied, "The video will be there later."
"Hey, Karl!" Alex called out, he was not giving his seat up for anybody, "Don't worry about him. Just watch your movie, it's nearly 11:00 anyways, he needs to get up."
Karl ran back upstairs, pleased to get permission.
"Alexander!" Erika admonished, "He shouldn't wake up guests!"
"Eri, it's okay. Nothing short of Armageddon will wake him. Jamie can sleep through anything," Alex said, calming her down. Normally he wouldn't go against a parent when it concerned their child, but it was true. Jamie could sleep through everything but having water poured on him. It was very effective for getting him moving on school days.
***
Early afternoon, once everyone had woken up and was busy doing whatever they could to a). help b). hinder or c). stay away from warzone formerly known as a kitchen, Alex's mother showed up. She came in laden with dessert and a camera bag. Of course, no matter what was going on at that moment stopped so she could be hugged, kissed and generally welcomed. Jamie stood back, not sure what was expected of him.
"You must be Jamie!" Grandmother Freeman exclaimed, holding her arms out towards Jamie. Everyone else had already greeted her.
"Um...hello," Jamie said, respectfully, bending down to give her a hug. She was one of those grandmothers that was as soft as cookie dough and twice as hard as a oreo. If she wanted a hug, you gave it to her! "It's nice to meet you."
*Same,* she signed, winking at him. *I've studied languages all my life, I took ASL more than twenty years ago. I'm a little slow, but I still remember!*
*I thought no one here would know sign but Alex,* Jamie replied surprised.
*He forgot to tell you? Who do you think encouraged him to take ASL in college for his language requirements? I'm fluent in Spanish, French, Latin and passable in ASL, child!* she left her bag by the purse before heading into the kitchen to dictate how everything should be done.
Jamie headed back to the living room, stunned. *You never said your mom knew ASL!* he accused his foster father. *She nearly gave me a heart attack!*
*Sorry,* Alex signed, not looking sorry at all. He grinned, turning back to the football game when Jamie left to go back to his book.
Despite the minor chaos, dinner was a fairly mild affair. They ate at 4:00, making it a late lunch or early dinner. According to Jenna, it was a "Linner", but nobody paid her any attention beyond setting the table.
Conversation all but stopped as food was passed around and the turkey carved. For nearly thirty minutes all that could be hear was utensils clinking against the plates. It was very peaceful and picture perfect. Finally people began to slow down and finish their meals and conversation began again.
"Mmm, that was delicious," Jamie complimented. Before they had left, Alex had drilled his ward on the proper behavior during the weekend.
A few hours later everyone was laying around in various states of digestion, trying diligently simply to move. Groaning, everyone was getting up and shuffling to their bedrooms. Jamie continued to lay on the living room floor with his eyes closed.
A foot kicked him. Well, nudged is a better word, but to a overly stuffed teenager, any movement involving feet and a side of his body means 'kicked'. "Go away," he muttered, too full to even open his eyes.
The foot kicked him again, this time harder.
Jamie opened his eyes to see Grandmother Freeman staring down at him. *Go get changed! It's time for the picture!*
"What picture?"
*The family picture we take every year. Go get changed! You did bring nice pants and a shirt right?*
So that's why Alex had been so particular about what he packed. "Yeah, I did." Jamie knew better than to argue with the family matriarch, but he wasn't family, he didn't understand why he was expected to be in the photo.
Ten minutes later he had returned dressed in khaki slacks and a black long sleeved shirt. It was very 'bleacher junkie', but it was not ripped and there was nothing inappropriate on it. Everyone else was dressed similarly in khaki's and polo shirts or skirts.
*Why me?* Jamie asked Alex, *I'm not really in your family. You said I was your son, but I'm not their grandson or cousin. I'm not their family.*
*I already talked to them. You're my son. Period. This means you get bossed around by my mother and in the family picture. It means you have to buy Jenna a present tomorrow for secret Santa too.*
*Why didn't you tell me all this earlier?*
*Because I thought you'd be afraid. I thought if everything happened before you could think about it, it would be better. Now, stand next to me behind the couch, Doug has to focus the tripod.*
Numbly Jamie followed Alex behind the couch. He really didn't look like he belonged in the family and he certainly didn't feel like he did, but here he was. Standing properly in nice clothes about to take a 'holiday photo'. Like he was in a normal family. A family.
***
Okay, sappy enough for the holidays? love Maureen
A/N: for those of you living in a cave, the X-Box is a new game system for video games.
By Maureen
***
*Ready?* Alex asked when his foster son, Jamie, came into the living room, bag in each hand.
"Yeah," he replied, running his hand nervously through his shaggy black hair. "Are you sure I can't stay home?" Jamie had decided to grow his hair longer and was firmly stuck in the shaggy stage.
The duo was heading to Alexs' sister's house to spend Thanksgiving. She lived with her husband and children an hour away in the next town over. His entire family was going to be there and Jamie wasn't sure it was his proper place to be with them. He wasn't used to being around 'family' and certainly not during the holidays.
Jamie had never had a traditional anything, much less Thanksgiving. His Thanksgivings were (if he was lucky) TV dinners in the bedroom he shared with his older brother and Christmas was usually spent the same way. He had received a few presents from charity organizations that had somehow gotten his name, but that had become rarer the older he became, and by the time he was fifteen there was nothing. New Years was spent with friends wandering the streets, causing whatever mayhem they could without being arrested. Family was a concept that was completely alien to Jamie, but he had been learning for nearly a year now, that family wasn't always who you were related to by blood, but those that stuck by you, no matter what. And Alex, among others, had certainly done that.
*You're going. Now stop whining, I want to get there before it gets too late,* Alex was firm, knowing the reasoning behind Jamie's hesitance. *We're having a good, old fashioned Thanksgiving whether you want to or not!*
"But I don't know your family! I'm not even your real son!" Jamie replied sullenly from the passenger side of the car.
Aha, Alex thought, the truth comes out. He turned to Jamie without starting the car. *James, you are my son, no matter what. I'll probably never have kids, and your biological father will never be a true father. Face it, like it or not, we're stuck with each other. I'm proud to be your dad, okay? You are family. You just had the luxury of avoiding the insanity of relatives for most of your life.*
Jamie just stared at him in shock. He nodded mutely, not sure how to respond.
Alex began the car and they pulled out of the apartment parking lot.
***
"Why're we staying for three days?" Jamie asked, half way to the house. He reached up to the light switch on the ceiling, turning on the little light.
*Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, Friday we are going Christmas shopping and Saturday we're just hanging out. We'll come home Saturday night.* Alex replied, once they stopped at a street light.
One problem with sign language was that it was impossible in the dark. Alex had already replaced the tiny light bulb on the ceiling once since Jamie had come to live with him, and that was the first time he had to in the six years he had owned the car! The other problem was that it was nearly impossible while driving.
Jamie turned the light back off, lost once again in thought. He said I was his son, he thought, his son. Not once in his life had he ever been proud to be someone's son.
***
The house was in a nice neighborhood, about the same as the one Hank lived in. The houses were well kept, not nearly as big as Tyler's, but at the same time, larger than Val's. Jamie was slightly intimidated by Val's house though and felt completely out of place at Tyler's.
Alex pulled up to the curb, behind another car. *I have two sisters,* he said, *Erika lives here with her family and Melissa is visiting with her family. Melissa is divorced, Erika's husband is Doug.*
"Okay," Jamie said, knowing he had already forgotten. It wasn't important in the grand scheme of life.
They rang the bell, and through the small windows on either side of the door, Jamie could see a herd of children running to the door, all vying for the privilege of opening the door. A woman waded through them, opening the door.
She was perhaps a few years younger than Alex, with chestnut coloured hair. She wore a peach sweater over khaki pants and loafers. She hugged Alex quickly before trying to do the same to Jamie.
Jamie stepped back quickly, suddenly afraid. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex say something to her, and she quickly backed away, murmuring.
*Sorry about that,* Alex signed, *She gets a little too enthusiastic, but she's harmless.*
*Like a snake,* Jamie replied without thinking. The first minute of 'a traditional thanksgiving' and he was already screwing up!
Alex shot him a 'look' and headed inside before they let anymore cold air into the house. Jamie followed Alex and his sister into the living room where two other adults sat. He stood there awkwardly as the introductions were made. "Hi," he said, not really caring who they were.
*The older kids are in Karl's room,* Alex informed him allowing him to disappear, *Upstairs, end of the hall.*
***
Jamie had dropped his bag and backpack by the front door, but he retrieved the backpack as he headed upstairs. He had brought a couple Anne Rice books with him, both borrowed from Catie, as well as his gameboy and a few games.
Jamie didn't bother to knock on the bedroom door, he just walked right in. Sprawled around the room were three other teens between thirteen and seventeen. They looked at him curiously. "I'm Jamie," he said by way of introduction.
The girl, who appeared to be the oldest, said something, before motioning him into the room. Jamie closed the door behind him, it was an unwritten rule, teens never left their sanctuaries open to be violated by adults.
She pulled out a piece of paper from the desk she sat at and quickly scrawled a message across it. /I'm Jenna, this is Ashley and Karl. My mom said you were coming./
The trio were obviously used to being together at family functions and the four sat, staring at each other.
Jamie finally got fed up with staring at the others and pulled out his gameboy and favorite game, Paperboy II. Karl, the youngest, crept over, looking over Jamie's shoulder as he played. "You like video games?" Jamie asked finally.
"I can't see you," Jamie said, knowing the boy was sitting just behind him. Daniel quickly scooted around to face him. "So, do you?"
Karl nodded enthusiastically, jabbering on about something. Jamie sighed. People were stupid and thoughtless and careless. Even Alex's family. Before Jamie could interrupt, Jenna smacked Karl on the shoulder, saying something. Karl immediately looked ashamed, and reached for the paper.
/I want a X-Box, I already have a PS2/ he wrote, his handwriting tiny and messy.
"I want some new videos," Jamie told him, "Especially X-Men and the Star Wars Trilogy set. I already have Episode 1."
The night progressed fairly rapidly after that, with the teens deciding to watch True Lies on TV.
***
In the living room, the adults were being boring and drinking coffee. "So what's it like having a foster kid?" Doug asked. He had four kids, Jenna and Karl from a previous marriage and Sasha and Evelyn with Erika. "Make sure he isn't running off with the good silver?"
"He's not a criminal," Alex replied smoothly, simply ignoring why Jamie had become an EMT in the first place, "He's just a kid who's been kicked around by life so much, that it's all he knows."
"How can parents hurt their kids?" Melissa asked, rhetorically. She had three children and couldn't conceive of harming any of them intentionally.
"I don't know, Mel," Alex replied, sipping his coffee, "All I know is that Jamie is doing remarkably well. As long as his life maintains a general routine and he knows what to expect, you'd never be able to tell him apart from any other normal teenager," Alex gave a wry grin, "It's when I drag him to family Thanksgiving dinners that he gets upset."
"He was skittish earlier," Erika added, referring to when she had tried to hug him.
"He doesn't like to be touched, especially by people he doesn't know. He's jumpy, cautious. You would be too if you were him."
"When are you going to go into private practice?" Melissa asked, "You've been at that station for nearly five years now!"
"I don't know, I like the station, keeps me young."
"You took that job kicking and screaming, ranting about how you were going to transfer out after a year," Doug reminded him.
"Things change," Alex responded stubbornly ending the conversation.
"Well, who do you think's going to win the game tomorrow?" Doug asked, switching topics.
***
The next morning, the house was a zoo, with Melissa and Erika getting in each others way trying to cook dinner and Alex and Doug already staked out on the couch for the football game. The little kids were running around the backyard and the older kids were still waking up.
"Mom!" Karl complained, as he shuffled into the kitchen, "I want to watch a movie but Jamie's still asleep!"
"Well, wait then," his mother replied, "The video will be there later."
"Hey, Karl!" Alex called out, he was not giving his seat up for anybody, "Don't worry about him. Just watch your movie, it's nearly 11:00 anyways, he needs to get up."
Karl ran back upstairs, pleased to get permission.
"Alexander!" Erika admonished, "He shouldn't wake up guests!"
"Eri, it's okay. Nothing short of Armageddon will wake him. Jamie can sleep through anything," Alex said, calming her down. Normally he wouldn't go against a parent when it concerned their child, but it was true. Jamie could sleep through everything but having water poured on him. It was very effective for getting him moving on school days.
***
Early afternoon, once everyone had woken up and was busy doing whatever they could to a). help b). hinder or c). stay away from warzone formerly known as a kitchen, Alex's mother showed up. She came in laden with dessert and a camera bag. Of course, no matter what was going on at that moment stopped so she could be hugged, kissed and generally welcomed. Jamie stood back, not sure what was expected of him.
"You must be Jamie!" Grandmother Freeman exclaimed, holding her arms out towards Jamie. Everyone else had already greeted her.
"Um...hello," Jamie said, respectfully, bending down to give her a hug. She was one of those grandmothers that was as soft as cookie dough and twice as hard as a oreo. If she wanted a hug, you gave it to her! "It's nice to meet you."
*Same,* she signed, winking at him. *I've studied languages all my life, I took ASL more than twenty years ago. I'm a little slow, but I still remember!*
*I thought no one here would know sign but Alex,* Jamie replied surprised.
*He forgot to tell you? Who do you think encouraged him to take ASL in college for his language requirements? I'm fluent in Spanish, French, Latin and passable in ASL, child!* she left her bag by the purse before heading into the kitchen to dictate how everything should be done.
Jamie headed back to the living room, stunned. *You never said your mom knew ASL!* he accused his foster father. *She nearly gave me a heart attack!*
*Sorry,* Alex signed, not looking sorry at all. He grinned, turning back to the football game when Jamie left to go back to his book.
Despite the minor chaos, dinner was a fairly mild affair. They ate at 4:00, making it a late lunch or early dinner. According to Jenna, it was a "Linner", but nobody paid her any attention beyond setting the table.
Conversation all but stopped as food was passed around and the turkey carved. For nearly thirty minutes all that could be hear was utensils clinking against the plates. It was very peaceful and picture perfect. Finally people began to slow down and finish their meals and conversation began again.
"Mmm, that was delicious," Jamie complimented. Before they had left, Alex had drilled his ward on the proper behavior during the weekend.
A few hours later everyone was laying around in various states of digestion, trying diligently simply to move. Groaning, everyone was getting up and shuffling to their bedrooms. Jamie continued to lay on the living room floor with his eyes closed.
A foot kicked him. Well, nudged is a better word, but to a overly stuffed teenager, any movement involving feet and a side of his body means 'kicked'. "Go away," he muttered, too full to even open his eyes.
The foot kicked him again, this time harder.
Jamie opened his eyes to see Grandmother Freeman staring down at him. *Go get changed! It's time for the picture!*
"What picture?"
*The family picture we take every year. Go get changed! You did bring nice pants and a shirt right?*
So that's why Alex had been so particular about what he packed. "Yeah, I did." Jamie knew better than to argue with the family matriarch, but he wasn't family, he didn't understand why he was expected to be in the photo.
Ten minutes later he had returned dressed in khaki slacks and a black long sleeved shirt. It was very 'bleacher junkie', but it was not ripped and there was nothing inappropriate on it. Everyone else was dressed similarly in khaki's and polo shirts or skirts.
*Why me?* Jamie asked Alex, *I'm not really in your family. You said I was your son, but I'm not their grandson or cousin. I'm not their family.*
*I already talked to them. You're my son. Period. This means you get bossed around by my mother and in the family picture. It means you have to buy Jenna a present tomorrow for secret Santa too.*
*Why didn't you tell me all this earlier?*
*Because I thought you'd be afraid. I thought if everything happened before you could think about it, it would be better. Now, stand next to me behind the couch, Doug has to focus the tripod.*
Numbly Jamie followed Alex behind the couch. He really didn't look like he belonged in the family and he certainly didn't feel like he did, but here he was. Standing properly in nice clothes about to take a 'holiday photo'. Like he was in a normal family. A family.
***
Okay, sappy enough for the holidays? love Maureen
A/N: for those of you living in a cave, the X-Box is a new game system for video games.