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tell, I'm way excited.) Anyway, keep them coming. They make me so happy.
Chapter Eight -"Dinner Conversation"
Over a dinner of baked fish and potatoes, the Tucks questioned Lily about her life.
"So, do you live in the Foster place, then?" Mae asked.
"Oh, no. I'm from Georgia. In fact, I don't think anyone is living in the house now."
"Oh? Then who are you staying with?" Mae asked. Lily's eyes widened. She practically smacked herself on the forehead.
"Well, um. The hotel." She faltered. "I'm staying at the hotel. With my parents. Of course."
Oh my god! She thought to herself. When did I become such a bad liar? Luckily the Tucks didn't press the issue. Probably because they have secrets of their own, Lily thought.
"Where in Georgia?" Jesse asked, chewing.
Nice manners, Lily scoffed. 194 years old, and he hasn't learned not to talk with his mouth full?
"Outside of Atlanta."
"Why so far from here?" Mae asked. "Isn't this where your dad grew up?"
"Yes. But my mom's from Georgia. A real southern belle. And my dad was happy to get away from the homestead."
"How come?" Jesse asked, clearly startled by the fact that anyone would want to leave his woods.
"So many generations of Fosters and then Jacksons had lived here. I guess he just wanted to get away from all that tradition."
"I suppose I can see the reasoning behind that." Mae said. "So, tell us about your family."
"Maybe your great grandfather for instance?" Jesse interjected anxiously.
Lily looked at him, her eyes sad. Poor Jesse, she thought. He's probably been wondering about the man who was able to capture Winnie's heart for decades. Luckily, Lily didn't have much to tell him.
"I never knew him. He died before I was born."
"Oh." Jesse said, slightly crestfallen. "Well, you must have heard stories about him. From your great grandmother, maybe?"
She had heard stories from Grandma Winnie. But she couldn't bring herself to tell Jesse about all the good times Grandma Winnie had recounted. He may think he wants to hear it, Lily thought, but I know it will shatter his already broken heart.
"I don't remember any." She said quickly. "So, tell me, it is just you two?"
"No." Mae said, laying a comforting hand over Jesse's in a gesture she clearly hoped Lily wouldn't notice. "My husband, Angus, is in California. This is more of a summer home for us, but Angus doesn't like to come here."
Still upset about being run out of town, no doubt, Lily thought to herself.
"And Jesse's big brother Miles is in Paris, I believe." Mae continued.
"Well, its nice the two of you can come here together." Lily said.
"Yes, it is. I miss my boys when they're not around." Mae said, smiling warmly at Jesse.
"Its getting late." Jesse commented as he rose to clear their dishes.
"Yes, it is." Mae said, glancing at the clock and then at Lily. "I don't suppose you'd like to spend the night? We get so few visitors."
Lily desperately wanted to spend the night and integrate herself in with the Tucks.
"You could call your parents and ask them." Mae suggested.
My parents? Lily thought, horrified. She couldn't very well call them. But Mae would expect her to, if she was to stay. Stupid lies! She thought angrily as she was forced to reply:
"No, thank you. I think my parents will want me back. But perhaps I could visit again?"
Mae's face had fallen, but perked up at her suggestion.
"That would be lovely. How about tomorrow?"
"Great." Lily said, relieved.
"Why don't you give her a ride home?" Mae asked Jesse.
Lily's eyes widened. On his bike? She wasn't sure she was ready to be that close to such a cute boy. I am so hopeless, she thought despairingly.
"Oh, it's a nice night. I'd rather walk, thanks. But maybe you could walk me to the edge of the woods?" She asked him, picturing herself wandering lost in the woods all night.
"Sure." He replied.
She said goodbye to Mae and they left the cabin. They walked silently through the trees. Lily couldn't think of anything to say, and Jesse didn't seem inclined to talk.
They reached the edge of the woods without having said a word. She turned and looked at him, at his sad, poetic eyes. She couldn't blame him. If she reminded everyone else of Grandma Winnie, she must do the same for him.
"It was nice to meet you, Jesse Tuck." She said, at last. He smiled nervously and replied:
"See you tomorrow." Then he turned and walked away.
"Tomorrow." She echoed softly as she watched him disappear into the trees.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hey again! I'm sure you guys think I'm dragging this out on purpose, but I promise the story will start to speed up soon. The Tucks will find out all of Lily's secrets. Not in the next chapter, but soon. Keep reviewing!!
Chapter Eight -"Dinner Conversation"
Over a dinner of baked fish and potatoes, the Tucks questioned Lily about her life.
"So, do you live in the Foster place, then?" Mae asked.
"Oh, no. I'm from Georgia. In fact, I don't think anyone is living in the house now."
"Oh? Then who are you staying with?" Mae asked. Lily's eyes widened. She practically smacked herself on the forehead.
"Well, um. The hotel." She faltered. "I'm staying at the hotel. With my parents. Of course."
Oh my god! She thought to herself. When did I become such a bad liar? Luckily the Tucks didn't press the issue. Probably because they have secrets of their own, Lily thought.
"Where in Georgia?" Jesse asked, chewing.
Nice manners, Lily scoffed. 194 years old, and he hasn't learned not to talk with his mouth full?
"Outside of Atlanta."
"Why so far from here?" Mae asked. "Isn't this where your dad grew up?"
"Yes. But my mom's from Georgia. A real southern belle. And my dad was happy to get away from the homestead."
"How come?" Jesse asked, clearly startled by the fact that anyone would want to leave his woods.
"So many generations of Fosters and then Jacksons had lived here. I guess he just wanted to get away from all that tradition."
"I suppose I can see the reasoning behind that." Mae said. "So, tell us about your family."
"Maybe your great grandfather for instance?" Jesse interjected anxiously.
Lily looked at him, her eyes sad. Poor Jesse, she thought. He's probably been wondering about the man who was able to capture Winnie's heart for decades. Luckily, Lily didn't have much to tell him.
"I never knew him. He died before I was born."
"Oh." Jesse said, slightly crestfallen. "Well, you must have heard stories about him. From your great grandmother, maybe?"
She had heard stories from Grandma Winnie. But she couldn't bring herself to tell Jesse about all the good times Grandma Winnie had recounted. He may think he wants to hear it, Lily thought, but I know it will shatter his already broken heart.
"I don't remember any." She said quickly. "So, tell me, it is just you two?"
"No." Mae said, laying a comforting hand over Jesse's in a gesture she clearly hoped Lily wouldn't notice. "My husband, Angus, is in California. This is more of a summer home for us, but Angus doesn't like to come here."
Still upset about being run out of town, no doubt, Lily thought to herself.
"And Jesse's big brother Miles is in Paris, I believe." Mae continued.
"Well, its nice the two of you can come here together." Lily said.
"Yes, it is. I miss my boys when they're not around." Mae said, smiling warmly at Jesse.
"Its getting late." Jesse commented as he rose to clear their dishes.
"Yes, it is." Mae said, glancing at the clock and then at Lily. "I don't suppose you'd like to spend the night? We get so few visitors."
Lily desperately wanted to spend the night and integrate herself in with the Tucks.
"You could call your parents and ask them." Mae suggested.
My parents? Lily thought, horrified. She couldn't very well call them. But Mae would expect her to, if she was to stay. Stupid lies! She thought angrily as she was forced to reply:
"No, thank you. I think my parents will want me back. But perhaps I could visit again?"
Mae's face had fallen, but perked up at her suggestion.
"That would be lovely. How about tomorrow?"
"Great." Lily said, relieved.
"Why don't you give her a ride home?" Mae asked Jesse.
Lily's eyes widened. On his bike? She wasn't sure she was ready to be that close to such a cute boy. I am so hopeless, she thought despairingly.
"Oh, it's a nice night. I'd rather walk, thanks. But maybe you could walk me to the edge of the woods?" She asked him, picturing herself wandering lost in the woods all night.
"Sure." He replied.
She said goodbye to Mae and they left the cabin. They walked silently through the trees. Lily couldn't think of anything to say, and Jesse didn't seem inclined to talk.
They reached the edge of the woods without having said a word. She turned and looked at him, at his sad, poetic eyes. She couldn't blame him. If she reminded everyone else of Grandma Winnie, she must do the same for him.
"It was nice to meet you, Jesse Tuck." She said, at last. He smiled nervously and replied:
"See you tomorrow." Then he turned and walked away.
"Tomorrow." She echoed softly as she watched him disappear into the trees.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hey again! I'm sure you guys think I'm dragging this out on purpose, but I promise the story will start to speed up soon. The Tucks will find out all of Lily's secrets. Not in the next chapter, but soon. Keep reviewing!!