Chapter 24
"Picture (Almost) Perfect"
Jessie was relieved when she saw her Dad waiting for her outside school. She sad goodbye to Grace and got into the car. Before they left, Rick asked Grace how things were. "Oh, everything's is OK. Tell my Mom I miss her." Grace said. Rick just looked at her and just nodded. Clearly things weren't OK. Grace stood in front of the school as Rick and Jessie left, as she was waiting for her Dad to pick her up.
While driving, Rick began to speak, "Jess, I don't how you'll feel about this. But I had a great idea, and I need your help." Jessie looked at her Dad curiously, wondering what he was talking about. "What is it, Dad?" She asked. "Well, you know how Lily is sad now that Grace and Zoe are living with Jake. She has been really lonely. Well, I was wondering, if you wouldn't like to spend some time at our house to keep her company and help her around. It would mean so much for her, and for me." Jessie stood speechless for a few minutes. Lately things hadn't been easy for Lily. But Karen wouldn't like that idea either. "Did Lily ask you to do this?" Jessie asked Rick. He shook his head. "Oh, no. She was against it when I mentioned it to her. She doesn't want to force you to do anything." Jessie smiled. "She doesn't have to. I'll stay with you two. Do you think three months is good?" Rick smiled, very happy. "Thanks, Jess. Do you think you can convince your mother?" Jessie sighed. "Well, I find a way."
Soliloquy Rick looked touched. "I knew she would do that. She's not selfish as her mother."
In the end it wasn't so hard as they thought it would be. Karen had a lot of work to do on the following weeks, so she had she didn't mind if Jessie stayed with Rick for the next 10 days. "She said 10 days?" Rick asked Jessie when he picked her up at Karen's. "Come on Dad. One battle at a time." Jessie said, putting her stuff in the car. Rick laughed, something he hadn't done in weeks.
When they arrived at Lily's house, she was alone, taking a look at a Baby's Magazine. When she saw Jessie and Rick carrying a lot of bags, she asked, "Who's going to travel?" Rick said, kissing her, "No one. Jessie is going to spend some time here." Lily whispered, "Rick! I told you not to do this!" Jessie approached them, smiling, "Don't worry, Lily. I'm here because I want to." Lily looked at her stunned.
Soliloquy Lily is clearly surprised. "My God! I never thought she would do something like that for me."
The next day, after Lily arrived from the radio station (she was working less hours, but kept doing her show), she and Jessie went to the mall - Jessie wanted to do that. "I don't know why we're here. The other day your said you had clothes for the rest of your life." Lily was saying to Jessie as they looked the stores. "But I don't want to buy anything. I suggested we came here for you." Jessie said. "For me?" Lily asked. "Yes! Don't you think it's time you started buying things for the baby?" Jessie said as they stopped in front of a baby store. Lily got lost in her thoughts as she looked at all that baby stuff.
Soliloquy Lily was sad. "She's right. I had forgotten my baby." She put her hands on her belly, looking at it.
When they arrived at home, it was getting late and Rick was beginning to get worried. Then he heard then talking and laughing in the front yard. He opened the door and was surprised with the amount of bags they were carrying. "My God! Did you buy the whole mall?" Rick said, getting some of Jessie's bags. "Jess, you already so much clothes," He said as they got in. "But Dad, I didn't buy anything for myself today." Rick turned around surprised. "Today we went shopping for the baby. And for Lily, didn't you notice?" Jessie said, showing Lily and making her turn around. Rick then noticed she was wearing one of those maternity dresses. It was the first time she looked really pregnant. "Oh my God!" Rick said, getting near Lily. "I hadn't noticed, you're.... you're really pregnant." He said, touching her belly. Jessie just looked at her. Eli arrived quietly and hugged his sister. "If our sisters were here, this picture would be perfect." Jessie whispered to Eli. "Sisters? What's happening to you?" Eli asked surprised. "I don't know." Jessie answered, smiling.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Picture (Almost) Perfect"
Jessie was relieved when she saw her Dad waiting for her outside school. She sad goodbye to Grace and got into the car. Before they left, Rick asked Grace how things were. "Oh, everything's is OK. Tell my Mom I miss her." Grace said. Rick just looked at her and just nodded. Clearly things weren't OK. Grace stood in front of the school as Rick and Jessie left, as she was waiting for her Dad to pick her up.
While driving, Rick began to speak, "Jess, I don't how you'll feel about this. But I had a great idea, and I need your help." Jessie looked at her Dad curiously, wondering what he was talking about. "What is it, Dad?" She asked. "Well, you know how Lily is sad now that Grace and Zoe are living with Jake. She has been really lonely. Well, I was wondering, if you wouldn't like to spend some time at our house to keep her company and help her around. It would mean so much for her, and for me." Jessie stood speechless for a few minutes. Lately things hadn't been easy for Lily. But Karen wouldn't like that idea either. "Did Lily ask you to do this?" Jessie asked Rick. He shook his head. "Oh, no. She was against it when I mentioned it to her. She doesn't want to force you to do anything." Jessie smiled. "She doesn't have to. I'll stay with you two. Do you think three months is good?" Rick smiled, very happy. "Thanks, Jess. Do you think you can convince your mother?" Jessie sighed. "Well, I find a way."
Soliloquy Rick looked touched. "I knew she would do that. She's not selfish as her mother."
In the end it wasn't so hard as they thought it would be. Karen had a lot of work to do on the following weeks, so she had she didn't mind if Jessie stayed with Rick for the next 10 days. "She said 10 days?" Rick asked Jessie when he picked her up at Karen's. "Come on Dad. One battle at a time." Jessie said, putting her stuff in the car. Rick laughed, something he hadn't done in weeks.
When they arrived at Lily's house, she was alone, taking a look at a Baby's Magazine. When she saw Jessie and Rick carrying a lot of bags, she asked, "Who's going to travel?" Rick said, kissing her, "No one. Jessie is going to spend some time here." Lily whispered, "Rick! I told you not to do this!" Jessie approached them, smiling, "Don't worry, Lily. I'm here because I want to." Lily looked at her stunned.
Soliloquy Lily is clearly surprised. "My God! I never thought she would do something like that for me."
The next day, after Lily arrived from the radio station (she was working less hours, but kept doing her show), she and Jessie went to the mall - Jessie wanted to do that. "I don't know why we're here. The other day your said you had clothes for the rest of your life." Lily was saying to Jessie as they looked the stores. "But I don't want to buy anything. I suggested we came here for you." Jessie said. "For me?" Lily asked. "Yes! Don't you think it's time you started buying things for the baby?" Jessie said as they stopped in front of a baby store. Lily got lost in her thoughts as she looked at all that baby stuff.
Soliloquy Lily was sad. "She's right. I had forgotten my baby." She put her hands on her belly, looking at it.
When they arrived at home, it was getting late and Rick was beginning to get worried. Then he heard then talking and laughing in the front yard. He opened the door and was surprised with the amount of bags they were carrying. "My God! Did you buy the whole mall?" Rick said, getting some of Jessie's bags. "Jess, you already so much clothes," He said as they got in. "But Dad, I didn't buy anything for myself today." Rick turned around surprised. "Today we went shopping for the baby. And for Lily, didn't you notice?" Jessie said, showing Lily and making her turn around. Rick then noticed she was wearing one of those maternity dresses. It was the first time she looked really pregnant. "Oh my God!" Rick said, getting near Lily. "I hadn't noticed, you're.... you're really pregnant." He said, touching her belly. Jessie just looked at her. Eli arrived quietly and hugged his sister. "If our sisters were here, this picture would be perfect." Jessie whispered to Eli. "Sisters? What's happening to you?" Eli asked surprised. "I don't know." Jessie answered, smiling.
TO BE CONTINUED...