Note: Sorry about the delay, folks; the muse bailed for once. But with much coaxing (read: whips, chains, assorted torture and withholding of chocolate) we got it done at long last; hopefully, the length will make up a little for the wait. Enjoy, and please pass the feedback box at the door, will you? DB/CR
Seasons To Remember
Chapter 22: Trouble In Paradise
"Was there ever a time when you and Dad had a fight, Mom?"
"Oh yes," Kat sighed. "No marriage is all sunshine and roses, as you probably well know. Jason definitely had a temper, even if he did his best to keep it under control most of the time. Sometimes, though … when things got too much, he would explode – thankfully only briefly. He didn't brood or hold grudges or anything; one quick flare and it was over. To tell the truth, I'm not all that meek, either – there've been moments when I was the one to blow my stack. But we always tried to keep it from you kids."
"Well, you succeeded," Lynne smiled. "I can't remember the two of you fighting at all."
"That's good to know. I like harmony, but I do have my limits." She laughed softly. "Usually, though, we tried not to go to sleep without making up."
"Except for one time, right, dear?" Tommy interjected knowingly. "Jase once told me that he stayed in the doghouse for weeks because he'd managed to upset you."
"I can't believe that," Oliver declared staunchly. "Mom, you never hold a grudge. Not that I can remember, anyway," he amended, as fair-minded as Jason had ever been.
"That once, I did," Kat admitted, just a bit sheepishly. She knew perfectly well to which instance Tommy was referring. The memory still had the power to rouse her ire. Only with time had anger given way to mere exasperation ... and faint guilt.
When all was said and done, it wasn't really Jason's fault at all that things went so horribly wrong that day. I was just too upset to see it at the time.
"But why?" Lynne wondered. "I just can't imagine Dad ever doing something that made you so mad you wouldn't forgive him."
"Oh, I forgave him quickly enough; it's just … that day, so many little and not so little things piled up one on top of the other that it took me a very long time to forget. There's a difference," Kat sighed.
Recognizing the badly-veiled curiosity on their offspring's faces, Tommy chuckled. "You better tell it from the beginning, hon," he advised his fiancée. "Or else someone will get absolutely the wrong idea about what was going on at the time."
"Yeah, Mom – 'fess up," Jared coaxed with a small grin. "You'll feel better once you get it off your chest."
"Don't you dare use my own lines against me, Jared Taylor Scott," Kat grumbled mock-seriously. Her youngest just grinned more broadly, showing not the smallest sign of remorse.
"Oh, very well," she sighed, giving in with as much grace as she could. "It was when we'd been married a little over a year; my Aunt Rebecca and her family had come over from Sydney to visit my folks …"
~*~
Kat sighed impatiently as she finished putting the downstairs of the house to order; where was Jason? There was still so much to do until her mother's sister arrived, and he'd promised to come home early to help her with dinner preparations. She was as nervous about this upcoming visit as she'd ever been, and her penchant for perfectionism had almost resulted in their first serious fight.
But the blonde dancer was desperate to impress her relations, so on top of working full-time at the dance studio she'd spent most of the last week cleaning the house from top to bottom, worrying about the menu, admonishing her long-suffering husband at every opportunity to do this, remember that … in short, not only had Kat driven herself crazy, but Jason as well. Until even his patience ran out and he'd told her rather sharply that she should chill already.
"For heaven's sake, Kat, I'm an adult, I know how to behave in company, even if they're as hoity-toity as your aunt seems to be. You're not my mother, to tell me to mind my p's and q's!"
There'd been more, until he'd stormed off into the basement, where Kat heard him clatter around, then start beating the stuffing out of his punching bag, muttering angrily under his breath all the while. Only with difficulty had she suppressed the desire to follow him and give an equally sharp retort. She held back though, fighting tears, knowing full well that a crying jag might be tempting, but very futile.
If only being in the early stages of pregnancy hadn't affected her stamina so much!. She tired so easily these days; usually Kat thought nothing of what Billy liked to call 'uxorial multi-tasking' – carrying a full workload, looking after the household (it was Jason's chore to care for the garden), entertaining guests … it was just, neither their parents nor their friends were liable to look at their house with eyes as critical as her aunt's were going to be!
Kat drew a deep, calming breath. Jason was right, she knew it; she really shouldn't worry so much. But that was easier said than done, when today was one time when she'd truly counted on his help – which he normally gave cheerfully, despite working long hours at the dojo himself.
He's not staying away on purpose, or to spite me. It's for our baby, she reminded herself. Jason is doing everything he can to make it easier for me, by building a nest egg so I can afford to take some time off when I'm due.
The child they were expecting was their greatest joy.
I'd better calm down; hurrying too much will ultimately only slow me down if something goes wrong. Besides, overexerting myself could result in bleeding, which could lead to serious complications, even a miscarriage … no way. I'd rather serve Aunt Rebecca a takeout pizza than do anything to harm our baby!
And yet Kat was looking forward to seeing her relations again, although Rebecca Sanders wasn't the easiest person in the world to get along with. She had certain attitudes – 'standards', she liked to call them – that weren't always easy to cope with, or to live up to. But, her aunt had been the one to enrol her in ballet classes as a little girl, even paying for her tuition the first few years and encouraging her ambitions to become a professional dancer, although Kat had been temporarily sidetracked by her diving successes and her move to the United States.
What will I do if she is insulted over my decision to quit performing? What if she looks down on Jason, or takes one of her sudden dislikes to him?
I don't care if she gets huffy, Kat determined. Then, innate honesty forced her to amend the thought. At least, I shouldn't. And even if she does, I'll try not to let it bother me. There's nothing she can do, anyway, and she'll be leaving again soon.
Aunt Rebecca hadn't been able to make it to her wedding last year due to other, prior commitments, and it would be the first time she was going to meet Jason; quite naturally, Kat was desperate for the two of them to make a good impression. Especially as Aunt Rebecca had hinted at feeling disappointment that Kat had chosen to become a dance teacher rather than taking a more prestigious position back in Sydney – more so as the Opera's offer to work as in-house choreographer had been made because of her connections.
But Kat was happy with the choices she'd made; being married to the man she loved was worth more than anything her aunt could say or do for her. Still, she felt she owed her a debt of gratitude, if nothing else.
Thinking of Jason, though, brought her neatly back to wondering where he was; he had assured her repeatedly that he'd be there in time to help her with her preparations. The house was spotless and the special dinner Kat had planned was already well underway, but if she wanted to take a shower, get dressed and be ready on time, she needed a hand.
Well, there's no sense in procrastinating; Jason will just have to hustle when he comes.
Still, the blonde was feeling a bit peeved. Her husband normally was very good about keeping his word; it really wasn't like him to leave her in the lurch like that. Huffing impatiently, Kat went into the kitchen and started on those parts of dinner that needed time to cook. Maybe she could dash upstairs and get changed while the vegetables and the potatoes were simmering.
Kat really longed for a shower once her preparations had gotten to the point where her attention wasn't constantly needed in the kitchen anymore. For the moment, anyway. She ran upstairs, wishing she could still take two steps at a time (definitely not a good idea in her first trimester!) and yanked off her clothes. Where is Jason, anyway? she seethed while stuffing underwear into the hamper and laying the garments she intended to wear on the bed in readiness. Just as she was about to step into the shower, however, the phone rang. Impatiently – I don't have time for this! – she snatched up the bedroom extension.
"Hello, Scott residence," she said, just a touch exasperated at yet another delay. She was running late as it was!
"Kat? Sorry I didn't make it as I promised, but something great has come up …we have a chance at getting a training contract for the Guardians troops in Silver Hills. Wes and Eric are here right now; if this deal we're talking about comes through, the dojo's set!"
Jason's voice sounded excited, not at all contrite, but if the reason he wasn't home was indeed work-related, Katherine couldn't really blame him. Especially not if the news was this good. And yet, she couldn't help but wish it had come at any other time but today.
"That's … great," she sighed, barely mollified. "Just remember that we're expecting guests, okay?"
"Don't worry, love, I won't forget," Jason soothed her over the phone. "We're just hashing out general feasibility, no details yet. I don't think I'll be much longer."
"Exactly how late is 'not much longer'?" she wanted to know, but right then there was a slight commotion in the background; dimly, Kat could identify Rocky's voice laughing at something another male had said. Presumably either Wes Collins or Eric Myers. The camaraderie shared by the men was obvious, even at a distance and over the phone.
"Dunno, but I'll hurry. Promise! Listen, hon, I gotta go. See you soon!"
And before the frustrated dancer could get another word in, Jason had killed the connection.
"Aaargh!"
Slamming the phone back down on the nightstand, Kat swiped a hand through her hair, then counted slowly to twenty. In French, too. She knew she could trust Jason to show up for dinner – it wasn't like him to shirk any of his obligations – but when was anybody's guess now. The Red Dragon Dojo was his (and Rocky's, and Tommy's) pride and joy, and short of herself and his parents took precedence over anything else in his life.
Well, she would get things ready for her relatives by herself, even if it killed her. But Jason was sure to hear about this later tonight!
Hurrying through her shower, Kat dressed quickly in an attractive turquoise shirtwaist dress, fixed her hair with a couple of clips and applied a minimum of makeup; she really would have liked to take greater care with her appearance, but with Jason not there to help, she just couldn't spare the time. She groaned when she noticed that her dress was getting a little tight around her midsection. Seemed as if her baby was making its presence felt a bit sooner than anticipated.
Grr. Why didn't I try this on earlier? Now it's too late to change clothes! And of course the only other presentable dress I have must be at the cleaners …
Fifteen minutes later, she was back downstairs – barely in time to save the vegetables from burning. Cursing softly, Kat jumped to the rescue, checked the roast, put the soup she'd prepared earlier on to heat, then rushed into the dining room to lay the table.
A shimmering white damask tablecloth, her good china, silverware, cut-crystal glasses … oh, a vase with flowers! The lovely arrangement of chrysanthemums in shades of pink and purple looked gorgeous right in the middle of the table. With a pleased smile, Kat started folding napkins. As she reached across the table to place her silver candlesticks on either side of the centerpiece, though, she accidentally brushed against the vase; it toppled over and the water poured all over her best linen.
Kat gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She didn't have time for this! However, it was no use – she had to start all over again. Quickly, she whisked off everything, then went in search of a fresh tablecloth. The pale pink linen would just have to do.
If Jason had been here like he'd promised, this wouldn't have happened!
To be fair, she couldn't be certain about that, but it would sure have taken her less time to set everything to rights again. At last, she was done – with just enough time to spare to start the finishing touches on her very special dinner. It wasn't as if they'd never had guests before, but never in quite such a formal setting, nor had Kat taken such extra pains about the food.
Cream of mushroom soup, followed by a special shrimp salad with fresh fruit and asparagus tips for hors d'oeuvres; a tender roast in red-wine sauce with baby carrots, sweet peas and new potatoes as the entrée, and for dessert a jellied fruit compote with vanilla ice and whipped cream. It had taken all of her ingenuity to plan and prepare, to get everything ready in time; she only hoped that the sauce wouldn't turn out lumpy and that she managed to glaze the carrots just right. After all, she'd never quite prepared them that way before …
Tying an apron around her waist so that her dress wouldn't be ruined, Kat marched into the kitchen to finish cooking.
~*~
Jason came home at last just when she was putting the serving plates into the oven to warm them up. The harried housewife checked her watch.
Oh God, only half an hour to spare!
"Jason, where on earth-" she started as he breezed into the kitchen and caught her in a bear hug.
"We got the contract!"
Jason's excitement and enthusiasm at the good news were infectious – or would have been, if Kat hadn't been caught up in more immediate concerns. Like, her dinner guests being due to arrive shortly, and Jason still in workout clothes, unshowered, sporting a five o' clock shadow, the drinks unprepared ... Yet, she managed a smile, despite the urge to fidget as if her shoes were on fire.
"That's great."
He didn't notice her rather lukewarm response.
"It's all settled bar the paperwork, Kat," Jason grinned, bussing his wife soundly. "God, this couldn't have come at a better time – what with Tommy thinking of retiring from racing and both you and Kim pregnant. It's up to the lawyers now, but we – Eric, Wes. Tommy, Rocky and I – hashed out the main details today; that's what kept me so long."
His dark eyes were sparkling with pleasure as he hugged her again, nearly squeezing the breath out of her lungs.
"Do you know that that means, love? Now we won't have to worry about having our own family, too – with the steady, guaranteed income from Silver Hills, you can afford to take some time off once our baby is born!"
With Rocky and Sarah expecting their fifth child and Kimberly about to give birth to her first, the Scotts had been naturally concerned about finances when Kat conceived as well; while Red Dragon Martial Arts was doing reasonably well, the operation wasn't financially secure enough to fully support all three families. And Kat had little desire to leave her much-wanted child to strangers to raise. Sure, the grandmothers had promised to pitch in when necessary, but they couldn't be expected to do it full-time if Kat had to work.
"That's wonderful," she commented, too distracted by the impending visit to give Jason's news the appreciation he expected. Kat didn't even notice how Jason's face fell. But he was trying to be a good sport; he swallowed his disappointment as best he could and released her.
"Well, I'd better shower and get ready; we can celebrate properly later, maybe?" he suggested hopefully, running a gentle hand down her arm. That was usually their public signal to have some marital fun later. However, for once his lovely wife was oblivious.
"Just hurry, okay? I can't leave the kitchen …" Kat was already turning back towards her pots and pans.
Sighing, Jason watched her for a few seconds, then shrugged and went upstairs. A quarter-hour later, Kat thought she heard the phone ring once, but her kitchen timer went off right then and she had to pay attention to the slowly-simmering food. When her attention refocused on her surroundings, all was quiet.
Too quiet.
The shower wasn't running anymore, so she supposed Jason was done, but – if he was, why wasn't he already downstairs again, offering his help?
He never dawdles; how long can it take to put on a suit and tie, anyway? she groused, walking to the foot of the staircase and calling Jason's name. When no answer was forthcoming, though, she went looking for her errant husband. He's probably having problems again with getting the knot straight! Men!
"Jason? What's taking you so long …" Kat's voice died down incredulously as she walked into their bedroom. Instead of struggling with his tie in front of the mirror, Jason was still in his underwear, one sock dangling from his hand and his hair a damp, unkempt mess as he was talking animatedly to whoever had called.
"Yeah, and we'll need to set up a schedule of who's driving to Silver Hills on which days, and coordinate things so our regular classes won't be interrupted …"
For once, the sight of her husband's tanned, muscular body clad only in tight white briefs failed to move Kat. Instead, she had to swallow down several sharp remarks.
"Jason!"
Startled, he turned his head. Kat had never used that particular tone with him before – angry, exasperated, thoroughly put out … in fact, she sounded exactly like Helen Scott used to, when he'd seriously messed up as a teenager. She was glaring at him just like his mother did as well. Jason snuck a peek at the alarm clock on the nightstand, then winced guiltily. Guess I kinda have, at that.
"Oops. Sorry, Rocko – Kat needs me. Talk to you later, okay?"
Jason listened briefly to whatever his business partner was saying, then chuckled. "Sure thing. Tomorrow, then. Bye!" He clicked off the phone and sent an apologetic smile towards his wife even as he bent to pull on his socks. "Sorry, Kat. Rocky caught me just as I started getting dressed. I'll be down in a jiffy!"
"I sure hope so," Kat muttered, too angry to trust herself to say more. How could Jason forget about their dinner guests? Didn't he care how important tonight was for her? Her aunt and uncle were due to arrive any minute now! That thought propelled her back down without another word, leaving Jason to murmur contritely "uh-oh" at her back.
As she put the finishing touches to her dinner table and readied the cocktail tray, she heard him open closet doors and generally rummaging around. There was the brief hum of her hair dryer, a startled curse when he obviously stubbed his toe on a corner, then the closing of the bedroom door and his steps on the staircase. They were far too jaunty for her strung nerves.
Serves him right! I just hope he hasn't made too big of a mess in the bedroom, so I can show Aunt Rebecca around later!
A taxi pulled into their driveway just as Jason entered the dining room. He saw Kat struggling with a corkscrew and a bottle of wine, and stepped forward immediately.
"Here, let me do that. You go and say hi to your aunt," he murmured, giving her a sheepish smile. "I'll be done in a second."
"Right." Briefly, Kat let her eyes sweep over Jason. He looked casually handsome in freshly ironed black jeans, a white, open-necked shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a waistcoat patterned in the distinct red, black and white of the Scott tartan – a favorite of his ever since Kat had brought it from London as her first-ever personal Christmas gift once they'd started dating. Normally, Kat loved seeing her husband wear it. Today, though …
"Why didn't you put on a suit and tie?" she demanded to know even as the doorbell rang. "I so wanted you to look your best …!"
Jason huffed in exasperation as he followed her. "Because I'm in my own home and not at some formal affair," he shot back. "I want to be comfortable, not getting strangled by some stupid piece of silk. Good grief, Kat, relax – it's only your relatives coming to visit, not royalty!"
"Aunt Rebecca is much more important to me than royalty," she replied, suppressing angry tears. However, it was too late now to change things. Painting a smile on her face, she opened the front door. "Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Gary! How wonderful to see you!"
Jason observed the imperious-looking woman as she reservedly replied to Kat's greeting. He didn't miss the slightly disdainful glance she sent around their hallway, and pursed his lips. He'd never experienced dislike at first sight, but it seemed as if that was about to change.
Great, one of those, Jason thought to himself, sighing inwardly. He knew that the Hillards were a rather well-off family (his father-in-law was the CEO of the American branch of an international shipping firm, after all), but they had never made him feel as uncomfortable as Rebecca Sanders did with just a toss of her perfectly-coiffed head. Thus, his smile was much less warm and welcoming than was his usual wont as he greeted his guests.
"Good evening, Mrs. Sanders, Mr. Sanders," Jason said. "Welcome to our house."
At least the husband looks reasonably civil!
"And a very nice house it is, too, I'm sure," Kat's aunt replied – with about as much warmth as an ice cube. "So you're Katherine's husband."
"Yes, Aunt Rebecca," Kat interposed brightly. Too brightly. She linked her arm through Jason's. "This is Jason. I'm so glad the two of you can meet at last!"
The older woman's lips curled in what Jason suspected was supposed to be a smile. "Quite," she murmured, barely touching her fingertips to his outstretched palm. "You can show everything to me later, darling."
"I'd love to. But let's have dinner first, shall we? I'm sure you must be hungry – and I've prepared all your favorite dishes," she babbled, sensing the instantaneous tension in the room. "Jason, why don't you get the cocktails? I have a few last-minute details to take care of in the kitchen."
"Sure." With a gesture, Jason ushered their visitors into the parlor. He gritted his teeth as Rebecca declined the glass of Kir (a mixture of cassis, a blackberry liqueur, and dry white wine) Kat had prepared.
"I've never cared much for cassis. If I might have a medium dry sherry instead," the older woman requested sweetly.
"I'll see if we have some," Jason answered neutrally, opening their meagre liquor cabinet. They didn't drink much besides an occasional glass of wine, and had never felt the need to stock up on alcohol just for it to be there. To his relief, he found a bottle of the requested beverage. Deftly, he removed the cork and poured some of the amber liquid into a cocktail glass.
"If I had known that you have no proper sherry glasses, I'd have given Kat a set for a wedding present," Rebecca murmured, raising an eyebrow as she regarded the glass like one would a particularly offensive bug.
Belatedly realizing that he must have picked the wrong stemware, Jason blushed in embarrassment. He wasn't ashamed of his rather ordinary family background, but it just didn't include things like sherry, fish knives and other social niceties Kat's aunt apparently took for granted.
He decided then and there that he did not like Rebecca Sanders. I don't care if she decked Kat out in silk and velvet when she was a little girl – that broad is a snob! And I can't wait to see her go! Drawing a deep breath, reining in his temper with difficulty, he raised his own wine glass. "How nice you could come visit us. I hope you'll enjoy your stay," was all he said, though. God, the evening has barely started, and I'm already lying through my teeth. How fun. Can't wait until it's over.
Good manners prevailed, though, and Jason made small talk with the Sanderses until Kat called him to help carry the soup tureen to the dining table. Much to her relief, it had turned out perfectly, and once they were done with the course, she replaced the soup plates with four crystal bowls filled with a lumpy-looking concoction in a pinkish sauce. Jason had absolutely no idea what it might be, but he trusted Kat's cooking skills that it would be delicious. There was a faint smell of brandy and mayonnaise rising from it, and curiously, he speared one of the lumps on his fork. He was just about to pop it into his mouth when Kat addressed her aunt with a smile.
"I made this especially for you, Aunt Rebecca," she told her. "It's shrimp salad with fresh asparagus tips." And she hoped very much that she'd gotten it right; except for the meat, this was the most expensive item on her menu. Asparagus was not in season, the shrimp were freshly-bought, not frozen, and even the fruit didn't come out of a can. Normally, she could feed Jason and herself for two days with what she'd spent on that one dish alone.
"How thoughtful of you, dear. That's my favorite hors d'oeuvre." Rebecca ate the first mouthful with obvious relish, smiling her approval.
"I know, that's why-" Kat was interrupted by the clatter Jason's fork made as he dropped it to his plate. "Jason? What's wrong?"
He took a sip of his water, then sent her a rueful look.
"I'm sorry, Kat, but … I can't eat this."
She gaped. "What? Why not?"
"I'm allergic to shellfish," Jason explained. "Even a trace of it in any dish gives me hives. A portion like this …" he indicated the crystal bowl before him, "could well send me into anaphylactic shock. My parents found that out the hard way when I was a kid and had a pizza with mussels once. I nearly choked to death, my throat swelled up so fast."
Kat was close to tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" she gasped, torn between horror that she might have unwittingly nearly poisoned Jason – and concern that her aunt might perceive this as an insult to her tastes.
"It just hasn't come up yet," Jason shrugged. "I would have told you if you'd mentioned it."
"I wanted dinner to be a surprise," Kat murmured, still stricken. "Both for Aunt Rebecca and you."
"Well, it would have been a memorable surprise if I'd actually eaten any of this salad, then gone all red in the face, choked and keeled over," Jason tried to joke, but it fell woefully flat. Instead of consoled, Kat just looked outraged. Coughing slightly, he smiled. "Please, don't mind me. I'll just wait until you're finished; I'm sure Kat will have enough of the main course that I won't starve if I pass on the shrimps."
The silence around the dinner table was stifling as the other three ate, more hastily than everybody had intended. Having one member of the dinner party sit unmoving, waiting for one to finish, tended to ruin the best appetite. It certainly spoiled Kat's. Trying to ignore the uneasy (and in Rebecca's case, barely-veiled resentful) glances cast his way as best he could, Jason schooled his face into impassivity as he helped clear the dishes. Just as he was following his wife into the kitchen, he overheard Rebecca murmur to her husband.
"You know, that took all my enjoyment out of it. Nobody dies of shellfish – do they?"
Gary Sanders hadn't said much so far aside from a few pleasantries when entering the Scott house and some small talk over cocktails, and his answer was too low to be heard, but whatever it was, it made his wife subside – even if her expression was still sceptical and even faintly sneering.
Jason rolled his eyes, then took the bowls with vegetables and potatoes which Kat handed him. "This looks great, hon," he murmured.
"I just hope you'll eat it," Kat hissed back – far more sharply than she'd intended. But her already nervous disposition had taken a further dive over the shrimp salad, and irrationally she placed the blame squarely at Jason's feet. She deliberately ignored the perplexed look he gave her and carried the roast to the dining table without further comment.
Much to her relief, everything had turned out perfectly, and the rest of the meal passed in polite, if somewhat strained, conversation. Jason just couldn't seem to find a topic to talk about with Aunt Rebecca, and the older woman made no effort to draw him out, concentrating instead on Kat and her choice of careers. Superficially, she agreed with the choices she'd made, but there still was an undercurrent of reproach when she started to enthuse about the new ballet program at the Sydney Opera House. Rebecca was a patron, often involved in promoting special events and fund raisers; there were strong hints in her reports that she thought Kat could have done much better for herself if she'd only come back to Australia at her suggestion.
Katherine certainly didn't regret following her heart in accepting Jason's marriage proposal, and she was happy with her life, but all this talk about glamorous performances, stage productions and the whole social whirl and prestige associated with a well-renowned theatre resurrected old dreams and hopes. She couldn't help the faint note of regret creeping into her voice as she shared memories with her aunt.
Jason noticed, but hid his feelings – which were growing ever more unfriendly towards Kat's overbearing relative – to himself, not wanting to provoke a fight. But he had a hard time controlling his temper once the dessert dishes were cleared away.
~*~
After dinner, they took their visitors on a tour of their house. It was quite spacious and very nice, but a bit of a fixer-upper – otherwise, the young couple could never have afforded to buy it. Luckily the necessary repairs weren't too complicated, and having often worked summers at his father's construction company, Jason knew his way around a toolbox and power tools, but there were still a number of things he just hadn't gotten around to. Others, like the tiles on the patio, were about halfway done; Jason and his father spent every free minute fixing their home to their liking. He was justifiably proud of what he'd accomplished.
However, Aunt Rebecca chose only to see the unfinished projects, dismissing Kat's tasteful decorating efforts with a lukewarm 'very nice, dear' and casting critical eyes on the materials Jason used, on every slightly crooked line or chipped beam. All she would deign to say was an occasional 'Charming, I'm sure' – or words to that effect. Obviously she was not impressed with their accomplishments. Her attitude certainly didn't endear her to Jason, who grew increasingly cool and short in his replies, leaving it to Kat to keep the conversational ball rolling. Which she valiantly did, seething inwardly at his apparent unconcern of how much her aunt's visit meant to her.
Why doesn't Jason make more of an effort to be nice to Aunt Rebecca? He can charm the birds off the trees if he sets his mind to it; why doesn't he do so now? He was so different when Jeremy and his family visited! It's not fair!
They finished their inspection in the living room, where Kat served freshly-brewed coffee and delicate petits fours, frowning when Jason enthusiastically put four of the cream- and chocolate-filled confections onto his plate at once.
"Mmm, my favorites!" He bit the first one in half with gusto.
"Mine, too," Mrs. Sanders muttered under her breath, nibbling far more daintily on hers. She'd only selected two.
Jason blushed slightly as he realized he'd committed another slight gaffe, but shrugged it off. He'd had to forego the shrimp salad already because of his allergy; surely he was entitled to some compensation.
Rebecca then launched into a tale of some of the Hillards' former neighbors – a topic that was not particularly interesting to Jason, since he knew neither the people involved nor the places mentioned. But Kat seemed to be very attentive, so he turned towards the fourth member of their small party, who hadn't said very much all evening. Jason tried to draw Kat's Uncle Gary into conversation – which was hard work, until it came out that he was head of an advertising firm. Jason casually mentioned that the dojo didn't do much beyond passing out home-printed flyers to the local schools and being listed in the Yellow Pages, and soon found himself embroiled in a spirited discussion of how he and his partners might do better in attracting customers even with the very limited budget they had. Soon, the two men left Kat and Rebecca in the parlor and retreated to the small office Jason had set up on the all-weather porch, talking business all the while.
Rebecca looked at their retreating backs with a small, disapproving frown. "You know, Katherine … I've come to expect this kind of behaviour from Gary over the years, but I honestly thought your husband had better manners than that," she commented. "He seems a nice young man."
Her tone made it obvious that she wasn't being altogether truthful, however – it was what Doris Hillard used to call 'damning with faint praise', and Kat flushed.
"He is," she defended Jason. "Only, Jason has never been involved in ballet …"
"Then what interests do the two of you share, dear? Your uncle and I may not do everything together, but we have quite a number of things where we have common ground. To be honest, I always thought you'd marry someone like Daniel Abernathy – remember? That nice young man from Canberra who took you to the Country Club dance right before your father relocated …"
"Dan Abernathy was a stuck-up bore," Kat shuddered. "He may have money and like ballet, but he also has about as much personality as a plastic bucket!"
"Well … he's not very lively, granted, but … a martial artist? I was never so surprised as when I heard what career your husband is following. It seems so … well, unsophisticated, you know? Not at all like what I envisioned for you, darling."
Kat instantly defended Jason, mentioning his appointment to the Youth Teen Summit and his academic successes, but while Rebecca made appropriately congratulatory comments she couldn't shake the feeling that her aunt was just humouring her.
Presently, the men rejoined their wives, still talking shop. Kat tried several times to make the conversation more general, but Jason's mind was still very much on the dojo, and ways to improve their operation.
"I have handled Biolab's Pacific advertising a few years ago," Gary Sanders told Jason casually. "Quite successfully, if I do say so myself. If you like, I could drop a word in Allister Collins' ear; as I understand it, the Silver Guardians are his brainchild, and as his son is running the outfit, I'm certain he'll be amenable to promote the unit. With the kind of training you're going to provide, it'll be very attractive for new recruits."
Jason smiled, pleased. "Thank you, but … I'd rather not take you up on your offer. Not until we've actually proven we can deliver, that is. Teaching combat skills to a paramilitary group is quite different from pure martial arts, after all."
"Hmm, makes sense even if I know next to nothing about fighting," Gary smiled back, not offended by the younger man's refusal. On the contrary, he respected the honesty. And the earnest desire to make his own way Jason was demonstrating. "But if you ever change your mind, give me a call. After all, you're married to Kat – you're family now."
"I'll certainly keep it in mind, sir," Jason replied. "In any case, I'd have to talk it over with my partners first."
"Of course."
Impatient with the men, Rebecca drained her coffee cup and prepared to get up. The visit wasn't going at all like she'd envisioned it – neither was Katherine properly agreeable to her blandishments, nor did this American try to curry her favor as she'd fully expected him to do. Didn't they realise what she could do for them with her money and connections? If Kat would just come back to Sydney, surely there'd be a way to set her husband up in a more socially acceptable line of work … maybe managing a chain of fitness clubs, or representing a sports goods manufacturer, if he absolutely had to be involved with athletics somehow. In any case, something that got him out of actually sweating and wearing exercise clothes all day. She was sure something could be arranged through her connections. Then Kat could start working at the Opera … and incidentally thus give her aunt the 'in' to the artists performing there she so wanted and hadn't found another way to achieve yet. But any hint she'd dropped in that direction had been ignored or dismissed by her niece – and even Rebecca Sanders, formidable as she was, didn't dare approach Jason directly with such a suggestion. He'd made it quite clear early on that he was perfectly content with his small operation. Not even the prospect of earning much more than he ever would in his current line of work seemed able to sway him.
Rebecca didn't understand Jason at all. Nor could she fathom why Kat would choose him over all the benefits she could offer her. She reached for her purse.
"Well, it was very nice visiting you, dear, but I'm afraid we'll have to go now."
"Oh, must you? So soon?" Kat exclaimed, partially truly regretful that her favorite relative wanted to end the visit, and partially relieved that the ordeal it had turned out to be was about to be over.
"Yes, I'm sorry," Rebecca declared firmly. "Gary?" She summoned her husband with a gesture. Sighing, Gary Sanders heaved himself to his feet from his comfortable chair as Kat quickly disappeared to call a cab for their guests.
"Right." He turned towards Jason with a genuine smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Jason. You and your friends seem to be exactly the kind of young entrepreneurs which could benefit from my company's sponsoring program."
"Thank you, sir; I appreciate your good opinion. And I'll think about it," Jason answered, pleased, and shook the older man's hand. "If my partners agree … I'll be sure to contact you one way or another."
"Very well. You have both my business and private numbers."
Impatiently, Rebecca interrupted. "Aren't you done yet? The taxi's about to arrive; we mustn't let the driver wait."
Gary amiably said, "Of course, dear," and – his back towards his wife – quickly rolled his eyes at Jason, who suppressed a snicker. Rebecca might be a stuck-up bore, but he couldn't help but like Kat's uncle.
Politely, he held her coat for Mrs. Sanders, then escorted the older couple to the door, a strangely silent Kat at his side. There was a brief farewell, then the usual flurry of leave-taking, admonitions to come visit the Sanderses in Australia sometime (finances permitting) and slamming of car doors, then the cab backed out of the driveway and what Jason was beginning to think of as the visit from hell was finally over.
~*~
Kat turned away without a word and marched into the kitchen as soon as she finished waving after the cab. She didn't trust herself to speak, knowing that she'd be saying things to her husband that needed to be dealt with in her own mind first – or they would have a serious argument. Deep down, a small voice told her that Jason wasn't to blame that the visit hadn't been the unqualified success she'd hoped for, but at the moment she was way too upset to heed that warning.
For his part, Jason amiably collected the remaining dishes onto a tray and put the dining room in order again before carrying them into the kitchen. He found Kat busy at the sink, the dishwasher already stacked and just waiting for the last few items while she rinsed the pots and cooking utensils.
Carefully depositing the glassware in the top basket, Jason started whistling tunelessly to himself, his mind already dismissing their visitors and returning to his business. As he filled detergent into the small container, he contemplated their good fortune. I never thought that our Red Ranger mission would result into something like this. But I guess Rangers help each other, no matter what. And even though we don't know Eric and Wes all that well, I think it's gonna be great working for them …
He couldn't wait to tell Kat all about the deal they were about to strike with the Silver Guardians; there really hadn't been enough time to tell her more than the basics due to their visitors.
"You have no idea how glad I am that the afternoon's over," he remarked without thinking. "I mean, not that I begrudge you your aunt's visit, but it really came at a bad time today."
Kat looked at him sharply. "Oh?" How could Jason say that? The visit had been agreed upon for weeks; if anything had come at a bad time, it was his stupid business deal, making him first late, then causing him to be distracted all afternoon!
Oblivious to her mood, Jason grinned deprecatingly. "Yeah. There's so much we have to arrange between us until we've got the logistics figured out … especially with Tommy still out of the picture until he joins the staff full time. Rocky and I will be hopping, that's for sure."
Kat didn't comment. Not that he left her much time to.
"Say, you have afternoon classes on Tuesdays, right? If Rocky's okay with this, that could be my day to drive to Silver Hills. I'm sure I'll be able to grab some lunch there … of course, it'll mean I'll be gone all day, but you won't mind that, do you? After all you won't have to come home during your break, either."
As a matter of fact, Kat did mind. Having lunch with Jason each day, even if it was only a sandwich or some soup, was a pleasant interlude in their busy workday life, and she resented having to give up something she cherished, no matter how financially advantageous it might be.
"Whatever," she muttered, not looking at him.
Jason sighed. "Honey, it can't be helped. You know that Silver Hills is too far away to make the drive feasible more than once each day. And we can't afford to miss out on the contract; it means just too much for all our future – Tommy and Kim's, Rocky and his family and ours."
Is your precious dojo all you can think about? What about me? I need you, too! Kat wanted to ask, but a last shred of rational thought held her back.
"I guess."
At last he caught on to her mood. He dropped the dishtowel he was using to dry one of the pots and stepped up behind her. Winding his arms around Kat's waist, Jason hugged her to him.
"What's the matter, love? Aren't you glad that we won't have to worry about finances so much anymore?"
"Yes …"
"I think I'm hearing a 'but' here," he tried to tease. "What's got your pretty tail all in a kink, Kitty-cat?"
The thinly-disguised cat joke was the last straw. I hate when he's doing that! Bad enough that Mum still calls me Kitty on occasion! Flushing angrily, the dancer whirled around, glaring daggers at Jason.
"Stop that! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
Surprised, and getting slightly annoyed at what he thought was an unwarranted – and unprovoked! – snit, he let her go.
"No, as a matter of fact I don't," he snapped back, perhaps more sharply than he'd intended. "If I did, I wouldn't have to ask."
"You knew very well how important this afternoon was to me! And you managed to ruin it … first you're late, then you dress like it matters nothing who was coming, then you get the wrong glasses …"
It was as if a floodgate had suddenly opened; all the small (and not so small) aggravations that had accumulated throughout the day poured out in one unstoppable torrent, every little detail that had come together to mar a day Kat had so desperately wanted to be special and perfect in every way. From the sock having missed the hamper to the steamed-up bathroom mirror, the ill-fated shrimp cocktail to Jason's increasingly obvious coolness towards her aunt and his preoccupation with work, the list grew longer and longer the more she spoke. A part of her was appalled at what she was doing and told her to stop before she said something she'd regret later, but Katherine found herself unable to do so. The one thing she did manage to hold back were tears, but she ranted on for several minutes until she simultaneously ran out of air and steam.
" …Aunt Rebecca must think I married a total boor! I told you and told you how important she is to me, how much she's done for me … she was the one who persuaded Mum to let me take ballet lessons to begin with, she paid for them, too … if not for her, I wouldn't have a career that I love at all! And you were all but rude to her all afternoon!"
Jason had listened to his wife with increasing astonishment; he'd honestly thought that, all things considered, the visit had gone over reasonably well. Sure, it hadn't been a fun time for him and he wished it could have been more pleasant for Kat's sake, but personality clashes could happen … and he'd been pretty sure the dislike he'd felt for Rebecca was mutual. He was not at fault, or not much; he'd behaved as usual, done his best, done his best, so why was that all of a sudden no longer good enough?
"Excuse me? I was being rude? How about your aunt – she was the one who started with all the sniffs and putdowns. Nothing we showed her in the house was good enough for her; she positively gloated over everything that wasn't finished yet or doesn't have a designer label on it. Didn't you see how she looked down her nose at everything we've done with this place? Because I sure did!"
Kat experienced a momentary flash of discomfort; she had noticed Rebecca's disdainful expressions. But stubbornness, family loyalty and a perverse wish to blame someone for the disappointment the visit had turned out to be made her suppress the feeling.
"Aunt Rebecca has always wanted the best for me," Kat murmured mutinously, forgetting how her words must sound to Jason.
"And I'm not the best, is that it?" Jason replied, angry now … and hurt. "Well, thank you very much! You knew when you married me that I'm not rich – that I'll probably never be rich, either. If you wanted fancy stuff and prep school company, maybe you should have gone back to Australia after all!"
This wasn't what she'd meant! How could Jason so misunderstand her?
"No! I know you have good manners and everything – if you choose to display them, that is. I wonder why you didn't do so today … did you really want to embarrass me like that in front of my aunt? It wouldn't hurt you to show some appreciation for the finer things in life!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Kat wanted to take them back. She knew that she was being not only unfair, but also unjust – she'd just implied that the man she loved was uncouth somehow, that he didn't know how to behave in company, that he'd deliberately set out to be uncivil. Which was completely untrue. But it was too late now – the words had been said, and the damage was done.
How much was obvious in the way Jason's face lost color and how his eyes, those warm, midnight pools she loved to drown in grew distant and cold.
"I see. Well, it's not too late; if you hurry maybe you can still catch your aunt at her hotel. I'm sure she'll be glad to spring you a ticket to Sydney. Then you can take that position at the Opera there and forget all about me!"
The kitchen door closed with a bang as Jason stormed outside, into the garden. Kat watched him leave with a stricken look on her lovely features, and she had to grip the sink's edge with both hands to keep herself upright. The tears she had swallowed all day started to fall at last, wetting her cheeks in salty rivulets, but she did nothing to stop them. A part of her knew she needed the emotional release, futile though it might be – and also that it would be better not to show her turmoil to Jason right now. In his current state of mind, he was likely to think it nothing more than a ploy for sympathy.
How could things go so horribly wrong so fast? Kat wondered as he slowly regained some measure of composure. I didn't mean to hurt Jason; all I wanted was that Aunt Rebecca liked him. But she doesn't; I could see that. And Jason seems to hate her. If he didn't, he would have exerted himself more to be nice, I'm sure.
Wearily, she finished her chores. It was still early, but overcome with sudden exhaustion Kat trudged upstairs and prepared for bed. She was trying to distract herself and picked up a book, but the words on the page made little sense. Then, the door opened and Jason came inside. He cast her a guarded look as he, too, undressed and slipped under the sheet next to her – never saying a word, of either reproach or apology.
Kat sighed. She hated the strained silence between them; but she was also not ready yet to dismiss her grievances and make up. The way she saw it, it was up to Jason to make the first move.
Which he did eventually, but not quite the way she had anticipated or hoped for.
"Look, Kat, I don't want to fight with you anymore. Certainly not over your aunt; who knows if she'll ever visit us again. It's just not worth it. Can't we just chalk up this afternoon as having gone less ideally than we hoped and leave it at that?"
His voice was calm and reasonable, but something indefinable was missing … and Kat was still too upset to realize what it was. Instead, she just seized on the superficial meaning of what Jason had said.
"Sure," she murmured, carefully not meeting his eyes.
"Thanks."
And with that, Jason reached over to his night table and switched off the lamp. He didn't roll over and show her his back … but the stiff posture as he lay on his back, hands tucked behind his neck, was a far cry from the loving embrace she'd gotten used to since their marriage.
Lips quivering but refusing to complain, Kat put a mark into her book and also turned off her bedside lamp. Curling up under her blanket, she fought the need to reach out, to cuddle up in Jason's strong embrace as was her nightly habit.
"Goodnight," she whispered into the darkness, wishing deep within her heart for at least a perfunctory kiss on the cheek to show that things weren't really as bad as they seemed, but it did not come. She stifled a sob, hating the silence between them.
"Night," Jason replied without his usual warmth, hoping for a soft hand to reach out and touch him to let him know Kat wasn't really that mad at him, but he waited in vain. He suppressed a despondent sigh, cursing the barrier that had risen seemingly out of nowhere.
The comfortable room grew quiet as both finally fell asleep.
~*~
"We gave each other the silent treatment for weeks afterwards," Kat sighed. "Oh, the next morning everything seemed to be fine on the surface, but … something was definitely missing. The words were all there, we pretended that we'd forgotten, but …"
"I don't understand," Lynne said with a frown. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I really don't see what made you blow up like that."
"Yeah. The Silver Hills contract was the best thing that ever happened to the dojo, from a business standpoint. I don't see how you could blame Dad for being preoccupied about it," Oliver commented, equally puzzled.
"And it wasn't Dad's fault that he couldn't eat your shrimp cocktail because he was allergic to shellfish," Jared added, having picked up on the fact that the special dish Jason declined had played a major role in his mother's mind to ruin her day. "I've seen one of my trainees go into anaphylactic shock once from some ingredient in a muscle relaxant cream; it wasn't pretty. Good thing we had a medic at the rink. So what if it was your aunt's favorite dish? It's not such a big deal, is it?"
"No, it wasn't," Kat admitted, blushing at the censure she saw in her children's eyes. "But that's from hindsight. At the time, though … looking back, I don't understand myself why it upset me so. I only know it did. But overall, I think what really got me going was the fact that Jason and Aunt Rebecca didn't hit it off. It was even worse than Caroline's dislike of you," she remarked to Tommy. "At least she came around eventually, when she saw how happy you and Kim were together."
Tommy shrugged deprecatingly and patted her hand. "Some people just don't click, ever," he said philosophically. "The only strange thing for me is that it happened to Jase. I've never known him to not get along with all kinds of folk … eventually, anyway. I bet that, given half a chance, he'd even have tried to find common ground with Rita and Zedd," he grinned, mentally picturing the scenario. It was … mind-boggling, in a funny sort of way. But I'd have paid good money to see you try, Bro!
"Yes. And Aunt Rebecca always used to be so gracious to everybody," Kat murmured. "She even managed to be nice to the new gardener who uprooted her prized roses by mistake. Which made it all the more strange that they couldn't see eye to eye."
Jasmine was interested in something else. "How did you two manage to make up, though?" she asked curiously. "I mean, neither one of you was – is – the type to hold a grudge for long …"
"And I'd think that with you being pregnant and all you'd forget about it by and by," Rachel added. "I can't imagine fighting with Jared now that every day brings a new development …" Her hand went instinctively to her still-flat stomach. "Didn't you have far more important concerns than a stuffy old relative?"
"Of course we did," her mother-in-law replied. "And after we'd both simmered down, we wanted to reconcile much sooner – as we found out afterwards, when it was all over. Only, we both were too stubborn, waiting for the other to make the first move."
"Doing what? Ask for forgiveness? I don't see that Uncle Jason had much to apologize for," Jay interjected. "Sure, he's made a couple boo-boos, but it was really minor stuff in my opinion. Sorry, Aunt Kat, but I really think it was mostly your fault things got so out of hand."
The girls looked as if they wanted to protest, to support Kat – after all, they all had experienced serious exasperation due to their spouses' behavior at one point or another (and caused a few incidents themselves) – but in all fairness they couldn't. To their relief, Kat didn't refute his conclusion.
"I know. But by the time I was able to admit that to myself, I had no idea of how to broach the subject – much less heal the rift between us. And it grew wider the longer we kept silent."
"Then how did you and Uncle Jase reconcile?" Ramon wanted to know. "Trini and I never had a prolonged fight like that, thank God, but even with a short flare-up it's hard enough to find the right words to make things right again."
"Actually, it took a long talk with my mother," Kat revealed…
~*~
"What's the matter, honey?" Doris Hillard asked her daughter outright after she'd shown up unexpectedly in her parents' house one afternoon. "You look like a month of rainy days." A fragrant scent rose from the teapot as she poured boiling water from a kettle into the delicate china, the liquid turning almost instantly to the deep golden-brown color of Kat's favorite Assam blend. She carried the pot and two mugs to the living room, where her daughter was curled up despondently in one corner of the couch, her feet tucked under her.
Kat inhaled the tea's aroma, but it failed to soothe her as it usually did. She dearly needed a confidante, but was hesitant to pour out her woes. After all, she'd promised herself not to run to Mummy at the first sign of trouble; that was just too cliché … and it was her mother's older sister who was a large part of her current problem. But she was reluctant to talk to Kimberly for fear something would get back to Jason via Tommy. Normally, she relished the fact that they had few secrets from their friends, but in this instance … no.
If only Tanya were here!
But her best friend was still living on the East Coast, and it really wasn't the kind of thing you could talk about on the phone, entrust to a letter or discuss via email.
"Nothing," she mumbled, but couldn't quite manage to look into her mother's eyes.
"Uh huh. And it is just coincidence that during last week's dinner you and Jason talked at rather than with each other, right?" The young Scotts met once a month at either Kat's or Jason's parents' house for a family get-together; it had been incredibly hard to hide the coolness between them from their sometimes too-observant parents.
Doris waited a few moments for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, but the slow rise of guilty color in Kat's cheek told its own story to the older woman. Hiding a small smile (after all, she'd been married for over thirty years herself and knew the signs), Mrs. Hillard calmly poured two mugs of tea and urged Kat to help herself to cream and sugar. After they'd both taken a few sips, she decided to cut to the chase.
"Sweetie, don't try to hide from me; I know you too well. Something is wrong, isn't it?" she urged gently. "Let me guess – you and Jason had, or are having, your first serious fight, no?"
Kat felt tears well in her eyes at her mother's astute question. "Oh Mum," she half-wailed. "Everything's so horrible!"
"What is?"
The blonde dancer just shook her head, sniffling. During the past few weeks, she'd repeatedly tried to put her feelings into words, but even in the privacy of her own mind it all sounded so petty and insignificant now
"Did you and Jason have a fight?"
"Uh huh."
"So what was it about?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know … and I also don't know how to make things right again. My life is ruined!" Kat proclaimed with a fine air of melodrama, only to scowl unhappily when her mother couldn't help a tiny chuckle.
"Come on, darling. No trouble in paradise can be so bad that it can't be fixed with an apology or a word of forgiveness."
"If it only were that simple," Kat sighed. "I don't even know anymore whether I or Jason should be the one to apologize."
Doris nodded sagely. "Oh. One of those fights, is it?"
"Yes …"
"Well … if you need an ear, I'm right here. I can't promise you a solution to whatever problem the two of you are having, but I do promise to listen."
Oh God, do I ever need someone to listen! But where to start? Where did it all start, anyway?
The answer to that was obvious. With a sigh that seemed to rise from the bottom of the San Andreas fault, Kat began to speak.
"I think it all began to go downhill when Aunt Rebecca sent notice that she was going to drop by …"
Doris had suspected as much. After all, she'd grown up with her sister, and knew her little personality quirks quite well. There had been a time, right before the family had relocated to Angel Grove, that she'd come to … well, not exactly fear the influence Rebecca had had on her daughter, but … she'd been concerned. Right now, though, she determined to hear her daughter out, not commenting at all until she'd wound down.
"… and we've hardly said a truly personal word to each other since," Kat concluded tearfully. "I realize now that I handled things not quite right, but …"
"But you still feel as if Jason was at least partly at fault that your dinner party wasn't the success you wanted it to be, hmm?"
"Yes – if he'd just accommodated Aunt Rebecca's opinions more, been less preoccupied with work … had finished more projects around the house …" Even as she said that last bit, Kat knew she was being unfair. Jason spent every free moment on finishing the various renovations he'd started, she knew he did his best for her, and it wasn't his fault at all that, with Tommy still on the road so much, his time was limited. Truth be told, she liked helping him – or just watching him; just as he kept her company when she was busy with a decorating project, like sewing curtains.
"In short, if Jason had been perfect?"
"Yes! No … he's not, and I don't really want him to be, but … oh, I don't know anymore!" Kat hid her face in her hands. She knew she herself wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. In fact, Kat didn't feel like a grown woman at all. Gone was all the confidence she'd gained as a Ranger, as a respected professional and as a wife and mother-to-be. Instead, she felt like a little girl again who wanted nothing more than Mummy to make everything alright again. "Help me, Mum!"
Mrs Hillard sighed. "I don't know if I can, honey. It sounds to me as if your penchant for perfectionism – which Rebecca has done her fair share to foster in you – has got slightly out of hand. Again." There was no censure in her gentle voice, but Kat still blushed.
"I guess," she admitted in a very small voice. "But is it so wrong to want everything to be as perfect as possible?"
"Not at all. But the key word here is 'possible', not 'perfect'. Tell me … if Jason's job were portable, so to speak, could you imagine taking Rebecca up on her invitation and move to Sydney with him?"
Kat pondered the question. "N-no, I don't think so," she said at last. "I mean, he'd do it for me if it were a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity for me or the only way both of us could work, but … I just can't picture him in the Country Club scene." She felt vaguely disloyal to her aunt as she said that; after all, Rebecca moved effortlessly in those circles, and at one time it had been her own ambition, too. But that was then …before Jason.
"Why not?"
Kat shrugged. "It's just not his style. Oh, not because I think Jason wouldn't know how to behave or isn't smart enough or anything, because he is, and what he doesn't know he'd pick up in no time, but … there's so much phoniness among the people there, so much glamour and so little substance … I know he'd be miserable. Jason can't live like that."
Her mother hid another smile. "Can you?"
There was a brief silence, then Kat met her eyes fully. "No. Not anymore. I used to love going with Aunt Rebecca when I was a kid; it certainly seemed a desirable enough lifestyle. So elegant, so … sophisticated, I guess – just like in a movie. But I'd rather have what I have now – my friends, my family, everything that I love instead of endless parties and social gatherings with no meaning. Even my job, despite the bothersome parents some of my students have."
"I thought so," Doris replied sagely, pleased that her daughter had learned to value the right things. Then, in an apparent non sequitur, she added, "You know … I love my sister, but sometimes I don't like her very much."
"Huh?" Katherine blurted, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"
Her mother poured fresh tea while gathering her thoughts. Settling down with her steaming mug, she regarded Kat with a slightly distant look.
"Even when we were children, Rebecca was always the one who did no wrong. She never, ever brought home the wrong friends, got into mischief, dressed inappropriately or rocked the boat in any way whatsoever. And she expected all of us to do the same – whether it was me, our parents, your uncle … anybody, really. Let me tell you, it was very, very hard sometimes not to do something outrageous simply to rebel against her and her opinions and general attitude."
"Did you?" Kat asked, momentarily distracted from her problems and intrigued despite herself.
"A few times," Doris admitted with a small, reminiscent grin. "But that's a story for another day," she warded off the curious questions she could see were beginning to form. "This is about you and Jason, not me and my dear sister," she reminded.
"You knew when you married Jason that you wouldn't have the kind of socially prominent life Rebecca always propagated. So I'd like to ask you a simple question: Why did you marry Jason?"
Kat's answer was prompt and needed no thought.
"Because I love him."
What other reason would I need?
Pleased, Doris nodded. She hadn't been wrong about her daughter's motives, then.
"What about all the things Rebecca was sneering at – and don't try to tell me otherwise; I've known her since childhood, after all – his lack of family money, his rather ordinary job, his lack of social ambition? Your nice but not spectacular house?"
The blonde looked at her mother with bewildered eyes. "What about them? I don't care about any of that; never really have … and I love our house!"
"Then why do you care so much about what your aunt thinks?"
Kat opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again with a faint snap. She hadn't looked at things from that angle at all, but it was a very good question. If she truly didn't, why had she been so upset?
"Well … I guess it's not really that, but that Aunt Rebecca was so … so disdainful about our house, our having to live on a budget, about the things we don't have yet or couldn't possibly ever afford …" she fumbled at last.
"In other words, material things?"
"Um … yeah. I think so." Put like that, it sounded even more petty and inconsequential than before, and Kat could feel her cheeks heat up again – this time with shame. I'm not like that! I'm not! And if I am, I don't want to be!
Doris regarded her daughter seriously. "There you have it, then. It hurts to say this about my own sister, but Rebecca is the kind of person who would never have married a man just for love. Oh, she and Gary are happy enough, I know; they suit each other very well. But I'm quite certain that she'd have refused his proposal if he'd not been wealthy, successful and connected. She'd have regretted turning him down, yes, but she wouldn't have hesitated to follow her head and ambition instead of her heart. And I'm quite glad to know that you and I are different from her in that regard."
"So am I," Kat admitted without reserve, reaching out for her mother's hand and giving it a grateful squeeze. Finding a kindred spirit in Doris did a lot to restore her perspective. "I mean, I can't deny it'd be nice not to have a mortgage, or budget our money, or to have the house all finished and stuff. But on the other hand, it's also nice to figure out ways to accomplish things without just going to a store, point at something and pull out a credit card."
The older woman leaned back in her chair with a pleased smile, satisfied that Kat had the right values after all.
"Even if the things you 'figured out' aren't perfect?"
"Yes," Kat replied with conviction, suddenly thinking about the fun she and Jason often had on weekends browsing stores, catalogues, yard sales … even if they brought home nothing but ideas and inspiration.
"There you have your answer, then." Doris told her.
"I do? And what was my question, anyway?" Kat wanted to know, rather bewildered.
"Your question was whether your aunt's opinion about the life you've chosen truly matters more to you than what you share with your husband. And your answer …"
"… is that it doesn't. Not one whit," the blonde realized, her gloomy mood vanishing like a thundercloud before a strong, refreshing wind. Feeling suddenly energized, Kat sat her mug on the polished table top with a clatter.
"I've got to go," she announced, virtually jumping up from the couch and hunting for her shoes.
"You do? Go where?"
"Home. Back to Jason." In more than one sense!
Not really surprised, Doris watched her slip into the stylish, but very non-designer footwear.
"Thanks, Mum," Kat called over her shoulder, already halfway to the door.
"Anytime, dear," – but the door clicked shut on any reply the younger woman might have made. With a small laugh and headshake, Doris got up as well and collected their tea things. "Good luck, children," she murmured to herself, and as she went into the kitchen had to grin at a thought.
Have fun making up, you two!
~*~
Kat let herself into their house quietly, still thinking of ways how best to approach Jason. She'd tossed around ideas in her mind all the way back from her parents', but hadn't come to a satisfactory conclusion yet. As she took off her shoes and placed her keys into the pottery bowl on the hallway table, she noticed the two brass sconces flanking the mirror hanging above it. They were plain, oval shapes, each holding a white candle … and had been bought for only $35 at a quaint little store a block down from the Stone Canyon branch of the Red Dragon dojo. Kat had been quite delighted when she'd found them by chance while waiting for her husband to finish a class one day, and spent a few hours painstakingly polishing them to a warm, mellow golden sheen that went perfectly with her décor. Jason liked them, too, but all Aunt Rebecca had had to say was that they weren't old enough to be called antiques.
Well, bugger her! She thought rather inelegantly. If she doesn't like them, she doesn't have to live with them!
As she wandered through the house in search of Jason, her gaze fell on things here and there. There was the milky-white Murano glass lamp with the fluted edge hanging over a side table; ordered from a catalogue, but exactly the kind of thing Kat had wanted. The vase inherited from one of Jason's great-aunts – not valuable at all, but a lovely shape, and the dark wine color provided just the right touch between the two front windows. The photo collage their friends had given them on their engagement, showing scenes from their school days. The bit of lace decorating the sideboard, a spontaneous purchase (and gift from Jason) on one of their forays to a yard sale in another part of Angel Grove. The Chagall print above the couch in its simple but elegant frame that matched her curtains to perfection, a wedding present from Adam and Tanya. Other 'treasures' were hidden in their cupboards or on display here and there, none of them of great material worth, but chosen, given or collected with love and care, and an eye for both beauty and function.
I wouldn't exchange any of this for all the antiques and originals Aunt Rebecca owns. Because this is all mine – well, ours – and it fits us. We're comfortable with what we have. And more importantly, we're happy. And nothing Aunt Rebecca can say will make me think otherwise again. So there!
Impulsively, Kat stuck out her tongue at the far-away Rebecca Sanders.
How could I ever let her influence me so? Probably because I used to admire her so much as a child, Kat realized. But her life isn't mine; and favorite aunt or not, she can just take her criticism and jump off Ayers Rock, for all I care!
Finally, she spied Jason out in the garden. He'd been hidden from her sight until now because he was working on his knees, painstakingly fitting another row of Mexican tiles onto the concrete patio. The matt glaze was basically a terracotta reddish-brown, shaded to a dark yellow towards one edge. They'd decided on a simple pattern – placing one vertical with two horizontal tiles, then alternating it in the next row – that was both attractive and would be easy to care for. And as the patio was already even and a basically rectangular shape, Jason's father had shown them how to do the job themselves and thus save the fee for a professional.
He was almost three-quarters done, and with summer right ahead they would be finished just in time for the end-of-season sales on lawn furniture. Kat had already browsed through a few garden centers to get an idea of what she wanted, and hoped that the things she liked would be reduced once they got around to the actual buying.
It'll be so lovely to sit out here, relaxing after work and watch the sunset with Jason, or maybe have a drink with Kim and Tommy … and that secluded corner over there will be perfect to put up a playpen once our baby is born!
But she was definitely getting ahead of herself here; first of all she needed to make up with Jason so that she'd have her husband to watch the sunset with.
Kat waited at the French door leading from the living room into the garden until Jason finished with his current stack of tiles; only when he was about to reach for the trowel to spread out more sticky base did she call his name.
"Jason?"
He looked up at his wife. "Yeah?"
"Do you have a minute?" Kat asked, her voice soft and pleading and her heart in her eyes.
Jason shrugged, dropping the trowel back into the container of base. "Sure. What's up?" He rose fluidly to his feet, wiping his hands on an old rag he'd stuck into the belt of his ratty jeans. Kat couldn't help but admire his unconscious athlete's grace … and felt her mouth go dry with longing as his muscles, splendidly displayed by his tank top, rippled smoothly under his tanned skin.
I so want to touch him! And kiss him, and nibble, and …
She stopped herself before she lost it completely. With any luck, she might just get to do that – and much more! – a bit later. First, though …
"I … I'd like to talk with you. But it can wait if you don't have time right now," she added hastily, not wanting to seem pushy or disturb him in some task.
Jason regarded his wife guardedly as he laid down a few planks to walk over; lately, they'd hardly communicated beyond everyday necessities. He desperately wanted his Kat back, the loving, warm, affectionate woman he loved so much, but ever since her aunt's visit she had hidden behind a veritable Ice Queen. If only the deal with the Silver Guardians hadn't gone down that very day … Jason was now ready to admit that he'd let his good manners slide under the elation of having found a way to secure the dojo's financial future.
If that old bitch had just been a tad more friendly … if Kat had not criticized nearly every move I made that day … if I only had managed to put work out of my mind for a few hours …
But Rebecca hadn't, Kat had, Jason hadn't … and things had been going to Hell in a handbasket ever since. And he didn't know how to stop the trip.
I want her back! I want things the way they were, not like they are now!
"Nah, it's cool. My knees could use the break, anyway," he said with a casualness he didn't really feel. With a last small hop, he reached the wide step right at the house's wall, and found himself suddenly face-to-face with Katherine. They hadn't truly been that close to each other since that miserable afternoon a few weeks ago, and it took his breath away with longing. Her pale-gold hair framed a face Jason saw in his dreams every night, sweetly loving in some, flushed with passion in others … and coldly angry in a few that bordered on nightmares. Now Kat's expression was … shy? Embarrassed? Determined? Apologetic? Hopeful? All of the above?
Jason felt his pulse speed up suddenly – and it was not from the physical work he'd been doing. Because if he was reading his wife right, she was feeling all of the things he was experiencing himself; a whole welter of emotions that was at once confusing and encouraging.
Midnight-dark eyes met crystal blue ones, and hope rose suddenly, making him catch his breath. Jason opened his mouth to say something, but found himself stopped by a soft, more than slightly unsteady hand touching his cheek.
"Jason, I-" Kat started, only to be interrupted by the deep voice she loved so much, in a tone that rarely failed to send pleasurable shivers down her spine. Now was no exception.
"Kat, honey …"
Suddenly, words weren't necessary at all. As Jason's hand covered hers and pressed it against a slightly stubbly cheek, a smile blossomed around Kat's rosy mouth that proved irresistible to Jason. He impulsively closed the few inches separating them and touched his lips to hers.
At first, their kiss had a tentative quality to it, but as neither drew away (as they'd both done all too often in the past few weeks), it deepened gradually, going from pleased surprise to passion within a very few heartbeats.
It lasted a small eternity … and yet not long enough; only the need to breathe made them stop.
Her head spinning with joy, Kat nevertheless tried to speak, easily finding the words that had seemed so hard only this morning.
"I'm sor-" she started, avidly returning the kisses Jason was dusting all over her face, only to have them swallowed by his mouth.
"Don't apologize," Jason told her lovingly once he was done. "If you do, I'll have to grovel, and you know I don't do that well." He fervently hoped that his attempt at humor wasn't going to be rebuffed. He needn't have worried.
Kat gave him a tiny, relieved grin … and another kiss. "Okay. Still, I shouldn't have been so unreasonable and bitchy."
"No, you shouldn't have. But I could have made more of an effort, been less preoccupied with work," he replied, nuzzling at her cheek. Both knew what the other was referring to; there was no need for a more detailed explanation.
"Yes, you could …"
They stared at each other, both sporting expressions that were a strange mixture of remembered outrage and overwhelming relief … which slowly mutated into delight at the realization that they were on the same wavelength again, no longer talking at cross purposes … that without another word their fight was finally over.
"That's it? It's over?" Jason asked nonetheless, needing to make sure.
"It is for me," Kat confirmed, feeling herself go giddy at being back in Jason's arms – where she belonged.
"Me too," he murmured, reclaiming the so-inviting lips just touching his chin. Later, they would talk things over in greater detail, he knew, and would welcome the opportunity to clear the air of all lingering resentments, but that was something best left to another time. Right now, they both had another, better thing on their minds.
Much better!
"Mmm. Don't stop," Kat moaned softly as his none-too-clean hands began to roam. Not that she cared; they could get cleaned up together … later.
Much later!
"Don't worry, I won't," he reassured her, taking a step inside the house and gently urging Kat along. His goal was the staircase leading up … towards their bedroom. She followed him willingly.
"Don't you have work to do?" she suddenly remembered as a turn brought her eyes back to the patio. "What about the tiles?"
"The tiles can wait. I can't."
"Oh. Good!"
~*~
"My mother helped me see that Aunt Rebecca wasn't the paragon I'd built her up to be as a young teenager," Kat concluded with a rueful smile. "I had let myself be blinded by her unquestionable generosity towards me, by her wealth – which was very impressive, I have to admit … and even though I'd grown past that, it all came back in a rush when she visited us. And knowing that she didn't understand the choices I'd made, that she even sort of pitied me for not having married someone she approved … plus Jason's apparent indifference towards her … it just piled up, and that's why I overreacted so."
"I'm sure that your hormones being out of whack because of your pregnancy didn't help, either," Lynne suggested, having experienced a few unreasonable moments herself not too long ago. She sent a glance towards Rachel.
"I know it sounds clichéd, but you gotta watch out for that," she cautioned her newly-pregnant sister-in-law, then turned on her brother. "And you cut Rach some slack when it happens, you hear?"
Jared grinned, but nodded agreeably. "Sure. As long as I have fair warning."
"There is no warning most of the time," Ramon sighed, with a faintly mocking, long-suffering glance at Trini. "You just gotta learn to roll with the punches, kid." His wife, having been pregnant four times, promptly glared daggers at him, but a faint blush gave her away, to amused (and sympathetic) snickers from Jay and Oliver. Jasmine just rolled her eyes; her generally even temperament, inherited from Adam, had spared Oliver more than a few spats over the course of their marriage.
Kat's youngest looked at his wife, slightly askance. "You don't take after your mother in that regard, have you?" Connie DeSantos Cranston was the sweetest, calm and serene person imaginable, but woe to anyone who got in her path at the wrong moment! Billy had once jokingly confided to his friends that he was seriously contemplating setting up regular delivery of kitchen crockery with a nearby department store, they tended to break so much.
Rachel smiled sweetly. "Wait and find out, dear," she cooed.
"Uh-oh. I think I'm in trouble," Jared sighed resignedly, but winking at his lovely wife. Much to his relief, the redhead winked back. Oliver, who hadn't noticed, gave his brother a smirk.
"Don't think, bro – I know!"
The family broke into laughter, and turned their thoughts back to what Kat had just told them. She, too, was smiling broadly.
"Anyway, that was the most serious disagreement I ever had with Jason – and for really insignificant reasons, too. We had arguments over much more serious issues in later years, but the episode taught us a valuable lesson in patience, tolerance and regard for the other's feelings. We never let get things so out of hand again – and I'll be forever grateful to my mother that she helped me find my way out of an unbearable situation by explaining a few things about Aunt Rebecca. So I guess you can say that it wasn't wasted after all."
"Did your aunt ever accept Dad for what and who he was?" Lynne asked curiously. Neither of the Scott children had ever met their great-aunt; the one time they had all managed to visit Kat's home country as a family she had been on a Caribbean cruise with her husband. As for their other relatives – Tommy's brother David, Kim's brother Ken, the DeSantos/Diaz clans – none of them would even dream of being so censorious of their lives.
"Well … I don't really think so, but she did come to terms with the choices I'd made for myself eventually," Kat explained. "If she hadn't, she never would have left us the rosebud dinner set in her Will – the bequest was to 'her niece Katherine and husband', after all."
"Ah, I see," Lynne smiled. The inheritance in question was two full dinner- and coffee sets of Limoges china, painted with exquisite pink rosebuds, matching silverware and crystal stemware – for twenty-four persons, after the European fashion. When the time came, it would be passed on equally to Kat's three children. While Lynne was looking forward to having something so nice, she hoped it would be a very long time yet until she received her share – for that would mean that her mother would have left her, too. And she definitely didn't want to contemplate that!
Tommy suddenly laughed. His brown eyes were sparkling with mirth as he looked at his bride.
"You still haven't told the kids the real reason why Jase was in the doghouse for ages, hon," he chuckled. "Because I'll have you know, that came soon after he made up with your mom," he stage-whispered to the Scott kids.
"Really? What happened?" Oliver queried, dark eyes alight with curiosity.
"Nothing much, really – it was just something Jase said when the two of them explained to the rest of us why they'd fought in the first place. Because naturally we had all noticed something was wrong; we just hadn't wanted to butt in."
"What did Dad say?" Jared wanted to know.
"Thomas Oliver, don't you dare say anything! You'll be in the doghouse much longer than Jason was if you do," Kat warned, fighting a reluctant smile, but she couldn't help getting a sinking feeling that he wouldn't heed her. To her chagrin, Tommy was still something of the daredevil he'd been as a teenager … and still unable to resist any kind of dare.
"Well, the one thing that truly set your mother off was when Jason tried to give an explanation for her uncharacteristic behaviour."
Lynne impatiently nudged her father-in-law. Kat's faint scowl and twitching lips had her thoroughly intrigued, too.
"Don't stall, Uncle Tommy – what did he say?"
Tommy couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. He grinned and winked rakishly at Kat, poked his tongue into his cheek … and prudently moved out of her immediate reach.
"It was the biggest mistake Jason ever made within my hearing. And not only that, he managed to piss off Kim, Tanya, Aisha, Sarah and your Mom all in one go," he revealed. "He must've had a death wish or something. Because when Rocky asked him outright what, in his opinion, had made Kat so irrationally mad, he tried to play it down and said …"
Tommy paused dramatically, just long enough for everybody to hear Kat's resigned groan.
"Jason said, and I quote, 'For once, Kat was having
a blonde moment'."
To Be Continued …