PART 6
Pacey
Gretchen and Dawson came over around noon the next day and we all waited for the anticipated arrival of the rest of the Capeside gang. The kids were in the living room watching a video which I was surprised kept them so occupied. But then I remembered that their father was Dawson and I wasn't so surprised anymore. He probably taught them all from the day they were born to appreciate the film medium, even something as bad as Barney.
The four of us sat around the kitchen table snacking on chips and salsa and talking, catching up on all that we had missed in three years.
"I called Mom and Dad this morning," Gretchen told me.
"Did Mom mention the Witter family reunion?"
"Huh?" Dawson asked with a worried look on his face.
"Don't worry, Dawson," Joey laughed. "It won't be too bad." "Yeah, honey," Gretchen said grabbing his hand. "Mom and Dad have this whole thing planned out for this weekend. Doug and Kerry are going to be there, Pacey and Joey too. So, we have to go."
"I can't believe I'm about to say this," I glanced at all three of them around the table, "but Ma and Dad have been pretty normal lately."
I felt Joey's hand on my thigh and I looked over at her. "Yeah," she confirmed. "They came to the hospital after Ryan was born and they were really great. Your Mom made this gorgeous quilt for the baby," she told Gretchen.
"And the real kicker," I chimed in. "They came and visited us a week after we were home from the hospital and they decided Joey needed a rocking chair to sit in while she feeds the baby and they went out and bought one, had it delivered the next day."
Gretchen's mouth dropped open. "Wow."
"It's about time Pacey got something from your parents," Dawson said.
"Thank you, Dawson," I said putting my hand out to shake his hand. "I knew there was a reason why I always liked you."
He grabbed my hand. "You're welcome."
Joey and Gretchen laughed. "Well, then, I guess the Witter reunion doesn't have such a looming tendency for disaster this time around," Gretchen said. "Unless, of course, Dad still can't control his drinking."
"He seems to have really mellowed out," I told her.
"Hmmm," she said shrugging her shoulders. "That'd be real nice."
Almost like clockwork we heard cars pulling into the driveway and the horn tooted. Joey stood up so quickly with an ecstatic look on her face. "They're here!" I swore I saw a skip in her step as she bolted for the back door to greet them.
Dawson and Gretchen looked at me strangely.
"She's excited to see Jen," I told them.
"Joey excited to see Jen?" Dawson asked confused.
"Stranger things have happened," I said heading outside to join Joey in greeting our guests.
Joey was wrapped up in a big hug with Jack when I made it outside. She was already crying and mumbling about how happy she was to see everyone.
"Pacey!" they all said in unison as they saw me coming towards them.
"Hey guys!"
I grabbed Jen in a hug and then shook her fiance, Tom's, hand. I knew him real well from our time living in Boston. "Jen, Joey here has been dying to see you," I told her with a sarcastic smile.
"I know, she mauled me already." Jen laughed.
"Andie!" I said excitedly as I reached down to hug her. She was one of my most favorite people in the world. Other than my sister, she was the one I was most excited to see. She'd always been a good friend to me.
When I pulled away from her I saw she was crying too. She wiped her face and laughed. "Joey made me cry," she explained.
"She has that affect on people," I laughed.
"So, Pacey, this is my husband, Roberto," she said touching her husband's shoulder lightly. He was a very tall man, with dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes. He was very Italian looking. "Nice to meet you," I said shaking his hand. "I've heard so much about you. It's nice to put a face to all the stories."
"I've heard a lot about you too," he said with a sincere smile. I was surprised that he spoke English so well, even though Andie had told us many times that he did.
"Oh, and this is Marco," Andie said pointing down to the little boy standing in between she and Roberto.
"Hey," I said kneeling down to greet him. "Nice to meet you Marco."
He was the cutest little boy. He didn't look much like Andie but when he waved and smiled at me I knew that his personality was just like Andie's. He wasn't shy or embarrassed and he was a people person.
"So where is the little Witter?" Andie asked excitedly.
"He's inside sleeping. It's all he does, really. Sleep and eat."
Roberto and Andie laughed. She absentmindedly slipped her arm through Roberto's and grabbed his hand. With that one gesture I could see that Andie was really, really happy and in love. And they were good for each other. Andie made a wise choice, staying in Italy.
"I'm really glad you guys came," I said patting Roberto on the shoulder. "I gotta go over here and say hi to rest of the McPhee's."
"Pacey," Jack said. "Your wife is a nut."
I gave Jack a hug and laughed over his shoulder. "You don't know how much she has been looking forward to this."
"You remember Tobey?" Jack asked me.
"Of course," I said surprising Jack, Tobey and myself as I gave him a hug too.
Joey started leading everyone inside the house after that. She was already carrying Marco in her arms talking to him about all the little girls that were inside just waiting to play. I smiled at the sight, suddenly wanting my son to grow up so I could see her with him.
"This is great," I said to Jack and Tobey. "To have everyone here."
"It is," Jack said. "It really is."
"C'mon in," I told them. "Dawson and Gretchen are inside." Inside, Joey brought the baby out to meet everyone. He stayed asleep in her arms even with all the noise that was around him. It was one of my favorite things about babies, they could sleep through anything. Everyone flocked around Joey to see the baby. I smiled proudly as I watched my friends "ooh" and "aah" over my son.
"He's so beautiful."
"He looks just like Joey."
"I think he looks like Pacey."
"Look at how peaceful he's sleeping."
"Look at those tiny fingers."
From behind, I kissed Joey's cheek. She turned and smiled at me and I whispered, "You were right, this is really great."
Gretchen and Dawson came over around noon the next day and we all waited for the anticipated arrival of the rest of the Capeside gang. The kids were in the living room watching a video which I was surprised kept them so occupied. But then I remembered that their father was Dawson and I wasn't so surprised anymore. He probably taught them all from the day they were born to appreciate the film medium, even something as bad as Barney.
The four of us sat around the kitchen table snacking on chips and salsa and talking, catching up on all that we had missed in three years.
"I called Mom and Dad this morning," Gretchen told me.
"Did Mom mention the Witter family reunion?"
"Huh?" Dawson asked with a worried look on his face.
"Don't worry, Dawson," Joey laughed. "It won't be too bad." "Yeah, honey," Gretchen said grabbing his hand. "Mom and Dad have this whole thing planned out for this weekend. Doug and Kerry are going to be there, Pacey and Joey too. So, we have to go."
"I can't believe I'm about to say this," I glanced at all three of them around the table, "but Ma and Dad have been pretty normal lately."
I felt Joey's hand on my thigh and I looked over at her. "Yeah," she confirmed. "They came to the hospital after Ryan was born and they were really great. Your Mom made this gorgeous quilt for the baby," she told Gretchen.
"And the real kicker," I chimed in. "They came and visited us a week after we were home from the hospital and they decided Joey needed a rocking chair to sit in while she feeds the baby and they went out and bought one, had it delivered the next day."
Gretchen's mouth dropped open. "Wow."
"It's about time Pacey got something from your parents," Dawson said.
"Thank you, Dawson," I said putting my hand out to shake his hand. "I knew there was a reason why I always liked you."
He grabbed my hand. "You're welcome."
Joey and Gretchen laughed. "Well, then, I guess the Witter reunion doesn't have such a looming tendency for disaster this time around," Gretchen said. "Unless, of course, Dad still can't control his drinking."
"He seems to have really mellowed out," I told her.
"Hmmm," she said shrugging her shoulders. "That'd be real nice."
Almost like clockwork we heard cars pulling into the driveway and the horn tooted. Joey stood up so quickly with an ecstatic look on her face. "They're here!" I swore I saw a skip in her step as she bolted for the back door to greet them.
Dawson and Gretchen looked at me strangely.
"She's excited to see Jen," I told them.
"Joey excited to see Jen?" Dawson asked confused.
"Stranger things have happened," I said heading outside to join Joey in greeting our guests.
Joey was wrapped up in a big hug with Jack when I made it outside. She was already crying and mumbling about how happy she was to see everyone.
"Pacey!" they all said in unison as they saw me coming towards them.
"Hey guys!"
I grabbed Jen in a hug and then shook her fiance, Tom's, hand. I knew him real well from our time living in Boston. "Jen, Joey here has been dying to see you," I told her with a sarcastic smile.
"I know, she mauled me already." Jen laughed.
"Andie!" I said excitedly as I reached down to hug her. She was one of my most favorite people in the world. Other than my sister, she was the one I was most excited to see. She'd always been a good friend to me.
When I pulled away from her I saw she was crying too. She wiped her face and laughed. "Joey made me cry," she explained.
"She has that affect on people," I laughed.
"So, Pacey, this is my husband, Roberto," she said touching her husband's shoulder lightly. He was a very tall man, with dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes. He was very Italian looking. "Nice to meet you," I said shaking his hand. "I've heard so much about you. It's nice to put a face to all the stories."
"I've heard a lot about you too," he said with a sincere smile. I was surprised that he spoke English so well, even though Andie had told us many times that he did.
"Oh, and this is Marco," Andie said pointing down to the little boy standing in between she and Roberto.
"Hey," I said kneeling down to greet him. "Nice to meet you Marco."
He was the cutest little boy. He didn't look much like Andie but when he waved and smiled at me I knew that his personality was just like Andie's. He wasn't shy or embarrassed and he was a people person.
"So where is the little Witter?" Andie asked excitedly.
"He's inside sleeping. It's all he does, really. Sleep and eat."
Roberto and Andie laughed. She absentmindedly slipped her arm through Roberto's and grabbed his hand. With that one gesture I could see that Andie was really, really happy and in love. And they were good for each other. Andie made a wise choice, staying in Italy.
"I'm really glad you guys came," I said patting Roberto on the shoulder. "I gotta go over here and say hi to rest of the McPhee's."
"Pacey," Jack said. "Your wife is a nut."
I gave Jack a hug and laughed over his shoulder. "You don't know how much she has been looking forward to this."
"You remember Tobey?" Jack asked me.
"Of course," I said surprising Jack, Tobey and myself as I gave him a hug too.
Joey started leading everyone inside the house after that. She was already carrying Marco in her arms talking to him about all the little girls that were inside just waiting to play. I smiled at the sight, suddenly wanting my son to grow up so I could see her with him.
"This is great," I said to Jack and Tobey. "To have everyone here."
"It is," Jack said. "It really is."
"C'mon in," I told them. "Dawson and Gretchen are inside." Inside, Joey brought the baby out to meet everyone. He stayed asleep in her arms even with all the noise that was around him. It was one of my favorite things about babies, they could sleep through anything. Everyone flocked around Joey to see the baby. I smiled proudly as I watched my friends "ooh" and "aah" over my son.
"He's so beautiful."
"He looks just like Joey."
"I think he looks like Pacey."
"Look at how peaceful he's sleeping."
"Look at those tiny fingers."
From behind, I kissed Joey's cheek. She turned and smiled at me and I whispered, "You were right, this is really great."