Jack rolled over and looked at the clock that was on the bedside table. He
blinked a few times as he attempted to focus. It couldn't be ten o'clock.
That would mean that he'd been sleeping for over ten hours. It's been years
since he slept for more than five or six hours in one night.
He sat up and noticed a glass of orange juice and a bottle of aspirin, sitting by the clock. He took three of the aspirin and drank the juice. Whenever her husband had too much to drink Sara always had aspirin and juice waiting for him when he woke up. She said that she didn't mind if he suffered from the consequences of a hangover, she just didn't want to deal with it first thing in the morning.
After finishing the juice he got up to take a shower. His emotions were touched when he saw a freshly pressed shirt and pair of pants laid across his suitcase. He couldn't remember the last time anyone did little thoughtful things like that for him.
A half hour later he was shaved, showered and dressed. He entered the kitchen and greeted Sydney and Sara with a good morning. He thanked them for the aspirin and fresh clothes.
Sydney told him that she hoped he didn't mind that she changed their three o'clock flight, back to Los Angeles, to six o'clock. He told her that he didn't mind. She also confirmed for him that she called the office and informed them of the change in plans. They balked a little bit, but she took care of things.
While Jack and Sydney were talking, Sara poured him a cup of coffee and told him to sit at the table while she made breakfast. Jack walked over to the stove and told her that she didn't have to wait on him; as he was perfectly capable of making his own breakfast. They argued back and forth for a few minutes until Sara hit her cane against the counter and said, "Damn it, I told you to go sit down."
"Ok," Jack said, startled by Sara's outburst.
"Now, how do you want your eggs?" she snapped at him as he walked to the table.
"Scrambled will be fine," he answered her.
While Jack sat down at the table and Sara was making breakfast Sydney worked to suppress a laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Jack demanded to know.
"Nothing," she told him, innocently. "I was just thinking about Marshall."
"Flinkman?" he asked.
"Mmm," she replied, still trying to suppress a laugh.
"What could possibly make you think about him?" he inquired.
"I was just wondering if he would be half as terrified of you if he saw how Aunt Sara orders you around," she told him.
"Flinkman isn't terrified of me," Jack replied, with a mischievous grin.
"Oh yes he is and you know it. I also suspect that you enjoy making him nervous."
Jack conceded that she was right, but told her, "It keeps him on his toes. And besides, if you didn't stop him, he'd never shut up." Then he told her about the time he tied to tell him about the mating habits of the hummingbird. "Why would he think I'd have any interest in the mating habits of hummingbirds?"
Sydney laughed and told him that he should have watched the video that Marshall had. If nothing else, the photography was astounding.
They stopped talking about Marshall and hummingbirds when Sara set a breakfast plate in front of Jack.
Jack asked Sara to sit down so he could talk to her about how he behaved the previous day. He apologized for walking out the way that he did and for coming back in the condition he was in. He also thanked her for welcoming Sydney into her home. Finally and penitently, he apologized for the rift he created with her and Don.
Sara told him that Don was at the VFW having coffee. That's where he went every morning. She asked him, if before he left, would he please go over and talk to his father. She wanted him to try and repair their relationship, before it was too late.
Jack promised that he would, for whatever good it would do.
After Jack was done with his breakfast Sara tried to force him to have more to eat. He kept refusing, but finally said there was one thing that he might have. "Did I smell cinnamon when I came in yesterday?"
"You did." Sara confirmed for him.
"Was it part of a cobbler, by any chance?" he asked.
"It was," she confirmed again.
"Is there any left?"
Sara got up and headed for the refrigerator to get the apple cobbler that she had made for desert the night before. She chose the cobbler as it was always Jack's favorite. "How would you like it, warm or cold?"
"Warm, please," he told her.
While Sara was heating up the cobbler Sydney told him that Carolyn's daughter had stopped by earlier. "She's getting married in a few weeks and she invited us to her wedding. I told her we would try very hard to make it," Sydney informed him.
Jack told her that he thought they would be awfully busy in the next few weeks and he didn't think they could make it.
Sydney recognized that statement as just an excuse to avoid meeting people from his past. She wouldn't argue with him, in front of Sara, but she resolved to do all in her power to get him back here for the wedding.
Sara laid a generous slice of the cobbler in front of Jack. She also brought a smaller piece for Sydney. Sydney tired to protest that she had already had a piece the night before. Sara returned her protest with a lecture on how skinny she was. Before Sydney knew it she was taking a bite of the freshly warmed cobbler.
Now it was Jack's turn to point out to Sydney that winning an argument with Sara was not an easy feat.
Sydney reached into the pocket of her shirt and pulled out a piece of paper. She told Jack that Sara had given her the recipe for the cobbler.
When Sara saw Sydney pull out the recipe she attempted to grab the paper before Jack could get it. Unfortunately for her, Jack snatched it out of Sydney's hand before Sara could reach it.
Holding it just out of Sara's reach, he told Sydney, "You should feel special to have this. It's a secret family recipe, you know."
He then sat back in his chair and unfolded the paper, without actually looking at it. He watched as Sara hovered over him. He knew that she was waiting for a chance to take the paper from him.
Jack continued talking to Sydney, who was quite amused to realize that her father was teasing his aunt. "Your mother was one of the privileged few to have a copy of this, but she never got it right. She always claimed that Aunt Sara left something out of the recipe."
Then turning to Sara, he told her, "I told her you won't do that."
Sounding defensive, and maybe a little guilty, Sara told him, "If she was having problems all she had to do was call. Now you give that back to Sydney."
Then sternly, she reminded Sydney that she told her to put the recipe in a safe place so that it didn't fall into the wrong hands.
While Sara was lecturing Sydney Jack glanced at the recipe as he handed it back to her.
Sydney asked him if the recipe was the same as one that her mother had.
"Yep," he told her. Then he added, "Except, I don't remember the cream cheese on our recipe."
The ringing of the phone saved Sara. As she walked over to answer it she told Jack she gave them a complete recipe. "Your getting old Johnny. The memory is the first to go. It was there, you just don't remember."
Sydney smiled at the banter that just occurred between her father and aunt. She never witnessed her father in such a playful mood.
The mood became somber when Sara called to Jack. "It's your father, he wants to talk to you."
Jack was apprehensive as he walked to the phone. Sydney was anxious to find out what her grandfather was calling for. She prayed that he was taking the first step to repair the damage, from the night before. It was hard to judge the content of the phone conversation as Jack's part consisted of one yes and three all right's.
Jack hung up the phone and told the two women that his father was coming over as he had something to give him.
He sat up and noticed a glass of orange juice and a bottle of aspirin, sitting by the clock. He took three of the aspirin and drank the juice. Whenever her husband had too much to drink Sara always had aspirin and juice waiting for him when he woke up. She said that she didn't mind if he suffered from the consequences of a hangover, she just didn't want to deal with it first thing in the morning.
After finishing the juice he got up to take a shower. His emotions were touched when he saw a freshly pressed shirt and pair of pants laid across his suitcase. He couldn't remember the last time anyone did little thoughtful things like that for him.
A half hour later he was shaved, showered and dressed. He entered the kitchen and greeted Sydney and Sara with a good morning. He thanked them for the aspirin and fresh clothes.
Sydney told him that she hoped he didn't mind that she changed their three o'clock flight, back to Los Angeles, to six o'clock. He told her that he didn't mind. She also confirmed for him that she called the office and informed them of the change in plans. They balked a little bit, but she took care of things.
While Jack and Sydney were talking, Sara poured him a cup of coffee and told him to sit at the table while she made breakfast. Jack walked over to the stove and told her that she didn't have to wait on him; as he was perfectly capable of making his own breakfast. They argued back and forth for a few minutes until Sara hit her cane against the counter and said, "Damn it, I told you to go sit down."
"Ok," Jack said, startled by Sara's outburst.
"Now, how do you want your eggs?" she snapped at him as he walked to the table.
"Scrambled will be fine," he answered her.
While Jack sat down at the table and Sara was making breakfast Sydney worked to suppress a laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Jack demanded to know.
"Nothing," she told him, innocently. "I was just thinking about Marshall."
"Flinkman?" he asked.
"Mmm," she replied, still trying to suppress a laugh.
"What could possibly make you think about him?" he inquired.
"I was just wondering if he would be half as terrified of you if he saw how Aunt Sara orders you around," she told him.
"Flinkman isn't terrified of me," Jack replied, with a mischievous grin.
"Oh yes he is and you know it. I also suspect that you enjoy making him nervous."
Jack conceded that she was right, but told her, "It keeps him on his toes. And besides, if you didn't stop him, he'd never shut up." Then he told her about the time he tied to tell him about the mating habits of the hummingbird. "Why would he think I'd have any interest in the mating habits of hummingbirds?"
Sydney laughed and told him that he should have watched the video that Marshall had. If nothing else, the photography was astounding.
They stopped talking about Marshall and hummingbirds when Sara set a breakfast plate in front of Jack.
Jack asked Sara to sit down so he could talk to her about how he behaved the previous day. He apologized for walking out the way that he did and for coming back in the condition he was in. He also thanked her for welcoming Sydney into her home. Finally and penitently, he apologized for the rift he created with her and Don.
Sara told him that Don was at the VFW having coffee. That's where he went every morning. She asked him, if before he left, would he please go over and talk to his father. She wanted him to try and repair their relationship, before it was too late.
Jack promised that he would, for whatever good it would do.
After Jack was done with his breakfast Sara tried to force him to have more to eat. He kept refusing, but finally said there was one thing that he might have. "Did I smell cinnamon when I came in yesterday?"
"You did." Sara confirmed for him.
"Was it part of a cobbler, by any chance?" he asked.
"It was," she confirmed again.
"Is there any left?"
Sara got up and headed for the refrigerator to get the apple cobbler that she had made for desert the night before. She chose the cobbler as it was always Jack's favorite. "How would you like it, warm or cold?"
"Warm, please," he told her.
While Sara was heating up the cobbler Sydney told him that Carolyn's daughter had stopped by earlier. "She's getting married in a few weeks and she invited us to her wedding. I told her we would try very hard to make it," Sydney informed him.
Jack told her that he thought they would be awfully busy in the next few weeks and he didn't think they could make it.
Sydney recognized that statement as just an excuse to avoid meeting people from his past. She wouldn't argue with him, in front of Sara, but she resolved to do all in her power to get him back here for the wedding.
Sara laid a generous slice of the cobbler in front of Jack. She also brought a smaller piece for Sydney. Sydney tired to protest that she had already had a piece the night before. Sara returned her protest with a lecture on how skinny she was. Before Sydney knew it she was taking a bite of the freshly warmed cobbler.
Now it was Jack's turn to point out to Sydney that winning an argument with Sara was not an easy feat.
Sydney reached into the pocket of her shirt and pulled out a piece of paper. She told Jack that Sara had given her the recipe for the cobbler.
When Sara saw Sydney pull out the recipe she attempted to grab the paper before Jack could get it. Unfortunately for her, Jack snatched it out of Sydney's hand before Sara could reach it.
Holding it just out of Sara's reach, he told Sydney, "You should feel special to have this. It's a secret family recipe, you know."
He then sat back in his chair and unfolded the paper, without actually looking at it. He watched as Sara hovered over him. He knew that she was waiting for a chance to take the paper from him.
Jack continued talking to Sydney, who was quite amused to realize that her father was teasing his aunt. "Your mother was one of the privileged few to have a copy of this, but she never got it right. She always claimed that Aunt Sara left something out of the recipe."
Then turning to Sara, he told her, "I told her you won't do that."
Sounding defensive, and maybe a little guilty, Sara told him, "If she was having problems all she had to do was call. Now you give that back to Sydney."
Then sternly, she reminded Sydney that she told her to put the recipe in a safe place so that it didn't fall into the wrong hands.
While Sara was lecturing Sydney Jack glanced at the recipe as he handed it back to her.
Sydney asked him if the recipe was the same as one that her mother had.
"Yep," he told her. Then he added, "Except, I don't remember the cream cheese on our recipe."
The ringing of the phone saved Sara. As she walked over to answer it she told Jack she gave them a complete recipe. "Your getting old Johnny. The memory is the first to go. It was there, you just don't remember."
Sydney smiled at the banter that just occurred between her father and aunt. She never witnessed her father in such a playful mood.
The mood became somber when Sara called to Jack. "It's your father, he wants to talk to you."
Jack was apprehensive as he walked to the phone. Sydney was anxious to find out what her grandfather was calling for. She prayed that he was taking the first step to repair the damage, from the night before. It was hard to judge the content of the phone conversation as Jack's part consisted of one yes and three all right's.
Jack hung up the phone and told the two women that his father was coming over as he had something to give him.