"Come on, Jesse!"
Jesse groaned as Sandra tugged his arm, and tried to drag him towards the cinema. "Sandra, I really don't feel like watching a movie." he began to say.
"Nonsense! You need a day of fun. And I'm an expert when it comes to fun. Today you are going to forget all your troubles. ALL your troubles. Then tomorrow you will spend your day packing." Sandra turned to grin at him, looking proud of herself.
"Packing? PACKING? Packing for where?" Jesse was completely stupefied. Maybe Sandra had finally gone crazy. Maybe she had broken up with her boyfriend and was mentally unstable because she couldn't take the grief. Or maybe she was just delirious with a high fever. He raised his hand, planning to check her temperature, but she grabbed him hand.
"You are going to spend tomorrow packing, because you are going to Paris," she told him patiently. "I've spoken to Miles, and he was delighted to book a ticket for you to go to Paris. You leave the day after tomorrow."
"Paris? Me? The day after tomorrow? And you. YOU TALKED TO MILES???!!!" If Jesse had been shocked just now, he was very, very close to dying of a heart attack now. In fact, if he wasn't an immortal, he would have probably already been dead.
Sandra stood calmly in front of him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he could just leap forward and strangle her. "Why can't I talk to Miles? It's not like I don't know him. And he was just too happy to help. Said that you can't seem to make up your own mind." She stared at him. "We've got you the ticket; it's your decision if you want to go or not."
Jesse looked away, thinking. Sandra was right; going to Paris would be the right thing to do. Ana might not accept him, but at least he would have tried. At least he would have done something. At least he wouldn't have to spend eternity wondering what would happen.
He turned back to Sandra, and then gave her a smile. Pulling her to him for a hug, he kissed her hair. "Thanks, Sandra. You're a real friend, you know," he whispered.
Sandra pushed him away. "Get off, you big softie!" she told him, laughing. "Seriously, if any of my boyfriend's friends saw us."
"Oh yeah. Sorry." Jesse ran a hand through his hair, sheepish.
Sandra waved his apology away. "Whatever. Come on, we're going to be late for the movie!" She tugged on his jacket again. Suddenly feeling much better about things, Jesse grinned and followed her willingly.
***
Miles sat in his room, grinning to himself. Tuck had said to let Jesse figure it out for himself, but that would have taken far too long. He was glad that Sandra had decided to call and help him "save" his little brother's life. Sandra was a good girl.
Soon Jesse would be on the way to Paris, to see Ana, and get her back. Miles had no doubt that she would accept him. It was so obvious how much she loved him. Miles laughed despite himself, and leaned back in his chair. "Ah. if only I had remembered to bring my diary, this would be a fantastic story to write down," he thought to himself.
***
That night, Sandra got home in high spirits. She had had a lot of fun with Jesse. She loved going out with her boyfriend Damien, of course, but going out with Jesse was a lot more relaxed, probably because there were no strings attached. They were just friends, and there was nothing they had to prove to each other. With Damien she had always felt a slight urge to do all she could to impress him.
She chuckled to herself, thinking about Jesse. He was an odd fellow. So in love with Ana, yet not knowing what to do. Obviously he didn't have much experience with girls. She shook her head. Of course he didn't have experience with girls; he had spent so many years dwelling on the memory of Winnie. It was sweet that he was so faithful, but Sandra was glad that he had finally moved on. This Ana sounded like the right person for him. They would be happy.
She laughed again. "Well, I just hope that he'll remember me at their wedding!"
***
Jesse lay in his bed, unable to sleep once again. But this time it wasn't grief that had snatched him from the peaceful shores of slumber, but excitement, anticipation and anxiety. Finally he knew exactly what to do. He would go to Paris, go to Miles' house, find Ana, and tell her everything. He would confess everything to her. He would even tell her about the immortality of the Tucks. He would explain everything about Winnie to her, just like he had promised. She deserved to know everything. She needed to know everything, and so he would tell her.
But what if she didn't want to be with him? What if she turned him away? He had been so cold to her the day she left. What if she wouldn't forgive him for that? What if she was horrified about the family secret? Nothing was certain, was it?
He didn't worry, though, because deep in his heart he already knew the truth. With that, he closed his eyes, his mind finally at rest. He was asleep in a few minutes.
Jesse groaned as Sandra tugged his arm, and tried to drag him towards the cinema. "Sandra, I really don't feel like watching a movie." he began to say.
"Nonsense! You need a day of fun. And I'm an expert when it comes to fun. Today you are going to forget all your troubles. ALL your troubles. Then tomorrow you will spend your day packing." Sandra turned to grin at him, looking proud of herself.
"Packing? PACKING? Packing for where?" Jesse was completely stupefied. Maybe Sandra had finally gone crazy. Maybe she had broken up with her boyfriend and was mentally unstable because she couldn't take the grief. Or maybe she was just delirious with a high fever. He raised his hand, planning to check her temperature, but she grabbed him hand.
"You are going to spend tomorrow packing, because you are going to Paris," she told him patiently. "I've spoken to Miles, and he was delighted to book a ticket for you to go to Paris. You leave the day after tomorrow."
"Paris? Me? The day after tomorrow? And you. YOU TALKED TO MILES???!!!" If Jesse had been shocked just now, he was very, very close to dying of a heart attack now. In fact, if he wasn't an immortal, he would have probably already been dead.
Sandra stood calmly in front of him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he could just leap forward and strangle her. "Why can't I talk to Miles? It's not like I don't know him. And he was just too happy to help. Said that you can't seem to make up your own mind." She stared at him. "We've got you the ticket; it's your decision if you want to go or not."
Jesse looked away, thinking. Sandra was right; going to Paris would be the right thing to do. Ana might not accept him, but at least he would have tried. At least he would have done something. At least he wouldn't have to spend eternity wondering what would happen.
He turned back to Sandra, and then gave her a smile. Pulling her to him for a hug, he kissed her hair. "Thanks, Sandra. You're a real friend, you know," he whispered.
Sandra pushed him away. "Get off, you big softie!" she told him, laughing. "Seriously, if any of my boyfriend's friends saw us."
"Oh yeah. Sorry." Jesse ran a hand through his hair, sheepish.
Sandra waved his apology away. "Whatever. Come on, we're going to be late for the movie!" She tugged on his jacket again. Suddenly feeling much better about things, Jesse grinned and followed her willingly.
***
Miles sat in his room, grinning to himself. Tuck had said to let Jesse figure it out for himself, but that would have taken far too long. He was glad that Sandra had decided to call and help him "save" his little brother's life. Sandra was a good girl.
Soon Jesse would be on the way to Paris, to see Ana, and get her back. Miles had no doubt that she would accept him. It was so obvious how much she loved him. Miles laughed despite himself, and leaned back in his chair. "Ah. if only I had remembered to bring my diary, this would be a fantastic story to write down," he thought to himself.
***
That night, Sandra got home in high spirits. She had had a lot of fun with Jesse. She loved going out with her boyfriend Damien, of course, but going out with Jesse was a lot more relaxed, probably because there were no strings attached. They were just friends, and there was nothing they had to prove to each other. With Damien she had always felt a slight urge to do all she could to impress him.
She chuckled to herself, thinking about Jesse. He was an odd fellow. So in love with Ana, yet not knowing what to do. Obviously he didn't have much experience with girls. She shook her head. Of course he didn't have experience with girls; he had spent so many years dwelling on the memory of Winnie. It was sweet that he was so faithful, but Sandra was glad that he had finally moved on. This Ana sounded like the right person for him. They would be happy.
She laughed again. "Well, I just hope that he'll remember me at their wedding!"
***
Jesse lay in his bed, unable to sleep once again. But this time it wasn't grief that had snatched him from the peaceful shores of slumber, but excitement, anticipation and anxiety. Finally he knew exactly what to do. He would go to Paris, go to Miles' house, find Ana, and tell her everything. He would confess everything to her. He would even tell her about the immortality of the Tucks. He would explain everything about Winnie to her, just like he had promised. She deserved to know everything. She needed to know everything, and so he would tell her.
But what if she didn't want to be with him? What if she turned him away? He had been so cold to her the day she left. What if she wouldn't forgive him for that? What if she was horrified about the family secret? Nothing was certain, was it?
He didn't worry, though, because deep in his heart he already knew the truth. With that, he closed his eyes, his mind finally at rest. He was asleep in a few minutes.