April 27th came quickly. Joe was surprised at how rapidly the date snuck up on him. He had been rather busy with the Harriers that he hadn't the time to stop and anticipate her arrival. But now, just ten minutes until her plane was due to arrive, his stomach was doing flip flops.
"Joe!"
"Hey Jules!" She ran up and gave him a large hug. He picked her up and swung her around. "It's great to see you!"
"And what about me, then?"
Joe, his heart thumping through his shirt, turned to embrace Jess. Oh how he missed her! He found her lips with his and they kissed, both forgetting where they were.
"Come one, you two!" Jules was pulling at Jess' arm. "Lets get our bags and go home."
Joe had to practically sell his soul as collateral to Mrs. Bhamra so she would allow him to pick Jess up at the airport. She made him promise to bring her straight home, since he already had time spent with her in America. He agreed, unwillingly. He decided they would have a lot of alone time during the summer.
"Joe, you have no idea how happy I am to be home!" Jess was gazing with amazement out the car window as if she had never seen the view before. She reminded Joe of himself when he visited the girls in America over her spring vacation. Being happy was an understatement, Joe thought.
"So, are we going to meet tonight for some fun?" Jules was leaning into the car through Joe's window. Her mum was standing in the doorway, waiting for her to say her goodbyes.
"We'll give you a ring later, okay?" Jess wasn't sure what her family or Joe had planned. She was hoping it was something with Joe, or both.
Joe parked in front of Jess' house. "I can't believe you are finally here!"
"I know. Joe, I missed you so much!" She reached for his hand with hers, just to feel his touch, but it fell on his knee. He had beat her to it, and placed his hands on her cheeks, slowly guiding her beautiful face towards his. Their lips met with a fury of passion and longing that neither had felt for quite some time. Jess had always felt, well, funny inside when she and Joe kissed, but the feeling she had at this instant was like no other. She wanted him…all of him. And she was determined to have him.
"Here, lemme get your case, Jess." Joe grabbed the case with his left hand and Jess's hand with his right. Together they approached her house.
"Now close your eyes." Joe instructed Jess. He kissed her once more before leading her into the house. "Keep then closed! No peeking!"
Why do I need my eyes closed? Jess couldn't imagine what the secret could be. Joe took her bag from her and led her into the living room.
He leaned into her and whispered into her ear. "Are you ready?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Okay. Open your eyes!"
"SURPRISE!!!!!"
Everyone was there! Jess was stunned. She didn't know who to go to first.
"Mum, Dad!" Jess hugged one, then the other, then both. She was so happy to see them. It had been nearly a year since she had laid eyes on her parents.
"Hey there, Jess" Tony turned her around and they embraced each other as if it had been years since they had seen one another. "How's the training going?"
"Oh its great…but what about you? How have you been?"
"Busy with the guys, you know, trying to get as good as you." He elbowed her in the side, as if sealing the joke.
"Jessie, how was your flight?" her father asked.
"Oh, it was great dad. Jules and I talked the whole time about what we will do while we are here."
"Jess, come over here for a sec. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Pinky was sitting in the corner of the room. Jess had only seen pictures of her niece, but they were of her sleeping as a newborn. She was excited to see her up close.
"Pinks, she's beautiful. Can I hold her?"
"Yea, sure."
"Ah, hey Mindi. It's me, your auntie Jess."
"So, my daughter. You are happy to be home, eh?" Jess' mum was probably as excited for her to be home as Jess was. "Of course you are."
"Of course, mum." She turned to Joe. "You knew about this Joe?" Jess was both excited and a little disappointed. She had wished she could settle in and adjust to being home, but with all of these people at her house for her homecoming, how would she escape.
"Aren't you happy?" Joe looked a little worried.
"Joe, I'm more than happy. I just…I don't know. I just want to relax for a while."
"Well, I was going to wait to tell you…"
"What is it?"
"Well, Jess, while you were with your sister I talked to your mum and dad and managed to get permission to take you out tonight."
"Oh, well, I guess I can stand a little more time here, then, ay?" Jess had a new outlook on the day. She decided a little more time spent with everyone would not kill her, since she and Joe would be alone later that day. With that, she put aside her tiredness and made her rounds about the room.
"Joe!"
"Hey Jules!" She ran up and gave him a large hug. He picked her up and swung her around. "It's great to see you!"
"And what about me, then?"
Joe, his heart thumping through his shirt, turned to embrace Jess. Oh how he missed her! He found her lips with his and they kissed, both forgetting where they were.
"Come one, you two!" Jules was pulling at Jess' arm. "Lets get our bags and go home."
Joe had to practically sell his soul as collateral to Mrs. Bhamra so she would allow him to pick Jess up at the airport. She made him promise to bring her straight home, since he already had time spent with her in America. He agreed, unwillingly. He decided they would have a lot of alone time during the summer.
"Joe, you have no idea how happy I am to be home!" Jess was gazing with amazement out the car window as if she had never seen the view before. She reminded Joe of himself when he visited the girls in America over her spring vacation. Being happy was an understatement, Joe thought.
"So, are we going to meet tonight for some fun?" Jules was leaning into the car through Joe's window. Her mum was standing in the doorway, waiting for her to say her goodbyes.
"We'll give you a ring later, okay?" Jess wasn't sure what her family or Joe had planned. She was hoping it was something with Joe, or both.
Joe parked in front of Jess' house. "I can't believe you are finally here!"
"I know. Joe, I missed you so much!" She reached for his hand with hers, just to feel his touch, but it fell on his knee. He had beat her to it, and placed his hands on her cheeks, slowly guiding her beautiful face towards his. Their lips met with a fury of passion and longing that neither had felt for quite some time. Jess had always felt, well, funny inside when she and Joe kissed, but the feeling she had at this instant was like no other. She wanted him…all of him. And she was determined to have him.
"Here, lemme get your case, Jess." Joe grabbed the case with his left hand and Jess's hand with his right. Together they approached her house.
"Now close your eyes." Joe instructed Jess. He kissed her once more before leading her into the house. "Keep then closed! No peeking!"
Why do I need my eyes closed? Jess couldn't imagine what the secret could be. Joe took her bag from her and led her into the living room.
He leaned into her and whispered into her ear. "Are you ready?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Okay. Open your eyes!"
"SURPRISE!!!!!"
Everyone was there! Jess was stunned. She didn't know who to go to first.
"Mum, Dad!" Jess hugged one, then the other, then both. She was so happy to see them. It had been nearly a year since she had laid eyes on her parents.
"Hey there, Jess" Tony turned her around and they embraced each other as if it had been years since they had seen one another. "How's the training going?"
"Oh its great…but what about you? How have you been?"
"Busy with the guys, you know, trying to get as good as you." He elbowed her in the side, as if sealing the joke.
"Jessie, how was your flight?" her father asked.
"Oh, it was great dad. Jules and I talked the whole time about what we will do while we are here."
"Jess, come over here for a sec. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Pinky was sitting in the corner of the room. Jess had only seen pictures of her niece, but they were of her sleeping as a newborn. She was excited to see her up close.
"Pinks, she's beautiful. Can I hold her?"
"Yea, sure."
"Ah, hey Mindi. It's me, your auntie Jess."
"So, my daughter. You are happy to be home, eh?" Jess' mum was probably as excited for her to be home as Jess was. "Of course you are."
"Of course, mum." She turned to Joe. "You knew about this Joe?" Jess was both excited and a little disappointed. She had wished she could settle in and adjust to being home, but with all of these people at her house for her homecoming, how would she escape.
"Aren't you happy?" Joe looked a little worried.
"Joe, I'm more than happy. I just…I don't know. I just want to relax for a while."
"Well, I was going to wait to tell you…"
"What is it?"
"Well, Jess, while you were with your sister I talked to your mum and dad and managed to get permission to take you out tonight."
"Oh, well, I guess I can stand a little more time here, then, ay?" Jess had a new outlook on the day. She decided a little more time spent with everyone would not kill her, since she and Joe would be alone later that day. With that, she put aside her tiredness and made her rounds about the room.