"Will you stop moving, Jamal?" asked Imani as she sat on the ground while Jamal stood on a step stool as she set the pins in where the pants needed to be hemmed.
"I think I just heard a car door slam," he said turning to try and look out through a window.
"I didn't hear anything," she said as she placed a pin in her mouth and tugged at the bottom of the pants.
"How come I have better hearing than a werewolf?"
Imani looked up at him this time, "You really want to get stabbed with a pin, don't you?"
Jamal laughed as the doorbell went off, "I told you I heard a car door. It's open."
"Hey guys," smiled Alison as she walked in and left the door slightly opened. "Working on the hemming, huh?"
"Yeah. I can't believe they charge $30 to hem these pants—so I'm giving it a try myself. So what brings you by?"
"I brought a few visitors that wanted to see you," said Alison as she opened the door some and in came Jack, Jasmine, and a very curious Noah.
"Jasmine!" smiled Imani as she got up off the floor, dropping the pins that were in her lap on the floor and running over to give her a hug. "This is so wonderful—I had no idea you were coming—and this, this must be Noah. Hi sweetie," said Imani as she squatted down to his height.
"Hi," he smiled brightly.
"So what are you up to here?" asked Jack as he came over to where Jamal was still standing on the stool.
"This?" said Jamal as he got slightly nervous, "This is for my daughter's wedding in a few weeks."
"Daughter—you mean Hope?" said Jack as he eyes got big and Jamal nodded, "Wow. I mean I knew she had got in contact with you a few times since she turned eighteen, but I never imagined—wow."
Jamal laughed loudly, "Yeah—tell me about it. I am going to be so nervous to see her. I've received a few pictures and letters from her, but I haven't seen her since she got Gabby's transplant."
"I wonder what caused her to invite you now, not that that's a bad thing—it just seems odd."
"I don't know," he said as the three women went outside to talk for a minute and he changed his tone, while finally stepping off of the stool, "Imani's not going with me—she says it's too odd, so her and Jeremiah are going to Alabama and then I'll go down and we'll have our summer vacation down there."
Jack turned to see Imani come back in playing with Noah in her arms, "Are they headed over to Livvie's?"
"Yeah, Alison said she'll call here when they are done and we'll head over to Trinity for dinner—Rafe will meet us there," she said as she handed Noah over to his dad, "Ok mister—back on the stool and let's finish this up before dinner."
"Yes, Miss Imani," smiled Jamal as he gave he her a kiss before standing on the stool.
-------------
"Are you ok?" asked Alison as they walked up the steps and around the corner to Livvie and Caleb's apartment.
"Yeah, I just am so nervous. This could go really bad Ali—I expect it to go really bad."
"But Livvie could surprise you," she said as Jasmine gave her a sideways glance, "Or not."
Jasmine tentatively stopped from knocking and Alison did it instead. They heard a come in from the other side and Alison entered to see Livvie with a handful of magazines in her hand that she was putting him, "Hey," smiled Livvie as she placed them down on the coffee table.
"Hi—is this a bad time?"
"No, Caleb is--," she stopped as Jasmine walked through the door and onto the other side of Alison, "What in the hell are you doing here?"
"Livvie—let her talk, please?"
"No, I will not. Where is Noah, Jasmine? Or did you abandon him too?"
"Olivia—stop!" spoke Caleb harshly as he walked around the corner to see what the commotion was.
"Fine, I'll stop. You three have a grand old time getting reacquainted—I'll be back later," she said grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her.
"I'm sorry—I'm so sorry," sighed Jasmine.
"Don't be. Livvie's going to need some time to come around, but she will," said Alison as she put an arm around her friend. "Let's go meet them at Trinity for dinner now," she said as they turned and left without a word to Caleb.
He had seen it—he wasn't sure if it was because of the disappointment of Livvie's reaction or if it was the normal way she looked, but he thought Jasmine looked older than she ever had before—and he knew if he'd seen it then maybe Rafe had also. He grabbed the cordless phone by the couch and dialed Olivia's cell phone, "Hey—are you ok?"
"No—I'm not Caleb. I can't believe she'd come back after so long," she yelled into the phone.
"Hey, I'm not the person you are mad at so don't yell at me. Alex and I are hungry—want to meet us at Trinity?" he said, knowing she would be mad at him after this.
------------
"This feels so right," smiled Jack as he stood behind the bar at Trinity with Frank next to him.
"You know—you can always have your half of this back."
"Yeah, I know, but Jasmine's enjoying her new life—her new friends, though I don't think all the friends in the world can have the same effect as these," he said as he watched Alison, Jasmine, Imani, and Jamal sitting at a table laughing and playing with Noah. "I wonder what's taking Rafe so long."
"I don't know—hey, I'll be right back, keep down the fort," said Frank as he went in the backroom for something while Jack had his back turned looking at the books that Frank had set out for him.
Livvie slipped onto the stool, trying to ignore the fact that she saw Jasmine over at the table with a bouncy little boy that made her want to smile, "I'd like a chardonnay, please," she said rubbing her eyes and then seeing Jack turn around and look at her, "Well, this day just keeps getting better and better," she groaned.
"Nice to see you too Livvie."
"Why are you here?"
"I came for a visit to see my daughter and friends."
"No, not that—why are you here at this place? Did you know Caleb was wanting me to meet him and Alex here for dinner?"
"No, but do you think he knew we were going to be here and wants you to finally listen to Jasmine."
"Whatever Jasmine has to tell me is rubbish, and I could care less what she has to say," she said speaking loud enough for Jasmine to look up and over to Jack.
Caleb was watching through the window as Jack and Livvie had a good old fashioned shouting match, "Some things never change."
"Such as--?" asked Rafe as he came up to where Caleb was standing.
"Those two—it's just like old times watching them bickering," he said pointing them out to Rafe.
"Yeah, well I'm late for dinner," he said walking past Caleb.
"Have you noticed something about Jasmine?"
"Like what?"
"She—she seems older to me Rafe—as if she's finally aging after hundreds of years not doing so."
"Maybe I have—there's no precedence to this though Caleb. Do you think she's finally dying?"
"Like you said—there's no precedence—just wait and see."
"Then you stand here and wait—I'm going in to eat," said Rafe as he walked in and up to Livvie. "Hi Livvie—just so you know your husband is outside watching all of this," he said nodding to the window and then watching Livvie storm outside.
Jack laughed, "Was that necessary?"
"Maybe," grinned Rafe as they went over and made room at the tables for them to sit.
--------------
"You bloodsucking asshole! I can't believe you set me up!" yelled Livvie as they walked into the loft and she threw her purse on the table and went to sulk on the couch.
"It wasn't just for you, Olivia—I had to talk to Rafe."
"And you couldn't talk to him over the phone because--?"
"Because I do better seeing his facial expressions."
"Fine," she said rolling her eyes. "What was so important you had to see his facial expressions to get the proper answer?"
"Jasmine."
"Of course, why didn't I see that answer coming?"
"She's aging Olivia—or we think she is. I wanted to see if he saw the same thing I saw or my eyes were fooling me."
"Fine, she's aging—let her die, I really could care less."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do, Caleb! She abandoned her daughter—left her without a mother. How can anyone do that?"
"Did you ask her that?"
"No, because I don't care."
"You sure are acting like you care," he said getting a glare from Livvie. Caleb just gave her a shrug and walked off to let her sulk in silence.
"I think I just heard a car door slam," he said turning to try and look out through a window.
"I didn't hear anything," she said as she placed a pin in her mouth and tugged at the bottom of the pants.
"How come I have better hearing than a werewolf?"
Imani looked up at him this time, "You really want to get stabbed with a pin, don't you?"
Jamal laughed as the doorbell went off, "I told you I heard a car door. It's open."
"Hey guys," smiled Alison as she walked in and left the door slightly opened. "Working on the hemming, huh?"
"Yeah. I can't believe they charge $30 to hem these pants—so I'm giving it a try myself. So what brings you by?"
"I brought a few visitors that wanted to see you," said Alison as she opened the door some and in came Jack, Jasmine, and a very curious Noah.
"Jasmine!" smiled Imani as she got up off the floor, dropping the pins that were in her lap on the floor and running over to give her a hug. "This is so wonderful—I had no idea you were coming—and this, this must be Noah. Hi sweetie," said Imani as she squatted down to his height.
"Hi," he smiled brightly.
"So what are you up to here?" asked Jack as he came over to where Jamal was still standing on the stool.
"This?" said Jamal as he got slightly nervous, "This is for my daughter's wedding in a few weeks."
"Daughter—you mean Hope?" said Jack as he eyes got big and Jamal nodded, "Wow. I mean I knew she had got in contact with you a few times since she turned eighteen, but I never imagined—wow."
Jamal laughed loudly, "Yeah—tell me about it. I am going to be so nervous to see her. I've received a few pictures and letters from her, but I haven't seen her since she got Gabby's transplant."
"I wonder what caused her to invite you now, not that that's a bad thing—it just seems odd."
"I don't know," he said as the three women went outside to talk for a minute and he changed his tone, while finally stepping off of the stool, "Imani's not going with me—she says it's too odd, so her and Jeremiah are going to Alabama and then I'll go down and we'll have our summer vacation down there."
Jack turned to see Imani come back in playing with Noah in her arms, "Are they headed over to Livvie's?"
"Yeah, Alison said she'll call here when they are done and we'll head over to Trinity for dinner—Rafe will meet us there," she said as she handed Noah over to his dad, "Ok mister—back on the stool and let's finish this up before dinner."
"Yes, Miss Imani," smiled Jamal as he gave he her a kiss before standing on the stool.
-------------
"Are you ok?" asked Alison as they walked up the steps and around the corner to Livvie and Caleb's apartment.
"Yeah, I just am so nervous. This could go really bad Ali—I expect it to go really bad."
"But Livvie could surprise you," she said as Jasmine gave her a sideways glance, "Or not."
Jasmine tentatively stopped from knocking and Alison did it instead. They heard a come in from the other side and Alison entered to see Livvie with a handful of magazines in her hand that she was putting him, "Hey," smiled Livvie as she placed them down on the coffee table.
"Hi—is this a bad time?"
"No, Caleb is--," she stopped as Jasmine walked through the door and onto the other side of Alison, "What in the hell are you doing here?"
"Livvie—let her talk, please?"
"No, I will not. Where is Noah, Jasmine? Or did you abandon him too?"
"Olivia—stop!" spoke Caleb harshly as he walked around the corner to see what the commotion was.
"Fine, I'll stop. You three have a grand old time getting reacquainted—I'll be back later," she said grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her.
"I'm sorry—I'm so sorry," sighed Jasmine.
"Don't be. Livvie's going to need some time to come around, but she will," said Alison as she put an arm around her friend. "Let's go meet them at Trinity for dinner now," she said as they turned and left without a word to Caleb.
He had seen it—he wasn't sure if it was because of the disappointment of Livvie's reaction or if it was the normal way she looked, but he thought Jasmine looked older than she ever had before—and he knew if he'd seen it then maybe Rafe had also. He grabbed the cordless phone by the couch and dialed Olivia's cell phone, "Hey—are you ok?"
"No—I'm not Caleb. I can't believe she'd come back after so long," she yelled into the phone.
"Hey, I'm not the person you are mad at so don't yell at me. Alex and I are hungry—want to meet us at Trinity?" he said, knowing she would be mad at him after this.
------------
"This feels so right," smiled Jack as he stood behind the bar at Trinity with Frank next to him.
"You know—you can always have your half of this back."
"Yeah, I know, but Jasmine's enjoying her new life—her new friends, though I don't think all the friends in the world can have the same effect as these," he said as he watched Alison, Jasmine, Imani, and Jamal sitting at a table laughing and playing with Noah. "I wonder what's taking Rafe so long."
"I don't know—hey, I'll be right back, keep down the fort," said Frank as he went in the backroom for something while Jack had his back turned looking at the books that Frank had set out for him.
Livvie slipped onto the stool, trying to ignore the fact that she saw Jasmine over at the table with a bouncy little boy that made her want to smile, "I'd like a chardonnay, please," she said rubbing her eyes and then seeing Jack turn around and look at her, "Well, this day just keeps getting better and better," she groaned.
"Nice to see you too Livvie."
"Why are you here?"
"I came for a visit to see my daughter and friends."
"No, not that—why are you here at this place? Did you know Caleb was wanting me to meet him and Alex here for dinner?"
"No, but do you think he knew we were going to be here and wants you to finally listen to Jasmine."
"Whatever Jasmine has to tell me is rubbish, and I could care less what she has to say," she said speaking loud enough for Jasmine to look up and over to Jack.
Caleb was watching through the window as Jack and Livvie had a good old fashioned shouting match, "Some things never change."
"Such as--?" asked Rafe as he came up to where Caleb was standing.
"Those two—it's just like old times watching them bickering," he said pointing them out to Rafe.
"Yeah, well I'm late for dinner," he said walking past Caleb.
"Have you noticed something about Jasmine?"
"Like what?"
"She—she seems older to me Rafe—as if she's finally aging after hundreds of years not doing so."
"Maybe I have—there's no precedence to this though Caleb. Do you think she's finally dying?"
"Like you said—there's no precedence—just wait and see."
"Then you stand here and wait—I'm going in to eat," said Rafe as he walked in and up to Livvie. "Hi Livvie—just so you know your husband is outside watching all of this," he said nodding to the window and then watching Livvie storm outside.
Jack laughed, "Was that necessary?"
"Maybe," grinned Rafe as they went over and made room at the tables for them to sit.
--------------
"You bloodsucking asshole! I can't believe you set me up!" yelled Livvie as they walked into the loft and she threw her purse on the table and went to sulk on the couch.
"It wasn't just for you, Olivia—I had to talk to Rafe."
"And you couldn't talk to him over the phone because--?"
"Because I do better seeing his facial expressions."
"Fine," she said rolling her eyes. "What was so important you had to see his facial expressions to get the proper answer?"
"Jasmine."
"Of course, why didn't I see that answer coming?"
"She's aging Olivia—or we think she is. I wanted to see if he saw the same thing I saw or my eyes were fooling me."
"Fine, she's aging—let her die, I really could care less."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do, Caleb! She abandoned her daughter—left her without a mother. How can anyone do that?"
"Did you ask her that?"
"No, because I don't care."
"You sure are acting like you care," he said getting a glare from Livvie. Caleb just gave her a shrug and walked off to let her sulk in silence.