Chapter 4

Never Break the Chain

Point Place, WI

10:30AM

(a year later after Jerk-Off)

Eric couldn't believe it. This was supposed to be the happiest time of his life until his

fifteen year old son made a casual announcement at the breakfast table. Paige ran

to the bedroom trying to hold back the tears over something that has been bothering

her for year and Jacen's announcement pushed it to the surface it seemed leaving

Eric to ask his son one simple question.

"Why?"

"I think you should go comfort your fiancée."

"Jacen Eric Forman don't you take that tone with me! Why did you go behind our

backs and invite Jackie to the wedding?"

"I cannot believe you Dad. It's a year later. That's three hundred and sixty five days!

Come on. I think you should grow up."

"OH! You are so grounded. And don't think because we will be away on our

honeymoon that you won't be."

"Why are you still clinging to anger over Jackie? You really ought to cut her some

slack."

"I'm going to go talk to Paige and you are going to wait on the porch for Jackie to

arrive and tell her that she is not welcome here."

"Dad! Don't you hear yourself?" Jacen wished that he could go back in time and fix

all these compounding mistakes.

When Eric was gone from his view Jacen let two tears fall down his cheeks.

Paige who should have been dancing around the room in a happy swirl with her

wedding dress over her impending nuptials in forty-eight hours was curled up in a

ball on the bed crying in a messy heap. Those hyperventilating sobs when someone

close to you dies or a relationship crumbles.

"Paige, what's wrong? I'm sorry that Jacen went behind our backs and invited Jackie

to the wedding." He put his arms around her and cradled her.

"It's not j-just that." She sniffed to break up the sobs as she let her soon to be

husband wipe her tears away.

"What is it? I've noticed there are certain moments with Jacen where you become

very withdrawn."

"It's nothing, Eric," She forced herself up, "I'm sorry that I carried on like this."

"You don't have to be sorry for your feelings. And I don't think it's nothing."

She kissed him on the cheek, "You are so sweet. I really don't deserve a guy like

you."

"Paige,"

"Eric, Jacen is fifteen years old. His ideals are mostly all set. The fact that he's even

nice to me is something that I will always treasure. He hung up the cross stitch I

made him last year. And he liked his Christmas and birthday presents. So thankfully

he doesn't hate me, right?"

"Are you worried that Jacen hates you?"

"No, he doesn't hate me. This was all too silly. I must be overly emotional with the

wedding planning. I can survive Jackie being there. I mean if Jacen wants his I

godmother there then we should respect that."

It was on the tip of Eric's tongue.

"Paige—there is more I can feel it."

She kissed Eric on the forehead. "It's all right, really. Labels are stupid. I honestly

should have known better. I must look a fright. I'm going to take a shower and freshen

up, and you smile. Smile your winning smile for me, Eric."

He smiled but it wasn't a happy one.

Jacen was looking out of the living room window for a sign of Jackie. The last he

heard from her was in an email from early yesterday morning.

"Son, I want to talk to you for a minute."

"No, you want to yell."

And I don't want to fight with you.

Never again.

That was the worst feeling in the world.

"No, I want to talk to you, Jacen. Sit down."

"All right."

"I have to ask you an important question and I want you to be honest with me."

"I always am."

"Good. Do you really like Paige? You aren't pretending to like her for my benefit are

you?"

"No, Dad. I really like Paige she's a nice woman and you two make each other

happy. I'm just angry at how you, I can see Paige since they hardly know each other,

but I'm just angry at how you can throw away all those years of friendship with Jackie

away."

"Life is complicated, son. I know you think that it is just stupid adult rhetoric, but it's

true. I'm just glad that you don't hate Paige."

"Whatever. And I don't hate anybody except for—"

He paused and let Eric touch his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"And on most days I just feel sorry for that person."

"Me too."

"Did you really mean what you said about Jackie not being welcome here?"

"I'm sorry, Jacen. But that's just how it is."

Jacen sighed as he stood up, "Then I'm not doing your dirty work for you. I happen to

love Jackie, so if she is not welcome in our home anymore, then you tell her."

Eric was about to speak when the lightening bolt hit him.

I really like Paige

I happen to love Jackie

And there it was revealed as clear as one's reflection in a mirror. He let Jacen go off

to his room as he let the knowledge enter his brain. That was why Paige was upset

and trying to hide the fact.

She wanted Jacen to love her.

Eric went into the kitchen and made two cups of coffee for him and Paige. He put

them on the collapsible tray with the requisite milano cookies. When he got to their

bedroom she was sitting on the bed, wrapped in his old blue flannel robe, drying her

hair with a towel. She looked so fragile and vulnerable that he wished if he had

known about his future he would have as cruel as it seemed ditched his friendship

with Jackie long ago if it meant he, Paige, and Jacen could have been a happy

family right from the start.

"Are you feeling better, Paige?" He put her coffee cup on the end table for her as

well as the bag of cookies.

"A little. You didn't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"Bring me coffee and cookies."

"You better get used to being spoiled, m'lady."

"You're too sweet. Did you and Jacen have a talk?"

"Yeah."

How could he tell her that he knew? How could he tell the woman that meant the most

to him on this Earth and beyond what his son said? That they were two different

topics in two different parts of the conversation but Eric's mind untangled the pieces

to put them together to solve Paige's mystery.

He never wanted to see those deep and soulful chestnut colored eyes cry unless

they were tears of joy.

"Is everything okay between you two?"

"Yes." He put his coffee cup down on his dresser and put his hands on her

shoulders.

"I love you, Miss Paige Allen."

He leaned in to kiss her. No other woman could ever compare. Not even ones who

were just friends and he wasn't sorry for the thought.

"I love you, Mr. Eric Forman."

His soothing brand of love always made her feel better.

A few moments later he looked at the clock. "Now, I don't want you to worry about

anything, dear. We are going to have the most breathtaking wedding. I promise you

that no one is going to ruin our day."

He kissed the tip of her nose.

Gone were the days of the musty and herbal smelling basement. Gone were the

days of adolescent hate turning into young adult realizations. Gone was the

friendship shared by a common heartbreak bond that nurtured itself into a true

friendship as the years went on. Especially when the baby boy was born. None of

that ceased to exist anymore, as Eric didn't even have to think twice. The words

came out of his mouth as if he had really felt this way all along and just needed a

reason to say them.

"You are Jacen's guest and you are no longer welcome in my house or my life."

That was when Eric Forman closed the door in Jackie Burkhart's face.

She wasn't surprised and didn't want to give a teary eyed show to the neighbors.

"Hi, Jackie!" Jacen came round from the back way.

And there was the real reason why she wasn't going to put up a fuss.

"Hi, Jacen!" She hugged him tight. The boy that she wished was her son.

"Let me look at you! You are getting so tall and are you shaving?"

He blushed.

"A little. You look very nice."

"I've had this sundress for years, but thank you for noticing. I can't believe at how big

you've gotten since I've seen you last. One more hug?"

"Sure."

"Since staying here is not an option…"

"I'm sorry about that, Jackie."

"I know you are. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen so I made

reservations to stay at a hotel. It'll be all right. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No. But I'll buy you lunch."

"But you don't have a job."

"Not yet. Next year. But I do yard work and shovel the sidewalks for the neighbors as

well as get an allowance. May I take you out to lunch?"

"Of course you can, sweetie."

Jackie rented a 1977 beige Lincoln Town car from a place in Chicago that

dealt with vintage automobiles. It was supposed to recapture her youth. It didn't

recapture diddly.

"Nice car!" Vintage cars were the way to go. No one else would ever think about

driving a car like this.

"You like it, Jacen?"

"Yeah. I wish I had my permit."

"I'm sorry that you can't drive it."

"It's okay. I'd never ask. I don't want to be on Eric's bad side."

"You do know that he loves you very much?"

"Yeah, but his treatment of you is nothing short of disgusting."

She smiled. "You are a great kid. I would have said you got your sweetness from

your father, but now I'm not so sure."

It was starting to feel humid in the car and it was a mild summer. He buckled his seat

belt.

"Let's go out for pizza, Jackie."

"If that's what you want."

"And no broccoli because that's just gross."

Jackie smiled. She missed her godson. Sending him emails and postal packages

were not enough. She missed spending time with him.

Paige be damned. I'm not sorry. Nope. Not sorry.

Sometimes it wasn't about the grown ups. It was about the child. Or in this case the

adolescent young man. Eric of all people should have known better.

She was going to have a nice lunch with her godson and she didn't need anyone's

permission to do that.

Paige be damned.