Special Chapter 8 and a half:

The Jacen and Mindy Conversation Point Place, WI

(after Jacen and Eric's talk in Blast)

It was fifteen minutes later after Eric and Jacen had their talk as the latter sat on his

bed thinking about the only thing that has been on his mind since the night it

happened. When Mindy was in his bed. They only saw each other a few times since

their deflowering. She was beyond distant. They couldn't exactly talk about this stuff

with her parents around and she couldn't or wouldn't he wasn't sure which come to

his house since the Swanson's knew Eric and Paige weren't home. The family

phone in the living room rang and Jacen bolted to answer it and it wasn't just

because he wanted his Dad and Paige to get some sleep. He was hoping that it

would be Mindy. He was surprised to see that it actually was.

"Hi, Mindy."

"Hi, Jacen."

"How are things?"

"Fine. Would you like to come over and watch a movie?"

"Are your parents there?"

"Of course. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't know I just figured…"

"We made a mistake," She whispered into the phone, "Do you want to see a movie

or not?"

A mistake? That's not the first time in my life that I have heard that before.

"Sure."

What was a mistake? Them making love? Or was it when she said "I love you"

back?

Please not that.

A lump rose in Jacen Forman's throat. He was going to get the answers that he

wanted whether she wanted to talk about their relationship or not.

"Good. We'll leave the door open for you."

"All right. See you, Mindy."

He hung up the phone and wrote on the memo pad in his small handwriting.

Dad,

Watching a movie at Mindy's house. Will be home for dinner.

Jacen

P.S. Adults will be present.

Jacen waved to the Swanson's who were leaving their house in their brand new

emerald green mini van just as he got there. He opened the front door and thought

that God had to be on his side if the Swanson's had to run to the store or wherever it

was that they were going. He was a Forman and Forman's never back down or his

so his Father would say.

"Mindy, I'm here."

"I'm in the kitchen."

Her house was in the middle class income section of Point Place. The old Burkhart

house was a block away where the people with 'real money' lived. His old house was

right across the street.

"We need to talk."

"Do you want cheddar cheese or sour cream flakes on your popcorn?"

He touched her arm. He tried not to be enticed by her pale blue breezy cotton button

down shirt, tan capri pants, and slip on mule style matching blue sneakers.

"Neither. I want to know what you meant by the phrase. 'We made a mistake'."

"Jacen, please don't ask me that."

"Don't I have the right to know?"

"We're too young to embark on a sexual relationship."

Did she get a quickie email from Papa Forman?

"You wanted it!"

"I was caught up in Eric and Paige's beautiful wedding."

"But what about you secretly being on the pill for a year?"

"I didn't do that for you. I did that for me and my reproductive health."

She opened up the cheddar cheese packet for the popcorn.

"I said 'I love you' more than once. You only said it once. Was that a mistake too?"

"We're too young to be saying 'I love you' in that way."

"I'm not. I love you, Mindy. Yeah, I said it."

"Jacen, don't be a ass." She grabbed two small bottles of lemon lime soda out of the

refrigerator.

"I'm not."

"You are too. You are not seeing ME you are just trying to get into my panties. We

need to step back a bit."

Jacen took the bowl of popcorn off the counter.

"I'm not afraid to admit my love to you in the daylight."

"School starts soon. Let's go back to where we were before we made love."

"Fine. But how come you won't let me kiss you anymore?"

"Because it's only to satisfy your male urges. You are not seeing me you are only

thinking of yourself and what you get out of it. That's selfish."

"Mindy," Jacen said as he put the bowl of popcorn on the glass coffee table in the

large living room and reached for his bottle of soda as he sat on the soft black

leather sofa.

"What?" Mindy asked as she put in the DVD.

"Stop being an ass."

Chapter 9

Eric's Clock

Point Place, WI

6:00PM

(two months after Peachy Keen after Jackie reunites with Kelso)

Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell was on the table in kitchen table book

marked in the middle with a silk lavender ribbon, along with a tea cup on a saucer

and Eric's first thought was, "we have saucers?" It was a white pattern with a tea

rose colored trim. He could see the steam coming from the cup.

"Paige, I'm home." He called out

He noticed the note on the microwave.

Dear Dad,

You left the house this morning before I could tell you that I'll be late coming

home.

School stuff.

Jacen.

That took care of one of them. His eyes noticed the small plate of cookies that were

on the counter.

"Paige," Her car was in the driveway, but that didn't stop Eric from worrying about

her.

"Hi, Eric," she kissed him on the lips as she took her cookie plate, "Do you want a

cookie?"

"No thanks, dear."

"A cup of tea?"

"Nope. I'm good. I could use more sugar though."

He could kiss her forever, until her pretty little head popped off.

"I thought we could order some take out since Jacen is coming home late."

"Fine by me. I'll get the flyers from the cupboard."

Anything but pizza as Jacen could eat that everyday of the week.

"Darn,"

Eric looked up as Paige accidentally spilled her teacup and rescued her book from

being damaged.

"I got it," he grabbed a dishtowel off the counter and wiped the table.

"Sorry about that. I'm a nervous Nellie."

"It's only tea. Are you all right, Paige? You don't seem yourself."

"Eric, I—I ," she started to cry unable to finish her thought as Eric put his arms

around his wife and pulled her close.

"What is it, honey? You know that you can tell me anything."

"I'm pregnant." She muffed into his shoulder

"What?" Eric asked genuinely shocked

"I found out today," she broke from his embrace, "I'll get rid of it."

"What? Wait—What makes you say that?"

"You already raised Jacen. You can't be expected to do it again when kids are

supposed to be grown. And Jacen apparently sees me as a stranger," more tears,

"It'd just be a burden."

"Paige, I'm stunned, but I never—it's not a burden. I'm happy. Aren't you happy?" He

inched closer.

"You're happy? I didn't think that you would be."

He kissed her softly on the lips. "Of course, I am. Are you happy?" He asked again

"I don't know, Eric. I don't think I'll be a very good mother. Maybe I should just get an

abortion."

"You'd be the best mother ever."

She kissed her husband on the cheek. "Thank you. It's not true I can't even get Jacen

to notice me as a mother figure, but thank you just the same."

"Oh, sweetie. It is true. And Jacen. I hope that he comes around. I wish you'd let me

talk to him."

"No. It can't be forced. It has to come from his heart. I can make you dinner if you

don't want the takeout." Paige rubbed her head.

Eric's hunger was replaced with 'father-at-over-40' feelings. He loved kids and

always wanted Jacen to have a sibling but he also realized how old he was going to

be when the baby graduated high school! But that being unspoken he still wanted

their baby.

"Paige, come with me," He lead her to their bedroom, "Why don't you take a nap?

Don't worry about dinner. I'll take care of it."

He helped tucked her in bed and gave her the TLC that Donna was repulsed by and

thought was "most clingy".

"I love you." She opened up her book of poetry.

"I love you too. It's going to be all right. I promise, Paige."

He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Eric?" she asked when he was halfway out the door.

"Yes?"

"Can we not tell Jackie for awhile? We should tell Jacen first. I want it to be our little

secret just for now."

"Of course. I'll bring you another cup of tea."

"You're the best husband ever."

"Only because you are the best wife ever."

Jacen rolled his eyes when he came home and heard his father's reply from the

kitchen. Did they just get done having sex? That was the most embarrassing thing in

the whole world.

"Hi, Jacen. I'm glad that you are home."

"Uh oh. What did I do?"

"Nothing. Unless there is something that you'd like to confess?"

"No. Then why are you glad that I'm home?"

"Take a look at the restaurant flyers and tell me what you'd like delivered…anything

but no pizza."

"Oh, is that all?"

Eric decided that he and Paige should tell Jacen together. His wife and his son

needed to bond. It would be selfish to tell him now.

"How about Smiley's diner?" Jacen took the blue and yellow flyer out of the drawer

that they kept the restaurant menus in.

"Sure." Eric waited for the kettle to boil.

"Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Do you think I can use the kitchen on the weekend to make a special dinner for

Mindy?"

Eric couldn't fight him on it. They'd be home. This kid got more dates around Eric's

"sixteen rule" that he almost thought about letting him officially start dating at fifteen.

But there was no fun in that.

"I suppose."

"Where's Paige?"

Mom?

"She's lying down. I'm making her tea."

"Oh. Okay."

Eric would help Paige get through her insecurities about being a mother. She'd be

okay he was certain of it. He smiled as he did the math in his head. The baby had to

have been conceived on their honeymoon. It might have seemed "too-perfect" but

sometimes real life happens just like that.

Peaches.

Eric hoped for a girl.

A sweet little girl that he could buy those cute little socks for that he saw in the baby

store window that were stereotypically pink and had a little yellow chick on them. A

little girl who would have the most amazing big brother, a little girl who could watch

Star Wars with him, and most importantly a little girl who would have the best parents

in the universe. Especially the best mother that she could ever possibly have in this

life.

Paige had a rough life and even Eric didn't know all the details and he never wanted

to push for information and bring back unpleasant memories for his wife. How she

thought it was only his happiness that mattered. The baby would never be a burden.

This could only make their family unit more complete.

And that was indeed a beautiful thing.