Chapter 15

Rocky Mountain High

Denver, Colorado

Thanksgiving 2007

Wednesday

2:17PM

"Wow!" The first words came out of Jacen Forman's mouth when he saw the ranch

style house that was home to Michael and Jackie Kelso. Mindy's parents would have

been jealous as it made their house

seem ordinary and non-upper middle class.

"I don't like it. It doesn't seem cozy." Paige said.

She only agreed to this Thanksgiving trip for Eric's sake. But why did that

snobby elitist bitch Jackie have to invite them to her new home on a frigging holiday?

That was supposed to be their family time together and she knew it.

Eric parked the navy blue practical sedan rental in the circular driveway.

"Look who slept through the whole plane ride and car ride. My sweet little 'Sissy'."

Jacen smiled as he unbuckled the baby seat to take his sister out.

Eric and Paige were amazed at how much he did for his "Sissy" without being

asked to do so.

They didn't know if it was because of the shared birthday or some other cosmic

force but he really had quite a bond with her. Eric was relived that Jacen didn't seem

obsessively heartbroken over being away from her for the Thanksgiving holidays. He

wondered if he would have asked if she could come along if it weren't for her parents

taking her to London, England over the school break? His little sister was a good

measuring stick for his priorities.

"We'll get our luggage later." Eric said admiring the house.

The door opened and Jackie came running out.

"Jacen, give the baby up this minute!"

"I thought I used to be your number one?"

"Both of you kids are my number one. My god! Look at little Ellie! She's grown so

much in six months."

"Ellis." Paige stated matter-of-factly, feeling like the third wheel.

"She's adorable. I rented a crib for her so she can have comfortable place to sleep,"

The baby opened up her big green eyes, "Aww…look who is up. You must be sick of

sucking that pacifier."

"Don't I get a hello?"

"Hi, Eric!" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek like she did Jacen, but she was

not about to give up holding this adorable bundle of joy.

"Where's Kelso?"

"In town he said he had to pick up something."

"Jackie, may I use your computer? I promised Mindy that I'd email her when we got

here."

"Sure, honey. I'll show you where it is."

Paige fixed the baby bag on her shoulder. "Notice that I didn't get a greeting of any

kind?" she whispered as they walked into the house.

"I'm sorry, Paige. Jackie is quite stubborn. Did I ever tell you about the time she left

me fall off the water tower?"

"I'll say and no."

"When we get settled I'll make a you a drink."

"Make it a double."

The entry way was darkly lit and wood paneled. It was the perfect oversized love nest

for two former high school sweethearts that found their way back to one another.

Paige sat on the beige colored sofa. She was so tired from the trip that she just

wanted to stretch her legs out and take a nap. She held her little girl in her arms as

Jackie wanted her to take a nap and Paige was not having it. In the polite way as to

not ruffle any feather's of course. The baby slept during the whole trip here, she'd be

up all night if Jackie put her down for a nap now. She needed to be up for awhile.

"Mommy loves you." She dangled the primary colored set of baby plastic keys in

front of her face.

"I made you a gin and tonic," Eric put the glass on a coaster on the cherry wood end

table

"Thanks. Do you want to see your Daddy, Ellis?"

"Of course she does. We watched Star Wars last night."

"And she drooled through the whole thing," Jacen walked by to get a CD-Rom that

Jackie told him was in the cabinet by the Grandfather clock..

"No, this baby feels the force."

"Oh god. How lame is Daddy, "Sissy"? Say lame." Jacen shook her little foot when

he came back with his CD.

Paige laughed. This is what she loved the most. Being with her family was all that

she needed.

"I sent out for cookies." Jackie put a platter on the table.

"Cool." Jacen dove in the platter.

"Jacen."

"Yes, Dad?"

"Do you think you could save some chocolate chips for me?"

"I only took three."

"Let him be, Eric. He's growing. Go in the kitchen, Jacen and pour yourself a glass of

milk."

"Okay."

"Me too. You can't have cookies without milk, right Peaches?" He kissed her on the

nose and handed her to Paige.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Jackie asked trying her best not to look at her.

"I already have a gin and tonic, thanks."

God. Didn't she see Eric making it and putting it on the table after they all hung up

their winter coats in the entry way? Jeez.

It was going to be one Hell of a long weekend both women thought. Paige happily

played with her daughter as Jackie went to stand outside the front door to wait for

Michael to come back.

3:00PM

In the Kelso tool shed

What was so mysterious that Eric had to leave the confines of the cozy ranch house

and sitting with his wife and baby on the sofa after his cookie snack to be outside

and freezing his nads off in a wooden tool shed with one of his oldest friends.

"Why are we outside, man?" Eric zipped his jacket up as high as it could go.

"Because if Jackie sees what's in this bag she'll kill me and then Paige will kill you,

Eric."

"What could you possibly----" Then Eric raised his eyebrows, "Oh, I haven't in a very

long time."

"Which is all the more reason that you should. We should."

Eric sat on a barrel and left Kelso with the crate that said "Apple Farms" in upside

down green block letters.

"We should." Eric smiled.

4:15PM

Eric Forman got high? Paige sat on the blue recliner that was in the guestroom as

she watched the portable TV after she put the baby down after a quick bottle. She

couldn't believe that her Husband got high. She was very much anti drug. Even if she

couldn't tell by his demeanor, the scent on his clothes gave him away.

"You still love me, babe? Don't ya? I'm starving!"

"Of course, I love you, Eric. I just don't like you getting high."

"It was only pot. I used to do that all the time growing up."

"Well, they didn't have all the information in on it that we do today. Like cigarettes."

"I won't do it again."

"You're not in trouble. I bet Jackie allows Michael to get high."

She had to pin this on Jackie. This had to be all of her doing.

"No. She'd kill him. She hasn't had a joint in a very long time. Come on. Can we talk

about this in the kitchen? I'm starving."

Paige got up.

"What kind of example does this send to Jacen? If he ever experiments and I hope

he doesn't, you're going to have to give him a free pass now."

"I know. I'll talk to him later on. When I came back into the house and bumped into

him. I almost couldn't look him the eye. But I have to tell you something Paige."

He put his arms around his Wife.

"What's that, Eric?"

"I am very relaxed. After we get a snack, how would you like to test the beds in this

place?"

She smiled. "I love you, you hophead." She kissed him on the lips.

"And this hophead loves you back. Now, I'll race you to the kitchen! The loser has to

make the sandwiches."

"You're on, buster."

While Jacen was in the guestroom mock nursery watching his "Sissy" sleep, Jackie

and Michael were in the private den drinking wine and eating the shrimp platter that

was supposed to be for them and their guests, it was Eric Forman who had to make

the sandwiches and to find any other kind of munchies that were in the Kelso

cupboards. He made one for his wife and three for himself with two cans, one for

each, of Tab to wash them down with.

6:30PM

Oh no. He wanted to talk. Jacen could see the look in his Father's eyes and he

wanted to get a postcard written to Mindy before dinner.

"Dad, no long speech is necessary. I am not about to start doing drugs just because

you and Michael are stupid. May I finish my postcard to Mindy now?"

It seemed like only yesterday he was a little bundle with big blue eyes that loved

being held by his Daddy.

"I'm not doing drugs. It was only one joint."

"You don't have to explain it to me."

He tried to make one of those old fashioned top-looped cursive "L"'s for the bottom

of his postcard. He didn't care if Mindy's parents got the postcard first and saw the

word "love" It was a true statement. Let them deal with it.

Love, Jacen loopy cursive "L" and all.

"Yeah, but I do, Jacen. How could I begin to yell at you if you ever tried pot once? I'd

be a hypocrite. And I never want to be that to you."

Jacen giggled. He was going to spritz some of his cologne on the postcard, but he

couldn't do that with his Father in the room.

"You're not, Dad and I would never touch the stuff. Are you done being parental?"

"I suppose. Dinner will be ready soon so wash up."

"Okay."

Kids who don't do drugs, have parents that do drugs.

That was Eric Forman's brain.

Re: The water tower comment: In my fan fic world that would be a solo moment

between Jackie and Eric as to not mess with this stories history.