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.
