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After what seemed like years of driving to California, they finally had crossed over into the state border. Both children were sleeping in the back, so it was almost as if Wilson and Cecilia were driving by themselves. Wilson looked over in Cecilia's direction and smiled before turning his eyes back on the road.
"So, north or south of here? Do you know?"
"South about twenty-five, thirty minutes."
"Exactly where are we going?"
She laughed as loudly as she could without waking the kids. "GlenOak- I'll give you directions." It was kind of a small town; she assumed he had never heard of it before.
"GlenOak? Are you serious?"
She looked perplexed. "Why would I lie about that?"
"I don't know." He paused. "Sorry, that's just where I am from."
She put her hand on his arm affectionately. "Really? That's so weird. What a small world."
"Did you live there all of your life?"
"Yeah, until the whole getting pregnant thing."
"Is that where Juliet's father is, too?"
She took a deep breath. "Yup. Simon is a GlenOak celebrity."
Wilson got a lump in his throat and a pit in his stomach as he continued down the long expanse of highway in front of him. "You don't mean Simon Camden, do you?"
She gasped audibly. His name struck so much fear in her it was amazing. "Y-yes," she responded meekly.
A sign for a rest stop appeared ahead and Wilson turned off without saying another word. He pulled into a parking spot of the medium sized lot and pulled Cecilia out with him so that they could talk without disturbing the peace in the SUV they had worked for four days to protect. He stood next to her, leaning against his door, but didn't make full eye contact with her. He wasn't exactly sure what to say.
In his defense, though, neither was Cecilia. She stared at her shoes for a few minutes, but then finally took the initiative to ask a question. "How do you know him?"
"I dated his older sister for years. I guess I should have told you this earlier, but I had no idea that you knew the Camdens, or if we were serious enough to justify bringing this up." She looked at him with wide eyes and he continued. "I dated Mary for… a really long time. We dated from the summer after my junior year in high school until about the end of my senior year. Then I went to college in Buffalo so I left her."
Cecilia continued the story for him. "Then she got shipped off to Buffalo because she was throwing her life away. Although, now that I look at it, she probably wasn't doing anything all that wrong. I guess they like to push people away." Wilson went to continue but she stopped him. "And then she ran into you, broke up with Robbie, and you guys dated. You were engaged but then she cheated on you with Ben and you broke it off. Then she moved back to GlenOak and the rest is history I guess."
"Pretty much, yeah," he said. Wilson's voice got quieter as he went on to question Cecilia. "You were living with the Colonel and Ruth… and George?" She nodded. "I used to be over there constantly. I like them, or I did anyway. I can't imagine them being that cruel to you. Sure they were a little hard on everyone, but they never were downright mean."
Tears welled in her eyes. "You weren't living there."
"…And you slept with Simon? I- we- he- I…" Wilson didn't finish that thought for fear of disgusting Cecilia. "I always thought of Simon as being so young. You're the same age as him? Wow, do I feel like I'm robbing the cradle."
The emotions this new realization was causing her made Cecilia snap. "You knew how old I was Wilson from the day you met me. This shouldn't change anything now. I'm nineteen and you were well aware of that."
"I know, I'm sorry." He rubbed his hands over the sides of her arms. "I wasn't thinking right."
"I'm sorry, too." She sighed. "I'd understand if you don't want to go with me anymore."
"I want to go with you even more now because I know personally who wronged you. They, of all people, do not deserve the right to be so hypocritical and unkind. Simon, the rest of the Camdens- I'll go to bat for you honey. You mean more to me than my nonexistent relationship with them does."
She looked up at him and a few tears flowed down her cheeks. He put his hands on them in attempt to comfort and silence her, but she spoke anyway. "This is weird."
He smiled. "Yeah, it is, but who else would understand the Camden's better than I would?" He kissed her softly. "Are you OK with everything?" She nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak. "Good. Now get back in the car so we can go kick some GlenOak Community Church butt."
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A/N: I know, I know, my update intervals have become longer and longer. I apologize for that, but I just didn't know what do to with this story. Now I have it half figured out. All I have to do is figure out exactly who Wilson and Cecilia are going to see in the next chapter and I am all set with that.
Hopefully it won't take me so long to update next time.
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