Disclaimer: Still not mine. Some of it is, but mostly not.
"We're going bowling?" Anna asked incredulously.
"So?" Davey asked, clueless to his sister's cause for disdain.
"I'm not dressed for bowling."
"They give you shoes," he informed her.
"I'm going to give you my shoe up your a--," she threatened.
"Can we think something else to do?" Will interrupted before the sibling squabble turned ugly.
"We could go dancing," Anna suggested.
"I don't dance," both boys chorused.
"Please," she sighed.
"Mini-golf?"
"Dave, again: my shoe, your --,"
"How about ice skating?" Will interjected, "there's that great rink they set up every year outside of New Haven."
"Sounds okay to me," she agreed.
"Yeah, alright," Dave gave in. Luckily the group decided on the activity just as he pulled to a stop outside Mallory's apartment. Before getting out of the car, he turned to face them.
"Just promise to be nice."
"We promise."
"But be honest with me. I mean, Ann, if you two do that weird girl-tandem-bathroom thing, and she tells you that she hates me or is secretly in love with our waiter, you'll tell me, right?"
"Girl-tandem-bathroom thing?" Will asked, looking blankly at Anna.
"I promise, Dave, now go!" she shooed him.
He nodded and turned to open the door to retrieve Mallory. Will, who'd moved to the backseat so Mallory could ride shotgun, pulled his seatbelt across him, but couldn't find the end to secure it into. He reached between the seats, to no avail.
"Troubles?" she asked, clearly amused.
"Damn ghetto car! Where's the other end?"
"Use the middle one," she laughed at his frustration.
Shaking his head, he did as instructed while muttering under his breath at the car. She just smiled, looking out the front window for Dave to reappear.
&&&&
"So, where are we going?" she asked as she tried to walk as close as possible to her husband. He'd parked the car near the marina, and now they appeared to be headed for the beach.
"You really should learn to enjoy surprises," he chuckled as he continued on.
"But, Tristan, it's freezing, and we're headed for the beach. At night."
"Very astute."
"Gah!"
"Have I ever let you down before?"
"No," she admitted sheepishly.
"Left you cold or unsatisfied in some way?"
"Well, no, but,"
"Then I suggest you look over there," he smiled, pointing down the stretch of beach. It looked perfect, just as he'd requested. A moderately-sized fire, next to an outstretched picnic blanket and basket. He heard a happy squeal before she yanked him behind her, holding onto his hand as she ran over to their destination.
&&&&
His keys turned in the locks to their apartment. It felt strange being alone and knowing that most likely no one would be there to welcome him. The silence that greeted him was almost too much to bear. With two teenagers in the family, there was usually some noise, conversation, or something.
He let out a breath as he let his keys fall onto the table in the entryway. His eyes fell immediately on the note that lay there next to his discarded keys. Erin's handwriting. His name. He picked it up and began to read, her voice filling his head like she were right there next to him.
&&&&
Bundled up and skates rented, the foursome were seated on benches, lacing up their skates. The ice rink was particularly packed, evidently the bowling alleys were all empty this evening. Davey had made the introductions in the car, and the four had made general conversation about majors, job paths after college, but skillfully avoided all Bree talk. Anna laced up her skates and stood up like an old pro. The Melvilles had gone skating a lot over the years, Anna and Lia both taking lessons for a short period of time in their younger years. She walked over to Will, who was still working on making his laces tight enough.
"Uh, leave some room for blood to circulate," she advised.
"I've heard they have to be really tight to support the ankles," he furrowed a brow.
"Well, yeah, but there's secure, then there's amputation."
"Right. Thanks," he said, unlacing the skates and starting over.
"What's he doing?" Mallory asked, standing in her skates next to Anna.
"He's just finishing up. Come on, let's get out there, the boys can catch up," Anna suggested, starting to move to the entrance of the rink.
"'Kay," she agreed, smiling at Dave. Dave smiled back, and then gave his sister a look when Mallory wasn't looking. She smiled a little too happily, causing him to worry as he waited for his friend to finish.
"Aren't you done yet?"
"Shut up, I'm getting there," Will said.
"Anna seems happy, doesn't she? I mean, completely different than just two days ago."
"Yeah, I mean, I guess. She's been enjoying the vacation from school."
"So, is whatever was wrong with her better now?"
"Oh, I don't know," Will lied.
"Will, she told you, didn't she?"
"Dave, let's not get into all that tonight. Tonight is about you and Mallory. Who seems really great, by the way."
"Yeah, she's really cool. Smart, funny," he informed his friend.
"How is she in bed?" Will asked while trying to stand upright.
"Aw, geez," he shook his head, turning away from Will.
"Hey! Help!" Will cried out after his friend as he lost his footing. His arms shot out, hoping to find something to steady himself with. Dave whipped around, and caught Will about halfway down. Will straightened up and composed himself.
"Thanks."
"That's what you get for asking me that."
"Fine. I'll behave," Will promised, holding up his hands, which caused him to teeter a little again.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Let's go find the girls," he said decisively, though looking with trepidation at the ice.
"Sure," Dave said, moving towards the entrance, not sure how much ahead of Will to get.
The girls were on the other side of the rink, Anna showing off a little bit of her skills. She did a simple turn in the air, and added a couple of flourishes.
"Wow, that's so cool! I've always wished I could do that."
"My sister and I took a few lessons when we were younger."
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Dave hasn't told you?"
"He talks about his family, in bits and pieces, stories, lots of names thrown in."
"There are four of us kids, then our parents."
"That's all? 'Cause he talks about tons of people, I thought you were one of twelve or something!"
"Oh, well, we hang out a lot with Will's family—his sister and dad's nephew's families. They're sort of like our cousins. We all grew up together."
"Yeah. At first, I thought Will was his brother. I've heard so much about him, it's nice to finally meet him."
"He and Dave might as well be brothers," Anna laughed.
"So, you're dating him?"
Anna looked at Mallory, somewhat startled. Of course it looked that way to her, she didn't know them at all. Anyone could see that Will thought of her more as a sister, she told herself before answering the other girl.
"Oh, uh, no, we're not, I mean, we've never," she stumbled the words out, stopping completely as Davey and Will skated up to them. Well, Dave skated up to them. Will sort of used the staccato variation of gliding, just along side the wall to make sure he got there in one piece and dry.
&&&&
"How did you do all of this? You were with me every moment!"
"Not while you were in the shower," he corrected her.
"But you were!"
"I got out first, remember?"
"You did all this in two minutes?"
He nodded, while opening the picnic basket. They'd kicked their shoes off, cuddling up on the blanket. He pulled out the food, and began handing things off for her to arrange.
"You know, I almost hate to go back tomorrow. It's nice to just be alone with you," she commented.
"You say that like we never are," he said still pulling out food.
"We've just been so busy lately, with the kids, family stuff, and work. It's just that this is nice. I really like you," she said the last part as if it were a secret.
"Well, the night isn't over. Don't think about tomorrow quite yet," he leaned over to kiss her gently before handing her silverware. They ate, talked and laughed, but she looked around when they finished their meals.
"What?"
"Where's dessert?" she frowned, trying to peer into the basket.
"There is none," he said simply.
"I'm sorry, have you lost your mind?"
"I have something better in mind," he smirked.
"Better than chocolate?"
He nodded.
She narrowed her eyes, not quite sure she believed him. In almost twenty years, he'd never once denied her dessert. But he was smiling, and surely the option of bodily harm wouldn't make him so happy.
"Are you cold?"
"A little," she shrugged, still eying him carefully.
"Then, come here," he said, pulling her closer to him. He looked into her eyes, noticing they still shone as they did when he first met her at age sixteen. It'd been those eyes that propelled him to do almost every irrational and impulsive thing he'd ever done: breaking into a safe, changing colleges, proposing marriage, buying a house, having kids—none of which had been planned out, and all he can remember thinking about during the process of all of it was her eyes. He knew every single last detail about them. She probably just believed that he was impulsive by nature, which was true, but she had no idea how much she spurred him on. Like helping her live out fantasies such as having sex on the beach, that she reluctantly revealed to him. Or just how much he loved every moment of it all.
As their evening went on, he checked in on her. He knew she wasn't cold; no one could voluntarily be in that state of undress and be too cold. Their clothes were thrown hastily in the sand, and he dipped his head down next to her ear.
"Still disappointed?" he breathed, the hot air tickling her neck.
"Never," she answered, shivering not from the cold, but from the way he continued to touch her. He got his wish for the day, still giving her what she wanted. She got out, and he still got to make love to his wife.
&&&&
When Jess pulled up and got out of the car, the first person he saw was his daughter. She was sitting out on the front porch, reading. Trying to put a smile on his face for his daughter, he sat down next to her on the porch.
"Whatcha' reading?"
"The Bell Jar," she held it up for him to see.
"How festive," he joked.
"Where's Mom?"
He pulled his daughter to him, kissing the top of her head.
"Dad? Where is she?" her voice teetering on the brink of tears.
"She's with your grandparents."
"She coming back?"
He sighed. "I'm not sure, kid. I'm not sure."
"Oh."
"You can ask me any questions you want, you know that, right?"
"I know."
"Even if I don't want to answer, or it's hard for me, you can still ask."
"Okay."
"Wanna head in? It's cold, and late."
"Can we go back to the Dragonfly tonight?"
"Sure. Where's your brother?"
"He's with Jake, watching movies."
He nodded. "Where's the rest of the gang?"
"Lia went home after dinner. Ella's been in Will's old room on the phone all night."
"Luke and Lorelai?"
"Kitchen, last I looked."
"Alright. Come on, let's go get your brother and get some sleep."
Jules nodded, standing up, ready to follow her exhausted looking father.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?" he asked, surprised when she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.
"It'll be okay," she whispered.
Tears stung his eyes, but he held them in, not wanting his little girl to see him cry. He kissed the top of her head, and kept an arm around her as he led her into the house.
AN: This was the chapter that wouldn't end. Not that I'm complaining. I started writing at work, and when I came home early and had nothing else I could do (I've been stranded on my couch with a pulled muscle all evening), I wrote and wrote and wrote. More ASAP, I promise. Thanks to everyone who is so religious about reviewing, you guys not only inspire me to churn this stuff out, but it really picks me up when I need it some days. (Blows kisses to you all.) Thank you.