Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize from the show is mine… everything else… I wish!
Note: thank you guys so much for commenting.. there are hardly any Jake stories out there and I wanted to create one but it seems not a whole lot are interested in a Jake story.. but who cares! We know he's the coolest character!
All My Life has Found its Meaning
They entered into the warm house that smelled of cooking food. Jake took his coat off and called for his mom.
"Can I ask you something, Jake?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"What made you change your mind?"
"I told you, Jenny-"
"What really changed your mind?" She gave him what he termed, "the mother look". She smiled lightly but had a sternness in her eyes. That kind of stare she always threw at him when she knew he was lying. Jake could never lie to her.
"I thought about it for awhile and then I talked to my parents about it. After awhile I thought that it was best and they agreed. Jenny deserves a mother."
"Maybe she deserves a better one."
Just as she finished her statement, Jake's mother stepped into the room. She was taken aback to see Jillian but came over to her, looking her in the eye, then hugged her. Jillian wasn't expecting the gesture, but she welcomed it, not having been hugged for quite some time. Jake's mom always felt more like her own mother than the woman that gave birth to her. They pulled apart.
"You're skin and bones, child. You lost a lot of weight." Jake's mom held out her arms to get a look at her.
"I could say the same to you." She had to pick on her right back. Though she didn't seem to be an heavier, his mother did, however, seem older to her. Not just six months older; she looked tired, worn, reminding her of her own mother after she had a few drinks. But she knew it wasn't alcohol for her, Alice ran on pure stress and anxiety, and now she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders plus helping to take care of an eight month old.
"What happened to the truthful girl I knew?" She grew serious. "How are you doing?"
"So I guess Jake told you everything then." This was confirmed with a nod. "Hopefully, it will start to get better."
"If you need anything, you come to me."
Jillian let out a laugh. "After all this time, I don't know what to call you anymore. Mrs. Jagielski, Alice... " Tears were running down her face.
"You've always called me mom, even when you were a little kid. Nothing's changed with me, sweetheart." She hugged her again. "I always prayed that your mother would stop taking out her frustration on you. Now, hopefully she can't get you here."
"I hope so, too."
Jake felt very awkward watching them together. His mother always loved Jillian, probably almost as much as she loved him. It seemed abnormal to him, though, that she had taken it so well for Jillian to be back. What is harder for him or was he just making a bigger deal out of it than needed?
"I know you didn't come here to talk to me. Jenny's playing in her pen in the family room. That is why you brought her back here, right Jake?"
"Yep. It's about time she got to see Jenny."
The anticipation rose inside Jillian that it felt like her lungs were full and she could barely breathe. What was she to expect when she saw her daughter for the first time in six months? She was going to be so different than that baby she passed on to Jake when she left that day her mother took her away. But how do you prepare?
Jake reached in and placed Jenny in Jillian's arms.
"I'm going to sit now because I don't think I can stand." Tears were rolling down her face while Jenny looked up at her and smiled. "Did you see that smile?"
"Sure did. She doesn't usually take to people quickly. But she has to you." Jake knew that this was only partly true; she was fussy usually, but after only a few minutes, she would be comfortable around people she didn't know. Jake wanted Jillian to feel better and it worked.
"I read in a book that a baby can recognize its mother by the sound of their heartbeat." Jenny was tugging on her hair. "You have the smile of a movie star, Jenny. Well, you will when you have teeth."
Jake laughed. He had said the same thing before. It was a moment that he knew Jillian had to have with Jenny, so he decided to sneak into the kitchen to let them have some alone time. His mother was working feverously at the counter chopping up vegetables.
"Drop that carrot or you'll lose a finger." Jake tried to take a slice but decided to put it back due to his mother's threat. "Are you feeling okay, Sweetie? This must be hard for you. She's back and you're-"
"I'm glad that she's back to be in Jenny's life. She'll be able to help with money, she'll be able to watch her and you and Dad don't have to worry so much. Plus, Jenny needs to have a mom, not that you're doing a bad job."
"I meant it must be hard for you. Jenny will take to her. You can deny it to everyone but you can't fool me. You're not a bad guy if you still have feelings for her-"
"That's over, mom. I waited a long time and its neither my fault or hers. It ended. It happens."
"I won't push it." She waved the knife. "For now." She continued cutting. "Jilly?"
Jillian entered the room, holding Jenny in her arms. Both of them had big smiles on their faces.
"I still can't get over how big she is." She held Jenny above her head and then brought her down to her face and kissed her. Jenny giggled.
"I hope you didn't eat yet."
"No I haven't but I don't want to-"
"Its no trouble, and you are eating with us so don't try to get out of it."
"I just want to thank you both so much for this." She looked at Jenny. "I've been in a pretty dark place for the last six months. Now I feel like a different person. Almost... like the old me."
"How are you going to keep your mom from taking you back, Beanie?"
She winced at Jake's use of her childhood nickname. He noticed and winked at her.
"Well, I'm not sure right now. There are so many things I need to do but she could find me easier. I need to get a job-"
"Go to school." Alice supplied.
"I can't do any of those without my mom finding out. She still has custody and everything."
"You can't hide out forever." Jake tossed her a bottle and Jenny took it immediately.
"I have to let her know where I am."
"What would stop her from coming here and taking you away again?" Jake, though only a few days before was telling Jillian that he wanted nothing to do with her, had changed his tune and only further confused Jill.
"I would need help. I would need to prove that she is an unfit mother and I have plenty of examples of that. The problem is, it would be my word against hers if I did this on my own."
"What can we do to help?" Jake took Jenny out of her hands to burp her. He stood there, waiting for a response.
"You've seen it happening to me, Jake. There were a few times that you've seen her hitting me. You could testify, if it came down to that."
He thought of the night that her mother had found out that Jillian was pregnant. He was there when she realized Jillian's secret and instead of waiting for him to leave before she started beating on Jill, her anger took over and she hit Jillian with Jake standing by, unable to stop it. He worried that if he tried to intervene, her mother would do something drastic to Jillian.
"You think she will leave you alone if I threaten to tell the courts what she did to you? She's so strong, Jilly; she'll try to take you away just because she can."
"That's why she's going to move in with us, Jacob."
Alice's eyes didn't even leave the stove as she cooked. Both Jake and Jillian looked at each other, letting the words hang in the air. At the same time they both began to speak their reservations against the situation.
"I can't impose like that. I want to stick around to be with Jenny, but I'm going to get a job so I can pay for my motel room. It'll be fine."
"Where are you staying?"
"Down at Joe's place."
"You are not staying there. It's a dump. Joe's owned that hole for longer than you've been alive. You can stay in the guest room."
"Mom, stop pushing her like this. She just came by tonight to see Jenny."
"She needs to go to school, Jake." She reverted her attention to Jillian. "You need to finish your schooling because you are brilliant, Sweetie, and you need to be here for your daughter. You're staying with us. Jenny deserves more than a drop-out."
Jillian looked at Jake who returned the stare. He nodded in decision, letting her know that he was okay with it if she was.
"I would have to pay for rent and food and everything else."
"Fair enough, we'll set up a price. You can only stay here with us if you promise to stay in school."
"I promise."
"And you can never leave ever again." She turned to look at Jake as he said his response. She knew that all of this was hard for him, just as it was for herself. He looked serious in his statement.
"I promise that, too."
If he was going to let her back into their lives, he wanted to make sure that she would never leave again. If she could help it, she would do anything to keep her word, he knew. His heart was broken by her leaving and he didn't want that to happen to Jenny someday.
Jake handed Jenny back to Jillian and took four plates out of a cabinet. He set the table and went into the living room where Jillian was laying on the couch with Jenny resting on her chest and stomach. As he approached, they both looked asleep, but as go closer, Jillian starred up at him with her bright blue eyes and smiled at him, mouthing a thank you.
"Dinner's ready." He whispered to her. "Dad just got home."
Jillian moved slowly and gently placing the sleeping baby in a play pen that was situated in the room next to the loveseat. She kissed Jenny lightly on the head. As they walked, Jillian pulled on Jake's sleeve to let him know to lean downward towards her.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She whispered into his ear.
