Chapter 8

Jessie met with her mom on Sunday afternoon. After getting their coffee they went to the dress shop where Jessie's dress was being made. The seamstress brought it out to her and she tried it on, stepped out of the dressing room and stared at herself in the mirror.

"Jessie darling, you look absolutely beautiful," her mother wept.

"Mom, don't start crying now or I'll get tear stains on it."

"You're right."

"Mom, would it be alright with you and dad if I came home until the wedding?"

"Of course it is. You don't want to stay at home with Chris?"

Jessie turned to face her mother.

"I know that you two did not approve when we decided to move in together. And I know you don't approve of us having sex before we are married. So I thought to make things easier on all of us, I would move back home until the wedding. Chris understands and thinks it is a good idea also, no distractions."

"Jessie, it's not that I don't approve of Chris and you, he's proven to your father and I just how much he loves you time and time again. But you are right that we don't like the idea of you being with him, intimately, until you are married. That's not how you were raised."

"Well if it gives you some comfort, you won't be a grandmother for a while. We plan to wait at least two years before starting a family."

"Two years, not longer?"

"Mom, we're not getting any younger you know," Jessie said jokingly.

"I know, okay so I'll be 50. I can handle that I guess," she looked at Jessie who had a shocked look on her face.

"I've never done the math before. You tell me not to go having any kids yet because I'm too young but you had me when you were 22. That's not young?"

"Yes, but I was already married and that was the custom in my day. You got married young and started your family at a young age. Today, that's not the case. You wait till you are older and wiser, then get married, then have kids."

"I give up," Jessie said throwing her arms in the air. She would never be able to make her mother understand today's society.

Once the seamstress finished what she had to do, Jessie went into the dressing room and changed back into her clothes. When they left they went by the house Jessie shared with Chris and gathered some of her things. Chris was sleeping because he was starting a 4 day stint on night shift, so Jessie tried to remain as quiet as possible. Before she left she couldn't help but lean over and give him a kiss goodbye. She was surprised when he responded as though he was awake.

"Hi, leaving me already?" he asked.

"I tried to be quiet, but I couldn't resist giving you a kiss. I love you."

"I love you too. Enjoy your stay, say hi to mom and dad for me."

"I will. Now go back to sleep. I'll talk to you later."

Jessie left the bedroom and met her mom in the living room. She was looking at a picture on the mantle of Jessie, Carly, Scott, Evan and Francine.

"I remember when we took that picture. It was just after your first year of university. You guys were going on a trip to Mexico."

"Yep, I got sick as a dog. I forgot about the ice cubes carrying all sorts of fun stomach twisting parasites in it."

"Well you weren't sick the whole trip. You did manage to have some fun. Isn't that where you met Jeff?"

"Yeah, imagine my surprise when I found out we went to the same school. A year later he dumped me, but if he hadn't then I wouldn't have met Chris."

"Well, we should get going, your father will wonder what's keeping us."

"You told him I'm coming home already?"

"I had to, told him to get the exercise equipment out of your old room," she said as they made their way to the car.

Jessie looked at her mother; she had never heard her joke like that before, at least she hoped that she was joking. Her mother started to laugh as they got in the car and drove off. When they arrived at her parents' home her father came out and gave her a big hug and took her bags up to her room, which was now equipment free he assured her. She went into her father's study and took out her sociology homework. From the door her father looked in having returned from upstairs.

"It's hard to believe that in a short while our little girl will be married," he whispered to his wife.

"I know, it seems like yesterday she was sitting on your lap reading the paper with you and making crank calls to your business associates when you weren't around."

"Yeah, boy am I lucky they liked kids, or I would have been in trouble. Do you remember how she used to take over my study when she was in high school too."

"It's the best room in the house to hide out in, I mean work in dear, isn't that what you are always saying."

"Very funny my dear. Let's go, she needs to study."

They left the hallway and left Jessie to her work. She logged onto her father's computer and went onto the internet. She googled the holocaust and started to narrow her search for the articles she wanted. She stayed in the study working until supper at 6:00. After supper she called home to make sure Chris was getting up and getting something to eat before his shift. After talking with him for a few minutes they hung up and she went back to her report. She had to have some notes to show Professor Sloan tomorrow.