Chapter Four: Different Kinds of Love
Author's note: This scene is dedicated to Davis, who inspired it in an email.
Both sets of grandparents and Tess and her family had gone home. Only the Aunts remained.
Lissie, excited by the many guests and the upbeat atmosphere, had wound herself into an early sleep and was dozing in my arms while I attempted to lug her to bed.
The Aunts were all in Mom's room. Peering through the door, hoping desperately they wouldn't see me, I saw them all sitting on Mom and Daddy's bed in a line. In the front sat Lauren, her arms crossed while Mom French braided her blonde curls. In the end sat Jenny, braiding Mom's hair into two long white blonde braids. Only Mom braided and had her hair braided, sitting in the middle, between her sisters.
They looked like girls again. Mom was laughing at something Lauren had said as if she was a teenager, not the mother of four and a wife of seventeen years. Jenny easily took superiority over them, still prominently the eldest sister after so long. Lauren made herself obvious, drawing attention toward herself in the way of youngest children.
The sight of it almost made me ache. Tara and I hadn't really talked, let alone laughed together, in years. Yet here they were, lives completely separate, yet talking as though they were girls again, sharing rooms and squabbling over boys.
"Your kids are gorgeous, Squirt," said Jenny. I smiled.
"They did good. Charlie's so much like Sawyer, except for he's no good at basketball and Jordy's excellent. You know Charlie decided yesterday that Charlie isn't a grown up enough name and from now on he's going to be Lee?" said Mom. The two of them laughed appreciatively.
"Yeah. And Lissie was telling me all about how she's going to be a ballerina when she grows up," added Lauren. I smiled down at the baby in my arms.
"Last week she wanted to be a figure skater, but she had a change of heart. I signed her up for lessons, so I hope it'll last," said Mom.
"Well, let's hope she doesn't take after you in that aspect," joked Jenny.
"Huh?"
"Oh, just back in the day when you first started exploring your relationship with Sawyer, and you kept changing your mind and keeping him at arm's reach before you finally did…" I coughed loudly to attract their attention, praying Jenny wouldn't go on. They turned their heads simultaneously and I noticed for the first time that they all looked a little bit alike.
"Hey Joey. Want to join us?" asked Lauren.
"No, I've got to get her to bed. Good night," I said, preparing to leave.
"At least come say goodnight. I promise not to talk about your parent's sex life," said Jenny. I smiled and took a half step into the room while Mom slapped Jenny with the back of her hand.
"Goodnight Aunt Jenny… Aunt Lauren… Mom…" I said, kissing each of their cheek's in turn.
"Night sweetie," said Mom, when we were finished. She gently brushed a kiss on Lissie's forehead before I departed.
I deftly changed Lissie from her play clothes to her pajamas, tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. Before turning off the light, I glanced around the room. A lot of it was hand-me-downs from Charlie, Tara and me. There was an embroidery piece from one of the Aunts, announcing her birth in celebration-Elisa Lauren Scott, July 5th, 6 pounds 8oz.
I went down the back stairs to avoid passing Mom's room again. The floor was empty, for once. Charlie and Lissie were asleep, Tara was in her room, Daddy was shooting hopes in the semi-darkness outside.
I smiled at the family portrait that hung on the wall. Mom and Dad stood behind us, the picture perfect couple. I stood in front of Mom while Tara was in front of Daddy, Charlie in between us. Lissie, only five, was grinning cheerily at the camera.
Glancing outside at the basketball court, I immediately realized that Daddy was not alone. He was playing with a man who looked not quite old enough to be his father, one I vaguely recognized. Curious, I slipped on a pair of runners and jogged outside to greet them.
"Oh, hey Jo. Luke, you know our daughter Jordan, right?" asked Daddy. I looked gravely up at this Luke before realizing her was Lucas-the only one of my grandparent's high school friends not to be christened 'Uncle'.
"She looks exactly like…" began Lucas.
"Haley, right? It's nice to meet you," I said, sticking out my hand.
"Likewise. I just came because I felt bad about not showing up today, and I wanted to apologize," he explained.
"Right," I thought. "Because Brooke and Peyton were there today."
The three of us looked backwards as Jenny came out of the house, calling over her shoulder to Mom and Lauren. She stopped when she saw the two of them.
"Hey Sawyer, Joey. Luke," she said, smiling at him.
"Jenny?" he managed to choke out in amazement.
"Uh yeah," she stuttered.
"Sorry… it's just… I've known you since you were a baby. You're all grown up," he said. She blushed when he glanced at the cleavage her shirt hinted at.
"Thanks, I think. Okay, I really have to go. Byeee!" she said cheerily, disappearing into her car.
I went back upstairs after they went.
"Oh, you're still up," came a surprised voice.
"God, don't you have a home to go to?" I said irritably.
"Sorry Duchess, guess I'll have to use yours. What's happening with you these days?" asked Will. Suddenly I saw him in a different light: not as Tara's cocky, arrogant friend but as the basketball captain, a potential ally.
"I was thinking of starting up a girl's basketball team," I began.
"I could help you with that. Help you spread the word. Some of the guys even have sisters who play," he volunteered.
"Thanks Hunter, that'd be great," I said, genuinely grateful.
"Of course, I'd expect some sort of payment…" he teased, his eye gleaming.
"Go to hell," I said shortly, going into my own bedroom.
I dropped onto my bed and thought about what I'd witnessed. The odd, chemistry filled scene between Jenny and Luke. For an old guy, he was hot, but he was just that: an old guy. She was older than mom, almost thirty-six, but he was fifty. So, so wrong. Mom and Daddy were exactly a week apart.
I had begun to drift off when I heard Mom and Daddy in the hallway.
"BJ, I think that that could be officially qualified as a success," declared Mom.
"As do I," he agreed.
"Now, Mr. Scott, it is time for bed," she declared.
"Mrs. Scott, I have to agree," he said. He laughed when I did at how cheesy he sounded.
"You know you only married me because of the phantom baby," she teased.
"God you can be slow on the uptake. Ever curious why I already had the ring in my pocket?" he asked. She was silent for a moment.
"What, you mean you were already planning to..?"
"Yeah, kind of. I knew I would eventually. You happy?" he asked.
"Always, at the back of my mind, I wondered if you had only married me because of that. Now I guess I don't have to wonder. Damn, are you ever getting lucky tonight…" she mused. I covered my head with a pillow and eventually managed to drift off to sleep.