August 12th, 2007
The skies were dark. The weather was hot and sticky. New York was covered in a brewing storm. The news said to expect nearly a foot of rain in the next forty-eight hours and to expect tornados to be spawned. Alex didn't like this kind of weather. She could remember being in a tornado once in her life and that was a scary experience.
"Okay, here's another jug of water." Joey said going into the basement.
"Thanks." Jimmy muttered grabbing it from him.
"If we lived down South, we'd have to do this a lot." Alex said.
"But we don't." Joey smiled.
"Thank god." Jimmy said locking the door and turning the radio on. "It'll just be bad rain and winds I think. We'll be fine."
"Good." Alex mumbled bouncing Amelia in her arms. She didn't want to be in here for too long.
"Daddy, I didn't get my bag." Aidan whined. "I need it."
"No you don't." Jimmy said. Aidan's lip trembled.
"I need my bag." Aidan said. Jimmy sighed deeply glancing up at the door.
"Okay." He said, "Lock the door behind me."
"Okay." Joey said following his dad to the door. Jimmy glanced at his son and stepped out. Alex laid Julia and Amelia on the downy blanket she had laid on the floor.
"Everything will be fine. The storm will pass us soon enough." Alex reassured her children. Aidan sat there with wide eyes. Alex could hear the wind and rain pounding on their home. It was almost deafening.
"Dad is taking awhile." Joey said.
"He'll be fine." Alex said as an ear deafening boom echoed down to the basement. Everyone jumped. Amelia and Julia started to scream. Alex looked up at the door. God, what had happened? Joey stood up, "Where are you going?"
"You stay here. I'm going to check on dad. If that was the transformer and he was near it…" He frowned deeply looking at his stepmother. "He needs me." Alex nodded slowly.
"Be careful." She warned. Joey nodded opening the basement door. The sound of the rain pounding on the house was deafening. There was a door open somewhere. Joey could hear it. He ran into the kitchen and saw his father struggling to close the garage door. He ran out into the garage.
"What are you doing here??" Jimmy cried.
"I'm here to help." Joey took hold on one side of the garage door and the two Doherty men pulled it to the ground. Jimmy put a padlock on it.
"Thanks." Jimmy said.
"No problem." Joey shrugged, "You have Aidan's bag?"
"I put it on the kitchen table." Jimmy said watching his son walk back into the house, "When did you get so tall?" Joey glanced over his shoulder.
"When you weren't paying attention like usual." He said grabbing his baby brother's bag off of the table. Jimmy sighed deeply.
"Son?" He asked. Joey turned around, "I know I've been distant from you the past couple of weeks."
"You're not going to turn gay by talking to me or hugging me." Joey said. A small smirk came across Jimmy's face.
"I know." He said, "I'm not angry at you. I never was. You're still my little buddy and…well…You know…I love you."
"I know you do." Joey went back to the basement door and walked down. Jimmy sighed. He hoped things would be fine between them once again.
August 13th, 2007
Alex stood on the porch with Julia on her hip. She stared at the mess in her yard. There were branches and leaves every where. Even half of her pecan tree was down. She hadn't realized the storm was going to be that bad. Lightening must have hit it, she concluded.
"Momma, look." Aidan came running with an arm full of twigs. Alex chuckled.
"Put it all in the wheel barrel." She said.
"There's not much damage." Jimmy said, "I'll have to have some one take down that tree though."
"That makes me so sad." She sighed sitting on the steps, "I loved that tree."
"We'll get another one." He said watching Joey. Lance came walking up their driveway. Alex glanced at Jimmy. He didn't seem to have a mood swing yet.
"I wanted to make sure everything was okay." Lance told Joey.
"We're fine." Joey said looking at his father, "We just have some cleaning up to do."
"Us too. No trees down." Lance said looking at their yard. "My dad can take that tree down for you guys."
"We'll look in the yellow pages." jimmy said.
"With all do respect, Sir. It'll probably be $600 for anyone to take that tree down." Lance told Jimmy, "But my dad will do it for $200." Alex looked at Jimmy.
"I'm not paying $600 to have that tree taken down." Alex said, "Will your father be willing to do it this weekend, Lance?"
"Probably, Ma'am." he said, "We'll put you on the list."
"Thanks." Alex smiled brightly at Joey. "We're about to have lunch, Lance. Would you like to have it with us?" Lance stared at her in disbelief and then looked at Joey, who nodded.
"Okay, Ma'am. I'd like that." He smiled. Alex looked at Jimmy. He didn't look too pissed off.
Alex sat at the table silently, watching lance and her children laugh with each other. Lance was a very wonderful young man.
"I like soccer." Aidan said.
"Me too." Lance smiled, "I play in school."
"Cool!" Aidan's eyes twinkled with excitement.
"Lance is amazing on that field." Joey said spearing a piece of broccoli on to his fork. A smile came across Lance's face as Joey gave him a look.
"I have a game coming up." Lance told Aidan, "You guys can come if you want."
"Can we, Momma?" Aidan asked. Alex nodded.
"Of course. I haven't seen a good soccer game in awhile." She looked at Jimmy, "Wouldn't that be fun?"
"I suppose so." He said.
"Great." Lance smiled, "It'd be nice to have people in the stands. My family tries to come, but they're so busy. All of them work full time."
"Well, that's shame." Alex said, "I'll be there if Jimmy can't be."
"Nice." Lance said. Alex spooned some food into Amelia mouth. Maybe if Jimmy and Joey spent more time together, Jimmy would wipe that look off of his face. At least, Alex hoped her would.
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