"Trish" Jessie whispered as she was in the laundry room at home "come here". Trish walked from where she had been stirring something on the stove to where Jessie was standing in front of the clothes washer, Sylvain's bag of clothes sitting on the floor beside her feet.
"Yes?" Trish asked "you called".
"I said I'd wash Sylvain's clothes for him" she said "but I, well I kinda don't know how".
"How'd you get through college without knowing how to wash clothes?" Trish asked as she sat the duffle bag on top of the dry and began to take the clothes out. She pulled out a jockstrap and turned up her nose as she threw it on the dryer lid beside the bag.
"I paid Jenna to do them" Jessie answered her honestly.
"What about when you lived at home?" Trish asked her.
"Dad" Jessie answered. Trish laughed and bopped Jessie on the head jokingly.
"That's gonna stop missie" Trish said in a mock lecturing manner "you're gonna start washing your own clothes and here is your first lesson. First separate your color clothes from your white clothes" Jessie and Trish did that with Sylvain's. When they were finished Trish continued "now you set the temperature on the washer, go for like a medium temperature cause too cold won't get them clean enough and too warm will shrink them. Once that's finished put washing detergent in, almost a whole cap full. Next put the downy ball in. Now you can only wash one load at a time because if you mix the color and the white your white will come out tie dyed. So" Trish dumped the color clothes Sylvain had in the wash. "Ok" she said to Jessie "now you wait until they finish washing and then put them into the dryer".
"What about these?" Jessie asked, pointing to a pile of silk garments Sylvain had.
"Those you're gonna have to have dry cleaned" Trish said "there's one in town you can take Sylvain to later on and all".
"Ok" Jessie said as they went back out into the kitchen area "so what now?" Trish laughed.
"Go and sit with that scrumptious boyfriend of yours and my equally sexy husband" Jessie made a face as she hopped down off the counter.
"Thanks for the sexy husband comment" she said as she walked out of the kitchen "I enjoy hearing that about my dad". Jessie walked out back where Sylvain and John were sat talking on the back porch, John casually keeping an eye on Kevin who was playing on his playset. Jessie watched Sylvain for a second. He was wearing khaki shorts and a wife beater, he looked incredibly sexy as he sat spread legged on the lounge chair he was sitting on.
"We're being watched" John said, bringing Jessie out of her reverie. She came on out of the door way and up to the two men "hey babygirl, done washing clothes?"
"Yep" Jessie said as she stood there awkwardly "it was easy". Sylvain pulled her down to sit with him on the lounge chair, between his legs. Jessie looked to John for his reaction but his face never strayed from neutral.
"Dessie" Kevin called from the swings "come pway wid me".
"Okie" Jessie said, getting up off of the seat. She went over to where he was. He took her by the arm and pulled her over to the swings and sat her in one.
"Ok" Kevin said "you sit here and I push". She nodded and did as was told. Of course she had to help him as he couldn't push her weight with his small body but she let the toddler think he was pushing her. She smiled as she continued to swing. This was the first time she had seriously spent time with Kevin since she had been back from college, she was enjoying it. Jessie came out of her thoughts and saw that Kevin had gotten bored with pushing her on the swing and was climbing up the slide. She went back over to where Sylvain and John had been joined by Trish and sat with Sylvain again. Trish was in a similar position sitting with John.
"Babygirl" John said to her "do you want to do me a huge favor tonight?"
"What's that?" she asked him.
"Will you watch Kevin while me and Trish go out?" he asked her "its been so long and we really need to have us time".
"Sure" Jessie said "I'd love to, I mean I haven't gotten a good chance to be with him since I've gotten back from college so this would give me the chance".
"Great" John said.
"Oh" Jessie said, looking behind her at Sylvain "you don't mind do you hun?"
"Non" Sylvain said, leaning up to kiss Jessie "it will be fun. My family is large and we have many kids, I love them".
"Kevin will have to warm up to you" Trish warned Sylvain "he doesn't take to people he doesn't know too well at first. We showed him pictures of Jessie everyday so he'd know her once she got back from college".
"That is alright" Sylvain said "I have confidence in my abilities. I shall have him liking me before this week is over".
"Awwww" Jessie cooed "isn't my wittle ickykins cute" she pinched Sylvain's cheek making him go red in the face and John and Trish bust out laughing.
"Pas aussi mignon que votre bout" Sylvain said, smiling cheekily. Jessie got a shocked look on her face and smacked his shoulder.
"Sylvain Maurice Grenier" she exclaimed "I can't believe you said that".
"You know what I said?" he asked her surprised
"Yes" she said "what do you think Rene and I talk about when I meet with him sometimes? I asked him to teach me some French. He said I'm picking it up quite nicely".
"I will have to watch what I say around you then" Sylvain joked.
"No kidding Mr." Jessie said back, poking him in the chest jokingly. "But I think you have a cute one too".
Later on that night Kevin was sitting in front of the tv watching 123 Sesame Street: Monster Hits while Jessie cooked. Sylvain was sitting on the couch watching Kevin watch the dvd. Kevin was sitting on the floor 2 feet from the tv screen and clapping and singing along with the music. He wished Jessie would hurry up and finish dinner so he could be away from the incessant singing of the poorly made puppets on the tv screen. He was brought out of his thoughts by Kevin coming up and standing a good foot away from him. The little boy was chewing on his sleeve and eyeing Sylvain warily. "Who you?" Kevin asked him. Sylvain slowly leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, he didn't want to scare Kevin.
"I'm Sylvain, I am Jessie's boyfriend" he told the little boy.
"Sy Syl Sy" Kevin said, trying to pronounce Sylvain's name.
"You can call me Sly Lil Man" Sylvain said, snickering over the fact that the little boy could not pronounce his name.
"Like Stone?" Kevin asked, confusing Sylvain greatly.
"Stone?" he asked the toddler "who's Sly Sto...ohhhh Sly Stallone yes like him" Sylvain was greatly amused at this point and figued Jessie could take her time cooking.
"Tell me story" Kevin said, trying to get up on the couch beside Sylvain. Sylvain helped him and sat him on his knee.
"Hmm" Sylvain said thinking. "Oh I got it. I'll tell you about my grandfather. One day my grandfather was outside chopping wood near his home. When he finished he carried the wood to a near by shed, load after load he carried until the shed was full of wood. Then he walked back toward his house but to his amazement he found chopped wood still laying on the ground. He ran back to the shed and saw that it was full like he had thought. He stared walking back toward his house when he heard laughter coming from the woods by his home. Thinking it was a few of his friends playing tricks on him, he ran over to share laughter with them. Imagine his surprise when he saw instead a group of little people, dancing in a circle and singing the most beautiful song he had ever heard. He sat down and listened enchanted by their sweet voices. When they finished, they motioned for him to follow and like a robot he did as they wished. They were leading him to the edge of a cliff. An old woman was strolling through the woods. She saw what was happening and came to his rescue. The old woman put a hand on his shoulder and said, 'Listen to me, concentrate on my voice only. Do not look at them. Just take my hand and follow me.' My Grandfather in a state of confusion did as he was told and returned home safely. He often wonders what would have happened if that old woman had decided to stay home that night". Sylvain finished the story and looked at the little boy on his lap. Kevin had a look of wonderment on his face.
"What the wittle peeples?" he asked.
"They were fairies" Sylvain told him.
"What fa'es" Kevin asked, not being able to pronounce fairies right.
"Fairies are these tiny little people who sing songs that make people do things they wouldn't normally do...like my grandfather almost walking off the cliff" Sylvain said to the little boy.
"Mean fa'es" Kevin exclaimed "Dessie done?" he asked Sylvain "I hungy".
"I dunno Lil Man" Sylvain said, standing up with Kevin in his arms "let's go see" they walked into the kitchen and saw Jessie taking some kind of casserole out of the oven.
"Hey guys" she said once she saw them "what you two doin' in here? I thought you were watching Elmo".
"I hungy" Kevin told her. Jessie laughed and placed her hands on her hips.
"You are huh?" she asked him "what about you?" she asked Sylvain.
"I could use some food too" he told Jessie, about that time a stomach grumbled loudly making Jessie laugh.
"I'd say so" she said "you need to control that thing".
"It wasn't me, cherie" Sylvain said, laughing at the little boy in his arms that was blushing.
"Kevin" Jessie exclaimed in fake shock "was that your tummy?". Kevin nodded vigorously.
"I tolded you I's hungy" he said matter-of-factly to Jessie.
"Yes" Jessie said "you did. Well you and Sylvain go sit at the table and I'll bring the food and drinks out".
"Do you need some help cherie?" Sylvain asked Jessie politely, wanting to help out if he could. He didn't want her doing everything by herself.
"Nah hun" she told him, waving him away "you go get him settled in his booster seat and I'll be right there".
"Dessie" Kevy said in a scolding tone "not booser seat it big boy seat".
"Oh" Jessie said in fake amazement "well I'm sorry then, Sylvain you go get Kevy settled in his big boy seat". Sylvain nodded and walked out of the kitchen with Kevin over to the big dining room table John and Trish had. He found a chair already had the booster seat in it. He sat Kevin in it and tried to figure out the strap. Kevin wound up helping him and strapping himself in. After that was accomplished Sylvain sat beside him, at Kevin's insistance. Jessie came out from the kitchen then with the casserole in one hand and a pitcher of sweet tea in the other.
"What dis?" Kevin asked as Jessie spooned some of the casserole onto his Blue's Clues plastic plate.
"It's tater tot casserole" she told him "it has hamburger meat, cheese, more different kind of cheese, tater tots, and green beans in it".
"Nummy" Kevin said looking at it.
"Yes it is" Jessie said "but be careful ok its still kinda hot, let it cool off before you eat it".
"K" Kevin said.
"I did not know you could cook" Sylvain said to Jessie as he spooned some of the casserole onto his plate. Jessie finished pouring Kevin some sweet tea in his Chuckie Finster sippie cup and sat down on the other side of the little boy before answering.
"Well" she said "it got expensive having pizza every night at college, especially since I had no job at the time, so I got some recipes from the ladies who were in their 30's and 40's going back to college. Mostly they're casseroles and all like this one but I know a few other things too that I got from dad and Randy when I was younger. I used to watch them cook and I picked some stuff up".
"Dada 'ook?" Kevin asked Jessie, amazement written on his face.
"Yep" she told him "Daddy's a good cook. Doesn't he ever cook for you?"
"No" Kevin said "Mama 'ook"
"That lazy bum" Jessie said "I'll make him cook us dinner one night kiddo, you're missing out on some good food".
"I eat now" Kevin said looking at the food on his plate quite ravenously. Jessie took a small bite from his plate, deciding it was cooled off enough for him to eat she nodded her head.
"Go 'head kiddo" she said. Sylvain quietly observed their interaction, it seemed she was a natural with kids. He couldn't wait to have some of his own with her one day, but he knew that was way down the line.
A few hours after they had eaten Sylvain and Jessie were snuggled up on the couch watching When Harry Met Sally. Kevin had long since gone to bed, freshly bathed and on a full stomach. Jessie chuckled as she remembered earlier when she told Kevin it was time for him to take a bath before bedtime. He had insisted Sylvain be the one to help him with the bath, saying that he didn't want Jessie to see him 'na'ey'. Sylvain took it in stride though, dutifully helping the little boy bathe even though he had never helped a small child with their bath before. He had dressed Kevin in his 'wocket' pajamas and put him in his bed. Jessie came in and helped tuck Kevin in. He had told them both good night and ''ove ooh' before he closed his eyes and went to sleep. He was a sweet kid. Jessie was brought out of her thoughts by the front door quietly opening.
"Hey" John said as he and Trish came into the living room "how'd it go?"
"It was good" Sylvain startled Jessie by replying "he is a good kid".
"Yeah" Jessie added her two cents "he made Sylvain help him bathe though, wouldn't let me see him 'na'ey'" Jessie mimicked Kevin's little kid voice making everyone laugh quietly.
"Yep" Trish said smiling "John helps him do that every night too for the same reason, I told him once that I was the one to change all his diapers but he just squealed and said he was a big boy now and not a baby".
"My little man" John said, smiling faintly. "Did he warm up to you then?" he asked Sylvain.
"Oui" Sylvain said "I told him a story about naughty fairies and he attached himself to me after that. I enjoyed it. It has been a while since I have been around small children".
"It was so cute" Jessie squealed quietly, sitting up out of Sylvain's embrace so she could look at John and Trish "we ate casserole for dinner and he kept getting Sylvain to cut it up more, and more tea and all. Then after dinner we sat down and watched Rugrats Go Wild with him and he sat on Sylvain's lap and kept going 'Swy wook babies 'alk to da mon'ey".
"Sly" John chuckled.
"He could not say Sylvain" Sylvain filled in for him "so I told him to call me Sly, it is what my High School basketball team mates called me".
"Lemme guess" John said "he asked if you meant like Sly Stallone". Sylvain laughed and nodded his head.
"He loves Stallone" Trish said "he's never saw any of his movies, since they're too violent for a 2 year old but he has all the Rambo and all the other action heroes he's done action figures".
"Oh and I got a bone to pick with you Mr." Jessie said looking at her dad "what's this I hear about you not cooking?"
"Trish likes to cook" John tried to make up excuses. He went really red in the face in embarassment "don't you hun?"
"So" Jessie said "you used to cook for me all the time, no reason you can't do it now. I told Kevin I'd make you cook dinner one night by the way so he'll harp on you about cooking from now on".
"Gee thanks" John said dryly as Trish giggled wildly at Jessie.
"No problem" Jessie said in a smart ass tone.
"I'm going to bed now" Trish said.
"Night" Jessie told her as she headed up the stairs to her and John's room. "Daddy where is Sylvain going to sleep?"
"Well" John said "there's Randy's old room, its all made up and all still or he could room with you in your old room it really doesn't matter to me. You two can decide. But I'm gonna head to bed too, I'm beat. I think I danced my bootie off tonight and its now getting to me".
"Night daddy" Jessie said as he disappeared up the stairs.
"I'll sleep in the spare room" Sylvain said making Jessie look at him "I do not want you uncomfortable by sharing a bed with me".
"Thank you for understanding" Jessie said, kissing Sylvain on the lips. "I just think its too soon in our relationship for bed sharing".
"I agree" Sylvain said "but cherie, would you consider sharing a hotel room with me once we go back on the road? I mean I know you room alone now, and sometimes with your dad and all but would you? We would get 2 beds of course but I'd still like to have you there".
"I'd like that" Jessie told him as she laid her head back down on his chest where she had been before Trish and John got home. Before she knew it she was fast asleep.