CHAPTER TWO
(chapter title - Fun All Day Long)

The next day, the kids were outside playing tag - John was "it". He ran from one person to the next - narrowly missing them. The adults were inside, talking. Just then, someone cleared their throat. The kids stopped playing as a boy around thirteen came up to them. He wore a plain brown sweater, slacks and dress shoes.

"Hi." John greeted the kid. The boy just rolled his eyes and stood out of their way.

"Go ahead and continue playing your game." He told them.

"You sure you don't wanna play, dude?" John asked.

"My name's not 'dude'." He informed them.

"What is your name, then?" Eileen inquired.

"Jacob Coffin." He said.

"Eileen Collins."

"Jonathon Cohen - John for short."

"Hannah Johnson - Jefferson."

"Anna Johnson - Jefferson."

"Julie Davis - call me Jules."

"How old are you, Jake?" John asked.

"It's Jacob and I'm thirteen."

"Really? Jules, Eileen and I are thirteen, too." John told him, smiling.

"What school do you go to?" Eileen asked, coming closer to Jacob.

"St. Catherine's Private School." Jacob told them matter-of-factly.

"Oh. We - Jules, Eileen and I go to Mount Vernon Junior High. Hannah and Anna go to Mount Vernon Elementary School." John informed Jacob.

"That's nice." Jacob said, bored.

"We were wondering if you wanted to play football with us. We need one more person to make the teams even." Jules said, picking up a football.

"No thank you. I really must be going." Jacob said, heading in the opposite direction.

"What a jerk wad! He didn't even say bye!" Anna commented as soon as Jacob was out of earshot.

"I know. He seems like a total jerk." Jules chimed in.

"Jules! Hannah! Anna! Eileen! Time to get ready to go horseback riding!" Joanne called. The girls smiled at each other and headed inside to change into riding clothes. John sighed and sat down next to Roger on the couch. Roger smiled at him and picked up his guitar.

"Bye guys! We'll be back later!" Jules called as she headed out the door. About a month ago, Collins, Joanne, Maureen, Mark and Roger had pitched in and gotten horseback riding lessons for Jules, Hannah, Anna and Eileen.

At the stable, Jules instantly went to Countess' stall and looked at the beautiful chestnut mare. Eileen, Anna and Hannah had gone to get their horses - Oreo, Cookie and Peanut Butter, ready to ride. Jules quickly got Countess' saddle and bridle on her and led her to the arena. There, she adjusted her stirrups, put on her helmet, checked her girth and mounted. She walked Countess in a circle at a walk until Eileen came walking Oreo to the arena. Oreo totally lived up to his name - he was a black and white paint gelding. He was a total sweetheart, too. Eileen smiled as she led Oreo into the arena and walked over to Jules.

"Hey Chica! Como estas?" Eileen asked in Spanish. Jules smiled and tightened Countess' reins.

"I'm fine, girl. Thanks for asking." Jules told her.

"Cookie! Whoa!" Anna commanded the pony. Since the twins were small for their age, they had been assigned to ponies. Cookie was stubborn and didn't listen unless you spoke to her firmly. The cream colored Welsh Pony pawed the ground as Anna grabbed a crop and mounted the pony. Hannah, Peanut Butter and Sara, the riding instructor, walked into the arena. Hannah walked Peanut Butter next to the ramp so that she could get on him - he was a dark brown Polo Pony. Sara walked into the middle of the arena. Today, she was wearing a light blue West Side Story t-shirt, cream-colored riding breeches and black knee-high rubber boots.

"Okay riders, walk your horses and ponies." She said as her black Arabian gelding, Fiyero, was led into the arena by her daughter, Hallie. Sara smiled and mounted Fiyero. She loved to ride with her students - no matter what they were doing. Hallie exited the arena and watched from the fence that surrounded the arena.

"Trot please girls!" Sara said, kissing Fiyero into a trot. The beautiful Arabian instantly picked up the trot. Once Jules was in the trot, she posted - remembering what Sara had told her - rise and fall with the leg on the wall.

After the lesson, Joanne drove the girls back to the loft - except for Anna and Hannah - she was taking them and Maureen back to their house in Greenwich Village.

"Hey girls! How was the lesson?" Roger asked, setting his guitar down.

"Great! I rode a horse named Countess and Eileen rode a horse named Oreo." Jules told her dad, smiling. Eileen had gone to the loft below to change into different clothes. Jules decided to take a shower and change. John and Mark were already setting the table for supper.

As Mark set the table, his mind went back to the day that John was born. He would never forget it as long as he lived.

"OH GOD THIS HURTS!" Dianne, Mark's wife at the time, screamed. Mark held Dianne's hand as she pushed her baby into the world. She had been in labor for at least twenty hours straight. He kissed the top of her head as she continued to squeeze the life out of his hand.

"You're doing great, honey. Almost there." Mark squeaked.

"Mark David Cohen! You could say something other than that!" she yelled at him.

"Dianne, there's no need to yell at me!" Mark shot back. Dianne snorted and rolled her eyes.

"The baby's almost here. I just need you to push hard one last time." The doctor said gently.

"This is all your fault, you know." Dianne growled at Mark. Mark sighed and squeezed his wife's hand harder.

A couple minutes later, the baby was out. They decided to name him Jonathon Ethan Cohen. Shortly after John was born, Dianne died of massive blood loss.

"How is everything?" Roger asked, walking into the room with a very pregnant Mimi.

"The baby made it, but Dianne didn't." Mark told his friends, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm so sorry, Mark." Mimi said, carefully hugging him. Mark hugged her back, but pulled away as a nurse placed a screaming Jonathon into Mark's arms. Roger and Mimi looked over Mark's shoulder at the screaming baby.

"Mark! Do something!" Mimi told him, frantically. Roger shot a glance at his wife and gently took the baby from Mark's arms.

"Shh, it's okay, little guy. Calm down. Shh." Roger soothed. Jonathon calmed down a bit, so Roger carefully handed him back to Mark. Mark smiled at his friend and went back to the delivery room. Dianne's body had been removed from the room. Mark felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he didn't cry. She hadn't loved him, but he had loved her - ever since he had laid eyes on her at Buzz Line. Now she was gone and he had to raise his son on his own.

"Dad? You okay?" John asked, startling Mark out of his flashback.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Mark told him, shaking his head. John shrugged his shoulders and went to sit on the couch with Roger. I want to tell him, but I can't. Not now, anyway Mark thought to himself.