Chapter 6

Jimmy groaned as he rolled out of bed the next day.

"I'm going to go back and try again," he muttered as he rambled into the bathroom.

Jimmy stared at the dim reflection of his haggard appearance.

"Ugh, I look awful. All I did was drink three bottles--wait, not three, four, bottles of wine last night..."

He ruffled his hair and ran a hand over his scraggly chin.

"Hmm.. I need to shave," muttered Jimmy.

Back at the Vortex residence, Cindy was also getting ready for the day. But last night, after a short talk with her genius son, she had fallen asleep on the rocking chair, her arms wrapped around Johnathon. When she did wake up, her back was aching like crazy.

"Aggghhh," she groaned.

Cindy looked around through squinted eyes. Johnathon was nowhere to be found.

"Where--Where are you, Johnathon?" she asked with her heartbeat thumping in her ears. Cindy sprinted out the door, and ran to the living room. Johnathon was sitting quietly, staring at one of his picture books.

"Hi, Mommy," he said without looking up. Cindy let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare me like that again, Johnathon. I thought you disappeared!"

Johnathon still didn't look up. "Can we go see Papa?"

Cindy froze. "W-Well... I don't think... I don't know where he is." She smiled, thinking she was triumphant.

"We could go to the best hotel and ask where he's staying. And if he isn't there, we could ask somewhere else," explained Johnathon.

Cindy froze again and sat down on the overstuffed couch her mother had bought.

"I don't..."

But then she decided shielding her son from Jimmy was stupid and had no use.

"Fine."

Johnathon finally looked up and beamed at her.

"Yay! Let's go!" he shouted.

"Let's get dressed in lovely little clothes first, okay?"

Cindy took a very large breath before knocking softly on the hotel door in which Jimmy was currently residing in.

"No Mommy, you have to knock harder!" exclaimed Johnathon loudly before slamming his open fist on the door.

"Who is it?" said a groggy voice on the other side of the door.

Cindy stayed silent until the voice asked again, "Who is it?"

Then Cindy spoke.

"It's--It's Cindy. And Johnathon."

The door practically flew open. And there stood Jimmy, his hair a mess, his chin dotted with small pieces of toilet paper, thanks to hisshaving accidents.

"C-Cindy! Wha-What?" he said, beaming.

"Johnathon wanted to meet you."

Confused, Jimmy asked, "What? How'd Johnny know about you and me and how I was the father?"

Cindy pushed him out of the way and pulled Johnathon in by his hand.

"First of all, his name is Johnathon. Second of all, he's the son of a genius! Why wouldn't he recognize you? I-I still have pictures of you and me when we were... Together..."

Silence hung in the air as Jimmy approached Cindy cautiously.

"Y-You still have pictures? Of us? From when we were..."

Cindy nodded looking down as to not attract attention to her watery, red eyes.

"I...I always hoped... That you would come back... That you would come, and we would just be a happy family... You know? Just like my mom always said... 'Always hope'."

Jimmy stood, silent.

"I didn't know--- I didn't know you wanted me to come back," he said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Well, I did."

Johnathon stood, his head moving back and forth, as if he was watching a verbal tennis match.

"I didn't think..."

"That's right, you didn't think."

Silence hung in the air as Jimmy thought of what to say.

"I love you, Cindy."

Cindy hung back, surprised by Jimmy's sudden emotional outburst.

"I always have. I always will."

He reached his hand forward, eager to touch Cindy's soft skin.

"When I was leaving for Washington D.C. two years ago, and you told me you loved me.. And I never replied," whispered Jimmy, tears springing up fast, "I did though... When I was on the plane. I saw you and Libby leaving... And I told you I loved you."

Tears ran down his cheeks, silent but deadly.

"I love you, Cindy. Please... I've done all I can to forget you, because I thought you would never take me back... I couldn't forget you though. You are the girl... The only girl I had ever been with... The only girl I ever want to be with..."

Cindy tried desperately to choke back a sob, but to no avail.

"Cindy..." he whispered, "I love you."

"I know."