Nighttime writer: Thank you so much, I was able to write this chapter because of you!
Sparkl0413: Thanks for waiting!
darkdestiney2000: Thanks, and I'm glad you liked the quotes. Actually, school wasn't too bad. It's going to get worse though, I can feel it.
A/N: Okay, I know Camille and the kids didn't have Thanksgiving dinner with the guys, but I felt bad for them (alone on a holiday? Bad Jerry, bad!) and I needed to further the storyline with Lily, so I'm going to kill two birds with one stone (what an awful phrase, why did use it and who invented it?). Random outburst: Haha, this is 5 freacking pages!
Thanksgiving was going to be a relatively somber experience, or at least that's what I predicted. The weather outside was cold and gray, perfectly matching the personality and looks of the man Camille and I bought the turkey from. We dropped it off at the Mercer's………the other Mercers, that is. I still didn't know what to call it, for so long it's been "Evelyn's" or "Grandma Eva's." I didn't even know whom she left it to. Bobby? Angel? Jack? All three of them? Anyways, we left it there, planning to be back in time to help cook it. Roast it? Good grief, what do you do with a Turkey anyway? I'm certainly no expert when it comes to cooking. Every once in a while I'd get the urge be Miss Betty Homemaker and I'd attempt to cook; it only resulted in an ugly mess and the occasional small fire. Fretting was unnecessary, however, since Camille is a great cook. She can make it all, everything from Mac & Cheese to Cordon Bleu, and she is highly praised and I rightfully put on her on a pedestal because of it. She's that good.
But when the clock struck four and I realized that Camille wasn't home, I started to worry. Oh, not about her---I was sure she'd be fine, she just went shopping, that's all---I was worried about our Thanksgiving dinner. And before you knock me, I've got a reason: this day needed to be perfect. It was the first holiday since Evelyn passed away, and I was determined to make it spectacular, for the kids, for the Mercers, for me, who missed Evelyn as much as her family did. Yes, it would be perfect. The turkey would be moist and flavorful, the salad would be crisp and fresh, and the mashed potatoes would be mushy but not overly so. The stuffing would be praised for years to come and the gravy would be so good it would immediately be---the clock struck four thirty and there was no sign of Camille.
"Where's Mommy?" asked Amelia, as if reading my mind. I asked her to hand me the phone, but just before I pressed the "talk" button, it rang, scaring me half to death.
It was Camille. "Lily?" she asked, and I could hear her strain through the static, "It's Camille. Listen, I'm stuck in traffic. Are the girls dressed and ready to go?"
I looked them over; Amelia is ready except for her hair, which is a royal mess, and Daniela needs shoes. "Nearly," I told her.
"Great, can you get them over to Ev…can you get them over there now? Try to help one of the boys with the bird?"
Good God woman, do you need a brain transplant as well? Do you want me to achieve world peace too? Oh! I know! I shall dig up Jimmy Hoffa's body! But I didn't say any of that.
"I'll do my best."
"Thanks, I'll be over ASAP." She hung up, and I felt like throwing up. "Amelia, get your brush and put your jacket on and meet me by the door. Daniela, find your shoes."
I ran upstairs to change, cursing aloud (well, why not, the girls were downstairs), and desperately wishing I had gotten dressed earlier. The original plan was for Camille to help me find something to wear since I didn't really know what was appropriate. She assured me that Jerry and Angel would dress somewhat nicely, but Bobby would be in sweats and that Jack would be, as she put it, "punked out." However, Camille and I decided that Evelyn would have wanted us (and the girls) to wear something pretty, and so we would figure it out when she got home. But she wasn't here; she was stuck in traffic. I didn't think she would appreciate it if I tried a dozen different outfits and described them to her over the phone. I eventually settled on a green cardigan, denim skirt, and dark brown boots. After throwing them on, I dragged the girls to the car—then it suddenly struck me that Camille had the car—yes, the clarity of seeing an empty garage is amazing.
"Jerry, I have no car!" I yelled into the phone one minute later.
"Calm down," he muttered, sounding somewhat out of breath. I could hear Bobby yelling in the background, something about Nitro having defeaed Midnight. "I'll send Bobby over with the car."
"The hell I will!" I heard Bobby say. "They're three motherfucking blocks away!"
I cringed and was grateful I hadn't used the speakerphone. "Don't worry, Lily, he'll be there just as soon as we get that stick out of his ass."
"How long will that take?"
He paused, "Depends on how long the stick it is."
Ten minutes later we were in the car with Bobby (decked out in sweats, as Camille predicted), and I was surprised at how sweet he was around the girls. This guy needs kids desperately, I thought. Only problem was the kids might not need him.
"Where's the poochie?" He asked Amelia with a raised eyebrow.
I wondered what he would say if I told him the dog was dead---she wasn't, of course, but I would have loved to see his reaction. I like messing with people sometimes. Plus I really missed my older brother, and Bobby seemed like a fine substitute—he certainly proved that at the wake. Tinkerbell. Kiss your girlfriend goodbye.
"She's at home. Sleeping."
"That's nice."
Forever, sleeping forever. Taking a LONG vacation. The ultimate vacation. I was playing out the scene in my head when he turned and looked at me. "So, Jerry tells me you're gonna be a teacher." It was statement, not a question, which I rarely heard."Yeah. Hopefully I'll be teaching second or third grade."
He snorted. "Corrupting them while they're young."
I shrugged, "Why not? Saves time."
He threw his head back and laughed. "I like you, kid, you've got spunk."
I just smiled. Oh yeah, I had a new big brother in the making.
"How 'bout me, Uncle Bobby?" Daniela inquired with a touch of attitude in her voice, "Do I have spunk?"
"Yes ma'am, you do! You too, Amelia."
But Daniela shook her head, "Not-uh. She's too little to have spunk."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
I groaned and rubbed my temples. My mind flashbacked to the hundreds of family road trips we took as kids. Are we there yet?
"Daddy!" Jerry laughed as the girls bolted into the house and jumped into his arms.
"Hey, how've my favorite girls been?" He kissed them, took their hands, and then walked them over to a tall handsome man I had never seen before.
"Daniela, Amelia, this is your Uncle Angel."
"I told you we had a black uncle," muttered Daniela to Amelia. I could hear Jack laughing from inside the kitchen.
I introduced myself to Angel and made my way over to Jerry. "Camille's running late," I told him. "I don't know what we're going to do about dinner."
"Got it covered," shouted Jack. Bewildered, I entered the kitchen to find him basting the Turkey, one hand covered in a red potholder.
My eyes bulged in amazement. "Christ, you can cook?"
He laughed and nodded, "But I don't sew."
"Don't see why he doesn't," mused Bobby as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge. "He's got such nimble little fingers."
Jack dutifully ignored him, and I envied his patience. Sure, it was amusing to hear Bobby tease him all the time, but I wasn't the one being constantly mocked.
"Are you on duty, or can you have a beer?" Jack asked me.
"Are you going to card me?"
"No."
"Then I'd love one. But don't let me have more than two."
Bobby laughed, "You can't get drunk on two, Mary."
Jack and I must have looked confused.
"Mary? You know, Mary Poppins?"
"Oh," we said in unison.
He rolled his eyes and walked out to the living room. "Damn kids these days don't get any pop culture references………."
Jack glanced over at me with a "feel bad for me; he's MY brother" kind of face, and we burst out laughing. "I told you to ignore him, right?"
"Yeah, easier said than done."
Okay, sorry, I know that was an awkward way to end the chapter, but I couldn't help it. Ugh, my summer officially ended. Oh well, I got out of school early today (I only have two periods today—but they're each 90 min long—which means more writing time)! And don't worry, there will be waaaaaaaay more Jack next chapter. And funny lines. And "romantic tension" as one of my reviewers put it. Please review! The more I get, the more enthusiastic I get and which results in a better quality chapter for you. It's the cycle of truly.