Chapter 543: Jamlyn
Friday, February 24th, Afternoon
After practice, she drove home and parked in her spot in the drive. She grabbed her briefcase and bag before heading into the house. Dropping her stuff off and she shook her head. Staring at the desk, she saw one of the tablets and picked it up.
Ashlyn flipped through the cameras looking around the house. The two girls were in the den, but she couldn't tell what they were doing. Buck was nowhere to be found, which was OK with Ashlyn, she didn't want to see him, and he needed his time away from the family. Ashlyn noticed Eilish was heading to one of the bathrooms near the gym. That meant the boys were down there.
Putting down the tablet, Ashlyn stretched out. She headed up to her bedroom and changed out of her work outfit. Slipping into comfortable sweats and her favorite Duke University hoodie, she tied her hair back. Looking in the mirror, she noticed her face was still young; many of her contemporaries were just getting married; she's been married almost fifteen years. Ashlyn could see the years in her eyes.
Finally, Ashlyn shook free of her spiral. Leaving her bedroom, she went down to the gym. Slipping through the doors, she stood by the edge of the court. Down the far end of the court, Ashlyn watched her twin boys, with their children's size basketball bouncing it back and forth between them. After a minute, they bounced the ball to their cousin.
Logan stepped out as Landen and AB bounced the ball back and forth. Logan nodded and looked to his brother than his cousin.
"A little softer," Logan said.
"What do you mean?" AB asked.
"When you bounce the ball, there's just a little less touch when you pass it," Landen said and bounced the ball that ended up right where AB's hands were.
AB bounced it back, and it was high at Landen's chest.
"A little too hard," Landen said and bounced it back.
"How do you do that?" AB asked.
"Practice," Landen said and received the ball back, "A bit better."
"You'll get it, AB," Logan said, "Landen got it eventually."
"Not funny," Landen said, "It took Logan forever to get a good shot."
"Did your dad teach you this stuff?" AB asked, getting the ball back.
"It was mostly our Poppy Nate when we're over here with our cousins," Landen said.
"Why did your Poppy Nate teach you to play?" AB asked.
"Because our dad is always in Miami," Landen said.
Logan nodded, "Yeah, he's always working," he said.
AB nodded and passed the ball back to Landen.
"That's good, AB," Landen said.
"So, what was our grandma like?" Logan asked.
"Grammy?" AB asked.
"Yeah, her," Landen said.
"I don't know; she was Grammy," AB said.
"We never met her," Logan said.
"Didn't even know about her," Landen said.
AB nodded, "We were never told about you either," he said.
"I wonder why our momma and Grammy never talked?" Logan asked.
"Joplin told me we used to see each other," AB said.
'When?" Landen asked and passed the ball.
"Joplin said that your mom would come over and visit us when my mom and dad were still alive," AB said.
"Auntie Vannah," Logan said.
Landen nodded, "Yeah, Auntie Vannah," he said.
AB nodded, "Yeah, my mom," he said.
Ashlyn nodded as she watched the three boys suddenly fall silent. The boys looked at each other in silence for a moment or two. Ashlyn watched them suddenly rebound and went back to playing with the basketball.
"Hello, Mrs. Pierce-Burke," Eilish said as she stood next to Ashlyn.
"Hello, Eilish," Ashlyn said.
"They do this every day," Eilish said.
"Play basketball?" Ashlyn asked.
"Yeah, and they talk," Eilish said.
"What do they talk about?" Ashlyn asked.
"This and that, mostly kid things," Eilish said.
"They were asking about my mom," Ashlyn said.
Eilish nodded, "That's new," she said.
Ashlyn nodded, "I should've expected them to ask," she said.
"I guess," Eilish said.
Ashlyn nodded, "You don't have questions," she said.
"No, I'm just a nanny," Eilish said.
"You've never been curious about the rich basketballer's wife's dark family secrets?" Ashlyn asked.
"No, nothing I need to know, Mrs. Pierce-Scott," Eilish said.
"Are you sure?" Ashlyn asked.
"My brother, Lock, always says don't judge unless you walk in their shoes," Eilish said.
Ashlyn nodded, "Well, I guess that's solid advice," she said.
"I think I once met your mom," Eilish said.
"Yeah? Where?" Ashlyn asked.
"I waited on a table for her," Eilish said.
"That doesn't sound promising," Ashlyn said.
"She wasn't very nice," Eilish said.
Ashlyn nodded, "You're being diplomatic," she said.
"It's the nicest thing I could say," Eilish said, "My mom told me if you can't say anything nice, shut up."
"Good advice in some moments," Ashlyn said.
"Go, relax, Mrs. Pierce-Scott; I'll keep an eye on the boys for a while longer," Eilish said.
"Are you sure, Eilish?" Ashlyn asked.
"Of course, if anyone needs a breather, it would be you," Eilish said.
"Thank you," Ashlyn said.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Pierce-Scott," Eilish said.
Ashlyn nodded and left the gym. Her jacuzzi tub with bath scents was calling her name. Ashlyn knew she had some downtime, so she thought to take full advantage. As she walked upstairs, she smiled.
