Thank you to everyone who read or left feedback for the last chapter. You are so wonderful. This is all new material from here on out. Technically, there were some repurposed lines in the previous chapter but good luck finding where they were in the original version. I even changed who the conversation was between. I did promise a brand-new ending, but I didn't realize it would also happen for book one.
Chapters 72: More Ridiculous Family Bonding.
Saturday afternoon, December 20, 2008
"Why are we getting ice cream in December?" Tiffany asked as they returned to the Lexus after getting their ice cream from Casey's. Chad got Chocolate raspberry cheesecake because it was that type of day. "OK, it isn't Ohio freezing, but it's still cold."
"Because it would be in bad taste to take you to a bar right now." Zack joked.
"Hot chocolate is an option," Tiffany remarked.
"Yes, but you're doing that with your friends from the birthing class this evening. I don't want to repeat myself."
"Besides, Sharpay's Lexus has warming seats." Zack pointed out.
"And massage," Chad added.
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?" Tiffany asked. "I have baby back right now. Baby back is horrible."
"OK, one heated massage as you enjoy your chunky monkey's hot fudge sundae." Which was essentially the house version of chunky monkey ice cream with banana and way too much fudge.
"The babies want a fudge sundae. This is full of calcium and protein. It also contains an entire banana. It's good for the twins." Tiffany commented as soon as Chad activated the massage function. "This is definitely useful for baby back."
"Well, as long as my siblings are happy."
"OK, I'm comfortable now, so tell me the real reason you drag me out for ice cream with your future brother-in-law's boyfriend," Tiffany asked. They definitely couldn't keep delaying this.
"So how much did you hear about what went down at the meet Alex party?" Chad asked.
"Jackie sent me the full video. Although I'm not sure how she managed to get that because she was in the middle of packing her things to get the hell away from her parents. They really are monsters." It makes sense that Tiffany knows about that since Jackie is her cousin's best friend. Current rough patch notwithstanding.
"Jason," Zach and Chad said simultaneously.
"That makes sense. Smart kid."
"So, did you hear the comments about poor Ximena, AKA the girl Charles screwed over before my mom?" Chad asked.
"Yes. Apparently, I am just one of a long line of women he screwed over." Wasn't that the truth?
"Ximena is my mother." Zack decided to take the Band-Aid approach to this. Chad was glad they weren't driving because at least he could take a bite of his ice cream.
"Oh shit!" Tiffany obviously came to the correct conclusion. Which means more ice cream for Chad.
"Charles dated her, and I use the term loosely, about 10 months before I was born."
"Mother fucking shit. That fucking ass hole."
"Pretty much," Zack remarked.
"As you guessed, Charles got Ximena pregnant. However, instead of having a shotgun wedding like my mom, she faked a miscarriage with the help of Aunt Amy and moved to Phoenix." Chad explained.
"Considering all the nasty messages I've been getting from Nana Danforth, I'm not surprised she went that route."
"While hiding from Nana Danforth, mom met and fell in love with a recently widowed single father. They were married right before I was born. It was a fairy tale romance. This was why I thought he was my dad until I was a teenager. That's when I caught him fucking someone else. Not all fairy tales have happy endings." Zack said sadly.
"They rarely do," Tiffany added.
"Although this one ended with a horrible divorce and Aunt Amy's car wrapped around a tree."
"That seems like the type of carnage Charles Danforth would bring."
"That is definitely on-brand for the sperm donor," Chad remarked darkly, which caused Tiffany to raise an eyebrow at him.
"I've decided Jack is my dad since he actually raised me. The only things I'm claiming from Charles are my siblings."
"Is Zack one of them?"
"Yes. We got the DNA test results Tuesday." Chad answered.
"The lawyer held them until I finished finals," Zack added.
"Good lawyer. Are you using Rodriguez and Associates?" Tiffany asked.
"Yes."
"Kim has them on retainer for all family legal issues. And we've had a lot of family legal issues recently." Chad remarked.
"That is very true. I know Ryan engaged their services yesterday to get a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend." Chad told everyone
"So, I am having kids by a guy with a son less than a year younger than me?" Tiffany asked.
"Yes."
"We could have been in the same grade if my birthday wasn't right before the registration deadline. I may not have even been born yet when you were conceived. That is so creepy." Tiffany actually shivered.
"My ex-boyfriend is older than both of you. This entire situation is messed up." Chad added.
"Don't keep saying that because it makes me want to find your ex-boyfriend and punch him out. Especially because he ghosted you after not going all the way." Chad really regrets telling Zack all of the details of the Jamie debacle.
"Jamie ghosted me because summer was over, but me deciding to help Troy pack was probably a contributing factor." Which, in hindsight, was the right decision.
"I should have never slept with Charles." Tiffany lamented.
"Yes, but too late, and the twins are now on their way. I'm not as mad about that as I used to be."
"They are adorable. Sharpay has been giving me baby updates." That comment made Tiffany smile.
"I don't know if we'll do another sonogram before the due date, but if we do, you're invited. And to any of the baby checkups. You know if you want to go. No pressure." Tiffany added hastily.
"I want to be there. Besides, this might be my one chance to enjoy the wonders of birth because if I want kids, I'm probably adopting."
"You're in a poly relationship with Ryan," Chad remarked. "In like 15 years, you could be going through this with Taylor."
"It is not that kind of poly relationship. Unlike you, I am at least a Kinsey five."
"You don't actually have to cum in her. Just near her. Sperm is very mobile." Tiffany remarked, causing Chad to drop his spoon.
"OK, I don't think I want any more ice cream right now."
"Why have you suddenly turned into a prude? You weren't like this earlier in the year. You let me sext Ryan on your phone just last month," Zach pointed out.
"Which led to me having really awkward conversations with my father-in-law. You're dating two of my exes. One of which is my girlfriend's brother." That caused Tiffany to laugh so hard that she almost spilled her ice cream.
"I'm just dating Ryan, but he comes with Taylor."
"Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing that much at that," Tiffany apologized.
"It's OK. This whole situation is absurd. It's better to laugh than cry." Zack commented.
"So absurd, but at least I have a new name for the list." Tiffany smiled, resuming consumption of her chunky monkey's Sunday.
"What list?" Chad asked curiously.
"My stepmom is only slightly less evil than Darby, and that's only because she never physically hit me, but the psychological abuse was on par. Even though she legally adopted me years ago, she's definitely no mother of mine." Chad was already aware that things were terrible.
"I can understand that." Chad really could say Charles was definitely no father of his.
"I don't want her to have anything to do with the kids. Jen is helping me put those wishes in legally binding documents in case anything happens to me."
"Nothing's going to happen," Zack reassured.
"You said your stepfather was a widow when he got with your mom. Was he a widow because your sister's biological mom died during childbirth?" Tiffany asked.
"Not exactly. Although postpartum was a contributing factor to what happened. Along with a huge bottle of sleeping pills." Obviously, the cause of death was death by suicide, but he doesn't blame Zack for not saying that out loud.
"I don't know all the details, and I'm not asking Gigi. She doesn't want to talk about it. She didn't even know the truth until the divorce."
"I lost my biological mom in the more traditional way post-birth. Because my biological father couldn't deal with being a single parent, he married the first woman who showed him any interest. Still, unlike the situation with your mother, I'm sure she actually loves the child he brought into the marriage," Tiffany explained.
"She adores Gigi so much," Zack commented. "The custody battle was so bitter because she wanted to keep Gigi and Gigi wanted to stay with her. As far as my sister is concerned, her real parent is my mom. She's the only one that stayed with her."
"It's good that she had that. I had that in my grandmother, who is my real mom as far as I'm concerned. So, I'm trying to come up with a list of people I want to raise the babies just in case." Tiffany explained.
"Who is on the list?" Zack asked.
"Chad and Sharpay are on the list, especially because they'll be married in a few years. Also, Sharpay can afford lawyers to fight my stepmom." Tiffany explained her reasoning.
"Practical,"
"I assume Kim is on the list for similar reasons?" Chad asked.
"Lower on the list, but she's there. Along with your mom and Aunt Claudia. Although Aunt Claudia is lower on the list because she's older than my mom, Jen pointed out that would be a disadvantage in a court case."
"The courts rather give the babies to a younger woman even against your wishes," Zack said it as a statement. Which made Chad wonder precisely how ugly the custody trial was.
"Exactly."
"Did you talk to my mom about being on the list?" Chad asked.
"She's the one who told me this was even possible and helped me broach the subject with Jen. Carolyn knows she's there after Sharpay and you. Now I'm adding Zach to the list. That's only if you want to be on the list, Zack."
"I should be on the list."
"And even though you didn't ask, I'm OK with being on the list, and you know Sharpay is ready." The idea of being a dad this young terrifies him, but he won't allow his siblings to go into the system or end up with Darby 2.0.
"Extremely ready. Sharpay has read more baby books than I have." Tiffany commented.
"You should also ask Ryan to be on the list," Chad suggested.
"Not yet. We've been dating for about a month, and we've only actually started calling it dating. Between Ryan and me anyway. Taylor isn't ready for the D-word," Zack explained.
"I am so sorry I traumatized her." Chad apologized.
"I just think she really doesn't like labels." Zack shrugged.
"I totally get that you're not to the raising children together part of your relationship. I suggest adding Ryan because he has the same lawyer advantage as Sharpay. Even at this point, Ryan would do everything possible to help you protect your siblings. You may think this is just in the beginning stages, but I think it's more than that." Chad knows this is going somewhere.
"My mom went way too fast, and it ended in tears," Zack responded. Maybe Taylor and Ryan aren't the only traumatized people in this relationship.
"Sharpay and I barely dated two months before getting engaged," Chad pointed out.
"Yes, but you've known each other for 13 years. That's different than marrying someone you have only known for two months." Zack pointed out.
"Point. I'll talk to Sharpay about being on the list, but I know she will say yes, as I said earlier. Are there forms we're going to have to sign?"
"Yes, but not until you turn 18. Your mom is gonna sign something this week just in case." That makes sense. His mom was always highly pragmatic. "Is she still getting in today?"
"Per her last text message 15 minutes ago, she has landed at ABQ and is getting her luggage. So technically, she's already in Albuquerque." Chad responded.
"And you're not picking her up?"
"Jack is, and I'm OK with that because I'm really tired of spending quality time at the Albuquerque airport."
"I do not blame you at all," Tiffany added.
"After we drop you off, we're returning to the apartment to make lunch for mom and Jack."
"Are you cooking? You saw what happened to the cake yesterday." It was simultaneously burnt and soggy, resulting in Ryan picking up emergency Brownies for Jason's party.
"Simple chicken Caesar salad with garlic bread. We're working on it together." This means Sharpay will be cutting everything up because she's good at that. Her knife skills are on point.
XXX
"Oh, I am so glad I got to leave early. I hate the airport at Christmas." Carolyn said as soon as Liz helped her get her bags into Kim's SUV. She will have to ask why Jack was driving Kim's car later. "It was already absolute chaos."
"I'm sure it would have been worse if you flew in on the 24th as originally planned," Jack said as he kissed her gently. "Although I'm always grateful to spend more time with you."
"As adorable as you two are, please move the kissing to the car. I'll even sit in the back to make it easier." Liz interrupted.
"I'm also glad that by getting here early, I get to spend time with you before you go back to Santa Fe for Christmas with Kevin's family," Carolyn remarked as she walked over to hug Liz before getting in the car as requested.
"I am too. Although now we're all going to Ms. Claudia's Christmas party tomorrow."
"She invited you as well?" Carolyn asked.
"And mom. You know they've known each other for decades. Now that Lucy is gone, she's comfortable inviting us." Aunt Claudia wasn't exactly a fan of Lucy either.
"I'm not even surprised." Jack sighed as he turned on the car and pulled away.
"It's fine. Claudia promised me that Esther and Charles' mom would not be there. I can't take either woman right now." Carolyn may deck both of them. She's really tired of the awful text messages she's been getting.
"They're still blaming you for Chad being queer?" Liz asked.
"Yes and Sharpay. I think they're madder about the white girl thing. I don't know what they will do when they meet Charles's other son Zack and his boyfriend, Ryan." They all knew that was going to be a disaster.
"I thought you weren't planning to tell them that Charles has another kid?" Jack asked.
"Oh, I'm not, and neither is Claudia. However, family secrets don't stay family secrets for long." Carolyn is sure everyone will know within a year at most.
"I don't know. Amy went to the grave without anybody knowing that Ximena didn't have a miscarriage," Jack pointed out.
"I think Amy went to the grave because of that secret." She told her boyfriend. "I wish I would have listened to her when she tried to get me away from Charles."
"In hindsight, I think Amy tried to get me to leave as well." Jack acknowledged. "I think she knew who Lucy really was. I was just too in love back then to see it."
"We all did, big brother. You just weren't ready." Jack looks at her for a second, and all she can do is give him an uneasy smile.
"When do you think you left the love bubble?" Liz asked. "It had to be before you saw the pictures of Lucy making out with the toddler. Did you know that he was younger than me?"
"We are all aware," Carolyn remarked.
"No, I was well aware things were falling apart before then. The first crack was Lucy's reaction to David marrying Janya. I knew her dislike for Janya wasn't personality-based. That's when I stopped making excuses for her bad behavior."
"I think that's about the same time we lost Amy," Carolyn remarked.
"OK, this has been a very morbid car ride so far, and technically we are still in the airport because the traffic is awful." They really were. It will probably take at least 10 more minutes just to get to the freeway. This is why she just takes the subway home from National.
"Look, no more talk about what we should've done. We have these next 11 days for us. And I'm going to enjoy them." Carolyn tells her boyfriend.
"As we spend quality time with the entire family."
"I promise to keep mom distracted." Liz joked.
"We would be at my new place, but I still need furniture. I couldn't take anything from Lucy's place, only my personal effects."
"And he needed Matt and Jen to intervene to get that much. She had his car repossessed yesterday." Liz told her. Carolyn had a feeling that he was waiting to tell her that.
"Seriously?" She shouldn't be surprised because she has seen worse.
"Yep, even though I've always made payments for that from my own account. Lucy has been ridiculously petty. Matt knows," Jack explained.
"Good."
"I'm really thankful you convinced me to start depositing my paychecks into a new account in October that she knew nothing about." Technically, Jack had his own checking account before, but Lucy still had access.
"Especially when the feds froze all her assets," Liz added. The old checking account was considered one of those assets.
"There's no need for you to buy new furniture. Vince said we can come to the house and take anything you want. Anything not into storage by the 27th is going to charity." Carolyn explained.
"Wait, can he do that?" Jack asked, surprised. "I thought assets couldn't be sold until after the divorce proceedings were finalized. Although repossession is apparently OK."
"It's a little different when one party isn't being investigated for tax fraud, conspiracy to commit murder, and blackmail," Carolyn explained.
"True. Nelson said as much."
"Also, neither Darby nor Vince actually owns the Evans mansion. The Evans group does, and despite the divorce proceedings, they are entitled to develop their properties. So, bulldozing it and turning it into six townhouses is allowed as long as Darby gets her share of the profits." Carolyn explains.
"Do the kids know he's planning to destroy their family home?" Liz asked.
"They know they have to vacate and that he's planning something, but not the specifics. Besides, the house has been on the market for months with no buyers."
"I thought he had one around Thanksgiving. I remember Vince mentioning something about it." Jack commented.
"They backed out once it became public knowledge that it was the House of abuse," Carolyn answered.
"Well, in that case, I'll be happy to visit the Evans house to look for furniture. I really did like the bed in the guest house. Actually, I liked everything in there."
"Then it's yours if nobody else's grabbed it. We can do that Monday." Carolyn is sure if she called Daniel, he would arrange for movers.
"So, what obligations do we have this week other than tomorrow at Aunt Claudia's?" Jack asked.
"Trust me, big brother, you're fully programmed," Liz smirked.
"We are having lunch at Chad and Sharpay's Apartment today. I'm sure they'll be enough for you, but I will check with Sharpay." To make sure nothing caught on fire. If she orders pizza now, it should be there by the time they get to the house.
"Trust me, they'll be enough food," Liz said just as Carolyn started to read the text messages that Sharpay sent while she was trying to get her luggage.
Xxx
The daughter-in-law: Hey, Chad told me you landed. Which is apparently my cue to start chopping the chicken. Although I've been told not to put the bread in the oven until Chad gets here.
The daughter-in-law: OK, so he found out I burned the hashbrowns Wednesday, but everything else was edible.
The daughter-in-law: Also, I did not do well with the soda pop brownies recipe. I didn't realize I needed to adjust the amount of liquid since we were using soda instead of eggs, and it was really moist.
The daughter-in-law: Yet, it still managed to catch on fire.
The daughter-in-law: I don't know how that happened.
The daughter-in-law: Hey, just so you know, your future mother-in-law is here. She brought macaroni. The type that's in a baking dish. I hope this is on par with Aunt Claudia's macaroni because she's currently taking over my kitchen, not that it's that hard. This place is a shoebox.
The daughter-in-law: If I knew we would have two more people, I would've had this lunch at Kim's house. However, I wanted you to see that we turned the shoebox into something livable.
The daughter-in-law: We don't even have good plates for six people. At least not ones that match. I think David is getting back at me for some of my worst past behavior.
Carolyn: It's OK. I don't care if we use paper plates. Honestly, that's less cleanup for you. I know you don't have a dishwasher.
The daughter-in-law: We do, but that's me because I am much better at washing dishes than cooking things. Besides, this place is too small for a dishwasher. I would be happy to use paper plates if we actually had some.
Carolyn: We will take care of it.
The daughter-in-law: Thank you.
Carolyn: Don't worry about how small the apartment is. From Chad's pictures and what David told me, I think your studio is at least 200 ft.² more than I have in DC. Your stove is actually newer.
The daughter-in-law: That's tragic.
The daughter-in-law: Nana Katrina is now lamenting that our stove is too small to put the macaroni and pie in simultaneously. Also, we don't have enough chairs for six people. I'm texting Chad to grab a few from the mansion along with some serving bowls. He was going to drop Zack off there anyway before taking Tiffany home.
Carolyn: Sorry. I had no idea that Katrina was coming. Let me ask Liz what's going on. She showed up with Jack to pick me up.
The daughter-in-law: So you're the one getting ambushed by your future mother-in-law, not me?
Carolyn: I think we both are. She always saw Chad as another grandson.
The daughter-in-law: That's just wonderful. [Sarcasm emoji]
The daughter-in-law: I'm so sorry.
XXXX
"Apparently, your mother just showed up with an entire macaroni to put in their oven. Sharpay is terrified," Carolyn remarked as she put down her cell phone.
"And pie. Sorry, I tried to talk mom out of it, but that is really hard to do with her." Liz remarked.
"That is definitely my mother." Jack sighed. "Why is Sharpay panicking?
"Several reasons including lack of dishware. We need to pick up paper plates and probably drinks."
"We will stop somewhere along the way. Is she there by herself right now?" Jack asked
"Yes, because Chad and Zack are telling Tiffany that her children have another half-brother. Although it seemed like it went well since Sharpay is now sending Chad on a chair run."
"I'm glad I am not there for that conversation," Jack remarked.
"There will be worse conversations over this holiday season. I'm warning you that you are invited to Tuesday's very Mariah and Teresa Christmas Eve Eve baking party. I think there's a 95% chance someone will interrogate you. Plus, mom expects you to be at her house for Christmas Eve. I definitely expect her to interrogate you then."
"Mariah already did. Also, I've had dinner with at least three of your brothers since Thanksgiving. Mariah just randomly keeps bringing them over."
"She's trying to break you into the family gently. They all adore Alex, though." Liz added. She's probably met a lot of Carolyn's brothers as well.
"I'm not even surprised. Those are probably the three I'm still talking to. I'm furious at the part of the family responsible for the truth about Darby's abuse becoming public knowledge."
"They won't be there for Christmas eve at your mother's house, will they?" Liz asked. "If they are, I'm bringing Chad with me to Santa Fe. I'm leaving on the 24th." She really would.
"Nope, mom is mad, and she's not having it. They were already on thin ice for being mean to Teresa." Carolyn explained.
"Good. I would hate to get in a fight with one of your brothers at Christmas." Jack remarked.
"Please get everything out of your system at Mariah's house."
"I'll try." Jack smiled at her.
"You should know we're going to take the opportunity to teach Chad and Sharpay how to cook."
"After reading Sharpay's messages to you, I'm calling Chad in this exercise. He's good at following instructions. Kim also told me about the microwave incident."
"I am not even surprised." Carolyn sighed.
"Are you doing Christmas Day at your mom's house too, or can I entice you to come to a very Santa Fe Christmas? We are doing a party at Jay's restaurant Thursday. After I spend Wednesday evening with Kevin's mom and brother." Liz asked.
"As I already told you and mom, I'm staying with Carolyn," Jack told his sister.
"Which is why I'm trying to get her to come with us." Carolyn isn't sure she's ready to spend quality time with Lucy's siblings, even if Liz is. Especially because Julie will be there. She's decided not to return to Seattle and will help Zach with his nonprofit for a little while. Carolyn is almost 100% sure Kim is financing this. But it's probably better for Kim's mental health that Julie is at least an hour away.
"As enticing as that is, we are doing Christmas at the Evans compound." Because Vince wants to have one good holiday with the kids, especially since it could be the last one. Neither child knows that because Vince refuses to tell them that he is terminally ill. "It was supposed to be at the club, but Darby now owns that. No one who took Sharpay's side can step on the property."
"That is one messy divorce," Liz commented. "I thought it was bad when Lucy had your car repossessed. Taking over an entire country club is next level."
"It really is making my divorce seem almost neat."
"I wouldn't go that far. Your son is hiding in San Francisco because Lucy is using her lawyers to force him to have Christmas with her on the threat of dragging out your divorce for years. Troy telling her to go fuck herself might be why the car was repossessed yesterday. Sorry big brother, your divorce is not simple."
"But at least it's not all over the news anymore," Jack commented.
"That is the true Christmas miracle." Carolyn decided it was best not to show Jack the tweets Liz just sent her. Apparently, a lot of people saw the car get repossessed yesterday. Lucy had it picked up from the high school for a reason.
"If they find a house, they're going to come to Santa Fe on the 27th and stay until New Year's," Liz added. "However, he doesn't want to risk coming before then in case Lucy crashes our Christmas."
"How is house shopping going?" Carolyn asked.
"Technically, Kim bought a house, but it's the one I'm moving into. I'm pretty sure I'm not paying rent anymore." Jack answered.
"At least not in cash. Babysitting hours only. Teresa will need the help since I'm only going to be able to come down for the occasional weekend and help out during finals week." Liz explained.
"I'm happy to watch Alex. I love my grandbaby." Jack smiled. He really does adore that child.
"Is house shopping going that badly?" Carolyn asked.
"The second best option so far almost sent Troy into anaphylaxis," Liz remarked. "Their first choice has one less bedroom than they need, and someone was murdered in the living room. Everything else apparently is very Stepford wives." That's when Liz forwarded her a bunch of text messages from Kim. It makes sense that they bonded since Liz has been babysitting a lot since Thanksgiving.
"Unfortunately, the realtor keeps getting in his own way. Her father is coming to San Francisco for Christmas to help her." Jack explained.
"And not just because he wants to spend more time with the grandbaby. I'm sure they will find something eventually, hopefully without a body count." Liz joked.
"I'm sure they will find something between Kim's resources and her father's contacts. It's just harder there than here to buy a house. The guy is a real estate mogul. They'll be fine."
"Considering Kim managed to buy a house while not even in the state, I'm sure they will find something," Jack added.
"You know there's a good chance the house is actually your Christmas present," Liz remarked. Carolyn tried hard to keep a straight face because she knew it was Jack's Christmas present.
"Which will make me feel bad because all I got Kim was a nice bathrobe and babysitting coupons." Carolyn smiled at that.
"She will like that. You do have excellent taste in bathrobes. I've gotten several from you." Carolyn remarked.
"My brother gets everybody bathrobes. I hope you got your girlfriend something nicer this year."
"I did."
"I don't get any hints?" Carolyn asked.
"You'll see."
XXXX
The fiancé: Hey, I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Yes, I have your chairs.
Sharpay: Fabulous.
The fiancé: Also, Zack agreed to drop off Tiffany. This is why I'm getting there sooner than I thought I would.
Sharpay: Probably so they can talk in private.
The fiancé: Possibly. It seemed like things went OK. Tiffany even wants to put Zack on the list of people who will care for the twins if something happens to her. Apparently, her stepmother is Darby lite.
Sharpay: I've gotten that feeling from how Tiffany talks about her childhood. I would do everything in my power to ensure my kids would not end up with a monster. I'm definitely OK with being on that list.
The fiancé: I thought you would be.
Sharpay: You should know that grandma Katrina is here, and she's taking over our kitchen.
The fiancé: I'm not even surprised. Nana Katrina wanted to make lunch for mom, but I wanted to give my mom a little break before quality time with the future mother-in-law.
Sharpay: She brought her macaroni and cheese and blueberry pie. I think she also told Liz to pick up another chicken. Apparently, salad is not a meal.
The fiancé: I am so sorry.
Sharpay: It's OK. At least she got here before I completely burnt the garlic bread to pieces.
The fiancé: That wasn't going to happen because I would do the garlic bread.
Sharpay: She's already taking care of it. She's also pleased that I got the good Parmesan Reggiano.
The fiancé: That was like your one splurge outside of the chocolate.
Sharpay: I snuck it into the cart while Kerri was texting Jimmie.
The fiancé: Smart.
Xxx
"I miss you so much, baby. I'm so happy to see you." Of course, his mom wrapped him in a hug as soon as he got out of the car.
"I'm happy to see you too."
"Are you just getting back from Tiffany?" His mom asked, pulling out of the hug.
"Yes. Tiffany is a little freaked out that she and Zach are the same age, but she handled it well. Of course, Zack is driving her back, so who knows what type of conversation they will have on the way home." Chad thinks that might be a deep conversation, and he's glad he's not going to be there for it.
"Probably complain about all your father's worst qualities," Liz commented.
"It's only a 15-minute drive. They are going to need at least two hours for that. I see you bought paper plates." Chad said, pointing to the bag Jack was carrying.
"Your girlfriend was worried she didn't have enough dishes. Katrina also asked us to get a second chicken."
"I'm not surprised." Nana Katrina has a tendency to take over. She was better about it than grandma Karen. Although Chad was hopeful that Karen would be Kim's problem and never theirs.
"I'm sorry about my mom. She's been doing this to me every time she visits for years. Sorry, it's now your turn." Chad felt that Liz was not actually sorry.
"I'm not surprised. Let me show you guys to our deliberately humble apartment."
"You're still mad that it's a studio even though it's a big studio?" His mom asked.
"That's a big studio?" Chad asked as he unlocked the door to the apartment. It felt just a little bigger than the dorms but with the kitchen.
"You're able to have a dining room table. I've been using a TV tray in my current place." Chad did remember it being ridiculously small, especially with the two of them there.
"Which I don't get because I know you can afford somewhere nicer even with how ridiculously expensive DC is compared to here." Chad always found that weird.
"Not when I first moved there because of the child support payments. Thankfully I only had to pay him until you graduated high school instead of your 18th birthday. I could now get something better, but I want to hold off on signing a one-year lease for a new place for the moment." Because she might come back now that she's with Jack. Even if Jack moves to DC, she would need a bigger place.
"Just in case you decide to maybe come back. Whenever I go to Rodriguez and Associates, they ask about you." His mom had an outstanding reputation in Albuquerque, and many law firms still wanted her, including Rodriguez and Associates.
"They do," Jack added just as Sharpay walked out of the kitchen.
"Oh good, you're here." Sharpay walked over to hug his mother. "I love your dress, by the way."
"I found it at Nordstrom's Rack down by Pentagon City. I love that place. Here," his mother placed the bag in Sharpay's hands," I brought plates."
"And drinks." Liz held up a huge bag with mostly wine.
"When did you get drinks, and why is it mostly wine?" Jack asked.
"I feel like it's going to be needed. I'll go help mom finish up." Liz said, excusing herself to the kitchen.
"You've actually done a pretty good job in here." His mom said, looking around the perfectly cleaned house. That's because Chad and Sharpay woke up at 6 AM to make sure it was immaculate.
"We tried. Although I wish we could've redecorated. The best I could've done was take one of the couches from the mansion." Zack helped Sharpay because she promised to turn it over to him once the break was over.
"Which is perfectly within the rules of the assignment. If you were doing this for the summer, I would've given you a redecorating budget." His mom answered.
"Good to know. Speaking of taking things from the mansion to make this place livable, where are the chairs?" Sharpay asked.
"Sorry, I left them in the car," Chad explained.
"It's OK. Sharpay and I will go get them while you set the table." His mom offered. That told him she wanted to talk to Sharpay alone.
"We will have the table set by the time you come back." Jack walked over to his mom to kiss her gently before she left with Sharpay. Seeing the couple together actually made Chad happy. Jack was definitely an upgrade in the dad department.
XXXX
"I am sorry Katrina took over," Carolyn said to her when they were out of the apartment.
"It's probably for the best we would've ended up serving you burnt garlic bread anyway. I did horrible things to toast this morning. This way, we're getting the good macaroni and cheese." Sharpay managed to try some before everyone else arrived. It was almost as good as Aunt Claudia's.
"You'll get better eventually. You just need more practice." Carolyn said, trying to be reassuring.
"Just not anytime soon. Thankfully Chad is getting better. I think he will be the family's cook, and I'm in charge of the finances. It turns out I am really good at budgeting. I didn't think this would be possible until this experiment."
"Everyone brings their own skills into a relationship. It's OK if you're much better at finances than cooking. Also, having a husband that can cook is a good thing." Carolyn smiled at her.
"I heard that last night from Alexa."
"That being said, we will work on the baking tomorrow at aunt Claudia's house. We're supposed to be making gingerbread people."
"Is there any way I can just decorate?" Sharpay asked. She feels like she would be good at that part. She excels at color theory.
"Possibly. I promise to help you regardless."
"I appreciate that," Sharpay said as they made their way down to the car. When they came back up with the chairs, they had a delicious lunch and minimal invasive questions. Really it was the best Sharpay could hope for.
To be continued…