"What time do you have to get Gracie?"
Eddie is in the same tee-shirt, sitting on the same stool she occupied last night where they shared that cheesecake in the most voluptuous way either of them had ever eaten anything, and she is really hoping they have a few more hours at least.
"Whenever," he answers casually.
Jamie isn't ready for her to leave either. He wants her to lounge around in his tee-shirt a little longer. Forever, if he is honest. He hands her a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and she accepts it, along with a proper good morning kiss, and she thinks she could stay here forever.
"So, what do you want to do today," she asks, wondering when she will have to put real clothes back on.
Really, he could scoop her up in his arms and carry her back to the bedroom right now. He loves the way his tee-shirt looks on her, but he loves it off even more. He also knows that this is about more than just sex, and there are many other ways they can connect.
He approaches her and sets his mug on the counter as he wraps his arms around her.
"When is the last time you just did nothing all day."
He is gently rubbing her back where his hands landed as he waits for her answer.
"It's been way too long," she tells him smiling, as she reaches her arms around his neck and meets him for a deliriously slow kiss.
They separate after a moment when Eddie pushes him away and reaches for her coffee again.
"You know what sounds great?"
Jamie raises his brows in curiosity, waiting for her to continue.
"A shower," she announces as she slides off the stool, a motion that reveals a little more of her golden skin to him.
She reaches for his hand, dragging him behind her and he doesn't protest. He will follow her anywhere.
After their shower, they did spend the rest of the day doing nothing, but they were doing nothing together, and neither wanted to be anywhere else. Eventually, their lazy Monday had to come to an end, though.
Eddie had to get back to Manhattan, she had a few errands to run before work tomorrow and Jamie had to get Gracie. He thought about picking her up before dropping Eddie off at the ferry terminal, after the last twenty-four hours they had spent together, he was sure he was ready to introduce them, but he wasn't sure if Eddie was ready, and he certainly wasn't ready to introduce her to his mother yet, so he decided to wait.
He knew his mom and dad would love Eddie, but he still worried it was too soon. He dropped her off at the terminal after she insisted that she didn't need his escort back to Manhattan. He wanted to ride across with her, but she was right, he needed to get Gracie. They finally parted at the terminal after a few long kisses and Eddie promising to call him once she made it home.
Jamie walks into his parent's house, flashing a thousand-watt grin that he hasn't been able to shed the past two days.
"Hey Mom,"
"Hi son."
His mother is always happy to see him, and she can tell her son is especially happy today. She knows it has to do with the new lady in his life and she is anxious for details.
"Where's Gracie?" Jamie asks, standing in her living room, his hands partly in his pockets as he looks around. Eddie is still on his mind, he can't help it.
"She's in the backyard with your father, I think they're playing tag now," she says.
She is folding laundry and separating a few of Gracie's things to send back with him. He nods his head and sits down across from her, reaching into her basket to help.
"I think I'm ready to introduce her to Gracie," he tells her honestly, as he matches a pair of socks together.
He knows his mother wants to talk about it and he can tell she is trying her best not to ask. Truth is, he wants to talk about it, talk about her. He still feels like everything is moving fast, but his feelings for her are so strong, and he is sure it is mutual.
His mother is thrilled and looks up from the shirt in her hand. She wasn't sure she would ever see her son this happy again and she can't wait to meet the woman responsible for it.
Jamie helps his mom with the rest of her laundry before going to the backyard to discover his father and daughter amid a very intense game of freeze tag.
Gracie has her grandpa frozen and refuses to set him free. They stare at one another, Grandpa insisting she unfreeze him, while Gracie giggles and runs away. She isn't quite two yet, but she knows the game, and she loves how animated her grandpa gets when he plays with her.
As soon as Gracie sees her father, she runs to him with outstretched arms. Jamie loves the welcome he gets from her every time and reaches down to lift her.
"Did you freeze Grandpa again," he coos as he laughs at his dad and carries the little girl towards him.
Gracie shakes her head rapidly up and down, very proud of herself, and giggles as she points at her grandpa.
"We have to unfreeze Grandpa, he can't stay like that forever, silly," Jamie tickles her belly as he reaches her out to tag her grandpa and set him free, and he sets her down to play a little longer while he and his father engage in light conversation.
Jamie and his dad sit beside each other on the porch swing as his daughter galivants her grandparent's backyard, which is also cluttered with toys.
"You look happy, son."
"I am, dad."
That is all the two men needed to say. His dad doesn't need the reassurance that his mother does, he can tell his son is happier now than he has ever been, and that is all that matters.
They let Gracie play for a little longer before Jamie gathers her and her things to head home. His mother meets him at the front door. Her excuse is to give Gracie one more smoochie which the toddler gracefully accepts.
"When do we get to meet her?"
Jamie rolls his eyes, glaring back over at his father jokingly and then looks back at his mom. He was close to avoiding that question, but he should have known she would never let him leave without an answer.
"Soon," is all Jamie says as he kisses his mother on the cheek and heads out the door with his daughter on his hip.
Eddie's trip home took her a little longer than expected. She hadn't thought about it being Monday since she had taken the day off, and she wasn't anticipating the crowds of the workweek. She walked into her apartment, dropped her bag to the floor, and immediately plopped down on her couch.
She was exhausted, despite doing much of nothing today, she and Jamie didn't do much sleeping last night. She still had a few errands to take care of for the week ahead, and she needed to do that now. The sooner she did, the sooner she would be in for the evening, but she had to change first. She was still in her clothes from yesterday.
Eddie's first stop is the cleaners for two of her best suits she had dropped off a couple of days ago. She is just a block away when she notices a toy store. She has used these cleaners since she moved to New York, how is she just now noticing the toy store this close to it, she wonders.
It's the toy pig in the window that gets her attention, though, and as soon as she sees it, she stops. Her mind goes right back to the conversation she had with Jamie last night and then she thinks about the little girl she hasn't met yet. She forgoes the cleaners for now, she is on a mission.
She won't actually get Gracie a real live pig, but maybe she can find an obnoxiously loud toy one that the little girl will surely love. One that will drive her dad crazy too. It doesn't take her long to find the perfect gift. It's fuzzy, it's pink. It walks, and talks, and oinks. It's effortlessly annoying. She loves it, Gracie will love it, and Jamie will hate it. This will be fun, she thinks.
Eddie is home now and ready to relax for the evening. She pours herself a glass of wine and heads to the couch, grabbing the stack of mail off the counter on her way. Since she didn't leave a forwarding address when she moved from L.A. to New York, her mom would send her mail in bulk every few weeks.
She opens that package first, and while flipping through the envelopes in her hand, her eyes lands on a yellow one in particular, and a blinding pain shatters her on the inside. It feels like a thousand needles penetrating her heart and she can't breathe.
The letter is from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Board of Parole Hearings. She opens the envelope, terrified she already knows what it is when a tear escapes her eye.
She tries to remain calm as she pulls out the single piece of paper and unfolds it. As she reads the letter, her heart rate is increasing to an unhealthy rhythm, and she brings her hand up to cover her mouth. Jake Singer has a parole hearing. How can this be true already? She knew it would happen at some point, she just can't believe it is now.
She felt like she had been doing a good job of moving on from her past and this monster since she met Jamie, and now, everything is flooding back in and she is starting to panic. She knows what this notification is for, and she knows she is being given the opportunity to write a statement to the parole board. She just hopes it works.
Distracted by the letter she just read, she forgets to call Jamie as he requested. She reaches for her phone to call her mom instead. Trying to stay calm, she waits for her mother to answer. A couple of rings pass, and then she hears her mom's gentle voice on the other end.
"Hi hon, I was wondering when you were going to call. How did your date with Jamie go?"
"It was fine, mom."
Eddie has so much more to say about her date with Jamie, and she really does want to tell her mom almost everything, but right now, all she can think about is the tear-stained letter she holds in her hand.
Her mother can sense the fear in her voice, and that isn't at all what she was expecting. Her daughter had spoken of Jamie with such excitement previously, and now this? She is concerned.
"Eddie, what's wrong," her mother is sincere when she asks.
She draws in a long breath, exhaling slowly before answering.
"I got a letter today. Jake is up for parole."
There is fear in Eddie's voice and now her mother is scared for her too. She is explaining the notification to her mom when her grandma takes over the phone.
"Honey, listen. You know he won't get out at the first hearing, you have to believe that. You write that letter and he will not get out," her grandmother is so encouraging, Eddie almost believes her.
She had a pen and paper out. The page was still blank. She thought a hand-written letter would appear more personal, or maybe she would type it out later, right now, she just wished she could figure out what to say.
He caused her so much physical and emotional pain, why was she having such a hard time putting it into words? Because she wanted to move on, and as soon as she started to, the bastard was up for parole. He could make her life miserable without even being there.
She really just wanted to be wrapped in Jamie's arms right now, that is where she felt the safest, but she hadn't even told him about Jake, and she is not sure she can now. It was not until her phone screen was illuminating with Jamie's name that she realized she forgot to call him when she got home.
"Hey, you."
She sets her pen down as she answers.
"Hey."
Jamie is wondering why she hasn't called him, but he won't ask her. He is just glad she answered.
"Sorry I didn't call you, I got distracted and…I'm sorry," she says sincerely.
She is trying hard not to let her emotions show. She doesn't do a very good job, and Jamie can tell something is bothering her.
"You ok?"
He is concerned and hopes he isn't the cause of whatever is wrong. He really just wants to wrap his arms around her right now.
"Yeah, I'm good," she says softly.
Everything inside is shouting at her to tell him, but she can't get the words out. She doesn't think she will ever be able to put this behind her if Jamie knows the truth. He can tell she is lying, but he doesn't push for now.
"Is it crazy that I miss you already?"
He is serious when he says that, and she can sense something in his voice. Love, maybe? She hopes. She relaxes after a few more seconds of listening to his voice, it doesn't take long for him to calm her and he doesn't even know he is doing it.
They talk about the upcoming week and when they can see each other again. It wasn't looking like they would have a chance to see each other until the weekend, they both had a busy few days ahead, but Jamie was already thinking about a surprise visit to her office. He knew he couldn't go four more days, that was certain.
After her conversation with Jamie, she was relaxed and knew she had to get that statement written. She couldn't put it off, the hearing wasn't far away, and her voice needed to be heard again.
She was still trying to figure out the right words to express the torment he put her through, so she closed her eyes and thought back to that night, and then she started to write:
California Department of Corrections
Board of Parole Hearings
DOC # XXXX52635
Reference: Victim Impact Statement Regarding Parole of Jake Singer
Jake Singer spent 18 months physically abusing me every chance he could. If I broke a plate, I took a punch. If I burned dinner, he'd shove me against the wall. If I didn't cook dinner at all, he'd throw me to the floor.
The last time he attacked me, he left me with a concussion, a broken wrist, 4 broken ribs, and multiple contusions and lacerations on my face, head, arms, and legs. He left me to die because I came home from work late.
His actions from that night didn't just change my life forever. My mother and grandmother who found me the night of the attack and called the ambulance, and sat by my side for 4 days in the hospital, they'll never forget what he did either. Every time they close their eyes, they see the swollen, bruised face of their daughter/granddaughter.
I may have recovered physically, but mentally and emotionally, I'm not sure I will ever be able to fully move on with my life. Every day I have to remind myself that he can't hurt me anymore, for now.
But every day I fear that another man will. I can't trust anyone, or love anyone, completely. I'm trying, but what Jake Singer did to me will always be there.
After he was sentenced, he promised me it wasn't over, so I live in fear every day that when he is out, he is coming after me, just like he said he would. I don't think Jake Singer deserves to be a free man ever again, but the justice system doesn't agree with me.
Jake Singer should at least serve his sentence in its entirety. I request that you do not grant him early parole.
Eddie Janko
Victim of domestic violence
Victim of Jake Singer
Eddie sealed the letter in an envelope and stuffed it in her purse. She would make sure it was in the mail tomorrow, but for now, she was ready to put the last two hours behind her.
She wanted to call Jamie back, just to hear his voice again, but when she noticed the time, she figured he was doing bedtime stuff with Gracie so she wouldn't bother them. She sent him a text to tell him she missed him and would see him soon, and then she called her mom and grandma.
They would be happy to know she had finished her letter anyway, and now that she was in a better place than before, she wanted to tell them all about Jamie.
Eddie told them everything. She told them about Central Park, the Empire State Building, and Jamie cooking dinner for her. She left out the steamy details, but they were implied and that was enough for her mother. Grandma Betty, though, she would have loved to hear all about it, but that would have to be a separate conversation just between the two of them.
Eddie told them about Gracie and what a great father Jamie was. They were a little surprised to hear that, but when they heard Eddie talk about Jamie and his little girl who she hadn't even met yet, they knew any opinions they had about that situation were best kept to themselves.
Grandma Betty wasn't so concerned, but Eddie's mom was a little worried. Those were important shoes to fill and knowing her daughter hadn't fully dealt with the demons from her past or even told Jamie about them, she wasn't sure she was ready for such an important role. Eddie thought she was, or would be soon, and that was all that mattered.
A/N: What do you think? Does Jake get out of prison?