Trini Kwan-Scott let out a squeal as Jason led me through the front door of his home. The black-haired woman engulfed me in a tight hug that I returned. The twenty-seven-year-old held me at arm's length before smiling. "Girl, I can't believe you are back here in Angel Grove. You look great too." She said. I smiled back at her, looking over her shoulder at their home. It was a good size ranch style house, the living room large enough for the brown sectional that took up one wall of the room. Children's toys and furniture were grouped in the corner next to it, trying their best to hide. A large entertainment center was across the room, homing a 55-inch flat screen TV. On the walls, decorations of various Chinese art were hung. The beige colored paint made them pop out, creating a relaxing environment.
"Thanks. You look good too." I replied as the door opened behind Jason and me, revealing Tommy. Trini casted a glance from me, to Tommy, to Jason then back to me again. She gave me a small nod of understanding before smiling at Tommy.
"Tommy! So good to see you." She exclaimed, releasing me and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a friendly hug which brought a smile to his face. No matter what anyone felt, Trini was still able to bring the best out of people. I wasn't sure if it was her charm or her grace but something about Trini just eased all the tension that had been present before.
"You too, Trini. You guys sure have done a lot with the place since the last time I was here." Tommy replied. Jason let out a snort as he kicked off his sneakers and headed towards the kitchen.
"Yeah. We added a small child to the mix since then." He called over his shoulder before disappearing. Trini motioned for me to follow her as she headed for the kitchen. Jason returned with two beers in his hand, sending me a wink as we passed. Once Trini knew the boys were out of ear shot in the living room, she turned and looked at me.
"So?" She asked.
"So, what?" I replied, walking over to the table in the middle of the room. The kitchen was modest; hardwood floors shining up at me while bright yellow walls made it feel warm and inviting. I pulled a chair out at the table and sat down. She gave me an annoyed look and sat next to me.
"So, did you talk to him?"
"Why do I feel like you knew he was at the same hotel as me?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. She shrugged, ignoring my question. "No. We were in the middle of it when Jason showed up. He wants to talk later. Trini, I can't do this." I whispered, making sure the boys couldn't hear me.
"You have come all this way, knowing full well there was a good chance he was going to be here. Are you just going to let yourself chicken out now?" She asked.
"If it's an option, I just might be willing to take it. What's the point anyway? It's been ten years. He's probably moved on by now. I mean, he's already been in a relationship since I left. Obviously, it wasn't too hard to get over it." She glared at me, shaking her head.
"Kimberly, you know that his relationship with Kat meant nothing. If anything, it was a rebound to get over the fact you had broken up with him. Besides, when they ended, there was no lost look in his eyes like there was when he talks about you."
"If I'm such a bad thing for him, maybe I should have stayed away then. Plenty of people don't go to their high school reunions. I could be one of them. Hell, I could be on a plane back right now."
"But you aren't. You're here and Tommy is here. And after everything the two of you went through together, you both deserve to see this through. I'm not even referring to the letter. I'm talking about Tommy losing his powers and you being forced to hand over your power coin. No one has suffered as much as you two while being rangers. He knows that just as much as you do. Just letting this hang in the air isn't going to solve anything." Sighing, I nodded because I knew she was right.
"I'll talk to him tonight when we head back to the hotel." I said. Smiling, she stood and pushed her chair in.
"Good! Wine?" She asked. I nodded, knowing I would need some more of that for faux courage that I would need for the conversation to be had. Walking over to the cupboard over the sink, she opened it and pulled two stemless wine glasses from it. She set them on the table on her way to the fridge. Pulling on the bottom of the stainless-steel appliance, she opened the drawer and selected a chilled bottle of white wine. Shoving the drawer closed with her foot, she unscrewed the top off the bottle and poured us each a full glass.
"Thanks. So, how's my god son?" I asked, taking my glass. She smiled, setting the bottle on the table so she could grab her glass.
"The beast is sleeping. Ever since he started walking, it's like I'm battling a monster every day. Thought those days were past me." We both laughed as she hinted towards what felt like a past life. Even though it was a big part of our lives, no one really brings up our Power Ranger days. As time passed, it was almost as if an unspoken rule had been made to not mention our stints as the protectors of Earth. When the reunion invitations went out, it struck me as humorous. Not only would it be a high school reunion, it would be our first Ranger reunion since Trini and Jase eloped. And then, only one other ranger besides me had been there. Zack Taylor had joined us on our trip to Las Vegas for the two's nuptials when Tommy was unable to go due to something at work. It had been such a feeling of relief when I heard he wasn't coming. I should have known he would be here this time to make up for his absence two years ago.
"Well, he is half Jason. You're lucky he isn't trying to do back flips off the furniture yet." She nodded, taking a sip from her glass.
"Tell me about it. Jase is already planning on teaching him martial arts once he's old enough to understand it. Sometimes I feel like I have two children instead of a husband." I smiled at her, shaking my head. "Well, I suppose we should see what those boys are doing." Taking the bottle in her hand, she headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. They weren't there but the front door was open, and the porch light was on. I followed her as she stepped outside. Jason was sitting on the railing of their white porch. He held a beer in his hand and was talking to Tommy who was leaning against a support pillar. Like Jason, he had a beer in his hand as well. Both instantly stopped talking as we came outside.
"Hello, dear." Jason said as Trini stopped in front of him. He pressed a kiss to her lips quickly before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Tommy and I were just catching up. Billy won't be able to make it tomorrow."
"That's too bad! Did he make contact with you, Tommy?" Trini asked. Tommy nodded, taking a sip from the long neck in hand.
"Yeah. He said things were kind of hectic on Aquitar. Said it just wasn't a great time for him to head to Earth." He replied, smiling sadly at Trini. I noticed his glance over at me from the corner of his eyes. "He did say to tell you all that he wishes he could be here and that he will try to visit as soon as things calm down."
"Well, that should be fun. I haven't seen Billy in so long. Zack's coming into town in the morning. His show ends around ten tonight and then he's hopping on a plane. He sure is loving that New York City lifestyle." Jason said, drinking the rest of his beer. He set the empty bottle next to him on the railing.
"It'll be great having the team back together. Has anyone heard from Aisha and Rocky?" Trini asked, looking from Tommy to me. I shook my head, sipping my drink.
"Rocky said that him and Sha would be at the reunion. They said they'd see us all there. I think they are just going to drive into town since they are only in San Francisco." An awkward silence fell over the group. Jason and Trini glanced at each other, speaking in only looks like married people do. The sound of a faint cry drifted out the door which quickly turned into a louder one. Trini sighed.
"Should have known. Wanna go check on him with me?" Trini asked, standing from the railing. Jason looked at her confused.
"Why? I think you can handle it." She glared at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I think seeing his father's face might help." She said through clenched teeth. His look of confusion slowly faded into one of understanding.
"Oh! Right. Sure." He jumped up from the railing and followed Trini in the house, shutting the front door behind him.
"Well, that was subtle." Tommy said, shaking his head.
"That's them in a nut shell." I replied, sitting on the wooden porch swing that hung from the porch ceiling. It creaked as it swung, my back resting against the white painted boards on the back of it. I took a big gulp from my drink and sighed. "We should talk, Tommy." He nodded, not looking up from the label of his beer.
"We should. We don't have to do it here though. I'm sure the two of them think they are helping but it's something we need to do on our own time. I did some thinking on my way over here and I owe you an apology, Kim. I'm sorry for being so angry with you back at the hotel. I guess seeing you for the first time just brought all those feelings back to the surface. I shouldn't have dumped it all on you. I'm so sorry." He glanced up at me with a shameful look on his face.
"You have nothing to apologize for. I deserved all of that and then some. If I was in your shoes, I don't even know if I would look at me, let alone talk to me."
"Ten years is quite some time to stew about something." He replied, standing up. "If you want to talk about it now, we can. But just know that Trini and Jase are standing in the window behind you trying to hear everything through the glass." He smirked at me as he pointed behind me. Turning, I saw the curtains move quickly as our friends tried to move before I saw them. I let out a snort and shook my head.
"Those two never change."
