Chapter Three

"Mom, I know that you said we didn't have to but with Dad away on a fishing trip for the weekend we've come by to take you out for dinner…." She takes a breath then looks up. "Oh my God," she grabs Bobby's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Am I? It…it can't be."

"Alex what's the matter?" he asks with concern in his voice.

"It's…." she points. "She's…Jackie."

"Freaky," Bobby says. Alex stays quiet and motionless. Bobby breaks the silence, "Hi Jackie." He says as he extends his hand, "I'm Bobby, Bobby Goren you'll have to excuse Alex for a minute, but for the last day or two, she's been trying to find you."

Jackie smiles and nods her head, "Yes it is freaky, it's nice to meet you." Placing her hand on her daughters shoulder, "This is Rachel."

Bobby takes a short step taking Rachel's hand, she watches as her hand disappears but the touch is tender, "Hi Rachel."

She gazes up at the tall man and smiles, "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

Bobby straightens up; taking Alex's hand in his, he pulls her gently toward him. The old friends start to laugh, hug and then cry. Robby a little scared and confused begins to whimper, Alex turns to her son, picking him up. "Robby this is Jackie and Rachel." The curly dark haired boy with the big brown eyes smiles then buries his face in his mother's shoulder. "Lately he's been acting shy with new people."

"Here," Bobby extends his arms. "Let me take him."

Sara lightly pats Bobby's arm, "Come on," she gestures to Rachel and Bobby. "Let's go in the kitchen and get some drinks."

"I went by your place the other day; Charlie was a little….."

Jackie sits down on the couch, Alex follows, "Rude."

"No not rude, demanding."

"So what else is new, he's a…." she can feel her friends stare, Jackie slowly lifts her head, "You….you know don't you?"

"Yes, I never realized it until Bobby and I were looking through an old photo album of mine. I'm sorry Jackie."

"You don't need to apologize for anything," she sits up tapping her friends' leg. "Tell me about you and them," she points toward the kitchen smiling.

"Let's just say that he is one of kind," she laughs.

Jackie shakes her head, "Huh?"

"He's very bright but can be very dense. Especially when it comes to, how shall I say this? He tends to keep things to himself; you know I'll take care of it kind of thing. It's not because he thinks he is better than anyone else it's just the way he grew up, taking care of himself since he was about 11. Other than that, he's marvelous. Gees listen to me, I'm sorry."

"Hey," Jackie says sternly, "Don't you dare apologize to me because you are happy."

"Wow," Alex sits back in the couch. "This is very weird."

"I'll say, Rachel and I were in a park eating a sandwich and I heard 'Take Me to Heart', remember how many times you played that song?"

Alex smiles, "Yes I do, never lip synced had to sing it."

"The only thing though. I can't remember who you were singing about?"

"Peter," she raises her eyebrows. "Remember Peter Magnani?"

"Oh yeah." She nods her head. "Mister tall dark and handsome."

"Yes he was but he had a roaming eye, remember he cheated on me and went out with Kristi," Alex snaps her fingers. "Oh what was her last name?"

"Whore," Jackie says with a straight face, which turns into a smile and then a laugh, shared by both women.

"Who's a whore?" Bobby asks as he walks in to the room.

Alex looks up, "Someone that we went to High School with."

"So," Bobby says as he claps his hands, "Are we still going out to eat?" he checks his watch.

Alex pats Jackie's hand, "That's the sign Jackie, he's hungry, come on, let's go." Jackie nonchalantly opens her bag, Alex notices, "Never mind that, it's our treat."

Jackie shakes her head and objects, "No, I don't want any handouts."

"It's not a handout, we were going out anyway, and it's just the diner down the street."

They hear a playful scream as Rachel emerges from the kitchen followed by Robby. "You can't catch me," she says laughing. She runs in between her mother and Alex then stopping to let him catch up, within a step and she is off again. He is running and laughing trying his best to catch her.

"Rachel honey that's enough, he's a lot smaller than you he might bump into you and fall down."

Rachel suddenly stops, "Oh Mom, he likes it." Robby bumps into her and falls back landing on his butt, Rachel watches, scared at first but the little boy starts laughing. "See Mom," she points. "I told you he likes it." She bends down taking a hold of his waist, helping him to his feet.

A Few Hours Later

The Goren Home

Alex has Robby in her arms, as Bobby unlocks the front door. He holds the door, allowing Alex, Jackie and Rachel to enter. Alex motions with her head, "Just put your stuff over there for now. I have to take this one to bed."

"I'll do that," Bobby says. Removing his sleeping son from his mother's arms. "Come on Rachel, there's a computer in the den, you can check out what's new on You Tube." He turns to catch her mother's eye, "Jackie is that alright?" He asks.

Jackie smiles, then nods, "Yes it is."

He taps the little girl on the shoulder, "Follow me."

She glances up at the tall man, "Thanks, you watch You Tube?"

"No, well maybe a few times. I had to check it out and after about an hour or two…."

She laughs, "I know, you can't turn it off. Some very weird people post things on there."

Alex picks up one of the bags, "Come on Jackie, let's get you and Rachel settled." The two old friends ascend the stairs. Alex points to the rooms upstairs, opening a door, "The bathroom, unfortunately there is only one, but I'm working on that. This is the baby's room and this," she opens the door. "Will be your room, as you can see there is a bed and I'll have Bobby get the cot from the basement."

"I….I really appreciate this, almost ten years have passed since…"

Alex pats her arm, "It's alright I understand." She tosses one of the bags on the bed, "After you freshen up, come on downstairs, I'll have a bottle of wine opened and we can talk."

"Hey," Jackie says.

Alex turns to face her, "Hey what."

"I really missed you," she says slightly sobbing.

Alex opens her arms and the two old friends embrace. "I missed you too."

Jackie unpacks a few things and minutes later, she joins her friend in the kitchen, pulling out a chair, "What a cozy kitchen, so warm and inviting."

"Thank you; while I was on leave I was able to drop my touch around the house."

"You lived here long?"

"Going on two years for me, Bobby grew up here, it was his Grandparents then they gave it to his parents."

"So," Jackie turns the bottle around. "What kind of wine do we have here?"

Alex pours a glass full for her friend, then herself. "Does it really matter?"

"No," she laughs, "It would to Charlie."

"Oh, an expert on wine?"

"He was, but he switched to gin."

"What?"

Jackie spins the glass slowly, "He gets drunk and….when Bobby took the responsibility of taking care of Robby, well I suppose to you that is a normal gesture, not in my house. In just a few hours, your husband has spoken more words to Rachel than Charlie has….he barely spoke to his daughter, never mind showing her any affection. I couldn't get him to hold her when she was a baby. He has never bonded with his own daughter."

"I'm sorry Jackie," Alex pats her hand. "I…."

"Alex," she takes a sip of wine. "Don't wrack your brains, trying to think of something to say."

Alex takes a nervous sip of wine, "It's not bad, considering I bought it. Bobby can always find an excellent bottle of wine."

Jackie joins her friend in a sip, "Yes you're right it's pretty good." She takes another sip. "Go ahead Alex ask your question, why? Why did I marry Charles Spangler?"

Silence for a moment, Jackie finishes the wine in the glass. "I've been asking myself that question for a long time now." She pours herself another glass of wine. "My mother was a good woman," she pauses. "But we never bonded either. I use to envy you and your relationship with your Mom, at times, I was jealous. Sometimes when I would leave there and go home, I tried to get her to talk to me. However, always, always an excuse as to why she couldn't or didn't have time. She worked hard I realize that but she wasn't warm at all. Growing up with her, I craved her affection, she was all business. Is your room clean? Have you finished your homework? After she passed away I'll admit that I used sex as a means of being close to someone, hey it was the eighties." She catches the smirk on Alex's face, "Yes I know," Jackie continues. "That's a lame excuse."

"No judgments from me, hell I had my share."

"So when I met Charlie, yes he was older than I was by ten years but he doted on me, he took care of me. He showed me the sort of affection that my mother never gave me." She leans forward, whispering, "We didn't have sex until our wedding night."

Alex laughs, "Yeah right."

"I swear," she holds up her hand. "He wanted to wait. Hearing a man say that, oh man I was floored and that was the day I fell in love with him."

"I can understand that, I really can."

"When I found out I was pregnant it was as if all that I had ever dreamed about came true. I had a family. Charlie's reaction was so….he wasn't happy at all. At first I thought, ok he is over forty, never had children before, he's scared. I tricked myself into believing that. However, I knew in my heart that was not the reason at all, he didn't like children and he did not want to be a father to one. All he wanted was me and him, that's all no one else."

They both take a much-needed sip of wine, "Rachel is getting older and she can hear the screaming and the…."

"He physically abused you?"

She sheepishly glances at her friend, "Yes, usually when he wanted my full attention, which was every fucking day of my life." She rubs her forehead, "So I left," she raises the glass to her lips. "When he was sleeping it off, I said no more I'm can't live like this."

"Jackie you were always a bright girl, you left on a whim. Didn't you? You didn't plan this." Jackie glances at her friend, not able to look her in the eye. Alex sits back crossing her arms, "Ok, now tell me the real reason that you left so abruptly."

TBC