Chapter Six: Welcome to My Life

"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" asked Kate, as they drove out of the city in his car. Jack smiled.

"Maybe because I was pretty sure you'd chicken out if I did?" he suggested. She shot him a suspicious look.

"Where are we going?" she asked, not for the first time.

"My sister's house. It's my nephew's second birthday," he explained.

"You really don't date like normal people, do you?" she demanded, as they pulled up in front of a large suburban house. He shook his head.

"Really don't. Come on," he said, walking around to her side of the car to open her door.

Whatever Kate had been suspecting, Claire Shephard was not it.

She hid her surprise as she was introduced to the bubbly young mother. She was considerably younger than her elder brother, and was extremely fair – light hair, blue eyes. She spoke with the slightest trace of an accent (Australian, Kate guessed), and smiled whenever her eyes fell on her toddler aged son, who was equally blonde and wearing a party hat.

Her husband, Charlie, was British and equally friendly. He was less innocent looking, but equally welcoming, if surprised, to see his brother-in-law with a woman.

The large backyard of their house was semi-full with children his age and their mothers and some without children, clearly friends and relatives. Kate found herself feeling reassured when Jack took her hand in his.

He only released it when his three year old nephew launched himself into his uncle's arms. Kate watched in surprise as he easily interacted with the small child and listened patiently to his childish rambling. It was yet another side of him she wouldn't have expected.

"What's his name?" she asked as he ran off, distracted by another party guest. Jack took her hand once more.

"Aaron. He's a good kid," said Jack fondly. Kate found herself wondering why his sister was so much younger, and where she'd met her British rock star like husband, but forced the questions out of her mind. Curiosity, she feared, would lead to attachment.

"You spend a lot of time with him?" she asked cautiously. He nodded.

"As much as I can. I work a lot," he explained. "But I wouldn't miss this."

Kate glanced around at the scattered groups of laughing party guests, the small children with party hats, the balloons tied to the house and trees.

"Me neither," she said happily, looking into his eyes.

Four hours later, Kate watched in interest as seeming Super Parents, Claire and Charlie, dropped into the couch in exhaustion, their son having already fallen asleep on the floor. Jack had taken him up to bed.

"It's a lot of work for someone who doesn't really understand what's going on," said Charlie critically, smiling at his wife. Claire flashed a smile at Kate.

"Charlie thinks that ten three year olds eating cake all day and chasing each other around the yard is extreme," she explained. Kate smiled.

"He seemed to be having a really great time," she said.

"Oh, he did. And I'm sure we'll work off the exhaustion in time for the next one," said Charlie sarcastically, sitting up straighter.

"That bad?" asked Kate sympathetically. Charlie opened his mouth to speak but was shushed by his wife.

"Don't let him discourage you. Have you and Jack been dating long?" asked Claire. Kate bit her lip apprehensively – she'd been afraid to be away from Jack all day in fear of this conversation.

"Not at all," she managed to say breezily. Claire nodded and subtly analyzed her for a moment.

"Where did you meet?" she asked in interest.

"In a bar," said Kate, blushing. Claire smiled encouragingly.

"I met Charlie while he was on tour in England," admitted Claire. Kate nodded, wondering it this was a more PC translation of "groupie."

"I thought you looked familiar," said Kate to Charlie. He nodded.

"Sweet story, actually. Then she got pregnant and we came back here to get married," said Charlie. Kate smiled.

"Dad was thrilled, of course," said Jack, re-entering the room. He sat on the chair of the arm she'd been perched on.

"I can imagine," she agreed, watching Claire blush.

"The best part was when I had to be introduced to her tall, dark brother as the boy who'd knocked up his baby sister. I thought for sure he was going to kill me and make it look like an accident," said Charlie ruefully.

"We're beginning to look tame," said Kate, smiling at Jack over her shoulder. He reached up and pulled her down onto his lap.

"Compared to these guys? I know it's hard to believe, with the perfect suburban house and the blonde kid and the station wagon, but don't let this girl fool you," Jack teased. Claire playfully scowled at him.

"You were always the good one," she lamented. Kate relaxed and leaned against Jack, calmed by the easy environment and witty banter.

"Someone had to be. You were running around, dying your hair black, getting detention..."

"Getting pregnant..." added Charlie. Claire shoved him, still smiling.

"Can we maybe talk about something else? Anything else?" requested Claire.

"Did you grow up in LA, Kate?" asked Charlie.

"No, Iowa," she said, meeting Jack's eye as she spoke. "I moved out here a year ago."

"What do you do for a living?" he asked.

"I'm a secretary," she said, having already thought of the question.

"Charlie teaches guitar and I manage a day care centre with one of the other mothers," said Claire. Kate nodded.

"Then shouldn't you be used to this kind of thing?" she asked curiously. Claire rolled her blue eyes.

"Cake makes a difference. The balloons, too," she explained.

"Like you wouldn't believe," said Charlie, slinging an arm around her and leaning his head against the back of the couch in exhaustion.

Jack parked his car in a lot and walked her the three blocks home.

"I liked your sister," said Kate.

"I think she liked you, too," said Jack. Kate smiled.

"They're a nice couple."

"They are. She ran away to Europe as soon as she graduated. She only came home when she'd been knocked up by a rock star. Our Dad practically had a heart attack, but Charlie stepped up and it all turned out okay," explained Jack.

"She's... younger than you," said Kate awkwardly. He nodded.

"She's my half sister. My Dad had an affair with her Australian mother, and she only came to live with us when her mom died. She was about three, I was already a teenager," he said.

"Wow."

"Our Mom was furious, but she brought her up anyway. She's a good kid," he said fondly. "According our Dad she was never on the right track, like me, but he loved her."

"Why wasn't he there?" she asked curiously.

"My Dad died two years ago and my Mom is on vacation in France," he explained shortly.

"Oh."

They'd reached her apartment building. Kate leaned against the door, wondering if he was going to try to kiss her again. He seemed to have learned his lesson.

"I had a really nice time tonight," she said honestly.

"Me too."

She leaned in and bravely kissed his cheek before letting herself into the building. Though she didn't know it he watched her as she walked in, still smiling even after she'd vanished from sight.