Hello again everyone! I know, I'm early this time! I'm exhausted though so I don't have this much to say...so yeah...
This Chapter's Song Inspiration: You Have Been Loved by Sia. Don't ask me why, it just fueled the fluffy in me :P Both Woods and Jesselynn and James.
Review Responses:
Prettyprincess45: Nope! Lol, hope you still enjoyed it! I know it wasn't full of action, but hey. We all know Justin couldn't beat Woods anyway lol.
Justin stormed out of the infirmary with Bowman a step behind him. He wasn't sure if he was there to support him or Woods, but he didn't care. He was furious that Woods would act that way with his sister, for no good reason, and also curious as to why he acted that way. They had always got a long before, why had it changed so suddenly?
He angrily punched the door open—if he had been angrier, he probably would have knocked it off its hinges—and immediately searched for his commander.
He didn't have to search far or for very long, for Sergeant Woods sat outside the door on a stack of crates. He opened his mouth to yell, but he closed it with a pop when he saw the condition his commander, and friend, was in.
He didn't seem as infuriated as he had been just seconds ago. Matter of fact, there was an obvious hint of guilt and regret set in his eyes as he growled at himself; something muttered to where only Woods would hear.
Bowman pushed ahead of him and stood beside Woods, saying nothing, and just leaned against the metal frame of the building behind him. Justin just stood there with knitted brows and previous, furious thoughts scattering.
"What the hell, man?" Justin asked, not as violently as he originally planned. It came out through a sigh and more of an actual question than the accusation he wanted before.
Woods rubbed his face with his palms and stared straight ahead of him. "No idea. No fuckin' idea, Justin."
It was silent between the three of them for a few moments as they just surveyed the base around them. Each were contemplating exactly what had gone on in the infirmary just moments before. Bowman had no idea what they were even arguing about in the first place, so he didn't put much thought into it.
Woods, on the other hand, couldn't believe he had actually said that. It wasn't so much as whom he had said that to, but why he had said that to her. Why did he object to her plans with Lance? Though he didn't tell her, he wasn't even sure if those stories were even true. He had just been scolding someone for spreading rumors like they were a couple of teenagers in high school and here he was doing the exact same thing.
He had to admit, his feelings were Jesselynn were changing. Before, he never thought much of her other than Justin's sister. Now…Well, he wasn't sure himself. He did know that she was something more important to him than just a promise he needed to keep.
When he first took on the task of speaking to her about Justin, he thought it to be nothing but a chore. Almost like a punishment. It was a different story now. He looked forward to being alone with her, even if it was just for a few minutes—if even that long. She was different than the others, more sheltered with her true emotions. The others would resist, at first, but before long they'd be giving away autobiographies. Meanwhile, she kept quiet and closed herself from everyone by constantly working in her office. He didn't even know what she did in there that took so long.
After that experience of being no more than feet away from her, he felt different about her. There was no doubt that he had scared her and he didn't blame her. All he wanted to do was prove that he wasn't like the others, like Marcus, but he couldn't explain the drive. Why was he so set on impressing her? She was just a medic, not many even knew of her existence in Vietnam. Yet, she seemed to be the center of his thoughts when he thought of base or, sometimes, even home. Her mysterious, stubborn presence thrilled him.
Now, he was sure that he wrecked the friendship they had recently built. He was just getting to really know her, break down her walls, so to speak, and it was gone. He was sure she must've rebuilt them the second he used such a vile insult on her. He groaned again and buried his face into his palms.
"Okay, Woods, time to speak your mind." Bowman suddenly said beside him as they both heard the groan escape his lips.
He looked up at his friend from the corner of his eye and resisted the urge to frown at him. "There's nothin' to be said, Bowman."
Bowman just scoffed at him. "I didn't even hear the whole conversation and I know you're bullshittin' me."
Justin remained silent as he glanced between the two men. Bowman arched a brow at him as if he was the parent pushing him into admitting his faults. Woods glared at him for a moment before letting out a breath.
"Fine. Something's up. Happy, bastard?" He said, giving up, and frowned at Bowman.
He chuckled at his attempt to unnerve him and shook his head. "Nope, not yet, anyway. Like the man here said, what the hell? What's with you and that girl?"
Woods looked over at Bowman and then at Justin, though he was harder to face. He had just, basically, insulted his sister. Yet, he saw no sign of harshness or hate. Just the same concern and curiosity building inside like Bowman.
"Seriously, if I knew I'd tell ya. Still figurin' it out for myself." He said, mumbling the last part to himself.
Bowman and Justin looked away from Woods and exchanged a look. They weren't completely sold over that he had no idea what went down, but decided not to push it. They really didn't feel like releasing the monster that was pushed away after his and Jesselynn's argument.
Justin sighed and placed a hand on Woods' shoulder. "Whatever you say, man. In the meantime, you should probably go sort things out now while you still can. Never know how much time you have left, know what I mean? Besides, your face ain't looking so pretty anymore after that NVA's touch-up. Should probably have it looked at, just to be sure." He suggested with a sincere, friendly grin as he observed his friend's bloodied face and the bruise underneath.
Woods just waved him off as he stood. "It's fine. I got other shit to do anyway." He argued as he reached over to grab the strap for his weapon.
Bowman was faster as he swiftly snatched the weapon and slung it over his shoulder. "Not until you get your shit together and sort things out. Let's face it; you were a dick in there. No matter what started it and what she said in return, you need to sort it out. 'Sides, she's a lady, right? Bitch or not, show some respect. 'Sides, she's a medic. Your fate rests in her hands right now, man." He commanded, even though it came out a little more humorous than serious.
Woods rolled his eyes at the man and reached for his gun, though Bowman took a step back and avoided him. "Cut the shit out and gimme my gun." He ordered with annoyance lacing his words.
"No, not until you sort it out." He bribed as he held the gun against his side a little tighter.
Woods groaned and walked towards the infirmary. "Assholes." He muttered as he slammed the door shut behind him.
It wasn't hard to find Jesselynn again since she hadn't moved far after their argument. Roxanne was sitting beside the cot with the Vietnamese baby and looked at him from the corner of her eye. She had been whispering a lullaby to the sleeping child, but switched to humming as Woods grew closer to Jesselynn.
She was busy changing the linens on another cot and refused to meet his eyes. She knew he had come back the second he took a step through the door. One, he slammed it loud enough to wake the dead. Two, she could feel the awkward tension boil between them the closer to got to her.
"Jess."
She gulped and her arms were shaky now. She didn't want to think of him as Marcus, but she couldn't help the memories that came flooding in. Many nights she had been doing something around the house and he would drag his drunken body through the door and tower over her. If Woods had only slurred his speech and reeked of whiskey, she would've thought Marcus was standing over her.
As he reached down and grabbed the hand that bundled the dirty sheets, she tensed and expected a blow. But, she wasn't back home and Marcus wasn't here. It was Woods and his touch was tender. It showed no sign of violence or displeasure. It was sincere and just trying to, calmly, get her attention.
She gulped again, even though her mouth was as dry as the Sahara, and met his eyes. They were the same as before, yet different. The blue orbs weren't ignited in fury this time. Now, the flames had dispersed and were calm pools of blue that offered nothing more than sincerity.
She was speechless for a moment and tried to hide the blood that ran to her cheeks when she realized she was observing his eyes longer than she should. "Um, yes?"
He let his hand find its original spot now that he had her attention and looked down into her eyes, hoping she was no longer angry with him. "Bowman took my gun."
Jesselynn's brows knitted together and her face slowly pinched wrinkled to show her confusion before she let it fall back into place. "Um…Excuse me?"
He couldn't resist to chuckle at her confusion. He knew she was in her early thirties, but she still looked like a child when she was confused and he thought it was adorable.
"Holy fuckin' shit…Did I refer to Jesselynn as….Adorable?" He thought before answering him; he questioned his choice of words even though he never voiced it.
"Bowman, the guy that was in here with Justin and I, he took my gun away from me. Said I couldn't get it back until I talked to you. Your brother told me to come in here and get this," he paused for a moment to point towards his bruised face, "looked at." He explained in a monotone voice, as though he had been tired of repeating himself or just talking, in general.
Jesselynn tried not to take offense in that. She knew that she shouldn't think everything he did and said centered around her, yet she wished it had more thoughtful than what it was. She wished he had come on his own will to come and make peace between them. Still, she was flattered. He had a million things he could've been doing and any other gun he could've picked up, yet he still drug himself through the door. She blushed again at the thought and turned to gather her little "tool box", as she and Roxanne jokingly called it.
Woods took a seat on the cot while Jesselynn carried her supplies from the cot she had previously been at to the table beside his. He followed her movements as she prepared her own little check-up station with precise, skill full hands. He wondered how she had been so skilled at check-ups such as these when she barely had time to do anything anymore. Then, he remembered that she worked at a hospital full-time before she came down here. This was a stroll in the park compared to what she had to do now.
She was quiet as she took a normal, clean rag and dipped it into the bowl of fresh water and began to wipe away the muck from his face. His heart beat a million times a second as he felt her skilled hands carefully clean his face around the wounds and his skin burned as her round, pine-green eyes studied him closely. It was one of the first times in a long time that he was self-conscious of what his appearance was like. He hadn't felt like this since he was a kid.
She had managed to scrape the dirt and blood from the right side of his face when he decided to speak. "Jess, I-"He started when her back was turned when she wrung her rag into another bucket behind her and dipped it again the clean water.
"Sshh." She silenced and interrupted him as she began to wipe the dirt and blood around his jaw and mouth.
Normally, he'd force her to stop and pay attention so he could set things straight between them, but he resisted the urge to speak—and not just because she had a rag to his mouth. Her face was closer to his now as she paid closer attention to what she was doing, trying to get everything out. Even the blood and dirt from his facial hair.
His heart set off rapidly again and, even though he was humiliated at the thought, he was sure he was blushing. He hadn't been this close to another girl since he separated from a high school sweetheart. At that young, naïve age, he thought they were both going to be inseparable. Reality of the situation, they forgot about each other within a month or two of being away from each other. It was different now. He wasn't a dumb, thick-skulled teenager now and neither was the girl, or woman, in front of him.
She was much different than the blue-eyed blonde he had fawned over as a child. And it wasn't just looks that made the difference. The blonde had lived the ordinary life. Which there was nothing wrong with, but their compatibility was way-off. The girl had never experienced lost, at least not at the time, and her family was happy. Meanwhile, he had lost his father to war before he was even old enough to realize that he had a father. There was always an awkward tension between his mother, sister, and himself since his sister hated that he wasn't that curious about learning about his father, besides the basics, and his mother constantly reminded him of the similarities between him and his father. His sister's annoyance with him grew stronger when he decided to enlist. She thought he was stupid for wanting to go out and fight after what had happened to their father. His mother didn't say much about it to him, but his sister made sure he felt guilty about leaving them.
Yet, this girl had nothing to complain about except when she didn't get want she wanted for her birthday or Christmas. Now, she wasn't a bad girl or was ungrateful as some would think, but they had nothing to talk about, nothing to relate to. The story between him and Jesselynn was completely different.
The woman knew nothing but loss and hardship while growing up. The first ten years of her life had been easy and peaceful, but after that it was nothing but emotional warfare. From being left with Justin as her only family to living in Hell and fear with Marcus, he was surprised that her trust for people was as large as it was. In most cases, you heard about the victim going insane with distrust that they treated everyone badly.
From Justin and even Roxanne's story, she was different than most people. She was selfless, but not in the best way. She didn't let anyone in really deep. They'd get the basics, but that was it! No one would ever discover her true feelings except for herself. She was too stubborn to realize what kind of stress she was putting her body, and her mind, under. Even though it wasn't the greatest thing to admit, he and his sister screamed at each other for an hour the night before he left. At least their inner emotions and feelings about the situation were on the table now. They knew exactly how the other felt and there was no regret of not-knowing how one truly felt.
Jesselynn moved away from his face again to wring her rag, dip it again in clean water, and lifted it to his face. No, he had to say something now or he'd never get it out. He reached out and snatched her wrist, keeping it a foot away from his face.
"Jess, please, let me speak." He asked sincerely though he regretted his actions as a spark of fear flashed in her eyes. It was gone as soon as it came, but he still knew what she must've momentarily thought. Marcus.
She silent for a moment as she looked down at his strong, large hand easily wrapping itself around her thin wrist. It didn't hurt, but it was tight enough to where she couldn't easily slip out of his grasp. She sighed and let her arm go limp in his grasp.
"What?" She asked, allowing him the chance to speak. She seemed absolutely exhausted and didn't appear to be in the mood to listen to him no longer, yet curiosity got the best of her.
He took a moment to figure out what he was going to say, exactly. He wasn't sure why he had acted out like he did, but he knew she still deserved an apology. Not just because he appeared to be interested in the woman and yearned to please her, but because there was no reason behind his actions. No matter whom he had yelled at, whether it was her or the person he disliked the most, he knew it was only fair. He acted out when she did nothing to him but hurt his ego.
"Jess, I owe you an apology. There was no sense in my behavior and I'm sorry. I was an asshole for no reason and I apologize for my overreaction." He admitted as he reached back with his available hand and scratched the back of his neck. He still hadn't let go of her wrist, though now he let his own arm go limp and hadn't noticed how close he was to holding her hand.
Jesselynn grinned, though it probably wasn't the most appropriate time to do so. "I guess, it's alright. I'll admit, I'm a little worried about actually going out with him. I heard the stories, too, and have been a little judgmental." She admitted as she used her other hand to reach back and nervously pull a strand behind her ear.
He returned her grin and now noticed his hand and how he was just a twitch away from entwining her hand with his. He looked down at their hands from the corner of his eye, pretending to look in the space beside him, and noticed that she hadn't made any sign that she noticed or objected his hand. Even though his face burned a bright shade of crimson, he didn't make any attempt at moving it.
"Don't judge after what I've said, then. Like I said, I was bein' an asshole. I've never even seen the kid, let alone know who he is or how he is on dates. I guess we're both a little judgmental, huh?" He admitted with an amused chuckle as he used all the energy he had into keeping his hand as still as humanly possible. For the first time in years, he prayed. Prayed that she wouldn't notice that he hadn't moved his hand and he was substituting for. He had no idea how to explain his need to touch the skin of her hand to himself let alone to her. A part of him yearned to find out if they were as soft as they appeared. From he felt, his imagination was greater. They were kind of dry from the dry, dusty wind, but they weren't hardened like his. They were definitely more pleasant than his own, that's for sure.
She smiled and giggled. "Don't tell Justin, but yeah. He's always on my case about being to judgmental. He'd never let me live it down if he heard me admitting it." She said with a giggle.
He just chuckled along with her and they sat with each other a little while longer, the awkward tension building again. Sadly, for Woods, Jesselynn's hand suddenly moved from underneath his and was replaced with a rag. She dipped it into the bowl of clean water again and lifted it to his face.
This time, he allowed her to do her job as she scrubbed at the scabbed remains of pooled blood in the dip of his temple. This time, she was inches from his face, though she was closer to his left side this time, and had a look of pure determination across her face. She even bit on her bottom lip as she tried to be gentle, yet rough to get the blood and dirt completely gone.
As she wrung her rag again, dipped it in clean water, and turned back to him, she spoke again. "Can I ask you one thing? It's been bugging me…" She asked hesitantly and refused to meet his eyes or her courage would drain from her body.
He tensed with nervousness for he knew what she was going to ask. Yet, he knew he couldn't be rude. So, even though he didn't have an answer, he allowed her to ask. "Sure, shoot."
She was silent for a moment as she lightly wiped the dirt from his lower, left cheek and built up more courage. "Why? Why did you disagree with me going out with someone?"
Woods sighed and accidentally blew a wild strand of hair from her face, forgetting about how close they were to each other. "To be honest, I'm not even sure myself. After today and how close those bastards were to home, I guess it turned me into an asshole. I took it out on the wrong person, I'm sorry." He answered though he wasn't one hundred percent sure if that was even true. He knew it had a part, though.
He couldn't tell if she believed him, but she took his answer with a grin and a nod. "I guess I don't blame you then. To be honest too, I nearly ran outside and threw a roll of gauze at you. Roxanne laughed at me." She admitted and nodded back towards Roxanne.
Roxanne perked slightly at the mention of her name, but decided to stay out of the conversation and focused her attention of calming the baby that had been awoken by the slamming of the door.
Woods laughed at the mere thought of the woman in front of him trying to be violent and her weapon of choice. "Probably would've deserved it, anyway. You know, you're welcome to hurt me in anyway. Once in a lifetime chance, Jess. Take it or leave." He offered with a sly grin and looked down at her from the corner of his eye as she scrubbed around his cheekbones.
She just giggled and decided against it, at first. She had been trying to be gentle with him since she could see the skin beginning to color where he had been hit, but she thought of something perfect for the offer.
Though she knew she probably should've just denied the request, it would've been more nice and polite, she placed her fingers, that were covered with the rag, and pushed deep into the minor wound.
"Fuck!" He cursed as he resisted the urge to slap her hand away and cup a hand around his sore face. He offered, but felt temporary anger at her. That quickly drifted away when he heard her melodious laughter at his reaction.
"I kinda do feel better now, thanks." She forced out through a fit of giggles.
Then, he couldn't stay mad any longer. Yes, he had offered any kind of punishment and couldn't be mad. Also, just to hear her happy and care-free after a long, strenuous day already made him feel better. Hell had knocked on their door, but they took a moment in mindless fun.
"Glad I could be of service, ma'am." He said jokingly as he allowed her to finish her job.
October 31, 2026
Philadelphia
Jesselynn Thorne, Jessica Stanley, and Michael Ross
"Wow…I had no idea how stressful the medical work could be on someone." Jessica admitted as she leaned back in her seat after listening to her mother's story.
Jesselynn just grinned though it never met her eyes. "Yes, I will admit that those days during the war still haunt me. There's days where I have to stop myself from jumping out of my bed and looking for a bleeding soldier. Some days, it still feels so real. Like I'm still in Vietnam, sleeping off days of no rest." She admitted as she stared down at her own hands, that were now wrinkled and crippled with old age and arthritis. She still could feel the warm, sticky, oozing blood that would pool underneath her when she would apply pressure to a gaping, major wound.
"Man…That gives me a deeper respect to those behind the scenes. You never realize how important the surgeon's role is until you really think about it." Michael awed along with Jessica at their mother's story. He still felt sickly over the thought of man's lower leg only being supported by a single tendon. He shivered.
"Yes. We owe a lot to the soldiers, don't get me wrong, but there's no telling how different things would have been if there were just on-field medics that only had the equipment they could carry in their pockets. It would be hard to get to each and every one, that's for sure."
The three were silent as they all took a moment to think about the horrors of war on both sides. Jessica knew how ugly it could be; the sight of her father being wheeled home was proof enough for her, even at a young age.
"So, was that when things started to change between you and Frank? It sounded like he was jealous that another man was interested in you." Jessica asked with a wry smile. She had never thought of her father as the jealous-type and it was rather amusing. She also never knew that she dated someone before her father, not including Marcus.
Jesselynn smiled as she remembered, once again, the look on his face when he heard that someone had asked her on a date. "I guess you can say that. It wasn't until later that things really changed, but I won't spoil it for you, "she paused for a moment to chuckle at her own joked and continued, "Besides, it gives you another reason to come back and visit me!"
Jessica and Michael smiled at the elderly woman at the same time a knock on the door interrupted their moment and a woman's head popped into the room behind the door.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to finish up. Visiting hours are up. Well, they have been for about ten minutes now. I'm really sorry for the intrusion." She announced with a truly, apologetic expression.
Jesselynn smiled and waved the woman off. "Don't you worry about it, honey. I think we were finishin' up anyway. We were, right, dears?" She said looking at the two.
Michael was already on his feet and offered a hand to help his sister up when he looked over and smiled at her. "Yes, ma'am. I've got to go pick up Sierra anyway. Thank you once again for your time and sharin' your wonderful stories with us. They've truly been a pleasure." He said with a charming twinkle in his eye.
Jessica still amazed at Michael's gentle nature. Who knew that someone who had the same blood of a brute could be the most gentle, respectful person she had ever met. Yes, he had his moments, especially as a child, but he always seemed to rise against them. She had a lot of respect for her brother. After sharing the same name and blood as Marcus who was known to scream and curse at every little thing, he had the ability to remain calm even through the toughest times. She wish she had his strength, but she was still glad that he was here to support her even though he hadn't been sure if it was a good idea in the beginning.
The three said their goodbyes and were escorted from the room. Jessica sighed and looped arms with Michael. "You know, that went rather well." She proclaimed.
Michael grinned at her. "You seem relaxed…What kinda meds you been takin'?" He questioned wryly.
Jessica rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "Ha ha, you're hilarious! And I don't know, I've just been in a good mood. Also, I'm thinking about visiting Dad with Frankie."
Michael halted in his steps and nearly made Jessica trip. "Seriously?"
She shrugged it off and ignored the look they received from those in the lobby. "Yes, he said that if I go and visit Dad with him, then he'd come and see Mom. He's the kind of compromise, remember? He swiped you out of your collection of baseball cards for 50 bucks and did your chores for a month." She reminded him.
"Yeah, I still don't forgive him for pawning for a new skateboard. So, you're seriously going all the way to visit Dad. Not to be rude, but I thought you said you had no funds to make that trip." He said remembering the anger he felt over his younger brother when they children.
Jessica waited until they were outside to finish her conversation with him as they started to part ways. "Frankie said he's got it all covered as long as I agree to go with him. Besides, he's going to see Mom. That's a reward for us all since none of our other siblings will. I've also been dying to see Dad. I'm scared for Mom and I just seriously need to talk to him, face-to-face."
Michael sighed knowing that she was right. It would be nice to see how Frank was dealing with his time without Jesselynn or the rest of the family. He still felt awful for sending him all the way over there, but there was no one anyone could care for him now and it was one of the best facilities.
"Okay, I see your reason. Just be careful, okay? Whenever you go, just be careful. Also, tell Frank how much we love and miss him. I'm sure he'll threaten to shove his wheelchair up our asses 'cause we aren't there ourselves, but let him know, okay?" He finally said with a grin. He knew how difficult his step-father could be sometimes when it came to family affairs, but that was one thing he loved about him. He always kept things entertaining.
Jessica smiled and started towards her car. "Will do, Mikey." She gave him a thumbs-up as she walked away from him.
"Don't call me Mikey!" He hollered back with mock-annoyance in his words.
She laughed because now she knew he was like his father when it came to names. Just like he hated being called Mark, she hated Mikey. Although, then again, she could understand his dislike for the childish nickname.
October 31, 2026
Philadelphia
Marissa Williams and James Woods
James sat in the passenger seat of their SUV, arms crossed with a glare plastered on his face. Normally, he and his mother talked about their day or sang along to the music in their car. But this wasn't a normal day. It was the complete opposite of normal.
Marissa tried to start a conversation with him a couple of times since they left the store, but he refused to answer her and join along as though nothing had happened. So, for the past forty-five minutes, they rode in complete silence.
James couldn't believe what had just happened. He wanted to say he was mad, but he could never be mad at his mother. He didn't know how it felt about the situation. He just…He always thought it'd be different. Something grand and dramatic that was newsworthy like all the other kids he'd seen on TV before. Kids reuniting with their military fathers. It was completely different than the reality. It was more like running into a teacher at the store. Nothing grand or spontaneous. Mostly, he was disappointed.
"Was it him?" He suddenly asked, no longer able to keep silent any longer. He refused to look over at his mother's reaction and continued to glare at the road ahead of him.
Marissa glanced at him a few times before finally answering him. "What?"
"Mom, please, you know who I'm talking about. The guy at the store, Frankie, it was him wasn't it? My dad." He said more like a statement than an actual question.
Marissa sighed as she stopped at the traffic light and looked over at him. "Yes, he was." She said. There was no point in lying to him since it was so obvious.
James sat there for a moment, expecting something to rush over him. Shock? Joy? Completeness? Relief? Nothing. He felt the same as he did leaving for the store that morning. This was something he'd been waiting for since he was a kid, but he felt nothing. He was glad that he finally knew, but he expected to feel so much more than what he felt now.
"How'd you know?" Marissa asked curiously as she waited for the cars ahead of her to slowly move along as the light turned green.
James took a moment to actually think of an answer besides "I just knew." He sighed and straightened himself up in his leather seat. "Your face said it all. Besides, I look just like him, Mom. The way you reacted, his looks, and his name was a dead giveaway. I may still count as a minor, but I'm not a kid." He said rather sourly.
Marissa arched a brow at her son's sour attitude. "I was not saying that, James, and you know it. Don't you try to pick a fight." She scolded.
He mumbled an apology and they rode in silence again for another thirty minutes. There's no way anyone would consider him his step-father's child. His mother had red hair and brown eyes. His step-father had blonde hair and blue eyes. While James had the same inky, disheveled hair and pine green eyes as Frankie. Besides the freckles, he was a photo-copy of Frankie. You'd have to blind to say otherwise.
"Why'd you lie about your name anyway? You're usually very proud about your name, but you didn't give it away this time." Marissa asked, breaking the silence again.
He sighed again, clearly not in the mood to talk but answered her regardless. "It would've been a dead giveaway. Besides, I wouldn't want you crawlin' up my ass about dropping the 'I'm-your-son-bomb' like that." He retorted as he stared out the window beside him, too ashamed to meet his mother's eyes.
Her head immediately snapped over to him and scowled. "Franklin James! You better watch your mouth, you hear me?"
James let his official name sink in before turning back towards his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm just….I dunno. I expected more." He said rather sorrowfully.
Normally, she'd already be speculating his punishment for talking to her like that, but from the tone of his voice she knew something much more important was happening to him right now. Just this time, she'd let it slide.
"What were expecting, James?" She asked, wishing she wasn't driving right now so she could reach over and wrap him up in a hug even though he'd worm his way out of it, claiming to be too old for that.
He was silent for a moment and shrugged. He liked the guy that he now knew was his father and wished to get to know him, but the moment was ruined, in his opinion. "I dunno. I just expected something more…eventful. He just gave me some fatherly advice and asked how old I was then left. I expected our first conversation to go completely different."
Marissa frowned with sympathy for her son and the desire to touch him and comfort him grew stronger. "What kind of advice?" She asked, the curiosity for what he could've possibly said to the boy growing stronger.
He shrugged. "Just about bein' easy on ya. Said that moms are special and should be treated good and stuff. I think he noticed how I upset I was and thought it was because of you." He replied, pretending as though he was already forgetting what his father said to him. In reality, he could quote his whole speech to him in the store to anyone willing to listen.
Marissa nodded now that the need to know was satisfied. "Oh, sweetie, I know you expected more and I'm sorry. I guess I should've said something, but I wanted it to be more private and special. But, you can't blame him for not showing a greater interest like you wanted. I've never told him about you so he has no idea. So, don't be hard on him." She said as they stopped at a stop sign. This time, she reached over as much as her seatbelt would allow and placed a hand on his shoulder.
He didn't shake it off as he let her mother's words sink in. He didn't blame Frankie, not at all. He just wished he said something. They were alone for no more than two minutes. It was the perfect amount of time to say "Hey, I'm your son! I was conceived about seventeen years ago, you know, the last time you saw Mom!" Yet, he stood there and said nothing. He just nodded and replied half-heartedly to what he was telling him.
He still remembered looking at him and still wanted to shout, "Turn around! Please! I wanna know my dad while I still can!" but didn't have the nerve to do so.
So, he stood there and said nothing. He wasn't even sure if he'd ever see him again. As far as Frankie knew, his mother was just an old flame. Especially with James in the picture. Now, Marissa was just the old flame with a kid in the way. There's no way he'd come back now.
So, for five minutes in a grocery store, he had a father. Now, nearly an hour later, he was fatherless. Again.
So, what did you guys think this time around? Was it good? Bad? Let me know!
Creative Question: How do you think things will change for the characters now? How will you think Frank and Jesselynn will further develop? How will visiting Frank with Frankie and Jessica go? How will it go when Frankie visits Jesselynn? What do you think will happen in the future with Marissa and James? Please feel free to answer!
Anyway, I think that's enough of me for one night. I'm so exhausted. It's nearly 4 o'clock in the morning and I have to wake up in a few hours :P Blegh!