The plus side of having a beach in your back yard: being able to escape at short notice. Normal people would drive away in a car and maybe do some retail therapy. Me? I went jogging. In the sand. Which is super hard, just for the record.
My mom had been calling almost nonstop since I had turned my phone back on after getting back from the store with Lana. I had been ignoring her calls. After two steps in the sand, I had kicked off my shoes and just run barefoot. The bright sun actually felt good, warming my back. It didn't help with the perspiration though.
After half an hour of straight running, I felt like I was far enough away from the house that I should turn back. On the way back, I ran in the shallow water, mostly just for the fun of it. And my feet were hot. I caught sight of a familiar face running in the opposite direction and yanked out my earbuds as he stopped to talk.
"I wouldn't have pegged you as a runner, Sean," I teased.
"Except that we've been living in the same town whilst filming and you are well aware of my early morning habits," he said with a laugh. "So don't play that card."
"Just making conversation," I defended. "Don't be so touchy."
"I'm about ready to give in though," he smirked. "It's been a while since my last run and I've gotten lazy."
"Yeah right," I laughed out loud. "But you're welcome to head back with me."
"Thank you for the offer. I was going to just traipse behind you," he said faking a serious expression. "Nothing awkward about that."
I wound up my headphones and stuck my iPod back in my pocket. Taking pity on him, I continued on my way at a nice easy walk.
"Did you hear that Elizabeth is flying down in a couple of days to join us?" Sean asked. "Georgina was on the phone with her when I left."
"Oh that's great news!" I replied. "Now all we need is Jared."
"He was majorly disappointed that he couldn't convince his mother to let him come down with us," he said. "The lad was absolutely crushed."
"Well, he is underage so he has to listen to his mother," I said sympathetically. "I think it's hard for him to hang around us all the time. He doesn't have many friends because he's shooting scenes and making money."
"I'm so glad that my acting career didn't take off until I had become a young adult," Sean shared. "I can't imagine what it would've been like for me if I'd been in the position Jared is in."
"His mom is letting him come to the San Diego Comic Con, right?"
"I'm not sure she has a choice," Sean laughed. "PR practically threatened us with death if we weren't there."
"True," I conceded with a wide smile. "Think you can keep up if we jog a little the rest of the way back?"
Sean huffed. "No problem," he grinned.
I kept it slow just in case he really was as out of shape as he claimed. Colin was lounging on the back deck in a chair when we arrived back at the house.
"You missed all the excitement," he said casually.
"What happened this time?" I asked.
Sean looked just as curious. Colin took a sip of his drink before replying.
"Lana lit the grill on fire when she was trying to get it heated up for burgers," he beamed.
"Why do you look so happy about that?" I laughed.
"Oh it's not that hilarious," he winked. "What's hilarious is how Georgina drenched Lana with a bucket of ice water when she was trying to put it out."
"No way!"
My eyes were wide. If Lana had been wronged there was going to be payback. And there was nothing I loved more than a prank war.
"Careful, Morrison," Colin warned. "You might get exactly what you wish for."
Had he just read my mind?
"I need a shower," Sean declared, effectively changing the subject. "Coming, Jen?"
"Just to be clear, I am not sharing a shower with you, Sean," I said, following him into the house. "I don't care how close you think we are or how much you want to conserve water."
"The thought never crossed my mind," he winked.
Liar. It was a thought that pretty much came to every man's mind. Unfortunately.
"Oh, and Jen?" Colin called after me. "Ginny was looking for you."
"Thanks," I called back.
I decided that whatever Ginny had to talk to me about could wait until after my shower. Climbing up the stairs on the heels of Sean, I slipped into my room and locked the door. Luckily my room was one that had an adjoining shower. It connected to another bedroom but I locked the door to prevent anyone from walking in on me accidentally.
A refreshing shower was just what I needed. And by the time I was dressed in a fresh set of clothes, I felt ready to face my mother. Or talk to her anyway.
"Hey, Mom."
"Sweetheart, I've been so worried! You haven't been answering your phone all day!" she burst out.
"Sorry, I was on a plane and then trying to enjoy my vacation," I explained with a hint of bitterness. "Are you really sure that you and Dad are splitting up?"
"Back to that subject again?" she sighed. "I was worried it was why you weren't answering the phone but I hoped to exchange some pleasantries before getting back to it."
"That didn't answer my question," I said shortly.
"Yes, dear, we are getting a divorce. In fact, I just finished meeting with my lawyer," my mom said with another sigh. "Thankfully, it's going to be a pleasant one. We each agreed on who gets what with no arguing or suing."
"Well good for you," I drawled sarcastically. "Why is a divorce necessary though? Can't you work things out?"
"Oh, Jennifer, don't try to sound like such an expert," my mother snapped. "How many times have you been married?"
"It's not a matter of experience, Mother. It's a matter of treating marriage with respect and giving it the nurturing and care that it needs."
"Don't speak to me like that," she said coldly. "I know what I'm doing and so does your father. If you can't come to terms with this then that's your problem."
"Am I wrong for thinking that there's more to life than how many times you've been in a relationship or been married? Shouldn't the focus be on having that one successful relationship?"
Our conversation was getting a little more heated than I intended. My mother's temper seemed to be flaring with every word.
"Divorce is a part of life! It's about time that you came to terms with that. I'm sure all of your little actor friends would agree with me!"
And with that she hung up the phone. I immediately threw it across the bedroom. It landed with a bounce on my bed just as someone knocked on my door.
"Now's not a good time," I declared as I swung it open.
"Apologies, love," Colin said. "We heard someone shouting and thought something was wrong."
"Something is wrong!" I snapped, slamming the door shut again and flinging myself onto my bed with a sob.
I heard the door open again and Colin quietly step inside, shutting it behind him.
"Jen, tell me what's wrong," he said. "We're mates, remember?"
"You're getting a divorce. Why do you seem so occupied with my problems?" I asked a little harshly.
"Because suffering people need to stick together," he replied, taking it all in stride.
He sat down on the bed next to me and started rubbing my back comfortingly.
"Well if you must know," I huffed. "My parents are getting a divorce and no relationship that I've ever been in has turned out to be anything close to what I wish they would be. I guess I've been spending too much time hearing about Prince Charming and fairytales. I'm having trouble with the real world."
"Has filming Once Upon a Time taught you nothing?" Colin asked.
I could practically hear the grin in his voice.
"You mean that fairytale endings really do exist?" I mocked. "It's a dramatized TV show, Colin."
"But anything is possible if you just believe," he quoted. "Come on, Jen. A lot of guys out there are jerks but you'll find the right one eventually. And as for your parents; that's their decision to make. It's sad, sure. I'm sad about Helen but there's nothing I can say that'll change her mind. Plus a small part of me blames her because she cheated on me, not the other way around."
"She's still filing for a divorce?" I asked rather redundantly.
"It's official. I got the papers this morning before we left. I'm no longer married."
"I'm sorry for whining, Colin," I said softly. "You've got a lot more on your plate than I do."
"Now now," he shushed me. "We can't go comparing loads of problems. We all have different stuff going on."
There was a soft knock on my door and Ginny poked her head in.
"Jen, Oliver finally went down for his nap- Oh, Colin! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here. I'm sorry I interrupted," she stammered.
"No we were just talking," I said quickly. "What's up?"
"Josh finally got the grill working after Lana and Georgina's mishap, and we've got burgers and hot dogs going. Can you come help me set out the food?" Ginny asked.
"Sure, I'll be right down," I jumped up.
Ginny beamed and disappeared, leaving the door ajar.
"I'll come help too," Colin offered. "Even though my help wasn't specifically requested."
I had to fight the urge to link my fingers with his as we walked downstairs side by side. Josh was standing over the grill on the deck, flipping burgers. Georgina was in the kitchen slicing tomatoes and Ginny was carrying several bags of chips to a table on the back deck. I joined her, grabbing items from her pile and shuttling them to their new location. Colin picked up a knife and started helping Georgina by slicing some cheese.
"What's going on with you and Colin?" Ginny asked, grabbing my arm before we headed back for another load.
"He's just being a good friend, Ginny," I assured her. "We're each other's support right now."
She looked at me skeptically.
"How rare am I allowed to leave these, sweetheart?" Josh asked from behind us.
Ginny hurried over to survey his work and I disappeared back into the house. I nearly crashed into Lana as she descended down the stairs, her hair still damp.
"Is dinner ready yet? I'm starved," she declared.
She walked up to where Colin and Georgina were working and snuck a slice of tomato. Georgina slapped her hand gently.
"Not until we sit down and eat," she scolded.
Lana glanced at her witheringly.
"I think you can spare one slice," Lana said. "Especially after dousing me with ice water."
Georgina blushed and ducked her head.
"I did apologize, Lana," she said softly. "And I suppose we could spare one slice. But no more than that."
Colin winked at me and slipped me a slice of cheese behind his back. I gratefully accepted it and stuffed it in my mouth before anyone noticed. Lana helped me finish carrying things outside and then proceeded to hover beside Josh.
"Has anyone seen Robert or Emilie since we got here?" Sean asked as he joined the group.
The smell of food was drawing everyone in. And come to think of it, I hadn't seen either of the two lovebirds since unloading the cars and sorting out rooms.
"Someone should go get them for dinner," I said.
"You're more than welcome to," Lana laughed. "I'm not risking interrupting anything."
I shuddered. I didn't want to walk in on anything either.
"We'll save them some food," Ginny said diplomatically. "If the smell doesn't draw them down then they can eat later."
I joined Lana, hovering by Josh, as he started piling meat on a plate. The aroma was making my mouth water, even though I'd eaten a burger for lunch not too long ago. Maybe my run have made me hungrier than I thought. Lana took advantage of my thinking spell and grabbed the plate, whisking it away so she could choose first.
When it was my turn, I chose to risk looking greedy by taking a hot dog and a hamburger. After dumping on condiments and piling chips on my plate, I chose a drink and settled in a deck chair. I was joined shortly by Colin. Right from the start he kept stealing olives off of my plate and popping them into his mouth.
"It's nice to see you smiling," he commented, tapping his chin. "No one enjoys seeing sad Jen."
I smiled at his words. Georgina took the seat on the other side of me.
"Did Sean tell you the news?" she asked brightly.
"That Elizabeth's coming?" I replied. "Yes and I can't wait!"
"I'm going to pick her up from the airport on Thursday and she'll be able to stay for the rest of our little vacation," Georgina added. "That'll make our little family almost complete."
"We'll never get Jared down here though," I said. "And we'll never be complete without him."
"Actually," Colin said, interjecting.
I turned to look at him.
"Jared texted me this morning-" Colin shared.
"Oh my gosh! What did he say?" I demanded before letting him finish.
Needless to say, I was excited at the prospect of having my little buddy with us for some fun. He deserved it.
"His mom and sister are flying down with him tomorrow," he chuckled. "They've rented a small cottage nearby."
"No way!" I was bouncing with excitement. "I can't believe it! I thought his mother would never let him!"
"Well if you'd like to accompany me, I'll be picking them up tomorrow around noon," Colin laughed. "Just try not to strangle him in a death hug because you're so excited to see him."
I picked up another chip to eat and that's when I noticed Lana sneaking up in Georgina's blind spot with a bowl full of water. Georgina saw my wide-eyed expression and turned, ducking at the last moment. The water sailed harmlessly over her head and soaked my entire torso.
I just sat there, blinking, as everyone froze and stared. Even Lana was shocked. And maybe a little scared. I did have a reputation among the cast.
In one swift moment, I tossed aside my plate and jumped to my feet, diving for the hose. And the rest was history.