Their son Nick is nice. We didn't talk to him much, but he seemed friendly, and almost the complete opposite of Michael when he was younger, with the exception of the good looks.
Donna drops me off at my house, and I notice that Paul's car is no longer there, but I notice Molly's car in the driveway, weirdly enough.
I walk inside, and see Molly sitting on the couch, watching TV with Spencer.
"Molly?" I ask, and she turns around. "What're you doing here?"
"Well, I just thought I'd stop by. Paolo's show was tonight, so..." She trails off, looking sad. "They're leaving in two days."
I raise my eyebrows. "Wow."
"So... when should we go? Like, should we buy our tickets?" Molly asks, looking desperate.
"Oh, honey." I give her a sympathetic look. "We can't go yet. It's gonna be hectic over there, I'm sure, with all the news and everything."
Molly nods, understanding what I'm saying. "So we'll give it a week, or what?"
I shake my head slowly. "No, I mean... I have to discuss it with Paul. It would take a while to buy tickets. We need to make sure we can get cheap enough tickets or I can't afford for the three of us to go," I say, gesturing to me and Spencer since Asher was upstairs. "And, I don't think things will settle down in a week."
"Well... can't you just talk to Paul, Mom?" she asks.
Spencer gives me an excited look. "Yeah, Mom. Just ask Dad."
"It's not that easy. He will not want me to," I explain. "He'll make it impossible to."
"Well, try." Molly shrugs. "What else could you do?"
She's right, I guess. I'm gonna call him later, and ask him to stop by so we can talk.
"Alright," I agree, and my two daughters squeal.
"I can't even imagine what it'll be like!" Spencer exclaims happily.
"Oh my God, it'll be so pretty." Molly sighed contentedly.
We hear a door shut upstairs, and I see Asher walk down the stairs slowly.
"Why are there never any guys in this house?" he says to himself as he descends down the staircase.
Spencer grins. "Because girls are better."
"Nah." Asher sits down on the couch, leaning back. Personally, I'm surprised that he's down here. I mean, he always keeps to himself.
"Hmm." I sigh. "Moll, it's almost ten. You should get home before it's too late."
Molly looks at the clock and agrees. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Normally, I would invite you to stay, but I know you have Paolo at home, and you don't have much more time with him." I shrug. "I know you want to see him."
Molly nods. "Yeah, I do." She looks down. "He was great tonight. His voice is awesome, and he's great at guitar. I don't know, he's just so cool."
I laugh a little bit. "Well, good." I hug her. "Things will work out, honey. I know they will."
"Thanks, Mom." She smiles. "Bye, Spence; bye, Ash."
"Bye, Molly," they say in unison.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NORMAL POV:
Molly drove home and walked in to find Dario and Lily watching TV together on the couch on opposite ends of the couch.
"Hi." Molly hung up her coat as she eyed the pair.
"Hi, Moll," Dario said. "Paolo's still out."
"Oh." Molly frowned. "Why so late?"
Dario shrugged. "It's his first American gig. He's probably just trying to enjoy it. Plus, you left early."
"Alright." Molly walked into her room, not sure what to do. She sat on the bed, and heard Lily talking to Dario. She decided to listen in.
"Why are you distancing yourself from me?" Lily asked.
"Because we aren't together," Dario stated as though it were obvious.
"We have a child together," Lily said. "So we should be together."
"No," Dario said. "I didn't know we had a child, Lily. Just let it go."
"Dar," Lily said, but Dario shushes her.
"I'm going to bed," Dario said. "You can sleep on the couch tonight."
"But-"
"No, just stay."
Molly raised her eyebrows from her room. She sat there for another few minutes when she heard the front door open. She rushed out of her room. Paolo walked in, looking around.
She walked out of her room. "Looking for me?"
Paolo nodded and smiled. "You know I was."
"Why were you out so late?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I was talking with the owners, and I was drinking some."
"Oh." Molly nodded. "Okay. We should go in my room, probably."
Paolo looked around and saw Lily on the couch. "Oh, yes."
They went in Molly's room and sat on the bed.
"So, you're leaving soon," Molly said.
Paolo nodded. "Monday. Two days."
Molly shrugged. "My mom said that we should go for like, a month. Because it will probably be hectic."
"Yes, it will be," Paolo agreed. "But a month may be too much time." He smiled and kissed her.
Molly smiled back, then shrugged. "I don't know. Tell me, what's your home like?"
"Speaking of what?" Paolo asked.
"Like..." Molly started. "Your town. Your house, your family. Those kinds of things."
Paolo smiled. "Well, my town is small. Very small. It's very... rural."
"And your house?" Molly asked.
"It's big, I suppose." He shrugged. "My father had a nice job."
"And, your family?"
"They are wonderful." He smiled. "You, of course, know Dario. And my mother, she's small, but works to keep everything nice. My father used to be strict, but he has lightened up with age. And my sister Emmanuelle and I are fairly close. She's into music, like me. She's very nice; you'll like her."
Molly nodded and smiled. "All right. I'm really looking forward to going."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you there." Paolo smiled at her.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JACKIE'S POV:
I woke up at about eight. It's a Saturday, so the kids don't have school today.
"Mom," Spencer says, "will you ask Dad about Italy?"
I sigh. "Honey, I-"
"He'll act the same no matter when you ask him," Asher comments.
"Well, I..." I look to see Spencer handing me the phone. "Alright. But you, save me if you hear him go crazy." I point at Asher, who rolls his eyes and smirks.
I dial, and wait. Paul picks up.
"What?" he asks rudely.
"Paul, could you at least have the decency to pick up the phone in a-"
He interrupts me. "No. What do you want?"
I sigh. "I'm taking the kids on vacation with me in like, a month."
"Oh yeah? Where?"
"Italy. Molly's going, too," I say.
"Oh, really? Well, you know, if I say for them not to go, they legally can't," Paul points out.
"Yeah, but that would be in order to piss me off. These are your kids, who you actually love. They're looking forward to this. Don't you want to make them happy?"
Paul sighs. "Do whatever you want, Jackie. I've got stuff to do and places to be. Tell the kids I love 'em." He hangs up.
I turn and give Ash and Spence a thumbs up, and they cheer.
"So, what're you gonna do now?" Spencer asks.
I shrug. "I was gonna call up my friend and possibly go to his house. You two could go, too."
"Sure." Spencer nods.
"Nah. Can you drop me off at Greg's though?" Ash asks.
"Ash, you never wanna spend time with me," I say, playfully messing up his hair. "But yeah, sure."
"Thanks." Asher smiles.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
I drop Asher off at his friend's house, and Spencer and I go to Donna's.
It's raining lightly, but we dodge it and run inside.
Donna greets us, then warns us that Eric is in the kitchen arguing with Jenny's boyfriend Chad over something.
We sit down, and we can hear yelling.
"You can't treat my daughter like that!" I hear Eric yell.
"Daddy, it's fine!" Jenny shouts.
"No, it's not, Jen," Eric says. "All he does is take advantage of you and this family. He doesn't deserve you."
"Oh, please, your daughter loves me," I hear a voice say.
"Jenny," I hear Eric say, "go in the living room for a minute and let me talk to Chad."
"No, Daddy, I-"
"Jen, go," Eric says again, and I hear Jenny pout, but I see her walk in the room and sit on the couch.
Donna looks at her daughter, and Jenny looks back.
"Why'd you marry such an asshole?" Jenny asks sourly.
"I think you're the one with the asshole," Donna says back coolly.
Jenny stands up and stomps upstairs. "No one ever wants me to be happy!"
Donna rolls her eyes and looks at Spencer and I. "You're lucky she's still young."
I look at Spence. "You ever gonna do that to me?"
Spencer shakes her head, and Donna laughs.
"Please. Spencer's gorgeous. She'll have boys everywhere, I'm sure."
Spencer blushes, and almost on cue, Donna and Eric's son Adam comes downstairs.
"Mom, what's wrong with-" He notices Spencer and looks for a moment, then looks back at his mother. "What's wrong with Jenny?"
"Dad and Chad are /talking/," Donna says, raising her eyebrows.
Adam rolls his eyes. Clearly, the only person in this household who respects Chad is Jenny.
"Adam, this is my friend Jackie, and her daughter Spencer," Donna says, gesturing to Spencer and I.
"Hi," Adam says casually to both of us, and sits down.
Donna looks around. "I am so curious to see what they're talking about. Do you wanna sneak in the kitchen?"
I grin and nod. "I remember when there was a time when you would resent me for wanting to do this. Now look."
Donna just rolls her eyes, smiling. We go through the back entrance of the kitchen, lurking around the corner.
"You don't respect my daughter, you're rude to all of us, and you don't do anything right," Eric says to Chad. "I can't handle you being with my daughter anymore. She can't see you anymore."
"You can't do that," Chad says, sneering. "She'll come and see me as she pleases."
"No." Eric sounds stern and serious. "She won't. I don't care if she needs to be in my sight at all times. She's not seeing you."
Chad just laughs. "Jenny's gonna be eighteen in a few months anyway. You won't be able to do anything then."
"Yeah, well." Eric stops to think, but can't think of anything. "She can't see you at all as of right now. So leave my house, right now."
"Nah, I'm gonna go see /your daughter/ first, okay?" Chad says suggestively.
"Get the hell out of my house!" Eric corners him, and Chad just gives him a weird look, walking out the door. Without turning around, he says, "Donna, you can come out now."
"Damn, how did you know that?" Donna asks as we reveal ourselves.
"Well, I would say that I'm psychic," Eric starts, "but I saw your heads around the corner. Not too subtle of a hiding place."
"It was worth a try," Donna says. "I am so glad you finally told him off, Eric. I can't stand him."
"You know I can't," Eric says as Jenny walks in.
"I heard the door shut," Jenny says. "Where's Chad?"
"He left," Eric says. "He's gone, for good."
Jenny narrows her eyes at him. "No, he's not. That's not up to you."
"Yes, it is. I'm your father, and your mother and I both agree that you can't see him anymore," Eric says.
Jenny stomps her foot. "That's not fair! He's my boyfriend!"
"Not anymore," Eric says with satisfaction.
"I /love/ him, Daddy!" Jenny says. "You can't make him just leave me!"
"Jen, you don't /need/ him," Eric says. "He's an asshole, and you could find a better guy in a heartbeat."
Jenny looks down, starts crying, and leaves the room.
Eric sighs. "I don't want her to cry. He's just so bad for her. And this is for the best." He points at me. "Good luck in five years."
I laugh. "Spencer won't do that to me. Molly didn't."
Then, the back door opens, and Steven walks in.
"Oh, Steven!" I say, then try to cover my excitement. "I mean, I didn't know you were gonna be here."
"Yeah, I've been here. I was just listening in outside on Forman actually being somewhat badass." He snickers.
"Hey, that was bold," Eric says defensively.
Donna smiles and kisses Eric. "I thought you were very brave."
"Donna, you realize he was arguing with an eighteen year old kid?" Steven asks.
Donna shrugs. "You know Eric."
Quickly, I poke my head into the living room and I see Spencer and Adam talking. I smile, then go back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Eric, Donna, Steven and I are sitting at the kitchen table talking, then Jenny comes downstairs, still crying.
"Jen," Eric says sympathetically, "you aren't still sad about him, are you?"
Her lip trembles. "Daddy, I love him. I can't not be with him. I need him!"
Eric shakes his head. "No, you don't. I'm doing you a favor, Jen."
"No, you aren't!" she insists.
"You don't need him, Jen," Eric says again.
"Yes, I do, Daddy!" she says as she continues to cry.
"Why would you need an asshole like that in your life?" Donna interrupts, clearly pissed.
"Because!" Jenny yells. "I'm pregnant." She starts crying harder and runs out of the room.
Donna and Eric look at each other with the most scared look on their face, while Steven and I awkwardly look at each other.