A/N: Don't own Twilight. Or really much of anything else. Sueing me would be pointless, Stephenie.
"Mom!"
Tabitha to the rescue. I don't even care what she wants as long as it gets me away from the most mind numbing job on my list today. After two weeks of scraping, sanding, peeling, and polishing, I have learned one thing for sure: I hate steaming off fifty year old wallpaper. At least we'll be ready to paint at the end of the week.
"Mom!"
"In here!"
"I got the best news ever!" She's all smiles. So excited. I love to see that even more than I hate steaming wallpaper.
"What is it, baby?"
"The neighbors got kids! And one of 'em is a boy! Wait. That's the bad part. The good part is he is seven! Can you believe it?"
"Wow! That is awesome, Tab! What's his name?"
"Daniel Newton."
I'm glad I've already gotten down from the step stool. I might have fallen off when I heard that name. "Newton?"
"Yep. He doesn't like to be called Danny so he knows why it's not okay to call me Tabby. Isn't that cool?"
"Yeah. So cool." Oh. That Daniel. The kid's a Newton. As in Mike and Jessica Newton. Great. Neighbors with the Newtons. Two weeks in the house and not one person warned me.
High school was a jungle. Edward was Tarzan and, by his say so, I was Jane. At least in our junior and senior years, anyway. I don't know who the second fiddles were to the king and his queen in Tarzan's jungle, but they had names in mine: Mike and Jessica. The George and Ursula of Forks, so to speak. And Jessica coveted my coconut crown. We were not friends. Frenemies, maybe. Mike was harmless when left to his own devices. When led by Jessica, though, he was a completely different story. She wore the stylish pants in that relationship, and she alone controlled when they came off. So Mike did as he was told. It was a snarky and subversive rivalry, which Edward and I easily won. There were never any punches thrown.
We've run into each other a few times since then. She came to my wedding, I went to hers. We've cooed over baby pictures, including Daniel's. We're grown up now, so our animosity is both hidden and lessening. I do not, however, look forward to living on the same street. I'm not sure I'm that grown up.
"His mom said to tell you hello. So, hello," she yells out behind her as she streaks back out the door. I wonder if Newton 2.0 and his mother are out there. Probably. Jessica always did like information, snooping being her preferred method of intelligence gathering. Wiping my grimy hands on my even grimier shorts, I head outside to possibly face my new neighbor.
"Bella!" Oh, good. She is here. In my yard. Awesome.
"Jessica! Oh my gosh! How are you?" I say this with as much happy sincerity as I can project on such short notice. I don't hate the woman, after all.
"I'm good, I'm good. More importantly, how are you?" And there it is. I think this has more to do with my reluctance to greet her than the fact that there might be lingering feelings of mean girl toward her. The hand on the arm, the brow furrowed in concern, the eager look in the eye. Equal parts curiosity and sympathy. I usually hold it together because I know people mean well. The curiosity has gotten easier to ignore. I'm just so tired of all the damn sympathy. I miss my husband. I still grieve. But it's been two and a half years. Tab and I need to heal. We deserve to heal. We're trying to heal. "I'm doing well, Jessica. Thank you for asking."
"That's wonderful," she says. "I'm so happy to hear that." I believe she means it, and now I'm confused. Stepping back from me, she chirps, "So our kids have certainly struck up an immediate friendship. Daniel is overjoyed that your Tabitha doesn't try to call him Danny. Instant bond." She laughs with a genuine smile on her face.
"She understands. Tabby is everyone's favorite nickname, except hers. She hates it," I explain.
"Then they should get along great. Unlike we did, huh?" I can't believe she pointed out the pink elephant in this reunion. Girl's brave.
"Well, yeah. That was a long time ago, though."
"It was. Bygones?" She extends her right hand. And I take it.
"Bygones," I grin. "Well, that was very grown up of us."
"I know, right?"
We take a seat on my cracked and dirty front steps and watch our kids run and play. It's beautiful. They're smiling and laughing and just enjoying the sun and breeze and grass and each other. And so are Jessica and I.
"Which house is yours?"
"We're three doors down. It's the yard with the tall picket fence and the slightly overgrown grass. Mike is supposed to mowing today, but he volunteered to watch the little ones while I spend some time with Daniel."
"Little ones?"
"Yeah. Mike and Jess have the beginnings of their own ball team," says a voice from the direction of the backyard.
"Hi, Jasper. You look like you've been working hard," Jessica calls out. They seem at ease with each other. He was closer to her and Mike than I was in school. I guess Jasper must have done a better job of keeping in touch with old friends than I did.
"Got a lot to do. They're having fun," he grins as he gestures to the happy boy and girl hopping around my front yard around my front yard. What kid doesn't love a Hippity Hop? Turning back to Jessica, he asks, "Just you and Daniel?"
"Emma and Ava are napping. Mike is probably still trying to feed Andrew his lunch."
"Four kids? Wow. I have my hands full with Tab!" I feel true admiration.
"Oh, four is it for us, too. The twins are three, Andrew is almost a year, and Daniel has had enough. We're done," Jessica says with a wistful smile. Something tells me that verdict is not yet written in stone. I never would have guessed it back in the day. Jessica Stanley Newton seems like a happy mommy. "And now that I think about it, we should probably be getting back. My husband is a great dad, but he can only be left alone with that many of them for so long."
"Can Daniel stay a little while longer?" My girl, always reluctant to cut short the fun.
"Please, Mom?" Daniel asks, but doesn't whine.
"We could walk him home, Jessica," I say, "if it's okay with you."
"Thank you. Next time, guys. I promise. Daniel's dad is making everyone lunch today."
"Okay," Tab says a bit reluctantly. "Bye, Mrs. Newton."
"See you, Jess."
"Later, Jasper. Hey, you still coming over for dinner Wednesday?"
"Yep."
"I'd love for you to come, too, Bella. Lauren and Tyler will be there. I know Laur would love to see you. It'll be a reunion. Of course, you should bring Tabitha. My kids would love it."
"Just let me know what time and what to bring."
We exchange numbers, and she leads Daniel home, much to Shortcake's chagrin.
"I wish Daniel could stay. He's the first new kid I met here. The only friends I got are River and Skye," she says, toeing the grass.
"Oh, honey. He'll be back. You okay?"
My precious daughter looks up to me with sadness in her eyes and replies, with utmost sincerity, "I'm bummed."
Chuckling next to me, Jasper whispers almost inaudibly, "Oh, my God. This kid is awesome." I turn slightly and give him a grin and a nod. A little louder, he says, "Tabitha, I could really use some help sanding down the new windowsill for your room. Want to try?"
"Yeah! That would be great," she replies, perking up immediately. "Can I, Mom?"
"Yes, but only if you listen to Jasper. If he tells you to do something, you do it, okay?"
"Okay!"
"First thing is to go inside and put on some sneakers. Flip flops don't work in a construction zone."
"Okay. Be right back!"
"That's really sweet, Jasper," I tell him, turning to face him and seeing the bright grin on his face.
"Can't have the kid bummed, now, can I?"
"Watch her back there."
"I will. She'll be fine. I'm not going to give her any power tools. So, I'm a little surprised you agreed to have dinner with Jessica and Lauren. I'm telling you right now, there will be photographic evidence. Pictures, Bella. I will show them at the next reunion, I swear," he chuckles.
"Come on. We're not in high school anymore. We can be nice."
He nods. "You're right."
"And Jessica seems to have grown up into someone I could like a lot."
"Yes, she has. She and Mike are good people. Great parents, fun. Lauren, on the other hand…"
"Oh, no, really?"
"She's pretty much as you remember her," he says with a cocked eyebrow.
"That is disappointing. What did I just get myself into?"
"A mostly enjoyable evening. Tyler is still a great guy."
"So are you."
We smile at each other, and he's about to say something. Before he can say it though, Tab bursts through the front door.
"I'm ready! Are we going out back? Do I need goggles? Do I get plug-in tools? Why do we gotta sand the window? Is there just one? Will it - "
"Whoa, Tabitha. One question at a time." He says this with a laugh, not a hint of annoyance. He's good with her.
"If we're gonna work together, you should call me Tab. It'll save time."
"Okay. You call me Jasper, and I'll call you Tab," he replies with a smile.
"But not Tabby. You have to promise, Jasper."
"I would never call you that. You're not a cat."
"Exactly!"
They round the corner and disappear, talking of nicknames and power tools. She made another friend. It's been a good day. It's been a good couple of weeks.
The renovation started the morning Jasper knocked on the front door with a hammer. After I put my clothes on and made coffee, we earmarked the most important items on an extensive and expensive to-do list. The house was in both better and worse shape than I thought. Structurally, the place was more sound than I'd hoped. Cosmetically, the work that needed to be done seemed like an endless task of decisions and expenditures.
The first tasks involved making the house safe for Tabitha: railings were repaired; smoke, radon, and carbon detectors were installed; dust was vacuumed; and locks were made secure. We'd had the electric checked and the whole house inspected for mold before I bought it, so the safety issues were relatively minor. Jasper's crew worked fast and efficiently. I had no doubt that everything was being done right. I am, after all, the sister of one owner and a friend of the other.
Next on our list were the rooms we needed finished the quickest. Without doubt, Shortcake's room had to be done first. My girl needs to feel at home. Everything else, including the kitchen remodel, can wait. Thankfully, the rooms upstairs had amazing wood floors underneath the hideous carpet with which the place came furnished. Two days of cutting and pulling up said carpet and a week of very loud sanding and refinishing, and Tab and I had beautifully restored hardwood throughout the second floor. Seth was proud of his guys when he came over to inspect, and even Sue was happy with the result. Jasper says we can start painting before the end of the week.
It's been a great experience. I never thought I'd say that about an ongoing renovation, but it's true. And to be honest, it's been all thanks to Jasper. He's been here almost every day, at least for an hour or two. He swings by to check on the crew, inspect their work, keep them on task. He pops his head in to see how we're holding up. He's encouraged me to take part in the work, giving me easy tutorials on the jobs I decide to take on. Jobs like the dreaded wallpaper. He said it would make me feel like a part of the progress, and he was right. It's exciting to see Tab included in that feeling, as well.
The best part about him coming around so often has been… him. It's been pretty damn nice having an adult around to talk to who isn't my brother, or overprotective stepmother, or incredibly chirpy event-planner-slash-welcome-wagon. Seth, Sue, and Alice have been frequent visitors, but, really, they just tire me out sometimes. Jasper is so laidback. He gives me a chance to inhale.
We talk about nothing, really. He's not ready to open up about whatever brought him back here. I'm not ready to admit to the utter wreck I was in Oregon, or the complete disaster I still am inside. I think we both find some relief from the curious and well-meaning people in our lives in each other. Jasper's an old friend who doesn't dwell on the past; our shared memories are just the foundation for the new friendship we seem to be forming.
Dragging myself back inside, leaving behind a perfect summer day and the sound of my daughter's laughter, I once again tackle my current nemesis. That wallpaper is going down.
A/N: Not much going on. Still painting the landscape, so to speak. This one's a slow burn, folks. George and Ursula refers "George of the Jungle".