"So Phil… where would you normally spend thanks giving at?" Janine asked, sat at the table whilst AJ was in the kitchen sorting out desert. She'd made one of her mothers favourites, pumpkin pie. They all didn't know if they could manage desert, but seen as it was thanks giving, they would have a good attempt.
"I'd normally go to my brothers. My little brother." Punk said, "He lives back in Chicago. Normally my mom would host thing, but she passed away a few years ago. So it's just me and him now." Punk said.
"And your father?" Janine drew her eyebrows up. She was a polite woman, but sometimes she forgot to bite her tongue to the questions unnecessary to ask.
"He split just after my brother was born. I was just five at the time. Can't remember him. Don't want to remember him." He admitted as Janine nodded.
"Your mother must have been a strong woman to have raised two young boys. I thought it was hard enough raising my two girls." She confessed with a smile as Punk nodded.
"My mom was strong." Punk agreed as AJ came in with servings of pie for everyone.
Normally she and Jamie would go to Jamie's family, which she didn't mind, but sometimes when she asked him if they could just stay in for the year and celebrate it intimately, just the two of them, he always refused and they always wound up doing what he wanted to do.
"I don't know how we're gonna manage this." Janine admitted whilst looking on at the slice of pie, which looked delicious, but being so full from dinner itself, it was hard to get excited about it.
"I'll manage just fine." Punk smiled, already tucking in. He was used to big dinners. He'd normally scoff down them after work and then go to the gym to turn it into muscle and mass. He wasn't macho man by any means, but he did have a strong set of muscles on him.
Although both nervous from the visit from AJ's mom, their day had gone extremely well. Janine had learned a little bit about Punk, not enough yet to decide whether he was acceptable for her daughter, but enough for just now. Punk had also learned a lot about AJ's mother. She was a very self aware, bright, beautiful woman who was obviously proud of her daughters very much. He liked that. The day was filled with warm laughter and thanks, coincidentally. AJ couldn't help but rest at ease now that the hard part was over.
"Mom, it was so good to have you over tonight." AJ admitted, wrapping her arms around her cardigan at the chilled air at the front door, which she was standing at to say goodbye to her mother after a long day of eating turkey and enjoying her presence. Punk had already said his goodbyes to Janine, and was starting on washing the dishes through in the kitchen.
"It was wonderful to see you again, sweetheart." Janine smiled, genuinley meaning it from the bottom of her heart. She only wished she could see her youngest daughter more often than she did. She'd no doubt visit again at Christmas, but she would have loved to have a day to day relationship with her.
"Well..." AJ waited on her toes, "What do you think of him?" She asked with anticipation.
"He's not too bad." Janine nodded, "Gotta watch out for him though, cops normally share nothing. Always working in secrecy." She raised her eyebrows as AJ rolled her eyes. Anything for her mom to pick at.
"What would you know about cops?" AJ chuckled.
"We spent your entire childhood running from them, April. I know what they're like." She said, "Just be careful." She cupped her cheek, "With a cop, nothing is ever what it seems. But he seems alright, I guess." She shrugged as AJ sighed.
"Is it because I was with him whilst I was still married?" She asked, assuming that was the problem.
"No." Janine shook her head, "I have no problem with that. If you weren't happy with Jamie, and Phil makes you happy. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you than going with him. He's a lovely young man. I just want you to be careful. That's all." She smiled just as her cab pulled up outside, "I'll see you soon, sweetheart." She hugged her daughter tightly as AJ smiled throughout the hug, although a little put down with her suspicion with Punk.
She eventually seen her mother off into her cab and made her way back inside to the house, shutting the front door over and locking it, strolling into the kitchen to help Punk with the rest of the dishes.
She knew he kept his work private, but she only assumed it was because it was very professional, and quite frankly none of her business. She never viewed it as an act of secrecy. If there was anything she wanted to know, she'd ask him, but what could be so secretive and important to her that involved the local murderers and robberies. His work didn't influence the type of person he was. She had no idea what her mother was getting at.
"How did I do?" Punk asked her with a smile as she laughed, grabbing a dish towel to help him dry the dishes from the day.
"Perfect." She smiled, "I don't know why I was worried in the first place." She admitted, "She doesn't like that you're a cop though." She told him honestly as he laughed.
"Most people don't like cops. That's understandable." He nodded.
"Well we sort of, spent a lot of my childhood hiding from the cops." She admitted as he turned around to her, "My mom wouldn't pay the rent to our home, sometimes she'd have to steal things from supermarkets… but it was only because we had no money. We had live." She told him as he shook his head.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me." He told her, "Your mom done what she had to do to keep her kids safe. I understand that. My mom done the same. You think cause I'm a cop I have some sort of cop DNA and religion." He laughed.
"Well I don't know." She shrugged, "We were the type of people you're probably out arresting on a daily basis." She said, "It's just weird." She admitted.
"I don't deal with that stuff. I think it's more important to find the killers and rapists out there, rather than harass families who have enough problems as it is." He said as he watched her, her head to the ground, her confidence and nature somehow lost through this conversation, "Did you find it tough?" He asked her as she quickly looked up.
"Wouldn't you?" She asked him, "We eventually got kicked out. Had to sleep in cars, scrape up money for motels, stay at friends who would have us." She said, "Me and my sister were just kids. But I remember everything." She shook her head, "I promised myself I wouldn't let myself fall down that path forever. I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted a job, and a house, and money in my bank. I didn't want to drag my kids from cars and motels." She admitted.
He thought she was inspiring in a way. She'd really turned her life into something, and through that, she'd helped her mom escape poverty too by securing her with a house. It made him appreciate the little things, listening to her story. He couldn't imagine how it was having to sleep in a different bed every night, just as a small child. It must have been horrible. But she'd overcome the odds and she was here, stronger than ever.
"Well I'm not gonna judge you because I'm a cop. In fact… I think it's pretty amazing how you've turned your life around and gotten out of the poverty you lived in all those years." He said, "You're braver than I could ever be." He admitted.
She knew coming from a cop, that meant something.
"I doubt it." She laughed.
"I'm serious." Punk said with an honest smile as she laughed. She enjoyed his praise and love. It made her feel good about herself. As if she was somewhat approved, even though she didn't need to look for approval from him. It just felt good for her struggle she faced to be acknowledged by him. His support and love meant the world.
They decided to both get an early night to bed considering they were both completely full from the dinner they had ate. There was nothing better than falling asleep in their bedroom, curled up under the covers to the sound of the quiet tv in the corner of the room. It was the only light shining into the bedroom.
Something was keeping AJ awake whilst Punk was completely fast asleep, snoring loudly in her ear beside her whilst having his arms wrapped around her tightly.
She didn't know what was keeping her awake, but something was telling her that it was her mothers words before she left tonight. She was convinced that Punk wouldn't be hiding things from her. If so, what would he even be hiding from her that would effect her life anyway? His work would have nothing to do with her, surely. But come to think about it, he very rarely spoke about work. He only really spoke about his current cases, and only very vaguely without much consent. He still hadn't properly explained to her why he moved to Jersey in the first place. He'd always just tell her he was needed here, but it didn't really answer her question in great depth.
She got out of bed, making sure not to disturb him, walking around the room slowly whilst Punk stayed fast asleep. She didn't want to be caught snooping around. To be honest, she actually didn't want to be snooping around anyway.
She looked through his side at the drawers, just coming across different paper work from different cases, to which she expected. Of course he wasn't hiding anything. What would he have to hide? He was a cop. His job was to keep evidence secluded. So what if he wasn't talkative about his work. Some people just didn't like to take work home with him, and she'd assume cops especially didn't. She couldn't let her mothers words get inside her head.
She placed the papers she had taken from his drawers back where she found them, heading back to walk round the bed and back into his embrace when she stood on a piece of paper sticking out from under the bed. Hadn't her face been on the paper, she would have ignored it…
She picked up the paper, looking on at what looked like a print out of the pages in her passport, strangely identifying the piece of paper that she had never seen. She knelt down on the soft carpet to look under the bed for anymore scattered papers, grabbing a handful and spreading them across on the floor as she shuffled back a little.
"Oh my…" She whispered, unable to finish her sentence whilst looking on at all the paper, terrified at what she seen.
There was endless pictures of her. Pictures of her as a child, teenager, adult. Pictures with Jamie. Pictures of her at work. Some pictures she had no idea had been taken at the time, especially the ones with Jamie. Her birth certificate was here photo copied by the looks of things. Her details, her movements, everything. As was Jamie's. It was horrifying. She couldn't wrap her head around any of it.
Why would Punk have all of this?
10 REVIEWS = New Chapter.