Chapter 8: Jamlyn

Her bare feet hit the hardwood floor as she swung into a sitting position. The covers were thrown into a pile on the other side of the bed. This position lasted for about a second before she nearly jumped to the ceiling, and she pulled her feet off the cold floor. She then hugged her knees to her chest.

In an unconscious reaction, she started to shiver. Maybe she should crawl back under the covers, was a thought that crept into her head. That was followed by, this was the last day of vacation, which meant back to work and the kids were back to school tomorrow. So better seize the last moments and day of winter break.

Looking down at her knees she studied the one that was scarred from several surgeries. It was the same knee that ended her professional basketball career and ended her high school playing days as well. It was this knee that prevented her from doing a lot of things in life. She never got that WNBA title she wanted, or that Olympic Gold Medal. On some frigid winter mornings, she even had trouble walking. Crying over what could have been; doesn't get stuff done, and at thirty-three, she had to get moving, there were people depending on her. No matter how tempting crawling back under the covers and staying warm was.

As she scanned the floor, she found her slippers. Normally it wasn't this cold, and she never wore them, but it had taken a cold turn, so screwing up her courage she got off the bed and hustled over towards the slippers. When she reached, them she slipped them on her feet. Next, she found a bathrobe and slipped it on, she was warmer now. When she was downstairs, she had to turn the heat on, or up, that is something she rarely used.

Walking over to the mirror that was over her dresser, she looked herself over. She adjusted her hair, fixing the few stray strains that dipped in front of her face. Ashlyn Scott, nee Pierce, looked herself over and as always wonder if she was what Northern Men thought a Southern Belle looked like, blonde, blue, and fit. She always thought she had more of the Californian Girl look, but she wasn't always tan. Those damn insecurities, even all those years she kept them, like some knickknack that no one wanted to get rid of.

Turning around she looked at her marriage bed, only half used. James had never come home for New Year's but stayed in Miami. He had to get ready for a game tonight. He just got back to Miami on Saturday after a two-game road trip, and with the kids on vacation she took them down to Charlotte to watch him play, and they had a few minutes after the game before he had to get on a bus and get to the airport to head to Boston. It was an enjoyable time they had with him, but his work as a Point Guard on the Miami Heat intervened. They wanted the kids to have stability and Ashlyn took a job here, so James lived where he worked. James playing for the Miami Heat meant that he was gone most of the year, but he made good money, so Ashlyn didn't complain too much. In public, she reflected. It's not like she didn't have experience raising kids on her own, and until four years ago James' parents were hands-on grandparents. That was the year everything changed.

Ashlyn brushed her hair just to make sure it was neat, going in the same direction. Walking out of her bedroom, she walked down the hall. She sighed, being a mom of four was a task, especially with a spread of seventeen, eight, and six years of age, it kept her on her toes.

She came to the first door and opened it. It was the younger of her twin son's room, Logan, who was six years old. He was curled up in bed sleeping. Ashlyn smiled and backed out of the room, gently closing it behind her.

The next room she peeked in to see was the room of her other twin son, Landen. He was still asleep as well. During the night he kicked off his covers. Ashlyn quietly walked into the room and pulled the covers over her son. She gently kissed him on the temple, she couldn't get to his cheek and creeped out of the room. Once again, she quietly closed the door, she creped to the next bedroom door down the hall.

Once she was inside the room, Ashlyn was met with an explosion of girlie things. Maeghan, her and James' eight-year-old daughter, was in many respects the opposite of her older sister Brett. The blonde Maeghan hated basketball and seemed to follow the more typical girlie path. Ashlyn smiled she had a girlie daughter, finally. When Brett was born Ashlyn didn't want her daughter to follow her playing basketball, she had a rough time with the teasing and the knee injuries didn't help, so Ashlyn wanted, like any parent, her daughter to have a better, if not easier, life. That wasn't Brett. Maeghan was the girlie daughter Ashlyn wanted, and it was representing a difficult path in its own way. Brett was Brett, she was, to put it lightly, a challenge, but she was also seventeen. Maeghan was Maeghan, and Ashlyn still was getting used to the difference in her daughters, even after eight years, because Maeghan's personality was starting to show more now.

Ashlyn retreated out of Maeghan's room and went to the next bedroom, which was Brett's. Opening the door, she was met by a teenager's room, just neat. Brett had what would be considered typical teenage pursuits, she also had basketball posters, one of her favorites was Brenna Stewart from Settle in the WNBA, which she had a poster of her on the wall. They played the same position, so Ashlyn got it. There was also a South Park poster that said on it "Ginger Power". From the door, Ashlyn looked at the bed and found it made and unslept in. Brett didn't stay here last night. The last time Ashlyn saw her she was when Ashlyn and the younger kids left Beaulieu Manor last night. Brett was staying to enjoy more time with her friends. Knowing Brett, she either crashed at Beaulieu or made it over to her Dad's house.

Shaking her head, Ashlyn closed the bedroom door and went downstairs. Brett frustrated Ashlyn, maybe it was they were similar in personality, or some of her attachment to Brett, and Ashlyn was having trouble letting go. No matter what it was, Mom and daughter clashed. That sounded way too familiar to Ashlyn, as in just like her and her mom's relationship. Brett did do one thing right, so far, Ashlyn reflected, she wasn't pregnant, yet.

Ashlyn headed to the stairs and went down to the first or ground floor. Looking around she saw the morning light dance around the living space through the cracks in the window shades. Shaking her head, she walked over to the thermostat and turned it up. After a minute she heard the heat kick on. It was a good thing she had it serviced before the winter, to make sure it worked before the onset of the cold. Next, she headed off for breakfast.

In the kitchen, Ashlyn started preparing to make a pot of coffee. With James in Miami, most of the year, there were only two coffee drinkers in the house, so depending on the day, they went through a lot of coffee or none.

Ashlyn went to the fridge and started poking through it. Finally, she knew what she was going to prepare for breakfast. She really wanted to get the kids well fed and ready for the day. Ashlyn wasn't a bowl of corn flakes mom.

As she started sorting things out, the back door opened. Ashlyn turned to see the bright red hair of her daughter walk into the kitchen. Ashlyn nodded and studied her seventeen-year-old daughter. She must have stayed at her dad's, as she wore jeans and her jacket covered up her upper body, not the dress she wore to Brooke's New Year's Eve Party or was it a Ball, Ashlyn wasn't sure what to call it. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and had scrubbed her face clean. Ashlyn wondered where her clothes from last night were. Ashlyn sighed, and she took the position well at least Brett wasn't doing the walk of shame.

"Where were you last night, Baby Girl?" Ashlyn asked.

"Momma, please don't call me that, and can I get coffee first, it's colder than an Eskimo's butt outside," Brett said.

"How do you know how cold an Eskimo's Butt is?" Ashlyn asked.

"It's an expression," Brett said and slipped off her jacket, as Ashlyn passed her a cup of coffee. Ashlyn scanned her daughter, noting she wore an old Red Bedroom Record's Festival T-Shirt, it was from the first one when Brett was twelve. Ashlyn went back to cooking breakfast. Brett walked over and grabbed the cup of coffee. Ashlyn would glance at Brett and noticed she was first warming her hands on the mug. After Brett finally took her first sip was when Ashlyn decided to pounce. Ashlyn was often described as an angry she-bear when she was moved to anger. Brett was called behind her back as the little she-bear; when she was angry.

"So, Brett Angela Pierce-Burke, where were you last night?" Ashlyn asked.

Brett looked at Ashlyn and knew she was in trouble. Her Mom used her full name. Being in trouble was situation normal at her mom's place. "I was at Nana Brooke's place, then I left, I was too tired to get all the way here, so I stayed at Daddy Huck's," Brett said.

Ashlyn sighed, "Are you telling me the truth?" she asked, looking at Brett over her shoulder.

"Yes Momma, it's the truth, you could call Nana Brooke and Momma Chase," Brett said.

"So, they are covering for you?" Ashlyn asked, having turned to face Brett, and pointed the spatula at her.

"Whoa, Momma careful is that thing loaded?" Brett asked.

"Don't worry about the spatula," Ashlyn said, "Answer my question."

"No, they aren't covering for me, Momma, why would they cover for me?" Brett replied.

"That's a double negative," Ashlyn pointed out.

"No, I'm telling the truth," Brett said.

Ashlyn sighed, "Look, Brett, I know Chase wants to be the cool stepmom, so she'll cover for you," she said, "I'll have to call your Dad."

"Momma, Daddy Huck worked last night, so he wouldn't know if I'm telling the truth or not," Brett replied.

Ashlyn sighed, again, "Whatever, Brett," she said.

Brett finished her cup of coffee, "I thought the kids were supposed to say that to their parents?" Brett asked.

"Brett, stop being a smart ass," Ashlyn said.

"I take after my Momma," Brett said.

"Brett, do you get why I'm so tough on you?" Ashlyn asked.

"Because Mom, I was two-years-old when you were my age! Because Mom, you had to surrender your dreams for me. You also found Daddy James, played basketball at Duke, got a college degree, and played in the WNBA," Brett said.

"The Good Stuff happened in spite of, not because of you, Brett," Ashlyn said.

Brett sighed, now. She was tired of this conversation. "I'm not going to screw up Norte Dame, Momma," she said.

Ashlyn sighed, "I hope not, Brett," she said.

Brett nodded, "Well, I have a SEAL Work Out to do," she said and started to walk away.

"Brett, don't you want breakfast?" Ashlyn asked.

"I ate at Daddy Huck's," Brett said.

"A cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin isn't breakfast," Ashlyn said.

"After I work out, Momma," Brett said and walked out of the kitchen. Ashlyn turned back to the stove.

Ashlyn shook her head. She often wondered if she was ever so stubborn as her daughter. Maybe she should ask Angela, or even someone else. Before Ashlyn could do anything, the first of the kids came downstairs.

Maeghan came over and sat on a stool, by the breakfast bar. Maeghan was tall like her parents and her sister. Ashlyn smiled at her eight-year-old daughter. She had the darker hair of the Scotts but was blonde, not brown like James. Ashlyn looked into Maeghan's blue eyes. Ashlyn looked at the youth and energy of Maeghan and wondered was she being too rough on Brett? Was she going to get this way with Maeghan? Ashlyn genuinely wanted her daughters to be happy, but she also didn't want to be a grandma at thirty-three. Which brought the thought of what was she going to be like when the boys were older, was she going to go easy on them?

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Ashlyn asked.

"Yes, Momma," Maeghan said.

Ashlyn nodded and placed a plate in front of Maeghan. The eight-year-old started in on her food. Ashlyn noted she had a different relationship with Maeghan then Brett. Part of that was there was a nine-year age gap between her daughters. Another was when Ashlyn was pregnant with Maeghan, James wanted his daughter to have a less unisex name then Brett's, he commented on how often he was out with Brett, and people would read her name and thought she was a boy. Ashlyn chose Brett's name out of a book she read in high school; the irony was the character she named her after was a slut. Ashlyn turned back to Maeghan and reflected. Ashlyn was there more day to day with Maeghan when she was a baby. What really seemed to unnerve Ashlyn was she didn't have a nickname for Maeghan like she did for Brett. Even though, Brett hated being called by her nickname anymore.

"Happy New Year, Momma," Maeghan said, shaking Ashlyn out of her deep thought.

"What Maeghan?" Ashlyn asked.

"Happy New Year, Momma," Maeghan replied.

"Happy New Year," Ashlyn said.

"Is Brett home, Momma?" Maeghan asked.

Ashlyn nodded, "She's in the gym," she said.

Maeghan nodded as she chewed her food. She finished her mouthful and then said, "She was going to braid my hair today," the little girl said.

"I see," Ashlyn stated, always liked how her daughters got along. Brett always seemed to make time for Maeghan. It was more then what Ashlyn could say about her relationship with her own sister, Savannah. Even with the nine-year age difference, Brett was good with Maeghan. Ashlyn pouted a little because Brett was just as good with Maeghan as Brett was good with her other sister PJ, her Dad's next daughter. Brett was good with all her siblings, the three Scott, and the four Burke.

"What are you thinking about, Momma?" Maeghan asked.

"Nothing important, Maeghan," Ashlyn said.

Maeghan nodded, and then looked at Ashlyn, "Momma?" she asked.

"Yes, Maeghan?" Ashlyn asked.

"Why don't I have a nickname?" Maeghan asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Ashlyn asked.

"Auntie Tall calls you Ash, which I know is a nickname," Maeghan said, "You also call Brett Baby Girl, which is a nickname. Also, Cousin Naomi is called Nomi, and all of Auntie Chase and Uncle Huck's kids have nicknames. So, Momma, I want a nickname."

"You know, Maeghan, Brett doesn't like her nickname," Ashlyn said, leaving out the fact that Auntie Tall, Auntie Chase, and Uncle Huck were also all nicknames. Auntie Tall was what they called Angela, Chase was short for Chastity, and Huck's real name was James, but he didn't like it and either answered to JL or Huck.

"But I want a nickname, Momma," Maeghan said.

"You just can't be given one; it just happens," Ashlyn said.

"How Momma?" Maeghan asked.

"I don't know, just does," Ashlyn said.

"How did you get yours?" Maeghan asked.

"It's short for my name," Ashlyn said.

"Can't I be called Mae?" Maeghan asked.

"Ahh, we'll talk about this later," Ashlyn said as the twins came down to eat. With her only real experience with twins being her husband's cousins, Kay, and Ellie, also nicknames for Karen and Elizabeth, who were the absolute worst set of twins one could imagine. They often fought, didn't get along, and picked on each other. Her sons, Landen, and Logan seemed to be the opposite model. They seemed to be welded at the hip and were a team.

Ashlyn smiled at them and served the boys breakfast. Looking around she finally took a moment, and then sat down to join them for breakfast.

"Where's Brett?" Logan asked.

Ashlyn looked at her youngest. Logan, like his brother, were both blondes, and they had the same blue eyes. "She's in the gym," Ashlyn said, she knew as much of a girl Maeghan was, Landen and Logan were all boys.

"Momma, could we go to the gym and watch Brett?" Landen asked.

"Finish your breakfast and get dressed then you could go watch Brett practice," Ashlyn said.

"YAY!" Landen and Logan cheered. Maeghan rolled her eyes, because she didn't really like basketball, and would have to go watch with her brothers. Ashlyn had to keep the boys on point, but eventually, they finished breakfast and ran upstairs. Maeghan followed slower, Ashlyn knew because she didn't want to watch. Ashlyn just shook her head and cleared the dishes, but she did remember to make a plate-like Brett asked her to do. Brett would eat it after she was done with her work out. Ashlyn knew Brett was good like that. Ashlyn knew she also needs a good shower. Ashlyn reflected, if her four kids were dressed, well-fed, hopefully not pregnant and not in jail another day, it was a success. Ashlyn at least tried to measure the successes. She also fancied herself a good mom.