My fictober 2024 contribution for the prompt : "it's been a long time".
I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer : That '90s Show belongs to Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Gregg Mettler and Lindsay Turner.
It's Been A Long Time
Jackie parked in front of the Formans house. It was official, Donna and Leia had moved in Point Place for good. Every time Donna came to town, they only saw each other briefly. From now on, they would be able to see each other whenever they wanted, like before. And even if Jackie would never admit it to anyone, she was happy to see her best friend again.
It was Jay who had informed her that Donna had just arrived. As soon as he had told her the news, Jackie had rushed into her car and had driven to the Formans house.
She went behind the house to enter the kitchen. It was a habit she had had for years when she spent her days in the Formans basement with her friends.
Now it was her son and his friends' turn. Years go by, but some things never change.
She was about to put her hand on the handle of the glass kitchen door when it suddenly opened. She was so absorbed in the fact that Donna had returned that she had not paid attention to the person behind the door. She froze, in shock. He was the last person she expected to see.
"Steven !" she managed to utter.
"Jackie," he said indifferently.
There was a silence for a few seconds that Steven finally broke.
"It's been a long time."
Jackie refrained from giving a scathing answer. Was that all he had found to say to her ? Yes, it had been a long time. Almost twenty years. Twenty years without giving any news, without knowing where he was, or what had happened to him. She suspected he must have kept in touch with Mr. and Mrs. Forman. Maybe with Eric and Donna. Of course, she could not blame him. They had broken off long before he left.
"Indeed," she finally answered. "Are you here for a long time ?"
"I just came to pay Mr. and Mrs. Forman a visit. I was about to leave."
So quickly, she thought. It did not surprise her. Why would he bother to stay, when he had done everything he could to disappear from her life.
"Bye Jackie."
He walked past her and headed for the exit. Why, Jackie wondered. Why was her heart beating so fast when he did not seem to care about seeing her again ? Why were all the feelings she thought she had forgotten for him resurfacing ? She was happy with Michael, well, most of the time. And Jay was what she had more precious in her life. Yet, just one word, one look from Steven and she knew she would fall in love with him again.
"Steven !"
Jackie opened her eyes wide, surprised by her action. She had called him without thinking, without knowing what she was going to say to him. He turned round, waiting for her to speak. Jackie took a deep breath and said :
"It was nice to see you."
"It was nice to see you too."
He smiled at her and continued his way. It was then that Jackie understood that this unexpected meeting had troubled him as much as it had her. She also understood that it was impossible for her to fall in love with Steven again, since she had never stopped loving him. But Steven was part of her past while Michael and Jay were her present and her future. She watched him walk away, until he disappeared, and she entered the Formans' kitchen.
Over the years, she had often imagined what her reunion with Steven would be like. Now, she could turn the page on this period of her life and continue moving along with Michael.
The end