ʚ ɞ
And I meant
Every word I said
When I said that I loved you
I meant that I loved you forever
ʚ ɞ
"Donna's here!" Jackie calls out as she sees Bob's Lincoln pull up to the Pinciotti house. "Mrs Forman, Donna's back!"
"Oh, what perfect timing!" Kitty claps her hands together, "Eric is coming back tomorrow! Y'know what, I should invite the Pinciotti's over tomorrow, have a nice dinner since all of the kids are back in town." She grins, shutting the binder in front of her. Jackie has been at least once a week to plan more of her wedding. Kitty didn't mind, she loved wedding planning nearly as much as Jackie did. She also enjoyed being able to spend time with her future daughter-in-law. "The house has just been so empty since my babies moved out."
Jackie steps off of her stool and opens the sliding door. Donna is already walking up the Formans' driveway, knowing Jackie was already there. Saturday was their wedding planning day, and there is no way Jackie would miss it.
"Donna!" Jackie gives her a hug, something she doesn't normally do. She says it's because some of the lumberjack may rub off on her. She pulls away and looks up at Donna, smiling.
"Hey, Jackie," Donna smiles, happy to see her friend had missed her. "Still wedding planning with Mrs Forman?"
"Oh, Donna, you need to see it!" Jackie says, dragging Donna into the kitchen. Kitty is standing beside her stove, flipping through a cookbook. She looks up at Donna and claps her hands together again, excited for her plans tomorrow.
"Oh, Donna, sweetie!" she beams, "you're home! Tell your dad that you guys are coming here for dinner tomorrow, my baby boy is coming home!"
"Really? That's great. My dad told me he's eaten nothing but microwave meals the past 4 months." Donna says, skipping past her comment about Eric. Kitty has a tendency of getting pretty bitter towards Donna if she mentions Eric's name.
"Oh, honey, you know that's not true. I swear, I feed that man more than I feed myself sometimes!" she laughs, "Bob is over here three nights a week for dinner." Donna just nods. Her father hadn't told her that.
"Donna, eyes over here. You have to see this, considering you refused to look at Easter." Jackie brings Donna's attention back over to her. Donna only came home once this semester, at Easter. She didn't want to look at the wedding plans as she wanted to just spend time with Jackie, not stress over the wedding that is over a year away. She compromised with Jackie, promising that she wouldn't talk about any of her classes as long as Jackie did not mention any wedding planning. However, she did promise Jackie that she would get to planning when she came home for the summer. That time has come, and Jackie was ensuring she got right to it. "Where do I start?" She asks herself, turning the pages of the binder.
The next hour and a half is spent with Jackie filling Donna in on everything that she has planned so far. They have a date picked out, November 21st of the following year. She settled on her colors, she picked out the flowers she wanted. The thick binder included just about every detail of that wedding, there really wasn't much left for them to plan.
"Seems like you've got everything figured out." Donna says, feeling a headache brewing after their long conversation. When her and Eric were going to get married the year prior, she didn't dedicate nearly this much thought towards it.
"Donna, this is just the planning part. We still have to pick out dresses, send out the save the date cards, Steven needs a tux. This is just the basics we have here."
"Just the basics?! Jackie, you have a schedule down to the minute of how that day is going to go." she flips through the binder to one of the last pages. "'7:15, first dance. 7:19, thank everybody for tearing up.' I think you're pretty much set."
"Fine, I'm almost done planning.." Jackie admits, reaching across the counter for her glass of wine. Most of her planning has included glasses of wine. "I just don't know what I'll do with my time once I'm done."
"You could always take some classes, maybe get your associate degree?" Donna suggests. She has been loving college, and wants Jackie to experience it as well.
"Donna, why would I willingly do that?" Jackie scoffs. Besides, there's no cheerleading team at the Point Place junior college. Jackie was smart, she knew that. She didn't need college to tell her that.
"Well, a degree holds a lot of power. And, you'll be getting a higher education. Jackie, I love college. I love my classes, I love the people that I meet."
"That's great and all for you, but I'm happy right now. I'm working down at that station, I'm meeting new people, too. Steven's making good money. We're both happy and we're both without college degrees." Jackie explains to Donna. If she wanted to go to college, she would have. That is something she debated for a while. But, now, she figures that if she's content living her life, why change it? "I just don't think I need one."
"Okay.." Donna says, feeling defeated. Jackie's right, college is not for everybody.
"So, now that Kitty's gone, are you excited for Eric to come back tomorrow?" Jackie says, bringing up the elephant in the room.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I am. It's just been so long, you know?" Donna tells Jackie, a little upset that she brought him up. "I'm just nervous things are going to be awkward between us."
"Well, you've been writing to him, right?" Donna nods. "So, then why would it be awkward? You've kept in contact, you're not mad at him or anything. He's looking forward to seeing you, at least."
"How do you know that?" Donna questions her.
"He told me. We write to each other, too."
"Wait, hold on. You've been writing to Eric?"
"Yeah, we're sort of friends now. Steven writes to him all of the time, I figured I would write, too. Fill him in on some stuff I know Steven doesn't."
"What could you possibly tell him that me, Hyde, or his mother don't tell him already?"
"Wedding stuff. He's the best man, afterall."
"That's it?"
"Well, some personal stuff, too. Why does it matter? You made it clear you guys aren't dating, why do you care so much?" Jackie asks.
"I don't care," Donna scoffs, obviously lying. "I just can't imagine you guys getting along like that."
"Well, we do. I'm going to be seeing a lot of him, considering his relationship with Steven. I think he's kind of sweet." Jackie tries to explain.
"Ok, fine. You can be friends." Donna says, understanding Jackie's reasoning. She hadn't expected them to be close like that.
"Donna, relax. I send him maybe two letters a month. It's not like we're best friends. I'm just updating him. Don't get your panties in a twist."
"Fine, fine! Let's stop talking about him, alright?"
"That's fine, we can get back to the wedding!" Jackie chirps, pouring more wine in her glass. It was going to be a long, long night for Donna.
ʚ ɞ
After their discussion, Jackie invited Donna over to see her new home. Donna was impressed with the life Jackie was building for herself, she had definitely changed in the last four months. As they are walking up the steps of the small bungalow, Donna stops to admire the outside of the home. Jackie had planted tons of flowers in the bed beside the walkway, and decorated the porch with wire furniture, covered in pink upholstery. On the small table beside the chairs, there was a hand-painted sign that stated, "No Sober People Allowed". Donna chuckled, imagining Jackie making Hyde help decorate, and this is what he produced. They definitely made this their's.
Jackie unlocks the door and steps inside, Donna following behind her. The front door leads into a combined living/dining room, with a kitchen off to the left. There's a small hallway that leads presumably to the bedroom and bathroom. The walls are covered in a floral wallpaper, windows covered by frilly white curtains, and a bright rug to match the walls. There's a comfy couch facing the TV, an armchair off to the side. Behind the sofa is the dining table, with a chair on each side. There's a light yellow lace runner down the center of the table and decorative placemats in front of each seat. There's a heavy aroma in the house, the smell of dinner cooking.
Once the door is closed, Donna notices a small table behind it. Jackie has a delicate heart shaped key dish, which she already placed her keys in. Beside it is a piggy bank, with the word "Honeymoon" painted across the front. On the wall, Jackie has framed pictures hanging up. Donna stops, she has to look at what Jackie chose to display in her home.
The first picture that catches her eye is the picture of the two of them at prom. There was a frame that was designed for two pictures, Jackie opted to use one side to frame the card Hyde used to propose, and the other side for a picture of the two of them together soon after their engagement. Kitty must've taken it, it was in the Forman driveway. Actually, a ton of these photos were taken at the Formans', whether it be the driveway, the kitchen, Donna even spotted one taken in the basement. There were seven frames on the wall total, each one of them including Jackie and Hyde.
"Oh, that's my love corner!" Jackie beams, noticing Donna starting to stare at the wall. "That's where all my pictures of us are going to go. I want him to be the last thing I see as I leave for the day." Donna is touched by her statement, now understanding why Jackie chose this spot for such an arrangement.
Jackie showed her the kitchen, it has a beige linoleum floor, oak cabinets, and a blue backsplash. She then leads Donna towards the back of the home, down the hallway towards the bedroom.
"I think Steven's in there reading, let me check." Jackie says, leaving Donna in the hallway. Hyde, reading? Jackie has totally domesticated him.
As Donna is waiting in the hallway, her attention is pulled towards the long wall leading down to the bedroom. This wall also has pictures hanging, but there's a ton more here than by the door. It's pictures of them, their friends. Donna begins at the end, down by the living area. The first picture is of her and Jackie, also at prom. Donna totally forgot that photo was taken. As she progresses down the hall, her heart starts to ache as she realizes how much Jackie loves their small group of friends. Jackie had at least two pictures of each of them, just by themselves. School pictures, class pictures, school dances. You name it, it was on that wall. She hung up pictures of Red & Kitty, she even had a copy of their wedding picture on the wall. There were pictures of her and Eric, more pictures she didn't know were taken. Kitty must have supplied most of these photos, as they were filled with the people she cared most about. She counted twenty three frames, it was absolutely covered. Tears start to well in her eyes as she hears the sound of the bedroom door opening.
"Yo," Hyde says, holding Jackie's hand as they step into the hallway. Donna turns to look at him, he finally shaved off that goddamn mustache.
"Jackie, I didn't know you were so sentimental." Donna says to her, still stunned by the amount of affection being displayed just by photos hanging on the wall.
"Oh, those? I just needed something to do." Jackie shrugs it off.
"C'mon, Jackie. You had to have put hours into this." Donna 's return to the wall. She spots another picture of her and Eric, they must've been only eight or so years old. Hell, she didn't even have copies of half of these photos. Jackie was dedicated.
"Donna, the photos are lovely, but let's keep it moving," Hyde says, walking past her and stepping into the kitchen. He pulls a pan covered in tin foil out of the oven, and pulls it off to reveal a roasted chicken. Donna's mouth starts to water as she watches Hyde cut into it.
"I didn't know you knew how to cook." Donna says, leaning against the wall of the kitchen.
"Neither did I. Mrs Forman came over and showed me. She originally wanted to show Jackie, but she didn't want anything to do with it." Hyde explains, taking a sip out of the open beer on the counter. "So, instead, she dragged me in here. And, who am I to tell that woman no?" Hyde was for sure a momma's boy towards Kitty. Donna wished she was able to be close to Kitty, considering most of their conversations include snide remarks towards her hidden in between laughs.
Jackie is standing beside him, three plates in front of her. She already spooned the mashed potatoes and gravy onto the plate, all that was left was the chicken. She turns around, a plate in each hand with one leaning on her forearm. She steps out to the dining table, setting each of them down. Donna quietly observes, watching how well they are working together without saying a word, like they are able to know what the other is thinking. She can tell that this marriage is going to work out for them, that they are going to be happy.
Jackie and Hyde sit down at the table, Donna follows them and sits down in the empty seat. She is sitting across from Hyde and next to Jackie. Over dinner, they discuss what has been going on in their lives since Donna has left. Most of the talking was done by Jackie, with Hyde chiming here and there. Donna listened contently, happy to see her friends again. Jackie shared her plans down at the studio, Hyde filled her in on what he was up to at Grooves. At the end of the meal, Jackie stands up and excuses herself to the bathroom. Once he hears the door close, Hyde starts to speak.
"Donna, you haven't said a word this entire time. What's up?" He begins to question her, concerned about what is going on with his friend.
"Hyde, what's the big deal? I'm just trying to enjoy your dinner," she gets defensive, almost upset he is talking to her.
"Is it Forman?" he asks outright. She stops making eye contact and looks down at her food, he knows that is indeed about him. "Donna, don't stress out about him. It's just Forman." he tries to make her feel better.
"It's not that easy, Hyde."
"Well, you're excited to see him. He wants to see you. What's the big fuss?"
"What if he's changed?" she asks him, revealing one of her worries.
"So what? You've changed, too." he points out, but is interrupted as Jackie comes back to the bathroom. Jackie sits back down, unknowingly ending the conversation between Donna and Hyde. Jackie serves dessert, they talk a bit more about the wedding. Jackie is so chipper, it's almost making Donna sick after thinking about what she's going to do about Eric.
Hyde drives her back to her house, as Jackie drove her there. They sit in silence in the El Camino, just the radio quietly playing some Led Zeppelin between them.
"Donna, I mean what I said. Don't tire yourself out over Forman. He's Forman, for Christ's sake." he laughs, picking on his friend. His tone returns more serious, "That man is so head over heels for you, you don't have anything to worry about." He tries to reassure her. It works.
ʚ ɞ
Eric and Leslie were sitting in the waiting area of the airport, on a layover on their way home from Ghana. It was one in the morning and both of them were exhausted. This time, the layover was in Washington D.C., but they were still hundreds of miles away from home. Leslie was flying to Philadelphia, and her flight was scheduled to take off in less than an hour. Eric, on the other hand, was flying to Appleton, and wasn't scheduled to leave for another four hours. Another kicker, her flight would take her about an hour, while his was going to be well over three hours.
More time passed, and Leslie's flight eventually came and she was on her way home. They exchanged phone numbers and addresses, promising each other they will keep in touch. Leslie made Eric promise that if he was ever on the east coast, he needed to come see her. He told her there was a chance of that happening, considering Donna's family was originally from Jersey. He also made her promise if she ever ended up in Wisconsin, he expected a visit. She responded to that with, "Who ends up in Wisconsin?". After she leaves, he tries to sleep before his own flight.
He was unsuccessful, as the seats in the airport were way too upright and hard to be able to get into any sort of a comfortable position. He checks his watch, he still has two hours until his plane arrives. He digs through his pockets, trying to round up some change to make a call home. He finds a total of six dimes, enough to call for at least a couple minutes. He approaches the long line of payphones, not sure of who he wanted to call.
He picks up the phone and drops a dime in. He starts to type in a number, and subconsciously he starts to type in his home number. Nobody picks up, and he ends the call. He starts to type in the Pinciotti's number, hoping maybe Donna is around. The phone rings for what seems forever, and as he's about to hang up that call, too, the phone picks up.
"Hello?" a feminine voice comes across the phone. It's not just any voice, it's one that he recognizes right away. It's Donna. He's stunned, he doesn't know what to say. "Hellooo."
"Hello!" he almost yells into the phone, he was afraid she was going to hang up.
"Who is this?" she asks, unsure of who is calling the Forman residence this late.
"It's me," that is all he says in return.
"Well, 'me', I'm going to hang up now," she's assuming it's Fez or Kelso prank calling the house.
"Donna, wait." there's a pause, he can hear her breathing.
"Eric?" she asks into the phone. She's taken aback, it's the first time she's heard his voice in months.
"Yes, it's me. Eric. I'm sorry for calling so late." he tries to explain to her.
"Where are you?"
"Washington DC, I have a layover. I'm flying to Appleton, I'm set to arrive at 7 in the morning."
"Were you calling for a ride?"
"I - um- kind of? I was just trying to talk to somebody. But, now that you mention it, do you mind asking Red to come by and pick me up?" he asks her, he totally skipped over how he was getting home.
"I can pick you up." she answers promptly.
"Really? 'Cause Red will do it."
"No, I don't mind." she pauses for a moment, waiting if he's going to say something. "I want to." His phone chimes, telling him he needs to add another dime or they will be disconnected. He quickly drops another dime in the phone, buying himself some more time.
"I appreciate that, Donna." he thanks her. He wants to keep talking to her. "So, how have you been? Besides what you write in your letters."
"Oh, I'm good. I got back today." she's timid, she wants the exact opposite of him. She's not ready for small talk right now. Though her conversation helped settle some of her nerves, she was still a little on edge. She doesn't understand why.
"That's great. College turned out ok?"
"Yep, I made Dean's List."
"That's awesome, Donna. I'm proud of you." the words echo in her head, "I'm proud of you."
"Listen, Eric, my dad's coming. I've got to go. He'll accuse me of making a long distance call on his dollar." she wants to get him off the line.
"Oh," he's surprised, he didn't think Bob would be up. "Donna, one last thing."
"Hm?"
"I love you." she takes a deep breath in, she fully expected this to be what he had to say.
"I love you, too. See you at seven." She hangs up the phone.