"He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it." - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Saturday morning came too soon for Maya Hart. She'd been up all night and still wasn't ready for her weekend with Shawn's family. Fear overwhelmed her through the night and hunted her rest. This was a make or break weekend for the girl. Not only did she have to make Shawn fall in love her so he would want to be her father, but she also had to win the love of her future grandparents.
Maya had Audrey as a substitute once for three weeks and knew that she liked her, but she worried the woman's fondness for her ended in the classroom. She thought perhaps Mr. Turner like her, too. But liking her wasn't enough. Maya wanted to be fully accepted as their granddaughter. Most importantly, she wanted to be loved.
The stressed-out teen had packed and re-packed several times through the night. She didn't want to take too much but she also had to take enough as there was no telling when her mother would return from LA. Riley advised her to act as though Maya was going to be staying with her. Riley said that staying with her aunt and uncles was not a big deal. But Riley, who had been born into a stable, loving family, could not understand what a very big deal this was. Nor could she understand the overwhelming fear Maya carried that she would somehow mess everything up and Shawn would decide that he did not want to be her father. If Shawn did not want to be her father then Mr. Turner would not want her to call him Granddad. He would always just be Mr. Turner. Shawn would always just be Shawn.
Maya sighed discouraged. Why would they want her? After all, the man whose DNA she shared had opted out of her life without so much as a look back in order to start another family that did not include her.
This weekend could decide the whole rest of my life, she thought miserably. It's hopeless!
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Maya sighed at what she saw. She didn't look like a Hunter or a Turner. If she squinted, she could say that her eyes were like Shawn's and her mouth like Audrey's. Kind of. She was slight like her future grandmother so perhaps she could say she took after Audrey's side of the family.
But what about her grandfather? Did she look anything like him? Would anyone believe that she was his granddaughter? Maybe they had similar personalities. She prayed that she would find something in common with him before her mother came back.
"Baby girl!" her mother called down the hall to her. "We have got to go now or I'll miss my flight!"
It was barely 6 AM and the flight was at 8:00 but since Katy was often late, they had to leave extra early.
"Yeah," she yelled back, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm ready. Just gotta grab my bags."
Maya was anything but ready.
Katy's smile lit up the kitchen when she saw her daughter. "You got everything you need?"
"I think so." Maya let the bags fall heavily to the floor by the front door. "I packed the way I do when I go to the Matthews."
"Good, good." Katy seemed nervous. She kept smoothing her hair and pushing back bangs that had not moved. "Now remember what I told you, baby girl. This weekend is super important."
" I know."
"You'll be on your best behavior? "
"Yes."
"Maya." Katy leaned down to Maya's level with an imploring look in her eyes. "I mean it when I say your best behavior. No crazy schemes . No sneaking out. You gotta be perfect for Shawn."
Maya blinked. To hear her mother tell her out loud the things she'd told herself in her head, made it clear to Maya that there truly was no hope for a successful weekend. She felt sick. If the weekend was a failure, she would not only be letting herself and Riley down, but also Katy. Fear gripped her shoulders in a painful squeeze.
"Do you have the letter I gave you?"
Maya patted her jacket pocket. "It's right here."
"Good. Make sure to give it to Shawn as soon as you see him."
"Okay."
Katy saw the look in Maya's eyes and her slumped shoulders. This was not how her confident, brave girl usually looked. "You're nervous aren't you, baby girl? "
Maya nodded.
"Aw, hun." The actress reached out and brushed Maya's hair out of her face. "We've been a part before. I hate to leave you, but this could be my big break. "
Every audition could be, Maya thought. But it never is.
"I'll be back before you know it."
It was four weeks last time. She stayed with the Matthews for four weeks and only heard from her mother three times. What if the Turner's couldn't tolerate her for that long?
"I love you, Maya!" Katy kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair. "You be good and I'll be back in no time. I promise."
Maya nodded. She still felt squeamish.
"Oh!" her mother exclaimed when she caught a glimpse of the kitchen clock. "Look at the time! I'm gonna be late!"
Katy hurried her daughter out of the apartment and locked the door behind them. With another quick kiss and a wave goodbye, Katy headed to the closest subway station while a dejected Maya headed to Topanga's.
Shawn was surprised to see Maya arrive at Topanga's alone and thought Katy was running behind for some reason. When Maya told him that her mother left for the airport from their place, Shawn was annoyed. The City could be a very dangerous place for anyone and he didn't think a thirteen-year-old girl should be alone in the streets.
It also bothered Shawn that Katy would not make it a priority to come with Maya since this was the first time she was staying with him and his family. He tried not to make any judgments against the mother as he didn't know her side of the story. He tried to excuse her by assuming she didn't come because, technically, Maya was staying with Jon and Audrey whom Katy already knew. Maybe. Shawn tired to shake the disturbed feeling off but it clung to him.
"Hey, Maya," he said giving her as warm a smile as he could manage. In spite of the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude that she usually wore, he saw the scared, uncertain look in her eyes. Shawn knew the look well. He could imagine what she was feeling. He knew very well what what it was like to be dropped off with practical strangers and have no idea how long you would be staying, afraid you would wear out your welcome before someone came and got you. Shawn had been through that many times before with Chet.
The blonde lifted her chin in the air. "Hey."
"How's it going?"
"Good."
"You ready for the weekend?"
"Sure."
Shawn was surprised that he was having such difficulty talking to the teen and thought that past few months he'd spent his siblings would have have helped him out more with Maya.
"Soooo," he said, desperately trying to come up with something to say that didn't sound lame. He did not want to be the adult he scoffed at when he was Maya's age. "Why don't we head to my place? Mom and Dad are waiting for us."
Maya tried to hide her disappointment. "I was hoping we could eat here. I'm kinda hungry."
Shawn frowned. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Lunch yesterday," Maya admitted, then quickly added, "I just didn't have time to eat this morning. Mom was kinda in a rush."
Shawn nodded and let the subject go. However, he was more than a little concerned by this admission. "Well, if you're hungry, you definitely wanna go back to my place. My mom is the best cook ever. And I'm not biased at all. Everyone says so."
Maya had heard all about Mrs. Turner's cooking from her mother when she accepted the dinner invitation to their house after the "incident". She gave him a small smile and slipped her hand in his.
When Shawn opened the front door, there was a loud rush of movement and noise as his younger siblings ran at them. Maya, who was already a bundle of nerves, was overwhelmed by all of the attention and hid behind Shawn. The Turner's house, she could tell, was much, much louder than the Matthews' house.
The youngest boy talked a mile a minute while the older one glared at him as he could not get a word in. As Maya watched Shawn wrangle the boys and try to figure out what they were telling him, she felt a tug on her jeans. Looking down, she saw Bella holding on to her and Shawn and giving her very serious scowl.
"Hey, guys," Shawn finally managed to raise his volume over the boys. "Can we give it a rest for a moment. Maya's here."
Grayson and Jamie blinked several times then peeked around the older man.
"Why are you back there, Maya?" Jamie asked.
"Hidin' from you," Grayson snarked at him.
Jamie spun around to take a swing at his brother who jumped back and ran. The boys chased each other through the house until they ran straight into their father. The force of the impact sent them bouncing backwards onto their rumps.
As Jon lectured the boys, Shawn turned around and grinned at the blonde. "Welcome to the family."
Maya matched his smile and, feeling a bit more confident, took a step out from behind him. Immediately, she was faced with the superintendent and darted back behind Shawn.
Jon saw this and smiled as he shook his head. "I hope the boys didn't scare you into not wanting to stay with us."
The girl peered around Shawn and with almost shyly, "Oh, no, sir. They're great."
Jon shot Shawn a confused looked. He'd never seen Maya like this before. Even at Topanga's a couple of weeks back, she was not quite this timid. Trying to ease her discomfort, he laughed and said, "Maya, you don't have to lie. I know they're a handful."
Maya stepped out from behind Shawn again and gave him a real smile. "They seem fun, sir. I always wanted little brothers. I think they'd be a lot more fun than sisters."
A loud crash and a howl was heard from the upstairs play room. "Might wanna hold that thought until after you've been here awhile," he remarked. "And drop the sir, okay?"
"Yes, s-," Maya caught herself and bit her lip. She nodded silently so she wouldn't accidentally say the wrong thing.
Shawn glanced at the young teen. The extent of her jitteriness surprised him. This was not a side of the girl he was expected to see. If anything, Shawn expected her to hide the anxiety behind a big attitude. Jon noticed this as well, gave him a small nod, then turned his attention to the girl.
"C'mon, Maya." he said waving her over to him. He hoisted Bella onto his shoulder. "Why don't you help Audrey. Breakfast should be ready soon. I'll get Julia to take your stuff to her room."
Maya nodded. She openly stared at the house as she followed Mr. Turner. Never had she stayed in so nice a place in her life. The Matthews had a great place but theirs was much more modern than where she was now. The historic brownstone struck Maya as deeply romantic and mysterious. She wondered what all the house had seen and heard. Riley had told her that Audrey's grandparents were the original owners and that Julia and her siblings were the fourth generation to live here. Maya couldn't help but be a little bit jealous of Julia for having so much stability and history in one place.
Before they reached the kitchen, Julia came downstairs and greeted Maya with a warm hug. Jon asked her to take Maya's bags to her room so Julia gave him her Zuca skate bag, which even when pulled, was heavier than all of Maya's things together.
"What's Julia gonna do with that?" Maya ventured. The superintendent seemed to be in a good mood and she really wanted to talk to him about non-school related things.
"She has practice this morning after Grayson's stick and puck session. We'll head over to the rink after breakfast. There's an open skate after Julia's done." Jon looked over his shoulder at her. "I hope you like to skate."
" I love it!" she exclaimed a little too enthusiastically. "It's my favorite thing ever!"
Jon sat Julia's bag by the door that led to the garage. He looked pleased to hear this. "You're gonna fit in great here, Maya."
Maya's heart swelled with hope and excitement at these words. Then almost immediately her heart dropped to her feet. She'd never been ice skating in her life.
Breakfast was typical chaos. Julia noticed that, in spite of the bedlam, her father seemed far more relaxed and cheerful than he had been in a very long time. Julia wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was going to be on the ice for the first time in a long time or because Shawn was going to be at work with him for the time being. Maybe it was because he was meeting with Uncle Eli again. Whatever it was, Julia felt much happier to see him be his old self again.
Her happiness was dampened some when DeAndre texted her to say that Jovani was online and not to respond to any messages she might get. The teen had forgotten about the mystery profile and that her friend was taking over her account for the time being. Dre told her not to worry about it; he'd take care of everything and FaceTime her later that night. Julia had hoped that he'd be able to come with them to the rink but he was grounded for a week for letting a new business venture take precedence over school.
After doing her part to clean up the breakfast mess, Julia headed to her room to change into her practice outfit. She was surprised to find Maya sitting on her bed, alone in the dark.
"Maya?" she asked as she flipped the overhead light on. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh sure," the other girl said unconvincingly. "Your dad said we were all going to go skating after your practice and your brother's puck and something?"
"Stick and puck," Julia corrected her. "Yeah, there's a public skate right after." She threw open the double doors of her closet open. "What size shoe do you wear?"
Maya gave her a funny look. "Uh, six."
"So you'll probably wear a 5 or so in skates." Julia dug around in the back of her closet for awhile. When she came out, she was holding the fanciest figure skates Maya had ever seen.
"These are a pair of my old skates. I advanced out of them before I outgrew them so they're in really good condition. Try 'em on."
Maya gingerly took the skates and was surprised by their weight. These were not little kid skates; they looked professional. The white leather was firm and smooth with just a few scuffs across the toes. The pressed leather heel was high and sculpted. The name on the tongue read Jackson. The blades were hidden is sequin teal covers. Maya had no idea how to wear them. But she could not ask since she already told Mr. Turner that she knew how to skate.
Maya started to put her foot in one of the skates and Julia stopped her.
" I guess you've only ever worn rentals, huh?"
"Right. Only rentals." Maya had never worn rentals.
Julia showed her how to loosen the laces. She showed her how to bang the tail of the blade on the floor to get her heel to the very back of the boot and how to correctly tighten the laces. Instead of making her feeling stupid for not already knowing this, Julia treated her knowledge as if it was no big deal. And for that Maya was very grateful.
"Are you wearin' jeans to skate in?"
"I guess," Maya said with a shrug. "I didn't know we were going so I didn't bring anything special."
"Maya," Julia said dramatically. "When you come over here be prepared to skate." She went to the back of the closet. "You wanna borrow a pair of my over-the-boot pants?"
"Sure," she said feeling more comfortable. Julia made the offer sound like they did this all the time. Sharing clothes may have been no big deal to Julia, but to be sharing her future aunt's clothing was a very big deal to Maya.
After she changed pants, she began to get curious about the superintendent's daughter. "How long have you been skating?"
"I was a year old the first time I was on the ice."
"Just a year?!"
"Ha, yeah. Daddy skated me around the rink. I was two the first time I put on my own skates."
If Julia suspected Maya had never been on the ice before she didn't let on that she did. After grilling Julia about skating until it was time to leave, Maya felt very confident that skating would be no big deal and that she would be flying around the rink with her future family with no issue. At least that's how she felt until she saw the size of the toe pick on her blades when Julia gave her hard guards to walk around in and showed her how to put them on. Maya had a very bad feeling that those toe picks would up end up outing her as a liar.
Jon ended up helping with Grayson's stick and puck session when one of the coaches kids got sick all over the ice and had to be taken home. Grayson was thrilled to have his dad coaching for the first time in ages and to be talking puke.
Whatever it was that brought Grayson's teammate down and sent him home also took out a kid in Julia's freestyle session. It was an early session and there was only one coach available to stay with the young skater. Jon stayed on the ice with Julia to oversee the freestyle skate but was not much use when it came to coaching figure skating beyond the basics. That was where Audrey was needed, especially in the area of choreography.
Jon was less than thrilled her being on the ice. Audrey argued that given she had been skating for a long time; she needed to stay fit; and there was no medical reason not to, she should be out there with him. Besides that, she had danced and skated through all her previous pregnancies. Jon bowed out of the argument knowing he had no reasonable comeback.
As the freestyle session ended, Jon caught Audrey by the hand and spun her around the rink in what looked like dance steps before escorting her off the ice as the resurfacer came out. Maya watched her future grandparents with starry eyes. How perfect were they? He was so handsome and she was so pretty. Maya didn't have much use for fairy tales but if by chance she should be adopted into this one, she vowed to stop defaming them and would instead become a writer of those same stories.
Julia helped Maya with her skates again. The blonde watched as her future aunt pulled the bottom of her leggings over the heel of her boots and copied her. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass around the rink and was pleased with what she saw. She looked every bit the figure skater that Julia was. It wasn't until she tried to walk that she realized it took more than looks to be a figure skater. Julia made walking on the hard guards look easy. When Maya tried to follow her to the rink's gate at a normal pace she nearly sprained her ankle on the second step. Thankfully, no one saw and only her pride was bruised. From then on, she took baby steps when she walked.
The whole family was already out on the ice, including Bella with her baby blades on. Maya stood behind the glass and watched the family. Her future grandfather was surprisingly agile and quick for a man in his 50s. Jon moved so fast that at times she had trouble keeping up with where he was. Almost as fast was her future father. Maya watched in awe as the two men raced the length of the rink and chased each other in laps around the ice. They would stop suddenly and turn, spraying snow as they did. Hot on their heels were the little boys who were not nearly as in control of their bodies. The boys frequently failed to stop quick enough and would slip and slide into each other and the wall. There was much laughter and chatter. Maya watched them from the outside of the rink, laughing along with them. She badly wanted to join in.
As much as Audrey wanted to indulge herself the way her husband and their children were, someone had to keep an eye on their group. Since she was not able to do as much as normal, the task fell to her. She watched over her family, but she had trouble focusing on anything other than her husband. It took a great deal of stress off of her to see Jon finally relax and have some fun. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Audrey saw Maya standing by the gate with a mystified look on her face. Audrey smiled and skated over to her.
"You'd have a lot more fun on this side of the glass."
The woman's smile was warm and inviting. So much so that Maya couldn't help but momentarily forget her nerves. She reached to take Audrey's outstretched hand, forgetting that she was stepping onto a very slick surface. Immediately, her feet flew out from under her.
Maya lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, deeply embarrassed and afraid she had hurt Audrey in her clumsiness. To make matters worse, her future father and grandfather were standing over her, too. Tears pricked her eyes. She wanted nothing more than for the ice to melt, let her sink into it, and then re-freeze.
Shawn had watched Maya fall and was afraid that she had managed to get seriously hurt within a few hours in his care. "Maya, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said, completely humiliated that the whole family, including the baby, were staring at her. She tried to prove that she was fine by standing up. The ice thwarted her effort to regain her pride. She slipped again, but this time was caught by a pair of strong, polar fleece-clad arms.
The superintendent held her upright. His eyes were dark with concern. "Maya, are you sure you didn't hit your head?"
"I'm positive," she told him. Embarrassment mixed with pleasure at his genuine concern caused a deep blush to rosy her cheeks. "My hood and hair cushioned the fall."
"If you start feelin' sick or get a headache, you need to tell me, okay?"
She nodded and gave him a tight smile. "I think I'll just hang by the wall for awhile, Mr. Turner."
She was thrilled that he didn't skate away with the others, but circled around her worriedly.
I'll just hang by the wall, Granddad, " she thought happily.
Jon let helped her over to the side then skated over to Shawn. The men watched the girl pull herself along the wall with her hands, barely moving her feet. When she did try to lift her feet the over-sized toe picks caused her to trip and nearly fall several times.
"She's never skated before, "Shawn said with complete certainty.
"Doesn't look like it," Jon agreed. "I shoulda had Julia ask Riley about it. I shoulda known Maya wouldn't tell me she couldn't skate." Jon cringed as Maya went down hard on a toe pick trip. "If I had known I never woulda put her in any of Julia's skates."
"She just needs a few lessons," Shawn said offhandedly as he watched her get up and steady herself.
"Mmhmm." Jon gave him a so-why-are-you-standing-there look and nodded his head in the blonde's direction.
When Shawn realized what Jon was suggesting he do, the younger man shook his head adamantly. "Oh, no," he said in a panic. "I'm not a teacher. I can't."
"C'mon, Shawn. You aren't teachin' her the Fibonacci sequence. You're teachin' her how to skate."
Shawn wrinkled his nose like there was a dirty diaper nearby. "The Fiba-what?"
Jon gave him a withering look and put his hands in his pockets. "It's a math thing and you know it."
"I thought you were my English teacher," the younger man smirked unable to let the opportunity to tease his former teacher go to waste. "Why does math always come up when I talk to you?"
"Hunter..."
"I can't, Dad," Shawn insisted. He shoved his hands in pockets. "I can skate, but I have no idea how to tell someone else to do what I know how to do. Besides, what if I break her ?"
Jon rolled his eyes. "She's a kid, Shawn, not a porcelain doll. Kids tend to be tougher than they look. We'll break easier than she will."
Maya felt as though she'd been skating for a very long time. She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see her progress and was dismayed to see that she hadn't even made it half-way down the first straight away. Her feet were beginning to cramp as her toes gripped the bottom of her skates as she tried to maintain her balance. As she turned to face forward again she was very careful to avoid her toe picks. In doing so, Maya found out how to spin by sheer accident. The momentum of her movement put her over the rocker of her blades and swung her out away from the boards. She panicked which caused her to spin more yet somehow she managed to stay upright. A few moments later she awkwardly slam into something both solid and soft at the same time.
"Hi," Jon gave her an amused smile as he helped her to find her balance and to turn around. "Need some help?"
Maya blushed and hid behind her hair so he couldn't see the guilt and embarrassment of being caught in her lie.
Jon tipped his head to the side and regarded her warmly. "You know Audrey does that a lot with her hair when she doesn't want me to read her expression."
Maya looked up sharply in surprise. She did something that reminded him of his wife? Of her future grandmother? A very pleased smile slowly spread over her face.
"But you're gonna need to be able to see," he finished, brushing her hair out of her face.
Maya made the decision to drop the act she was planning to keep up for however long she was with the Turners. If this was to be her family, eventually she would have to be herself. She couldn't keep up the façade forever- it was exhausting. Mr. Turner would know all of those tricks anyway because of Shawn.
Jon took Maya off to the side as the rink became more crowded so they wouldn't be in the way. He wouldn't let her hug the boards anymore. Under the superintendent's instructions, Maya began to understand the fundamentals of balancing on the two thin blades on her boots. In half an hour's time he had her skating around unaided. Maya was thrilled with her progress. Even tripping over her toe picks was less scary since Mr. Turner taught her how to fall safely.
Shawn was observing the entire time Jon was teaching. He always knew his mentor was an excellent teacher but his appreciation for the man deepened as he stood on the other side of the lesson. At the end of the lesson, he skated over to Jon and congratulated Maya on her success.
Jon turned to face Shawn. "I got her skating," he told the younger man quietly. "It's your turn now."
Shawn stared at him in bewilderment. "What am I supposed to do?"
"She needs practice."
Shawn pushed his lips out as he considered his place in this situation with the teen. Finally, he nodded. Maya proudly skated over to him when he called to her. She wobbled a bit but did not fall.
"Skate with me," he said holding out his hand.
Happily, Maya took hold of him. They skated a few laps, the the girl, who was growing in confidence, gave him a devious smirk and told him, "I wanna go fast!"
Shawn laughed and obliged. He pulled Maya, then his little brothers, quickly around the rink.
While the kids were playing, Audrey glided up to her husband as he helped Bella into the player's box.
"Hey, handsome," she said coyly slipping her arm around his waist.
Jon turned and pulled her into an embrace.
"Hey, beautiful."
Audrey couldn't help but notice that he was almost panting and this worried her a great deal. It wasn't like Jon to be out of breath after such a short time on the ice. At the end of the third period of a game, yes. But not at the beginning of an open skate.
"Are you all right?"
Jon leaned over and kissed her deeply. "Yep. I'm great. A little out of shape, maybe," he conceded, sounding embarrassed.
"You've got to get out here more often then." She barely got the words out before he kissed her again.
"Mhmmm," he mumbled into her neck.
Audrey understood the message: let's talk about something else.
"You got Maya moving pretty quickly," she complimented him.
Jon leaned against the wall still holding onto to her. "She's got natural athleticism," he said with grin. "I thought she looked like she did some form of skatin' before and she said she's done some inline skatin' at the park."
Audrey grinned at the way he spoke about the girl and slipped her arm through his. "Is that all?"
He shrugged. "I've missed teachin' Learn to Skate."
"You should go back."
"To Learn to Skate?"
"To teaching"
A fog clouded his eyes. He shook his head. "You know I can't, Aud. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."
Audrey sighed. "You just looked so happy to be teaching something again."
Jon allowed himself to get lost in thought for awhile before saying, "Don't you think you should get off of your feet now?"
"My feet are just fine, thanks," she sniffed.
"Aud, you need to rest!"
A mischievousness twinkled in her eyes. "Who's gonna make me? You?"
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she dared him to catch her. Bella shrieked jubilantly as she watched her parents play. Her whole family was happy and so was the toddler until she realized she was the only one sitting on the sidelines.
By the end of the first of hour of the public skate, Maya had fallen completely in love with the ice and she never wanted to leave. Julia told her that as long as she stayed with them she would get plenty of ice time. Maya was determined to take advantage of that as she knew once Katy came back there would not be much chance to go.
The young teen had also fallen more in love with the men of the family. After spending just a few hours with Shawn, Maya could not and would not consider that things might not work out in her favor with him. He was more wonderful than Riley and Mr. Matthews made him out to be.
Maya Hunter, she thought dreamily as she let Julia spin her in a circle. Maya Hunter suited her much better than Maya Hart. Shawn just had to be the one.
She knew quite a bit about him coming into the weekend but knew little about Mr. Turner in comparison. According to Shawn, his dad was just an older version of himself. She loved to hear his stories about his time as a kid with Mr. Turner and she loved that he called the man dad.
Dad, she sighed in her head. Tell me more about Granddad.
As Maya grew a little too comfortable with her situation, she allowed herself to be more like her best friend, Riley. Riley saw sunshine and unicorns wherever she went and was annoyingly optimistic even when things were undeniably bad. Maya allow her inner Riley out by referring to Shawn and Mr. Turner as Dad and Granddad in her head with much more freedom than she ever allowed herself before.
On a trip to the bathroom, she managed to walk casually through the arena looking as though she'd been walking in hard guards for as long as Julia had been. Just inside in the doors of the locker room a group of figure skaters from the local skating club were congregated. They were a few years younger than Maya and they looked her over in a haughty, judgmental way as she washed her hands.
"Who are you?" one of the girls demanded. She looked like a fairy threw up on her; she was covered from head to toe in glitter.
"She's not from here, obviously," another one snapped with a dramatic eye roll.
"Probably a charity case," said another. "I bet one of our girls was forced to bring her with them."
Usually, Maya's response to girls like these would land her in the principal's office and them in the nurse's office.
But they were not in school. Maya knelt down and pretended that her pants bottoms needed adjusting and casually flashed Julia's pretty skates at them.
The girls collectively gasped. No charity case would have those skates.
With cool confidence and a bit of a swagger Maya answered the first question, "Oh, I'm just here with my whole family. You know, my dad, my grandparents, and all my aunts and uncles. My mom is in LA auditioning for a movie." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sauntered out of the bathroom, leaving the snotty girls to gape and gossip.
Back on the ice, everything was going smoothly and Maya was having so much fun with her new found skills. Then something clicked and Maya was able to correctly do forward swizzles. She saw Mr. Turner and called out to him, wanting to show him that she could now apply what he'd taught her. But in her excitement, fantasy and reality blurred together and she called out to him, "Granddad! Granddad, look what I can do now!"
What Maya could not do was stop. She didn't know how to slow down very well either and she plowed right into the superintendent. For the life of her, Maya could not stay out of the man's way.
It would take much more than an unsteady, thirteen-year-old girl to knock him off of his skates. It was what she called out just before she ran into him that nearly cost him his balance. Bewildered and not sure he heard her correctly, Jon stared at her with his mouth slightly open. "What did you call me?"
Maya stared up at him with her arms around his waist as frozen as the ice. Was he angry with her? Did he not like Granddad? Would he prefer Pops or Pa? Did he not like the idea of being a grandfather or did he not like the idea of being her grandfather?
Maya was afraid of the answer. An anger bubbled up around that fear as it rose in her chest. This was Riley's fault! Riley had built this fantasy world and convinced her that it could be real. Riley said that because it happened for Shawn it would happen for Maya; that she and Shawn were different chapters of the same story. Stupidly, Maya let herself be swayed. She knew better to believe such nonsense. Nothing this good ever happened to Maya Hart.
"Did you call me. . . Granddad?"
Maya blinked. He didn't appear angry. There was a softness in his dark eyes and an emotion she didn't recognize. She didn't know how to answer him, but she had to. He was the superintendent and he was expecting an answer;.
"Shawn calls you Dad," she said weakly.
Jon smiled at her with a deep fondness and patted her head before removing her arms from his waist. He couldn't help but recall the first time Shawn had called him Dad all those years ago.
"I see," he said quietly. "You're hoping Shawn will be Dad which would make me..."the word felt strange in his mouth, "Granddad?"
"Unless you would rather be Pops or Pa."
The idea of being a grandfather was inconceivable to him with another baby due so soon. Jon gave a short laugh. "Uh, no. Granddad is fine."
Maya suppressed the grin that threatened to overtake her face. She couldn't wait until to tell Riley!
"But Maya," the superintendent grew serious. "I think we're jumping the gun here. Your mom and Shawn have only been out once. Why don't you just call me Uncle Jon for now?"
Maya agreed. She couldn't be too disappointed. Uncle Jon was much closer to Granddad than Mr. Turner was.
A loud buzzer shrieked across the ice indicating that the public session was over. Maya skated off with her new "uncle" and joined Grayson and Jamie behind the glass to watch the Olympia cut the ice. Maya, giddy with hope and happiness, was not paying attention to what was going on around her when Julia called her to go with her to the concessions. As Maya turned to join Julia, she saw a gruesome figure dressed in dirty dark clothes reflected in the glass. Startled, Maya stumbled backwards and was upended by the back of the skate guards.
"You okay?" Julia leaned over her and held her hand out to help the girl up.
"Yeah." Maya wasn't embarrassed by this fall; her mind was still on the figure in the glass. "I just thought I saw the Boogeyman!" She laughed nervously as she realized how ridiculous this sounded. "Guess I've been in the cold too long."
Julia didn't act like this was ridiculous. Instead of letting go of Maya's hand, she gripped it tighter. Looking over her shoulder nervously, she whispered, "What did it look like?"
Maya tried to recall the details of the figure but she couldn't see them clear enough to describe, "I don't really know. I just saw the reflection then I tripped."
"C'mon," Julia said, still not letting go of the other girl's hand. She debated whether or not she should tell Shawn, but he was with their dad and she couldn't tell him about this thing until she had proof of its existence. "Stay close."
The girls headed to the crowded concession stand and got in line. Julia anxiously kept watch.
"Jules, what's going on?"
"Nothing. I hope."
There were no shadows lingering near the concessions and the girls got their snacks and drinks without incident. Then they headed back to the rink to take their skates off. Maya dried her blades the way Julia showed her and put on the sequined soft guards. As she leaned over to loosen her laces, she saw in the periphery of her vision a pair of black steel-toed boots covered in a strange gray ash. This was so odd to Maya that she looked up to see who they belonged to. When she did she looked straight into the polarized lenses of the Boogeyman.
"Julia!"
Maya's scared whisper frightened Julia. She followed Maya's gaze and froze. "That's It ," she whispered hoarsely." That's what's been following us."
"That's what I saw in the glass!
Julia couldn't look away from the thing. Adrenaline kicked in and she turned to run. She grabbed Maya's shoulder and commanded, "Get your skates off now!"
Maya obeyed and let Julia drag her to Shawn. By the time they made it back to where their skates lay, the Boogeyman was gone.
Things didn't slow down for Audrey once they made at home. The kids took off to various places in the house for some downtime, but with Jon leaving later and an extra child to look after, her work was just beginning.
When she came to a break in her activity, she realized that it was a little too quiet upstairs for her liking. She climbed the stairs to the upper level and peered down the empty hallway. The quiet hum of the TV in the family room emanated through the cracks in the doors and she could see her youngest boys asleep on the floor. She smiled and turned back to the hall. Happy giggles were coming from the nursery. Audrey stopped for a moment as wave of brief sadness hit her. Soon Bella would be moving out and the last baby would be moving in.
Audrey opened the door expecting to see her oldest and youngest daughters. Instead Maya was sitting on the floor playing whatever game Bella had made up. "Maya? Where's Julia?"
Maya looked up at the woman and was promptly bopped in the head with a squishy ball. "She's in her room. She said she had some studying to do."
Audrey shook her head in disapproval. "She shouldn't have left you to do what I told her to do."
"Oh, it's okay, Mrs. Turner," she said tossing the ball back to the little girl. "Really. I told Julia I'd watch Bella for her."
"I appreciate it Maya. But you are our guest. I don't want you to get into the habit of doing other people's jobs around here, okay?"
Maya sighed and nodded solemnly. Only family had jobs to do here. She didn't want to be a guest; she wanted jobs to do.
Audrey saw the look on the girl's face and felt great compassion for her. She imagined it must be very hard to stay with people you barely knew for an unknown amount of time. "Is everything okay, hun?"
Maya nodded but didn't look up. Bella waddled over to her and held her favorite stuffed dog out to her . "MyMy! Sleep!"
Audrey smiled at Bella's invitation for Maya to take a nap with her. "She must love you a lot. I don't think she's even offered Shawn her puppy."
"Thanks, Bell Bell," Maya smiled. "But I'm not really tired. Keep him to take a nap with you."
Belle responded with a yawn so big that she nearly knocked herself over. Audrey led her daughter over to the bed, tucked her in, and turned on a CD of lullabies. She then went to the door and motioned for Maya to follow her.
"So sweetheart." Audrey put her around the girl. "What would you like to do?"
Maya thought for a minute. An overwhelming wave of homesickness hit her and she very wanted the woman to hold her. She was suddenly missing her mother that much. Shrugging off the feeling, she said, "Can I help you?"
"That's not necessary, Maya," Audrey said. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair in a motherly gesture. "You don't have to earn your keep, you know."
"I know. I'd like to though." Shyly she added, "I'd like to get to know you better. Shawn's told me a lot about you and Mr. Turner."
The woman smiled and held her hand out to the girl. Maya had a look on her face that she had seen far too often on Shawn when he was young. The girl looked lost. "How about you help me fold clothes?"
Maya agreed, relieved to know she wasn't a bother to her future grandmother. She took her hand and held on tightly. As they got to the bottom of the stairs, Maya noticed how tired Audrey looked. It must be harder than it looked to be pregnant and to walk up and down all those stairs everyday. "Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl yet?"
Audrey grinned. "No, not yet. Jon and I have never bothered to find out ahead of time, if you can believe that. We decided not to break tradition with the last one."
In the laundry room, Maya helped Audrey separate all the clothes into piles for each member of the household before they folded them. The silence was comfortable, but Maya was curious about a lot of things. "What's Mr. Turner like as a dad?"
Audrey smiled. There were few things she liked to talk about more than her husband. "Well, you'd get a better answer if you asked his kids but personally, I think he's best ever."
Maya wasn't surprised to hear this. "He was born to be a dad, huh?"
"Actually, no," she said amusedly with a shake of her head. "He was not always father material. Just ask Shawn about his first summer with Jon. They nearly called it quits on each other several times."
"Really?" Maya was surprised to hear this. "Shawn's never mentioned that. He says Mr. Turner is the best dad he could ask for."
"I won't argue with Shawn, then. He would know the difference between a good and not so good father better than anyone." Audrey never liked talking about Chet who, in her opinion, was a failure as a man and a father, but she would never say this to Maya because she would never say it to Shawn. She was always careful not to say anything disparaging about Chet in front of her oldest no matter how much she disliked the man.
"Is it weird to you that Shawn calls you mom and you're not that much older then he is?"
Audrey paused for a moment. This wasn't something she'd given much thought to. "No. I guess by the time I met Jon and Shawn I was so used to running a household and being a parent that it just seemed natural for me to be a mother to Shawn."
Maya was confused by this statement. "You had a kid before Julia?"
"Oh, no!" Audrey's hair flew out in a cloud around her shoulders as she shook her head. "When I was thirteen, my mom died and my dad wasn't able to cope. I basically traded places with him and became the parent to him and to myself."
"I didn't know that," Maya said slowly. It was strange to think that there was a time Audrey was almost parentless and on her own. She had assumed that Audrey had lived a charmed life.
"Something good came out of all of that, though," the woman told her. "It prepared me for Jon and Shawn. Otherwise, I'd have been too immature to be a part of their lives."
That peculiar empty feeling settled over Maya again and she felt bemused. "Mrs. Turner?"
Audrey took the clothes Maya folded from her and put them in Bella's basket. "Call me Audrey, Maya. I'm not your teacher anymore."
Maya gave the woman a side-eye. This was the open door she was looking for. "I feel a little weird about calling you by your first name." If there was any adult she would feel comfortable calling by their first name it would be Shawn's mother, but she didn't want Audrey to just be her friend. "I don't even call Riley's mom and dad by their first names. Could I call you... Gigi?"
"Gigi?" This name was strange to her, yet somehow familiar. She couldn't place where she had heard it before. "That's a definitely a different nickname. Why Gigi for me?"
"Well," Maya said slowly. "It's kinda a nickname for someone who's way too young to be a grandmother but is a grandmother. Or will be."
"Grandmother?" Audrey stopped hanging up her husband's jeans and stared straight ahead of her as the impact of what Maya's words hit her. "Oh, Maya. I'm flattered. I really am. But I think maybe you're thinking ahead too far. Your mom and Shawn have only been out once."
"I know, but I mean Shawn and I are so much alike and I just thought maybe..." Maya didn't even try to hide the disappointment in her voice. Audrey sounded exactly like Mr. Turner.
"Maybe what?"
"Well," she said, hoping to convince her that being a young grandmother was a good thing, "maybe things will turn out between my mom and Shawn like they did for him with you and Mr. Turner."
"Honey, have you really listened to Shawn's story about why Jon took him in and what happened after."
"Yeah. And I've been over it in my head a lot."
Audrey turned to face the girl. With that kicked puppy look on her face she could have easily been Shawn's daughter. "I think you're overlooking a few important things, hun."
"Like what?"
"Like things didn't happen overnight. It took time. Shawn is a lot like Jon was when I met him. Jon didn't want to get married and he didn't want kids. He only knew that someone had to take care of Shawn. He wasn't sure what he was to Shawn other than his teacher; he didn't know if he should be his friend or brother or uncle or father. He had no idea what he wanted to be to him. They had a hard time figuring that out in the beginning."
Maya knew all of that. But Shawn said everything became better as soon as the woman next to her showed up. "But then they had you."
"And I just made everything more complicated." Audrey had a feeling that the version of their story Shawn told was one of nostalgia and he'd glossed over the difficult parts. "It took time for us to become a family."
"But it did work out," Maya insisted. "I know things got messed up at the end for Shawn, but you and Mr. Turner did get married and you both were always there even if he didn't know it. He was always your son!"
"That is true, Maya." Audrey stopped handling the laundry altogether and directed Maya over the bench set up next to the washer. She pulled the girl close and the teen got into her lap as much as the baby would allow.
"Listen to me," the woman said kindly, but firmly, "when I say that Shawn is like Jon. If I had tried to rush Jon into to marriage, I would have ended up like all of his ex-girlfriends. You and I would not be talking right now. As hard as it was because Shawn wanted us together so badly, I had to wait for Jon to come to me."
Maya wasn't sure she understood Audrey. "What are you saying?"
Audrey smoothed Maya's hair off of her face and kissed her forehead. "I'm saying: let Shawn be your Mr. Turner first."
Maya gave a small smile and nodded her understanding. "Because that's how it started. Mr. Turner was Mr. Turner before he became Dad."
"Uh-huh. Then give Shawn time, Maya. If things are meant to work between your mother and him, they will."
"And if it doesn't it?"
She lifted Maya's chin up gently with her finger so she could see the girl's eyes. "Did he promise to always be there for you?"
Maya nodded.
"Like I said, he is just like Jon."
Maya reflected on this as she hugged Audrey tightly and helped her finish the clothes. She knew Shawn's story almost as well as her own and she knew that Mr. Turner had always been there waiting for him to come home even when Shawn wouldn't talk to him. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she took comfort in knowing that her hero would keep his promise no matter what happened.
" Well," the teen said as she helped carry the clothes to the foot of the stairs. "If calling you Gigi has to wait, could I call you something else?"
"Like what?"
"Well, Mr. Turner told me to call him Uncle Jon instead of Granddad."
Audrey smiled both at Uncle Jon and thought of Jon being a grandfather. "I'd love for you to call me Aunt Audrey."
Maya wrapped her arms around her new "aunt" as they walked back to the laundry room with a smile so big her cheeks ached.
Later that afternoon before she started dinner, Audrey had her children get their skates out and set them in a line by the garage door so she would not forget to take them to the pro shop Monday afternoon. Maya brought Julia's skates down and asked Audrey if she wanted them as well.
"No sweetheart," she said. "Julia doesn't wear those anymore and you need you own skates."
Maya blinked in confusion. There was no way she'd be able to save for a pair like those in her lifetime.
"Oh?" she asked trying not to sound disappointed.
Audrey took the soakers the boys had carelessly stuffed inside of their skates and put them on the blades. "Yes. Jon and I talked about it. We'll get you fitted for your own pair at the Pro Shop when we take the skates in to be sharpened."
Maya stared at her for a long while as a lot of different feelings tumbled over her. She was mostly overwhelmed that they would spend so much money on her so soon. "You don't have to do that, Aunt Audrey. Really. Julia's skates are fine."
"There is nothing in the world like having your own skates that are molded to your feet," she told her. Although, Audrey was smiling, her tone left no room for arguing. She lightly popped Maya's nose with her finger. "We want you in skates you can really learn in. Besides, everyone else in the family has their own. Even Bella."
Maya wrapped Audrey in a grateful hug and happily skipped away to set the table. She managed to surprise Uncle Jon with a quick, tight squeeze when he came through the dining room.
After dinner Jon helped Audrey with clean up before he left to meet Eli at a nearby pool hall. He was in a rare playful mood and his flirting, although much enjoyed, made it impossible for her to get anything done.
"Ah," she sighed delightedly as he kissed her. "Why can't you be like this when there are no kids around?"
"Because there are always kids around," he said into her collarbone. His hands went around her waist and he pulled her as close to him as possible. As soon as he did, the baby began to kick. Jon dropped his hands away from her, took a step back, and rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot you were pregnant for a minute."
Audrey felt a strange wave of confusion hit her. She was not used to being rejected by him and it stung painfully. "It's never bothered you before."
Jon shrugged without response. He looked uncomfortable and agitated.
"Jon..?"
"I just don't remember the other kids kickin' all the time," he interrupted. "It's weird, that's all."
An overwhelming urge to cry hit her at this remark. "She's always active when you're around," Audrey said defensively. "I think she's knows who you are and is responding to you."
"She?" Admittedly, Jon had removed himself from this pregnancy as much as he could, but he didn't think he'd removed himself that much. "When did you find that out?"
"I didn't," she said dejectedly, throwing the damp dish towel she was holding onto the counter. "This pregnancy just feels like a girl. I don't know how else to explain it."
"Oh." Jon looked down at the floor, suddenly unable to stand to look at her. Guilt wrapped around him like a fog. "Okay. I thought maybe I'd missed an appointment or somethin'."
"You haven't. "
"Good." He felt so awkward any time the baby was mentioned as though the child wasn't his. This was ridiculous, of course. The baby was not only his, but number six was his brilliant idea. "Lemme know when the next one is."
"Wednesday," she said softly.
"What?"
"It's this coming Wednesday."
"Oh. After school, I hope."
"No, I couldn't get one that late," Audrey pulled her hair down around her face as she felt too exposed standing in front of him. "I had to get it in the afternoon before the boys were out of school."
His face twisted into a look of annoyance. "Then I can't go."
The finality in voice rattled her and she looked up at him imploringly. "Jon, I need you."
"To do what?" he snapped suddenly angry. She knew better than to schedule something for him to do during the day, but she did it anyway. "Sit there and hold your hand? It's a waste of time for me. I have more important things to do!"
Audrey's mouth hung open in shock. He hadn't said anything quite that hurtful to her since the early days of their marriage. She didn't understand his attitude toward this baby, the one he said he wanted so much.
It took her a long time speak again. "It's the last one, Jon," her voice trembled and she could barely get her words out. Tears slipped down her cheeks against her will.
"Stop crying!" he commanded harshly. Guilt overwhelmed him but pride prevented him from apologizing. The tears infuriated him more.
Audrey stopped and stared at him. Her eyes were a dark gray abyss surrounded by unshed tears. Jon stared back at her ashamed of himself. None of this was her fault. It was his, but he just couldn't come out and tell her the truth.
"Fine," she said so quietly he barely heard her. "I'll go on my own." Her shoulders slumped forward as she gently touched her stomach. She felt very alone.
"Audrey." Remorse and regret made his voice crack.
She tried to push past him but he wouldn't let her. "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from," he lied.
She leaned her head again his chest trying not to cry. Tears had been used many times by women in Jon's past to manipulate him and he despised crying in adults because of it. Audrey rarely cried, but the intense sting of his words and a deep fear of his real feelings brought them out of the reservoir inside her. "You don't want this baby, do you?"
Jon froze. He didn't know how but she'd caught him. He didn't know what to say. If he told her the truth, he could kiss her goodbye because that would be the end of his marriage. Did he lie? He didn't see any other choice.
"I just can't handle all that's been going on, Aud. I love you. I love our kids. But I'm at my limit." All of this was true. Maybe he didn't have to lie if he could skirt around the truth. "I don't have anyone to take my place at work if I'm out. And if I don't save those days for the end of May I may not be able to be there when you have the baby. You want me there for that, don't you?"
The end of May; Audrey hated that time of year. She lost Jon and Shawn at the end of May. Her father died at the end of May. Jon's motorcycle accident happened at the end of May. Grayson had sepsis and they almost lost him at the end of May. Jon took the superintendent position at the end of May. Something bad always seemed to happen at the end of May. She shuddered. "Our kids are always late," she reminded him. Her voice was flat as the though the life had been drained from her. "This one probably won't show up until June. I need you now."
If he was being honest, the District could survive half a day without him. There was just a part of him that didn't want it to survive without him right now. But he couldn't forget that he broke his promise to her about taking the job and forced her to take on more work at home without his help; he owed her more than he could ever repay.
"All right," he conceded. He wasn't completely out of options. A former superintendent previously offered to help if Jon needed him. And there was Shawn. "I'll make arrangements. Maybe Shawn can help me out. Gary might come in to check on things, too."
Audrey sucked in a ragged breath. She wasn't happy or relieved. He never answered her question. She was afraid to ask again. She was afraid that the terrible truth was that he did not want this child and that he was beginning to resent her.
Jon debated whether or not he should cancel plans with Eli. He'd upset his wife so much that it felt wrong to leave her. Contritely, he held her as close he could and kissed her as much as she would allow, but it wasn't enough. The damage was done.
"I think I'll stay home," he said softly in apology.
Audrey pulled away from him and straighten up. The tear stains remained on her face but her express was blank. She was back in control of her emotion. "No, you need to go."
Jon blinked in surprise. "Why?"
She looked at him with that awful blank stare then said woefully, "Because I don't want you to stop coming home."
They faced each other just a foot a part but it felt as though they were standing on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon. Then she kissed him and left him standing alone in the kitchen with his guilt and disgrace.
Amsterdam Billiards Cafe & Bar was a unique venue that offered pool, ping pong, darts, foosball, and beer pong. The Saturday night crowd was just beginning to arrive and fill the Brunswick pool tables. People trickled over to the bar and brought with them a slim blonde in fitted jeans, a white T-shirt, and a brown suede jacket. In the lighting, it was hard to judge her age, but the bartender figured she was a bit older than the college crowd that was filtering in among the serious players at the billiards tables. She saw him watching her and flashed him a sultry smile. He gave her an expressionless nod.
She chose a seat in front of him and crossed her slim legs one over the other, flashing her knee high leather boots at him as she did. She turned one shoulder toward him while keeping her eyes on the door.
Curiosity got the better of him. "I haven't seen you before, have I?" he asked as he wiped down the bar.
"No." She spared him a brief glance. "This is my first time. You?"
He laughed. "Not hardly. But I don't usually work this location. I'm fillin' in for a friend. What can I get you?"
While the woman considered his question, her eyes constantly scanned the crowd. "I'll have an Old Fashion," her voice trailed off as her attention was suddenly riveted to the door.
It was the look of exhilaration on the woman's face that made the bartender stop and look at the men who had just entered the establishment together. They were about the same height and obviously knew each other well. One had black hair with deep waves. He was wearing relaxed jeans, a white t-shirt with a dark sports coat. The man with him had dark curly hair and he wore slim cut jeans with an untucked black button up shirt and a black leather jacket. There wasn't any extraordinary about the men as far as he could see; they looked like the hundreds of other guys who came in and out every day of the week.
"Never mind," she told him a low voice. The look on her face was that of hunter who'd just found the prize prey. She licked her lips in a way that made the bartender uncomfortable. "What I want just walked in." She slipped off of the bar stool and slinked away into the crowd.
The feeling of uneasiness lingered. The bartender pitied whoever it was she'd set her sights on.
The pool hall was crowded, smoky, and loud. Unlike the last time he'd been out, Jon found the atmosphere exhilarating. Being there with Eli was just like their college days. For the first time in years, Jon slipped out of his daily role and into the life he once lived. Or he did until a young woman in her twenties slid up to him and hit on him. It had been a while since someone other than a single mother at one of the local schools had come on to him. As flattering as it was, there was one thing Jon wasn't interested in pretending to be and that was single.
"Sorry," he said. He held up his left hand and flashed his wedding ring.
The brunette wasn't impressed. "So?"
"Not interested."
The girl pushed her bottom lip out in a pout but her attempts to entice him were pointless. Jon just sipped his beer and focused on his friend.
Eli gave him a disapproving look. "Must you bring the rain inside, man?""
Jon grinned "Sorry," he said with a laugh. "I forgot about you."
Eli rolled his eye but he was smiling. He wasn't going to give Jon too hard a time about his unwillingness to be his wing man. That cost him last time and it wasn't worth it. Tonight wasn't about women; it was about the two of them trying to re-calibrate their friendship again.
After a few games of pool with some members of the local leagues, Jon and Eli found a corner of the bar to sit and a grab a bite to eat. It surprised Eli that Jon was not only willing to revisit their college days without judgment but that he also indulged in a few beers. The news broadcaster studied his best friend for a while then asked, "Everything okay at home with the wifey?"
Jon gave him a funny look. "Yeah, yeah," he said with a shrug. "It's, you know normal stuff, I guess. I just can't wait until May is here and over with."
"Why is that?"
"She'll be done being pregnant," he said with a derisive edge in his voice. "And I can get my wife back for good."
Eli frowned. He took a sip of his beer then leaned forward on his elbows. "She havin' problems this time around or somethin'?"
Jon shook his head. "No, she's fine and so is the baby."
I guess the baby's fine, he thought as guilt slithered around him. I don't remember the last time I asked.
Eli knew the man across the table well enough to know that something was very wrong. Many times he and Jon were worlds apart, but he thought they were pretty well lined up with where each other stood on the matter of kids.
"69," Jon said flatly. He shook his head as though the number was unfathomable, "69"
"Uh," Eli said, genuinely perplexed. "Do I wanna know what you're talkin' about?"
Jon looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "I'll be 69 when this last kid is 18."
"Gotcha. Yeah, man. One year away from 70. How'd we get so old?" When Jon didn't respond, Eli grew concerned. He cleared his throat then said, "So, I'm surprised you're going through this again. I thought you guys were done awhile ago."
Jon took a couple of slow slips of his drink. "I thought we were done after Julia."
"Really?" Eli had never heard this before and was more than a little disturbed by it. He stared at his best friend, who was speaking what sounded like nonsense to him. Jon had given up social drinking years before and didn't drink at home at far as he knew. The journalist wondered if the alcohol was getting to him.
"I mean," Jon said, tapping his knuckles on the wooden table top. "I'm not sorry we had them. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade them for anything." He stared blankly into his beer mug. "It's just if I hadn't stupidly taken this job we wouldn't be havin' another a kid and my life would be a lot easier."
"Jon, you're scarin' me. I don't think you should drink anymore tonight. You're outta practice."
The superintendent laughed. "You sayin' I need to come out with you and drink more?"
"Maybe," Eli said, shifting uncomfortably. "I've just never heard you talk like this. You were the one who convinced me to have kids, remember? You were always tellin' me how great it was. Had one kid and you're right there tellin' me we should have another one or three." Eli paused and gave him a serious look. "Sounds like you want out. At least with this one."
Jon flinched that Eli had picked up on that so quickly. "Nah. I just... I didn't want kids after Shawn and I wasn't excited when we found out Audrey was pregnant with Julia. But man, I love that kid more than anything. Fell in love with her the first time I held her." He shook his head as the memories came back in technicolor. "I just hope the same thing will happen this final time."
Eli nodded, still worried. "I thought Shawn being back would've helped a lot."
"Yeah, things have been better with him back." Jon sat up straight and pushed his half-empty mug to the center of the table. "You'd love to be around him, Eli. He's turned out great." The superintendent's mood darkened again. "Not that I had anything to do with that."
Eli was about to argue that point with him when a couple of young women came up to them and began chatting. When one began talking a little too much with Jon, it was Eli who put an end to it. He wasn't in the mood to chat up anyone for once and the sudden shift in his friend's mood from depressed to Mr. Extrovert bothered him. He knew Jon would never intentionally do anything to hurt his relationship with Audrey, but he also knew that one poor, drunken decision could ruin a man's life.
It was a strange place for Eli to be in. At one point in their lives, the two of them got into more trouble than they could handle. Then he became the voice of reason that got Jon back on his feet and into teaching. Then the world shifted and for the past 20 years, Jon was one keeping him in line while he tried to find purpose in his life. Now the world had shifted once again it seemed. Eli did not like it at all.
He pulled Jon away from the dining area and women. He took him back to the game room. Jon was amiable enough to do whatever Eli wanted to do. Just a month ago this was the Jon that Eli wanted to hang out with. Now that he had him, he wanted the old Jon back. By the end of the evening and several rounds of darts and pool and another beer, the men parted ways with plans to meet up the following weekend if possible. Jon headed out to catch the subway home and seemed more himself in spite of the alcohol. Eli took a deep breath and exhaled. He was greatly relieved that nothing had happened other than he and Jon were brothers again.
It might have been late for the father of five but his kids were with his ex-wife and the night was young. As Eli debated whether or not to stay put or head to another bar, he heard footsteps behind him.
"Hey there, handsome," a husky voice said in his ear. "Need someone to play with?"
With Jon safely on his way home to his wife, Eli was ready to mingle. He turned around with a slick response on his lips, but those words died as soon as he saw the woman behind him. There was something so familiar in the hazel eyes that peered at him through half-closed lids. He felt as though he knew her. Eli stood there gawking like a teenage boy until a memory in the very far recesses of his mind shook free.
"Kat?" Eli squinted. He couldn't believe it was really her. That was simply the only name that came to him. "Katherine Tompkins?"
Katherine's eyes lit up with delight and she laughed. "Eli, you remember!"
"Yeah, yeah," Eli was still stunned to see her. "It's been forever. You look great!"
And she did look great. He didn't pay too much attention to her when they were both at John Adams High. She was Jon's girlfriend then and after they broke up he didn't see her much. His tenure at the high school only lasted a year and their paths never crossed again. But now that he was really looking at her he was surprised that she was so very attractive.
"So do you," she purred. "But then you always did look so good." Katherine leaned into his space and brushed up against him. "I'm surprised to see you here by yourself. Did the wife stay home?"
Eli's head was beginning to swim under the influence of the perfume she was wearing. "Uh, no, I'm divorced."
A small smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. "So am I."
The journalist having trouble thinking straight and stuttered out. "What have you been up to? I mean, I know you work with Jon but other than that?"
Katherine's smile grew wide and dangerous. She led Eli over to an empty table and ordered a round of drinks. As they talked, night turned to day and at 3 AM the bar closed. The night air mixed with the strange cast of neon lights and the people on the street mingling with shadows gave the atmosphere an electrifying charge. He offered to take her home. She declined. And left him a kiss that had him begging to see her again.
Next: Strange things are being done at Cory and Julia's school behind the superintendent's back. And Shawn intercepts a sinister text meant for Jon.
AN: Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the chapter length. After reading what you had to say, talking to a friend, and spending some time with other writers in the fanfiction reddit, I've decided not to alter my writing. So long chapters it be with exception of shorter interlude pieces.
I'd love to hear you thoughts about the story thus far. And also your thoughts on the OCs like Audrey and Julia. Many thanks. :)