by Jessa York
Her eyes were watery when I looked over at her. “I’m glad you did. I couldn’t imagine you being a lawyer. You’re so creative and masterful in the kitchen, it’d be a shame to waste all that talent.”
There were times in your life you just had to take a leap of faith. I was familiar with that. When I pulled the car over to a screeching halt, Harper’s eyes were wide, and her hands held on to the interior for dear life.
I yanked off my seat belt and turned my body toward her, taking her hands in mine. “I’ve told you this already, but you never said it back.” I stared into her semi-frightened eyes and said, “I love you, Harper. From the moment I met you, I knew you were different.” Searching her face, I continued, “I fucking knew you were perfect for me.” She gasped when I attacked her mouth with all the force of a hungry lion. And I was hungry. For her.
That sweet mouth opened under my punishing one, and she gave me exactly what I needed. Exactly. Our tongues dueled, but she let me have the ultimate control over the kiss, moaning sensually as I drank. The taste of her mint gum enflamed me even more. My hands stroked her back, and I couldn’t get close enough. She clutched desperately at my back, and I swore inside my head that we were in such a small space. I wanted to rip that dress off and show her how grateful I was.
Unfortunately, we were interrupted by something ringing. “Dammit,” I gasped and pushed away from our embrace. Pulling my phone out, I saw it was Iris. “What’s up?” I exhaled heavily and tried like hell to catch my breath.
“Stop making out with your girlfriend on the highway and get your asses over here. We’re hungry, and the kids are playing on the rickety steps,” she said before hanging up abruptly. That was my sister, never one to mince words.
“They’re waiting for us,” I told Harper as I got my seat belt back on and put the car into gear.
“Jack?” she said, getting my attention as I was trying to merge back into traffic.
“Yeah?”
“I love you, too,” she finally uttered those three words I’d been waiting for.
I brought her hand to my mouth and said, “I know. It’s written all over your face. I just like to hear it sometimes, too.”
“Okay,” she mumbled in agreement.
Sure enough, when we pulled up to Harper’s place, my niece and nephew were indeed playing on the well-worn steps that led up to the apartment. We got out and let them and their seventeen diaper bags and toys and other paraphernalia in.
“Nobody destroys anything, you hear me? Tom, that means you as well,” Iris joked with her husband. Tom was an easygoing guy. Thank God, because Iris was definitely not. She liked things done her way or the highway. Luckily, Tom didn’t mind being bossed around. He loved her but definitely picked his battles.
“It’s fine, don’t worry. There’s nothing of any real value here anyway. Well, except my e-reader,” Harper said, quickly snatching up her prized possession before any sticky hands got hold of it.
Iris sighed. “I had an e-reader once. Amy decided to wash it. In the toilet.” We all laughed, and Amy grinned a chocolate smeared face at us.
“Like you have time to read anyway.” Tom dug in and tried to wipe off the messy girl-child.
“I will now. Think we can live on love since I quit my job?” Iris asked her husband. She said it in a lighthearted way, but you could feel how deeply it cut her to leave a job she’d worked so hard for.
Tom hunched over and gave up chasing his squealing daughter. “Sweetness, we can live off your shoe collection for a solid decade. We’ll be fine,” he said, then hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
Harper’s eyes shot toward me, and I nodded my head toward the kitchen. It’s not like there was any privacy to be had here, but at least we could pretend. I started pulling things out of the fridge, and we threw together a mishmash of ingredients for lunch. Every now and then, Harper had to run down the hall to chase a small person or two, but other than that, we worked well together and quickly got a meal ready. It wasn’t exactly the roast tenderloin that Harriet served, but it would do.
A knock on the door had Iris walking into the kitchen, wiping under her eyes. “That’ll be Blake. He and Melanie wanted to come, too.” My heart stopped at the news my older brother also left my parents’ house. Blake was dad’s favorite, and he knew it. It seemed like I’d been waiting a good chunk of my life for Blake to stand up for me. Problem was, that never happened, and a wedge grew between us because of it. I didn’t want to blame him for Dad’s behavior, but a large part of me probably did.
Tom let Blake and Mel in, and I suddenly worried that there wouldn’t be enough chairs for everyone. What a stupid thing to be concerned about.
“Well, looks like it was a complete mutiny now.” Iris chuckled while the new arrivals took off their shoes and Harper set them up with drinks. My sister was right, though. My older siblings had in fact supported me in their own show of solidarity. Decades later than I wanted, but still.
Somehow, we all ate and chatted amicably, nobody bringing up the fact that Iris quit her job or what had gone down at Mom and Dad’s. That was, until Blake finally spoke up and said, “I resigned a half hour ago.” The room went quiet. Hell, even the kids stopped mulling around.
“There’s the cutest play park around the corner,” Harper said, giving Tom the eye.
“Let me put the food away, and we can go,” I said, getting ready to do just that.
Harper put her hand on my arm and said, “No, I think Tom, Melanie, and I can handle it.” Hmm, I see.
The kids were excited, and even Josh knew what a “park” was, so he was kicking his legs like crazy in his dad’s arms. God, I miss when Ava was that little. Was she ever that small?
When the door closed, I sat down with my older brother and sister. Not going to lie, it was pretty fucking awkward. The three of us hadn’t been alone together like this for years. “I feel like it’s twenty years ago and we broke Mom’s vase.” I smirked at them, trying to break the ice.
“We? That was you. And Mom gave us exactly an hour to come up with who was to blame before Dad got home,” Blake said, narrowing his eyes at me.
“It was all of us, you big bully. And if I recall correctly, it was also your idea to throw the football in the dining room,” Iris said, eyebrows nearly at her hairline, pointing a finger at him.
Blake laughed deep in his throat. “Touché. Point Iris.”
“Broken vases aside, I appreciate what you guys did today, really. But in no way, shape, or form did I expect you to quit your careers for me,” I said, staring at them and meaning every word I said.
“We didn’t quit for you. We quit for us. So, shut up and say thank you,” she said, eyes glossy again.
“Mel’s pregnant,” Blake blurted out, and the smile that overtook my face was one of pure joy. They had been married for years, and I’d always suspected they were having difficulties conceiving. When I told my family that Brooke was expecting, Melanie stormed out of the room. I never questioned Blake about it, figured it wasn’t my news to share. “Sixteen weeks today. We were going to tell Mom for her birthday present.” Iris and I shared our congratulations, and Blake grinned from ear-to-ear like every proud parent I’d ever seen.
“You know, I thought her boobs were bigger. I even told Tom. Ask him,” she muttered, tapping her index finger on her lips.
“Never say that again.” Blake scowled at his sister.
“What? Women notice these things. Don’t tell me you weren’t checking out Harper’s double D’s when she walked in.” My sister was the most annoying thing in the world, always spouting off shit before she thought about it.
“Iris, for Christ’s sake, stop before my head explodes,” I said and threw a dishtowel at her.
“She’s the one. Right?”
Warily, I waded in. “The one what?” I asked, cocking my head to the side, scared of what was about to come out of her mouth next.
“The one. The one you’re going to marry and have
twelve babies with.” I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands, ruing the day I was ever born. “Listen, you’re the one who said it, Jack. Don’t pretend like you didn’t.”
“I was six years old. How could you remember that?” I mumbled and peeked over my fingers.
“Because you were so cute, and I’d never heard any little boy say he wanted babies when he grew up. A dozen is a lofty goal, but Harper certainly has the hips for it.” She waggled her eyebrows at me.
You could only resist Iris for so long before she cracked you right the hell up, and that’s exactly what we did. It was nice to laugh with them again.
“Look, man, I want my kid to know you and Ava. Honest to God, driving over to Mom and Dad’s today, I couldn’t even remember what she looked like. That’s not right. We gave Dad too much control, and now we’re paying for it. But I’m with Iris. If he doesn’t change, we aren’t going over there anymore,” he said and crossed one long leg over the other.
Iris riffled through the diaper bag, yanked out a tissue, and wiped her eyes again. “It’s true. Blake and I have been talking, and it’s not right. Jesus, it’s not like you ran off and became a drug dealer. You still went to college, except on your own dime. That was wrong of him, too. So you didn’t become a lawyer. Who the fuck cares? Just look what you’ve accomplished all on your own.” She came and sat beside me on the couch and said, “We’re proud of you, Jack, and we want you back in our lives, in our kids’ lives. And if that means they only know one set of grandparents, then so be it.” Her arms did their best to wrap around me.
I returned the hug and rubbed her back while I stared at Blake. His face had this look of contentment on it. “You guys don’t have to do that. I mean, I miss you and your families, but I’d never ask you to give up your jobs and Mom and Dad for me.”
She sat back and dabbed her eyes with another tissue. “We aren’t giving up anything. All we’re doing is giving them a chance to smarten the hell up. If they take that opportunity, great. If they don’t, great. It’s up to Dad to stop acting like an ass. There’s nothing we can do to help him.”
“I’ve got a standing offer with another firm if anything ever happened. They’ve wanted me for years, and I’m more than ready to take that leap,” Blake added, adjusting his tie.
“And are they offering you partner?” I asked, knowing full well they wouldn’t be.
He smiled at me and said, “Not yet, but they will if I want it. And, honest to God, I don’t think I do anymore. Right now, thinking about coming home to my kid already in bed and leaving in the morning while he’s still in bed…well, it just doesn’t sound good enough. I want to be around and take him places. Not have Mel text me pictures of what I should be doing with my kid.”
“He? Did you just say he?” Iris’ eyes bugged out, and she held her breath.
Blake’s eyes got watery, and he said, “Yeah, we found out a while ago. Melanie had to have an amnio, and we figured something fun should come out of that hellish experience.”
“A boy! I’m so excited for you guys,” Iris said and pumped her fists in the air. “And for us. Now we just need to see Ava. Jack, text me the dates when you have her next, and we can get together at my place. And bring Harper.”
And just like that, I had a family again.
13
Harper
I decided to wait up for Jack. It was after both the big McCallister family blowup and the McCallister sibling reunion of sorts. Although I felt bad for Jack and the way his father had treated him, I was overjoyed at the thought of him at least having some family back in his daily life.
His brother and sister and their families seemed to genuinely love and miss Jack. My heart warmed at the sight of them hugging him goodbye. Even his older brother, Blake, gave him a quick hug and a slap on the back while he said something to him, too quiet for me to make out. But whatever it was, it made Jack smile like crazy.
Jack left to go back to the restaurant after everyone took off, and now it was almost midnight. I hoped he’d get home soon, but no matter what time he got in, I’d be up. It had been quite the day, and I wanted to check on him and make sure he was all right after the shock of the day’s events.
A few minutes later, I heard a light tapping on the door. That was odd. Maybe Jack forgot his key? I got up and padded into the living room. The small lamp was already on. I always turned it on for him when he was out late. The idea of him walking into a dark apartment always tore at my heart a little.
Carefully, I peered through the peephole to make sure it was him, but it wasn’t. It was Jack’s mom. What the heck? Confused, I slowly opened the door and said, “Hi, Elaine. Is everything okay?” When I looked into her eyes, I realized how stupid of a question that had been. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was all spotty from crying. I knew that look well.
“I left him,” she said, holding up a small bag in front of her. A moment passed before I completely understood what she meant.
“You left your husband?” I asked as my jaw dropped to the floor. She shrugged and burst into tears. “Oh dear, you poor thing. Come in, we’ll fix you up,” I said with no idea what I actually planned on doing.
“Thanks, H-h-h-harper. I’m so sorry for how my husband acted. I don’t know why he does that to Jacky,” she said as I guided her over to the couch.
“Can I get you something? Tea or hot cocoa?” Or a cab ride to your other children’s houses?
“I’d like my family back together again, if you can manage to do that?” she asked while shaking her head, tears flooding down her face.
“Afraid I’m not the one for that job. Would you like me to call Jack?”
“He’s not here?” she asked with a worried expression on her face. “Iris gave me this address and said he would be here. I tried to talk to her, but she said she wasn’t speaking to me until this mess with Jack was figured out, and then she hung up.” Hmm, Iris was a good person to have on your side, but I’d hate to go up against her. “You probably think I’m a bad mother. I don’t even have my son’s address.”
“I don’t think you’re a bad mother. Don’t say that. And this is my place, not Jack’s. Let me call him, and he’ll come home right away,” I suggested, but she just shook her head and held on to my arm. “He’s working at the restaurant, but I’m sure he’s probably on his way.” Unless it was a busy night, or someone didn’t come in, or any other various acts of God occurred in which case he’d have to stay late and pick up the pieces.
“He works hard, doesn’t he? Even as a kid, he was such a serious boy. So focused on whatever he was trying to do,” she said, wiping her eyes with a balled up tissue. I ran to the kitchen to grab the tissues and pulled a new one out of the box for her.
“Jack’s a very hard worker. He’s opening a second restaurant soon. Did you know that?” I asked and took a good guess she didn’t know.
“Two restaurants? No, he never said a word,” she said and looked off to the side in careful contemplation. “He and his father always butted heads. Almost from the moment he entered the world. If John would stop and think for a minute, he’d realize how much he and Jack actually have in common. But instead, he was so disappointed when Jack quit law school to go to culinary school, he practically disowned him.”
There was so much I wanted to say, but it really wasn’t my place. Part of me wanted to shake her and ask her why in the world she wasted the best years of her life on some immature bastard who was mean to their kids. But I didn’t. All I could do was listen. There was no good that could come out of me placing blame on anyone.
“Jack was always in the kitchen, and he was really good, not just making a mess or wanting to eat what I made or what the cook prepared. He was genuinely interested in the entire process, from beginning to end. You could tell he was born to cook. Anyone with eyes could see that,” she said, picking pretend lint off her pants. “But John fought it.” She shook her head vehemently. “No son of his was going to be some pansy-ass, two-bit cook
in a dive somewhere. God, the man has no foresight at all,” she said and bowed her head, shoulders slumped.
Again, I wanted to ask why she didn’t stick up for her youngest child, but I controlled myself. I’d lived with my own bully for years. If I asked around, I’m sure a lot of people were curious about why I stayed with Gabe, too.
“Jack cooked with you as a child?” I asked, imagining a young Jack standing on a chair at the counter with his mom. My heart almost exploded at the thought.
“All the time.” She rubbed her hands on her thighs. “He was such a good boy. And he was fascinated with his sister’s Easy-Bake Oven. Oh, how Iris would scold him for using it, but he didn’t care. Any chance he got, he took that thing out and used it.” She giggled, and I did, too. Envisioning Iris giving Jack heck for using her play oven was hilarious.
“Let me make some hot cocoa. Jack should be back soon,” I said and got up. She left her husband of how many years? And at sixty years old? My hands were happy to have something to do while I thought about the implications of what she did. First thing that popped into my mind was John was going to be pissed off. I wasn’t sure if he was the violent type, but this might be enough to push him to the breaking point. The man just lost his entire family in one day.
As I was reaching up precariously for the marshmallows—why did I have them up so high? I heard the key in the lock and breathed a sigh of relief that Jack was home. The door swung open, and he said, “You know the rules, gorgeous. No clothes after midnight, and it’s exactly...” In dramatic fashion, he checked his watch. “Ten minutes after twelve.” He stood there looking extremely hot with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder like he was about to walk down a runway somewhere.
My mouth hung open, and my brain rendered me powerless. Speech? What was that? The man just told me to get naked in front of his mom. “Jack,” I said breathlessly.
He ignored me and turned to hang up his jacket. “While you’re in the kitchen, why don’t you get out the extra whipped cream I made and bring it with you?”
