I'm With You

by Taylor Dean

  “We are and I can’t wait. I’m not apologizing for it.”

  Jack had a history of marrying impulsively. It made her slightly nervous. They were planning on a Christmas wedding, so it wasn’t as if they were getting married tomorrow. As a matter of fact, Christmas seemed light-years away right about now.

  Jack grinned. “C’mon, it’ll be fine.”

  Chloe knew Jack’s family liked her. She just hoped they’d be happy about their decision to marry.

  Once at the door, Jack said, “I almost forgot. Give me your ring. Otherwise they’ll guess.”

  “Oh yeah.” Chloe quickly slipped her engagement ring off her finger and Jack stuck it in his pocket. He kissed her softly and the front door opened as usual, before they’d even gotten close enough to open it for themselves.

  “They’re kissing!” one of the little blond angels exclaimed, causing giggling to break out amongst the ranks. The girls all surrounded Jack and he told them to stop spying on him. A chorus of sing-song voices rang back at him.

  “Spying on you?”

  “We’re not spying on you, Uncle Jack.”

  “We’re just watching you.”

  Jack laughed at their logic. Everyone was all smiles as they greeted them. Except Gwen. She watched them speculatively, making Chloe nervous.

  Sydney hugged Jack hello. “So you’re kissing friends now? Is that kinda like friends with benefits?”

  Jack told her to shut up and the children responded accordingly, saying, “Uncle Jack said shut up.” Evidently it was a forbidden word.

  With Jack stuck in the playroom with his adoring fans, Chloe was left alone in the kitchen with the women.

  Kayla stood at the counter shredding lettuce. “You and Jack look cozy.”

  “Don’t they? You two make such a cute couple.” Leann briskly stirred some heavenly concoction simmering on the stovetop.

  “So, are you two an item?” Harper asked candidly, looking her directly in the eyes.

  Chloe couldn’t help but beam. “Yes,” she said simply.

  “I knew it,” Sydney exclaimed as she and Harper high-fived.

  Chloe half expected to see money changing hands while congratulations were murmured to the winner of the bet.

  Gwen said nothing.

  Kayla carefully sliced tomatoes. “I knew you two weren’t just friends.”

  “Kissing on the doorstep confirmed it.” Leann continued to stir, staring at the contents of the pot. “But I suspected.”

  Sydney swatted Leann on her behind with the kitchen towel. “I didn’t. I knew it.”

  “I hoped,” Harper said, approaching and giving her a hug.

  Gwen still said nothing.

  Harper squeezed tightly. “Jack gave me a tour of his house and I love it, Chloe. You did an amazing job.”

  “It’s quite lovely,” Gwen stated quietly, finally breaking her silence. She had a stately presence and when she spoke, everyone listened. Chloe felt impressed with the respect they showed their mother.

  They exchanged a brief look and Chloe wondered if Gwen wasn’t pleased with her seeing her son. “Thank you.” A knot formed in her stomach. It was important to her that Jack’s mom approved of their burgeoning relationship.

  Sydney waltzed around the room, acting exuberant. “No more Taryn. Hallelujah.”

  “We’re all happier without her. Especially Jack,” Kayla said frankly.

  Gwen promptly told them to hush.

  At dinner, Sydney said, “So, guess what Riley did the other day?”

  “I don’t know, but I bet you’re going to tell us,” Grady responded cheekily, munching on a taco.

  “You don’t have to listen, Grady.” Sydney shot him a death stare.

  “Thanks, I won’t,” he said as he plopped an insane amount of hot sauce on his taco.

  “Okay, this very funny story is for everyone’s ears, except Grady’s.” Sydney reached across the table and covered Grady’s ears. He acted like nothing was happening.

  “Poor me,” Grady muttered, his mouth full.

  Sydney gave up, and began preparing her taco as she spoke. “I went to the grocery store the other day and I was sitting in the parking lot writing my list. Riley sat in her car seat, looking out the window. After a few minutes she says to me, ‘Mom, look there’s a chicken.’ I glanced out the window and told her, ‘No, Riley. It’s not a chicken, it’s a bird.’ And I returned to my list.”

  Grady interrupted Sydney. “Obviously. There are no chickens wandering around the grocery store parking lot. You’re letting her watch too many cartoons. They’re unrealistic.”

  Sydney signaled him out. “I thought you weren’t listening.”

  Grady, busy digging into his second taco, moaned, “Unfortunately, I can’t help it.”

  “Did anyone hear someone talking? All I can hear is blah, blah, blah, blah. And it was painful to my ears,” Sydney mimicked.

  Chloe hid a giggle. Grady and Sydney behaved as if they were siblings. Twelve year-old siblings.

  “Look out, it’s a bird!” Grady yelled, his eyes on Jack, and everyone laughed until their faces turned red. Brian nudged Jack playfully.

  Jack was a good sport about it. But to Grady, he said, “Good one, Scott.” The table went wild with crazed laughter.

  “Can I finish my story now, please?” Sydney asked.

  “If I say no, will it stop you?” Grady interjected and Sydney flat-out ignored him.

  “Riley continued to insist there was a chicken outside of her window. ‘Look, Mom, look, there’s a chicken outside my window. Look, it’s a chicken.’ I insisted that it was just a bird, but she kept telling me it was a chicken. ‘It’s a chicken, Mom, a chicken,’ she kept saying excitedly. She was really getting worked up and excited about this dumb chicken. Finally I gave in. I scooted over to the passenger side of the van and looked out the window and what did I see?”

  “Was it really a chicken?” Kayla asked.

  “No way. A chicken wandering around a grocery store parking lot? You’re kidding?” Leann commented, scooping up a bite of rice.

  “Probably a dead bird,” Grady said sarcastically.

  “Nope. To my surprise, there on the ground lay a discarded chicken nugget. Her favorite food.”

  Even Grady burst out with laughter at that.

  As the laughter died down, and everyone was engaged in different conversations, Jack said, “I have an announcement.” Expectant eyes were suddenly all on them and the table quieted awfully quick. He glanced over at her and winked, taking her hand in his. Chloe smiled warmly at him, even though her stomach was doing flip-flops.

  “You killed Taryn in her sleep and made the world a better place?” Sydney joked.

  “You’re giving your gorgeous house to me and my brood?” Kayla suggested. “All that for one man is a waste, you know.”

  “You found a chicken nugget?” Grady snuck in as Gwen, sensing the seriousness in Jack’s face, interrupted them.

  “What is it, Jackson?”

  Jack didn’t hesitate. “I’ve asked Chloe to be my wife and she has said yes.”

  “What?” Harper squealed.

  Leann covered her mouth with excitement. “Oh my goodness.”

  Sydney jumped to her feet, smiling. “Finally.”

  Kayla and David clasped hands, their good wishes nearly erupting from their mouths in unison. “I’m so happy for you, Jack.”

  Brian patted his back while saying, “congratulations,” and Grady said, “Zoe’s a cutie.” Brian and Jim reminded Grady her name was Chloe.

  Gwen remained silent.

  Jack pulled the ring from his pocket and reverently placed it back on her finger. His lips brushed hers tenderly.

  “It’s beautiful, Jack,” Harper said with tears in her eyes. “Welcome to the family, Chloe.”

  “When’s the big day?” Sydney asked.

  “A December wedding,” Jack announced proudly.

  An air of excitement settled over the table as murmu
red congratulations, smiles, and hugs continued to come their way. Even a few more tears from Harper and Sydney. Chloe couldn’t have asked for a better reaction to the news.

  With all the commotion, it was easy for Gwen to say nothing. It was easy for no one to notice that she remained quiet.

  But Chloe noticed. And she knew Jack did too.

  As clean up began, Gwen immediately approached Chloe. “May I speak with you, dear?”

  Gwen hugged Jack tightly, grabbed Chloe’s hand and led her upstairs. Chloe’s trepidation grew to monumental proportions. Gwen wasn’t pleased. That much was obvious.

  Gwen took her to the master bedroom, to a cozy little sitting area with a fireplace. She flicked a switch and the gas fire came alive. “Do you mind? The heat is comforting to my joints. The air conditioning is so cold.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Have a seat, dear.” To her surprise, she took both of Chloe’s hands in her own.

  “I love my son,” she began right away. “Boys are different creatures than girls, no doubt about it. The girls tell me everything that happens in their lives, sometimes calling two or three times a day. Sometimes they call simply because they want to tell me about a new pair of shoes they just purchased. Every once in awhile it’s something a little more weighty, like an argument with their husband or advice on child rearing. The point is I know everything that is going on in their lives and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She paused and took a deep breath.

  “Jackson is a different story. Ever since we lost his father, our relationship has altered. He considers it his responsibility to watch over me. He calls to check up on me, he fixes things around the house, he mows our little patch of lawn, and he cleans the pool. His father was a family man through and through, and Jack emulates him perfectly. He’s watched his sisters marry and have children and I know it’s what he wants for himself.” A look of sadness washed over Gwen’s face and Chloe had no idea where she was going with this line of thought.

  “Then he brought Taryn home to meet the family. I could see how besotted he was with her. Rightly so, she was beautiful. When I said hello to her, she refused to look me in the eyes and I found that odd. We invited her to join us in the kitchen and she said, ‘Oh, I don’t cook. I’ll leave it all to you.’ She sat by herself on the couch in the living room and didn’t try to socialize with anyone. She went to the door of the playroom and asked Jackson if he would stop playing with the children and pay attention to her. All in all, it was a…disagreeable visit.” Gwen sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, Taryn isn’t a bad or evil young lady. I had the opportunity to meet her parents once. She’s the byproduct of two lovely people who desperately wanted a child. They had her late in life, a miracle pregnancy. As a result, they spoiled her, pampering her with anything and everything she could possibly want or need. I don’t think they gave much thought to her development as a kind and thoughtful human being. I sometimes wonder if they realize the consequences of their actions.” Gwen gathered her thoughts for a moment.

  “Jackson couldn’t see what we saw, however. He was blind to her faults. She clearly didn’t enjoy the children, and she didn’t even try to get along with my daughters either. I really think Jackson believed that it would all change as we got to know each other better. Then they ran off and eloped. It all happened so fast.”

  Chloe cringed at the thought. It sounded so romantic.

  “Jackson called me when he returned home from his honeymoon. He sounded…upset. He came to the house and we sat right here in this very spot and he said, ‘Mom, I think I’ve made a huge mistake.’ Now, these are not the words a mother wants to hear from her son’s mouth. I said, ‘What will you do about it, son?’ I never asked him what happened on his honeymoon to change his mind and he didn’t enlighten me. He was quiet for several minutes. He ran his hands through his hair several times, as if extremely frustrated. Then he looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I married her, so I need to make it work.’ I was proud of his determination, even though I didn’t see it ending well. I knew he was unhappy and it broke my heart. Taryn only visited a few more times before she began to refuse to come with him on Sunday afternoons. Frankly, we all felt relieved.”

  Apparently the absence of Taryn had that effect upon people.

  “Those few visits were enough for me. It wasn’t that she was awful or anything, mind you, she was just a tad self-indulgent.” Gwen was being gracious. “Some of the things she said were very complimentary, yet thinly veiled by a caustic remark. For example, to Kayla, she said, ‘Oh I love your shoes, they look so comfortable. They’re not cute, but they look so comfortable.’ No one knew how to take her. To Harper she said, ‘I think it’s so funny that you’re gaining weight, and I’m losing. You look great, though, you really do. I just think it’s funny that you’re gaining and I’m losing.’ Poor Harper was pregnant at the time and went into the bathroom and cried.” Gwen stared into space and Chloe waited patiently for her to go on.

  “Taryn would actually sit at the dinner table and politely ask for another napkin, or another serving of food, or a slice of lemon in her water—then she’d expect us to wait on her, even when we were eating buffet style. I’d never seen behavior like that. It was a nightmare. I’m not sure anyone in her life has ever told her the word no. Someone needed to give that little girl a spanking. I doubt anyone ever did.”

  Gwen stood, grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Jackson never confided in me about his home life with Taryn and he never spoke unkindly of her. Once I asked if he thought they’d have children one day soon. He said, ‘No, Taryn doesn’t want to have children yet.’ I knew that meant never and my heart ached for him.”

  Gwen resumed sitting, holding Chloe’s hands once again.

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m telling you all of this. I try not to interfere with my children’s marriages, but I want you to understand why I feel the way I do.”

  Chloe swallowed through a dry throat. Understandably, Gwen was concerned that Jack was marrying impulsively again.

  “Jackson called me when Taryn ran off with your husband. He was riled up, crazy with resentment. That conversation should’ve been about Taryn. It should’ve been his chance to express his discouragement. But there was only one thing he wanted to talk about.”

  “What?”

  “You.”

  “Me?” Chloe couldn’t hide her surprise.

  “Yes. Jackson told me how worried he was about you, how sad you looked, how he felt you needed help. He went on and on. I told him, ‘Jackson, you don’t need to fix the things Taryn has broken.’ He said, ‘I’m not doing this for Taryn. I’m doing this for me. She needs someone and I want to be that person.’ Jackson was taught well by his father. While a firm disciplinarian, Joseph treated his daughters as if they were little princesses. Jackson does the same with all women, the princess part, that is. A disciplinarian, he is not. Just last week when Kayla was feeling overwhelmed, Jackson volunteered to take Clarissa to a birthday/sleepover at a friend’s house. I was in the car as he’d just taken me to a doctor’s appointment. It was pouring down rain and I noticed several fathers dropping off their daughters and making them run inside quickly. Not Jackson. He pulled out an umbrella and insisted on walking Clarissa up to the door so she—as well as her backpack, sleeping bag, and gift—wouldn’t get wet. It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Such a simple act. Yet it said so much.

  “Jackson has always expressed a desire to have a wife and family. I believe it was a great disappointment to him when he realized Taryn didn’t want to have children. I’m not defending his rash decision to marry, mind you. These were things that should’ve been discussed long before marriage. Regardless, his choice of a wife did not correspond with his dreams.”

  Gwen fell quiet, lost in thought.

  “Then he brought you home. I noticed the way he looked at you right away. It was somehow different, more grounded in reality, as if he really saw you for
who you are. He was finally looking past outer beauty. Then he told me your story, Chloe, and I cried for you and what you’ve been through. My heart aches for you. I’ve never been more touched by a mother’s love for her child.”

  Tears dripped down Chloe’s cheeks unchecked. And Gwen’s as well.

  “I knew then that Jackson had found exactly what he was looking for. I knew then that he was going to be okay. I knew he’d found his match, his soul mate, if you will. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you. I know you’ve made my son a happy man and I thank you for that.”

  Stunned, Chloe could do nothing but let the tears flow. Gwen embraced her tightly and together, they cried. Gwen’s words were not what she had expected at all—yet they were more incredible than she could’ve ever imagined.

  “I know you lost your mother, dear, and I don’t want to try and replace her, but I’m here for you in that capacity if you ever need me. From here on out, I’ll always think of you as one of my daughters.”

  A knock on the door startled both of them. It was Jack, peering in the room tentatively. “Is everything okay?” he asked. He walked in, looking between the two of them, taking in their tear stained faces.

  “Are these good tears or bad tears?” he asked, his expression concerned.

  “Good tears, Jackson. Chloe and I were just having a little heart-to-heart.”

  “Mom,” Jack said, “Are you happy for us?” It was clear it mattered to him that his mother gave him her blessing.

  “You got it right this time, Jackson. She’s a gem.”

  Jack smiled widely and took both of them in a bear hug.

  Chloe knew life had begun again for her, and while her heart still ached for Christopher, she felt at peace.

  Maybe this is what closure felt like.

  ≈

  An hour later, Chloe sat on the couch next to Gwen, watching Jack slow dance around the room with Kennedy standing on his feet. The stereo blasted through the living room as Jack’s sisters and their daughters held what they called an EDP. Emergency Dance Party. Evidently it was a family tradition. The men had closed the door to the TV room and ignored the crazy antics of their wives and children. Jade begged for her turn with Uncle Jack and Kennedy reluctantly gave in and let her have her turn. Chloe’s heart swelled while watching him dance with his nieces. He was patient and gentlemanly, truly treating them like little princesses.