by A. J. Macey
“That sounds hard,” I murmured, struggling to know what to say about something so massive.
“I got used to it, at least most of the time, but I couldn’t just forget my sister or what she went through like my parents wanted. You shouldn’t be expected to forget someone you love, she doesn’t deserve that, so I made sure to keep something. A little pink ornament she’d made for Christmas one year, full of sparkles and the bright colors that she loved so much. When we packed up my room last week, I didn’t care about anything else. All I wanted was that.” Reid took a deep, shaky breath, squeezing me tighter than ever. “I can’t… I can’t lose you too.”
Pulling back enough to look him in the eye, I held his scruff-covered jaw in my hands, rubbing my fingers over his wet cheeks in an attempt to comfort him. Everything he revealed swirled in my mind like a tornado, and I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t stick my foot in my mouth when I spoke. Swallowing the lump forming in my throat, I tried to convey everything I felt with my stare.
“You won’t. I need you. I need all of you because I don’t want to—heck, I don’t think I could—do this alone. We’ll do all of this together, and if I ever feel like something is wrong, I’ll tell you guys. Jesse even offered to go with me to a therapist to see if they can help with the nightmares,” I rattled off. “We got through one trial, and we’ll get through another. Then we’ll get through graduation and be off to college, and whatever else we have in store for us.”
“As long as I have the three of you, I know I’ll be happy,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and thick. Taking in his expression, I noted the red rings encircling his eyes and the wet tracks on his face. Reid pressed his lips to mine in a soft and sweet kiss. “I think I’m okay now. Let’s head inside. The others obviously know what happened back then, so I don’t need to talk to them about it.”
“No, but if you ever need to, we’re here for you,” I told him, reaching up and brushing a stray curl that had flopped against his forehead.
“I know, and that’s why I’ll always be happy with the three of you. I love you, Cali girl.”
“I love you too, Reid.”
Now more than ever.
11
March 4th
For some reason, I never truly thought about the others and how they saw our future. Safe to say that was the ‘weird’ for today, but I can’t say I’m disappointed with the answer!
#ArtsAndCrafts #OnlyTimeWillTellWhatComesNext #WeirdnessWednesday
The final bell rang, the bright tinkling echoing through the locker room as I finished changing. It had been just over a week since finding out that Brad was trying to get out of jail, and we still hadn’t heard any new information. At first, I was extra vigilant despite knowing he was still behind bars. My mind was constantly prepared, setting me more on edge than I had been previously, but as the days went on, I calmed. I knew he could—and probably would—appear at any time once he was out, and I kept that reminder tucked in the back of my head, but I relaxed enough that I was no longer looking over my shoulder every few minutes.
Thank goodness too, I thought as I shouldered my bag and made my way out of the locker room. Constantly feeling as if someone was watching me was not a fun sensation, and I was happy that my overactive imagination had somewhat settled. It probably helped that Lyla had gone with me again to self-defense on Monday night. It might not have been much, but it was at least something. If worse came to worst, that was all I could really do to be prepared.
As I made my way to the front entryway, I found Reid waiting for me on the other end of the room. My mind wandered and seeing him sparked another reminder. It had also been a week since he confided in me about his sister and what she had gone through, and he hadn’t brought it up since. He was acting like everything had gone back to normal, except he was more lovey-dovey than before. It seemed that sharing that piece of himself with me had created an even closer bond, and for that I was grateful.
“Where are the others?” I asked when I finally reached him, looking around for Kingston and Jesse.
“They left already,” he relayed, curling me under his arm and pressing a kiss to my temple. “We have been tasked with a mission.”
“Uh… okay,” I drew the word out. “Any particular reason?”
“Yes, actually. Kingston has been tasked with distracting Jesse for the next couple hours while you and I have been instructed to go get Jesse a present.”
“A present? For what?” I tried to rack my brain for any memory of holidays or celebrations. It wasn’t Jesse’s birthday for almost another two months, and there was nothing special about today, so whatever it was that we were gifting had to be something I wasn’t in on yet.
“Stella and Kaleb got Jesse’s official emancipation order in yesterday, and they’re wanting to throw a little party for him tonight to celebrate.”
“Really? That’s awesome! I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say it’s a surprise if Kingston’s distracting? Don’t think I forgot he was designated distractor for my birthday,” I playfully scolded as we neared our cars. “Guess I’m driving since your Jeep’s not here?”
“If you could, Cali girl,” Reid cooed sweetly, giving me an adorable pair of puppy dog eyes.
“You’re too cute for your own good,” I murmured, kissing him quickly before stepping away to get in the car. “Yeah, I’ll drive. Any particular idea of what to get him?”
“Absolutely no clue,” Reid told me in an upbeat tone. “I just found out right before last class when Kingston stopped me in the hall. Haven’t had a chance to think much of a present.”
“Hm, well, you three already have a large amount of video games and enough consoles for an entire army to play, so I don’t think that’s a good option,” I mused aloud, backing out of the parking spot. “Want to grab some coffee before we shop?”
“I’d love to! It’ll give us some time to brainstorm ideas.”
With that, I drove out of the school lot and across the main street separating the school grounds and the strip mall where Coffee Grounds was located. I kept trying to brainstorm gift ideas, but for whatever reason I was drawing a blank. Tucking the problem at hand away, I pulled into a parking spot and climbed out. It was nice and warm in the coffee shop, Lyla’s red hair standing out among the stainless-steel appliances and chalkboard menus hanging on the wall behind her.
“He’s already started using the new sketch pad and pencils you got him for Valentine’s Day,” Reid said, thinking out loud as we waited to order. “He’s almost out of the couple of paint colors you got him around Christmas time.”
“Really?” I perked up, loving to hear that.
“Yup, I know there’s actually a big surprise that Stella and Kingston have been working on since we left this morning. I have no clue what it is, but they said there’d be room for his art supplies if we wanted to get him some more of those.”
“Oh! That painting place he and I went on a date to is just a few doors down. They sell supplies and coupons for classes. Maybe we can get him a coupon for him and me to use, or for all of us to do a group date, and then see what painting supplies they have on hand,” I exclaimed, growing more excited the more we talked about it.
“That sounds perfect, Cali girl,” Reid agreed with a proud smile. The customer in front of us shifted out of the way, leaving the line empty before us so we stepped up to the counter together.
“Hello!” Lyla greeted brightly with a wide sweeping wave of her arms. “Give me just a few to get these orders finalized, and I’ll get you guys started.”
“No rush, Ly.” I waved her off, looking at the pastry cabinet as she worked. It had been a few hours since lunch, and I could feel myself growing hungry. “Are we doing dinner tonight with this party?”
“Yup, pretty sure it’s chili and cinnamon rolls again since you missed out last time,” Reid explained distractedly, his eyes scanning the menu board. “Kingston said dinner would be done around four-thirty or five to give us time to shop qui
ckly. Speaking of shopping, what should I get?”
“What are you in the mood for?”
“What do you think, Cali girl?” Reid teased, tucking me under his arm. “Sweet is my favorite, but I’m just not sure what would be good.”
“Caramel macchiato or maybe a caramel frappé would be good. Depending on if you want hot or cold coffee,” Lyla stated, stepping back over to the counter. “Little Miss Emma Bean isn’t working right now, so I’m here to help with all of your coffee decision needs.”
“Caramel macchiato then, that’s the hot one, right?”
“Yup, what size?”
“Uh, largest you have?” Reid said, his words going up at the end in an accidental question. Lyla got Reid’s order going, scribbling on the front of his cup with her sharpie. “You think I’d remember these things since you work here, Cali girl.”
“That’s okay,” I reassured, bumping my shoulder into his. “It’s been a stressful few months. I don’t know how any of us remember anything.”
“Who are you? What are we doing here?” Reid joked. The silly questions made me laugh, and I loved that no matter the situation or day, Reid could make me smile.
“All right, here’s your caramel macchiato.” Lyla offered Reid his cup before turning to me with excited anticipation. “And let me guess, a dirty chai latte?”
“I hadn’t actually decided, so sure.” It was one of the few drinks I hadn’t yet tried, and she kept saying I needed to.
So, I guess today’s the day!
We paid quickly, Reid waving off my attempts to chip in. I knew arguing wouldn’t do much, but I did give him a narrowed glare before pecking him on the cheek with a soft ‘thanks.’ Drinks in hand, we said our goodbyes to Lyla and left the crowded shop.
Walking leisurely, I enjoyed the slowly shifting weather. It was chilly, the wind cool against my skin, but the overall winter temperatures were giving way to spring. I hadn’t needed gloves or a hat for a week or two even though I still carried them just in case, having learned that the weather could change at any given moment.
I have to say, one downside of moving cross-country is that the weather here in Nebraska is like a roller coaster.
One moment, it’s warm, the next it’s cold rain and sometimes even flurries before shooting right back up to the bright sunshine.
I mean, come on, what kind of crazy person lives in a place with such moody weather?
Oh yeah, me.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Cali girl?” Reid asked, cutting off the tangents swirling in my head. “You had your ‘I’m thinking about things intensely’ face on.”
“The weather actually,” I explained with a smile, hoping to calm any worries he might have had. “It’s so much more... expressive here than in Cali.”
“Ah, yes, the joys of the Midwest.” Reid laughed, pointing to the door we were nearing. “This the place?”
“Yup.” Reaching out, I tried to open the door, but Reid beat me to it, giving me a cocksure grin when I huffed.
“Thank you,” I muttered, trying hard to not smile at his antics.
“You’re very welcome, milady,” he exclaimed proudly. “All right, let’s see what they’ve got.”
It was nice to spend some time with Reid, away from school and homework and the stresses of everything our lives had thrown at us lately. Seeing him intently listening to the guy working the front desk of the paint class and supply shop was cute, and I couldn’t deny that I loved knowing he was taking everything so seriously. It was clear as day that Reid cared about Jesse—and no doubt Kingston—as if they were blood brothers, something that made what we had together that much more special.
“What do you think, Cali girl?” Reid questioned once the employee finished explaining the supplies they offered, their uses, and costs versus quality. “I know we’re going to get some coupons for the class, but I’m not quite sure what to get him for supplies.”
“Well...” I started, scanning the shelves. There were a lot of items to pick from, so many that it almost overwhelmed me. “I’d think some really good quality items so he can use them for months or years to come,” I reasoned, a train of thought starting to form. At first, I hesitated to bring it up, but I knew Reid wouldn’t judge my idea. “I mean… we’re nearing the end of the school year, and Jesse still hasn’t decided what he wants to do after or study in college. Do you think…” I paused, briefly second-guessing myself before spitting it out. “Do you think Jesse would study art in school or pursue a career as an artist?”
“Huh, that’s not something I think I’d even considered as an option. I don’t see why he wouldn’t, though it may take a bit of convincing to get him on board.”
“For what?” My confusion grew at his statement. Art was something he had a talent for, and even in the couple months he’d been doodling, he’d excelled. Not only was he getting better, but he enjoyed it, and after everything he’d been through, I wanted Jesse to do something for himself.
“Being an artist isn’t exactly the most successful or stable career; Jesse would struggle with not being able to help provide for himself and us,” Reid clarified. “No matter what the future has in store for us all, I would never be upset if Jesse did something he enjoyed. Working a menial job just to bring in money is a shitty way to live life, and if we can avoid that, then I know that’s what we’ll all do. King wouldn’t be upset about it either; the two of us would rather Jesse be happy even if it meant that the three of us had to bring in some extra cash.”
Nodding in understanding, I felt a bubble of excitement start to form in my chest. Hearing Reid talk about something so monumental like it was just the way it was, made me giddy.
“So, you’re thinking about the future too?” I spouted, immediately wishing I could swallow the words, but the question was out there now, so I waited. Reid’s smirk gave away how he felt, my excitement growing as he nodded.
“Of course,” he said, shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I wouldn’t have gone into this with the expectation it’d only be for ‘right now.’” At this point I was beaming knowing it was a conversation the four of us probably needed to have at some point, but I didn’t want to without the others.
Can’t exactly figure out where we want to live after the freshman year of college with just the two of us.
With that in mind, I continued our original conversation. “There are four of us, so wherever we end up living it’ll be easy enough to split bills. Even if Jesse doesn’t make money right away, or ever, he’ll still be doing what he loves, and there’ll be plenty of other ways he could contribute to our home or family.”
“You’re perfect,” Reid whispered, pulling me closer and pressing a kiss to my temple. “How did we get so lucky?”
“I think I’m the lucky one,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist in a hug. “Think we can get him on board to consider that as an option?”
“If anyone can, it’s you, Cali girl,” Reid confided, giving me one more kiss. “Come on, let’s get some stuff and head back home. Don’t want to make Kingston have to try and distract Jesse for too long, or it’ll ruin the surprise.” Chuckling, we pulled away from each other and got to work.
I picked some tools first including a palette, palette knife, and a handful of good brushes to add to Jesse’s current collection since it was so small. Reid grabbed the primary colors the employee said would be best to start with before taking them to the counter with my picks. As I turned to start back to the front of the store, my eyes fell on something I knew could help make a difference on Jesse painting consistently or not—an easel.
Naturally, I snatched up a new one, purposely pretending I didn’t see the price tag on it. Reid eyed the box when I reached him, without comment, but the little glimmer in his gaze told me he knew exactly why I had grabbed it. When I heard the total of the supplies and the class coupons, I nearly choked on air.
“Don’t worry, Cali girl, Kingston gave us money from Stella and Kaleb,” Rei
d reassured quietly. “They wanted to make sure Jesse’s emancipation was perfect without having us worry about our own funds.”
At this point, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by the Bells’ generosity or how much they cared about us, but I was. It might have been because my mom was lost in her own world and that the dad I was closest to was halfway across the country, but it was hard to wrap my head around. Stella and Kaleb had accepted me without hesitation, welcoming me with open arms as if I had been here for years.
“Is that it for today?” the employee asked, his voice cutting off my rambling thoughts.
Come on, Emma, focus on your surroundings, I commanded, repeating the things I had learned in self-defense.
“Yup, I think that’s all,” Reid told him, both of us grabbing hold of the bags. “Thank you!” With a final wave from the guy behind the register, we headed to the car and to King’s house.
12
March 4th
I normally have things that were weird, strange, or mindboggling to post, but all I have for today is good news. It’s officially the start of my quiet Jesse’s new life!
#FreshStart #EmancipationParty #WeirdnessWednesday
Traffic had lessened now that it was the small window after the school rush and right before rush hour started, so it took less than twenty minutes to reach the Bell household. When Reid and I pulled in, I happily noted that there was no Jeep in the driveway. King’s distraction techniques for the win a second time.
“That you, Reid? Emma?” Stella called out as we walked in the front door.
“Yes!” Reid hollered back. We shed our shoes and coats quickly before bringing the bags to the kitchen table. As we stepped from the front hall to the living space, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the balloons, streamers, and the banner hanging above the windows next to the table. My grin grew when I read what the banner said.