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The Rest of My Life-8
my part of the next chapter of our Big Fish-RP fic. oy.
I stayed up most that night, thinking about what James had told me. I'd asked for honesty, so I couldn't say he'd just been trying to scare me. I'd heard stories from Emily about how Dad had beat Mom, and Mom had come to London with me once and showed me the tombstone she'd put up for all the 'miscarriages' she'd had while she was with my dad, but the reality had never really sunk in that my dad had treated her like garbage.
I don't know if I really fell asleep that night or just tuned out for a little while, but the next thing I knew it was six a.m and Will wasn't in bed with me. Since I had planned on spending the whole morning in bed with him, I was more than a little disappointed. I reluctantly got up and went downstairs, surprised at what I saw. Jamie was standing by the stove with James' bright pink apron tied around her waist while Emily, her kids, Alexis and Will sat around the table talking and laughing. Mom and James seemed utterly oblivious to it all, even to the fact that they were quite a spectacle. Mom was sitting sideways in his lap and they were feeding each other, though it looked like they were doing a lot more kissing then eating.
I walked over to Will, putting my hands on his shoulders and kissing his forehead. He grinned and pulled a chair out for me. I sat down, looking over my shoulder at Jamie. After muttering good morning to the others, I decided to ask what the hell was going on...in slightly nicer words,
"Hey Jam', what-"
Jamie turned around, frying pan in hand, eyes icy cold. Then I remembered. It was their anniversary today. Shit.
Will, obviously catching Jamie's look, dove in to save me,
"So umm...how long has it been?"
Mom finished licking bits of syrup off James' fingers and grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling his forehead,
"Twenty years."
"Jesus...I don't know anyone who's been married that long anymore. Seems like everyone splits at the drop of a hat."
I squeezed Will's hand gently, silently thanking him for keeping Jamie from braining me with the pan. He smiled, looking pleadingly up at Jamie as she dropped a plate in front of me. She just snorted and sat down next to James.
I watched the three of them while I ate. I could tell that this wasn't really a 'good day', one of the days where James was able to eat and smile without pain, but that he was pretending for Mom and Jamie. I think they knew it too, or at least Mom did. Sure, they were playing with each other, laughing and kissing, but I'm pretty sure she knew this would be the last time they'd be like this.
I ate as quickly as I could so I wouldn't have to listen to the any number of the stories that would probably be told, excused myself on the pretense of needing to lie down, kissed Will and went back upstairs. It was depressing enough just waiting for him to die, but did we have to put on this happy masquerade too?
Jamie looked over her shoulder to yell at Alexis to help her with the dishes and ended up glancing out the window. What the hell was Dad doing outside? Sure it was warm out but.
She set the plates down and walked out the front door. She sighed when she saw her mom's head on his lap, her long fingers stroking his face. God, she was jealous of them sometimes. Boys thought she was too opinionated or too heavy and all the girls she'd experimented with had been just that, experiments. How was it her parents had found true love when all she got were shags?
It wasn't good to think about this. Not now. Jamie turned her head away and went back to doing the dishes.
Mandy let go of James' neck, closing her eyes and letting the warmth of his body and the late summer sun relax away all the bad feeling she'd had these past few days. God this was nice.
She felt James' fingers brush against her lips and she opened her eyes,
"What?"
He blinked as if waking up from a dream,
"Oh...just...never mind."
Mandy sighed, sitting up and turning him to face her,
"What is it?"
"I was just...it's been awhile since I've seen you smile like that", there was guilt in his voice and Mandy knew he felt bad for worrying her like this.
"Oh...oh love..." she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, kissing his neck. He sighed, leaning into the touch,
"Mmm..."
Mandy grinned, moving her mouth over his ear, across his forehead and down, nipping the tip of his nose and finally devouring his mouth. When she broke away, she leaned back in his arms, looking up at him. He laughed softly,
"You're thinking about something."
"Hey, I'm a brunette now so you don't have to sound surprised when you say that."
He grinned, running his fingers across her face,
"So what's running through that pretty little head of yours?"
"Hmmm...", she darted her tongue out at his fingers and closed her eyes,
"Just wondering...if you feel up to it..."
"Mandy.... here?"
She opened her eyes and hit him,
"Not that, you silly."
"Oh...well, you can't blame me for hoping."
She snorted,
"No... just..." she sat up, leaning into him again and brushing her lips against his ear, whispering softly,
"Tell me a story."
I stayed up most that night, thinking about what James had told me. I'd asked for honesty, so I couldn't say he'd just been trying to scare me. I'd heard stories from Emily about how Dad had beat Mom, and Mom had come to London with me once and showed me the tombstone she'd put up for all the 'miscarriages' she'd had while she was with my dad, but the reality had never really sunk in that my dad had treated her like garbage.
I don't know if I really fell asleep that night or just tuned out for a little while, but the next thing I knew it was six a.m and Will wasn't in bed with me. Since I had planned on spending the whole morning in bed with him, I was more than a little disappointed. I reluctantly got up and went downstairs, surprised at what I saw. Jamie was standing by the stove with James' bright pink apron tied around her waist while Emily, her kids, Alexis and Will sat around the table talking and laughing. Mom and James seemed utterly oblivious to it all, even to the fact that they were quite a spectacle. Mom was sitting sideways in his lap and they were feeding each other, though it looked like they were doing a lot more kissing then eating.
I walked over to Will, putting my hands on his shoulders and kissing his forehead. He grinned and pulled a chair out for me. I sat down, looking over my shoulder at Jamie. After muttering good morning to the others, I decided to ask what the hell was going on...in slightly nicer words,
"Hey Jam', what-"
Jamie turned around, frying pan in hand, eyes icy cold. Then I remembered. It was their anniversary today. Shit.
Will, obviously catching Jamie's look, dove in to save me,
"So umm...how long has it been?"
Mom finished licking bits of syrup off James' fingers and grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling his forehead,
"Twenty years."
"Jesus...I don't know anyone who's been married that long anymore. Seems like everyone splits at the drop of a hat."
I squeezed Will's hand gently, silently thanking him for keeping Jamie from braining me with the pan. He smiled, looking pleadingly up at Jamie as she dropped a plate in front of me. She just snorted and sat down next to James.
I watched the three of them while I ate. I could tell that this wasn't really a 'good day', one of the days where James was able to eat and smile without pain, but that he was pretending for Mom and Jamie. I think they knew it too, or at least Mom did. Sure, they were playing with each other, laughing and kissing, but I'm pretty sure she knew this would be the last time they'd be like this.
I ate as quickly as I could so I wouldn't have to listen to the any number of the stories that would probably be told, excused myself on the pretense of needing to lie down, kissed Will and went back upstairs. It was depressing enough just waiting for him to die, but did we have to put on this happy masquerade too?
Jamie looked over her shoulder to yell at Alexis to help her with the dishes and ended up glancing out the window. What the hell was Dad doing outside? Sure it was warm out but.
She set the plates down and walked out the front door. She sighed when she saw her mom's head on his lap, her long fingers stroking his face. God, she was jealous of them sometimes. Boys thought she was too opinionated or too heavy and all the girls she'd experimented with had been just that, experiments. How was it her parents had found true love when all she got were shags?
It wasn't good to think about this. Not now. Jamie turned her head away and went back to doing the dishes.
Mandy let go of James' neck, closing her eyes and letting the warmth of his body and the late summer sun relax away all the bad feeling she'd had these past few days. God this was nice.
She felt James' fingers brush against her lips and she opened her eyes,
"What?"
He blinked as if waking up from a dream,
"Oh...just...never mind."
Mandy sighed, sitting up and turning him to face her,
"What is it?"
"I was just...it's been awhile since I've seen you smile like that", there was guilt in his voice and Mandy knew he felt bad for worrying her like this.
"Oh...oh love..." she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, kissing his neck. He sighed, leaning into the touch,
"Mmm..."
Mandy grinned, moving her mouth over his ear, across his forehead and down, nipping the tip of his nose and finally devouring his mouth. When she broke away, she leaned back in his arms, looking up at him. He laughed softly,
"You're thinking about something."
"Hey, I'm a brunette now so you don't have to sound surprised when you say that."
He grinned, running his fingers across her face,
"So what's running through that pretty little head of yours?"
"Hmmm...", she darted her tongue out at his fingers and closed her eyes,
"Just wondering...if you feel up to it..."
"Mandy.... here?"
She opened her eyes and hit him,
"Not that, you silly."
"Oh...well, you can't blame me for hoping."
She snorted,
"No... just..." she sat up, leaning into him again and brushing her lips against his ear, whispering softly,
"Tell me a story."