Only Love Remains

Chapter 1

Juice in the Microwave

Point Place, WI

9:45AM

(two months after Stars in It's a Different Kind of Blue)

Eric took the day off from work so he could take Jacen shopping for his new school

clothes. School clothes for the soon-to-be high school freshman at Eric's alma

matter, Point Place High, home of the Vikings. Eric put his University of Wisconsin

mug in the dishwasher. The scent of Paige's perfume still lingered in the kitchen two

hours ago. It was a mixture of a rose floral and powder. He missed her as if she

were half way around the world instead of just across town at work. Eric was hoping

that he and Jacen would be on the road by now to get to the mall just as it had

opened for the day. But he was still waiting on his son who usually didn't spend too

much time in front of the mirror getting dressed. Eric just hoped that it wasn't a

penciled in thought of Jacen's to start acting a certain way just because he was

going to be starting high school. He wondered if his son would reveal a rebellious

hairdo? No, it'd be more like Jacen to wear his best suit and tie to go shopping.

"Jacen," Eric called out, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, Dad. I was just getting dressed."

There he was fourteen years old and dressed in a basic dark green short-sleeved

polo shirt and faded blue jeans.

"What took you so long?"

"I can't find my favorite Reeboks. So, I had to go through my closet to find my old

Nikes."

"And they still fit?"

"Barely."

"You just wore your Reeboks yesterday. How could you lose them? Are you hinting

for another pair?"

"No, Dad, I really can't find them. Actually, there's something else I need to pick up."

This had 'Uh-oh' written all over it. Eric felt he lived too long to not know who this was

concerning.

"What's that, son?"

"I have to go Hallmark to get some filler scrapbook pages."

Yes. There it was. The scrapbook he started making for Mindy from the first time he

met her when he was eight years old. It was a big blue binder that Eric used to use

for his college notes. He was going to surprise her with it one day; Eric figured he

probably had the date already picked out in his notebook. How could Eric respond

to that without hurting Jacen's feelings?

"Of course, we'll buy some."

It was going to be such a long fall off the mountain for the young boy and a caring

gesture like this was only going to make the pain much worse. You wouldn't think

wanting to give someone a present would cause trouble, but Eric knew better. That

was the promise binder. But everything about Jacen and Mindy were promises. The

little pinky ring to the Tootsie Roll pops he bought her. He knew Mindy was not going

to see them as promises.

"Thanks, Dad. I need some film for my camera too for my back to school pictures."

Eric's been watching this upcoming train wreck for years knowing there wasn't a

damn thing he could do about it. The only thing he could do was to buy Jacen his

scrapbook filler paper and film knowing that his son was unknowingly documenting

his own heartbreak and there wasn't a damn thing that Eric could do about it.

"Okay. But we get your clothes first."

"Yeah, Dad?"

"What's on your mind, Jacen?"

"Are you absolutely positively sure that I don't look goofy in my braces?"

"You look fine. The dentist said you only need to wear them for about two years."

"But Mindy will think I look like a dork!"

"I'm sure she won't. May we continue this in the car? We're already late."

"The mall just opened, I wouldn't call that late."

The boy could plan out his life in a notebook but he didn't seem to understand the

concept of time and traffic.

"It is when you want to get a good parking space."

"It's not that far, Dad. You just make a schedule and stick to it."

If he was Red and Jacen was Eric, he would have had a smack upside the head for

having a "smart mouth", but all Eric could do was laugh and hoped that the future

heartbreaking of his son would take a detour of its own and get lost as to not affect

the boy with the big heart who at fourteen believed in romance and promises. And if

Eric wasn't so jaded and cynical on the issue he'd have believed that Jacen and

Mindy would have the happy ending but he knew the story all too well, whether real or

imagined young kids in love just do not make it.

6:00PM

Eric was never so tired when he walked into the kitchen after his shopping trip with

Jacen. He barely kissed Paige on the cheek before collapsing in the wooden chair.

"Oh you poor baby," Paige rubbed his shoulders, "Where's Jacen?"

"I don't know. He was behind me. I'm so tired. I thought guys hated shopping? And it

wasn't the clothes; it was all the hobby stuff that he wanted. My muscles are so sore."

Paige kissed Eric on the neck; "I'll make you a mineral bath later."

A faint smile washed over his face. "Dinner smells nice."

"It's almost ready. I made pasta and chicken. Since Jacen is getting used to his

braces, I figured he could eat the pasta if he can't handle the chicken."

"That was sweet of you, Paige. Can you call him…I'm too tired."

He loved how the simple one-carat heart shaped solitaire looked on her left ring

finger. Eric wanted to propose from the moment he she moved in two months ago

but he figured to let some time pass. He knew it was time to propose when

according to Jacen "his mind was in outer space." Eric forgot to mail the checks with

his bills, had a mini accident with the washing machine and the over recommended

scoop of laundry detergent, and he put the filled orange juice glasses in the

microwave. The latter was Jacen's favorite of Eric's spacey-mindedness. He thought

his Dad was being silly, he knew Paige was going to say 'yes' and when he slept

over his friend Tony's house one night, he knew that was the night his father was

going to propose.

"Jacen—" Paige almost bumped into him as he came into the kitchen. He was

going to grow up tall, she could feel it, "There you are. Dinner's ready."

"Okay. Dad, why are you so tired?"

"Spoken like a true young fourteen year old without an aching muscle to be found on

his body."

"We only went shopping."

"Don't get old son."

"Did you get all your school clothes?" Paige asked as she put the last of the serving

plates on the table.

"Yeah, but I can't find my favorite Reeboks."

"I put them on the back porch. I polished them for you. I should've left a note."

Paige hoped that she didn't overstep any boundaries especially with a teenage boy.

"No problem, Paige. Thanks, they were kind of dirty." Jacen scooped up the pasta,

he was starving since the last thing he had was a blizzard at the Dairy Queen. Jacen

quietly stood up when he noticed that his father fell asleep with his head on his plate.

He had to get the camera that Eric kept in the cabinet.

"Eric," Paige gently shook him, "Wake up."

Jacen giggled as he put the camera on the table.

"Wh—at? Oh. Did I just fall asleep at the dinner table?"

"Yep," Jacen laughed, "It's better than putting juice in the microwave!"

"You are so going to get it later," Eric smiled; minus his exhaustion at the dinner

table of course, this was just how he envisioned the perfect family dinner to be.

Tarrytown, NY

12:15AM

Jackie vowed that tonight was going to be her last night crying herself to sleep. They

were all going to be shocked tomorrow. No one was going to take her for granted

anymore. No one.

Author's note: No suicide.