Chapter 1:
I stepped off the train with Melanie in my arms. I searched for Gordie, worried that he didn't want to me to return. Suddenly my eyes fell upon a familiar face. I smiled and put Melanie down. I ran to the familiar friend and gave him a big hug and a small kiss.
"Jessie! Finally."
"I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too."
"It's been so long! And look at you! All grown up!"
"Yeah well, we tend to grow up as the years continue."
"I can't believe you. You look so different Chris."
"I don't think so. Just older."
"Yeah. I thought Gordie was coming to get me."
"That was the plan but he's at the house, still getting things ready for you, so I told him I'd come get you."
"That was nice of you."
"And who have we got here?" Chris said smiling down at Melanie. I picked her up, as his smile grew. "What's you're name beautiful?" He said.
"Melanie." She said sweetly.
"That's a pretty name."
"Thank you. Where's Michael?" She asked me. Her bright blue eyes shinning. Melanie's dark curls fell perfectly around her sweet face.
"Oh, right. He's getting the bags. Chris you have to meet my friend Michael."
"I'm still intrigued with Melanie over here. How old are you?"
"I'm this many!" She said holding up four fingers. Chris laughed, as Michael came up with the suitcases.
"Oh Mike, this is my good friend Chris Chambers."
"Nice to meet you." Michael said, shaking his hand.
"Right back at ya. Shall we be on our way?"
We followed Chris to his car. When we reached Gordie's house, I asked Mike to take Melanie so I could talk to Chris privately. When they left, I took a deep breath, wishing I didn't have to do this.
"Chris, I have to tell you something."
"Shoot."
"Well." A car that pulled up next to ours interrupted me. A girl was driving, and next to her a familiar guy was talking to Chris.
"Hey Chris."
"Oh hi."
"Who's that fox next to you?" The girl smacked him in the back of the head.
"Ouch! What was that for!"
"Does the word engaged, mean anything to you?"
"Not when it's you." The girl sighed loudly.
"Why do I keep you around?" She said.
"Because I am the best."
"Yeah, sure. I could've been out of here, but no. I'm stuck tagging along with you! You low-life piece of crap!"
"Hey, hey, you wouldn't want my baby brother to think poorly of me, now would you?"
"Sure Rich, 'cause it's such a mystery that you're worthless!" She drove away in anger.
"Sorry about him Jessie. Eyeball hasn't been the same."
"He's engaged." I said, fighting tears.
"Yeah. That was Cherry."
"He's engaged to Cherry!"
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you in a letter. She supports him basically. But what did you want to tell me."
"What does it matter now."
"Tell me." I sighed, as tears fell.
"Melanie. Is my daughter." There was a long pause between us.
"I-I thought she was your sister."
"No. My sister is just about the same age as her, but she's back in Vegas. My mom and I were pregnant at the same time."
"W-Who's is it? Is it Michael's?" I started crying more, as I shook my head.
"Eyeball's?" Chris said softly, and I nodded. He let out a deep breath.
"I-I didn't tell anyone, because I thought you'd all hate me."
"Michael knows she's Eyeball's right?"
"Yeah. He knows. Jared knows. Everyone knows."
"Does Eyeball?"
"He didn't even know who I was! Of course he doesn't!"
Just then Gordie came running out of the house. I got out of the car, dried my tears before he could see them, and gave him a big hug.
"I've missed you so much Jess!"
"I've missed you too."
"Come on! Come inside." In the house, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Will, and Elisa greeted me.
"Elisa. This is a shock."
"Hi Jessie. We've missed you."
"So I've heard. I can't believe you're still with this loser." I said, as Gordie smiled.
"Hi, I'm Mike." Michael said.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mike. I completely forgot. Gordie, Elisa, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Will. This is my friend Michael."
"Good to meet you Mike." Gordie said, then he put my suitcases in my own room. He came down, and we all sat in the living room. Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Will let us all get reacquainted alone. Chris and Michael sat on each side of my, as Gordie and Elisa sat across, on the other couch. Melanie sat on my lap, eating a cookie. I took a deep breath.
"Gordie, Elisa. I'd like you to meet Melanie Chambers, my daughter." Their faces were still and unreadable.
"Mommy. I'm thirsty." Melanie wined.
"Okay, well go into the kitchen and ask Dorothy for a drink okay?"
"Otay." Melanie hopped off my lap and skipped into the kitchen. I nervously laughed to myself.
"Melanie, can't pronounce her K's quite good yet." I said, Michael held my hand tightly.
"G-Gordie. Say something. Anything." I stammered. I knew he would say how I had disappointed him again. But I'd even settle for him saying that. The silence was worse.
"Y-You're a mom." He said, staring at me.
"I'm a mom. And I'll tell you, it's not easy."
"Melanie Chambers. That would mean. Eyeball?" I nodded.
"He doesn't know yet. I couldn't find the words to put it in a letter. Mom told you're parents Gordie. I asked them not to tell you. I wanted to do that myself."
"I'm. I'm."
"Listen Gordie, I know you're disappointed in me, and that I've let you down like always."
"Disappointed? No, Jess. I'm so happy for you."
"You're what?"
"Jess, you have a kid. That's so amazing." He gave me a hug.
"Congratulations Jessie." Elisa said and gave me a hug too.
" Well this went better than expected." I said, and Melanie trotted in with a small cup of juice. I picked her up and placed her on my lap. "Wow, she looks just like you and Eyeball." Elisa said.
"Doesn't she?" I agreed.
"Mommy, who's Eyeball?"
"Never mind that. I think we should head upstairs now. I think it's someone's bedtime."
"Bedtime?" Melanie said, gazing up at me, with her blue eyes.
"Yes, bedtime for you Mel. Oh Chris, can you do me a huge favor?"
"Of course."
"Can you just drive Michael to his friend's house?"
"Yeah, I'd be most appreciative." Mike said.
"Sure, come on. Wanna come with, Elisa?"
"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow." Elisa called to everyone and gave Gordie a kiss goodbye.
I stepped off the train with Melanie in my arms. I searched for Gordie, worried that he didn't want to me to return. Suddenly my eyes fell upon a familiar face. I smiled and put Melanie down. I ran to the familiar friend and gave him a big hug and a small kiss.
"Jessie! Finally."
"I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too."
"It's been so long! And look at you! All grown up!"
"Yeah well, we tend to grow up as the years continue."
"I can't believe you. You look so different Chris."
"I don't think so. Just older."
"Yeah. I thought Gordie was coming to get me."
"That was the plan but he's at the house, still getting things ready for you, so I told him I'd come get you."
"That was nice of you."
"And who have we got here?" Chris said smiling down at Melanie. I picked her up, as his smile grew. "What's you're name beautiful?" He said.
"Melanie." She said sweetly.
"That's a pretty name."
"Thank you. Where's Michael?" She asked me. Her bright blue eyes shinning. Melanie's dark curls fell perfectly around her sweet face.
"Oh, right. He's getting the bags. Chris you have to meet my friend Michael."
"I'm still intrigued with Melanie over here. How old are you?"
"I'm this many!" She said holding up four fingers. Chris laughed, as Michael came up with the suitcases.
"Oh Mike, this is my good friend Chris Chambers."
"Nice to meet you." Michael said, shaking his hand.
"Right back at ya. Shall we be on our way?"
We followed Chris to his car. When we reached Gordie's house, I asked Mike to take Melanie so I could talk to Chris privately. When they left, I took a deep breath, wishing I didn't have to do this.
"Chris, I have to tell you something."
"Shoot."
"Well." A car that pulled up next to ours interrupted me. A girl was driving, and next to her a familiar guy was talking to Chris.
"Hey Chris."
"Oh hi."
"Who's that fox next to you?" The girl smacked him in the back of the head.
"Ouch! What was that for!"
"Does the word engaged, mean anything to you?"
"Not when it's you." The girl sighed loudly.
"Why do I keep you around?" She said.
"Because I am the best."
"Yeah, sure. I could've been out of here, but no. I'm stuck tagging along with you! You low-life piece of crap!"
"Hey, hey, you wouldn't want my baby brother to think poorly of me, now would you?"
"Sure Rich, 'cause it's such a mystery that you're worthless!" She drove away in anger.
"Sorry about him Jessie. Eyeball hasn't been the same."
"He's engaged." I said, fighting tears.
"Yeah. That was Cherry."
"He's engaged to Cherry!"
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you in a letter. She supports him basically. But what did you want to tell me."
"What does it matter now."
"Tell me." I sighed, as tears fell.
"Melanie. Is my daughter." There was a long pause between us.
"I-I thought she was your sister."
"No. My sister is just about the same age as her, but she's back in Vegas. My mom and I were pregnant at the same time."
"W-Who's is it? Is it Michael's?" I started crying more, as I shook my head.
"Eyeball's?" Chris said softly, and I nodded. He let out a deep breath.
"I-I didn't tell anyone, because I thought you'd all hate me."
"Michael knows she's Eyeball's right?"
"Yeah. He knows. Jared knows. Everyone knows."
"Does Eyeball?"
"He didn't even know who I was! Of course he doesn't!"
Just then Gordie came running out of the house. I got out of the car, dried my tears before he could see them, and gave him a big hug.
"I've missed you so much Jess!"
"I've missed you too."
"Come on! Come inside." In the house, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Will, and Elisa greeted me.
"Elisa. This is a shock."
"Hi Jessie. We've missed you."
"So I've heard. I can't believe you're still with this loser." I said, as Gordie smiled.
"Hi, I'm Mike." Michael said.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mike. I completely forgot. Gordie, Elisa, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Will. This is my friend Michael."
"Good to meet you Mike." Gordie said, then he put my suitcases in my own room. He came down, and we all sat in the living room. Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Will let us all get reacquainted alone. Chris and Michael sat on each side of my, as Gordie and Elisa sat across, on the other couch. Melanie sat on my lap, eating a cookie. I took a deep breath.
"Gordie, Elisa. I'd like you to meet Melanie Chambers, my daughter." Their faces were still and unreadable.
"Mommy. I'm thirsty." Melanie wined.
"Okay, well go into the kitchen and ask Dorothy for a drink okay?"
"Otay." Melanie hopped off my lap and skipped into the kitchen. I nervously laughed to myself.
"Melanie, can't pronounce her K's quite good yet." I said, Michael held my hand tightly.
"G-Gordie. Say something. Anything." I stammered. I knew he would say how I had disappointed him again. But I'd even settle for him saying that. The silence was worse.
"Y-You're a mom." He said, staring at me.
"I'm a mom. And I'll tell you, it's not easy."
"Melanie Chambers. That would mean. Eyeball?" I nodded.
"He doesn't know yet. I couldn't find the words to put it in a letter. Mom told you're parents Gordie. I asked them not to tell you. I wanted to do that myself."
"I'm. I'm."
"Listen Gordie, I know you're disappointed in me, and that I've let you down like always."
"Disappointed? No, Jess. I'm so happy for you."
"You're what?"
"Jess, you have a kid. That's so amazing." He gave me a hug.
"Congratulations Jessie." Elisa said and gave me a hug too.
" Well this went better than expected." I said, and Melanie trotted in with a small cup of juice. I picked her up and placed her on my lap. "Wow, she looks just like you and Eyeball." Elisa said.
"Doesn't she?" I agreed.
"Mommy, who's Eyeball?"
"Never mind that. I think we should head upstairs now. I think it's someone's bedtime."
"Bedtime?" Melanie said, gazing up at me, with her blue eyes.
"Yes, bedtime for you Mel. Oh Chris, can you do me a huge favor?"
"Of course."
"Can you just drive Michael to his friend's house?"
"Yeah, I'd be most appreciative." Mike said.
"Sure, come on. Wanna come with, Elisa?"
"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow." Elisa called to everyone and gave Gordie a kiss goodbye.