|
|
chapter nine
Over the next few years, the Hansons tried to bring things back to normal. The second night Zac met Caitlin Balfor, he asked her out again, and she accepted. They had been going out ever since. Isaac, had since met his ‘true love.’ Her name was Lucy Aines, and they had met at Wal-Mart. Taylor had also branched out on own, while Zac preferred living at home. Taylor’s ‘true love,’ was Julie Henkins. They tried to make it seem as though she hadn’t ever even existed. But the memory of her was still there. Her pictures remained. Her room was just as she had left it, empty, but untouched. But the pain, the emptiness and the guilt started to fade with time. Day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, things started to return to normal, as much as possible. Jessie and Alex, on the other hand, were as fine as was possible. They spent all the time they weren’t working or Jessica wasn’t attending classes at the local college, together. She was simply going to be what she had always wanted to be. A teacher. 3rd grade to be exact. She finished college, got her degree, and became “Miss Hanson” at the local elementary. Alex was a writer. He already had one book published, with help from his rich father’s funding, and was working on another.
One day, five years after Jess had left home, in mud-July, Jessica was cooling of in the apartment complex’s pool. But her mind was not calm. Her birthday was in a few weeks, and she was remembering her 18th birthday. The last birthday she had spent with her family. They had thrown her a surprise party and all her friends, and of course, family had been there. Suddenly, she missed her family very much. She wanted to see them. It had been 5 years. She could go back to Tulsa. She was over Andy. She made a decision. Right there, right then. She was going home.
‡‡‡‡‡‡
Jessica hurried out of the pool and dried off. She rushed inside to her apartment.
“Alex! Alex?”
“In here Jess!” he called from his bedroom where he was sprawled on the bed watching TV. She wrapped her towel around her waist and laid down next to him.
“So what’s up?” he said. She moved closer to him.
“Well,” she began, “I was remembering my 18th birthday-“
“That was 5 years ago,” he pointed out.
“I know, I know! And ya know I haven’t seen my family in 5 years, and they don’t even know where I am. And I was just well, um, wondering if you’d come home with me?” She looked up at him hopefully. Alex grinned.
“Absolutely. But now I have something to ask you.”
“Sure, shoot.” He discreetly pulled a small box out of his pocket and looked into her eyes.
“Jessica, will you marry me?” He opened the box revealing a ring. There was silence for a minute.
“Y-yes!” she stammered. “Yes, of course! I love you! Oh my God!” She leaned over and kissed him.
“Oh, thank you! Can we leave tomorrow?”
“Sure! Be interesting to finally meet the Hanson clan.” She smiled.
“Oh! I love you! I have to go pack!” And she ran from the room, slipping the ring on her finger, and humming a tune.