The Descending of Jessica Ch. 14

Welcome to Epilogue III/Chapter 14, or as I like to call it, "Return of the Jedi".... wait, that doesn't sound right. Anyway, you might want to read the preceding chapters lest you be lost. Unless you like being lost, some people are into that. I don't judge. This started out as a project to vent a few sexy stories, and has become more of a novella. Entering in the middle of it would probably be frustrating. It is a quasi memoir, the names and locales have been changed and some parts embellished. Okay, in the epilogues a lot has been embellished. I am still enjoying writing it, so will continue until I no longer do. I truly appreciate any feed back, as I think most folks that post on here do. I also appreciate that you are taking the time to read it, especially you folks that started last summer at the beginning.

Finally, another shout out to my editor, Tangentjoker. If you don't read his stories you are missing out, especially the one involving the minister (hint hint, that one needs to be continued! just sayin'). The other series I am writing should begin soon, but writing these chapters has distracted me from it. It is easier to write for developed characters than ones I still need to develop and it is easier to write about things I know and embellish rather than things I just make up. I would have thought it the other way around. Oh well, enjoy!

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I remembered when I was in sixth grade, I had a teacher who had taken her husband to the doctor for some supposedly simple tests. I never heard what nor would I have understood at that time. When they got home, the phone was ringing. It was the hospital telling her to bring him right back and not to say why. When they arrived, as he walked across the lobby - as the story went - a vessel in his brain had ruptured and he was dead before he hit the floor. This was the first thing I thought of when my mother Donna knocked so early Monday morning with my doctor, her apparent boyfriend, in tow behind her.

"Jessica, we need to talk," she said, and the blood drained from my face with fear over that memory. Only something truly threatening would have brought her and my physician over unexpectedly like this so recently after I had been hospitalized for the second time following the wreck that had left me in a coma. I feared the worse. That was the only explanation I could imagine.

"What's wrong?"

"May we come in, Jessica?" Dr. Riley politely asked.

"Of course, of course. What's wrong?"

"We, well, I need to talk to you, and there hasn't been a good time, but.." Donna said, as she looked to Dr. Riley for guidance. "Well, let's sit down and I'll try to explain it all."

We sat on the couch and the initial fear began to alleviate, but was replaced with a sense of impending doom.

"Where is Brent?"

"He's still asleep. Should I get him? Is everything okay?"

"No, no, for now, let him sleep. I think I'd rather talk to you alone for now, if that's alright."

"Sure, I mean, if it's something that affects me, though... Well, we have no secrets."

"Oh, well, I just hate to,,," She looked at Dr. Riley and asked, "Where should I begin?"

"I'd start a little over three years ago," he thoughtfully said, "Then go back further. But, well that's what I would..."

"No, that's probably best. Jessica, I was a terrible parent and a lousy mom. I'm so happy to be part of your life again. I don't deserve to be but, well, I've told you all that. I hope you have forgiven me," she said quickly in a near whisper, as if it hurt her to say it. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Mom, that's okay. It's water under the bridge. We can't change the past. And if it wasn't for all that stuff, well, I wouldn't be who I am, and with Brent, or... Well, it's over with. We need to just move on."

"I know, I know. But I've been needing to tell you some things about the last few years and there hasn't been a good time. Every time I made up my mind to, well, something would come up and, well, I need to tell you now. Before anything else comes up." She took a deep breath and I could have sworn Dr. Riley cracked a smile for just a second. Like he heard an inside joke no one else was privy to.

"So, you know I got arrested, and why,.. and why I lost you. You know all that. And you know I dedicated myself to fixing what was wrong with me. And somehow earning a relationship, some kind of, well, any kind of relationship back with you. But you need to know how, I guess. When I was in jail it was like a six month detox. I came out drug and alcohol free for the first time in years. I had no place to live, I didn't know where you were. I had about twenty dollars to my name, the office address of a probation officer, and a flyer from AA I grabbed on the way out of the jail. I had been to a few meetings over the years when judges made me, but I didn't believe it. I wasn't a junkie or an alcoholic. I could stop if I wanted to. I just didn't want to. That was how I thought. But once I was dry, I could see that every problem in my life went back to it. I had hit rock bottom. So I called the AA hotline from the phone in the lobby of the jail. They were nice enough to come get me. I went to my first real meeting and a nice lady there that night took pity and let me stay in a spare room she had until I got back on my feet. I went to meetings every night. I got a sponsor, and he helped me get into an inpatient program. Unlike before, this time I took it seriously, I had to fix myself. I had, uh, messed up and lost you and I couldn't go on like that. So this time I worked the steps and worked them hard. My sponsor saw how serious I was. Then he helped me find a job and a school that I could get a two year RN degree from. He helped me study. He took care of me emotionally when I thought it was all too much. He gave me the occasional butt kicking about school, life, and sobriety when I needed it, and helped me work the steps. When I was having trouble with anatomy and pharmacology, he was there making me learn it. When it came time to apply for my license and take my boards, he went to bat for me. He got his friends that knew me to do so as well and got the board to overlook my past so I could actually be a nurse. Well, so, we, uh..." her voice tapered off.

"We became very close," Dr. Riley finished for her. "Yeah, I'm an alcoholic. I haven't drank in 23 years, since college, but I work the steps everyday."

Donna reached over and took his hand. "So, yes, in answer to your question yesterday, Mike and I are involved, and we have been for almost two years now. He is the only man I've seen since, well, then. Other than you, he's the most important person in my life, I should have told you this when you woke up, but the time never seemed right. I didn't want to talk about it all in front of everyone yesterday. It seemed like something I, well, we, should tell you privately. It wasn't a coincidence when the wreck happened I had them fly you to his hospital. In fact, he was the one that ordered the helicopter there."

"That's wonderful! I was scared you two came here to tell me you found something on my x-ray and I was about to die or something! I'm so happy for you!" I beamed.

"Why would you think that? Didn't you believe me at the ER Saturday?" Dr. Riley asked.

"No, no! I mean, yes, I did! I just, well, you both being here startled me!"

"Sorry, that wasn't what we intended." He grinned. "Donna, you should tell her the rest."

"Well, uh, Jessica, I, well, like I said, I was a terrible parent to you. And I know you say it's water under the bridge and all that, but well, it isn't now, well, because something is, uh..."

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes! I'm fine! Better than fine! I'm in the best health of my life! It's just..."

"Well, stop scaring me! I thought you had a tumor or something. None of that old stuff matters. You and I are family and always will be. I'm over all that. Please, don't ever bring it up again."

"Uhhh, I don't have a tumor, no, but I do have an, ummmm, unanticipated growth," she said.

"Oh no! What, is there anything they can do?" I asked Dr. Riley. I knew nothing about medicine, but "Unanticipated growth" didn't sound good to me.

"Well," he snickered, "the usual course of treatment is wait nine and a half months and it will come out by itself."

"Wait... you're pregnant?" I asked as Donna reached into her purse and pulled out what appeared to be a glossy black and white photo, but was actually an ultrasound printout. Donna was 38 or 39, so still within her childbearing years. But this was, well, completely out of the blue.

I literally screamed with joy! I shouted how happy I was for her, me, and the world. I was jumping up and down and stomping my feet as I sat on the sectional. This news just elated me. If I had wings I would have flown away and as it was the brightness in the early morning light must have doubled from my smile alone.

"This is your little brother," she grinned, handing me the printout. "We just found out and got back the amniocentesis test this morning. I knew I needed to tell you as soon as we knew. He's perfectly healthy and should be here in five to six months." Donna smiled. Her eyes were wet with tears. "I had just found out I was pregnant a day or two before the crash, but, well that wasn't the time to tell you at the restaurant. And when I told Mike, uh..."

"I proposed on the spot. I should have before then." He smiled.

My mother had never been married, at least not to my knowledge. And while I absorbed all this, Brent came bounding down the stairs and Carolyn came running through the front door, both summoned by my screams.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Their words mingled as they accessed the situation.

"Brent!" I nearly shouted, "You're going to be an uncle! No! Wait! You're going to be a brother-in-law!" I laughed. "Carolyn, you're going to be an aunt or something, I don't know!"

"Huh?"

I showed him the ultrasound, and in his shock of half sleep it took a moment to register. When it did, he grinned as big as I had ever seen him.

"That's great Donna! You must be..."

"Over the moon?" Carolyn suggested.

"Yeah, over the moon happy," Brent said.

"Do you two always come running when Jessica yells?" Donna asked.

"Well, I didn't know what was going on." Carolyn smiled.

"She yells, I come running. Always." Brent said.

"Oh, she has him so well trained, doesn't she?" Carolyn asked Donna.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Donna quipped. "Oh, and I said, 'Yes.' In case you're wondering."

"'Yes?'" I asked, then remembered that Dr. Riley had said a minute or two before that he proposed. "Really? Thats wonderful! Oh, I'm so happy for you both." I said as I threw my arms around my mother. "When is the wedding?" I finally asked.

"This afternoon. That's why we came by. To see if you would be my Maid of Honor. That's why I had to tell you all this today. I was worried it might upset you, but..."

"Why would it upset me? Why would you think that?"

"Well, because... Uh, Carolyn, Brent, could you excuse us a minute?"

"Sure," they both said and then stepped out onto the porch still in their PJs.

"Because I was so bad with you, I didn't want you to think you weren't every bit as important as, well, as the baby. You are. You know I love you. I've never stopped loving you. And, well, I'm in a position to do a lot better this time around and..."

"You thought I would be jealous of a baby? Are you on drugs?" I laughed.

"Well, not anymore, but I was. You deserved better. You know it, I know it, and I'm glad you got it. But I was a fuck up and I'm sorry. I just, well, I just wanted you to know how I felt and I was scared you might be mad now that things are going okay, that... Well, look, I'm expanding my family, not replacing it. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. I love you, too." I smiled. "Is it cold outside?" I asked abruptly.

"A little chilly. Why?" Dr. Riley replied.

"Well, we just sent my husband and my best friend out in just their pajamas and I don't want them to freeze." I giggled as I went to the door and told them to come back in.

"So why this afternoon? I mean, is there something special about today?" I asked.

"Well, we're both off work. And since I wanted to tell you about your brother as soon as we got the ultrasound and amnio back, well, it just was the first chance we had."

"I thought Dr. Riley asked you a couple months ago. Is there something special about today?"

"Well first, call me 'Mike', and second, we were going to get married on New Years Day. But you and your husband decided to get married the night before and this was the first day we have both been off all day since," Dr. Riley said.

"Well, you could have anyway!" I exclaimed.

"Jessie, I am never, ever, ever going to take the spotlight away from you. That was your time. It's not a big deal for us to wait a few days," Donna said.

"So, are you going to quit work after the baby? Do you have a name yet?" I asked.

"No. I told Mike I would never let myself be dependant upon someone else again. And well, you understand, don't you Mike?" she said meekly, asking him to confirm this.

"Yes, of course. The hospital offers a pretty good family leave package for maternity. Of course I can't take full advantage of it because I have to see to my patients, but Donna can. Then, after that, we'll find day care and..."

"You'll do no such thing. My little brother isn't going to stay with strangers. I'll just arrange my courses next fall so I can take care of him while you're at work," I declared.

"Oh, I can't ask you to do that. I would..." was all Donna could get out before I interrupted,

"Hush. You're right. You can't ask because I'm telling you. And you don't need to ask because I'm volunteering." I smiled. I figured, based on the time line of five and a half to six and a half months the baby would come after the spring semester and before the fall, so arranging my schedule around Donna's weird work hours would be easy.

"But Brent doesn't want you to... Well, he doesn't want his wife to, you know, you're newlyweds! You're supposed to be enjoying life, not taking care of our child, I don't want you to have to..."

"Mom," Brent said, and startled us all by referring to Donna that way, "Really, he should stay with us, not a daycare. We're family. Ron once said we weren't like other families. But, what was it he said Jessie? In Orlando? About folks that might look at us askew? Oh yeah, 'Fuck 'em.' We're happy to help. Because that's what family does. Besides, when we get out of school, Jessie and I want to have a bunch of babies and we need the practice. And you two, well, three, are going to be there to help us then. Jessie's little brother should be with family. So don't argue with my wife anymore. Okay, Mom?" he concluded with a smirk.

I had never wanted to jump Brent's bones as much as I did at that moment. No matter what else this day brought, that night I was going to do something so profoundly sexual for him as a tribute to how much I loved him right then that I had not imagined it yet.

"Sounds like that's settled then," Dr. Riley said under his breath.

A long silence gripped the room as we all expressed glee on our faces. Finally Donna broke the silence.

"Jessie, there's one other thing."

"What's that?" I beamed.

"Well, it's about your father," she said.

"Ron? What about Ron?" I couldn't imagine what she had to say about Ron truthfully. I knew she and Allison had become close. But she and Ron, well, I could not remember them ever even talking.

"No, not Ron. Uh, your, uh, other father. The one you've never met."

I realized at once who she was talking about. The one that had gotten her pregnant nineteen years before with me and then dumped her. The one that had never had anything to do with me.

"I only have one father. His name is Ron. He's a dentist. His wife is your friend, Allison. No other father ever wanted me." I said, the anger in my voice showing.

"I... I thought that is how you would feel. I feel the same. Well, I hope you and Mike can grow close, too, of course." She smiled at Dr. Riley, then continued. "But, anyway, let me finish. Your wreck got a lot of publicity, as you might imagine. Apparently, your father..."

"He's not my father! He might be my biological history, but he's not my father. Don't call him that, he doesn't deserve it. He didn't raise me. You and Allison and Ron did. He doesn't deserve to be called my father. Ron does. He's the man that was there for me since he knew me. That accepted me and all my weirdness no questions asked. That loved me unconditionally. He's the one that dried my tears, took care of me, gave me a place to live, and took me to school, and the library and track practice and church and made sure I brushed my teeth and flossed and had clothes to wear and hugged me and loved me and treated me like a daughter and tried to teach me how to act like a lady and grow up right and grow up to be somebody. Not, not, whatever his fucking name is!" I nearly shouted as tears filled my eyes.

I would simply not let Ron be compared to him, whoever he was. After a quiet moment that gave me time to think a bit I added, just for decorum and politeness really, "And, well, of course I want to be close to Dr. Riley, uh, I mean Mike. You saved my life and you love my mom and she loves you and well, I think you're great." I began to choke up again, but continued. "And I know you will be kind to her. Please, be kind. The world has been so mean to Mom..."

I smiled at Mike and he smiled back, then whispered, "I will. I promise."

"Okay, well, your uh... Well, 'he' still has family around. And apparently one of them saw one of the articles in the paper, and..." Mom continued, or tried to as I blubbered to Mike, and her, and anyone that would listen.

"'Articles'? How many did they write about a car wreck?" I asked through my tears.

"Oh, a bunch. I meant to save some for you," Carolyn softly answered, trying to ease my mood. "There were some the next day. Then over the next week it was, 'Local Coed Clings To Life.' Then a week or so after that update, there was one you would have really liked that called you 'The Girl Who Lived'. Very Harry Potter, I thought."

"Wow. That's really odd." I sniffled as Brent handed me tissues.

"Any slow news day we were getting calls about your condition," Dr. Riley said. "I'm surprised they haven't tried to interview you since you got out."

"Well, Ron and Allison and I told them to leave you alone," Donna said, "But look, I just need to tell you that somehow, like I said I think he still has family in the area, he found out about the wreck and contacted me. He wants to meet you. And I told him I would ask, but I didn't think you would want to. I'm not saying you should. I just thought, well, you might have questions of him."

That he had reappeared, especially then, really pissed me off.

"So, he finds out a kid he didn't give a shit about was in a wreck and he probably thinks is going to get a big settlement, and now he wants to connect with a kid he never bought a Christmas or birthday present for. Who he never visited. Who he never signed a report card for or ever paid a dime of support for. Whose mother he abandoned to the wolves and he has the gall to think that kid would have some great desire to see him? I don't want to see him. Hell, I don't even want to know his name! No! If he contacts you again just tell him no! If he ever comes around me, the only question I would ask is how quick he can get the fuck away from me!" I said as I burst out crying again in my anger.

"Jessica....." Donna said, then paused, "I understand. And I agree, wholeheartedly. I just had to tell you, just, well, just in case you didn't. But you're right. You are better off without him, and so am I." She smiled sympathetically.