Old Friends & New Possibilities Ch. 3

Theresa sighed as she dried her eyes from yet another crying session after talking to her daughter. It ended up with hurt feelings on both sides, as now was the norm anytime they talked. It seemed like an endless cycle, hurt feelings led to distance between them, which led to pain and so on. The easy answer that she knew when it all started (waiting for them to break up) didn't seem likely now. As Theresa sat there, she couldn't get her daughters words out of her mind. Tom and Jenny had been together much longer than she'd expected. Could they really be serious? Could they truly be in love? Theresa had been consumed by the hurt and pain for so long that she had never stopped to think of anything else. As she shook her head with the pain and confusion that still surrounded her, her husband Mathew entered the room.

"Let me guess who that was." Mathew said snidely after looking Theresa over briefly.

"She wanted to know if we would come to her birthday party this year." Theresa said now looking at Mathew, trying to read his reaction to the news.

"What? But that's months off." Mathew replied quickly and curtly.

"No dear, it's just a few weeks off, less than a month." Theresa spoke and watched as Mathew's face was now washed with confusion.

"But . . . it was just last month that they . . . wasn't it?" Mathew said looking visibly shaken.

Mathew sank into the nearest seat as he tried to understand the amount of time that had passed. Theresa moved next to him and wrapped her arms around him as they held each other saying nothing. More than anyone on the planet she knew what he was going through for her head and heart was filled with the same questions.

Mathew had always known that eventually Tom and Jenny would come to their senses and admit their mistake. Sooner or later they would come forth and admit that their experiment had gone wrong and that they were simply friends again. Sooner or later they would come forward and beg for forgiveness on their knees. The fact that it had been nearly a year forced Mathew to realize that perhaps all this was not going to happen. A year was much longer than the two months he'd given them before reality would set in for the pair of them.

Well, reality was setting in for both Mathew and Theresa as they both wondered how they could have let a whole year slip by. They were both faced with the fact that this was not a passing fad or fling for Tom and Jenny. They had to face the possibility that it was real, not a joke and not going to go away. Somehow Theresa and Mathew both realized that they had to deal with it, find a way to get past it. Neither of them knew how to do that just yet, but the will to try to accept it was now there.

"What do you want to do?" Theresa asked, being the first to break the silence.

"I don't know, I want to go but I don't know if I can handle it, if I can . . . " Mathew replied, his words stopped dead, the next words simply wouldn't pass his lips.

"Stand seeing them together?" Theresa finished his sentence. "I know, I don't think I can either." She said and looked down before continuing. "I miss her and I miss Tom as well."

"I know . . . I do too." Mathew admitted.

"Maybe we can start slow, it's only one evening. We can handle an evening can't we?" Theresa said hoping for some positive assurance from Mathew who took a moment before responding.

"Sure we can." Mathew said with a confident smile as he tried to hide the uncertainty that lay beneath the surface of his cool exterior.

It was a few days before Theresa and Mathew gathered up enough courage to call Tom and Jenny. They wanted to invite them over for dinner before her birthday. They wanted to test the waters in case things went bad rather than risking ruining her birthday. Theresa and Mathew wanted to see if they could really handle seeing them together, as well work toward mending the damage between all of them.

* * * *

"They'll be here." Mathew said as Theresa looked back at the door once again.

"But they're late." Theresa said anxiously.

Theresa was eager to see what changes a year of them being together had brought in both of their lives. What would a year in a committed relationship do to Jenny? What changes would this past year do to Tom? She was eager to get on with the planned events and see her daughter once again. Her stomach was churning with butterflies as she awaited the arrival of Tom and Jenny. While she did not feel at fault for causing the rift, she knew that she had her hand in keeping it going. She felt like she had now emerged from a cloud of pain and bitterness.

In retrospect even Mathew felt that he could have reacted better to the news about Tom and Jenny's relationship. It was all so sudden that day, all so inconceivable, so unnatural the thought of Tom and Jenny together. All Mathew wanted at this point in time was to be a part of his daughter's life. If that meant that he would have to somehow accept her relationship with the man that he still viewed as his brother than so be it.

Jenny paused for a moment just outside her parent's apartment building. It would be the first time she had seen them without yelling since she told them about Tom and her relationship. It had gone so badly last time they were face to face; the bad memories came flooding back to her. She stood outside the very apartment where she had spent most of her teen years and was gripped with fear. Jenny was eager to mend things but nervous that reconciliation was not possible. Jenny was going to try her best to heal the rift; being cut off from her parents had not been easy on her.

Tom held Jenny as they stood outside Mathew and Theresa's apartment to gather their nerves for a moment before proceeding. Tom felt uneasy about this meeting even though he knew it was something they needed to do. Tom saw it as a way to patch things up, to make things right again. Tom was determined not to let the opportunity to fix the pain that he had caused everyone to slip by. It was a small step on the part of Mathew and Theresa and Tom knew it, but it would be far from a nice evening with old friends.

However the road ahead of the four of them not an easy one and there were no guarantees that it would end with everyone being happy. There was a real chance that Mathew and Theresa could not accept this. There was a chance that the parents could only stand to see Tom and Jenny together on special occasions. There was a real chance that the happy times of the past was long gone, never to return. In a way they already were gone.

Things had changed so fundamentally and yet so slightly between Tom and Jenny when they got together. They had always been close, always spent a great deal of time together. Now however it was not as Jenny and 'Uncle Tom' but as a couple. Neither Tom nor Jenny could imagine their lives without each other now. To them, their relationship was the natural next step for them a year ago. A year later they were much happier because of their relationship.

One dark cloud still followed them however. To outsiders it may have seemed insignificant to get the blessing of her parents as long as they were as happy as Tom and Jenny were. Mathew and Theresa were more than just Jenny's parents however; they were also their close friends. The four of them had been so close for so long that nothing seemed right without the companionship of the four of them. The blessing of Mathew and Theresa was very important to Tom and Jenny to say the least. In a way it was important for Mathew and Theresa to give that blessing as well.

"Well, we'd better get moving." Jenny said after a long pause. "This isn't going to get any easier." Jenny said shaking her head wearing a look of trepidation.

"No Honey, it isn't" Tom said with a pause. "But this is what we wanted. We can do this." Tom said reassuringly squeezing Jenny tightly for a second.

"Yeah, Sure we can." Jenny agreed with a forced smile into the face of the man she loved.

"They're not strangers, they're your parents." Tom said confidently.

"I know . . . But I feel like I don't know them anymore." Jenny said with a pained look. "A lot of things have been said and done this past year, it all seems so unreal." Jenny finished with a sigh.

"They're still the same people but just hurt and shocked is all. It will take some time yet for them to be okay with us." Tom said stroking the hair out of Jenny's face.

"I know." Jenny sighed with a hint of frustration. "I just hate seeing them like this but I don't understand why they have such a problem with us?" Jenny finished with a grunt.

"They see me as someone who helped raise you and feel like I betrayed them and my role as a an 'Uncle figure' by getting involved with you, would be my guess." Tom replied calmly now gently swaying with Jenny's head on his shoulder. "In a way I did." Tom finished.

"I guess I understand that." Jenny sighed. "But that doesn't make what we have any less special." Jenny said looking into Tom's eyes with a tear threatening to emerge.

"Enough of this . . . c'mon lets get moving." Tom said as he broke the embrace and left one arm around her as they walked the final few steps to the building entrance.

They buzzed Mathew and Theresa's apartment and were let in and soon enough they were standing at the apartment door. Nervously the seconds ticked away as the couple waited and listened to the footsteps that approached the other side of the door. In a flash the door was open and Theresa stood before them smiling with a tear in her eye as she looked on her daughter. It was the first time in almost a year that she did not feel angry or the need to yell at Jenny. For a nervous and tense moment the two women looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

"Go on." Mathew said as he gave Theresa a slight push toward Jenny.

"I've missed you." Theresa somehow managed to say as the tears started down her cheek. Theresa threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tight. It felt good to hold Jenny and Theresa felt like a part of her heart had returned.

"I've missed you too mom." Jenny replied who was also in tears by this time.

Both women hugged each other tightly and the guys looked on waiting for the embrace to break up and the evening to start. Mathew had a cool expression on his face that did its best to hide the smoldering heat underneath the surface. Tom smiled politely and looked on trying not to notice the protective father looking him over with disapproving eyes.

"Are you gonna keep them out there or are you gonna let them in?" Mathew sighed, looking at his wife and daughter still hugging.

"Sorry, where are my manners." Theresa said as she broke the embrace with her daughter.

"Hi Daddy." Jenny said as she hugged Mathew as tightly as she had hugged her mother.

"Come here you." Theresa said as she gave Tom a quick hug and held the embrace for a moment after the hug and looked him over slightly. "You're looking good." Theresa finished with a smile.

"What can I say, she takes good care of me." Chuckled Tom nervously.

"You bet your pretty ass I do." Jenny quipped quickly.

Tom and Jenny laughed; Theresa lightly chuckled while Mathew remained silent. Mathew clenched a fist and released it, trying his best to keep his cool for all concerned. Tom gave Jenny a disapproving look, Jenny knew that she had gone too far and cursed herself for making her parents uncomfortable so early into the evening. Both knew that they would have to keep things cool and be mindful of her parents feelings this evening especially.

"Either of you want a drink?" Mathew said in an effort to change the subject and ease the tension of the moment.

"Yes please, Gin and Tonic for me and Rum and Coke for Tom." Jenny said as she stood next to Tom and put her arm around his waist like she had done so many times before.

To Tom and Jenny it was as natural as breathing and they were barely aware that they had done it. Theresa and Mathew noticed and again were ill at ease over this development. The parents remained quiet telling themselves that this display of affection was normal. They knew that they were going to have to get used to it but they were far from that point yet. To Mathew and Theresa it was as unnatural as watching an Uncle and Niece getting romantically involved.

"You guy's wait in the living room, I'll bring the drinks to you." Mathew said before disappearing into the kitchen. Theresa followed Mathew to attend to the last minute dinner preparations.

"Well, so far so good huh sweetie." Theresa said to her husband trying to be as cheerful as possible.

"I guess so, but I still wanna pop him one over all this." Mathew said with a sneer and clenched teeth.

"Sweetie don't!" Theresa pleaded as she pulled Mathew close to her.

"I won't . . . but I still wanna." Mathew replied coolly and sternly.

"Well, if you make it through this evening without making a scene I promise I will make it up to you later tonight." Theresa said with a wicked smile.

"What do you mean?" Inquired Mathew still disturbed and a little distracted by his anger.

"If this evening goes well, I think you'll find me very open to suggestions later on . . . Very open." Theresa said in her sultriest voice raising her eyebrows at the right moments.

"How open?" Mathew said as he held his wife tight in that kitchen.

"Extremely!" Theresa replied wickedly and Mathew gulped with a wide-eyed expression.

"Y'know Tom is a good guy after all." Mathew said with a charming yet sly smile.

"A prince among men." Theresa chuckled with Mathew joining in. When the laughter died down Theresa lowered her eyes and continued. "That doesn't make it any easier to see them together though."

"Don't I know it!" Mathew sighed, shaking his head.

A little while later, dinner was served and all were enjoying the fine meal that Mathew and Theresa had prepared. There was an air of tension that laid under the surface and everyone tried to ignore it. Nobody wanted to acknowledge that it existed, they all wanted to pretend that it was just a simple meal with old friends. While everything seemed fine on the surface it was not fine but for the first peaceful meeting in about a year, things were going great. That is until someone started to ask the difficult questions.

"So dear, how have things been for you?" Theresa asked nicely of her daughter. Theresa was trying to engage in polite dinner conversation and catch up with Jenny. She was curious as to what had transpired in her daughter's life in the time that they weren't talking.

"Fine mom, Tom and I are getting along fine, we're very happy and we love each other." Jenny said and then paused slightly her eyes now cast down to her plate. "But it has been hard on me to be this distant from you."

"I know, it's been hard on me as well dear." Theresa said with the same pained, downcast look.

For a moment there was a silence in the room that was deafening. For a brief moment nobody said anything nor knew what to say in any event. A few brief looks back and forth from one to the other was all that was exchanged. The only sound that was heard was the clinking of cutlery on plate as the four people ate in silence.

"Was it worth it?" Mathew let slip out.

It was more of a thought in his head that he had hoped to keep locked away there. Somehow it crept forward and leapt from his lips before he could stop the words from leaving his mouth. Silently Mathew cursed himself for such a comment and swore to keep tighter control of his tongue in the near future.

"MATHEW!" Theresa snapped. Mathew's hopes for great sex later that night died instantly and he cursed himself all the more because of it.

"Daddy?" Jenny inquired a little perplexed. "What do you mean?" Jenny asked back half knowing what he meant but needing him to confirm what she thought he meant.

"Ignore him dear." Theresa said calmingly while shooting a nasty glare at her husband.

"No mom, He deserves an answer." Jenny said quietly. She was still shaken by his direct and hurtful question but she knew that her father needed answers to some questions of his own.

"No dear, it's quite alright." Theresa said in her best peacemaker mode. Jenny fell quiet and resigned herself to obey her mother's wishes and remain quiet on the subject at least for now.

"Theresa, this evening is supposed to patch things up between us. That can't happen unless we can talk openly about all of this. I think it's time we discussed this as adults." Tom said and looked at Jenny before continuing. "What do you think sweetheart?" Tom asked and a small dagger twisted in Mathew's heart at the use of the term of endearment for his daughter.

"Exactly honey." Jenny replied and then turned to her mother and father. "I think there are a few questions that both of you have wanted to ask for some time now." Jenny said searching the eyes of her parents and silently knew that she was right, it was written all over their faces. "To answer your question dad, I would have to say that as much joy that this past year has brought me, knowing how much you two have suffered has taken all of that joy away and more. So I would say no, no it wasn't worth it." Jenny said and looked down not even looking at Tom.

"Oh sweetie." Theresa said as her heart went out to her daughter.

"But what you two have to understand is that we didn't ask for this to happen between us. I have loved Tom for as long as I can remember. For the last ten years I have known that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him and I still do. He's been my best friend, confidant, teacher and counselor for as long as I can remember." Jenny said searching her parent's eyes for a reaction. "I tried to move on, for years I tried to find somebody my own age and not so close to the family." Jenny sighed, wiped a tear and continued "But nobody even came close to capturing my heart like Tom has." Jenny said looking at her parents once more. "Don't you see that I had to do something about all these feelings that I had inside of me? I waited patently until I was old enough and rather poorly let him know how I felt." Jenny sighed shaking a little. "I HAD to try, I needed to do something to either make my dreams come true or move on." Jenny concluded and looked at Tom who sat beside her. Tom took this as his cue to continue the story.

"Well, for me she was always just my 'little sweetie'. To me she was like my niece, the daughter I never had and I loved her for who she was and she was always just a kid to me." Tom paused.

"She's young enough to be your daughter, what changed?" Mathew sternly asked the question that was on his and Theresa's mind at the moment.

"True enough, but like I said, I always thought of her in that light . . . until her eighteenth birthday that is." Tom sighed again and looked down words temporarily failed him after a moment the powers of speech returned to him. "When I saw her dressed up that night like she was I . . . didn't recognize her. She was so different, so . . . much like the woman that clearly that she is. It was at that instant that I realized that she had changed. She was different, she was beautiful, positively radiant and I didn't know how to handle it. She excited me in ways she shouldn't have and never did before. I didn't know how to relate to her and how to deal with all of these feelings that were awakening inside of me." Tom paused to gather his thoughts once more.

"She turned you on? Is that it? She looks sexy in a dress and suddenly you're 'in love' with her" Theresa said incredulously, still disgusted with Tom for his lack of control.

"No . . . No don't you see, it was at that point that I realized that she wasn't a little kid anymore. I always loved her, you know that Theresa. It was always like my niece and nothing more. But here was this stunningly beautiful woman hanging off my arm that I knew but yet didn't know. I knew her as the little girl I always saw her for and not the woman that she is. Later that night on the dance floor she told me how she felt and kissed me." Tom paused.