Tabitha Ch. 13

Wes opened the door and swept Tabitha up in a tight hug. He held on to her for longer than just a greeting. He buried his face in her neck and moaned.

"It's good to see you too," she laughed when he finally released her. She handed him a bottle of white wine she'd picked up on the way over.

"I'm apologizing in advance. This isn't going to be fun for anyone involved, just remember that I love you and it'll all be over soon."

Tabitha nodded. She hadn't been nervous about meeting his parents until that moment. Wes seemed to have resigned himself to the evening being a disaster. Were his parents horrible enough to scare her off? She thought about her own mother. Nah, there was no way his parents were worse than her mother.

"You look beautiful," said Wes.

Tabitha grinned. She had dressed in a white linen dress with a wide lavender belt and gold flats. She'd worn minimal jewelry, just a pair of gold hoops and a slender gold watch. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "Thank you."

Wes gripped her hand and led her into the house.

Clay was walking out of the kitchen when they entered. Wes turned to lock the door just as Clay held out his arms for a hug. Tabitha grinned. "Hi there, beautiful!" Clay exclaimed wrapping his long arms around her.

"Hi, Clay."

"We missed you," he said when he'd let her go. "Some of us more than others." He glanced at Wes and she laughed when a huge grin split across Clay's face.

Jazzy hurried out from the kitchen and hugged her. "Thanks for not breaking my brother's heart."

Tabitha didn't know what to say. "Uh...you're welcome?"

Jazzy laughed. "If you're still around after tonight, I'll be even more grateful." She kissed Tabitha on the cheek before scurrying back into the kitchen.

"I'll go help with dinner," Clay muttered with a shrug. He accepted the bottle of wine from Wes and they shared a look that Tabitha could only describe as foreboding.

"Let's get this over with," Wes groused. He slipped an arm around her waist and walked toward the living room.

The scene in the living room was idyllic. A tall man with almost completely white hair rolled a ball to Blake who grabbed it, clutched it to his chest and giggled. He turned away from his grandfather and hurried over to an older woman with dark hair pulled back into a bun. She patted his head when he buried his face in her leg. After the affectionate pat from his grandmother, Blake went back to playing ball.

"Mom, dad, I'd like you to meet Tabitha, my girlfriend." Tabitha glanced at Wes. She'd never been referred to as a girlfriend before. It sounded strange to her ears. She turned back to the older couple and realized they were both staring at her. She stepped forward and extended her hand to the man on the floor since he was closer.

"This is my father, Stan." Tabitha thought the bones in her hand would crack from the force of Stan's handshake. She moved toward the woman in the chair. "My mom, Lucy." Lucy's handshake was hardly there. Her slim fingers pressed against Tabitha's palm for a barely a second.

Tabitha and Wes sat on the couch, between both parents. There was a long stretch of silence as all four of them watched Blake play with a fire truck a few feet away.

"So, Tabitha," Stan finally said, "what is it that you do for a living?"

"I work in the city planning office."

"Ah, not a singer, dancer, or painter? So, do you secretarial work?"

Tabitha felt her back go straight, but before she could speak, Wes snapped at his father. "Tabitha is not an assistant or secretary. She has her own office."

Stan's brow went up. "Oh."

Lucy gazed at Tabitha for a moment. "Do you have children?"

Tabitha's eyes flew wide. "No. I don't have any children."

Lucy nodded and returned her gaze to Blake.

"I don't get it," Stan said aiming his gaze at Wes. "She doesn't seem like your type."

"You wouldn't know my type if she sat in your lap."

Stan's dark brows shot up.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on sitting in your lap," Tabitha muttered.

Wes slipped an arm around her waist. "He's just surprised that you have a career and direction."

"That last girl..."

"Stanley," Lucy interrupted, "Now is not the time."

Tabitha looked from the scowl on Stan's face to the glare Wes was shooting his father.

"I'm going to go see if I can help in the kitchen," she announced. "I'm sure you can catch up with your parents without me." She gave Wes a kiss on the cheek and smiled when his expression softened. After sparing a second to give him a reassuring pat on the knee, she hopped up and hurried to join Clay and Jazzy in the kitchen.

***

Tabitha wasn't much help in the kitchen. Jazzy was flitting from one thing to another while she and Clay took orders and stayed out of the way. Finally, Tabitha set the table and helped Jazzy set out the food. She took a moment to appreciate the beautiful table setting. Jazzy had created a feast: standing rib roast, garlic mash, sautéed green beans, an endive salad, and fresh-baked rolls.

Wes gave her a kiss as soon as he took a seat in the chair beside her. She could see stress, strain, and worry in his gold eyes. He wasn't happy.

As they passed the serving dishes around in tense silence, Tabitha had a moment of clarity. Wes and his sister were really no different from her and Dion. Their family situation was different, but the emotional strain was the exact same. She'd grown up wishing she had a mother and a father. She'd thought those kids must have had it easier. However, sitting at the table with what she would have thought to be a "perfect" family and witnessing the tension, was an eye-opener. She and Dion had made their own family; Jazzy and Wes had done the same. The atmosphere when their parents weren't around was happy and relaxed, nothing like the tense meal they were currently having. Tabitha silently thanked God for her big sister, yet again.

Lucy asked polite questions about Clay's band, during which Stan rolled his eyes after every answer. Tabitha couldn't help but notice that Clay had barely eaten a thing; in fact he'd barely spoken a word since he'd greeted her at the door.

Stan met his wife's gaze across the table and cleared his throat.

"Why don't we take Blake home with us for a little while?" asked Lucy, seemingly out of the blue, but obviously prompted by her husband's not-so-subtle signal. "I'll bet you could really use a break."

Tabitha thought the offer was generous but Jazzy rolled her eyes. "We're fine," was her terse response.

Stan laughed; but it came out more like a bark because of the lack of genuine humor. "I don't see how you can say that. Let the boy come home with us. He should at least experience what its like to live with two parents. Somebody should set an example. No sense in my great-grandkids being bastards too."

Jazzy slammed her fork down on the table making her plate jump. The entire table went silent. Her jaw was set and her eyes flashed fire. Clay put a hand on her arm.

"It's okay, babe," he whispered.

"No!" she snapped pulling her arm away. "No, it's not okay. We are married, dad. We've been married since I was three months pregnant with your grandson! If you hadn't been so busy being a dick to Clay, you would have known that...you would have even gotten an invitation!"

Tabitha gasped and gaped, which was the same reaction as Stan and Lucy.

Jazzy stood from the table and proceeded to extricate Blake from his high chair.

Tabitha glanced around the table. The only people un-phased by Jazzy's outburst were Clay and Wes. The corner of Clay's mouth tugged upward, he was trying not to smile at his wife's mania. Wes avoided Tabitha's gaze, and she almost smiled. Of course Wes knew, he would have stood up beside Clay and probably given his sister away in their father's absence!

"What...what are you saying?" Lucy stammered.

Jazzy sighed as she settled Blake on her right hip. "What I'm saying, mother, is that I'm married. Your husband and all his opinions and prejudices made it possible for you to miss the one and only wedding of your one and only daughter."

Lucy pressed a trembling hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

Jazzy turned to her father. "Now you can stop calling my son that expletive you love throwing around because he knows his father and his parents were married before he was born. I don't care what you say about me. Clay doesn't care what you think about him, but you are not allowed to sit in my house, eating the food I made, and talk about my son as if he's lower than dirt!"

Jazzy patted Blake's back because he was feeling her tension and getting fussy.

She turned to Tabitha. "Don't let him scare you, Tabitha. He doesn't come around much, just long enough to pass judgment on people and things he doesn't know. He'll be back where he belongs and out of our lives soon enough."

Jazzy turned on a heel and left the room to take her son upstairs.

"Well," Stan started.

"Shut up," Lucy growled through clenched teeth.

They all turned to stare at her.

"Lucy."

"Don't! Don't say my name like I'm an idiot! My daughter got married without me because I let you push her away. I dreamt about her wedding day...dresses, flowers, I've lost that now. Both of our kids want nothing to do with us—with you, and I just stood by and let it happen! This is your fault. Now you're going to fix it!"

It was Lucy's turn to storm upstairs. Tabitha didn't know what to do. She sure as hell wasn't hungry, and the tension in the room was palpable. Stan's face was going between red and purple. His mouth opened and shut like he was going to speak, but nothing came out.

"Excuse me," Tabitha muttered and left the table. She went upstairs and found Jazzy and Lucy in Blake's room.

***

Tabitha immediately felt she should have stayed downstairs when she walked into Blake's bedroom. Lucy was in the armchair sobbing silently as Jazzy rummaged through a drawer. Blake sat on his grandmother's lap, yawning.

"Jazzy?"

"Shit," Jazzy responded. She abandoned the drawer and rushed over to hug Tabitha.

"I didn't know," said Tabitha. "Wes didn't tell me and I won't tell anyone."

Jazzy laughed. "Thanks. Sorry for ruining dinner."

Tabitha grabbed Jazzy's hands. "That was one of the best dinners I've ever had...knowing that you and Clay are married is amazing. You guys deserve to be happy—and be a family."

Jazzy squeezed Tabitha's hands. "I want you to be my sister."

Tabitha gasped.

"I know it's soon and not my place, but my brother loves you...so much. He's been sad for so long—I just want him to be happy."

Tabitha wanted to run out of the room, but how could she avoid talking about her relationship when Jazzy trusted her with an important secret about her relationship?

"Does he make your happy?" Jazzy whispered.

Tabitha nodded.

Jazzy grinned. "Good."

"I'm so sorry," Lucy finally said.

The smile melted from Jazzy's face as she turned to face her mother. "It's a little late for sorry."

"I don't know what else I can say."

Jazzy sighed. "There's nothing else to say, mother."

"I just want to start over," Lucy said, her voice strained as if that statement was actually a plea.

Jazzy shook her head, her black curls had grown out some so they bounced. "There is no starting over, mom."

Lucy's face collapsed, her shoulders dropped, and her breath rushed out of her in a whoosh.

Jazzy squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "All those years, the way he talked to us, the way he treated us. He belittled everything Wes and I loved. He insulted everyone we loved. You let him cut us down at every turn. Now, I'm supposed to forget all that? Now that we're both married women, are we going to meet for lunch? Are we going to have tea together on Mother's Day, since I'm an official mother now and not just a 'baby-mama'? We'll be best friends now, right?"

Lucy shook her head. "We can try."

Jazzy rolled her hazel eyes. "I've tried enough, mother. I am done trying. It's your turn to put in some effort. It's your turn to speak up for your children and your grandson."

Lucy's eyes flashed angrily. "He's my husband!"

"We're your children! Love us more than you fear him!"

Jazzy moved away from her mother, pulling out pajamas for Blake. She handed them to Lucy. "You can give him his bath."

Blake stirred and smiled up at his grandmother.

Jazzy shrugged. "I'm sorry you had to witness this fucked up family reunion."

Tabitha laughed. "My sister and I just bribed our sister-in-law so she wouldn't kidnap her kids. I'm not one to judge."

Jazzy smiled, appreciatively. "I think we should go out for a drink or ten."

Lucy stood from the chair, balancing Blake on her hip. "Take as long as you want. I'll put Blake down and have a talk with your father."

Jazzy nodded, grabbed Tabitha's hand and led her downstairs where Wes and Clay seemed more than happy to leave the house with them.