Saturday, September 19, 2015

102

Jon rubbed his eyes and leaned back on the door and looked at his two oldest.  They had argued for four solid days, family tradition, we always go to Saint Barths.  Then they come up five hours before they were to leave, and want to change everything and go to the cabin?

“You want to go to the cabin, all that moaning and groaning about tradition and we always go to Saint Barths,” He shook his head, “You now want to change all of our plans?”  He walked past them and headed to his office.  He didn’t want to wake up Lexie, they would go into there to hear their explanation.

“We talked, while we were loading the dishwasher, and we decided it was time to start a new tradition.”  Jesse said “We, overheard how momma Lexie wanted to go to the cabin, and we decided that since you’re going on tour, and Steph is heading to college, this would give us more time as a family with no fans bugging us.”

Now that was something Jon hadn’t thought about, they would have more time together and the fans would think they were in Saint Barths.  “Why didn’t you think of this before?”

“Well, Since Saturday, Lexie’s been different, sort of sad and after her meeting with Thomas, it’s been even worse.”  Stephanie told her father.  “Didn’t you notice it?”

Jon thought back to every night, since the party, Lexie was in bed, asleep, before he got to bed.  Yeah he noticed.

“Romey and Jakey agreed that the cabin, this year, would be best.”  Jesse told his father.  “We called Uncle Matt and he changed and canceled what needed to be canceled, He’ll be here in the morning to make sure we have a van to take all of us.”

Jon was surprised his brother hadn’t called to see if he had lost his mind. 

“Okay, we’ll go to the cabin, but no moaning and bitching.”  Jon told the two.

“Agreed.”  They both said getting up.

“Okay, get some sleep.”  Jon told them as they left the office and headed to bed.

As he crawled back in the bed, Lexie turned over and put her head on his shoulder.

“What’s up?” Lexie yawned and rubbed his stomach.

“Our four older kids had a family meeting.”  Jon told her as he took her hand in his and held it over his heart.

“Is this a good thing?” Lexie tried to sit up. Jon pulled her closer and sat up a little.

“Whenever I think I have them figured out, they do something like this.”  Jon told her.

“Johnny you’re scaring me, what’s going on.”  Lexie said looking up at him.

“Well, we aren’t going to Saint Barts.  They decided that we need to start some new traditions.”  He let her go this time, when she tried to pull away from him.

“What do you mean, we aren’t going to Saint Barts.” She sat up and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  Looking at the clock they only had a few hours before they were due to be up and loaded and now they want to go somewhere else?

“I think they heard us talking after dinner.”  Jon told her sitting all the way up beside her.

Lexie thought back to what she had said about going to the cabin. “Where are we going now?”

“They voted and we’re going to the cabin.”  Jon told her.

“They now want to go to the cabin? What will happen to the reservations on the house at Saint Barth?  I’m shocked after all their complaining that there isn’t anything to do at the cabin that they still want to go there.”  She liked that they would be going to the cabin, but what were they up too.

“We’ll get a refund, they said it was time to make new traditions, I’m shocked Matt hasn’t called to see what was up.” Jon watched his wife worry her bottom lip.

“They called Matt at almost midnight?  Jon as much as I love that we’re going to the cabin, it just seems a bit fishy.” Lexie wiped the sleep out of her eyes.  “Just fishy.”

“Let’s give them the benefit of a doubt, it might just mean they want this to be a new tradition for us.” Jon said to his wife, but he had to agree something was fishy.  That boy, just because Jesse wouldn’t try anything with Sally but he wouldn’t put it past Mark and Stephie.  “Let’s get some rest, in case Matty is pissed enough to make us drive it and not get us a driver.”

Lexie scooted back down in the bed and cuddled to Jon. Taking a deep breath she tried to will herself to sleep, but her brain just wouldn’t shut down.

“Want me to sing to you?”  Jon nuzzled her neck and began to hum a love song to her.

Sighing she let his voice calm her down.  She sent up a silent prayer that this trip wasn’t doomed from the start.

Jon sang until she went back to sleep.  He couldn’t wait to get Steph to college, Jesse to Football camp, Jacky and Romey to math camp, it would be just the babies and them for a week, and he was taking her someplace special.

That morning found them all in the alleyway behind the townhouse, waiting to load into the largest van Matt could find at midnight.  Matt and Jon were putting in the car seats.

“Damn it Matt is this the biggest you could find?”  Jon pinched his finger for the second time.

“Fuck Johnny, it was midnight when Jesse called me, I was lucky to get this. The other option was a tour bus and I didn’t think it would make it half way there.”  Matt told him as he snapped the last seat in.  He watched Jon struggle with his seat.

Lexie and Hellen were in the back loading suitcases and strollers and getting frustrated. There were suitcases under each seat, she finally had the stroller in and was shutting the door when Jesse came out with the cooler.

“Unless you’re planning on sitting on it, there is no room.” Lexie told him and she and Hellen leaned on the backdoor of the van in order to close it.

“It’ll fit between me and Steph.  I got juice and fruit, and some sodas for the trip.”  He went to put it in the third row seat. 

When they finally loaded and Jon got in the driver’s seat, he looked back at the sleeping Triplets and then back at Hellen sitting with Jakey and Romey.  He knew his two oldest were in the back, turning and looking over at Lexie, who was tapping away on her iPad he noticed a slight smile.

Halfway there they had to stop, the Trio needed a diaper change and they decided to make it a lunch break.  He took Cullen into the men’s room with a diaper and a poop bag in his pocket. After a frantic search they noticed no used diaper baggies, so they had a small roll of doggie poop bags in Lexie’s purse.

After a good lunch with no one the wiser that the family of ten in the back corner were the Bongiovi family, made it even more fun. All too soon, lunch break was over, the kids and Hellen were loaded and Jon pulled the van into a gas station.

By the time they pulled into the gated community of the cabin, it felt like coming home to Lexie.  This was the first time they would be here with the Trio, there wasn’t even cribs, and they would have to go shopping fast.

They were unloading the van, which took less time than packing it.  Lexie was heading upstairs with a diaper bag and one of the bags she packed for the girls.  Standing in the hall upstairs she stopped.  Romey and Jakey had taken one room, Steph and Jesse a room each, she went into the room closest to the master and three cribs were already set up.  Tears came to her eyes, they had thought about their younger brother and sisters.

That’s where Jon found her.

“Hey, you okay Lex?”  He came in with two bags and two diaper bags. She was sitting on the twin bed that had been put in to make room for the cribs.

“They thought about their sisters and brother, I was going to tell you we needed to get cribs, I walked in here and I was just so shocked.”  She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

He came and sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

“You’ve seemed so sad lately Lex, is it Thomas?”  He asked as he held her close.

“That and other things, it’s like I’m waiting on the other shoe to drop.”  Lexie told him.

Before he could ask her about her hidden meaning, but Hellen came in with Olivia who was getting grumpy.  They would have to talk about it later.  By the time they were finally alone, they were in the van heading to the grocery store.

“If we split the list we can get it done and back to the cabin in time to make dinner.” Lexie told him as she tapped on her phone.

“That’s good, wonder if Sally knows Jesse is here?” he teased her and was rewarded with a chuckle. This was a chance to get her to talk about what had her so upset earlier.

“If he called her, seeing as how they were burning up the phones last night.”  Lexie rolled her eyes at him.

“Can I ask you something?”  Jon got really serious as they pulled into the parking lot. Stopping the van and turning toward her, he reached out and took her hand. 

“Sure.”  Lexie knew it was going to come up at some time.  Should she tell him what Stephanie said, but them she would have to admit she eavesdropped on Steph and Sarah talking by the pool?











4 comments:

  1. Lexie needs to be honest with Jon and tell him what she heard.
    It was very sweet of Stephanie and Jesse to change the family tradition and include Lexie.

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  2. I don't think that is the first question that Jon is going to ask (About Stephanie). I think it will be about her writing.

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  3. I think he will ask if everything is ok with them. Then he will ask about her editor/publisher. Either way, he will want to know what's going on with her. Hope she finds a way to open up to him. She shouldn't feel bad about over-hearing the conversation. Accidents happen all the time abs besides, she's been burned by Stephanie in the past. I'd probably be a little suspicious of her too.

    Great chapter Alice. Can't wait for more.

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  4. I've just found this story and read the whole lot in one go. Absolutely love it! Can't wait to read more.

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