Mending of the Heart: Jackie's Story

Chapter 2: Confrontation

Jackie slowly pulled into Robert's driveway and turned off the engine. She quickly got out of her car and heading up the driveway towards Robert's house. Robert met her on his front porch glaring at her as she walked up the steps. "Where have you been?" He demanded.

"You just called me..." She began to defend herself.

"I called you twenty minutes ago, making you now almost an entire hour late. You know I have clients to see, and Kayla has errands to run." Robert stated cutting her off.

"If I'm such a burden, then don't call me over? By the way, I do have a life just as much as you do." Jackie recovered.

"Who's the father?" Robert snarled.

"WHAT!"

"You heard me... Your mother used that line on her mother when she was having you. And believe me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that family. So, who's the father?" Robert repeated.

"I'm NOT pregnant!" Jackie yelled at him. "I was just spending time with my friends."

"What's all the yelling about out here?" Kayla asked coming outside with Orion at her heels. "Hey Jackie, I didn't know you were coming over today."

"It's Tuesday, she always comes on Tuesdays." Robert stated.

"That was during the summer and on my day off. School started today, meaning I come over on Saturday now." Jackie informed Robert annoyed. "I don't have to come over here at all, since you did sign the adoption papers. I only come over to spend time with Kayla and Orion, not with you. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go home and get ready for work." She said heading back towards her car.

"We'll see you on Saturday Jackie." Kayla called from the porch.

When she got home, she found Natalie in the parlor quietly reading a book, while the other kids were downstairs in the playroom. "Hey, mom." Jackie said as she took a seat next to her mom on the couch.

"Hey sweetheart. How was your day?"

"It was great until Robert called me and demanded that I go to his house only to be told by Kayla and I that he was wrong. I swear that man is out to ruin my life." Jackie sighed. "Luckily, I have you, dad, and Kayla to help me with him."

"So, what happened before he called that made it so great?" Natalie asked lovingly.

"Eric asked me out, finally! And we made out a little." Jackie said with a shy smile.

"It's about time. Your dad and I were wondering how long it would take for that boy to make a move." Natalie laughed. "I mean, you two made it so obvious that you liked each other."

"I know."

"You need to get changed and get ready to go to work, or you'll be late. Aunt Leanne needs to get home on time today, so make sure you don't mention anything about Eric to her today."

"Okay mom." Jackie said impatiently as she headed upstairs to change. She returned downstairs, and grabbed a snack from the kitchen and headed off to work at Leanne's shop.

At the store Jackie relieved Leanne and took a seat behind the register. It was a Tuesday, and very slow. So, Jackie took out her homework and got started. As she finished up her calculus homework her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Eric. "I thought you said you'd call me at six-thirty." Jackie answered.

"I did."

"But it's only six." Jackie informed him.

"I know, but I was wondering if you'd like some company. Doing homework at work just screams boredom." Eric laughed into the phone.

Jackie looked up to see Eric pressing his face against the window holding his cell phone with his left ear. She waved him in and hung up the phone. As she walked out from behind the counter, he grabbed her into a hug and gave her a warm sweet kiss. She wiggled out of his arms and handed him a bottle of window cleaner and a roll of paper towels. "For me?" Eric asked sarcastically. "You shouldn't have."

"You smudged it; you clean it. But make sure you come back in."

Eric went outside and began cleaning the window, while Jackie sat back down and began working on her physics homework. When he finished, Eric walked over to Jackie to see what she was working on. "Physics?" Eric asked surprised.

"Yes, I just finished my calculus before you came in." Jackie said pointing to her backpack that held her textbooks and binders.

"AP?"

"Only in History and English. The other stuff is hard enough, I like to challenge myself, not kill myself in school." Jackie stated with a smile.

"I know how to pick them." Eric commented. "Brains, looks, and the whole damn thing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just a saying in my family when a guy gets the perfect girl." Eric said lifting her chin and giving her a kiss on the lips.

"I see, so you think I'm perfect?"

"For me." Eric smiled gently touching her cheek.

"What makes you so sure?" Jackie questioned.

"A simple kiss and smile can tell me all about a girl." He replied kissing her more passionately on the lips. "So, when are you out?"

"I just need to restock the shelves, and cash out the register. Then I can go, since I'm only here so my aunt could get home early for a meeting." Jackie stated moving out from behind the counter. "Want to help me restock?"

"I'm not sure about that. My girlfriend may get jealous if she hears I've been folding female clothes."

"I think she'll be fine with it. Since she owns just about every item in this store and then some." Jackie smiled, "unless you need to get going home."

"Nope, nothing better to do then to spend time with my girl."

"Well in that case, your more than welcome to come home with me. I know my parents would love to meet my boyfriend and have him over for dinner." Jackie suggested as she handed him a box to put out.

"I don't know about that. Does you dad have any weapons?" Eric asked.

"No not at all. Unless you consider his; shoot gun, rifle, and his various army knives as weapons." Jackie laughed.

"No not at all... Why does he have so much protection?" Eric replied sarcastically. "It's not like he's a Marine or anything."

"Your right. He just has three daughters." Jackie flirted, as she grabbed her backpack and led him out the door. "So, where's your car."

"At my house. I was taking a walk around town and enjoying the night air." Eric explained.

"I see, so do you want to come with me in my car?"

"I don't know. Are you a good driver?" Eric teased wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked around the shop to her car.

"Do you think I would have been giving this car today if I wasn't?"

"Just do me a favor, and don't tell your dad that we're dating. I want to be able to go home in one piece after supper tonight." Eric laughed getting into the passenger seat.

"Um. I already told my mom this afternoon, which means he'll hear about it before we get there. Don't worry though; he won't hurt you for dating me. He'll only hurt you if you hurt me. Besides, we've been friends forever and he likes you."

"He liked me when I was your friend. This is a whole different ball game."

It was almost seven o'clock, when they entered the house. "Mom, I'm home, and I brought a friend." Jackie announced as she opened the door.

"We're in the parlor." Liam answered as Jackie and Eric passed.

"Hey dad." Jackie asked as she turned into the parlor. "How was your day?"

"Fine, and I hear your day at school was great." Liam answered nodding to Eric. "Just remember Eric, I have lots of fun weapons that I like to play with, and I am a Marine with lots of Marine buddies. If you hurt my little angel, I will hurt you." Liam warned.

"I understand." Eric replied nodding.

"Good." Liam said sitting back down on the couch. "Supper is in the oven, and should still be warm if you're hungry."

"Okay." Jackie replied leading Eric to the kitchen, when they finished Jackie led Eric upstairs to hang out for a bit before she had to return him home.

"Jackie, make sure you leave your door open." Natalie called.

"I will." Jackie responded as they entered her room. Once in her room, she closed her door half way, and walked over to her radio. "What do you want to listen to?"

"Anything you want to put on babe." Eric replied sitting down on her bed.

Jackie put on her AFI CD and walked over to Eric. She kissed him on the lips then sat down next to him. "I told you he'd do that." She sighed laying back on her bed.

Eric laid back next to her on and moved her hair out of her eyes. He kissed her lips, cheek, neck, and back to her lips all the while tracing his fingers along her curves. He was about to put his hands under her shirt, when she sat right up. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just kissing you babe." Eric answered sitting up and holding her hand.

"And feeling me up... Do you think I'm that easy?"

"No! Not at all." Eric said honestly. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Maybe I should leave."

"Maybe your right, but I have to bring you home since it's a very long walk from here to your house. We just need to talk this out before we go back downstairs. Otherwise my parents will read me like a book." Jackie explained.

"Good point." Eric sighed.

Jackie gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and got up to change the song. After they talked a little bit longer, Jackie and Eric decided to head back downstairs. They were just about to leave when Liam called them back into the parlor to watch a movie with the whole family. "Mommy, is Eric going to live here now?" Johnathan asked as he climbed into Jackie's lap on a chair.

"No honey. Why would you think that?" Natalie asked surprised.

"Because, Sierra saw Eric and Jackie kissing in her room." Jeffery responded with a smile from next to Natalie.

Jackie turned red with embarrassment, and Eric looked down at his hands. Liam couldn't help but notice the extreme awkwardness brought on by that statement. He was proud and amused that his little ones were such good spies. "So, Eric. How are your grades?"

"All A's sir." Eric replied shifting his eyes around the room.

"Any sports?" Liam continued to interrogate him.

"Lacrosse and Football."

"Nice." Liam nodded in approval. He got up and headed into the kitchen to get a drink.

Jackie followed him, "what was that about?"

"Well, I had to break the awkward silence in the room." Liam responded.

"That's not what you did. You drilled him. God, you've known him for four years now, and still you drilled him like you just met him. I thought you of all people would be ecstatic for me." Jackie said raising her voice.

"Calm down now." Liam said patting her arm. "No need to get angry."

"I'm not angry, I just don't understand..." Jackie began, but stopped when Eric poked his head through the kitchen door to suggest he should get going home. "Okay, I'll be right out." Jackie said turning to head down the hallway.

In the car Eric was the first to speak, "Some first day we had together, huh?" He couldn't help but chuckle at Jackie's roll of the eyes.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry about all this."

"No problems. It'll get better tomorrow."

When they pulled into his driveway, Eric leaned over and gave Jackie a kiss goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow at school." Eric stated opening his door to get out.

Jackie quickly grabbed his arm, "I'm not mad at you for earlier."

"I know. But it was my fault, I shouldn't have tried to do that." Eric stated giving her another kiss good night and heading into his house. He stopped and watched her car vanish out of view then went into his house.