My House of Gold

Failing to Reunite

Jerry Jefferson stood above the landlocked phone and hesitated to dial it. He wanted to wait for his wife to get home before he phoned the kids and asked them to come over for the weekend- something that hasn't happened in a long time- he took a deep breath and hovered. Pondering if they even would answer the phone or if they would be too busy he suffocated himself in his own thoughts before he heard the garage door open. Jerry walked over to the door and looked out the window to see Janis smiling at him through her car windshield and waved at him, Ofelia sat in her car seat in the back and mocked her grandmothers wave and a smile flew over Jerry's face as he opened the door and stepped outside to get Ofelia out of the backseat. Janis turned off the engine and climbed out of the car as Jerry approached.
"How was Gordon today?" Asked Jerry as he reached into the back to gather his granddaughter.
Janis shrugged, "He is still worrying about me. I feel kind of special like I'm the only patient he really worries about." She called back walking into the house.
Janis walked inside her house and looked around at her clustered living room filled with toddler toys and sighed. Up still smiled through. "I see you didn't do much cleaning, Jere."
Jerry blushed, "I spent the entire time looming at the phone and wondering how to call everyone."
Janis looked at him as he held Ofelia in his arms and shrugged.
"Well, I guess I can call them up and just say we are celebrating my birthday early?" She asked. Knowing that she was bringing her children on a lie just to give them bad news.
Jerry shrugged once more, unaware of what to do in this kind of situation.
"I don't see why we don't."
Janis chuckled, "it kind of reminds me of how we used to tell them about the tooth fairy and Santa." She looked away at the phone, "Kind of a white lie to make them cooperate."
Jerry nodded as he sat Ofelia on the floor and sat down on the couch watching her tussle through her toys.
"Lavender will be back in like twenty minutes to pick up Ofelia if you want to tell her first."
Janis looked outside the window, "I feel bad lying to her. She's not even our child I feel like I have to tell her straight what's going on."
"She is our child now." Jerry folded his hands on his stomach and stared up at the ceiling. "We have not only three biological children but two 'kids-in-laws'."
Janis winced, "I don't like to think of Robert as my son-in-law. Lavender is a lovely girl but Robert just-." Janis turned to Jerry, "I don't want Jillian being him here Saturday, I want them to be separated for as long as possible."
Janis's ill-words towards her son-in-law didn't bother Jerry who wanted it to be her day. If she wanted it to be that way then it will just be played that way.
The doorbell rang and a muffled voice came through the door.
"Mama? Jerry?" The soft voice echoed through the door and Jerry rushed over to open it.
Jerry opened the door to the young girl, "Lavender, sweetie we have a doorbell. We go through this every time we can't always hear you if you just knock."
The young girls long wavy brown hair blew in her face as a smile creeped on her face from embarrassment. She shrugged and walked into the house as Janis walked over to her.
"Hi, darling." Janis wrapped her arms around Lavender as she squealed.
"Hi, mama how was the doctor? Is everything ok?"
Janis didn't say anything, she picked up Ofelia and kissed her ten times, "I absolutely love spending time with my love. My darling, Ofelia." She said in a singing voice.
Lavender took Ofelia and laughed, "Jackson and I said that if we ever had a son we would name him Hamlet for you." The smile turned soft and Lavender continued, "You really rubbed that book on me when I had your class. It made me fall in love with Shakespeare."
Jerry looked at Lavender with longing eyes, "Have you talked to Jackson recently?"
Lavender hesitated, "Yesterday he called to hear Ofelia talk to him but hung up when I got on the phone again." She lowered her head onto her daughter's hair. "I imagine if he did that he would come home sooner than Saturday or maybe stop by to see you, mama."
Janis placed her hand on Lavender's shoulder. The room fell silent as Janis felt she needed to share the plans separately from Lavender and her children. She invited Lavender to stay for dinner so she could play with Ofelia a bit longer and Lavender agreed.

Lavender and Janis prepared a meal together in a warm silence, they enjoyed each other's company and have since the day Lavender stepped into Janis's junior literature three years ago then a year later married her youngest son Jackson. Janis was fond of Lavender's eagerness and kindness which she never saw in someone other than in her own self. Janis took Lavender in after her religious parents separated themselves from their young newlywed daughter after Jackson and herself eloped. Janis took Lavender in as an extension of Jackson and couldn't turn her back on her own children, then Ofelia was born and she fell more in love with Lavender since she was a wonderful mother to her granddaughter and a loyal wife to her estranged husband.
"I wanna make Jackson something for when he comes home this weekend." Lavender broke the silence.
Janis smiled and continued to stirring the pasta, "He was always a fan of pasta. He could smell it ten miles away and always came home early on pasta night."
"Ofelia is in love with this gluten-free pasta I found at the organic market!" Lavender laughed but then her smile softened, "Jackson isn't such a big fan of it but I'll try harder."
Janis turned to Lavender, "Don't let his mood swings bring you down, darling. He's a tough case."
Lavender returned with a smile, "I can't let him bring me down. He gives me energy and now that I have Ofelia too I get energy from her when he goes away." She turned to look outside, "How can I be mad at someone who gives me so much to live for?"
Janis stopped stirring and stared at Lavender, wondering how to bring it up to her. She began to speak when the door bell rand and Jerry got up to see who it is.
Jerry looked through the window next to the door and gasped opening the door with excitement. He swung it open and a young man stared at him seriously.
"Jackson?" Jerry exclaimed.
Jackson pointed to the purple car outside their garage, "I imagine Ofelia and Lavender are here?"
Janis and Lavender rushed towards the door and Lavender jumped in glee seeing Jackson.
"You said you weren't coming back until Saturday?" Janis smiled.
Jackson walked into the living room and picked up his daughter and hugged her tightly, "I'm too much of a mama's boy to not come here at least once a week. But now I get to see both of my favorite girls."
Janis glanced quickly at Lavender who was cheering happily that Jackson was back. How could he be so cold towards his loving wife? Janis told him about dinner and he decided to stay. It was an improvise but she was going to be telling both of them her plans tonight and now on Saturday like she planned.