Dim The Circus Lights (Book 2 of Beneath The Circus Lights)

Happy Mother's Day 💐 (Memory Chapter)

   How I envision Jed and Ariel Daniels (Elsie's parents!) 👆 👆

    Jerome rocked on his heels as he waited for one of the Daniels to open the front door. Finally after what seems like forever, the door opened and Jason toward over the fifteen year old boy, smiling kindly down at him.

"Hey kid. What's up?"

  "Hey Jason, is Elsie home?" Jerome stood a little straighter under the older man's gaze. Jason was cool, but he was still Elsie's eldest brother-closest male authority under her father.

  "Yeah, she's with the boys fighting over who gets to serve Mom breakfast." Jason rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly.

  Furrowing his brows, Jerome's head tilted somewhat to the right. "Why would they fight over that?"

"To be Mom's favorite on Mother's Day I guess. Truth be told, she loves us all equally but those three compete in everything."

"I-it's Mother's Day?" Jerome awkwardly looked behind him, and Jason cocked his head, shifting his weight to lean fully on the door jam.

"Yeah, aren't you going to celebrate with your mom?" Jason watched the light that had been in the teenager's eyes fade.

"My, ugh family doesn't really believe in holidays. Or birthdays....." Jerome mumbled and Jason frowned, glancing back inside the house.

"Hey, why don't you join us for breakfast? I'm sure the three bully goats gruff in there overestimated and we'll have too much for the six of us."

Jerome immediately declined, taking a step off the porch, but before Jason could speak, Jed popped his head over his son's shoulder, smiling down at the redheaded boy.

  "Jerome! Great to see you buddy. Hey you want some breakfast? The kids cooked too much and I doubt we'll have space in the fridge." Jason shot Jerome a 'I told you' look.

  "Oh I couldn't be a bother Mr. Daniels." Jerome rubbed his arms, watching Jason move to the side to allow his father access to the doorway, the latter moving to wrap an arm around Jerome's shoulders and lead him into the house.

  "Jerome I've told you before, call me Jed, Mr. Daniels was my grandfather!" Jed laughed at his dad joke and Jason closed the door behind them with a smile.

  Inside the kitchen, indeed there was an abundance of breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, you name it, it was cooked.

Elsie had her back to everyone, digging in the fridge for something while Adam sat next to his mother, who had one arm wrapped around him, the other trying to get Dylan close enough so she could kiss him despite his struggles.

  "Look who stopped by Ari!" Jed announced, letting go of Jerome to start making plates.

  "Jerome! Hi sweetheart, good morning!" Ariel used the quick distraction to kiss Dylan's cheek before releasing him, the preteen grumbling but didn't wipe off the kiss. Adam pulled himself from his mother when his father called for him to help him set the table.

  "Good morning Mrs. Daniels. Happy Mother's Day." Jerome smiled at the woman who got up from the table to pull him into a hug, the loving embrace something Jerome was becoming accustomed to from the matriarch of the family. 

  "Thank you baby. I'm so glad you could join us for breakfast." Ariel smoothed Jerome's hair, understanding in her eyes.

   She had the unfortunate experience of having met Lila Valeska and immediately disliked the woman. Since then, she had made it her duty to treat Jerome exactly like one of her own children, give subtle extra affection, knowing how positive touch starved the boy was.