Memory Lane

Chapter 6. The Return of the Princess

Jax

Everyone's eyes were on Desiree as she explained the details of her deal to Patterson. The stories she told Patterson were borderline unbelievable, and it made me uncomfortable to hear about the amount of danger she endured. I was supposed to be her protector and I dropped the ball on that. If it hadn't been for Clay messing up a deal with Mickey's crew, I wouldn't have spent the next several years mourning my wife.

It was hard not to get emotional in her presence, and I found myself sitting away from her to keep from panicking. My mom, however, looked like she wasn't ever going to let her go. Tara sat next to me and she placed a hand on my knee in support.

"So, how long have you been in Charming for?" my mom asked her. Desiree looked nervous before she answered, "this is my second day. Opie picked me up from the police station yesterday." My mom gave Opie a look that made him turn away from her, "why didn't anyone tell me that my daughter was in town? Or even alive?!"

"They called the clubhouse and I was the only one here. I thought they were joking with me until I pulled up and actually saw her," Opie defended himself.

"Okay, then why didn't you take her to Diosa's"

"He did," Desiree said cringing, "I just wasn't ready, I didn't want to just spring up on you guys out of nowhere."

Gemma sighed and looked at Desiree sweetly, "your presence is always welcomed, you're family." I looked over at Tara who had a look on her face. I couldn't tell what the look meant because she had been having such a rough time with my mom lately. I didn't think seeing my mom fawn over Desiree would have that much of an effect on her.

"So, what happens now...that you're alive," Tara said staring at Desiree. Desiree looked surprised to see Tara speak and let out a huff, "um... well, Patterson already put a suit against my death order, so I should be getting all of my documents and licenses back." Desiree looked around the room but avoided my eyes, "uh, I guess I'll have to go the morgue to see if they could do anything about...my grave." I could tell she was uncomfortable with that idea and I clenched my eyes shut at the memories I had of visiting her grave. "Then, go back to work, I haven't worked for a long time so it'll be good to get back out there."

"Oh, what did you do?" Tara asked intrigued.

"Um, I was a dental hygienist, mostly for pediatrics," she smiled softly and Gemma rubbed her shoulder. "Funny, isn't that where you and Jax met?" Gemma looked between the both of us, and I heard Desiree laugh nervously. "Um, yeah," Desiree looked at Tara, "he refused to have my coworker in his mouth and demanded I do it."

I felt my cheeks heat up and I knew that I was probably bright red. "Always the ladies' man," Gemma said looking at me mischievously. I couldn't decide on whether she was trying to start something or was just reminiscing about the good old days. But whatever she was doing made Tara clearly uncomfortable. She started to rotate the rings on her finger, especially the one that belonged to my mom.

"So,... I got to go get the kids from Lyla," Opie said changing the conversation. He started to get up out of his seat and Desiree followed him, wanting to break free from the awkwardness between us. "Aren't you staying?" Gemma asked Desiree. I saw her face scrunch up for a minute before she started to bite her lip. I could tell she was struggling with what to say because before the incident Desiree was the daughter my mom never had. Since Desiree's own mom practically disowned her for being with me, Gemma took her under her wing. She always had a hard time saying no to being with her, I never understood it, but it was like she saw something in my mom that no one else did.

"Um, I'm pretty tired so I'll just go with Opie," Desiree was glued to Opie's side, almost like she was trying to join herself to him. She was clearly nervous and being put on the spot made it no better. Gemma got up from her seat, "nonsense! Opie doesn't have enough space to accommodate you, you can come to stay with me." She started to grab her things before Des had another chance to speak. I could see Opie stifling a laugh as Gemma started to poke and prod at Desiree. I could see her wheels spinning on how she was going to stuff, clothe, and smother Desiree.

"You can hang with Ellie tomorrow!" Opie shouted as she was dragged out of the clubhouse. Once she was gone, the guys started to laugh, knowing full well of my mother's controlling nature. I did feel bad for Desiree, but it wasn't like I could take her in myself. That would be conflicting with my marriage to Tara to have my former-dead wife walking around our home. It would also be a slap in the face to Desiree since she worked so hard to decorate our home and make it ours, and now it was changed by another woman.

During her absence, I missed Desiree terribly and no one but Opie could relate to what I felt when I buried "her." But now she was back in our lives, like something straight out of a storybook. However, her prince charming was a failure who couldn't slay the dragon, if anything, he sent the dragon after her by not protecting her. And to add insult to injury, he took her castle and gave it to another princess. Geez, I need to lay off the fairytale books with Abel.

"Are you ready to go home?" Tara said snapping me out of my thoughts. I knew she could tell that my mind was elsewhere. I mean who's mind wouldn't be given the circumstances? How many wives have come back from the dead? More importantly, how many husbands were willing to drop everything to be with them again? I know people who pray for this kind of thing to happen, but here I was with the opportunity dangling in my face, and I couldn't take it.

I got up from my seat and proceeded to say goodbye to everyone quietly as I left with Tara. I was so consumed in my own thoughts that I didn't realize that I was walking ahead of her. Not only that, I didn't even reach for her hand. She then forcibly grabbed my hand and interlocked her fingers with my own. I looked at her apologetically and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, baby," she said giving me a peck on the lips.

"I love you too," it felt robotic when I said it, not putting much thought into my words. This was strange considering that only a few hours ago, I was professing my love to her in front of everyone. I was newly married but somehow I had also become newly divorced.