Together

101. Poguesgiving

For a moment, it all stopped
My restless heart, like I forgot that are gone
And then the feeling brings me back again
I'm losing all my senses every night
Darlin', don't you know that I die every night for you?
-LEON

The rest of the Carrera Thanksgiving was at a so-so level. As embarrassing as the whole argument was, Kie was at least happy that JJ's defense of her educational choices made everyone go silent. Mike shut up, Nanna appeared to get the hint that she wasn't being agreed with, and Anna just smiled at them.

They spent the remaining time together talking about the Wreck and other business that her parents were involved in. Nothing was too heavy or awkward. JJ even managed to charm Nanna into laughing at him a few times. She was a hard woman, but Kie wasn't surprised JJ of all people would be able to get her to crack.

Part of her was disappointed that her grandmother clearly didn't understand or really approve of her life choices. She was hoping at least one person in her family would be on her side. She pushes that thought away though. At the end of the day her parents would come around, right?

"Wow, that," Kie says as she's walking JJ out the door, "was not completely unexpected, now that I think about it." She closes the door and they walk down the steps. "I'm sorry about the interrogation."

JJ scoffs lightly. "Kie, really? I wasn't the one under fire, don't worry about it."

She blushes slightly, rubbing her lips together. "Thanks for that, by the way. I appreciated it," she says, indicating his knight and shining armor moment.

He smirks, titling his head up and looking at her down his nose a bit. "Girl, you know I got you," he winks. "But seriously, you alright?" He didn't have high family expectations, but he could read a room every now and again.

Kie shrugs, sighing in defeat. "Yeah," she says, forcing positivity in her tone. "I mean, my dad definitely isn't done with me, but I think I survived the day."

He pulls her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her neck as he inhales the scent of her hair, grounding himself. "I know fucked up families, so I can imagine."

It's a joke, but there's something in his voice that doesn't land that way for her. It's heavier than he means it to be, and whether that was because he couldn't bother to hide it or not, she did catch it.

She wonders if he's thinking about Luke, or Clair even. He never talked about what holidays were like when she was around. Didn't really talk about what it was like when she was around ever. Just the aftermath that she left in her wake.

"What's up?" she asks, still pressed into him in the middle of her drive way. Like he doesn't want to let her go.

He pretty much whispers into her hair. "Just thinking."

"About?"

He shakes his head. Doesn't really want to get into the whole, saw my dad at the gas station drama right now. It was a lot and he was still just taking it in.

He'd barely scratched the surface of processing the fact that Luke wasn't going to legally be allowed near him ever again. Basically not his parent anymore. At least on paper. It meant nothing in regard to his blood. He'd always be a Maybank. Just now a permanent ward of DCS instead of pretending that Luke was ever responsible for him at all. At least until he aged out in a few months.

It really shouldn't feel any different than it had been. Luke's parental rights, JJ learned, were already suspended when he took off and JJ was brought into the foster care system. It should just feel like more of the same. He'd continue living with Shoupe and going to school. He'd graduate and move on.