Chapter 86 - News Gets Around This Faded Neighborhood

 



 

Distracted, Beth is startled by the chirp of her cell phone, indicating that she received a text message..

 

 

Are you up?

Yes.

What are you doing?

Laying in bed watching the baby do somersaults, what are you doing?

Laying in bed, watching the ceiling fan go round and round. 

Both in bed, just not together :-(

How are you babe?

I'm good, how are you?

Good, how's baby girl?

Wide awake.  :-)

Are you mad at me?

I am not happy with you.

I'm sorry, I didn't tell you about Dot because of the last couple of days we had.  I didn't want to add insult to injury, but I needed to be there for the ceremony.

I don't care why you didn't tell me or why you were there, I'm mad that you lied to me and said you were with Paul and you weren't.  You lied to me Jon.

I'm truly very sorry.  Do you want to talk?

NO.

Why not? What did you do today?

Because it's later here than there and I need to get some sleep.  When are you coming home?  Dani is moving into my apartment in the city, that's what I did today.

I see you were at your office.

I hired Dani to answer phones so we went to check it out.  The pic was great, thanks again.

I did it because I love you.  You give her a job and then a place to live?  What else could she possibly need?

Jon, she's down on her luck and she needed a helping hand. 

I know, I think it's great that you did that for her.  Do you trust her?

Of course I trust her.  Why wouldn't I?

You've known her just a few days and she's living in a multi million dollar apartment and has a nice cushy job on Wall St, I wish I had her luck.

Knock it off, not everybody is out to get us Jon.  She's a lost soul.  Just like I would be if I didn't have you.

Ditto!  I don't know what I would do without you, babe.

For the 2nd time, when are you coming home?

Tomorrow?"

You question it?  How is Paul?

He's good, real good.  Family is at Disney so we're here alone.  I would like to come home tomorrow, if you'll have me. LOL

If I'll have you?  I didn't tell you to take off without saying anything.

I kissed you before I left. 

He waits, she didn't have a quick reply.  He's pretty sure that his last text pissed her off.  With each passing second, he's certain that she's pissed off.

I guess I had that coming, huh?

What do you mean by that?

All the times that I left you without so much as a goodbye, I guess it was your turn to do it to me??

Do you think that's what I did?

That's exactly what you did.  I woke up and you were gone.

I'm sorry if that's what you think, Beth.  I really needed to get away, to clear my head.

And THAT is why you ended up in Philly with Dot?

Stop!

Stop what?  Telling you what I think and how it all looks to me?  Fuck, Jon - I would have been none the wiser if Dani hadn't seen it on the news.  I was embarrassed and had to pretend that I knew.

I didn't want to add to your stress, or piss you off after the last few days.

Do 2 more days make it different?  You haven't called me

You haven't called me either.

Jon, you bolted, like you told me not to.  This is not okay, specially now.

I had too.  I couldn't handle another thing in our way, Beth

What was in our way?  Our way of what?

I needed you, and you know that's not easy for me to admit, but I did and you were checked out. 

I was not, I was at dinner with a friend.

Five hours Beth?

Ok, this is getting stupid.  When are you coming home?

Tomorrow.

Okay, I'll see you then.

Will you be home when I get there?"

Depends on when you get here.  I have plans to go shopping with Dani, down the shore.

I guess I'll see you when I see you.

Sleep well.

You too.

They both tossed their phones next to them on their beds.  Both are pissed and missing each other.  So the stand off begins.  Who is going to cave?

They both slept like crap and honestly couldn't wait to see each other.  When Dani arrived at the NJ house, Beth told her, "Jon will be home at some today, I can't take all day down the shore."

"That's fine.  I'm just along for the ride." she tells Beth.  Beth must forget that Dani is down and out, having money only because Beth gave it to her.  Dani needed to get to NJ anyway, her packed car was at Beth's and it holds all of her belongings.  She wanted to get her car unpacked and get settled before she starts work the next day.  She's excited at the opportunity that she has been given and she knows that the only place to go is up.

"We don't have to go to the shore, I just needed to get a few things for the kids.  Jesse needs more shorts, Jake and Romeo need everything.  They are growing like weeds.  We can just go to the Monmouth Mall."  Beth says as they walk out of the house and get in her car.  "I can never buy anything for Steph, she has to be with me when she gets new clothes."

"She's a teenager.  I get that.  I hated when my mom would bring things home for me."

Beth looks over at her, "Where are your parents?"

"Last I knew, they were in Mozambique on a missionary trip.  We lost touch after McKenna died."

"Why?" Beth asks, with emphasis in her word.

Dani slightly shakes her head, looks out the window and says, "We were never really close, but when I was pregnant with her, my mom and I tried - but there was a lot of water under that bridge.  And then when the asshole accused me of killing Kenna my mom went on that team."  She looks at Beth, "I then burned that bridge and never wanted to go back."

"I'm estranged from my parents too."  Beth admits, "They were lousy as I grew up and it wasn't too long ago that my mom tried to wiggle her way back into my life."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she must have heard that I was with Jon and seen dollar signs.  She showed up at the house one day when Jon and I were running one afternoon.  Needless to say, she didn't stay very long."

"I'm sorry.  I know how that feels."

"It's crazy what people think just because you live with a rock star, I have two brothers too." Beth gives her a little more of a look into the life of Beth Adams.  "I reconnected with one a year or so ago and he ended up robbing me and assaulting me in my own home."

"You're own brother?"  Dani blurts, watching Beth ease the car into a parking space at the mall.

"Yep.  He was pissed that I wouldn't let him crash at the place you're in.  He was on drugs.  Stole jewelry from me and punched me in the face as he left."

"No shit!"

Beth nodded and added, "I was pregnant with the twins then."

"What an asshole."

"My whole family is fucked up.  When I burned that bridge with my mother, I felt a little liberated."

Beth takes her sunglasses off and  puts them on the top of her head, "I felt the same way." 

The women wander around the mall and buy the things that Beth needed for the boys.  as they shopped and window shopped, Beth was recognized a few times but they were left alone.  She stopped wearing clothes that hid her baby bump, for the world knew all of their business now.  The whispers that she hears bother her, but she doesn't let on.  People will always talk about her, about him and about them.

"Do you want to go to the Baby Gap?" Beth asks her friend, "I want to get a few things."

"Yeah.  No problem."  The women make their way down the hall that the Baby Gap is in. 

Upon entering, Beth feels a slight punch in the gut and laughs, "Baby girl Bongiovi woke up to go shopping", Beth still laughing as she tells Dani.  "She is wide awake"  Beth places her hand on her belly and enjoys playing with her daughter.

"She must like Baby Gap." Dani says as she picks up the cutest little baby dress.  "Oh my gosh, look at this."  She holds it up and Beth's heart melts.  It's pink with little hearts and a lacey built in bib.  It's adorable.  Beth has to have it. 

 

They wander through Baby Gap and have a great time.  Both have lost daughters and it seems that this shopping trip was more than just a shopping trip.  It appeared to be therapy to both of them, they laughed, they joked, they awwww'd.  Their friendship was growing, fast.