Lead the Way - Chapter 052 - Relative Relatives
Wow. It's 7pm and I could go to sleep for the night. Was fine this morning. Went horsback riding. Still fine. A little tired, but fine. Than humonguous traffic jam in the scorching heat, I'm not even sure if this is English, and now I am beyond exhausted. If it wasn't for my girl eloise_stories I'd have forgotten that it was Thursday. It is Thursday right? She's not making fun of me? :) Okay then.
Lead the Way - 052 - Relative Relatives
“I’m really glad we decided to get on this New Year’s resolution together.”
“Me too,” Emily said honestly. They had agreed on getting together for lunch or dinner at least once every other month. Maybe it would give them a chance to reconnect. The women sat down at a table by the window with a view of the golf course and ordered without looking at the menu.
“I like the country club.”
“I know,” Emily sighed, smiling. The Ambassador always picked this table and always said that she liked the club as soon as she had the chance. Emily enjoyed these familiar ticks as they gave her a sense of belonging.
“I have wonderful news. I’m so happy I almost couldn’t wait, but I wanted to save it for our first lunch together this year.”
SSA Prentiss was intrigued.
“Now that the Democrats won I might be offered a new assignment.”
“Wow, Mother, that is fantastic news.”
“I mean, nothing is set in stone yet and it won’t be anything too delicate like Jerusalem or Cairo,…”
“But it’s an assignment!”
“And I’ve always wanted to retire after one last quiet job. Something like Canada or Switzerland.”
“This calls for champagne.” Emily looked for the waiter.
“Not yet, Emily. I still have to get the official invitation and then we can toast to it.” Elizabeth smiled and Emily noticed how long it had been since she had seen her smile.
“How did Father take it?”
“Oh you know him - he thinks the stables will crumble without him. But Charlie is fully equipped to handle it and between us, I think your father misses the dinner parties and receptions.” The waiter interrupted them by bringing their orders. Emily was positively thrilled by her mother’s news. She had sensed that the woman needed to feel useful again, especially after her father began involving himself so much in the stables.
The Prentiss family owned a variety of investments amongst which were the Prentiss’ stables. Since the 18th century, her ancestors had bred and groomed horses for racing, sports, and hunting. Owning a ‘Prentiss’ was much like owning a Stradivari. Ever since her parents had moved back to the US, Richard Prentiss had spent more and more time at the stables, discovering his love for horses.
After discussing the possible options and consequences thereof, Elizabeth said:
“But enough about me. How was your vacation?”
Emily’s back tensed immediately. She never discussed her love life or her friends with her parents. They had no clue who she spent her nights with and if Emily had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.
“Good.”
“How is Rocky?”
“Good.” The profiler wished she hadn’t eaten this fast and still had something to put in her mouth to keep her from answering.
“Is she married yet?” Emily rolled her eyes at her empty plate.
“No.”
“Maybe if your friends were better role models, you might find the right one too.”
“Maybe.”
“Why are you so monosyllabic all of a sudden? Did you have a fight in France?”
“No, Mother,… I didn’t…” The ringing of her cell phone was never more welcome to her.
The waiter rushed over motioning that cell phones weren’t allowed inside and Emily had to leave the restaurant. She mouthed to her mother that this was work related and on her way out she said into her cell:
“I’ve never been happier to hear your voice, Jordan.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a very long time since JJ last sat at an airport waiting for someone to arrive. It only then occurred to her that she got even less visitors then she visited home herself. Her job had kept her from enjoying such simple pleasures but she knew she had given them up for something much more important and pertinent. Nonetheless, she was still glad to see Lauren come through the gates toward her.
“Hi Sis. Glad you could make it.”
“Same here.” She smiled at the bundle in JJ’s arms and said, “Let’s trade. You get the suitcase and the work and I get to keep this little guy.”
“Sure. If you get up at 2a.m. to breast feed him and change his diapers, you have a deal.”
“Maybe just until we’re home then.”
“Thought so.” JJ laughed.
When her sister had called and asked if she could come for a visit, she had been surprised. Lauren was usually too busy to leave Pittsburgh, but she had no cases in court these next two weeks. JJ looked forward to spending some time with another grown up, especially since Emily was out on another case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren and JJ had spent the day shopping and talking about nothing in particular. At night Leslie was asked to watch Henry while the sisters went out for a beer. At the pub Lauren asked:
“Do you trust her?”
“Who?”
“Leslie. With Henry. I mean, she’s just a teenager.”
“She’s seventeen and she’s very reliable. She’s watched Henry several times already and we’ve never had any problems.”
“Several times?”
“Yeah, she said she might even want to be a kindergarten teacher now.” She paused and asked, “Why are you smiling?”
“You have a boyfriend…”
“I do not!”
“Oh yes, you do.”
“Lauren, stop it.”
“What? Are you ashamed of him? Is he the reason you broke up with Will? Let me guess… He is a… college professor… Oh, no, no, wait… he’s a… cook. No? He’s not another cop, is he?”
“He is a she.”
“Sorry?”
“Emily.”
Lauren stopped smiling and teasing and suddenly JJ noticed how loud everyone else was. She waited for her sister to say something. When nothing came she looked up. Lauren looked shocked. JJ wanted to get up and leave but her sister held her back.
“Wait.”
JJ stood up and looked at her sister.
“I’m sorry. I think it’s great that you told me. You’re very brave. But…”
“But…?”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? What or why did Will… Can we talk about this? Please?”
JJ sat down again.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know myself. I thought I loved Will but the more serious it got the less I felt like committing to him. I started to notice how I felt about Emily.”
“And Emily?”
“She knew for quite some time, but she didn’t do anything about it.”
“Are you happy?”
“I don’t know.” JJ sighed and took a sip from her beer. “It’s different.” She took another sip. “It’s definitely different.”
“I see. Well, do I get to meet her some time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh come on, you’ve been talking so much about her… and now you’re dating her… I want to put a face to the stories.”
“Fine, but don’t tell Mom and Dad.”
“Cross my heart.”
Lead the Way - 052 - Relative Relatives
“I’m really glad we decided to get on this New Year’s resolution together.”
“Me too,” Emily said honestly. They had agreed on getting together for lunch or dinner at least once every other month. Maybe it would give them a chance to reconnect. The women sat down at a table by the window with a view of the golf course and ordered without looking at the menu.
“I like the country club.”
“I know,” Emily sighed, smiling. The Ambassador always picked this table and always said that she liked the club as soon as she had the chance. Emily enjoyed these familiar ticks as they gave her a sense of belonging.
“I have wonderful news. I’m so happy I almost couldn’t wait, but I wanted to save it for our first lunch together this year.”
SSA Prentiss was intrigued.
“Now that the Democrats won I might be offered a new assignment.”
“Wow, Mother, that is fantastic news.”
“I mean, nothing is set in stone yet and it won’t be anything too delicate like Jerusalem or Cairo,…”
“But it’s an assignment!”
“And I’ve always wanted to retire after one last quiet job. Something like Canada or Switzerland.”
“This calls for champagne.” Emily looked for the waiter.
“Not yet, Emily. I still have to get the official invitation and then we can toast to it.” Elizabeth smiled and Emily noticed how long it had been since she had seen her smile.
“How did Father take it?”
“Oh you know him - he thinks the stables will crumble without him. But Charlie is fully equipped to handle it and between us, I think your father misses the dinner parties and receptions.” The waiter interrupted them by bringing their orders. Emily was positively thrilled by her mother’s news. She had sensed that the woman needed to feel useful again, especially after her father began involving himself so much in the stables.
The Prentiss family owned a variety of investments amongst which were the Prentiss’ stables. Since the 18th century, her ancestors had bred and groomed horses for racing, sports, and hunting. Owning a ‘Prentiss’ was much like owning a Stradivari. Ever since her parents had moved back to the US, Richard Prentiss had spent more and more time at the stables, discovering his love for horses.
After discussing the possible options and consequences thereof, Elizabeth said:
“But enough about me. How was your vacation?”
Emily’s back tensed immediately. She never discussed her love life or her friends with her parents. They had no clue who she spent her nights with and if Emily had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.
“Good.”
“How is Rocky?”
“Good.” The profiler wished she hadn’t eaten this fast and still had something to put in her mouth to keep her from answering.
“Is she married yet?” Emily rolled her eyes at her empty plate.
“No.”
“Maybe if your friends were better role models, you might find the right one too.”
“Maybe.”
“Why are you so monosyllabic all of a sudden? Did you have a fight in France?”
“No, Mother,… I didn’t…” The ringing of her cell phone was never more welcome to her.
The waiter rushed over motioning that cell phones weren’t allowed inside and Emily had to leave the restaurant. She mouthed to her mother that this was work related and on her way out she said into her cell:
“I’ve never been happier to hear your voice, Jordan.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a very long time since JJ last sat at an airport waiting for someone to arrive. It only then occurred to her that she got even less visitors then she visited home herself. Her job had kept her from enjoying such simple pleasures but she knew she had given them up for something much more important and pertinent. Nonetheless, she was still glad to see Lauren come through the gates toward her.
“Hi Sis. Glad you could make it.”
“Same here.” She smiled at the bundle in JJ’s arms and said, “Let’s trade. You get the suitcase and the work and I get to keep this little guy.”
“Sure. If you get up at 2a.m. to breast feed him and change his diapers, you have a deal.”
“Maybe just until we’re home then.”
“Thought so.” JJ laughed.
When her sister had called and asked if she could come for a visit, she had been surprised. Lauren was usually too busy to leave Pittsburgh, but she had no cases in court these next two weeks. JJ looked forward to spending some time with another grown up, especially since Emily was out on another case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren and JJ had spent the day shopping and talking about nothing in particular. At night Leslie was asked to watch Henry while the sisters went out for a beer. At the pub Lauren asked:
“Do you trust her?”
“Who?”
“Leslie. With Henry. I mean, she’s just a teenager.”
“She’s seventeen and she’s very reliable. She’s watched Henry several times already and we’ve never had any problems.”
“Several times?”
“Yeah, she said she might even want to be a kindergarten teacher now.” She paused and asked, “Why are you smiling?”
“You have a boyfriend…”
“I do not!”
“Oh yes, you do.”
“Lauren, stop it.”
“What? Are you ashamed of him? Is he the reason you broke up with Will? Let me guess… He is a… college professor… Oh, no, no, wait… he’s a… cook. No? He’s not another cop, is he?”
“He is a she.”
“Sorry?”
“Emily.”
Lauren stopped smiling and teasing and suddenly JJ noticed how loud everyone else was. She waited for her sister to say something. When nothing came she looked up. Lauren looked shocked. JJ wanted to get up and leave but her sister held her back.
“Wait.”
JJ stood up and looked at her sister.
“I’m sorry. I think it’s great that you told me. You’re very brave. But…”
“But…?”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? What or why did Will… Can we talk about this? Please?”
JJ sat down again.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know myself. I thought I loved Will but the more serious it got the less I felt like committing to him. I started to notice how I felt about Emily.”
“And Emily?”
“She knew for quite some time, but she didn’t do anything about it.”
“Are you happy?”
“I don’t know.” JJ sighed and took a sip from her beer. “It’s different.” She took another sip. “It’s definitely different.”
“I see. Well, do I get to meet her some time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh come on, you’ve been talking so much about her… and now you’re dating her… I want to put a face to the stories.”
“Fine, but don’t tell Mom and Dad.”
“Cross my heart.”