The Mercer Men and Their Women (Part 4)
Jack's Surprise
Jack fidgeted in his seat on the Greyhound bus and felt that this was the worse decision he had ever made. He should have taken a plane instead of this stupid bus! Eighteen and a half hours was just too much even for him.
He sighed as they pulled into the terminal. At last. He had left New York City fifteen minutes before midnight on Thursday and now it was almost six pm Friday. He couldn't wait to get back home.
The band needed a break as they had been touring continuously for three months. They were modestly popular and the gigs were plentiful, but everyone was getting burnt out and needed a break. He really should have taken a plane, but he changed his mind after he found out how much the ticket cost!
He stretched and picked up his bags and headed into the street. He looked around as the wind sent trash flying by his ankles. Nothing seemed to have changed much in the two years since he'd been home. His stomach growled miserably, but he was determined not to delay getting home to some of his mother's cooking. He knew she was expecting him and most likely had prepared something good to eat.
It wasn't long before he was standing in front of the house with his bags. The thirty minutes from the bus terminal seemed like forever but now he was here! He looked around and tried not to be disappointed when he didn't see Bobby's car. Before he could reach for the door it flew open and Evelyn came running out.
"Jackie!" she yelled.
He quickly dropped his bags and grabbed her picking her up and swinging her around.
"Hey, Ma" he said kissing her and put her safely back on her feet. "Where's Bobby?"
Evelyn mused his hair and patted his cheek. She picked up one of his bags and headed back into the house.
"He's at Jerrys! Come on in the house. I have dinner cooked. Are you hungry?"
Jack followed her into the house. "You bet!"
He looked around the hallway and placed his bags at the foot of the stairs. Nothing in the house seemed to have changed since he'd been away and that gave him comfort. There was no place like home. This was home, his safe haven. He smelled the baked spaghetti when he walked towards the kitchen. As he stood in the doorway his mouth began to water.
"Ah, Ma. My favorite!" he said smiling. His stomach grumbled in agreement.
"Go on and take your things upstairs and wash up. I'll have your food on the table by the time you come back down" Evelyn said as she set a place for him.
Jack nodded, turned and grabbed his bags, taking the stairs two at a time. He saw bags on the other bed beside his and knew that Bobby had left his things. He missed his brothers. Yes, it was good to be home again.
He quickly washed up and came back down. Evelyn had his plate heaping with spaghetti at his normal place at the table. He quickly sat down and bowed his head with a quick grace before he began wolfing down the food.
"Slow down, Jack" Evelyn said laughing. "No one's going to take your food."
Jack smiled at her remembering a time when he actually did eat fast because someone would try to snatch his food from him.
"How's my Jackie?" Evelyn said hugging him from behind and rubbing the tattoo of a cross on his arm.
"I'm fine, Ma" he said continuing to eat. He looked at her sideways. "What?"
She was watching him and that always made Jack a little bit nervous. He knew that she wanted to ask him something.
"Who is Jillian?" Evelyn asked casually.
Jack took another forkful of spaghetti. "A girl."
Evelyn pulled up a chair and sat down facing him. "Just a girl?"
Jack stopped eating for a moment. "She's my girl, does that surprise you?"
He didn't want to sound defensive, but he was tired of everyone thinking that he was in the closet.
Evelyn looked at him. "You don't have to be so defensive, Jackie. I was just asking. She called a little while ago and wanted to know if you were here. She couldn't reach you on your cell."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know. My cell went dead and there was no way to recharge it on that shitty Greyhound bus!"
"Watch your mouth!" Evelyn snapped.
"Sorry, Ma" Jack replied eating the last of the spaghetti on his plate.
Evelyn reached across the table and took his hand. "Jackie, I never thought you were gay and even if you were, that's your business. You're my baby. You know that I love you no matter what!"
Jack fidgeted in his seat. He did that when he was nervous and began picking at the bands that he always wore on his wrists...the bands that hid his past. he didn't want to think about that right now...all the abuse and pain he suffered. Before Evelyn he had tried to end it all several times by cutting himself. He was glad that Evelyn came into his life.
"I know, Ma" he finally replied looking at her. "I know everyone thinks I am because of what happened to me before I came here." He looked away not wanting to see her response. How could she be anything but disgusted. He remembered her crying when she told him that she had seen the pictures of him naked and bleeding when he was removed from his last foster home.
Evelyn quickly reached across the table and grabbed his chin. "Look at me Jack!" she commanded. His eyes slowly met hers and he only saw the warmth and love that made him love her so much. "None of that was your fault. You were a boy, unable to defend yourself."
Jack lowered his eyes. "I know that now, Ma. But still, everyone thinks that because of what happened to me and because of what I had to do to survive that I must be gay."
Evelyn looked at him knowingly. "You mean Bobby."
Jack nodded avoiding her eyes.
Evelyn sighed. "Your brother loves you very much. I think he feels that if he keeps bringing it up that you'll somehow be better able to deal with it and that you'll end up stronger in the end. He used to always say that he wanted to make a man out of you. Well I always knew that you were very much male and very much straight. I think your brother was just trying to convince himself. Angel and Jerry never thought that about you and they always came to your defense when Bobby would pick on you." She looked at him and laughed. " He'd tell Angel and Jerry that he was trying to help you get your head on straight. You and I both know that Bobby's no head doctor so he'd better stop trying to practice medicine without a license!"
Jack laughed. "I don't get why he always has to do that, but then again he rides Angel just as hard about Sophie so I know its not just me he picks on."
Eveyln stood up and took the plate from in front of him. "So tell me about Jillian. Is she in your band?"
Jack got up and opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer. "No Ma.
She's my accountant."
Evelyn looked at him surprised. "My, my...an accountant. She must be a pretty smart girl."
"She is" Jack replied tossing the bottle cap in the trash. "I invited her to the family cookout. I want her to meet my family. I hope you don't mind."
He began drying the dishes as Evelyn washed. He then began wiping off the table. "Of course not. Bring who you want to bring. Why didn't she come with you?"
Jack sat back down at the table and took a swig of beer. He belched loudly and Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"She was in Chicago and I was in New York. We decided to meet up here. I texted her and told her that I'd be here around seven but I think her plane got in around six. She's probably at her hotel. I gave her your address and phone number in case she couldn't reach me."
Evelyn looked at him curiously. "You're not staying with her at her hotel?"
Jack shook his head. "I see her all the time, Ma. How often do I get to see you? Besides, I'll only be here a couple of days."
He finished off the beer and threw the bottle in the trash. He stretched again, feeling the effects of the long ride.
Evelyn smiled at him. "Well, I guess I'm a lucky old lady!"
Jack gave her a quick kiss. "You're not old, Ma. You're seasoned!"
Just then there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it" Evelyn said. "Jackie, reach up on the top shelf and get me that crock pot."
Evelyn wiped her hands on the towel she had and tossed it over her shoulder as she headed to the door. She was surprised to see a tall woman with large green eyes and shoulder length auburn hair standing in the doorway. Evelyn opened the door thinking that she must be lost.
"May I help you?"
The woman smiled revealing perfectly white teeth. Her hair was perfectly straight and parted on the side reaching her shoulders. She was neatly dressed in black business slacks and a fitted pale blue blouse. Evelyn thought she looked like an insurance salesman.
"I'm looking for Jack" she replied.
Evelyn tried to hide her surprise. "Jack? Are you Jillian?"
"Yes, and you must be his mother Evelyn, right?" the woman replied extending her hand.
Evelyn took her perfectly manicured hand in hers. She knew that this woman was older than her Jack and appeared to be his total opposite!
"Yes, I'm Evelyn" she replied. "Come on in."
She led her in the den. "Have a seat."
Jack came out of the kitchen and smiled. "Hey Jill. You made it."
Jill grinned at him. "I have a rental. It wasn't too hard."
"So..." Evelyn said looked from Jack to Jillian. "Can I get you anything?"
"No." Jillian said looking at Jack. "I was hoping we could go out for dinner, Jack. I'm starving."
Jack looked at his mother helplessly.
"Nonsense!" Evelyn replied patting her hand. "Jack's already eaten. Come on in the kitchen. I hope you like spaghetti."
Jack grabbed Jillian's hand pulling her to her feet. "Sure she does, Ma."
Evelyn quickly set a place for her and Jillian sat down.
"It smells delicious!" she exclaimed.
"Enjoy yourself, Jillian" she replied after fixing her plate. "I know you and Jack want to catch up so I'll be upstairs."
She walked out of the kitchen and was halfway up the steps before she felt a hand on her arm. Evelyn turned and looked at Jack who looked somewhat confused.
"What's wrong, Ma. Don't you like her?"
Evelyn hesistated and then smiled at her son's guarded expression.
"She seems like a nice girl, Jack. It's just that she seems so different from you...and older." She didn't want to upset him, but this Jillian was not what she expected him to bring home.
"Ma, she's thirty. I'm twenty five and that's not that big of a difference."
Jack replied defensively. "She's a nice girl. Smart just like you said."
Evelyn patted his arm. "Son, I'm fine with whoever you want to be with."
Suddenly Jack's face contorted with anger. "You think this is some sort of joke? You think that I'm just using her or something to prove a point? You think that I'm still hiding in the closet or something? God, Ma! Don't I take enough shit from Bobby? Do I have to prove my manhood to my mother too?"
Evelyn gasped. "Jack! I never thought any such thing. I was just suprised that's all. I told you, I never thought you were gay. If you say you're not gay then you're not gay! I guess I half expected you to bring home a girl with dyed black hair and black makeup and a torn tee shirt...not a business woman. That's all."
Jack's face softened and he then looked contrite. "I'm sorry, Ma. I just want you to get to know her. Do you have to go upstairs now?"
Evelyn shook her head. "I just thought you two wanted some time alone, that's all. I didn't want to be a third wheel and be in the way."
Jack grinned. "I told you Ma, I have all the time in the world to be with Jillian. I don't get to spend that much time with my mother anymore!"
Evelyn laughed and came back down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.
"You know the two of us are acting like pretty poor hosts. Come on! I want to hear all about you and your lady"