Good Together

Chapter 2: A Bar Called Grounders

There was a reason why Jennie hadn’t told her parents she was going to be in Polis. Her plan had been to get Lisa to sign the papers, then get the hell out of that godforsaken town. She hadn’t seen her parents in three years, not since she’d managed to convince them to come up to New York for Christmas three years ago. That being said, she wasn’t a horrible daughter. She still spoke to her parents a few times a month, but never for extended periods of time. She’d mentioned Connor to them in the past, but she doubted that she ever let on how serious it was with him.

Jennie pulled up to the ranch-style home and sat in the car for a moment, parked beside her father’s dirty truck. She sighed as she reached into the glove compartment and slipped Connor’s ring onto her finger. Ready to bite the bullet and see her parents again, Jennie finally stepped out of the car and walked up to the door. It felt odd, knocking on the door of her childhood home, but she did so.

“Is that someone knockin’ on the door Abs?” came a voice from inside the home. Jennie couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her father and the familiarity of it all.

“I don’t know Barry, why don’t you check? I’m kinda busy incase you didn’t notice.”

“Alright, alright,” Barry responded. Jennie could envision the scene behind the door in her head. Her mother was likely in the kitchen cooking, her father either watching football on the television of reading some car magazine or manual.

Jennie awkwardly fidgeted with the ring on her finger as she waited. Moments later though, Barry opened the door. It took him a moment to register the fact that it was his daughter waiting at the door.

“What’re you doin’ here?” he gasped with a laugh, immediately stepping out onto the front steps to envelop Jennie into a hug, one she eagerly returned.

“Who is it Barry?”

“Get out here and find out for yourself woman!” he laughed in response. Barry squeezed Jennie even tighter, not letting go until Cate showed her face from behind the entranceway.

“Barry, what are…” she paused as she took in the sight of her husband and daughter together. “Jennie? Is that you?”

“Sure is Momma,” Jennie smiled hesitantly, turning to face the woman.

“You know, it’s polite to call before visiting. Especially from far away. I would’ve put on something nicer, would’ve made your favorite dinner,” Cate began to ramble.

“Sorry Momma,” Jennie apologized. “Don’t worry, it’s not a long stay though.”

“Not a long stay?” Barry asked with a gasp. “Why not?”

Jennie looked between her parents, recognizing how opposite their reactions to seeing her were. She wasn’t surprised though. Barry and Cate were very different people and had always had different reactions to Jennie’s actions. Jennie had always been closer to Barry, always appreciated his support. It had always been her mom she’d wanted to please though.

“How about we stop hitting her with questions Barry and invite her inside,” Cate gestured for Jennie and Barry to join her in the home. “She’s clearly been traveling all day, the last thing she wants to do is stand on the stoop answering questions.

“Good. Yes, right.” Barry nodded and allowed Jennie to enter the home first, shutting the door behind them. “Wait’ll you see what we’ve done to the living room.”

Jennie followed her father into the living room. She looked around the cramped space, expecting to find something knew, unable to do so. “What did you do?” she asked.

“We switched the chairs and couches around,” Barry grinned. Jennie looked around again and realized the the two plush chairs had switched positions with the couch. Other than that, everything looked identical to the way it did when she left five years earlier. Nothing had changed in probably more than a decade. Much like the rest of the town.