Who You Say I Am (A Jai Courtney Fanfic)

Chapter 52-Meg

Meg

I wake early in the familiarity of my bedroom and smile.  I sigh, relieved to be home.  I see my suitcase set aside and I decide to shower first before I deal with it.  I grab a warm outfit since I can hear snowblowers just starting up outside in the distance.  I wonder if Dad is up. 
I step in the bathroom and stop short when I see an unfamiliar toiletry bag on the counter pushed out of the way.  There's a third toothbrush in the holder.  I look out the door to see Artie's bedroom door is shut and I remember that Jai is here.  I shut the bathroom door quietly and I close my eyes is disbelief.  I sigh and shake my head to clear my thoughts before I quickly get ready for the day.  I towel dry my hair and braid it.  I don't want to wake him with the hairdryer.  I step back to my bedroom and toss all of my laundry in my hamper.  I carry the hamper in one hand and the suitcase in the other with the carryon tucked inside.  I notice neither of my parents are up so I pad quietly to the basement and start my laundry before putting the suitcase away in the storage room.  I see the TV left on in the extra room and I turn it off.  Mikey must've been playing video games or something and left it on. 
I walk to the kitchen and see my dad in his coat and boots stepping out the back door.  I check to see if there's coffee made and there isn't.  He hasn't had breakfast yet.  I hear the snowblower start up and I figure I'll make breakfast for everyone.  I turn on the oven and thumb through the recipe cards for something to bake.  I decide to make two kinds of muffins—healthy and not since Mikey won't eat anything good for him.  I look into the fridge and notice my mom steamed a pumpkin.  I change the healthy one to the pumpkin oat recipe and the other will be a chocolate chip.  I grab the ingredients and mix them quickly, having them in the tins by the time the oven is up to temperature.  I search in the fridge for a protein and see a package of bacon.  That'll do.  I put it on a sheet pan and wash my hands.  I scramble an egg and start an omelette for myself.  The oven goes off and I take the muffins out and set them on a cooling rack before I put the bacon in.  I start up some coffee then flip my omelette and wince when I break it.  I'm not the best at that.  I wash some strawberries I find in the fridge and put them on the island.
I plate my eggs and pop the muffins out of the tins then sit down.  I take a couple bites before the coffee maker goes off and I flip the switch pouring myself a cup.  I stir in some cream and sugar taking a sip. 
"Honey, you didn't have to make us breakfast," my mom says coming out of her room in her robe.  She kisses my head. 
"Do you want me to make you some eggs?" I offer. 
"No, I can handle that," she insists.  "Is that an omelette?"
"Yeah... I broke it," I frown. 
"Does it taste bad?" she questions laughing lightly. 
"No," I reply. 
"Then it's fine.  Everything doesn't have to be perfect, you know," she insists. 
I nod and eat my imperfect eggs.  The oven timer goes off and I rise. 
"I've got it.  Finish your breakfast," Mom waves me away. 
My dad comes in and greets us but heads to the shower. I start on my muffin.  It's good.  My mom always makes the best recipes. 
"Which one is that?" she asks me.
"Pumpkin oat," I reply.  "They're good."
She nods and offers me some bacon.  I wave it away. 
"You should eat more," she suggests. 
"I'm full," I respond. 
She frowns but plates the rest.  I watch her flip her omelette.  It was less cooked than I let mine get when I flipped it.  I make a mental note to do that next time.  I finish my cup of coffee and put my dishes in the dishwasher.  I start to wonder if Jai is up. 
"Did you sleep well?" my mom asks sitting down with her eggs.  She takes a pumpkin muffin. 
"Yeah," I nod. 
"It's good to have you back," she smiles. 
I nod. 
"Why so quiet?" she asks. 
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I ask softly. 
She sighs.  "That depends.  What do you want to know?  All of it?  Just the restraining order?" she questions. 
"Let's start with just the restraining order for now," I decide. 
"It's handled.  He can't go anywhere near you," she tells me but I feel like she's holding back. 
"Is there something else with that?" I inquire. 
"He can't come here anymore either.  That was handled before you landed in Jamaica," she says. 
"What happened?" I ask worriedly. 
"He came to the house demanding you.  I said you weren't here.  He didn't believe me because your car was in the driveway.  I told him you were out of town.  He forced his way in.  Your father and I called the police when he came in, searched the house for you, and threatened us when we wouldn't tell him where you were," she says. 
I look down at my hands in disbelief.  "I don't understand.  What has happened to him?" I question. 
"His mother says he's always been like this.  He just never showed this side to you," she tells me simply. 
I put my head in my hands. 
"This is a good thing," she says rubbing my back.  "We're fortunate that you found this out before..."
"Before what?" I ask. 
"Before you were any deeper into his life.  Imagine if you were married and had children.  If this behavior came out then, that'd be a tragedy," she says soothingly but the thought hits me like a slap to the face.
"Gale says I dodged a bullet," I reply robotically.  I think I'm in shock that the man I was with for four years threatened my parents—the nicest people I've ever known. 
"I agree," she says pausing.  "It's all handled.  Your apartment is packed up, the lease finalized. The wedding plans are taken care of.  Everything is canceled, returned, or donated."
I nod in response.  I remember telling her she could donate my wedding dress.  I guess she did.  I rise and hand wash the muffin tins and clean off the baking sheet.  As I clean, I think about my relationship with Spencer and I realize... I don't know if I loved him.  We never said that to each other, not that I can recall.  I wonder if I even did.  My thoughts drift off to Jai and I shake my head to get that kind of thinking out of there. 
"Everything okay over there?" my mom asks. 
"Yeah, I'm okay," I say softly turning my head as I speak. 
"It looks like you're having an inner battle," she points out. 
"Yeah," I agree.  That's exactly what I was doing.  How can she read me so well?  How is my mom my best friend?
"What's your plans for today?" she inquires. "Your father and I are going shopping."
"I don't know. I was thinking of taking Jai skiing," I shrug.
"There's some extra gear in the storage. Take whatever you want. He looks about like your father's size," she says.
I nod. I close my eyes and try not to go down the thought pattern I just had. I ask for God's direction.