Still Dunno

Chapter 3 - Time Away

Jessie's POV

I was sitting out by the pool two days later with the kids.

Janis was reading and listening to headphones, Jamey was in the pool vacuuming, and Joslyn was working on her tan.

I was trying to relax. I'd been exhausted lately and worried that Riker was sleeping with someone on tour.

I've talked to Riker every day since the idea popped into my head, and he always seemed happy to speak with me, although sometimes our conversations were short.

Was he having an affair?

I didn't know.

It didn't help that neither Rocky nor Ross texted me or mentioned my text.

So I let it go. Or tried to let it go.

The kids' gig was this weekend.

Riker was due home Friday night, and things would return to normal. Until Riker announced the next tour.

I sighed.

Is Riker sleeping with someone else? I wondered for the millionth time.

"Hey! Anyone home?" I looked up and saw my older brother, Zack.

"Zack, what are you doing here?" I asked, shocked.

My brother Zack walked into the backyard with his kids, Christopher, Joshua, Patrick, and Mary, behind him.

"Hi, guys," I greeted them with a smile.

Zack and his wife Sabrina met in college. They were married and found out they were pregnant with Christopher right before my wedding.

Christopher was seven months older than the twins. He graduated high school in May and started college this past fall. He wanted to be a lawyer, like my parents.

They didn't waste time getting pregnant again with Joshua, Patrick, and finally, little Mary. Sabrina was literally pregnant for five years straight.

They moved from Colorado to Los Angeles when Christopher was seven and have been here ever since. I loved to have them so close.

Riker thought I should ask them to help me with the kids when he was out of town, but Zack and Sabrina had their hands full with their kids. They didn't need to worry about ours.

"Hi, Aunt Jessie." They greeted me with a little hug and a kiss before they dispersed toward my kids.

Christopher was close with all my kids.

Joshua, a junior this year, wanted to play professional baseball, and Patrick, a sophomore, wanted to go into engineering. The boys gravitated towards Jamey. Mary, who was in middle school, worshipped Joslyn.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "And where is your wife?"

"He didn't call?" Zack asked.

"Who?" I asked.

"Dammit," Zack swore.

"I don't know if anyone called. I don't have my phone on me," I said.

Zack threw his arms up in the air.

Zack has aged well through the years. His black hair shimmered with gray through it. He still wore it on the longer side. He was tall and leaner than most men his age.

Taking a deep breath, Zack pulled out his phone and pressed a button.

"Hey... yeah, we're here... I know she doesn't have her phone with her..." Zack laughed. "... Okay, here she is."