Again

Chapter 11

Sunday rolls around much too quickly for Steve's liking. Honestly, he knows summer is coming to a close and other than being whined for the last few days about Zee having her own cell phone, he was really going to miss it once it was over. Sure, he'd get to see them again in a week, but it was just different out of term time. They were a little more carefree. They'd had a great few days, cooking together, playing video games, school shopping, and even some two-on-one basketball. Since Wednesday, Zee had called Morgan every day, only for ten minutes tops. Steve could manage the phone bill but didn't want to put Eddie or Jenny in an awkward situation where they couldn't do the same. Although curiously, Eddie hadn't called Steve at all, he got this weird message on his cell that had Eddie's name on it, but there were no words, just numbers and letters.

He pulls up on Jenny and Val's driveway, and the kids and Beans rush out, leaving Steve to get the bags as usual. He bundles up what he can under his arms and walks up to knock on the door.

Steve had a key, but he always preferred to knock at the door out of some weird kind of respect. Jenny, short blonde hair in a chic bob, dressed in a loose flowing long summer dress, opens the door and blocks the kids, trying to get into the house without hugging her first. Squeezing each of them tightly, "Oh, I missed you, terrors" The kids make a break for the stairs, "Dinner will be ready in five minutes, so don't get too involved in anything. That means no computer games, Corey!" She shouts after them and turns a kind smile to Steve. "Come on in." She says enthusiastically, wrapping him in a big hug too. Then almost getting barrelled out of the way by the enormous furry projectile that was Beans. She beckons him to the kitchen and puts her finger to her lips, laughing. Steve obliged the silence but couldn't help but notice there was something different about Jenny. He's not sure exactly what it is, but it's familiar. She points through the kitchen door, and Steve peeks around the door to see Val in a chef's hat and apron, singing and dancing around the kitchen as he cooks. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Bean's wet nose prods at the back of his knee. Still, when he realises who it is, he beams in delight, "Oh Beanies! Memento", he says to the dog putting his hands together like he's praying. He walks to the fridge and breaks off a chunk of cheese, throwing it around his back into the air for Beans to catch, before returning to the stovetop, putting the newly strained linguine into the pan, and tossing its contents effortlessly in the air. Steve smiles and shakes his head, and looks back at Jenny. Her expression radiated the affection Steve had only seen in the early stages of relationships or at boy band concerts. She's looking at Val like he's the most marvellous creature in the universe, and he supposes to Jenny he was in the top three. For a second, Steve feels that pang of jealousy, the one he tells everyone else and himself he doesn't have when it comes to this situation, but it's much more complicated than jealousy. He doesn't want Jenny back as his wife or romantic partner. He doesn't want her to endure those strained times again. Most of it was great, but when it was terrible. When the dark clouds came for her, Steve couldn't stop them no matter how hard he tried, but Val could and can, and Steve wondered what that must feel like. Not just to be like that for someone else but to have someone like that for yourself. He was jealous that no one looked at him that way and that he had no one to look at that way. He was just not jealous enough to make it a bitter taste in his mouth.

"STEVEN!" Val exclaims, taking off his chef hat and apron revealing his jet black slicked back hair that curled up at the nape of his neck, some very tight Levi jeans and Ralph Lauren polo shirt. He makes a beeline for Steve, gripping his shoulders and kissing him on each cheek, "Sit, sit! Steven, please." he gestures at a chair at the table, and Steve smiles and obliges. No matter how many times he told Val that Steve was fine, he persisted with Steven, he said it commanded more respect and it felt better in his mouth when he said it. Valentino was pretty much impossible to refuse unless, of course, you wanted to offend the man. Steve is so grateful for him, there were a billion frogs out there and Jenny most definitely landed a Prince, which wasn't just a bonus for her, but Steve too. He knew Valentino was great with the kids, and made Jenny so happy, which made everything so much easier. Val picks out a pile of dishes and deals them like playing cards around the table as Jenny sits in her usual seat at the head of the table.