How to break a heart

Chapter nine

Rachel sits at the table staring at the menu. Garth does the same, trying to choose. Rose looks worried at her parents and then at Gerald.

"Where are your parents in the world?" Eileen asks Gerald and sits forward at the table, smiling at him.

"They live nearby," Gerald replies and look at the twins that quietly observe their surroundings. "My mother helps me a lot with the girls."

"You hear that, Rachel?" Eileen asks and glares at Rachel, who puts the menu down and rests her cheek against her fist. "His mother helps him with his girls. I hope you're not planning on trying to impress your daughter by helping with them. They already have someone."

Gerald looks confused at them and lean over to Rose. Her eyes grow hard on Eileen.

"What's going on?" He asks her. She looks at him and places her hand gently on his.

"What Eileen does best," Rose replies. "Attacking my mother when she gets jealous."

"You hear that, Garth?" Rachel asks and giggles. Garth raises an eyebrow at her, trying to keep a straight face. "You already have a babysitter. I don't have to help her look after you."

"I think it's the other way around," he mutters. Both burst out laughing. The other doesn't even get the joke, but obviously, these two are on another planet.

"Are you drunk?" Rose asks her parents with an odd look.

"Must be the air," Rachel giggles and uses her hand as a fan to cool herself off. "Probably a gas leak."

"We tripped the fire alarm earlier," Garth chuckles awkwardly. Rachel laughs and throws her hand out to him.

"That was you?" Rose asks, horrified. "What did you do?"

"So you two have been sitting here the whole time trying not to laugh over tripping the fire alarm?" Gerald asks and starts laughing. Rachel nods, trying to get her breath back. "No wonder they've been acting strange."

"It was an accident," Garth says and grabs Rachel's hand. "Your mother and I..."

"Garth!" Rachel jumps out of her seat to grab his mouth so he won't say anything, falling over her chair that met the ground first.

"Mom!" Rose shouts and jumps up to help her mother. Rachel is unable to move from laughing so hard. Garth claps his hands in laughter till the tears stream down his cheeks. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Rose goes down to her mother. She dries up her tears and looks at her daughter, unable to stop laughing.

"Are you high?" Rose asks, shocked. Rachel nods and grabs her hand. Gerald gets up and helps Rachel back up to her feet. "Let's go home."

"No, we haven't even ordered yet," Rachel giggles and looks at Garth. "Or had desert."

"Eileen, can you drive dad home?" Rose asks and shakes her head in disbelief. Eileen just stares at her and folds her arms. "What?"

"I'm not his uber," she replies. "And I'm not taking orders from my daughter."

Rose closes her eyes and inhales deeply, trying to calm down. Rachel hugs her daughter and lean in to her ear. She whispered something that made Rose look disgusted at her with her mouth wide open.

"Ew! Mom!" She grabs her mouth and looks over at Eileen. Upon that scene, she looks back at her mother and starts laughing. "I see what you mean."

Rose shakes her head and hugs her mother. Even if this woman makes her nervous sometimes, she still loves and cares about her. With a giggle, she looks at Gerald and smiles.

"How about we take this to my house?" She asks and looks at her father, who grabs a glass of water and takes a sip. "Daddy? Are you in?"

"Not yet, but if I am, your mother will know," he replies and gets up from his seat. Gerald laughs since he immediately gets the joke. The twins giggles underneath each other and get up from their seats as well.

"You are disgusting," Rachel giggles and grabs her handbag.

Rose takes a seat outside under the big tree with Gerald. The twins are playing with their dolls around them. Quietly, Eileen sits next to Garth, just staring in front of her. Garth looks at her and raises an eyebrow.

"Are you good?" He asks. She looks at him and holds out her hand.

"Give me the car keys," she says. He does as she says and watches her leave. His behavior with Rachel is probably bothering her. Well, it should. Rose sighs and looks at her dad.

"I told you this would cause trouble," Rose says to him. He nods in agreement and looks at her. "You and mom got too close. Tomorrow, she leaves, and you have to fix things with Eileen. It's not fair, dad."

"I know," he replies and gets up from his seat. "Just..."

He shakes his head and goes into the house. Rose sighs and sits back in her chair, looking at Gerald. He smiles at her and reaches out to touch her hand.

"Let them be. They're grownups, Rose. They can make their own decisions. You're not supposed to look after them, you know," he says to her. She nods slowly and smiles at him. "My wife committed suicide at that bridge where I found you. I always go there and that's how I found you. Let them go there. Hopefully, they will find what they're looking for."

"I didn't know your wife committed suicide. I'm so sorry," Rose whispers. He smiles at her and sits back in his chair, looking at his daughters.

Garth walks into the kitchen, finding Rachel there putting the muphin mix into the pan. He smiles and goes to her to see what she's doing.

"How are you feeling?" She asks and looks at him. He nods slowly and touches her back, standing closer.

"I'm almost back to normal. What about you?" He smiles. She nods her head with a giggle , takes the muphin pan, and puts it aside. She grabs the extra pan and spray it before she starts to fill it up.

"I'm almost finished," she says. Garth touches her sides and stands behind her. He kisses her neck and looks at what she's doing.

"I love it when you smell like food," he whispers. She breathes nervously and stands back against him. "I'd like to slip away with you later."

"Sounds like a plan to me," she giggles and opens the oven. She takes the pan and bends forward, pushing it in, deliberately pressing her butt against him. Garth grabs the other pan and gives it to her. She takes it and pushes it in.
When she came back up, she closed the oven and turned around to look at him.

"You have a lot of guts, Howard," she whispers and wraps her arms around his neck. "Your wife might step in here any minute."

"Don't worry. She left," he replies and folds his arms around her waist. "She's not impressed with us."

"Oh, I was too mean to her," Rachel sighs and touches his chest. "Soon, I'll be out of here, and you can learn to behave again. I promise."

"I don't want you to leave," he whispers and stands closer against her. She inhales deeply and looks over his face.

"Well, I can't always be the little bit of fun you seek when your marriage is boring," she replies and inhales deeply. "Garth, you're married."

"You are more than just my little bit of fun," he replies. "Gosh, I don't think I even know what fun is. You are so alive, wild, and sexy. I love how loose you are, Rachel. I love this version of you."

"Hmmm, the slutty version?" She teases.

"No," he chuckles. "You're not a slut, but if you are, you're mine."

She giggles and shakes her head. He spends a period of time and just stares at her. Rachel inhales deeply and hugs his neck, so relieved to be back in his arms.

"You're going to break my heart," she whispers and closes her eyes. He kisses her cheek and looks worried over her shoulder. "It's worth it."