A Masterpiece Gone

Chapter Two

"But I wanna come!" Skyler whined, a little less patient this time as he stomped his green Nike sneaker against the blue marble tile of Jessie's foyer. Crossing his arms, he gave Jenny a death stare with such piercing blue eyes; it was so adorable that both Jessie and Jenny had to work extra hard to contain their laughter.

His two-year-old sister, Vienna, simply continued to toddle in circles with her brown pigtails bouncing by Jessie's feet oblivious to the lunch outing that she, too, was not invited to going. Jenny cleared her throat a bit before challenging Skyler with a Mommy-means-business stare. "Skyler Blake Ahmeti, I am just spending some alone time with Auntie Jess because we are leaving tomorrow to go back home," she told him seriously, ensuring eye contact. "Tonight all of us are going to spend so much time together, okay?"

Out of disgust, Skyler pouted as he looked down at the floor. "I wanna go out," he muttered to the floor as he grabbed hold of his dark blue jeans.

"Come give kisses and we will see you later," Jenny stated softly.

Immediately recognizing the word command "give kisses," Vienna hugged Jessie's right leg as she flashed her a million dollar smile beginning to pucker her lips. Jessie scooped up Vienna kissing her left rosy, chubby cheek.

"No!" Skyler nearly yelled as he threw himself to the floor in front of the wooden white stairs.

Jenny rolled her eyes and turned to Jessie. "Let's just get going," she told her and walked a few steps forward towards the kitchen. "Babe! Come collect Skyler over here. I don't want to miss our reservation!"

"In a second, Jen!" Jake's voice instantly returned.

Jenny flashed an observing Vienna a big smile before reaching out her arms to her to get one last hug. Jake's tall, tan physique began to make its way to the foyer as Jessie placed Vienna back on the floor. "He's being so cranky today," Jenny declared to Jake in annoyance as she swung her handbag over her shoulder. "See if you can get him to take a nap after you guys all have lunch."

At the mention of "nap," Skyler began to whinge from the floor kicking his feet. "I don't need a nap!" he cried.

"Bud, let's get up from the floor and go eat," Jake said as he stepped in front of his son's crouched position, his big blue eyes soft but demanding. "If this doesn't stop, you're going to have to go to bed even earlier than Vienna."

Skyler let out one last quiet moan before slowly resuming a standing position. "Now come say goodbye nicely to Mommy and Auntie Jess," Jenny demanded softly.

While Jake reached for Vienna's hand, Skyler made his way over to Jenny first for a quick hug before reaching Jessie. Jessie loved how much Skyler resembled his dad save his dad's curly blonde hair while Vienna was an absolute mini-me of Jenny and her entire look. Jessie sighed in sadness as she could not believe the five days they spent here went by too quickly.

After one last quick wave from everybody, Jessie led Jenny out her Spanish adobe-like front door. "I wouldn't have minded if we took the kids," Jessie told Jenny as she made sure the door was locked.

"Well, I minded," she replied with a knowing grin. "This whole visit we haven't had you and me time and besides, I don't have to watch my mouth with no kids around."

Jessie could not help but laugh as Jenny had never changed in the years that she knew her. In spite of her rough exterior, Jenny was quite the compassionate, caring type having taken good care of Jessie in the brief time she lived in New York a few years back. "Good, my driver is pulling up closer," she announced as the familiar Escalade made its way as close to the few front steps as possible.