Love Metamorphosis

Chapter 7

                  

Jemma had spent the rest of the week with the Chapman's. They went through the boxes of stuff that had been his before they had gotten a little house together. There had been an attic where he had left most of the 'manly' things he didn't want any more when they had moved in. He said he liked the things that she picked, and that since he didn't have any taste they should both agree that Jemma picked everything for the house.

Jemma liked decorating a place that would be theirs. She was sure it was what everyone called nesting. It was common for women to nest when they entered a new home and to do so with extra bedrooms for children. They had picked a four bedroom house with three upstairs and one downstairs, and a bathroom on both levels. The dining room was good sized but it was the kitchen that had sold her on the house. It was huge and perfect and red.

She always wanted a red kitchen because that had been the color her mother had painted the kitchen a year before she died. Her father had thought it was too gruesome a color for the kitchen and she just laughed at him. She bought a red and black polka dotted apron that hugged all her lovely curves and her father never said another thing about red being a gruesome color.

Everyone went from laughing to crying that it felt like a soap opera set; dramatic and surreal. Jemma waved to Mika and Roberto Chapman as they went through security. She didn't leave until they were out of sight. As they left another part of Jeff seemed to die inside of her. It was a scary feeling and she took careful, measured steps back toward her car. 

Oliver was bobbing his head to a song on the radio as she slid into the car, "Took them a bit to get through security, did I keep you waiting long?" She asked blankly.

"Half an hour or so. Nothing too damaging." Oliver said starting the rental car and turning back out into the street.

"When do you go back to work?" Jemma asked, glancing over at her brother.

"When do I ever stop?" Oliver said sending her a half smirk, "I am just temporarily relocating my office closer to you."

"What is it like staying with Alex?" Jemma couldn't help but smile; the boys hadn't spent the night under the same roof since Alex turned 18, 8 years ago.

"His house is big enough that we almost never see each other except in the kitchen," Oliver admitted.

"He have a girlfriend? He won't tell me about it." Jemma asked, they boys had always been close, and Jemma had always been closer to Oliver. They were like yin and yang. Jemma was focused and driven in learning while her brother had chosen a career where he didn't have a degree or a clue at first at 18. Two years later he started his own company and now 3 years later he had reached his first multi-million dollar profit.

She was proud of him, he had done very well for himself, but she wouldn't have been able to do the same. Jemma had wanted to make a difference in the world, and doing Child Phycology was the logical step. She had always had an affinity for children and understanding them. She had spent most of her 20's going to school, and finished just before she turned 27 with a Ph.D. They had planned their wedding the summer after she graduated. Now she wished they wouldn't have waited.

"He is dating his job right now; I don't think he will settle down for some time." Oliver admitted half focused on the conversation and half focused on driving.

"Are you still with that girl from that law firm?" Jemma pushed, he hadn't talked about himself much and Jemma didn't want to think about herself. That also led to tears. She was just a blubbering whale over everything.

"Yeah," Oliver answered, with a smile that told her everything, "I think you would like her, Andrea is really spunky. She knew who I was, and blew me off the first time I offered to buy her a drink."

"The charming Oliver Turner turned down so easily? Of course I like her already!" Jemma agreed, laughing despite herself.

"She was amazing, with a tongue like a razors edge," Oliver admitted, "Stopped me in my tracks."

"I hope to meet her. Perhaps I can come visit you after this." Jemma offered, she really did want to meet this girl that her brother obviously loved.

"I would love that, but didn't you decide to go on your trip with Candice?" Oliver gave her a worried sideways glance.

Candice was her best friend; she was an arbitrator for big companies. She had gotten in a bit of trouble and decided that the community service was better than jail time. She had to do 400 hours of custody arbitrations, which is how they had met. She was currently in South Africa doing a closed door arbitration. It should have ended weeks ago but when it was going to run into the wedding she called and said she was on the first flight back and would arrive on noon on the day of her wedding.

A woman had a hemorrhage on the plane and they had to land in small country in Northern Africa. The airplane had been confiscated and they had to be bussed back into a country that allowed international flights. Jemma had just been glad she was safe. That was about 2 hours before Jeff was in the accident. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Her flight gets in on Saturday and we will leave on Monday. She said she was already packed to travel she just needed to get a Bottle of Jack and do laundry. Plus she agreed she needed a vacation after this last trip," Jemma explained, while inside she really wanted to see her friend, "I would love to visit after."

"You are welcome to visit me anytime." Oliver answered, obviously put a little at ease and oddly so was she.