Later on, we were back at the house with my mom and Caleb. I wasn’t sure how Jess felt but all I know is after everything we’ve done today I felt so at peace. I felt like I didn’t have a worry in the world and it was amazing to finally feel like that again. I’d told Jess to go shower and change into something comfortable since I had something else planned for us.
“So, Caleb,” I started once Jess was upstairs. “You should let me borrow your truck tonight.”
“Oh, should I?” he said with a smirk. “And why would I do something like that?”
“Because you love me and you’re supposed to do things for your younger adopted sister,” I said as I sat across from him at the kitchen table. Caleb sat back in his chair with a pondering look on his face. More to tease me than anything.
“All right, but it has to come back before morning,” he winked. Was he being serious right now. Did he actually make a suggestive comment with my mother in the room. Before I could do or say anything he threw his keys at me and left the house, leaving me with my mom and slightly red in the face.
“So,” Mom started, carrying a basket over to the table. “I just happened to ask Jessica what she likes to eat this morning while you were sleeping.” She sat the basket on the table in front of me and I looked inside to see that she had gone ahead and made a shit load of food for us.
“Oh, wow. Mom, you didn’t have to do that,” I said, genuinely shocked that she’d gone through the trouble. Honestly I just figured me and Jess could pick something up somewhere while we were out.
“Well, I wanted to,” she said, dismissing me with a wave. “Besides, I know that a simple apology doesn’t excuse what I’ve done. I’m going to do exactly as I told you and be supportive so you might as well let me do it.”
“Thanks, mom,” I smiled. I was becoming more and more convinced that my mom was truly sorry for how she’d been all these years. Of course it didn’t erase the things she did but I appreciated her effort more than she’d ever know.
Mom simply squeezed my shoulder and said she was going out to go see what dad was up to at the barn, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I decided to go see how much longer Jess would be since it was now going on five o’clock and I was in desperate need of the shower as well.
The house was quiet as I climbed the stairs, the slight creaking of the wood the only noticeable sound. As I walked down the hall toward me room though, I could suddenly hear Jess speaking in a hushed tone from the other side of the door. When I opened the door I saw her visibly jump at my appearance and quickly tell whoever was on the other end of the line that she had to go.
“You okay?” I asked, noticing her flushed appearance. She’d obviously just gotten out of the shower so it could have been from the hot water of course. There just seemed to be something, well, off about her expression.
“Yep, fine. I was just speaking to my mum,” she said. I knew she was lying obviously. We’d been together long enough that I could tell easily enough but I didn’t push it. If it was important enough for me to know then I suppose she’d tell me.
“Okay, well I’m just gonna go shower and then we’re going out,” I told her as I started stripping down on the way to the bathroom.
“Where are we going?”
“Well, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?” I said teasingly before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I laughed as I heard what sounded like a pillow hit the door as I shut it.
****
About an hour later, Jess and I were in Caleb’s truck heading down the dirt road toward our destination. We actually weren’t really going to be leaving the property tonight but I didn’t tell her that. There wasn’t much of anything said actually as Jess gripped my hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel.
