Suck It And See | A. Turner

[Chapter 16]

It was a few hours before the snow had stopped, but the time it did was dark out. Rose's father had come to pick her up, while the kids opted to stay in for the evening. Jade found a couple of those frozen pizzas Jason had bought a while ago, but never bothered to make. Jade figured since he weren't here, he wouldn't mind.

While Jade was in the kitchen, Matt, Andy, and Jack were in the sitting room, going through the Carswell family's extensive DVD collection. Alex meanwhile was in the hall that connected the two rooms, looking over all the old pictures on the walls. Many of them were older family portraits, Jade when she was younger with her frizzy brown hair and round, chubby cheeks. He noticed how she used to have crooked teeth, as oppose to the perfect pearly whites she had now. In one old picture, he could easily recognize the three children with an older woman, Ruth Carswell. She was a gorgeous woman, Jade clearly having taken after her in the gene pool; what with her long brown hair, olive skin, and dark brown eyes. Her smile was gorgeous and warm, iridescent of sunny days and happier times. Jade especially looked so happy, standing next to her mum in matching floral sundresses. She couldn't have been older than Jack in that photo.

Without realizing, Jade had come up next to him, staring at the picture that served as more of a ghost from her past. She remembered the moment that photo was taken as though it were yesterday; a summer vacation when her parents had taken the children to Disney Land in California. To Jade's chagrin, it dawned on her that that was the first and last time the family had traveled together outside of the country.

"Better times," she said quietly. Alex couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the beautiful woman in the photo.

"She's lovely," he said, "You look just like her,"

"Yeah," she chuckled with blithe, "You should see her back in the 80s. Proper pageant queen, she were,"

"No kidding," Alex turned to look at her, taking in the natural beauty of Ruth that Jade had well inherited.

"Mhm," she nodded, "My dad always used to joke that it were pure dumb luck that she chose to marry him. God only knows why she did," The were an air of sadness in her voice as Jade looked at the picture again. It was hard to picture that beautiful woman in the frame as the same woman who was laid up in a hospital bed.

"Well, good fing yeh didn't get yehr looks from yehr dad," he said.

Jade chuckled back, "Oh, please," she whined back, "Pizza is prolly' ready by now," and just like that, she instantly changed the subject. She disappeared into the kitchen again, calling for the others to 'come and get it'.

Alex stood fast as the others dashed past him, with only Matt stopping when he noticed his frozen stance, "Wha's up?" he asked.

"Nofin," Alex shook his head, "Jade's mum his a real stunner," he pointed to one of the old photographs, to which Matt couldn't help but gawk at.

"No shit," he gaped, "But -- erm..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Do yeh fink 'er... erm... yeh know," he raised his hands and curled his fingers inward to his chest, "Tits... will grow to tha' size?" he said quietly.

Alex glowered at him and smacked his arm, "Fook off, Matt!" he snapped at him, "Don't let Jade 'ear tha, or she'll beat yeh up, next!"

➿➿➿

The kids enjoyed what was at most hard, crunchy pizza that lacked in flavour and made up in strange textures. They sat in the sitting room while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, empty plates and pop cans discarded on the table and floor as the children were sprawled out. Matt and Jack were lying down on the blow up mattress, sleeping bags and all, Andy was sitting sideways in the arm chair, and Jade and Alex were cooped up together on the couch.