Jackie Jones and the Boys Next Door(COMPLETE)

Chapter 29: Is Steve Not A Douche???

In the morning I wake and am shocked I still feel the same way about my mother as I watch her sleep. Sometimes we will get close and then I push her away. I'm going to try my hardest not to do that to her or myself anymore. That was a promise I made her last night. Despite my anger I have missed her. I sit up when I hear my phone buzz with a new text.

Jonas: I'm so worried. We need to talk.

Me: I'm really truly okay. No need to worry I'm with my mom in Dana Point. We're staying for a few days. 

Jonas: Call me when you get a second.

I can't bring myself to call him. I need this time to myself with my mom. My mom yawns and stretches and I smile down at her.

"Morning." I beam excited she's up.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?" She rubs her eyes and yawns again.

"Really good."

"Maybe we should move to a nicer hotel." She rolls her eyes. "This bed is like....lumber."

"Let's go to Grandmother's!" I beam with excitement.

"It is vacant right now. You know I haven't been in there since she died." My mom says with a distant look in her eyes. "It's hard for me to even imagine being there without them."

I study her sad face and then she smiles and looks up to me before sitting up. "Okay, let's go there. It will be good for us both."

We shower and get ready. All I brought was pajamas and sweats so mom insists on taking me shopping while we're here. It's her favorite past time so she is loving the excuse. We shop all day before heading to my grandparents house in Laguna. When we drive up my heart races because it looks exactly the same. We used to spend summers here. The driveway is still lined with bricks and the little brick wall that goes around the front porch is still intact. The house is white with bright, cheerful turquoise paint on the garage and the trim. It's like something out of a story book. The little brick courtyard is filled with beautiful bright flowers in white pots. It feels like a magical garden that my Granfather would spend hours a day on. His pride and joy.

"Mom, the gardeners are doing such an amazing job keeping it up." I stop and look at the little pink bird feeder June and I painted with our grandfather. I close my eyes and hear her laugh when Grandfather grimaced at the color we chose.

"Pink makes everything better Grandfather." She said with her big brown eyes filled with excitement.

"If you say so June Bug. I was imagining we would paint it just like the house." Grandfather said.

"Birds like pink." We both shouted before laughing at our grandfather's adorable face. He hugged us both before continuing watering his plants. My heart smiles at the memory and my eyes fill with tears. Both are gone. My grandfather died two months before June Bug and my grandmother fell very ill shortly after. She died only two weeks after June Bug so it was all just a really dark time for us. It's almost like they all left the same day.

My mom puts the key in and she walks through first. Family pictures I haven't seen in years are still up on the walls. My mom as a beauty queen with a sash around her immaculate figure and a crown on her head. She was stunning and tall. Why did I end up so short? She's 5'9" and so was June. I'm 5'4" on a tall day. I literally got the short end of the stick with maybe even bigger boobs then the both of them. Life is cruel.

All the furniture is the same. The living room is huge with a giant window that over looks the beach that is mere steps away. There is a door off to the side of the living room that leads out to the beautiful deck with a built in fire pit and gorgeous patio furniture that looks out to the pacific ocean. There can't be many better views than this. I walk right out and plop on a chaise lounge and close my eyes. I have missed this place immensely.