We Meet Again, chapter 12
I had been pulled from my peaceful sleep the next morning when I felt someone crawl onto the bed. Thinking it was Billie Joe, I only slightly shifted my body and tried to go back to sleep.
"Becci?" I heard a child whisper.
My eyes snapped open and I slowly sat up. Jakob was sitting at the end of the bed.
"Oh, hey," I smiled at the young boy situated at my feet. "What's up?"
"I'm really sorry," he said and looked down.
I tilted my head to the side, "Why?"
He sighed and looked back up at me, "The snake..."
"You put the snake in the bed last night?"
"Well...no, Joey did. Daddy thought we were asleep, but we weren't. When Joey saw him carrying you upstairs he got mad and said that he had an idea," he took a shakey breath and continued. "Then he took Mick outta his tank and brought him upstairs."
I saw the guilty expression on his face and said, "Oh, Jake...don't worry. It's okay. It was kinda funny anyways."
"So you're not mad?"
"Of course not."
The young boy frowned again, "Joey doesn't like you."
I nodded slightly, "Yeah...I know."
"He's mad because mommy and daddy aren't married anymore," he said sadly.
"When my parents split up I was the same way."
His eyes widened, "Your mom and dad aren't married anymore either?"
I shook my head, "Nope."
When I was 12, my mom and dad got divorced. That's when we moved out here to Oakland. I met Billie 3 years later.
"Why not?" he asked curiously.
I swallowed a small lump in my throat, "Well, um...I don't know."
"Oh."
"Where's your dad?" I changed the subject.
"He had to go to work. He said to tell you that he'd be home later," he answered.
By 'work', I suspected he meant Adeline.
"Oh, okay," I nodded. "Do you and your brother wanna go out for lunch in a little while?"
The young boy nodded his head vigorously.
I smiled, "Okay. Why don't you go downstairs with your brother while I take a shower?"
"Okay."
Jakob walked out of the room, closing the door slowly behind him. I smiled to myself and walked into the bathroom.
***
"Come on, guys!" I called, while holding the car door open for Joey and Jakob.
They both crawled in and sat down on opposite sides of the back seat. I closed the back door and got in the front.
"Buckle up," I said after glancing back at the boys.
After hearing two clicks, I pulled out of the driveway.
"Becci...did you have sex with our dad?" Joey asked casually.
My eyes widened as I, out of pure shock, slammed my foot on the brakes. I heard a couple of groans from the back seat as the two boys jerked forward.
"Uh, sorry about that guys," I said quietly, not bothering to answer Joey. I took my foot off the break peddle and continued down the quiet street.
I was greatful for the silence that followed.
Until, "Did you?"
I closed my eyes in agony and breathed in, "N-nope."
Liar!, my mind screamed.
I quickly changed the subject for the second time that day, "So, uh...where do you guys wanna go eat?"
"Friendly's!" came the excited response from Jakob.
I smiled and nodded, "Friendly's it is! That okay with you, Joe?"
"Yup," he mumbled.
***
When me and the boys got home after lunch, Billie Joe and Adrienne were in the kitchen talking. They didn't even seem to notice me scoot by them and into the livingroom.
"If you move to Minnesota I am never going to see Joey and Jake," I heard Billie say.
"It's not like you were ever home to see 'em anyways," she shot back.
He pleaded, "Please, please just stay here in Cali."
Adrienne shook her head firmly, "No. We're leaving next Tuesday."
There was a long pause after that.
Finally, I heard Billie take a shakey breath, "Fine. Just go."
"Sorry, Billie Joe. I just can't stay here anymore...I don't want to. Anyway, I miss my family. I'll finally get to see them."
He closed his eyes and replied through gritted teeth, "Go."
I heard an irritated sigh as she turned around to get the boys. Her footsteps echoed through the kitchen as she left Billie Joe alone. I stood up and slowly walked over to him.
He was leaning on the counter with his head in his hands. I put my hand on his back, which caused him to jump up.
"Oh...hi," he sighed and gave me a weak smile.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
Before he could answer Adrienne walked into the room with both young boys following behind her. I nervously smiled at her, afraid if she hated me after the whole incident almost a month before. But to my surprise, she smiled back.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Billie said with so much hatred in his voice it scared me.
"You know what, Bill? It's shocking how anybody puts up with you," Adrienne shot back.
I timidly slipped out of the room. I could still here their angry voices from the living room.
"How the fuck am I supposed to act if you're taking my kids away from me? I won't ever see them, you don't seem to understand that. I need to be with them, Adrienne. I love them...even if I was never home a lot."
"Save it, Billie. We are leaving Tuesday. You can come see them whenever you want before that. Good-bye," she took Joey and Jakob by the hands and led them out the door.
***
Later that night, after I had taken a shower, I wandered into the living room of Billie Joe's house. He was sitting upright on the couch, asleep. His head hung down lazily. I couldn't stop myself from noticing how cute and innocent he looked.
Smiling to myself, I quietly turned around to leave the room.
"Adie's moving to Minnesota."
When I turned to face him again, he was looking up at me. I could see the heartache and stress from the divorce strewn across his face.
"I know. I heard you talking to her," I replied quietly.
I lowered myself on the couch next to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"It isn't fair. Now, I'll never get to see my kids. They're mine too, don't I have a right to see them?"
And with that, I felt his warm tears against the skin of my neck. Not knowing what to do or say, I rubbed his back soothingly and just let him cry.
"Becci?" I heard a child whisper.
My eyes snapped open and I slowly sat up. Jakob was sitting at the end of the bed.
"Oh, hey," I smiled at the young boy situated at my feet. "What's up?"
"I'm really sorry," he said and looked down.
I tilted my head to the side, "Why?"
He sighed and looked back up at me, "The snake..."
"You put the snake in the bed last night?"
"Well...no, Joey did. Daddy thought we were asleep, but we weren't. When Joey saw him carrying you upstairs he got mad and said that he had an idea," he took a shakey breath and continued. "Then he took Mick outta his tank and brought him upstairs."
I saw the guilty expression on his face and said, "Oh, Jake...don't worry. It's okay. It was kinda funny anyways."
"So you're not mad?"
"Of course not."
The young boy frowned again, "Joey doesn't like you."
I nodded slightly, "Yeah...I know."
"He's mad because mommy and daddy aren't married anymore," he said sadly.
"When my parents split up I was the same way."
His eyes widened, "Your mom and dad aren't married anymore either?"
I shook my head, "Nope."
When I was 12, my mom and dad got divorced. That's when we moved out here to Oakland. I met Billie 3 years later.
"Why not?" he asked curiously.
I swallowed a small lump in my throat, "Well, um...I don't know."
"Oh."
"Where's your dad?" I changed the subject.
"He had to go to work. He said to tell you that he'd be home later," he answered.
By 'work', I suspected he meant Adeline.
"Oh, okay," I nodded. "Do you and your brother wanna go out for lunch in a little while?"
The young boy nodded his head vigorously.
I smiled, "Okay. Why don't you go downstairs with your brother while I take a shower?"
"Okay."
Jakob walked out of the room, closing the door slowly behind him. I smiled to myself and walked into the bathroom.
***
"Come on, guys!" I called, while holding the car door open for Joey and Jakob.
They both crawled in and sat down on opposite sides of the back seat. I closed the back door and got in the front.
"Buckle up," I said after glancing back at the boys.
After hearing two clicks, I pulled out of the driveway.
"Becci...did you have sex with our dad?" Joey asked casually.
My eyes widened as I, out of pure shock, slammed my foot on the brakes. I heard a couple of groans from the back seat as the two boys jerked forward.
"Uh, sorry about that guys," I said quietly, not bothering to answer Joey. I took my foot off the break peddle and continued down the quiet street.
I was greatful for the silence that followed.
Until, "Did you?"
I closed my eyes in agony and breathed in, "N-nope."
Liar!, my mind screamed.
I quickly changed the subject for the second time that day, "So, uh...where do you guys wanna go eat?"
"Friendly's!" came the excited response from Jakob.
I smiled and nodded, "Friendly's it is! That okay with you, Joe?"
"Yup," he mumbled.
***
When me and the boys got home after lunch, Billie Joe and Adrienne were in the kitchen talking. They didn't even seem to notice me scoot by them and into the livingroom.
"If you move to Minnesota I am never going to see Joey and Jake," I heard Billie say.
"It's not like you were ever home to see 'em anyways," she shot back.
He pleaded, "Please, please just stay here in Cali."
Adrienne shook her head firmly, "No. We're leaving next Tuesday."
There was a long pause after that.
Finally, I heard Billie take a shakey breath, "Fine. Just go."
"Sorry, Billie Joe. I just can't stay here anymore...I don't want to. Anyway, I miss my family. I'll finally get to see them."
He closed his eyes and replied through gritted teeth, "Go."
I heard an irritated sigh as she turned around to get the boys. Her footsteps echoed through the kitchen as she left Billie Joe alone. I stood up and slowly walked over to him.
He was leaning on the counter with his head in his hands. I put my hand on his back, which caused him to jump up.
"Oh...hi," he sighed and gave me a weak smile.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
Before he could answer Adrienne walked into the room with both young boys following behind her. I nervously smiled at her, afraid if she hated me after the whole incident almost a month before. But to my surprise, she smiled back.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Billie said with so much hatred in his voice it scared me.
"You know what, Bill? It's shocking how anybody puts up with you," Adrienne shot back.
I timidly slipped out of the room. I could still here their angry voices from the living room.
"How the fuck am I supposed to act if you're taking my kids away from me? I won't ever see them, you don't seem to understand that. I need to be with them, Adrienne. I love them...even if I was never home a lot."
"Save it, Billie. We are leaving Tuesday. You can come see them whenever you want before that. Good-bye," she took Joey and Jakob by the hands and led them out the door.
***
Later that night, after I had taken a shower, I wandered into the living room of Billie Joe's house. He was sitting upright on the couch, asleep. His head hung down lazily. I couldn't stop myself from noticing how cute and innocent he looked.
Smiling to myself, I quietly turned around to leave the room.
"Adie's moving to Minnesota."
When I turned to face him again, he was looking up at me. I could see the heartache and stress from the divorce strewn across his face.
"I know. I heard you talking to her," I replied quietly.
I lowered myself on the couch next to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"It isn't fair. Now, I'll never get to see my kids. They're mine too, don't I have a right to see them?"
And with that, I felt his warm tears against the skin of my neck. Not knowing what to do or say, I rubbed his back soothingly and just let him cry.
