The Kids Grow Up by Trish Hanan (novel24 .TXT) 📖

when you come in later,” he said and she fumed.
“Fine, I’ll go with you but you’re going to owe me big time for this,” Violet snapped. He sighed.
“Fine, but don’t do me any favors, I’m not forcing you to go,” he said firmly and they walked over to his parents house barely talking. Once they got there though, she was all sweetness and nice, a completely different woman and he wondered if she didn’t think he wouldn’t notice the change and wonder about it. She was as fake as her boobs.
Then all of the kids arrived, all of them so tall and stunning, dressed up and the boys so handsome and the girls very beautiful and Violet felt like a shrimp standing next to them. She was only five foot four inches high and three inches higher in heels and Cassie and Emma were both five feet nine and both had the nerve to wear three inch heels making them six feet tall, they were outrageous. All of the men were six feet and taller and even Sissy was five seven and then had the nerve to wear two inch heels. Violet was the shortest person in the room and usually she felt petite and feminine but surrounded by these stunning creatures she just felt short.
“Violet, I love your suit; did you wear that to work today?” Cassie asked sweetly, scoring a point and Violet flushed, she should have changed her clothes, she thought but she smiled sweetly instead.
“Yes I did, Jake rushed me over here so fast I didn’t have time to change, he wanted to see his kids, you never come to the house and he misses you all so much,” she said and scored her own point. All the kids smiled but instantly felt guilty, they were over at Harry’s all the time but avoided Jake’s simply because they all hated Violet. Jackson served his sisters their drinks and everyone talked until Sissy declared dinner was served.
Seated at the dinner table Violet didn’t feel like such a shrimp and easily handled the conversation. They all talked about their stores and laughed and had a good time and then Jackson nudged his brother and Adam laughed and they all looked at him. He turned to look at his granddad who smiled at him.
“You would love this, Granddad,” he informed him. Dr. Jackson nodded. Adam continued. “Dr. George sent us all emails the other day inviting us to come down to the alterian hospital because he had told them about Dolphins and they wanted to see some for themselves.” Sissy gasped.
“You didn’t go down did you?” she asked him. Adam grinned.
“Why not, Harry went and Danny but Jackson, Sean and Ryan decided that three were enough and they didn’t go,” he told them. Dr. Jackson nodded and wagged his finger at him.
“Your father should have taken you boys to that hospital, that was wrong,” he declared. Jackson shook his head.
“Dad wanted to get a close look at Dr. Bentley and judge for himself how dangerous the man really was,” he informed them. Jake nodded. Violet giggled.
“I guess old Harry doesn’t trust the judgment of Dr. George and the others, I wonder why,” she cooed. All the kids smiled at them. Danny grinned and looked smug.
“Dad learned an interesting thing when they did the scan of him,” he told them. Violet sighed and sipped her wine.
“We’re really not interesting in what Harry learned Danny,” she said sweetly. Sissy shook her head and patted her grandson’s hand; he was seated at her right.
“Go on with your story, angel, I’d like to know what Harry learned,” she said and glared at Violet who sighed and sipped her wine again. Jake grinned and reached for his. Danny continued.
“When the doctors did their scan of Harry’s ovary they found out that his five eggs had grown back,” he informed them. The four Jacksons looked confused.
“Grown back, what the hell does that mean?” Dr. Jackson snapped. Jackson laughed and picked up his wine and sipped it.
“It means, Granddad, that Harry can have five more children, he’s not barren,” he told them. The two women gasped and Jake’s hand which had been reaching for his wine slipped and the glass tipped over the crashed into the butter dish and smashed spilling wine all over the tablecloth.
“Oh, shit, Mom, I’m sorry, your new tablecloth,” he apologized. She stood up and reached for the kitchen towel.
“Its okay, Son, just wipe it up,” she said. “Danny, get some club soda,” she instructed. Dr. Jackson’s face got red.
“Jake, you idiot boy, look at what you’ve done, you careless boy, you’ve ruined your mother’s best tablecloth, why don’t you watch what you’re doing?” he shouted. Cassie stood up.
“Don’t you call my father an idiot boy, you stupid old man, who the hell do you think you are?” she yelled to defend her father. Dr. Jackson stood up.
“Who the hell do you think you are calling me stupid, who invited you anyway, you’re not really my grandchild, you’re Harry’s and that bird women’s kid,” he yelled. Adam stood up.
“Don’t you dare talk to my twin sister like that, you stupid old man, she’s right you are stupid,” he yelled. Sissy sighed. Violet sipped her wine and giggled. This night was turning out to be fun after all, she loved it when the old man went crazy and he and the kids fought. Then she noticed that Danny was looking at her with this smug look on his face and wondered; what the hell did he have to look so smug about? She turned to her husband who was staring off into space and not joining in on the yelling like he usually did and thought, what the hell is wrong with him? But Sissy settled everyone down and they resumed their dinner and had dessert and everyone was fine.
“I have a headache, I’m taking an aspirin and sleeping in the spare room,” Jake announced as soon as they walked in the door. Violet was humming and very excited from the fight. She didn’t pay him any attention and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Let’s get in the hot tub, honey, and then smoke some grass and make love all night long,” she said and he pulled away from her and glared at her.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said, Violet, for God’s sake woman, I have a damned headache from all that shouting and yelling at my folks, I’m taking an aspirin and lying down,” he said firmly and walked towards the spare room. She looked amazed.
“But I’m horny, what am I supposed to do?” she called out. He turned around at the door.
“Use your vibrator, you’ve got several. Go see David and Gloria or call the Bird Cage and have them send over a stud. I’m your husband not a piece of meat,” he told her and walked in the room and closed the door and she heard the click of the lock.
“Go to hell, you son-of-a-bitch,” she yelled and threw her shoes at the door. He heard it and sighed.
“I’m already there,” Jake muttered and walked to the window and opened it. He sat on the chair and stared off into the night. Harry’s eggs came back, that was so wonderful he thought and he was so happy for him. He knew how empty the other man had felt when he couldn’t have anymore children and how useless he had felt for years. Now he could have children again so he must feel like a million bucks. Jake sighed and took off his clothes and sat on the bed and stared at the smiling face of Harry and his dogs.
“Oh, God, how did I fuck up my life so badly?” he asked himself and he knew exactly how it had happened. He had done it to himself and he had no one by himself to blame. It was his own fault. He had let himself be duped by Violet and her sweet smiles and her lies and followed her down the road to hell. Living with her was a hell he felt he deserved but he was going to get out of here soon, maybe by the end of the year. Her old house, the one she and Susie had lived in was empty and Jake thought that would do him just fine and it would be worth half of his sixty-four million dollars to get rid of her and she could keep the beach house, this house and the store if she wanted them. Just as long as he got that house and visitation with his dogs, that’s all he wanted. And a second chance with Harry if that was possible. If not, then he was going to look around for another man to love, fuck these women and their nasty lying selves, he was sick of women.
And Harry was going to have children with another man. That hurt so bad Jake felt his stomach tense and it actually ached. The thought of another man doing that with Harry; making love in that special way and Harry wrapping his arms around another man’s neck and whispering in his ears, “Give me a baby, I want a son.” Jake wanted to die; it hurt so badly. He touched his cheeks and felt moisture and realized that he was crying and wondered if this was how Harry had cried when he left him. Jake buried his face in the pillow and cried deep silent sobs so Violet couldn’t hear. Harry was going to have babies with some other man; it was almost too much to bear.

Summer ended and it was time for the harvest. Harry went to the orchard to pick fruit and was surprised to find alterians picking the fruit. His mothers and the others weren’t surprised. They told him about Max and Charles selling permits to pick fruit. Harry informed all the alterians they had to leave the orchard until the humans were finished and they all got angry but left. He marched to City Hall and yelled at Charles and Max.
“God damn-it, you’re not allowed to sell our fruit to the alterians, that’s our fruit and not theirs, who the hell do you think you are?” he shouted. Max shrugged.
“No one but a few pick that fruit and most of it rots on the ground, why shouldn’t we sell our share to the alterians and make a profit?” Charles informed him smugly. Harry sighed.
“Fine, they can pick it, but not until after we pick what we need first, no alterians until we leave the orchards and I mean it, if we see one alterian before we finish, I’m coming back here and shoving an apple right up both of your asses,” he declared and they both nodded. He marched out of City Hall and went back to the orchard. Jan laughed when he told them what he said.
Once all the food was harvested, Harry made all of his soups and sauces and things were settled in for the winter. He was in such a good mood he accepted Chan’s invitation to the Halloween party they were throwing at the Center and sewed himself a costume. Chan laughed when he saw Harry’s costume. He held the car door open and bowed.