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

was going to be the bash of the year and she was very excited. She rushed home from work and took a shower, shaving every part of her body that had to be shaved and put on a slinky dress. She laid out a tux for her husband and waited patiently for him to come home.
Jake had plans for his Friday night also. He and his Dad had a big fight about Dr. Jackson firing his assistant for the fifth time and this time the man was refusing to come back no matter how much money Jake threw at him. So Jake wanted nothing more than a cold beer, a hot pizza and his football game. He stopped at the liquor store and bought a six-pack of beer and the Pizza Hut which was now run by some alterians and bought a large with everything and drove home, happy as can be. His wife took one look at the pizza and the brown bag and screamed.
“God damn-it, Jake, you forgot about the party didn’t you?” Violet screeched as he set the pizza down on the table and put the beer in the fridge. He looked confused.
“What party, oh, don’t tell me we have another damned party to go to?” he said and she tapped her heels on the kitchen floor. She nodded.
“Yes we do, now I lain out your tux, hurry up and get ready, we want to get there before Gloria gets there,” she gushed and Jake frowned.
“This is a party for Gloria, didn’t we already have a party for Gloria?” he asked suspiciously. She laughed.
“What’s the big deal, David is throwing this one at the Bird Cage, they’ve closed the whole place down just for us and everyone will be there and they’ll be lots of go-go boys and drinks and dancing just for us, won’t that be fun,” Violet’s eyes were all gleaming. He shook his head and headed for the bathroom and started to get undressed. She laughed thinking that he was going along with her plan. When he stepped into jeans and pulled on an old sweat shirt she got worried.
“What the hell are you putting that old stuff on for, Jake, I swear if you don’t put your tux on right now, I’m leaving without you,” she yelled. He grinned and reached for his slippers.
“Good, go without me, I’m staying here with my pizza and my beer and I’m watching the football game on my view-screen and that’s final,” Jake declared and she screamed.
“God-damned you, Jake Jackson, I don’t know why Harry put up with you for ninety-three years if this is the way you behaved! God knows why I put up with you,” she shouted. He grinned and walked into the kitchen. She stomped after him. He got out a beer and opened it and took the pizza box into the other room and sat in his chair and turned on the view-screen and put on the game. She stared at him for the longest time and he ignored her so she turned around and slammed the door on her way out. He heard the car drive away and laughed.
“Maybe after the New Year, sugar, you won’t have to put up with me any longer,” he declared to the empty room and laughed. He took a big bite of pizza and settled in to watch the game.
Across town his kids decided that Adam’s plan was their only solution so they got into two cars and raced over to Jake and Violet’s house to kidnap their dad.
“What will we do if Violet’s home?” Cassie asked. Sean snorted.
“You and Emma can sit on the bitch,” he told her. She grinned, she liked that idea. They pulled to a stop in the driveway.
“Her car isn’t her, she’s not home. Emma frowned and looked disappointed.
“Let me do the talking, Emma, don’t blurt things out like you tend to do,” Jackson warned her. She glared at him.
“I won’t don’t worry,” she said sweetly.
Jake was on his third slice was the doorbell rang. He frowned and was going to ignore it when it kept ringing and with a sigh he got up and opened the door. With surprise all of his kids marched in the room.
“Kids, this is a wonderful surprise, do you want some pizza, I’m watching the game, we can all watch it,” he said cheerfully. They all looked serious and he was suddenly afraid. Emma spoke suddenly.
“Dad’s getting married,” she said and Jake felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He gasped and almost fell to the floor and would have if Jackson and Adam hadn’t reached out and caught him. They helped him to his chair. He looked at all of them with disbelief.
“Harry’s getting married?” he asked weakly. Emma nodded but the others shook their heads. Jackson sighed and looked at his twin.
“Emma, I thought I told you not to blurt it out like that,” he said with aspiration. “Besides it’s not true,” he stated. Jake saw red and he jumped out of his chair and waved his finger at his daughter.
“Emma Rose, how could you say that to me, you scared me half-to-death. I ought to put you over my knee and spank you,” he shouted. Cassie giggled but Emma just shrugged.
“It could be true after this weekend, Chan did buy an engagement ring and he’s going to give it to dad this week,” she informed him. Jake felt his knees go weak again and had to sit down. He looked at all of his kids.
“Chan bought an engagement ring for Harry?” he asked and they all nodded. He felt sick to his stomach. Jackson knelt down beside him.
“Jake, do you still love Harry?” he asked him firmly. Jake nodded.
“Do you love Violet and want to stay married to her?” Jackson then asked. Jake shook his head.
“I haven’t loved Violet for twenty years or more,” he confessed. All of his kids wanted to hit him.
“Then why do you stayed married to her?” Danny demanded. Jake shrugged.
“Harry was in Mykonos and I guessed I felt I deserved living in this hell for what I did to him,” he told them. They all sighed and felt sorry for him. Danny knelt on his other side.
“Harry’s leaving for Mykonos on Sunday, Jake, you’ve got to go to him tonight and beg him to forgive you and ask him to let you come home. I know he still loves you and I know he will but this is your last chance. Once he comes back from Mykonos he’ll be over you and it’s going to be a lot harder for you to win him back,” he explained. Jake shook his head.
“I don’t deserve him back,” he said. Jackson shook his head.
“Yes, you do, Dad, you and dad belong together, you both love each other and true love belongs together. Now, stop being a coward and go fight for the man you love,” he shouted the last part and Jake finally got that this was his last chance. He jumped to his feet.
“You’re right, Harry and I belong together, we always have, that was no God-damned static electricity, that was love at first sight,” he shouted and they all cheered. Jake raced to the door but Adam blocked it. Jake looked confused. Emma took his hand.
“Don’t you think you ought to change your clothes and put on some shoes first, Jake, you look like shit,” she declared and everyone laughed. They led him to the bedroom where they saw his tux laid out.
“Were you going somewhere tonight?” Sean asked and Jake snorted.
“Another one of David and Gloria’s boring as shit sex parties,” he told them. They all laughing knowing and he gave them strange looks. Emma grinned.
“We’re all big boys and girls, we’ve been to her parties and you’re right, after the first one or two, they tend to get boring,” she stated and they all laughed. They thought it odd that most of his clothes were in the other bedroom but no one commented on it. They led him out to the car and rushed over to Harry’s. He was really nervous as he walked up the familiar porch.
“Are you kids really sure about this, I mean, what if he says no, I’m going to look foolish,” Jake stammered. Jackson patted his shoulder.
“You won’t look foolish, Jake, you’re going to be fine,” he assured him. They led him into the house and they could hear water running in the kitchen.
“Dad, are you in the kitchen?” Jackson called out.
“Yeah, I’m in here, come on in, don’t mind the mess, I’m cleaning out the fridge,” Harry called out. He was standing at the sink washing out some bowls. He heard the sound of many feet and wondered who was with Jackson.
“I’ve brought you a visitor,” Jackson said. Harry sighed.
“Oh, Jackson, I wished you would have called first, my feet are bare and my hair looks a mess, I’m,” he said and turned around to see Jake standing there surrounding by all of their children. “Jake, I didn’t, I mean, hello, how are you?” Harry asked as politely as he could with his heart racing a million miles an hour. All of his kids were wearing strange hopeful smiles. Jake stepped forward and gave him a tentative smile.
“Hi, Harry, babe, you look great to me, your hair looks fine,” he said and Harry’s hand went up to his hair which he knew must be all sweaty and messy. For some reason he felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Jake Jackson was in his kitchen.
“What are you doing here, Jake?” he asked softly instead. Jake nodded.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m sorry, Harry, for everything that I said the last time we were together here,” he said and Harry nodded. Jake continued.
“You were right, Harry, Violet never loved me, she was only playing a trick on me; she wanted to take me away from you to hurt you, to get revenge on you for not marrying her years ago. She never ever intended to have children with me, she just used me to get back at you and I was stupid enough to fall for it,” he said. Harry didn’t say anything he just nodded. Then Jake continued.
“I was wrong, Harry, what I did to you was wrong,” he said firmly. “I could see that you were unhappy and bored just like I was unhappy and bored years ago when you helped me become a Veterinarian and made up that study program for me. I should have done the same thing for you but I was always used to you being the strong one that when you weren’t strong I didn’t know what to do and I fell apart and let you fall apart and that was wrong,” he explained. “I’m so sorry, Harry, please forgive me. If you give me another chance I’d do anything in the world to make it up to you if you would just let me come home. I want to come home, Harry, I still love you so much and I need you so much, please, Harry, let me come home.”
“You’d do anything