The Couple

Chapter 9: Arrival

Celia

Rest of the week was spent in a daze, I met my parents the day after I had a day out with Jeanne. The

whole time mom was trying to convince me to think about my decision to move to some small town

again and we were having this talk for like 1000th time.

Dad was supportive as usual, he was calm and asking when I will be moving, where will I live, how far

the place I am staying is from Jeanne’s place and office and a lot more questions. I love it when we act

more like a normal family.

The stabbing eyes in my back left me after that day with Jeanne but I am still restless and won’t get

peace anymore. I still had my nights tossing and turning and waking up early.

Next day, I went to meet my high school friends, I was nervous after the incident with Trevor in the club.

I was almost canceling on my friends when I realized I won’t be meeting them anytime sooner, so its

better to go and face him.

Fortunately, he wasn’t there and then I got to know he and his friends weren’t informed about this small

informal class reunion but Madelaine was there, the cheerleader with whom he cheated on me. She is

still a bitch.

Even though she was there it was good catching up with those guys after all these years.

Rest of the week, I was either packing my stuff or getting some stuff for my shift. I didn’t get to talk to

Jeanne much since Greg didn’t let me. Once he almost hung up on me after telling how harmful I am

for J.

But he can’t avoid the fact that I am moving to his hometown with them and he can’t keep Jeanne away

from me always.

I will make his life hell there for sure. I thought and smiled.

I got some plans, I won’t ever leave Jeanne’s side. I regret now refusing to work in Dante

Constructions, it would have been easier for me to get on his nerves.

Soon, Saturday comes the day when we will start moving to Cooperstown. It is a 4 hour drive from

where we live, so we leave just after lunch.

We got a moving company to help us move our stuff since combining mine and Jeanne’s it was a lot to

take along with in our cars.

I am driving behind Greg and Jeanne and the movers truck is behind me, he didn’t even let her sit with

me. I won’t kidnap her since I am moving with these guys. But I snatched J from him when we stopped

by to eat something, obviously the devilish plan to eat was mine. ;)

As she sat in my car, she let out a huge sigh, I guess I did it right. It was a huge relief to her getting

away from him.

We talked about what happened rest of the week, I told her how Greg didn’t let me talk to her and it

turned out she knew all this time and didn’t want to have a fight with Greg since it would include talking

to him.

I was upset, she didn’t try to talk to me when I was putting in constant efforts but I understand and her

excuse is also good, so I didn’t say much.

She told me how angry Greg was that day and was scolding her for being naive. But after that day he

was calm, so she decided to give him a silent treatment for shouting at her. I know how stubborn she is

and how spoiled she is.

She told me since she is the youngest in her family, she took a lot advantage of it and got all wishes

fulfilled this way or other.

After a 4 hours tiring drive, we entered Cooperstown and headed to her family house. Since, I am not

starting till Monday and the apartment I will be using is provided by the company. So, right now I don’t

have a place to live and I am staying for a few days with J and her family, poor Greg. :P

Its a little bit cold here from New York, I don’t know if I will like it or not. But since I have never regretted

any decision of my life, I hope I won’t regret this one as well.

Although I love winters, but still it is getting me uncomfortable, I just made a prayer in my heart for a

happy and peaceful life here.

I have met her family already in winters, I came here for the interview in Fieldson Company and stayed

over for 2 days. I have already met everyone in her family except her brothers, Ethan and Christian.

As we pulled into her driveway, I saw Grandma Nicole, Grandpa Fred, Robert, Selena, Mary and her

brother. It was like everyone was waiting for us only. We exchanged greetings and I was introduced to

Ethan whom I missed last time due to some work. Greg left us after greetings to his home.

Something is weird, as her brother Ethan gave me a good stare of 2 minutes before smiling. He almost

bowed to me while we shaked hands. It was like he knew a secret and is jumping inside to let it out.

Strange, we're meeting for the first time.

As soon as we got in Jeanne started throwing tantrums to see her brother Christian who was not there

to welcome her. She is upset and everyone is trying to make it up to her but she won’t listen to anyone

until Ethan called Christian and made her talk to him.

He said he is busy and will be back by night falls. Ethan got our stuff from the truck. We ate our dinner,

when Ethan got up from his seat and announced Mary is pregnant. Everyone knew already, so the

announcement was for both of us only.

Jeanne was shouting, jumping and hugging Mary. She bent down and started talking to her stomach in

a childish voice. I am so excited, I will get to be around a baby all the time since I will be either here or

with Jeanne in my free time since I don’t have any friends here except her.

After dinner, Robert and Grandpa Fred went for their talk in some restricted room while Grandma

Nicole and Selena went for a walk outside after sitting with us for some time. We decided to watch a

comedy movie while waiting for her brother, Christian.

Then, I started talking to Mary about her pregnancy, I am excited as I have very little experience of

pregnant ladies or babies around me. I got to know there are still seven months for the baby to arrive

and they got to know just a week before.

We talked about her sour food and sweet food cravings at weird times like after midnight. And how her

morning sickness is having her annoyed. She is giving all her stress to Ethan and keeps him on his

toes which she is enjoying a lot.

I told her since my father is chef, I know how to make a lot of tasty dishes and she can disturb even

after midnight to cook for her. I am going ask dad for more recipes to practice and cook for Mary.

While Ethan is talking to Jeanne about everything, it was like two long lost siblings catching up. J is

already up with her demands and Ethan is teasing the hell out of her while agreeing to each of her

wishes. They remind me of the few times my aunt visited us and how my mother goes crazy with her.

I wish I had a sibling too.

Mary saw me watching them with teary eyes and told me how much Ethan loves his little sister. Robert

and Selena were planning Ethan’s siblings when Jeanne’s parents died in an accident and they

dropped that plan immediately. They brought up Jeanne and Christian as their own kids along Ethan.

I am feeling jealous of Jeanne and couldn’t handle it anymore, so I decided to call it a night. I headed to

the guest room when I saw someone entering from corner of my eyes.

I know it is her brother Christian from the sharp scream Jeanne gave out, I wanted to go and greet him

before heading back to room being polite. But I stopped midway and turned to my room. I can’t witness

those siblings love once more.

I took a long shower and went to my bed in my night clothes. I was thinking about how Jeanne must

have been brought up with so much love and two elder brothers around.

No wonder it took her a month to adjust in campus and get the fact in her head that things won’t always

happen her way and her throwing tantrums won’t make others mend their ways.

I laughed remembering one incident that happened in the early days. We went to a park when she

started throwing a tantrum to eat kebabs and there was no stall or restaurant selling kebabs, being a

gentleman John and Matt went 4 blocks away to get kebabs for her.

It took a lot of convincing and time to understand her, her brothers who took her wishes as their life’s

only missions are not here and rest will not allow her to throw such tantrums each time she wants

something.

My dad is a chef while mom is a lawyer. They were a high school couple who married in their early

twenties and gave birth to me after 5 whole years and that too when mom accidentally got pregnant

with me.

I remember my childhood how mommy never let any nanny stay for longer, she always fired them after

a period for any reason. Once she fired one for letting me sleep till noon saying she is spoiling me and

giving me a bad lifestyle while she fired another for being too strict with me when she made me follow a

strict routine.

I am thankful for the later one though.

I and Dad still have a good laugh at those memories, she couldn’t spend much time with me being a

lawyer she was always busy and was jealous of those whom she hired for spending time with me. She

changed uncountable nannies for me till I turned sixteen and was capable of taking care of myself.

It took a lot of convincing back then for not letting her hire another nanny for nothing more than 6

months. She even started coming home early but fell back into her usual routine when she saw I

became capable after all those years of her absence.

Thinking all this was so overwhelming for me that I ended up calling my parents, I knew they would be

awake, since it wasn’t too late but mom was startled by my call. I reported to them I am fine and my

whereabouts.

It sounded like they both were crying and dad accepted that mom is sitting with my childhood

photographs around her. We remembered the time how crazy she went when I declared I am moving

out. She used to make up fake stories of how single living girls were robbed or murdered until I moved

out.

She kept a key to my dorm but never used it, I know she did all of that out of her love. Maybe she ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

doesn’t know how to show it or take care of me as she is always awkward with kids but she loves me

and dad with her whole heart.

Talking to them did good to me, I was able to have a good sleep after this tiring day. I still wonder what

made me make the decision to move here.