The Funeral - A Short Story

Jesse walked up the steps to the funeral home with her husband Kyle, brother, and father. They were there to view her mother laid out in the casket. Jesse was also three days from her due date of giving birth to her first child.

In addition, over the past couple of days, she has felt some cramping and contractions. However, she didn’t say anything to her father. He had enough to deal with on this day.

After the family approved the arrangements, the doors were opened for family and friends to pay their respects. Jesse wandered around, greeting old friends and being hugged to death by family. Of course, everyone wanted to feel her pregnant belly.

Wherever Jesse went, the funeral directors wife was not far behind. Jesse was amused by this. She figured that they might view giving birth in a place of death would not be very lucky for either party.

For most of the evening, Kyle had parked himself in a chair and didn’t seem very concerned about his wife. At one point, Jesse turned around and almost stepped on Kyle, he’d snuck up behind her. Jesse moved away from him to greet other friends and Kyle followed. She couldn’t figure out why all the sudden he was her shadow.

When Jesse looked around, she saw her brother talking with Jon. Jesse froze. Her heart quickened and she was very nervous. Jon made sure to stay away from Jesse but his eyes didn’t leave her while he was talking to her brother.

Jesse didn’t see anyone there with Jon. He came alone. Jesse knew he’d gotten married and had a little boy. She also knew things weren’t good between he and his wife. But with Kyle hovering around her, there was no way Jesse would be able to get a private word in with Jon.

Just knowing he cared enough about her mother to stop by made Jesse happy.

The Wedding - A Short Story

The many months of preparations were about to pay off. All the phone calls and meetings with the planners, photographers, and florists were coming together to make a beautiful wedding for Jesse and Kyle.

Jesse was standing in her dining room watching her mother pin a corsage on her fathers’ lapel. The photographer snapped the picture for posterity and the wedding album. Her mother beamed at her father, the love shining on their faces. Exactly what Jesse was hoping for in her marriage today. Once all the pictures were taken, Cassie helped Jesse in the van that would take them to the church.

At the church, with Cassie’s help again, Jesse exited the van and stood on the sidewalk, shaking out her dress. Cassie draped the train over Jesse’s arm and handed her the flowers to carry.

Jesse took a minute to look around the neighborhood. She was standing outside the small church where she was baptized. On the other side of the street stood the house where Jon had grown up and his parents still lived. Jesse stared at the house, almost wishing that Jon was there, watching her, waiting to see her and hoping he would come and proclaim his love for her.

The house looked empty. Jesse took a deep breath and went up the steps to the church. She walked toward her future, her lifetime of happiness.  But at the same time walking away from a past love, one that might have been the greatest love of her life.

Once inside and on Uncle Don’s arm walking down the aisle, Jesse forgot about Jon. She walked with her head up and smiling toward Kyle, her soon to be husband.

It was a lovely uninterrupted ceremony, meant to join two people together for life.

Imaginings

This is a continuation of a story I wrote here.

Jesse was cleaning out her closet and at the back; she found an old notebook from high school. Wow, she thought, I can’t believe I still have this. It’s been about 20 years since high school.

She flipped it open to see what was in it and found where she’d been practicing her name as if she was married to Jon, her old boyfriend. Jesse’s mind drifted back to one day in Algebra class.

Mr. and Mrs. Jon Malone

Mrs. Jon Malone

Mrs. Jesse Trioli-Malone

Mrs. Jesse Malone

While doodling in her notebook, Jesse was imagining what it would be like to be married to Jon. They were so in love. Every high school girl with a steady boyfriend had pages in their notebooks like the one Jesse was doodling.

Jesse missed him when they weren’t together. She wished every day could be like this past Saturday.

They had gone over Brittany’s house to hang out with friends for the afternoon. Jesse and Jon curled up together on one couch, Brittany and Matt on the other, with their other friends hanging around as well. They just hung out together, listening to music and being silly. There was, of course, plenty of making-out, also.

Eventually, Brittany’s parents had come home and Jon had to go to work. He dropped Jesse off at home and they took a very long time saying good-bye. Jesse knew that Jon would call her when he finished work that night and they’d spend hours chatting about everything and anything.

Jesse closed the notebook and dug back into the closet. But she was still thinking about Jon and their times together. Jesse was amazed at how much she had dreamed about being with Jon for the rest of their lives; how sure she'd been that it would happen.

She had dreamed they would go to college together and spend all their time together on campus. When college was over, they’d move to the city, get a place together and live happily ever after. They'd come back for visits to their families, spending the holidays with them and go back to their place in the city where they were happiest. Life would be perfect.

But that was not to be. Jesse broke up with Jon in his senior year. It was devastating to both of them. So why did it happen? Because Jesse was immature and was being wooed by another guy. The new guy convinced her that Jon was wrong for her, that he was a better person and could have more to offer. And she fell for him, hard. She was infatuated with him and all that he was.

Jon graduated from high school and went to college. Jesse was a senior and thought she was in love with her new guy, Kyle. That relationship was not smooth sailing. There was fighting from the beginning. And manipulation, and lies on his part. Yet, he still managed to convince Jesse that she would never do any better than him.

Jesse stayed locally for college so she could be with Kyle. They eventually married and after many unhappy years, divorced.

Jesse, while battered and bruised mentally, was glad to be moving on and was looking forward to enjoying her life, free of the misery of Kyle. She actually was packing up the house where they'd tried to make a happy home and was moving into an apartment where she knew she would heal.

A few years pass, with Jesse getting her life on track but not finding that someone special with whom to spend her life. That's when she ran into Jon at a local restaurant. He saw her enter but she didn't see him. When Jon finished his meal, he came over to say hello. Jesse's heart beat picked up and her stomach felt like it had butterflies inside. The hug they shared was like home; Jesse felt like she fit in his arms.

They chatted for a few minutes then Jon had to leave. Jesse suggested they get together while he was in town. No definite plans, but when Jesse checked Facebook that night, there was a message from Jon asking for her phone number and suggesting a couple of days to get together. Of course, Jesse responded.

The next week finds Jon at Jesse's house with a glass of wine watching the sunset with Jesse. They spent the evening catching up on everything they had missed during their years apart. They compared divorce stories, kids, jobs, and future plans. Jon was living in another state with his girlfriend; he was in town for a couple more weeks to finalize his move.

They remembered the good and bad times of high school. Jon told Jesse how badly she broke his heart by breaking up with him. Jesse said she was really sorry. They moved on to being friends. While Jon was still in town, they would text and flirt. They even got together a couple more times for old times sake.

Jesse, even knowing that Jon had a girlfriend and was leaving, couldn't help but imagine how life could be if he were to stay with her. She imagined the two of them living happily together in her apartment, raising their kids together, and growing old together. She never let Jon know that she thought more of him than a friend. He was in love with his girlfriend and was moving across country to be with her. Jesse would not be responsible for breaking up a relationship due to her imagination.

Their time together ended, Jon moved away but they still kept in touch occasionally through text messaging and emails. One day, Jon called Jesse. Jesse was a little concerned when she saw who was on the caller ID but happy that he was calling. Jon was very upset because his girlfriend was critically ill and not expected to live. Jesse listened and tried to calm and comfort him. By the time they were done talking, Jon seemed calmer and a little more focused.

Every day after that, Jesse would either call or text Jon to see how he was doing. If too many days went by without hearing from him, she'd get worried. Time went by, Jon started living life again as best he could. Jesse and Jon were talking every day for hours, chatting about life, sharing memories of the past and flirting a little bit. All this time, Jesse was feeling the return of the feelings from high school. She tried to ignore them but at the same time, she couldn't help but imagine, again, how life could be with him. How happy they could be and that it was finally the time for them to be together as a couple. Part of her knew this was not to be, there were too many complications to overcome. The distance, Jesse's family and her ex, Jon's commitment to his girlfriend and so much more.

Jesse decided that she would just have to find a way to put her feelings aside, stop imagining a future that possibly was not to be, and start thinking of Jon as just a friend. She would have to stop the flirting and just be there for him as his friend. As hard as this was going to be, she would rather have him in her life as a friend than not at all.  Only time would tell if Jesse could do it.

Remembered Love

Jess sat on the beach, baking in the sun. She watched the waves roll into each other and eventually the sandy beach. Wave watching was soothing and it didn’t take long for her mind to empty of daily worries. No worrying today about the kids, the house, money, or her job. She was just relaxing on the beach with the sound of the waves and the occasional seagull. Instead she let her mind wander to her first love, Jon.

They had been in love during high school, dating for about 2 years. Different memories flashed through Jess’s mind. Most brought a smile to her face but there were some that brought a frown.

Jess remembered the day Jon walked her to homeroom (he did that every day but still) and kissed her good bye right in front of the teacher. And what a mean teacher she was! She gave them both detention, not that either of them served the time.

She remembered sitting in science class, paying more attention to watching the back room where Jon might be working on an experiment for another teacher. Jess remembered how her heart would race and her whole body would tingle when she saw him. God, she missed that feeling!

The time they went to the Candy Stripers Ball with her best friend Cassie and her boyfriend. They were all dressed up, with great friends, loud music and the perfect excuse to be in each others arms. Fast or slow songs, it didn’t matter, they were together.

Jess could skip around in her mind to all the different Friday and Saturday nights spent at one house or another. She thought about all the make-out sessions in the hallway with his mom sitting in the driveway waiting for them to get finished saying good bye. Hours later would find them on the phone missing each other. They shared all their thoughts, dreams and hopes for the future until one or both fell asleep.

Then Jon got his license, a car and a job to support the car. This changed things between Jess and Jon. Because of his job, there wasn’t as much time for him to spend with Jess. Jess didn’t mind too much, she just missed him. They did spend as much time as possible with each other in school and out.

They were in Drama Club together and worked backstage to help put on the plays. Jess remembered hiding in the catacombs of the theatre, making out with Jon during practice and the actual plays.

They were young and inexperienced in sex. They were finding their way together. Jess was an innocent but loved Jon and all he did to make her feel wonderful and loved.

Jess remembered the many times on the way home, they would stop for a make out session and more. She remembered the first time he kissed her breasts and her first orgasm from him. The feelings in her body were new and wondrous. She knew Jon loved her and always would.

Jon wasn’t the only one with a job. While Jess was still more than a year from getting her license, she was saving up for her car and all the support it would need. She would baby-sit for her cousins and a friend of the family. Jess would baby-sit until the early morning hours and Jon could stop by on his way home from work to visit with Jess. It was at such a visit that Jon and Jess first made love to each other. They had spent hours talking about it, making sure that each was really ready to be with the other and knowing it would be the ultimate gift for each other. While some things were not as Jess had expected, she loved Jon. She knew that she always would.

One thing Jon still doesn’t know to this day is that Jess’s father rode past the house where they were “babysitting”. Jess was grounded for a week or so because of it. That’s protective parents for you!

A shrill whistle from the life guard shifted Jess' train of thought and she tried to remember what went wrong between her and Jon but couldn’t really come up with the reason they eventually broke up. She couldn’t remember who did the breaking up but thought it might have been her. She remembered seeing Jon around school and being sad and uncomfortable around him when they were backstage or when they were with their group of friends.

Jess remembers that she dated someone else for a while and when that didn’t work out; she tried to make friends with Jon again. She actually wanted to be more than friends with him. She remembered the day they sat in his car outside the school, him telling her that he just wanted to be friends, that he didn’t want to be her “fall back guy” for when things didn’t work out for her with someone else. He felt he was in a good place in his life as he was getting ready to graduate and leave for college. He didn’t want to go through that hurt again.

Jess remembers that day very clearly for some reason. After all these years, it doesn’t matter why. Not when Jon and Jess have both moved on to other relationships, other loves, other lives.  Fate has taken them in their separate directions.   Maybe their paths will cross again or not.  Only time will tell.


This Story is a part of Theme Thursday.  They Post a Theme and you create a post around that theme.  Check out the other creatives over there!