Parent Trap

3

“So, tell me about yourself.” Jasmine said to Jade as they sat in the grass under a tree eating ice cream.

“ Um, I’m a very quiet person but also very passionate. I tutor people at school. Right now, I am the salutatorian and by graduation I know I will be valedictorian. I want to be a surgeon. I like sci-fi and absolutely love stars wars.” Jade said with a slight smile.

Jasmine smiled hard as she stared back at her sister. “What?” Jade asked curiously returning her smile.

“You are mom. Everything you said was her in high school ad least that’s what she told me and she still loves sci-fi and star wars.”

“Really?” Jade inquired with a smile still present.

“Mmmhmm.”

“Okay tell me about you.”

Jade listened as Jasmine spoke about herself. She was glad that they were reunited, she loved her already and it’s only been a day and a half of knowing each other.

“Okay so tell me about dad. I need to learn all I can and please tell me you have contacts because I don’t wear glasses.” Jasmine said

“Yeah I have contacts and dad cooks, he’s very attentive. The only thing we do special is once a month we spend the day together and do whatever we want. He calls me Jay and he has a best friend named Diana.”

“Best friend.” Jasmine said rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, she’s nothing special, she’s a firefighter. She rude as hell, she tried to do that little girl’s day where we hang out but I’m too old for that…sometimes I think she wishes it was just her and dad. But they are just best friends so I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Jade explained.

“Mmmm rude? See you’re so quiet. I’ll straighten her out when I go to New York.. let her know how things are gonna go.” Jasmine remarked with her lips pursed together.

“Does mom have anyone?” Jade asked.

“No, she was dating or seeing this bald headed doctor name Sam but that didn’t last long. I don’t think he could handle her.” Jasmine reported laughing.

The girls continued to talk back and forth and tell each other details about their lives and parents.

6 weeks flew by so fast it was ridiculous.

“Oh, here is my bracelet dad gave me.” Jade said putting it on Jasmine’s wrist.

“It’s really beautiful what was the occasion.”

“My cycle, which he still can’t say the word.” Jade said laughing.

“Aunt Ros is going to pick you up from here and take you to the airport. Dad will be waiting for you when you land.”

Jasmine nodded, she was partially nervous to meet her father for the first time and a little sad that he wouldn’t know it was her.

“Okay great mom’s friend Addison is going to pick you up. She’s really nice, very chatty but she will drop you off at the airport and mom will be waiting for you. Don’t worry she is punctual. Here let’s switch phones because they are going to call.”

“Okay here the pass word is 0815.”

“That’s mine too.” Jasmine said smiling.

“I’m going to text you when I land.” Jade said seriously.

“Okay my flight is longer than yours but I’ll let you know when I land as well.” Jasmine

The two girls embraced each other. “I love you and it was nice meeting you. I will see you when we get ready to make the switch again.”

“I love you too and alright, see you later.” Jasmine replied as she saw the car that Jade described pull up.

Jasmine got into the car with Rosalind and they talked before she dropped her off to the airport.

Jade liked Addison she thought she was very smart. She didn’t know what kind of surgeon she wanted to be but she liked to actually hear about this surgeon’s life.

After her plane landed, she grabbed her bags and put them on her shoulder. She wished like hell she could put her glasses on. Her contacts were irritating her eyes but she couldn’t, Jasmine didn’t wear glasses.

Jade walked off the plane and she looked around. When all the people dispersed. She saw her, it was her mother and she stood frozen.

Jade stood there in shock as she stared into the woman’s face. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she looked at her.

“Jas? Are you okay?” Miranda asked softly. “Come here.” She said with her outstretched hands.

Jade bit her lip as she tried to keep her tears at bay, but it was no point. She had been waiting for this day for years and it was finally here. The woman that was standing in front of her was her mom.

Her voice, her beautiful face, and incredibly short height.  Jade stepped forward and rushed into Miranda’s arms practically knocking her over. Her head smashing against her breast.

Miranda frowned and was also too overjoyed at Jas’s emotional reaction. She wrapped her arms around her back and hugged her tightly.

“Jas are you alright ?” Miranda asked taking her chin between her fingers and looking into her eyes.

“ I missed you and I’m just glad you are here mom.” Jade responded.

“I missed you too. It seems like forever hasn’t it.” Miranda mumbled into Jade’s thick hair.

“That’s an understatement.”

Jade walked out as Miranda held one of her bags. She looked at her Lexus truck and she smiled, it was very fitting for her.

Jade got into the passenger seat and she buckled up. She just stole glances of Miranda the entire ride to the house.

“Alright Jasmine Elena out with it. What in the world is going on with you. You’re looking at me as if I’m a stranger. What is it?”

“It’s Just… okay I met this girl at camp and she didn’t have her mom. It just made me think about how I don’t know what I would do without you and I’m grateful that you are here.” Jade said thinking of something quickly.

Miranda took a while to respond. Times like this made her think about the other piece to her heart. She wondered if her other daughter had some one to call mom. She also wondered if and when she saw her again, would she need her and want to talk to her.

“Mom where did you go? You look spaced out.” Jade asked.

“I’m sorry honey. I was just thinking about something. I’m glad I have you as well.” She told her smiling.

Jasmine smiled looking at Jade’s text after she got off of the plane. She sent her a text letting her know she just landed. Jasmine searched around for Ben and she smiled when she saw him standing.

“Jay.” Ben said smiling.

“Hey daddy.” Jasmine said and she felt overjoyed and a great relief. She had been waiting for this moment her whole life.

“Don’t tell me you grew up in 6 weeks and you don’t want to give your dad a hug.” Ben teased.

“Are you kidding. That could never happen.” Jasmine countered smiling as she dropped the bags and immediately walked towards him. Ben pulled her into his arms as he gave her a bear hug. Jasmine smiled content, but she was also a little sad this was the first time in 14 years that her dad hugged her and he didn’t know it was her.

Ben kissed her on the head and held her in the hug. “Man I missed you so much.”

“You have no idea the amount of how much I missed you.” Jasmine replied.

They pulled back from each other and stood smiling.

“Okay let me get your bags and then you have to tell me all about camp.” Ben said grabbing her bags

“Camp was really good I had a god time. Thanks for sending me daddy.”

“I know you had a great time. You didn’t even call me or write.” Ben joked.

“I’m sorry I met this new girl and she was fascinating. She taught me new things and we’ve became great friends almost inseparable. She was a joy. Too bad she lives on the other side of the country but we promised to write and text each other” Jasmine informed him.

Ben paused for a minute. He thought about his other baby girl all the time and hearing his daughter talk about meeting someone and being inseparable. He knew that they would have been. It sadden him to know they probably would never meet.

“Dad are you listening to me.” Jasmine asked.

“Yeah Jade, sorry I got distracted.” Ben replied.

“Okay, so anyway I enjoyed camp it was good.” Jasmine said smiling.

“Okay we are going to go home, so you can unpack and get situated and then we are going to stop pass the station so I can pick up my paper work and handle inventory and then after that we are going to go out to eat, but if you are tired from the flight you can take a nap and I’ll be back and we can go to dinner.” Ben told her. So she could weigh her options.

“I wanna go with you.” Jasmine said and Ben smiled.

“Okay great.” Ben replied as he got to the car door. Ben looked at her shocked. “ What did I do?” Jasmine asked.

“You’ve been gone a month and you forgot that I open your car door for you…You are a Young woman Jay and as a man and your father I will treat you as such and open your door. So you will already know what the expectation are when you are dating.” Ben expressed.

“Sorry dad I just moved fast.” Jasmine explained.

Jasmine followed Ben inside of the station.
“Okay you can go up stairs to the tv room and I’ll be there after inventory.” Ben said as he walked to the right.

“Tv room upstairs.” Jasmine said now hoping that it wasn’t hallways or doors she had to go through because she didn’t know where she was going at all.

Finding the tv. She sat on the couch and grabbed the remote turning to Law and order.

“Hey kiddo.” A man said walking into the room.

Jasmine looked up and looked over the man.

“Hey Mr. James.” Jasmine smiled remembering the man from the pictures.

“How was camp.” He questioned.

“It was really good. It helped me to see that I really want to be a surgeon.” She beamed.

“Oh that is so great Jade. I know you are going to be excellent and even be my doctor some day.

Jasmine smiled, she was glad that Jade was surrounded by “Family.” Considering that theirs was split up.

“Jade.” Jasmine looked up at a woman. Diana. Jasmine thought to herself.

“Hey.” Jasmine said smiling.

“How was camp?”

“It was very good.” Jasmine responded.

“I’m excited for dinner.” Diana said cheesing.

“Why?” Jasmine questioned confused.

“Your father didn’t tell you I was coming.”

Jasmine raised her eyebrow. “ No, he did not.. but still why would you becoming, not to be rude or anything. It’s a dinner for me and him. Father and daughter.” Jasmine said now annoyed but also filled with questions.

“Hey, I’m done with inventory.” Ben said coming into the room.

“I’m going to go change and I will be ready.” Diana said walking to the door.

“Oh she told you, she’s coming for dinner.” Ben asked.

“Yeah, so are all the other firefighters coming as well.” Jasmine inquired.

“No, just Diana, you know she was my best friend. “

“Was or is. Did something change?” Jasmine questioned once again and Ben paused not sure how to answer the question. His daughter was always lawyer like when there was something she wanted to know.

“Is and was.” Ben answered.

“Okay I’m ready.” Diana said coming back to the door.

“Wow, you change fast.”

“Well you know us firefighters are trained to dress in two minutes.” Diana responded running her hand through her curly hair.

Jasmine took the time to actually get a good look at her versus pictures. She was sorta tall probably 5’6 and slim but she had nice tone arms and great calves. She had a half a sleeve tattoo with roses, hearts and a small firefighter helmet. She was very pretty nonetheless.

When they got to dinner and ordered their food, they all made small talk.
Jasmine did not like Diana. She could tell that she was a jealous type of woman she doesn’t want to share Ben with anyone even his own child.

Eventually it became quiet and weird.

“I asked Diana to marry me.” Ben said breaking the silence and Diana held up her hand to show the engagement ring.

“You did what.” Jasmine asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, almost 6 weeks ago.”

“So right after I left…I didn’t even know you both were dating.” Jasmine said hoping that wasn’t information her sister left out.

“We have been dating for almost two years.” Ben admitted with a small smile. Jasmine felt her eyes start to water as she gasped.

“Excuse me for a minute.” Jasmine muttered, scooting back from the table.

She walked quickly to the bathroom and she closed the door. Looking around to make sure it was no one in there.

Jasmine pulled out her phone to call her sister.

“Hey Jas.” Jade beamed into the phone picking up.
“Jay.. dad is getting married.” Jasmine said into the phone quickly.

“He’s what?”

“Getting married.”

“How? He was not even dating anyone.”

“Diana, apparently they have been dating for two years, I don’t even know why I’m crying. I don’t even know the man.” Jasmine said wiping her eyes.

“What did you say to him.” Jade said angrily.

“Nothing, I ask to be excused.”

“When you go back, you tell him that I am hurt beyond words that he kept this from me. I am disappointed and at a disbelief. Tell him that I thought we had a better relationship with each other. I told him everything and as my father and confidant. He was supposed to do the same. You tell him that this is the first time that he has ever hurt my feelings like this and that I don’t want to talk to him and I need space. Tell him that I do not approve and he can’t love that woman like he said he does because he would have never kept this from his child. He does all this talking about trust, honesty, communication, showing me the ropes of what a successful relationship is and he messed up ours by doing the complete opposite of his preaching. “ Jade said through the phone and Jasmine knew she was about to cry.

“Hey don’t cry.” Jasmine said.

“I’m sorry I can’t help it when I’m angry and it’s not even the woman and relationship. It’s just the principle of it.” Jade said wiping her eyes.

“Okay I’m going to go back out there, I will call you later tonight.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Jasmine walked back to the table and she adverted Ben’s eyes as she sat down

Clearing her throat she spoke lowly. “I’m not hungry anymore and I’m ready to go home. “

“Excuse me.” Jasmine said to their waiter.

“Could you bring me a to go box.”

“Uh us too and the check.” Ben asked.

In the car Ben drove Diana back to the station.

He got out the car and stood with Diana by the door as they talked. Jasmine watched and rolled her eyes.

Ben came back over to the car and open the back door and then the front passenger  door so Jasmine could sit up front.

Jasmine moved and buckled up.

“Jay.” Ben said softly as he got into the car.

“I’m disappointed in you Dad. You’ve hurt my feelings beyond belief. We share everything and you kept me out of a part of your life for two whole years. You have preached to me about trust, honesty, communication, so I would be great in a relationship and then you stabbed a knife in our by doing the complete opposite.” Jasmine told him and then turned to look out the window.

Ben swallowed hard. He knew he had messed up and he should have never put his daughter on the spot like that. She was quiet and has anxiety and that was unfair for him to do that. He felt like an ass and he didn’t know what to say to her to make it better.