30-Something Reality

No More Secrets!

SHANNON's P.O.V.

Jeanette and I were sitting on the couch when the oven timer went off.. Connie had been changed and was dressed for her NoNi to come pick her up. Jeanette went to the kitchen and pulled the Cinnimon Pecan twirls out of the oven. Siren and Jared were still in her room. We were both starting to worry if Siren was okay.

"I'm starting to think Siren is going through that post pregnancy type of depression. She didn't go through it with Joshua, she didn't even greeve for him at first. She is SERIOUSLY in fight or flight mode." Jeanette was starting to pace.

"She is going to be fine." I put Connie in her bouncy seat and turned it on. "As much as I hate to admit it, my brother is probably the only one who can get through to her right now."

Just then Jared opened Siren's bedroom door. "Shannon... Where's Connie?"

"In her bouncy... Is Siren okay?" I was REALLY starting to worry now. 

"Jeanette and I are going to take her over to mom... Then we are going to my house to talk. There is a lot to talk about. Siren and I just had a VERY long conversation and there some things we need to discuss with both of you." Jared came over as I stood up to grab Connie's waiting diaper bag.

"So I'm guessing you guys talked?" Jeanette sounded like Captain Obvious over there....

"No... We fucked Jeanette!" Jared was annoyed! "Shannon, Siren's laying back down. She and I had a lot to talk about, and it didn't go down very easy. She's really drained emotionally." He stopped and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry to both of you... During everything that went down yesterday, I did bite her, when I realized I was going to mark her, I pulled away. But I saw a slight red mark... I didn't mean it... I tried to stop it! I told you things got carried away, you said you didn't want to know... I left it at that! But please, don't hold it against us... It wasn't meant like that. I even told her I had to be carefull." Jared looked pained. "One last thing, I tried to make her coffee one morning... I know she was being nice." He chuckled... "Can you please save her sanity and make her some coffee and bring her a pecan thing please. Jeanette," Jared reached down and picked up Connie. "Grab that diaper bag, I've got the Princess. We have a lot to talk about."

"So what are you saying Jared?" Jeanette looked very uneasy.

"I'm saying that neither of you better not give EITHER of us a reason to regret what she and I decided."  My brother turned and looked at me as he held Connie in his arms... "The short version is this... 6 month rule still stands... You two have 6 months to have things back to the way they were before he found her. Back to the way they were on tour..."

"As in we are back together?" I dared to ask. "Just like that?" I was very skeptical of that!

Jared was getting angry, until he looked at Connie again in his arms... "No...I wasn't going to lay it all out, I was going to let her tell you Shannon, and wait till you and I could be alone..." My brother looked over at Jeanette.. "But I guess I'll just be completely open so you both hear the exact same thing.." Jared looked at me next... "If EITHER of you give us a reason to regret this, neither of you are going to like what happens! Jeanette, I love you, more that I'm going to let things go between us for now. We will start over, yes, but... I'm not sleeping with you again until I put a ring back on your hand. Simple as that! If Shannon is stupid enough to hurt her again...."

"I think I get the point on that... And trust me, I'll make sure she doesn't regret it..." I wanted to fly in her room and kiss her!

"Shannon..." My brother's eyes were fixed on mine and we were almost nose to nose over my daughter in his arms. "She's doing this and I'm allowing it for a few reasons... But the main one is this... You and I know more than anyone how much Victoria Constance deserves to be with her parents as a family don't you think! She deserves to be with HAPPY parents. She deserves..." The tears rolled down my brother's face... "She deserves to know her parents did everything they could to make it work because they loved her! And I know how much that means to both of you! I know it would if Siren's father had given a shit enough not to..."

"Jared?" Jeanette reached over and touched his shoulder. "That's why my father is her father now. But I understand what you are saying. And yes.... We both understand."

"I feel stupid, but what am I missing here?" I stepped back from them both... I turned and looked at Siren's bedroom door... "How many times have we said no more secrets Jared? Now start talking..."

"Sarah's father was a druggie... And he used her as a punching bag as a child... As well as her mom." Jeanette had tears streaming down her face... "My mom had cancer, when she died, my dad and I moved next door to Sarah and her mom. We heard the fights, I saw her bruises, I told my dad... My dad beat her father half to death! Her parents divorced when her father went to prison for the drugs they found in his stuff. Sarah was 6 when it started, we moved next door when she was 9. After it was all over and we finally moved them out of their house and in to ours when she was 14. Our parents were best friends... Then when we were in college, they got married and surprised us. After Allan went to jail for Joshua's death, my father adopted Siren and legally changed her name to Siren Elizabeth Carter... So we shared our father's last name. So it makes sense Jared... I understand."

I sat down on the couch and put my head back and ran my hand down my face. "Why didn't she ever tell me?"

"Don't you remember the first day in the bus with her man?" Jared laughed.... "She told us we all have a past, but it's not what matters!" Jared looked at Connie once again, "She deserves to know how much her parents loved each other, and fought to make it work! She has a GREAT father Shannon... Now it's time to remind her mother that there is a reason she is here, because NOW, MORE THAN EVER.. Siren needs to remember that YOU love her! Not just because you have to but because you WANT to!"

With that Jared and Jeanette left hand in hand with my daughter. I went over and made Siren a cup of coffee with her favorite creamer. I was a little afraid to talk to her. When I pulled her out the warm sticky yummy mess of that home made food sin that Siren made a TON of at one time and then froze them. It was a family recipe that her grandmother gave her.  But they took a while to do them right. So while she was on bed rest, she got us all hooked!

I turned around to get a plate and saw Siren sitting at the bar stool at the island in the kitchen. She was sitting very quietly just watching me. The ring Jared had brought back from the weekend he spent taking photos in Ireland was on her right hand. The tip of the heart was pointing towards the end of her finger... AS A FRIENDSHIP RING!!!!!!!! I wanted to jump and ask her if I could just marry her... But I knew there was going to take more than that to show her how much I still wanted to be with her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She was still really quiet. 

"You didn't... Just figured you were resting." I smiled and handed her the cup of coffee I just made for her, along with her breakfast... "So does that mean you're going to have breakfast with me then?" The smile that came across her face made me shiver. "Woman, I love when you smile at me like that!" I chuckled as I put both plates on the counter and got my coffee. "So what do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?" I sat down next to her and smiled.

"Spend all day in bed eating these crazy brownie's I just thought I would make in the morning and watching concert footage of you playing drums, while drinking WAY too much caffinated coffee after not having any caffine for so long, so we can stay up all night and fuck!" She laughed!

I almost choked! "Did I seriously hear you just say that?" I tried to laugh.... "I really don't think I know how to respond to that!"

"I heard Jared tell you everything... I'm sorry I never told you myself... I was going to when we talked today." She looked like she was going to cry...

"Baby, You are NOT healed enough from having Connie for us to fuck around like that again! And I'm not mad... about any of it... Not even that stupid bite mark... Past is past... Starting over right and making things right is more important to me!" I smiled... But then I looked her straight in the eyes... "Besides, I'm in love with you, it's worth the wait! So, I'm not going to push you..I'm going to enjoy trying to win you back!." I lay my hand on top of hers that lay on her lap. "And I swear to you... I will NEVER..." I was stopped by the last thing I ever saw coming... Siren was up off her stool, in my arms, and kissing me! I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her to me. I wrapped my right hand around her face and couldn't help but smile as we kissed...  I was going to make everything up to her....