It's complicated

Candy Floss & Sugar Canes

~

"Or maybe your still in love with him"
Still in love with him.
The innocent voice of her eldest daughter still echoed through Jane's head.
Still in love with him.
Jane mentally repeated it to herself one more time.
Still in love with him. She was still in love with him.
Jane wondered how her daughter could utter the few words so effortlessly as if they were just part of their usual small talk. Lauren had realised...and worst of all, she'd realised before her mother. Before Jane really had time to get her head around it.
She's falling for Jake Adler, her ex-husband, the man she had a brief affair with, the man who's known to go from one woman to another, all over again.
The world around her froze. At that moment in time she could've banged her head off the wall in frustration, and that's really what she had been doing all her life. Going round in circles with Jake, like a merry go round. Picking up some candy floss along the way, candy floss being the best part of the wasted chapter of her life, candy floss being her kids. Yes, she was comparing her kids to some baby pink candy floss you could pick up at a carnival but at this point, who cares? Jake, the puppy that keeps coming back, is still hiding under her bed, acting like seven instead of his fifty five years.
Another sharp beep of a car horn brought Jane out of her thoughts; but still her daughter remained, tightening her grip around Jane's hands.
"I'm waiting" she mumbled.
"For what?"
"For you to deny it......but something is telling me that's not going to happen" Lauren's eyes raised to meet her mothers. Jane knew that look, she had created it.
Deny it...just deny it. This wouldn't even count as a lie...would it? A sort of white lie, protecting her daughter...her children from this twisted little story, also known as her life. She would only have to say two short words but for some reason she knew that wouldn't be the end of this conversation.
The words of denial didn't seem to make their way off her lips.
She only needed to say two small words. Why was she finding it so difficult?
"You can't even lie, can you?" The words made their way from Lauren's lips making Jane look up from the ground she had been so intensely staring at for the past five minutes. "You want to deny it...but you can't" Lauren added, narrowing her eyes as if she was somehow going to get a better look at the situation.
Jane cleared her throat and looked to her side. Her daughter was smart...she just hadn't realised how smart.
"I..." Jane began.
"You don't need to explain" Lauren stopped her "I have always thought of you two as my mom and dad, I never think about you in the 'old' days. I forget that you two were just like me and Harley once upon a time....two people very much in love"
"I am your mom" Jane stated as if Lauren had somehow denied that fact.
"And your also a human being" Lauren answered.
"And your also a fiancé and I believe Harley is waiting for you" Jane muttered.
Lauren let a small sigh escape her lips as she folded her coat safely over her arm. Nothing more needed to be said.
Jane walked her to the door and leaned against it as she watched her daughter walk down the path, hoping she wouldn't turn back....but of course, she did.
"And his car"
"Some people are not meant to be together Lauren"
"And then there's you and dad" Lauren tugged on her scarf, turned around and climbed into the car.
The clicking of Lauren's heels as she walked away, still echoed through Jane's head. She was stuck in a trance, her eyes stuck to the number plate on the tiny sports car that stuck out the side of her driveway, her mouth hanging wide open.
What did she mean?
'And then there's you and dad'
Does that mean that she approves? Even so, Jane would deny it until the day she dies.

~

Jane got back immediately, almost forgetting Jake was still under her roof....under her bed. Life wasn't going to wait for her to get her head out of the clouds.
Turning away from the door, her eyes immediately latched onto the cheesy smile that stood in front of her in the form of Jake Adler.
Pushing her lips together to stop a smile appearing, Jane realised something. She was fighting a losing battle.
"She's gone" Jake smiled before Jane could even express her worries about them being spotted through the window.
"And you?" Jane raised an eyebrow.
"Kicking me out without breakfast, are we Mrs Adler?" Jake smirked as he closed the gap between them.
"Ms Adler" Jane corrected him with a raise of an eyebrow.
"We can all dream"
Jane rolled her eyes as she failed to stop a small smirk appearing on her lips. She wasn't even going to comment on that.
Before she could protest, Jake gave Jane a rough kiss on the lips and walked past her towards the kitchen.
"I think she knows" Jane tugged on her dressing gown as she followed him.
"And I think your overthinking things" he chuckled.
Jane took a seat at the breakfast bar and covered her face with her hands.
"And how dare you call me a nightmare in front of our daughter" Jake joked as she searched through the fridge.
"Em...excuse me, you were a nightmare" Jane giggled "you were even worse than me and I was the bride!"
"Well I was marrying you..."
"You make me sound like the wicked witch" Jane smirked.
"I was nervous" Jake shrugged his shoulders "I wasn't when I married Agnes but I guess that explains why I'm married to her but I'm here...at yours"
"A charming womaniser would explain why your at mine and not your wife's, honey" Jane chuckled as she leaned across the table.
"So you think I'm charming?" Jake raised an eyebrow.
"I believe we've been over this, darling" Jane smirked as she ran her hands through her blond hair.
Jake's hands made their way to her waist when she turned around to leave the room.
"And what do you think your doing?" Jake couldn't see her smiled and that's the way she wanted to keep it "I've got to get to work"
"Call in sick"
"You know I can't" Jane sighed as she leaned back against his chest.
"Then meet me for lunch" Jake whispered into her ear.
"Jake....you know we can't be anymore than friends" Jane turned around and placed her hands on her hips "if even that" she added.
"I know" Jake muttered making Jane's eyes widen "I don't agree but...I know"
"O...k" Jane raised an eyebrow "that went better than I thought" she chuckled.
"So will this have to stop" he motioned between them.
"What?"
Before Jane even had the time to create a puzzled look, his lips were pressed against hers. They broke apart for air after what felt like forever. Jane's hands slid down from his neck to his chest as her breathing returned to normal.
"Yes" the words Jake dreaded were finally uttered from her lips. She removed her forehead from Jake's chest and looked up at him "yes, this will have to stop".
"On one condition" Jake cleared his throat.
"Oh...we have conditions now?" Jane raised an eyebrow.
"Dinner"
"Dinner?" Jane chuckled.
"Once every ten years isn't acceptable" Jake smirked.
"And what is acceptable?" Jane asked.
"Every month. Once a month....my treat"

~