Married To A Stranger

Family Reunion

Pippa's POV

"Did you really send me a thank you card?" Jackson chuckles into the phone pinched between my shoulder and ear. My heart flutters nervously in my chest at Jackson's words. Jane did warn me that it was too old fashioned to send one.

"Yeah, for letting me stay with you." I explain, my hands fidgeting with the freshly washed laundry. This morning I woke up early to clean my room, and wash the backed up loads of clothes I packed when I was kicked out. There's something about having a room to clean again that makes me feel blessed.

"You're like Donna Reed." My hands freeze mid fold of a freshly washed sweater from a basket of clothes that need ironing. He's not wrong... I'm to young to be Donna Reeding about.

"I sent one to Jane too." I admit sheepishly. Her reaction wasn't much different, only more dry and sarcastic.

"Warren too." Jackson chuckles into the phone. "He liked it, by the way." He adds.

"Really?" With a broad smile, I hug the forgotten folded sweater to my chest. Knowing that Warren liked my card, makes me feel warm head to toe. Somebody appreciates Donna Reed.

"Yes, really. He's never got a thank you card before. It went straight to his head." I can practically feel Jackson's eyes rolling in his head. I laugh into the collar of the folded sweater, picturing Warren waving around the flimsy card as if it's a winning lottery ticket in the dormitory mail room.

"So, do I send a thank you card back for you sending me one? Then when you get my return thank you, do send another? Is this a vicious never ending cycle of thank cards?"

"No, Jackson." I laugh.

"Hows being back home? Did you sleep well? Is your mom easing up at all?"

"My mother..." I feel my smiling face slack. "She's holding me under lock and eye. I haven't step a foot outside, not even to get the mail. She's even been working from home today, to warden me. Yet, I don't mind very much, since it's as if we're spending time together."

"You even manage to find a bright side to grounding." Jackson says with disbelief on the other side of the line.

"Though, last night I didn't sleep well. You'd think I'd slept like a baby, back in my own bed. Nope. I just couldn't fall asleep." I admit, neatly packing away my folded stacks away into drawers.

"Funny, I couldn't either last night." Jackson admits. I stop to vision Jackson twisting and turning about in the bed we use to share. I clearly see him as restless in the dark. Right now, on the other side of this phone is he sitting there exhausted, with bags under his eyes?

"Why couldn't you?" I inquire.

"I could ask you the same thing, Pippa."

"Well-" I nervously move the phone to the other ear. "Because... because it was hard falling asleep without you."

"I'd usually crack at a joke, but I had the exact same problem last night." Jackson confesses.

"Really?" I breathe, my face going bright red.

"I'm not going to say it again." Jackson immediately states.

"I miss y—" A knock on my bedroom door cuts me off.

"Hold on, Jackson." I mutter into the phone. Opening the door, I nearly drop the phone at the sight.

"Pippa." My older brother, youngest of the twins by an even two minutes, Peter stands at six feet in my door. I stare open mouthed up at the tall blonde, my widen eyes studying the green of eyes, the straight slope of his nose, the sculpt of his jaw. It's been so long since I've seen him, my brother has been away at college for over six months. A small part of me is hesitant to blink, afraid that when I open my eyes he actually won't be here.