The Life of Esther Jameson

Chapter Twenty Three

A/N: I have returned! I know it's so long, and I'm sorry for disappearing! This story is coming to a close and I never thought that I would get this far by writing it. I want to say thank you to all the people who have stuck around to read it, and even though this story doesn't have millions of reads like others, I'm just glad that I can be able to share my hobby and joy with the rest of you!

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Saturday, July 15, 2018

Does that count as a date? We just talked.

My brain is foggy from last night. I don't even remember what we talked about. There are a few memories of me shoving him into a tree on accident a few times when we were fooling around but that was pretty much it.

Jenny was right.

I like him too.

A lot.

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"You look like garbage." Miriam looked at me. It was about three in the afternoon and I had just woken up. I have no idea what I looked like, but it was probably somewhere along the lines of horrible and pitiful.

"Yeah, sure," I said lazily. The way I moved was a swaying motion that meant I was beyond tired. And maybe something of a bigger importance. "Do you have any water?"

"To splash in your face?" Luke asked and looked at me. "You look awful."

"So I've heard."

"Jackson told Esther to have good dreams!" Jenny said.

"Jenny!"

Miriam looked at the kids with a loving glance and then marched over to Jackson's room. "Jackson Wayne, if you don't open this door right now there will be some serious talking to that you will have to -" The door opened and Miriam walked in. When the door shut there was some arguing but none of us could hear anything.

"Is Jackson in trouble?" Jenny asked.

"I honestly don't know, Jenny," I said. "But we should probably go into the kitchen where Miriam can't find us."

"Good idea," Luke said.

A minute later, Miriam re-entered into the room tugging her whining son by his ear. She was scolding him, but now and then she'd kiss his cheek like he'd done a good job. Miriam was like that, so it made me laugh a little inside.

"Mom, Mom, MOM, OW!" Jackson grimaced and pulled away from his mom. "Gosh, were you in the army? That grip could bring entire squadrons down."

"I could have been but then you came along." Miriam let go and kissed her son on the cheek again. The long and motherly kind that only Miriam could give. "I just couldn't leave you here with only your father to take care of you. The house would be burned on the second day."

"Are we in trouble?" I peeped among their commotion.

"No," Miriam replied simply with a smile. "But next time you two stay out 'til midnight, please tell me. If you don't, I'll send your father out with an entire search party, so help me."

And then she patted me on the head and made us lunch. There was never any loss of food in the Wayne house. Jenny and Luke ate their food quickly but Jackson kept distracting me from eating so that it took me twice as long.

"You have to stop kissing my face in front of the sibs," I groaned as I tried to eat my oatmeal, but that was thwarted by a quick peck to my temple followed by two other to my cheek and my jaw. "Please."