It's been three months and Deven and I are relaxing in the house my mom left me in her will when she passed a few months ago. It's a four bedroom home with a basement, storage room, laundry area, one car garage, back yard, patio, spacious living room and a decent sized bathroom. "So, when do we celebrate Chubba's birthday?"

"Saturday," I reply, smiling when I get a text from someone I've been talking to since the concert. "It's September 15."

"Nice. JC again?"

"For the first time today."

"It's nine in the morning!" she giggles. 

"All the kids are in school and we sat down ten minutes ago, so it's whatever," I justify, walking into the kitchen to get a drink of Welch's juice.

 
'Do you have plans this weekend?'

'My son's party is Saturday and his actual birthday is tomorrow.'

'Would it be alright if I visit?'

'I don't see why not. You'll have to deal with my kids trying to kill each other when you're here lol.'

'No problem. How old are they?'

'Thriteen, fifteen and seventeen.'

'All two yrs apart?'

'Yeah... My youngest son is Grahm, my daughter is Leilani and my oldest is Mickie.'

'The younger ones have unique names.'

'My oldest does as well. His full name Mikael and hates his name, so we've called him Mickie since he was around two.'

"Talk about speed texter," Deven comments, looking over my shoulder. 

"Jealous?" I tease her.

'Makes sense. Can I call you right now?'

'If you have time, sure.'

"He llllllliiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkkkeeeeeessssss you," she retorts, teasing me back and I blush. 

"So?"

"You're bluuuuushing!" she shouts, pointing at my face. 

My house phone rings and I pick it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Elise. How's your morning?"

His voice is like heaven to me, I must admit. "Hey, you."

"It's JC, isn't it?" I wave her off, my face hot again. "It is! Roooooooommmmeeeeeoooooo!"

"Can it, Deven!"

He chuckles. "I get the same thing from Justin, among other people."

"You do?"

Deven is making kissing faces and noises, I swat at her and shove her. "Even my-"

"You're on the phone with that Elise again, huh?" someone teases him on the other line. 

"Shut up, Tyler!" he retorts.

"Sorry about that, it's just my little brother. So, what do you have planned?"

"For what?" I ask, confused. 

"For Grahm's party, of course."

"Oh, yeah. Just hanging around the house with some friends and a couple family members. Nothing too extravagant."

"Cake and ice cream?"

"What kid doesn't have that at their party?"

"I know a couple."

"Normal kids from families with tight budgets."

"True. I can bring some burgers and dogs, if you want."

Did he just offer to feed everyone? "You can, but you don't have to."

"I want to. Should I get him anything, like a gift?"

"No, he just wants our friends and family that have been around forever here."

My cell phone sounds like a dying Pac-Man and I grab it, finding out one of my cousins has to work that day. "What's on the agenda? For today, I mean?"

"I'm home until two fifteen, go to work, bust my tail from three this afternoon till half past one in the morning, come home, get stoned, eat and crash. That happens Monday through Thursday and Fridays are only from three till ten pm."

"Where do you work?"

"Tyco in Westminster, it's a good paying job."

"What do you do?"

"You know how you go into a store and you look at the ceiling?"

"Yeah?"

"The white things on the ceiling are photo sensors or heat sensors connected to sensor bases. A lot of schools also use our security systems and fire alarms. We're the fire and safety end of Tyco."

"Important job."

"Yeah, we assemble, test and pack them all ourselves from components."

He hmms about it. "Would you have a problem with me picking you up on Friday at work?"

"No?"

Why is he asking?

"Would Deven be able to drop you off?"

"She has to anyway."

"Perfect. Westminster, Massachusetts, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to take you out to dinner and talk, nothing more."

"Promise?"

"Promise, nothing more and no alcohol."

"Just to make sure nothing beyond that happens, huh?" I joke. 

"Pretty much. Would you be alright with that?"

"Don't see why I would. Have you ever been to my part?"

"No, I know how to get around Boston and Worcester, but not-what town did you say you live in again?"

"Fitchburg," I giggle.

"I can mapquest how to get there from Logan, I just need your address."

"Are you doing that now?"

"Yes."

"76 Walton Street."

"Is that a house or apartment building?"

"It's my mom's house."

"I've got the directions. Seems pretty straight forward."

"Until I drive you around town." Deven's watching my every move, smirking. I flip her off.

"Will you get me lost?"

"It's all in good fun."

Now it's Friday and I'm on my twenty minute break, barely at the tables outside when my cell rings, playing my all time favorite Cavo song. "Hey, what's up?"

"I see this beautiful woman sitting at the table by the stairs I'm descending and I wonder if that's the same emerald eyed one I met by chance three months ago," he rambles. I turn to face the steps, smiling at the man I've loved since I was a little girl. I hang up and get to my feet, hugging him.

"It's me alright."

"I thought I'd visit you now to make sure I could find this place alright."

"You found it. I'm released from my corner around ten and I have all weekend."

"Just so you know, Deven said something about me not staying in a hotel."

"Not when you visit me."

"Can I ask you something serious? I don't need or expect answer right off the bat."

"I suppose."

He takes a deep breath, leans back slightly and looks into my eyes.

"What do you think of long distance relationships?"

"They suck, but if the two people in them can make it work, somehow they work."

"Would you be willing to be in one with me?"

I search his eyes, checking how serious he could be and he's not even beginning to joke about this. "Let me think about it."

A woman in her early fifties walks by, smirking. "Is it time, Melinda?"

"Just about, Elise." Melinda has two daughters and three sons, remarried to Greg for fifteen years. She has short blonde hair in a short puffy style, light cocoa colored eyes, Caucasian, stands around five foot six, has glasses on her face and has been here for about ten years.

"Well, I've got to go back to my corner to solder heat detectors for day shift to encapsulate tomorrow."

"See you around ten?"

"Yes, just wait for me here," I agree, indicating the table I had been at when he called. 

"See you then," he softly tells me, hugging me again and this time, he presses a sweet kiss to my cheek. I smile and rapidly walk to catch up with Melinda, waving a quick good bye to JC.  

"Hey," I greet her, falling into step with her in the hallway. 

"Who was that man you were all huggy with?"

"A friend of mine," I simply respond, waving my badge over the small sensor pad by the door. I open the door for her and she thanks me.

"Looks like more than a friend to me."

"No, just friends." For now, you mean! My mind is reeling from his second to last question. Why would be ask that after only knowing each other for about three or four months? How long has he been considering this? 

I put nine heat detectors in the holder, take the solder in my left hand and the iron in my right once I check the power supply for the iron, exhaust fan and smog machine. I begin to solder and my supervisor comes over, checking my solder as I complete the set, leaving my corner satisfied. At the beginning of each shift, I plug in my cell and play the My Darkest Days channel that I've done for close to the past five years. I begin bopping my head to Framing Hanley among other bands that play on this iHeart radio station. Yes, I've been in the heat detector/encapsulation area by myself for a little over five years unless I'm needed to make photo sensors in the other part of GSA that's only a tiny hop, a half skip and a small jump from my corner. 

I zip through the remainder of my shift and I rapidly exit the building, clocked out right at ten. I find JC with his head on his arms, his forearms being used as pillows and asleep. I quietly walk up to him and rub his back. "Mmm?"

"I'm out," I tell him. He stands and stretches, hugging me as he steps over the bench.

"Ten already?"

"Come on, sleepy. I'll drive."

"No, it's alright. We have plans remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

He chuckles, letting me out of his embrace and keeps one arm on my shoulders as we walk to his car. "I thought you'd enjoy a restaurant near your house and then found out that the only one is Slattery's, it's across town."

"It's expensive."

"Don't expect it often," he teases me. 

"I'm a major homebody since the summer of 13."

"You don't go out much?" I shrug.

"Not really; 3 times in five years, including the concert."

"That's it in five years?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"What about vacations?"

"Does it count if I bring the kids?" I joke. 

"If it's not far from home, no."

"Then I guess not."

We pull into the parking lot of the restaurant, my navigation skills up to par after not having to do so in a few years. We had talked, joked and laughed the entire time. "This is Slattery's?" he inquires, confused. 

"It's always been kind of like a hole in the wall kind of place. Do you have a reservation?"

"No."

We walk in and I see my cousin, greeting her warmly. "Elise, how are the babies?"

"They're doing good, Annie." He chuckles.

"Who's this with you?"

I think back on ancient magazine articles, recalling his first name. "This is Josh, he's visiting for the weekend. He's going to be at Grahm's party as well."

"Where do you want to sit?"

"A quiet booth away from the rowdy people would be absolutely ideal."

She grabs two menus and expertly guides us to the best booth, both of us taking a side of it. It's a wrap around booth in the back, it's a window seat. "Here you go, flag me when you're ready to order."

"Will do."

"Was she named after the name in 'Smooth Criminal'?" he asks me. 

"Yes, her parents are MJ fans. Her initials are AJ; Annie Jackson."

"Anybody call her AJ?"

"Outside of work, I do and I'm one of the only ones. She's six months older than me; she's June 10 and I'm December 10."

"So, what year were you born?"

"1983, during a raging blizzard in Boston and three months early."

"You're a natural born survivor."

"And thrived with lots of love, knowledge and nutrients," I laugh. 

He chuckles. "Just out of pure curiosity, do you-"

~*~A Peek Into JC’s Thoughts~*~

Her phone rings and she holds up a digit, signaling me to hold my thought. "How nice of you to finally call me a week and a half later, dick!" she greets the caller. "So? I have three teens, work full time, run all errands that have to do with them, have time to hang out with-" she begins to ramble, stopping to listen to the caller. Her expression goes from an annoyed, angry one to one of complete excitement. "No way! Yeah! You're coming to Grahm's party tomorrow? You're in Leominster? Come to Slattery's! I'm here with a friend and just tell my AJ you're here to see me! Grahm's gonna be absolutely THRILLED to see you! Yeah! See you in ten!" She locks her cell, shoving it into her sweatshirt pocket and smiles at me. "You get to meet my friend Nick, he's near the old Jackie's."

"How long have you known this Nick?"

"I was like six or seven when we moved to Orlando and met Alex, he introed me to Nick. So, about 28 years and I got to visit him all over the world, he travels a lot."