Chapter Twenty
School was long over, and summer was drawing to a close. Things in the Chasez house were as hectic as ever as the entire family prepared for the arrival of the new baby. JC had slipped into protective husband mode the minute his wife had reached her eight month. Although she’d had a few rough spots with her pregnancy, it’d not been anywhere near as troublesome as Abbi’s had been. And for that, he was grateful.
The nursery had been finished off months earlier, almost as soon as they found out that their third child was a boy. Clothes, toys, and other accessories to complete the room had been purchased. All that was left to do now was wait.
“Hey dad?” Looking up from his place on the couch, JC offered his eldest daughter a smile. She had been a blessing throughout this entire pregnancy, keeping her younger sister entertained so that she didn’t feel left out, helping Jen out around the house, and really, playing the role of the adult. There had been countless occasions where she’d cooked and cleaned for the family, trying to make things as easy as possible on her parents.
“What’s up sugar?” He asked, patting the spot next to him on the couch. Once she took the offered seat, he draped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his side. He looked over her beautiful face. She was growing up quickly right in front of his eyes.
“I need to ask you for a favor,” she began, biting down on her bottom lip. There had been a time where she would have asked, and JC would have flat out told her ‘no’. However, due to the fact that she’d spent so much of her time at home as of late, doing things here and there, he was more than willing to hear her out.
“What is it, baby?” He asked her, his eyes searching hers. In the past, she’d proved to be dishonest when she needed a ‘favor’. Though he was sure that she was cured of that dishonesty, he knew he could read her eyes and if he had even the slightest doubt that she was telling him the truth, he’d put an end to her plans immediately.
“Okay, I need you to hear me out completely before you give me your answer. I know how you feel about me ‘dating’ and everything, but dad, there’s this boy. I met him at school, right before it ended and he’s been asking me out since then. I always put it off, you know, so that I can stay home and help out but daddy, I’m afraid if I keep telling him ‘no’, he’ll stop asking me and I really want to go, so can I?” She managed to gush out all in one breath. JC’s eyes were wide, his head was spinning. He’d never heard someone talk so fast!
“Hang on a minute baby. I need… to understand this a little better. There’s a boy that you want to go out with?” Biting down on her lip once more, she gave him a nod, her eyes pleading with his.
“He’s really nice dad. And it’s not even really a date or anything because it’s only 11 in the morning and he just wants to take me to the mall and maybe out to lunch. So do you think that I can go?”
“Baby… you know how I feel about you being away. I know Jen still has another month but”“
“And I’ve explained it to him thoroughly. I told him I really didn’t want to go because of that little fact, but he’s promised that if anything happens, he’ll bring me to the hospital or wherever immediately. He’s a really nice guy.”
JC sighed heavily. His little girl wanted to go on a date? He wasn’t so sure about that.
“I don’t know Julie. I haven’t met him and I”“
“We talked about that too. He said he’d be more than happy to pop in here so that you could talk to him, get to know him a little before we head out. Please,” she begged, terrified that he would tell her ‘no’. Ever since the day in the hallway, Joel Cleary had been on her mind constantly. A few days after the incident, he’d caught her in the cafeteria and asked for her phone number. She’d spoken to him every day since then, and he’d been after her to let him take her out. Like she told her father, she was afraid if she kept saying no, he’d stop asking.
“You really want to go?”
“Yes,” she sniffled. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more. I really like him, daddy. He calls me every night and we talk and he’s just…he’s absolutely wonderful and I know if you just sit down and talk to him, you’ll think so too.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” JC responded grimly. “But… due to all that you’ve done around here to help us out, have him come on over and I’ll talk to him. But I’m warning you baby. If I get any weird vibe, he’s out of here… WITHOUT you. Got it?”
Throwing her arms around her father’s neck, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before pushing herself up off the couch and running upstairs to call Joel and get ready for her lunch date.
~*~
“What’s the sour face for?” Jen asked, making her way into the living room carefully. JC jumped up and grabbed her arm, guiding her over to the couch, smiling as he helped her to sit comfortably.
“Julie. I must be the biggest idiot in the world, Jen. I agreed to let her go out with some boy.”
“Joel?”
“Is THAT his name? How do you know about him?”
Jen rolled her eyes, giggling at the scowl he wore. “She came into our room gushing over him a few days ago. She confided that she really wanted to go out with him, but she wasn’t sure how you’d take it,” she told him, still giggling.
“How could you laugh at my pain, Jen? I’m letting my little girl go!” He sighed dramatically, dropping onto the couch beside her as he threw his arm over his eyes to block out the light. Jen rolled her eyes, snorting at him.
“Hey, don’t let this wear you out hon. You’ve got a million more dates to get through for Julie, then you’ve gotta start all over again for Abbi,” she reminded him, patting his leg gently. Growling playfully, pulled away from her.
“Thanks hon. Thanks a lot.”
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