Chapter 42 – A Weekend to Remember
Author's POV
Saturday Morning...
The Watson residence was unusually quiet.
Kegan sat in the living room, sipping his coffee while reading the morning newspaper.
Keifer, on the other hand...
Couldn't sit still.
He glanced at the front gate.
Then at his watch.
Then back at the gate.
Kegan slowly lowered the newspaper.
"...She's not going to disappear on the way here."
Keifer looked at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, really?"
"You've checked the time twelve times in the last ten minutes."
"I have not."
"You have."
"I was just..."
Before Keifer could finish...
The doorbell rang.
Kerian jumped off the sofa.
"JAY'S HERE!"
He ran to the front door so quickly that Keifer barely had time to react.
The moment the door opened...
Jay smiled warmly.
"Good morning."
Kerian immediately hugged her.
"You came!"
Jay laughed softly as she hugged him back.
"I promised I would."
"I missed you!"
"I missed you too."
Keifer smiled as he walked over.
"Welcome."
Jay looked at him and smiled.
"Thanks."
Kegan appeared behind them.
"So..."
"Our guest of honour has finally arrived."
Jay chuckled.
"Good morning, Kegan."
"Morning."
He looked at Keifer before turning back to Jay.
"You know..."
"He has been checking the gate since breakfast."
Keifer sighed.
"Kegan..."
"What?"
"I'm just telling the truth."
Jay looked at Keifer with a teasing smile.
"Really?"
Keifer rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Maybe once."
Kegan laughed.
"Try twenty."
Jay couldn't help laughing.
---
A little later...
The four of them gathered in the living room.
Kerian brought out several board games.
"We're playing all of them!"
Keifer smiled.
"Challenge accepted."
Unfortunately...
Thirty minutes later...
Keifer had lost every single game.
Kerian cheered proudly.
"I won!"
Jay grinned.
"So did I."
Kegan leaned back on the sofa.
"You became CEO of Watson Enterprises..."
"But somehow you can't beat your little brother."
Keifer folded his arms.
"I'm being bullied."
Jay smiled innocently.
"You deserve it."
"I disagree."
"No one asked."
Everyone burst into laughter.
---
After lunch...
Jay walked into the kitchen.
"Who's helping me cook dinner?"
"Me!" Kerian answered immediately.
Kegan stood up.
"I'll help too."
Keifer followed behind them.
"I guess I'm helping as well."
Jay smiled.
"Good."
"You can chop the vegetables."
Keifer saluted dramatically.
"Yes, Chef."
The kitchen quickly turned into complete chaos.
Kerian accidentally spilled flour all over Keifer.
The room fell silent.
Jay bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
Kegan slowly took a step backwards.
"...This isn't going to end well."
Keifer looked down at his white shirt.
Then...
He grabbed a handful of flour.
"Oh no..." Jay whispered.
A second later...
A white cloud exploded across the kitchen.
Jay squealed as flour landed in her hair.
"KEIFER!"
He laughed.
"You started the war."
"I did not!"
Within seconds...
The kitchen turned into a battlefield.
Flour covered the counters.
The floor.
Their clothes.
Even Kegan wasn't spared.
He looked down at himself and sighed dramatically.
"I was an innocent bystander."
"No one is innocent anymore," Keifer replied.
The four of them looked at each other.
Then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
---
That evening...
After cleaning the kitchen and enjoying the dinner they had made together...
They settled into the living room for a movie.
Kerian sat between Jay and Keifer.
Kegan occupied the armchair nearby.
Halfway through the movie...
Jay reached for the popcorn bowl.
At the exact same moment...
Keifer did the same.
Their fingers brushed.
Keifer smiled.
"Ladies first."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Trying to impress me?"
"I thought I already had."
Jay smirked.
"We'll see."
Kegan cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem."
The two looked at him.
"I'm trying to watch a movie."
"Not witness your flirting."
Jay laughed.
"We weren't flirting."
"Were you not?" Kegan asked.
Keifer shrugged.
"I definitely was."
Jay lightly elbowed him.
"Shameless."
"Proudly."
Kerian giggled.
"You two are so cheesy."
Everyone laughed.
The room felt warm.
Comfortable.
Like a real family.
Then...
Kerian's smile slowly faded.
"...Jay?"
She looked at him.
"Hm?"
He lowered his head.
"...I miss Mom."
Silence.
No one spoke.
Kerian's eyes filled with tears.
"I kept thinking..."
"If Mom were here..."
"We could all eat together."
"We could watch movies together."
"I want to tell her about school..."
"I want to hug her again..."
His voice cracked.
"...But I can't."
Jay gently wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay..."
"You can miss her."
Kerian buried his face against her shoulder.
"I don't even remember what her hugs felt like anymore."
Jay closed her eyes.
Her heart ached.
Across the room...
She saw Keifer.
He was smiling for Kerian's sake.
But his eyes...
Were filled with pain.
Kegan quietly looked down.
He missed Serena too.
None of them said another word.
---
Later that night...
Jay tucked Kerian into bed.
He held onto her hand for a moment.
"Thanks for coming."
Jay smiled softly.
"Always."
Within minutes...
Kerian fell asleep.
She quietly left the room and gently closed the door.
As she walked down the hallway...
She noticed Keifer's bedroom door was slightly open.
A faint light shone from inside.
She knocked softly.
"You can come in."
Jay stepped inside.
Keifer was sitting by the window, staring at the night sky.
She quietly sat beside him.
"You've been holding it in all evening."
He smiled weakly.
"I'm supposed to be strong."
"For Kerian."
"For Kegan."
"For everyone."
Jay gently took his hand.
"You don't always have to be."
Keifer looked at her.
"When Kerian said he missed Mom..."
"I wanted to tell him everything would be okay."
"But..."
His voice trembled.
"...I miss her too."
"Every single day."
"I'm tired of pretending I'm okay."
Before he realised it...
Jay gently wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay."
"You don't have to pretend with me."
The words shattered the wall around his heart.
Keifer hugged her tightly.
His shoulders shook.
For the first time in years...
He cried.
Jay silently stroked his hair.
"I'm here."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Slowly...
His sobs became quieter.
Exhaustion finally took over.
Still holding Jay...
Keifer drifted to sleep.
Jay looked down at his peaceful face.
She smiled sadly.
Carefully...
She pulled the blanket over both of them.
She knew moving away would wake him.
So she stayed.
Resting her head gently against his.
As sleep slowly claimed her...
One thought echoed in her heart.
"I promise..."
"One day..."
"I'll bring your mother back to you."
Wrapped safely in each other's embrace...
The two finally found the peace they had both been searching for.
To Be Continued...
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Author's Note
Some weekends are remembered because of the laughter...
Others are remembered because hearts finally found a safe place to break.
Sometimes...
A hug says everything that words never can. ❤️
Love you all veryyyyyyy much! 🫂💕
Your Author 💖