JC punched in the alarm code for the Fatone’s house and he hurried through the house looking for Kelly. He knew Joey wasn’t home; he was preparing for his new role on Broadway, the rest of his family would join him in New York shortly. But for now, JC was on the hunt for Kelly. He finally had the answer to her question after many sleepless nights.
JC found Kelly and the girls in the kitchen fixing supper. Kelly barely spared him a glance when he entered but the two girls ran over to give Uncle JC big hugs and kisses. They clamored for his attention, but he was on a mission. He picked up Kloey and held her on one hip while he placed his free arm around Briahna. “I know why I miss her.”
Pausing in her chopping, Kelly instructed Briahna to take Kloey into the other room and watch tv for a while. Briahna jumped at the chance and took the opportunity to escape from helping prepare supper.
“So why do you miss her?” And under her breath, “I can’t wait to hear this.”
He took a deep breath and leaned on the counter across from her, pulling over a stool to sit and get off his shaky legs. “I can’t believe it took you telling me to go home and think about why I miss her to come to a realization. I haven’t slept much since you confronted me about what my feelings were. It shouldn’t have come to that.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw uncomfortably. Kelly still didn’t look at him. “I miss – I miss her laugh, I miss her sense of humor, I miss how she took all my crap and still was there for me, I miss her being there everyday, I miss her helping me,” JC held up a hand when it was clear that Kelly didn’t approve and was about to interrupt. “I miss her smiling face, I miss her loving personality, I miss calling her just to hear her voice, I miss talking to her about nothing…I miss her…because I’m in love with her.”
Kelly dropped everything she held in her hands on the counter with a loud clatter and finally looked him straight in the eye. “Are you saying that because that’s what you think I want to hear?”
“What? NO! I can’t win with you, can I? What is it going to take to convince you to help me?” Kelly picked up the knife again while JC spoke, but didn’t continue cutting up the tomato she had been slicing.
“It’s going to take a lot more than just talk if you want my help. Lisa is my best friend and you have hurt her so badly in the past. I’m sick of standing by, watching, because then when you do something stupid, I’m the one who picks up the pieces when she shatters. She loved working for you when she first came out, but she watched you date woman after woman so she started to distance herself from you. Then for some reason you started treating her horribly. And still she put up with you, why I don’t know, but she stuck around taking care of you and taking all of the crap you shoved her way.”
Kelly had tears in her eyes as she went on, “Then she quits to get away from you, but you go and get in an accident which she feels responsible for. She was the one who stayed by your side every minute of every day that you were in that coma. And do you care – NO! You throw a glass of grape juice on her. I understand that you were hurt and upset, but there are plenty of other people that you can abuse, but you continually go back to hurt her. When you got better and realized that maybe you weren’t treating her right, did you see what you had – no. So you just go on living your life, not paying attention to the people you have around you. I had convinced Lisa to stick around, but then she caught you kissing your therapist. A woman who was so jealous she didn’t want you to be around Lisa. So what does she do, she decides right then and there to move back home to get away from you and get on with her life.”
“Even then you couldn’t leave her alone. Calling all the time. She felt she had no choice other than to make up a boyfriend to get you to stop. So when you come crying to me because you miss her, I’m not exactly jumping up and down to help you. If you hurt her one more time…” She started to violently slice the tomato as JC was without words.
Several long minutes went by as JC tried to process what Kelly had confronted him with. “Wow…I never realized…”
“I never should have said anything to you, she’ll never speak to me again if you finds out I told you anything.” Kelly shook her head in disappointment at herself.
“She will never find it out from me.” He circled the counter to stand next to Kelly. “Thank you for being such a good friend to her. I was the biggest jerk on the face of the planet and am kicking myself every minute for letting her slip through my fingers. She was so close and I never paid attention to what I had. But I figure if she went through all that and still has feelings for me then we are meant to be. I don’t want to waste any more time, I want her back in my life. Will you help me?”
Kelly took the knife she was using and pointed it close to JC’s face. He didn’t want to make any sudden moves. “If – if I do this and help you and you hurt her in any way, there is no where on this earth that you can hide. I will hunt you down and make you pay.” Her voice lowered threateningly.
Afraid to move, JC swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You help me and I swear to you I will never hurt her again.” He spoke passionately from his heart, trying to plead with Kelly. She searched his eyes for a moment trying to figure out if he was serious. Deciding he was, her eyes softened slightly. Taking the opportunity to save his neck, JC slowly backed away from the knife and went back to the safer side across from her.
“What do you have in mind? I’ll decide if I’ll help you after I hear what you want to do.”
“Well, I think I’ve come up with a perfect solution…”
***
“I don’t know Kelly, I’m really not in the mood.” Lisa paced around her house as she talked to Kelly on the phone.
“Come on Lisa, it’s Joey’s opening night on Broadway and you haven’t missed one yet. The girls miss you and are looking forward to seeing their Aunt Lisa. Please!” Kelly pleaded. “Just come for the weekend, fly in Friday afternoon and we’ll go to Joey’s show that night then spend Saturday doing whatever you want to do, maybe another show that night, then you can go home Sunday if you want to or stay longer it’s up to you.”
Lisa sighed as she considered the offer. “And you are sure that he will not be there?”
“I can promise you that he will not be in attendance.”
The phone line fell silent for a moment while Lisa weighed Kelly’s words. She trusted Kelly and knew she would never do anything to hurt her. If Kelly promised that JC wouldn’t be there, then JC wouldn’t be there, no matter what Joey and JC had cooked up.
“Alright, but I’ll stay in a hotel.” That way in case JC and Joey had planned something at the Fatone’s house, Lisa wouldn’t be there to see it.
“Are you sure? You can stay here, he’s not going to be around.”
“No, that’s alright. That way if I have an early flight, I won’t disturb anyone.”
“I’m so glad, I’ve missed you since you went back home. I know you won’t come out this way, but maybe the girls and I can come visit you sometime soon.”
“I would like that, it’s not the same talking on the phone. I’d better get off though, I have to get my flights arranged.” Lisa’s voice perked up at the thought of getting to see Kelly and talk face to face.
“I’ll make your hotel reservations, you know if I mention Joey’s name, you’ll get the best room available.”
“Okay, thanks, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
It was a good thing Lisa wasn’t around to see Kelly’s guilty expression as she looked over at JC, “It worked, she’s coming.” JC jumped up and pumped a fist in the air. “Just remember, you hurt her, I hurt you.”
“I won’t let her or you down,” he called as he headed out of the house to make his own arrangements and phone calls. “She’s coming to New York, she’s coming to New York!”
