Chapter Twenty Three
“You okay there, babe?”
Scarlett sniffled loudly before nodding. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just - that was pretty emotional for me, you know? Tougher than I thought it would be but in a good way. I just can’t stop thinking about all those wasted years when I could have spent a whole lot of days like today instead of - well, you know.”
“I know.”
Jackson reached across the gearshift to give her thigh a quick, reassuring squeeze. He didn’t speak again as they continued to make the drive to his condo, knowing that for once she preferred the silence.
It had been an emotional afternoon and evening for her, albeit a very happy one. Meeting her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time had been awkward at first for Scarlett, who admittedly had never been very comfortable among large groups. The fact that everyone in the room was closely related to her hadn’t made things any easier for her, and the initial meet and greet had been more than a little uneasy.
It had been her grandmother who’d eventually broken the ice. Eileen Brockmeyer - who showed little to no signs now of having suffered a stroke several years ago - had taken both of Scarlett’s hands in her own, and looked earnestly into the blue eyes so like her own.
“I’m glad that Neil decided not to join us this afternoon,” Eileen had stated bluntly. “Because if he was here in the room right now I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself from throwing every sharp object I could get my hands on in his direction. The fact that he kept you from us all these years - years when you could have been part of our family, spending holidays and birthdays and vacations with us - well, it makes me want to scream. Or cry. Or both.”
Eileen’s husband Howard, who’d been sitting on Scarlett’s other side, had squeezed his granddaughter’s shoulder comfortingly.
“You could have lived with us,” he’d told her somberly. “Pretty damned obvious that Laura wouldn’t have stood for you living with her and Neil - no offense to your sister, Jack. But you would have always had a home here with us, Scarlett. Still could, for that matter. Anytime at all you want to come visit and stay awhile your grandmother and I would love to have you. Give us a chance to get to know you better.”
Tears had been silently tracking down Scarlett’s cheeks by then, and she had only been able to nod in response to her grandfather’s offer. She’d mumbled something about the possibility of coming for a visit after she graduated in May, but had been too overcome with emotion to make a firm commitment.
Fortunately, the rest of the afternoon and evening had been on the lighter side, though everyone present had gone out of their way to make Scarlett feel welcome. It was obvious that this was a close-knit, loving family, and she marveled that Neil was actually related to them. His sister Kim, who also bore a strong resemblance to Scarlett, took an instant liking to her newfound niece, and wasn’t the least bit shy in grumbling about Neil and Laura.
“We hardly ever see him these days,” Kim had told her bluntly. “Even as a teenager he always was a little too big for his britches - as my father likes to say - and had all these wild plans to get rich quick and live the good life. He latched onto Laura right after they met, practically sold his soul to gain entry into the Gilmore family, and now when that old bastard Barton tells my brother to jump all Neil can say is “how high”. It doesn’t bother me or my brothers all that much not to see him - frankly, none of us can tolerate that drama queen Laura for very long. But it hurts my parents when Neil spends every single holiday with the in-laws, just dropping by for a quick visit. And it breaks my mother’s heart not to see Hannah more than a handful of times a year. It’s easy to tell that you’re her half-sister, by the way. You both got the red hair and blue eyes, just like me and my mother.”
Scarlett had grinned wickedly at her aunt. “Yeah, and I can tell that it really pisses Laura off that her only child looks nothing like her.”
Kim had hooted with laughter. “God, I like you! You don’t tolerate bullshit for even a second, do you? You shoot from the hip, just like I do. And you’re right. Laura hates the fact that Hannah looks way more like me and my mother than any of the Gilmore women. When Hannah is a year or two older, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Laura and Candace started suggesting she’d look great as a blonde. But Hannah’s a tough little cookie, so she’ll stand up to her mother and grandmother. We were all hoping she’d be able to be here today, but I get that she still has to limit contact with other people. Oh, and by the way, you were a real angel to donate your blood marrow to her. After the crappy deal my asshole brother dealt you, you would have been well within your rights to tell him to go to hell.”
Scarlett had shrugged. “Believe me, if he’d been the one needing the donation, or like a kidney or something, that’s exactly what I would have told him. But none of this is Hannah’s fault. She’s just a kid. And while our circumstances are entirely different, she’s had an equally lousy time of it as I have.”
Kim had hugged her then, startling Scarlett a bit at the unexpected and enthusiastic display of affection - something she still wasn’t totally comfortable with.
“You’re a total sweetheart,” Kim had told her earnestly. “And it’s a good thing my asshole brother isn’t here right now because all of us would be giving him a piece of our minds. Forget about him, okay? Because while he might be a total failure when it comes to parenting you, I want you to know you can count on the rest of us - me, my brothers, and especially my parents. We’re your family, Scarlett. And we have a lot of lost time to make up.”
Scarlett thought about her aunt’s words now, as Jackson took the exit for his condo. It astounded her at how quickly and easily her father’s family had welcomed her into their fold, as well as how different they all seemed from the self-centered, status-obsessed Neil. Her uncles were all down to earth, comfortably dressed in jeans and T-shirts and sneakers, and were all construction workers. It was obvious that they had great respect and affection for Jackson, and he in turn seemed far more at ease with them than he did with his own brother-in-law. And while Neil’s two younger brothers weren’t as outspoken as their sister, both of the men - Dan and Will - had made it clear to Scarlett that they were thrilled to have her in the family, and that she could always count on them if she needed anything.
As the afternoon had turned into evening, Jackson had sensed somehow that this big family gathering was becoming just a little too much for her to handle. She wasn’t used to groups of this size, especially with eight children running around raucously. Her nieces and nephews ranged in age from Kim’s youngest at five to Dan’s oldest at sixteen. Tactfully, shortly after dessert had been served, Jackson made their excuses, claiming that Scarlett had some studying to do for a big exam coming up. She’d given him a grateful smile, silently amazed that he could read her body language so well and know that she was physically and emotionally drained.
Of course, it had taken nearly another half hour for good-byes to be said, hugs given, and promises made that she would keep in very close touch.