Thanksgiving Day

November 27

Jase's POV

I sit at the table in Lacey and Duke's house. My parents are seated beside me. My four month old daughter is on my lap asleep. Chasity, Wes, and Freddy are across from me. Duke is beside me on the end of the table next to an empty seat. The other end is where his and Lacey's mom, Sam, is seated next to Luke. I told Lance about the dinner but it seems like he got himself a girlfriend and is meeting her parents. I wonder how Lacey is doing. I haven't heard from her since I left. Or since she yelled at me to leave.

Hope had the baby four months ago. It's a girl. Her name is Ivy and she has hazel eyes and brown hair. So I got custody and Ivy Rodriguez is now my full responsibility. When Ivy was born she started crying and Hope said that it was too much noise and to shut the thing up. You don't how much I wanted to hurt her. That was only piece of why I got full custody of Ivy and Hope hasn't contacted me since. I guess she really doesn't care about the baby. Most moms and their babies would have a connection so strong that you would never be able to break them apart. But not her. How can you give birth to the baby look into his/her eyes and then instantly be like 'Ew take it away before it throws up on me or something!'

"So how are you Jase? College okay?" Sam asks me.

"I'm fine. And college is fine. I'm playing basketball more since it's about to be winter. I'm trying to graduate so I can be a coach for maybe middle or high school."

"That's amazing. I know you'll be perfect for the job."

"Thanks Sam." She nods.

"Ivy doing okay?"

"Yep she's fine. She doesn't cry much any more. She's really quiet but sweet." I look down at her sleeping figure lovingly.

"That's because she's no where near the devil." Duke murmurs.

"Who's the devil honey?" Sam asks Duke.

"Ivy's mother. Hope."

We all laugh and then the good mood falls.

"Have any of you talked to Lacey?" My mom asks looking at everyone seated at the table. The guys shake their heads.

She hasn't even contacted Duke? She didn't tell him she was leaving and hasn't talked to him recently. Not even her mom.

Chasity avoids eye contact as she shakes her head fast. She has a guilty look on her face.

"Chas... You would tell us if she talked to you right?" I use my desperate depressed face and voice.

"Uh I umm..." She stammers. "Jase... You remember that you were going to tell her that you get full custody of the baby but she left. She left because of Hope. She said that Hope told her that she couldn't take the baby's father away from the baby and that Lacey knows how it feels...since her dad died. And she told you to go home because she thought it was the right thing. But she said it wasn't and she started crying. It broke my heart because she sounded so sad. She said she was lonely and was complaining about how much she wanted to be through with college. She said she missed all of us so that's why she is coming back...today." Chasity finished.

Everyone at the table has their eyes and mouths wide open.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything. Lance took the phone and made me promise not to tell anyone. But I can't keep it a secret anymore. It was killing me." A tear rolls down her cheek from her eyes.

The phone rings snapping us out of our shock.

"I'll get it Sam." I stand up from the table and give Ivy to my mom. Then I walk out the kitchen hearing Sam say thank you. I get to the living room and answer the phone.

"Hello."

"Is this a relative of Lacey Robertson?" An unrecognizable voice asks.

"Yes. Why? Is something wrong?" I ask anxiously.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry to say this but... Ms. Robertson has been in a terrible car crash down the street from her house. An 18 wheeler truck crashed into the cab she was in. She was rushed to the Wayside hospital immediately. She is in surgery right now as we speak. I'm sorry again sir."

The phone dial goes off as the phone drops from my hand.

She was here. She was on her way to her house. She's in the hospital. Holy shit.

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I told everyone about Lacey then Sam fainted and had to be taken to the hospital. She is in a room with my mom, dad, and daughter waiting for her to wake up. The rest of us are sitting in the waiting area. Chas is crying on Wes' shoulder as Duke is pacing around with tears streaming down his face and Freddy tries to calm him down. Luke is talking to himself and my parents come back and sit by each other. They hold each other while crying and trying not to squish Ivy. I'm not so good myself. Actually I'm terrible.

The door opens to a police man who walks up to me.

"Are you Jase Rodreguiz?"

"Uh yeah." I say confused.

"Come with me please." I follow him out until we're outside.

"We retrieved Ms. Robertson's phone from the car and it seems as if she has an important message she wanted to send to you but never got to."

He hands me her phone and walks away. I open the text and start to read it.

'Jase.

I just wanted to say. First of all I'm so sorry. I should've just come to you and talked. I know I shouldn't have believed Hope. I didn't think about if she could be lying. But that shows how much I have learned. Also I just thought I was doing what was right. You have no idea how much I want to be with you but I start to think of Hope and your baby. I don't want anyone to think I'm being a replacement mom if I'm with you. When your baby grows up it would ask where's mommy. And we both know it would be hard telling him/her their mom didn't want them. And I feel horrible for saying those mean things and making you leave the college. Like I said I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm heading home now for the Thanksgiving dinner which I know you will be at. Then we can talk. And please tell everyone that I'm sorry for ignoring them.

Love Lacey.'

Tears fall down my face as I realize she was coming home to talk to me and make everything better.

I hear the door open and close behind me as I wipe the tears off my face.

"You okay?" I look beside me to see Duke with red eyes and a frown.

"Yeah I think so. I just can't believe she was almost home and this happens."

"Me neither. You wanna come with me to go home and get some clothes?"

"Sure. I need a breather."

We get to his house and he grabs a duffel bag then stuffs his clothes and his moms in it. We walk over to my house and I do the same. Me with one bag and my parents with another. Then I get a baby bag and fill it with diapers, wipes, bibs, clothes, bottles, toys, and baby food and formula. I turn around to leave and see Duke sitting on my bed looking at a small black box in front of the picture of me and Lacey.

"What's this?" Duke holds up the box. He opens it to find a silver ring with a small diamond and other tiny diamonds around the band. "I pray it's not for Hope."

"Hell no! It was for Lacey when I went to see her last year but I kept it."

"Well in the car you told me that she apologized and wanted to talk to you because she wanted to be with you. I think you should keep it and wait till the perfect time to give it to her. I think its a good idea. And I agree with your decision 100%. I don't think there's any guy that can make my baby sister as happy as you make her." He smiles and looks at me.

"Thanks Duke." We bro hug.

"Yeah now let's go. No more lovey dovey shit." We both laugh and carry the bags to his car.

"Just wait until you find a girl Duke. You'll see."

"Maybe but until then to hell with romance." We laugh. He's really stupid.

We get to the hospital and turn the corner almost to the waiting room. Duke runs into someone and causes them to fall to the ground.

"Ouch." The tiny voice says.

"Oh I'm sorry. Here lemme help you." Duke helps the girl up.

She's white and has long curly brown hair and brown eyes. Not as beautiful as Lacey but she's cute. She is shorter than Duke and I but taller then Lacey and Chasity.

"Um thank you." She smiles at Duke. They look into each others eyes and you can see the sparks flying. "Um I'm Kaylee. I'm a volunteer at the hospital."

"Um I uh I'm uh." Duke stammers and stares at her like she's the only thing in the world.

I walk up to him and whisper, "Fuck romance right? She's cute. Talk to her."

"His name is Duke. And he asked if you would like to sit with him for a coffee. He's really sad and out of his mind because his little sister is in surgery right now." I tell her.

"Aw!! That's horrible. Of course I will! The cafeteria is this way." She grabs Dukes hand and pulls him down the hallway.

Duke turns to me and mouths 'thank you.' I mouth back 'your welcome.'

That was his happy ending. Will me and Lacey ever get ours?

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For anyone who wanted to know the cab driver man is fine :)