69 - Into Each Life A Little Rain Must Fall

Huffing quietly, Sheridan pulled her scarf tighter as she stepped out of Bloomingdale’s door onto Lexington Avenue.  She had been to five stores so far and had come to the conclusion that Upper East Side had nothing suitable.  Nothing. 

It shouldn’t be that hard to find a simple dress.  Everything was too fussy, too formal, not formal enough, too long, too short.  Determined that she would wear something already in her closet before she would look like a sugary confection, Sheridan passed up gown after dress after frock in search of a garment that represented the classically tailored woman she was. 

Those racks packed full of frou-frou lace and rhinestone creations were for young, dewy-eyed women walking in a romantic cloud of fantasy.  There was no fantasy involved here – only two responsible adults solemnly joining their lives without delusion as to what the future would bring.

Her last stop was going to be Chanel, which was about four blocks away.  Maybe they would have… something. 

She turned from Lexington onto to East 58th, lamenting the society who had determined that timelessly classic designs were outdated and undesirable.  Timelessly classic was self-explanatory, wasn’t it?  It didn’t GO out of style!

You’re only bitching at the faceless moguls of the fashion industry because it’s a distraction.  Thank God Jon gave you an assignment to occupy your mind, or you would be quietly going nuts, dreading this whole thing.

No.  Not dread.  She didn’t dread marrying Jon.  While it was true that they hadn’t been ‘together’ very long, they’d been together enough for her to know that he was different than Ian.   In a good way.

Ian didn’t understand her, and had never really tried.  While she hadn’t confessed this even to herself, at the time, Sheridan had believed if they had a child together that she would end up taking care of Ian as well as the baby.  That was his perception of a woman.  He had doted on her, but he had expected her to fulfill a “woman’s role”. 

Being a mommy to her husband had never been on her agenda.

With Jon…  With Jon she wouldn’t have that problem.  He didn’t need a mommy and, unless she grossly misunderstood him, he respected her as much as she did him.  They were well-matched on many levels, and there was the added bonus that he was experienced with parenthood.  She felt comfortable that she could turn to him for help filling the gaps that her own lack of experience created. 

Did that mean he was going to step in and change diapers?  No,  probably not, but she didn’t need someone to do for her, she needed someone to stand beside her and help her figure it out.  He was the man to do that.

We’re going to make a good life.  A life free of the drama that’s been plaguing us so far.  We’re going to get through this post-wedding, post-pregnancy announcement storm and it’s going to be smooth sailing. 

Absently glancing in the window of the next store, Sheridan drew up short, mesmerized by something behind the huge sheet of plate glass.  A funny feeling of déjà vu traveled from the pit of her stomach to the fine hairs standing rigid on her neck and arms. 

Green eyes flicked to the elegant sign seated over the door. 

Spanierman’s Gallery. 

Karma.  We meet again.

The same gallery where she had found Jon’s Christmas gift now displayed a piece of art that perfectly mirrored the thought she had just processed.   She had to get a closer look.

Chanel forgotten, she tugged on the brass door handle and crossed the threshold into the quaint little gallery that Suzanne had unwittingly introduced her to.  She made a bee-line for the painted canvas that hung in the window, yet far enough away to minimize its exposure to the direct, damaging light of the sun.

Sheridan bounced onto her toes, peering around the driftwood-framed edge that closely matched that of Jon’s storm painting.  That and the ocean were the only resemblance the two pieces shared. 

Whereas the storm painting had been a representation of darkness, turmoil and passion with its inky colors splashed with a vibrant streak or two, this one…  It was totally different.

The ocean bore scarcely a ripple under a pale yellow sky.  The only darkness in this tranquil scene was the occasional stroke of dark umber that was used to lift the pastel palette of yellows, oranges and pinks to a plane of pure serenity.

Her eyes darted to the tiny placard tucked in the lower corner of the frame, and Sheridan felt a sweet peace steal over her soul.  Appropriately enough, the piece was entitled “After the Rain”.

After the rain comes the sunshine as God’s reward for weathering the storm.  We needed the storm to find one another, but it’s over now and I’m claiming this sunshine for us.  No more rain, only a tranquil sea on which to sail.

Tranquility.  That was her vow to Jon and their marriage.  And the baby. 

“Can I help you, miss?” 

She turned to smile at the same young woman who would be earning a second sales commission from Sheridan in less than a month’s time.  “Yes.  You can.  I need this wrapped and delivered to the hangar at Teterboro Airport by five o’clock.  I don’t care what it costs.”

§§§

[3:45 PM]MANDI: Can you go to the movies Friday?

Jesse grinned when he saw the text message pop up on his cell phone. 

New Year’s Eve had been great.  Mandi was not only smokin’ hot but she was fun to be with, too.  Given half a chance, he could get into dating her and had been wondering when they would get their next chance to see each other. 

Things hadn’t worked out so well for them since they parted ways in the early hours of 2012.  With her sister having that emergency surgery, she had been at the hospital or under house arrest with her aunt every day that he had been in the city with his dad. 

He didn’t have a problem with Mandi’s aunt.  She was okay, but she had no clue about the social lives of teenagers and kept her niece on a short leash.  The dreaded ‘school night’ justification was the best one she could come up with for keeping Mandi confined to quarters so, while he had often talked and texted with the pretty blonde, they hadn’t been face to face – or lip to lip – for almost two weeks. 

It was encouraging to know he wasn’t the only one still interested in hanging out.  She was an amazing kisser.

Abandoning History homework in favor of something a little more current, he relocated from the desk to drape himself face-first across his bed. 

[3:46 PM]JESSE:  Mom won’t let me drive in the city and Dad’s going out of town.  If he’s back by then sure.

[3:47 PM]MANDI: I just heard my mom say Aunt Sheri is going out of town.  Is she going with your dad?

[3:49 PM]JESSE: Probably. 

[3:51 PM]MANDI: Don’t you think that’s weird?  

He frowned for a split second and mentally shrugged.  It wasn’t weird for him, but he guessed he could see why it might be for Mandi. His dad traveled all the time and, while he didn’t think about it much, Jesse automatically assumed there were women involved.  Dad was the great Jon Bon Jovi, after all. 

[3:52 PM]JESSE: Weird how?  You mean the fact that my dad is probably screwing your aunt?

[3:53 PM]MANDI:  OMG! Ewwwww!  Your dad IS kinda hot for an old guy but I don’t wanna think about his wrinkly butt having sex.

He didn’t want her thinking about his dad’s butt at all.  If she was going to think about any Bongiovi butt, it ought to be his.    

[3:55 PM]JESSE: But MY butt isn’t wrinkly

[3:57 PM]MANDI: If you take a picture of your butt and send it I’m never talking to you again.

Another grin snuck onto his face and he rolled onto his back to type out the tongue-in-cheek reply.

[3:58 PM]JESSE:  You can’t handle me in the buff baby.  XD

[4:00 PM]MANDI:  Oh puhleeze!  I can handle you and two more like you.

Oh, really?

The horny teenager that lived large inside of him reared his sleepy head at the subtle challenge.

[4:02 PM]JESSE:  Prove it.  Friday night.

Chances were that she was going to blow him off by laughing in his face.  He fully expected her to, but there was that glimmer of hope that led straight to his hormones. 

If he had held his breath waiting for her answer, Jesse would be dead.  The semi-serious text message hung out there in cyberspace, mocking him and going completely unanswered.  Two minutes...  four minutes… then six, then eight. 

[4:10 PM]JESSE:  Hello?  Did I scare you little girl?

For his taste, the answering text was still way too slow coming, but it did finally appear.

[4:13 PM]MANDI:  I’m not a little girl.  What do you mean prove it?

[4:15 PM]JESSE:  Use your imagination.

[4:17 PM]MANDI: If you’re asking me to have sex the answer is no.

Shot down.  You can’t blame a guy for trying, though.

[4:20 PM]JESSE:  Alright. 

Again with the noticeable pause.  Was she pissed?  Or – God – had he hurt her feelings?  You just never knew what was going to set a girl off.  He’d seen it a million times between his friends and their girlfriends.  The simplest question or comment was the catalyst to the biggest bitch fits.  Mandi hadn’t struck him as the type to do dramatic hysterical, but…

[4:23 PM]MANDI: Is that what you were asking?

Better back off anyway.  Just to be on the safe side.

[4:24 PM]JESSE:  Not really.  Unless you wanted me to be.

[4:26 PM]MANDI: I didn’t want you to be.

Okay.  He got the picture.  No need for that silent treatment thing that Steph was always doing with her boyfriend.  Could they move along now?  Jesse was in the process of typing out that question when she followed up with an unexpected tidbit of information.

[4:37 PM]MANDI: I’ve never had sex.

O-kayyy.  What the hell am I supposed to do with that? 

[4:40 PM]JESSE: That’s cool.  I’m good with what we did on NYE.

[4:43 PM]MANDI: You’re a good kisser.  So… You think your dad will end up marrying my aunt? 

Talk about your abrupt change of topic.  He didn’t want to talk about his dad and Sheridan.

[4:45 PM]JESSE: Doubt it.

[4:46 PM]MANDI: Why?

Why wouldn’t he take the time to enjoy his freedom after being married for so long?  Women threw themselves at him all the time.  Why tie himself down to one when he didn’t have to?  It made perfect sense to Jesse.

[4:48 PM]JESSE: Because he was tied down for a million years.  He’s playing the field and I don’t blame him.

[4:50 PM]MANDI:  Lol. You just called your dad a man whore. 

[4:51 PM]JESSE: No I didn’t.

[4:52 PM]MANDI: You SO did!  You’re jealous of him screwing whoever he wants. 

[4:54 PM]JESSE: I’m 17.  Of course I am.

[4:55 PM]MANDI:  That’s creepy that you envy your dad’s sex life.  Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up with another little brother or sister?  That would FREAK me out!

Jesse’s head fell back into the pillow as he laughed out loud.  If he was going to have little brothers or sisters, it would’ve happened before now.  It just wasn’t likely after all the safe sex talks Steph and Jesse had been forced to endure since they’d become teenagers.

There were a lot of things you could say about his much-absent father, but being a hypocrite wasn’t one of them.  Jesse respected that his dad was a straight-talker.  You might not like what he had to say, but the man believed everything that passed through his lips.

[4:58 PM]JESSE:  Never happen.  Trust me.