Remember Us

Nick and Katelyn were waiting at the airport for me when I got there. Katelyn was the first to scream my name and then follow up with jumping on me.

“Hey guys!” I say excitedly, though exhaustion had yet to take over and you could hear it in my voice.

“I’m so happy you’re back!” Katelyn screams once again.

Nick just laughs and shakes his head, “calm down Kate, I’m sure Julie’s tired.”

I smile, “thanks. Let’s get back to the house Nick, so that I can at least get some sleep in before tomorrow.”

They both agree and we drive back to his apartment. Surprisingly, Katelyn was staying with us to by telling her mom she was at a friend’s house. I’m sure Adam wouldn’t be too happy about that but I wasn’t going to say anything. We enter the house and it really looks like a teenage boys house. It wasn’t really messy but it also wasn’t tip-top shape either.

“which room am I sleeping in.”

“you’ll have the guest bedroom. It’s the one on the right. And don’t worry, it’s clean.”

I look at the two of them, “and where will Katelyn be sleeping?” I ask cautiously.

“aw, come on sis! Don’t be like that.”

“sis?” I laugh, “really Katelyn, you’re already calling me sis? And surely I can be like that, if I am a ‘sis’ then it’s my duty to make sure your brother isn’t going to kill me when he finds out.”

“if he finds out.” Katelyn adds. She looked nervous while Nick was just smirking.

“really Kate, honey, you’re totally oblivious. Julie’s not going to say anything and she’s just messing with you.”

“psh, you’re no fun Nick.”

“yeah, yeah. Get to bed now, you don’t want to be tired for tomorrow.”

“whatever. good night you two. And don’t stay up too late.” I walk into the bedroom and drop my things next to the door, deciding to unpack tomorrow.

~~~

After getting ready for the day I walk into the kitchen where Nick and Katelyn were. “can I borrow the car today?” I ask, not really feeling like going out and renting one.

“of course.” Nick tosses me the keys. “have fun.”

“yes, fun, that’s what this is going to be.” I say sarcastically and grab an apple on the way out.

I drive straight to the house that I knew all too well. It took the person about five seconds to get to the door when I knocked and that person was Guy. “Juliana?” He asks, sounding confused but there was also an edge of relief in his voice.

Before I could explain I heard some screaming from another room. “hi.”

“It’s good that you’re here.” He says with a forced smile.

There was another scream in Italian so thick that I couldn’t understand. “should I-” I motion back to the car.

“no, no. please, come on in.” I step inside and hear the door close behind me. When I turn around I notice that Guy made a run for it. I laugh shortly and quietly follow the sound of voices. It led me to the living-room where I sat so many times before.

“Nonèpiù tua (It’s not yours anymore!).” Jacqueline yells.

“néètuo (Neither is it yours!).” The other woman argues

Since it was obvious this argument was going no where I choose to jump in now rather than wait a couple hours. “Am I interrupting something?” I ask calmly, known fully that I was.

“oh look who it is, the girl who ruined everything.”

I smile politely at her, “aw, it’s good to see you too Jacqueline.”

“you must be Juliana! I’ve heard so much about you.”

“and you must be Elisabeth DiGerlando.” She pulls me into a close hug and I awkwardly hug back. “it’s nice to finally put a face to all the stories.”

“come out with it, what do you want?”

I look over at Jacqueline, mad at her for interrupting the introductions between Adam’s grandmother and myself. “what do you think I want?”

“my ring back.”

“not your ring J.” Elisabeth tells her.

“don’t you ever call me J again Mrs. DiGerlando. And the ring is still mine.”

“I’m not here for the ring. Though I love it very much, Adam has already replaced it with a new one. So now I’m just waiting for you to give it up.” I tell her, “or die.” Elisabeth chuckles at that add on. “Anyways. I’m actually here for something much more important than the ring. I want to talk to you about the apartment.”

“if you’re here to convince me to keep it, then you wasted your time and money.”

I reach forward and take a couple of the chocolates out of the bowl. “I’d like to think otherwise.”

“give it your best shot.” Jacqueline dares me.

After swallowing one of the chocolates, I start my argument. “It’s simple really. The apartment is your home away from home. It was the first place you live on by yourself, it’s where you met Lucas, and it’s where you go when you need to paint. Giving something like that up just doesn’t make sense. Especially when you’re giving it up for all the wrong reasons.”

She laughs, “As if you know why I’m giving it up.”

“Actually, I do. You and Lucas met there. It was this romantic story that you would tell to your friends and family, even your kids. After his death you continued to go back there just for the memories of it all. Trust me, I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I’m still getting over the death of my parents. So it makes sense that you held onto something like the apartment. You remarried and moved on from Lucas, though never forgetting about him. He’s a topic you never want to talk about and you really don’t want anyone, like me, to know about him. The story of how you first met disappeared along with him and is now replaced by the story of you and Guy.”

Jacqueline sighs impatiently, “is this going anywhere?”

“when you heard that Adam and I met there you became jealous. That was your apartment, your spot. And we, in some cases, took it from you. Now, instead of you talking about how you met your first love there, that will be Adam and my story. Out of jealously, and just pure hatred toward me, you’re selling the apartment. So when Katie is older, we won’t be able to come back here and say ‘that’s where your father and I first met.’ Because it won’t be there for us.”

Elisabeth looked at me with pure amazement. I guess she wasn’t expecting anything close to that. Her imagination probably included a lot more screaming and swearing in it. “you’re wrong.” Jacqueline says.

“am I?”

“yes, you are. I’ve moved on from Lucas. He’s dead, in the past. I don’t care anymore.”

“right. That’s why you’ve kept his last name.”

“That’s-”

“and why you won’t let go of the ring.”

“How dare-”

“or how about the fact that you haven’t been back to Maine.”

“you know nothing.” She sneers at me.

I lean forward in my seat, “Either you take it off the market, or I’ll buy it. Which one will it be J?” She glares at me, waiting for me to back down. But I don’t and instead stand up, “fine, I’ll call up Adam and tell him the plan. I’m sure you’ll be fine never meeting your granddaughter.”

“you can’t keep my family away from me.”

“trust me, it wouldn’t be me staying away.” I tell her honestly.

Another round of staring and she finally gave in. “Fine. It’s off the market. But I swear, next time-”

“next time what? You’ll not come to the wedding? Trust me, it would be an honor to never have to see you again.” I turn my attention to Elisabeth. “It was nice to finally meet you Elisabeth. Sorry it had to be under these conditions. Don’t be afraid to call or hey, even come visit.”

She pulls me into a hug, “I’ll think about that. Now be good and don’t get into too much trouble.”

I laugh, “I’ll try.” With that I left the room but that didn’t stop me from hearing their hushed voices. Before I even reached the front door I was stopped by Jacqueline. “Look, I didn’t mean any-” she interrupted me by hugging me as I just stood there shocked.

“you’re a bitch, you know that?” she asks with a light tone.

“um, actually that’s the first time anyone has ever said that.” I tell her.

“oh, well you are.”

“okay…”

“so, welcome to the family.”

I give her a strange look. “wait, was that all a test?”

“kind of.”

“you’re kidding right?”

she shrugs, “had to see if you could put up a fight. And my did you put up a fight.”

“thanks, I think.”

“so, when’s this wedding?”

I bite my lip, “he hasn’t actually proposed yet. We’re taking things a lot slower since the last two times it has ended badly.”

Jacqueline slips the ring off her finger and hands it to me, “well, when he decides to pop the question, you’ll have the right ring.”

I smile, “thanks. I really do have to go though, my plane leaves tonight.”

“oh, okay. I guess I should apologize now then for everything I put you through.”

“don’t worry about it. All is forgiven.” I give her one last hug and then continue to the front door. Just before I open it though, I realize what she just apologized for. “wait.” I turn to face her again, “you planned all of this, didn’t you?”

“didn’t I just say I did?”

“no, the cake…hiring me, having Adam leave…this was all a plan or yours.”

Jacqueline nods and for the first time I realized that she was right, I was the bitch here not her. I broke up a wedding, I talked about things that shouldn’t be talked about, and in the end, I won everything. “Stephanie was only after him for his money. After Katelyn gushed about you I figured that if anyone could make him change his mind, it would be the woman he loves and his daughter.”

I laugh and shake my head, “it’s a really good thing you were on my side.”

“that it is. Now go, you do have a flight to make after all.”

“right. I’ll talk to you later.” With that, I finally step out of the house and close the door. Everything was, for once, perfect. Now I just had to find a way to tell Adam about it all.