Ch 64: Doing it on their own

Janet filled the vase with water and then placed the flowers in it one by one. “They’re really nice, Wes, but you shouldn’t have taken them from your mom’s garden,” she said.

Wes stared at her reflection in the mirror and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s what guys in love do,” he whispered, nuzzling his face in her hair. “You’re so beautiful.”

Janet's heart skipped a beat and she fleetingly wondered if she'd ever get used to it. “You’re too much, Wes,” she said turning to face him. As she knew would happen, he kissed her and she couldn’t deny it to herself any longer. She liked it very much.

“Wes and Janet, you better hurry up! You’re going to be late,” Wendy shouted to them. One last kiss and they rushed down the stairs hand in hand. 

“Here you go. Have a great day,” Wendy said handing over two bags.

“What’s this for, Mom?” Janet asked.

“It's lunch. One is for you and Wes to share and the other for Stevie. He left before I could give it to him,” Wendy replied. “I went overboard cooking yesterday, so have a picnic and I expect you all for dinner tonight. Both you and Cindy, too, Wes, okay?  Someone’s gotta eat all this food and besides, I need time with my favorite kids while I have a chance. Now that I’m working odd hours, I won’t be around as much as usual. Plus, you’ll all be in college soon enough. I already feel empty-nest syndrome coming on.”

“Oh, come on, you know you’ll never be rid of me,” Troy said. 

“Oh, you liar! You’re the first one to go in less than a year. Oh, don’t make me think of it! I already miss you,” Wendy said.

Troy gave her a huge hug and kissed her cheek. “That better?”

“A little,” she replied and waved them all off. 

Troy and Jasmine headed for his car and Janet waited for Wes to open the car door for her since her hands were full. She slid in and turned toward the backseat already occupied by Steve and Cindy.

“Stevie, you forgot this,” she said passing over the bag.

“What is it?” he said, taking it and looking inside.

“What do you think, genius?” Janet retorted. “It’s food, enough to feed an army. There’s so much stuff in the house Mom’s now resorted to packing us lunch. At least I know it’ll be better than anything they have in the cafeteria.”

“That is so nice. She makes you breakfast and lunch,” Cindy said with obvious envy.

“And dinner too,” Steve said closing up the sack and stuffing it into his backpack.

“We’re invited to dinner tonight, Cindy,” Wes said, as he buckled up and started the car.

“Really? That is so cool!” Cindy said. “I’ll be starved by then. I doubt I’ll like what’s for lunch. Nothing as good as you're having.”

“You know,” Steve said as casually as he could muster. “You can share my lunch… if you want. I can’t eat all of this by myself.” 

“You can’t? Since when?” Janet scoffed.

“Really? You would do that?” Cindy said.

“Sure,” Steve said, sheepishly grinning at her. 

Cindy giggled. “I can show you proper lunch manners. Your mom will be impressed when I turn you from a Neanderthal to a true gentleman by dinner time.”

“Good luck with that,” Janet said. “You’re more likely to get him to wear a dress.”

“Hey!” Steve shouted as the others laughed.

“Wow, that’s so nice of your mom,” Cindy said. “Feeding us breakfast and dinner.”

“And lunch, too. You will have lunch with me, right?”

She smiled and nodded. They rode the rest of the way in a happy silence neither of them listening to the conversation going on in the front seat.

“Okay, all middle school kids outta here!” Wes said several minutes later. “Come to the game, Cindy. Dad will be there and then we can go to Janet's house.”

“Oh, no! What about Dad?” Cindy said.

“What about him?” Wes asked.

“If we go to Janet’s house for dinner, what will he do? Go home all alone?” Cindy anxiously said.

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Janet said. “I’m sure I can get him to come with us. I can be very persuasive, you know.”

“You mean you have my father wrapped around your finger,” Wes said smirking.

“Cool!” Cindy said and she walked off talking excitedly with Steve.

“I’m surprised they like each other so much,” Janet said, watching them walk close together into the school with a throng of other kids crushing in around them. “I thought I would have to bribe Stevie to get him to tutor her and now she’s teaching him manners and helping him with Spanish.”

“Little brothers can surprise you, I guess,” Wes said. “And it’s not like they really like each other… can’t do that. They’re just helping each other out with school work. They can be friends, but that's all.”

“Why shouldn’t they really like each other?” Janet said.

“Are you kidding? Cindy’s way too young for a boyfriend, especially one like your brother,” he said.

“And what’s wrong with my brother?” Janet snapped.

“You said it yourself. He’s a horndog.” 

“I never said that!”

Wes parked then shut off the car and turned to Janet frowning slightly. “You’re right. It wasn’t you. I heard Jasmine say it. She said he had more girlfriends than…”

“Girls chase him. He was going out with some silly little thing over the summer, but that didn’t last long. Even he couldn’t put up with such stupidity, even if she was super hot. I think your sister will be good for him.”

“Whoa! Don’t do the yenta thing on my sister, Janet. She doesn’t need that,” Wes said, almost angry.

Janet stared at his serious expression and shook her slowly head. “I wasn’t going to,” she said.

Wes sighed in relief, leaned over the console and kissed her. “Thank you. I know I'm a little protective of her, but she's my only sister,” he said and he hopped out of the car.

“I won’t need to do a thing, cuz they’re doing it on their own,” she mumbled to herself before Wes came around to her side and opened the door for her.