Ch92 Google it

Janet rounded the corner and ran smack into Vice-principal McIntyre.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she cried as her books flew out of her hands.

“My fault, wasn’t watching where I was going,” he said, helping her pick them up. “I’m a pile of nerves lately.”

“It isn’t wedding jitters I hope?” she said, anxiously.

“Oh, no!” he said handing the books to her. “I can’t wait for that. We’re so perfect together. It’s more my mother and her sisters. They’re taking over the wedding making it far more complicated than it needs to be and it’s making us crazy. What is it with weddings? They make people go nuts!”

“You’re asking the wrong person. I’m thoroughly in favor of eloping,” Janet adamantly said.

Ch91 A Mother's Tears

Jeff had only just arrived home and sat down on the couch in front of the TV with a tall glass of milk and the cherished cookies the girls made for him. He was pretty darn sure he would eat the whole lot of them right then and there, in one sitting. Each bite he took was almost like being with the kids—especially his precious Janet…almost.

He had just selected the third delectable cookie and taken a bite when the phone rang. His heart skipped a beat when he looked at his cell phone and realized it was Wendy.

“Hey, Wendy, you okay?” he said.

“Hello, Jeffery. Yes, I’m fine,” she said.

“I just left the kids. They okay?”

“Yes, we’re all fine. I’m sorry to call so late…”

“Never too late to hear from you. What’s up?”

“Um… just needed to ask a huge favor.”

“Want me come over?” he asked, a mite too eagerly.

Ch90 Little White Lies

“Can I sleep over while your mom’s away?” Troy said with a devilish grin.

“Shut it!” Jasmine said under her breath. “If Mom even hears you say that, she won’t go at all.”

“She’s not even home now,” Troy said.

"Yeah, but she might have the neighbors spying on us. You never know,” Jasmine said, looking around as if to spot one of these supposed spies.

“What are they talking about?” Wes asked Janet as they approached the front porch of her house, following the others. “Where’s your mom going?” 

“New York City. Mr. Frank is taking her for a whole week to see how the finest restaurants are run, and of course, for more shopping,” Janet said. “She’s so excited!”

Wes relaxed. “Oh…that’s okay then. I thought for a minute…” he said shaking his head.

“What?”

Ch89 Great Together

“She’s here!” Luke shouted.

Alana jumped up and ran to Janet, then she stopped—as if embarrassed by her eagerness-- blushed and said in a particularly dignified voice, “Hello, Janet.”

Janet laughed and gave her a quick hug. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Welcome to Luke’s music studio,” Alana said.

Janet gasped as she looked around. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. This place is amazing,” she said staring wide-eyed at every imaginable musical instrument residing in its designated spot, ready to be played.

“Um…are more people coming?” she asked. “You know, like a whole orchestra?”

“No, just you,” Luke said, chuckling.

“But you do have other musicians who play with you?” Janet asked.

“Sure, there's Peter, but he couldn’t make it tonight,” he replied. “He has to babysit his little sisters while his mom’s at work and Jonah…well, I just don’t know about him. I think he’s gone. May need a replacement for him.”

Ch88 Bitchin Groupie

Wes stood up, grabbed Janet’s hand and frowned at his father. “Dad, you…uh... staying here long?”

“I don’t know. I’ll leave whenever Wendy kicks me out, I guess,” he replied, laughing when she playfully punched him.

“You can camp out on the couch for all I care,” she retorted.

“Wow, a sleep over. Cool!” Donny said.

“I should be back around nine, I hope, but it depends what they did to the computer,” Wes said, not at all happy with what he considered inappropriate banter.

“Well, I may see you then. Drive careful,” Donny said, then he turned back to talk to Wendy, completely ignoring them. "Hey, have you called your sister yet?"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me!" Wendy said.

Reluctantly Wes and Janet said their goodbyes, left the dinner table and went out into the foyer. Jasmine followed them with Troy close behind her.

Ch87 Time Well Wasted

“Oh, just perfect!” Wes snarled, as he was forced to stop for the long line of school buses cutting in front of his car. “Now we’ll never get home!”

“Never, Wes?” Janet said. “Being a bit melodramatic, aren’t you?”

“It sure will seem like it,” he retorted.

“It’s your own fault. If you hadn’t wasted ten minutes kissing me, we would have been out of here way ahead of them.”

“I hadn’t seen you all day and you know I need my Janet time. Kissing you is time well wasted,” he replied, and for good measure he pulled her toward him—as much as the seat-belt around her would permit—and kissed her again. “God, I love you.”

Ch86 Growing up

“I really think May will like this,” Wendy said walking around the empty apartment.

“The kitchen and bath have been remodeled not very long ago,” Donny said, looking at the information he had on this property. “And freshly painted. It’s small, but…”

“But not for May and Tristan. It’s nice and cozy. Besides, they don't have to stay here forever. It's just for right now. I’ll take it!”

Donny laughed and shook his head. “I told you, that’s not how it works. Call your sister and see what she says first. It only just came on the market and I can hold it for a bit.”

Wendy poked around a little more, opening cabinets and closets. “I like it. I’ll call her and…” She stopped at the ringing of her cell phone and she retrieved it from her small pocketbook. “Huh…it’s Stevie. Oh, that can’t be good,” she anxiously said. ”Stevie, you okay?”

Ch85 Huge Score

In quick order the kitchen was once again spotless and Wendy had only to put the cooled bread in bags and store them away while Donny looked through his mail.

“Anything in there for me?” Wendy asked, hanging up the damp kitchen towel.

“Pretty sure there isn’t. Sorry,” he said, smirking. 

“Better take a second look. According to Janet I’m Occupant. So….”

He laughed. “That so? Wish I had known that years ago. I’ve tossed away tons of your mail then. My bad. Here, you can have that and this, and heck, you can even have that,” he said tossing her a circular for a craft store, a card offering a free first visit from a new dentists’ office and a thick envelope with calligraphy-type writing on it.

Ch84 To New Friends

“I can’t believe you actually got me cooking,” Donny said, as he put foil wrap on a small baking dish. “You really are a great new friend, Wendy, and the best teacher.  I might be able to do this on my own thanks to you…I hope.”

“You will. It’s all written down and it’s super easy and if you have any questions, I’m only a phone call away,” she said as she placed two other baking dishes, labeled and covered in foil, into the freezer.

“But what am I going to do with all this food?”

“Eat it with your kids, you goof. Have family meals like you used to,” Wendy replied, as she labeled another baking dish and placed it in the fridge. “Now you have several nights’ worth of meals. You just have to pop them in the microwave, make a salad, warm up some crusty bread and there ya go!”

Ch83 Odd How it Works Out

“Hey, kids, homework done yet?” Wendy said, before getting to Cindy’s bedroom door. 

Good thing she did, too, because Stevie had been kissing Cindy. As it was, he had to let go of her hand and move slightly away from her.

“Yeah, I think she’s got it now,” he said, looking adorably guilty as he stood up.

“Really good of you, Stevie, to help Cindy as much as you do,” Donny said, completely oblivious to the potent undertone in the room.

“He is a very good boy. I am allowed to say it even if I am his mother, right?” Wendy said.