Closure.
Thanks for going along on the ride and a special thanks to LarryInSeattle.
==============
Jess is so lost in her thoughts it barely registers that they've landed. The seat where Jon should be sitting is occupied by an older gentleman who, having nodded in her general direction when he boarded, had been content after that to occupy his time perusing a journal whose pages were cluttered with arcane math symbols. She'd made her decision as soon as the van carrying Jon had disappeared around the bend of the resort's driveway. Yes, she'd made up her mind but now she's trying to decide if the new concern occupying her thoughts has any bearing on that decision. As the plane makes its maddeningly slow way to the gate, her mother reaches across the aisle and touches her arm.
"Are you okay, honey? You look pale. Are you getting sick?" Gloria doesn't wait for an answer. "Honey, I know, believe me, that this sounds like the sort of pablum old people tell young people, but it's true. Everything is going to be alright; whatever happens, it will be alright. You need to believe that, trust in that."
Not trusting herself to speak, Jess simply nods. The seatbelt sign dings and goes dark and there's the usual insensible dash to be the first to jump up. Before she can pop open the overhead bin, Gloria grabs her in a ferocious hug. James, hunched over and trapped in the window seat, settles for squeezing her forearm. Halfway up the jetway, Jess panics. She appears to be about to bolt back onto the plane but surrenders herself to her mother's embrace. Gloria holds her until she quits trembling.
Is this the right thing? What if I'm wrong? How can he be sure? Is this the right thing? Fuck!
- Her thoughts are a pack of mad dogs tumbling and snarling inside her skull. She puts both palms against her temples and squeezes as hard as she can, squeezes until she starts to see stars. Her parents regard her with growing concern but Jess' breathing slows. She's still pale but no longer ghostly. She takes a deep breath and as she lets it out she opens her eyes and nods. Gloria nods back. She can't help herself; it kills her to see her daughter so pale. She resorts to a trick that she learned from her own mother. She pinches Jess' cheeks a few times. "There you got a bit of color now, better than rouge," she tells her daughter before she puts an arm around her waist and walks with her up the ramp.
***
For his part, Jon is calm. No one looking at him would be able to tell that his heart is pounding. He's forgotten that David is standing slightly behind him. For his part, David is cursing himself for thinking this was a good idea and is considering dashing into one of the bars and texting Jon his apologies. As the crowd exiting the security area begins to thin, a hint of nervousness starts to show around Jon's eyes. There's more than one flight arriving. The board reports Jess' plane is at the gate but he has no real idea when to expect her. The crowd slows to a trickle before he spots her. His mom has an arm around her.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, is she okay, this is my fault, what am I doing to her? Asshole. Selfish jerk dick asshole.
Jon's control begins to slip away as he berates himself.
David, despite barely knowing him, senses Jon's body tightening. He puts a hand on his arm, afraid he'll bolt through the security barrier and get himself arrested. The arm under his fingers trembles. "Jon, relax, buddy. It's okay. You can't go to her yet."
Jon nods and his body relaxes. He moves closer to the security exit but stays back far enough not to draw a warning from the bored TSA agent sitting at his high desk. It's Jess that runs. She darts between irritated passengers, sprinting for the exit.
Even though he's prepared, the force of Jess jumping into his arms causes him to stumble backward into the wall. He can't speak. Her lips are all over him. He doesn't care. As she ran, he could see she wore the necklace.
"Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Vandermach?" Gloria and James tear their eyes away from their children. David sees the play of emotion in their eyes. "I really shouldn't be here but Jon insisted and I really wanted to meet the two of you, the three of you," he corrects himself. "I'm David, David Berman, the gallery dealer, Caitlin's friend." He offers his hand. James shakes it. Gloria gives it a quick squeeze before turning back to her children, cheeks wet. "As I said, I feel an utter fool thinking this was a good idea. I just wanted to tell you that in the couple days Jon has let me watch him work I'm even more impressed by his art than I was when Caitlin sent me that first photo. Amazing. Truly. But I'm even more impressed by his caliber as a person. He's a great soul, your son. Lovely soul. I'm sure you know that. I will do my best to help and take care of your son and his work. You have my word on that. Here's my card. Call me if you have any concerns. I think I'll just slip away now."
"Please don't go, Mr. Berman." It's Gloria that speaks as she wipes her eyes. "I know Jess won't feel right until she meets you. She has convinced herself that since she, 'doesn't know anything about art', that she'll be uninvolved in Jon's art. She's not a foolish person but that idea is, of course, absurd. I don't know how much you know but she's going to be very much involved in Jon's art, his life."
"Jon has spoken of it. It's unconventional, to state the obvious, but looking at the two of them and to an even greater extent, looking at Jon's art, I don't see how something that powerful can be ignored or set aside. That is likely not what you'd like to hear but, from my vantage point, it seems, nonetheless, to be true."
"If you're going to be doing business with our son, I expect you to speak your mind. I'm James, by the way, and this is my wife, Gloria. Forgive my manners; it's a bit stressful." The two men shake again. "I suggest we get an Uber and let Jon and Jess make their own way home," he offers. The two of them have separated and stand holding hands, foreheads touching, talking.
"Jon hasn't let me pay for a damn thing all week. How can I claim an airline ticket as an expense with nothing else? Please, for my accountant's sake, let me pay for the Uber? Dinner even?"
"Far be it from me to give your accountant an ulcer," Gloria says, smiling through her wet eyes. "I'm busy working on my own. Let me go see if I can make either of those two understand that we're leaving and we'll see them at home. I'd not be surprised if they simply forget where they are and we get a call at two in the morning that they're still standing there holding hands."
She and James make their way over to the couple. Jon gives them both bear hugs. He's crying. That sets Gloria off and even James is sniffling by the time they re-join David. "What the hell are you crying about?" Gloria asks David, noticing his red, wet eyes and putting her arm through his.
"I've always been a big cry baby," David admits, wiping his own eyes. "Come on. Anyone want to stop for a drink before we blow this popsicle stand?"
"If it's a double, yes," James assures him.
They leave Jess and Jon talking and begin the long walk toward the terminal.
***
"There are a couple of hotels right here at the airport. What do you think?"
Another tremble runs through Jess' body. "That would probably be easiest on mom and dad but what about after that? Jon, this just seems so impossible. I know I want to stay with you." She touches the necklace as she speaks. "But that's just the start of it. You think mom and dad are going to let us share a room?"
"We could get our own place."
"With what? All my money goes toward school and you just got fired!"
For the first time since reuniting, Jon gives Jess one of the giant smiles that melts her heart. "Yeah, I got fired but I also just got paid, seven thousand bucks."
"You got paid what? Seven grand! For the chalk drawings?!"
Jon nods. "Yup. That's my half. Of course, there's taxes and shit. David says that's the most a new artist in his gallery has got off a first sale. And the guy that bought them wants to see more. Wait until you see the big canvas. I know it's my own work but it's fuckin' awesome."
