i love vaughny
Cadet
thanks 
The Edge of Everything I Wanted
- Thread starter i love vaughny
- Start date
i love vaughny
Cadet
Chapter Twelve
Within two hours, Vaughn was pulling into his beach house’s driveway, adding life to the otherwise dead street and seasonally comatose seaside town in general. Mutely, he withdrew the keys from the ignition and proceeded to hand them to their rightful owner. Sydney had every intention of receiving the car keys and putting them in her purse. But when Vaughn went to give them to her, something made her not stick her hand out far enough, causing the rigid pieces of metal on the ring to miss her hand completely, and they jingled to the carpeted mat below her feet, her gaze following them all the way down. It was in those moments that Sydney underwent a mood change. Vaughn was there, and she was there, and they were alone at the place where mostly every major event, both good and bad, between them had taken place. They were entirely by themselves for the first time in several months, possibly for the last time for another twenty or more days. She left the keys on the floor and turned to look at her boyfriend.
His forehead was creased as he attempted to comprehend her logic.
Her eyes now fixed on him, she began to realize just how much she missed him during their time apart. She remembered days where she longed to see his smile, easy and carefree, and nights she yearned for the warmth that comes from lying next to someone, skin to skin. Though they had been together only last night, it had been hasty, and purely physical, more for the purpose of lust rather than for love, and she realized, for the umpteenth time, that she had never felt the way she felt about Vaughn in all her eighteen years, and she was certain that she never would again. He was sitting next to her in the driver’s seat of her car, close enough to touch, for what seemed like the first time in a lifetime, although he’d been sitting there all along. Metaphorically, he was always in the driver’s seat to her passenger seat. Always. Sydney noticed now that he was staring quizzically at her in turn to her own adrift gazing at him. Smiling softly, she rotated back into a position in which she was facing front, and closed her eyes gently.
Not understanding, and lost with her mind, having no road map for directions, he extended his arm out, and began to lightly run his fingertips along her coat-covered arm, communicating a small gesture of affection, of adoration, generating rows and rows of goose bumps and tiny hairs to stand tall. “You okay?” he asked finally.
Turning her head back to him, she maintained her closed-mouth smile, and broadened it slightly. “I just miss you,” she said at last. They seemed to be sharing the same sad smile, as joyless as a gloomy day.
But bleak skies open up to let the sun come out, to reheat the earth, to bring bliss, to beget rebirth.
“I miss not seeing you everyday. I miss not seeing you every weekend. I miss not seeing you every other week.” The only thought in her mind was that she didn’t want to cry, even though the tears were daring to leap off her eyelid rim. Quieter, she added, “I’d even be happy with every three weeks, or every month.”
He swallowed, not hard, and it wasn’t a gulp. The swallow was an empty reaction to her words which of course conveyed the same feelings he had. “Hey,” he said almost in a whisper as he relocated his hand to her cheek, and then his fingers went to the circles under her eyes, tenderly brushing the would-be tears away entirely before they had the chance to skydive off her chin. Around the two of them, everything was silent, except for the distant sound of a stubborn sea gull who had as of yet still refused to migrate south for the winter, and the rustling of softhearted wind.
“We’re here now; we’re together now,” he enlightened endearingly, the sad smile fired, the new employee taking over for it a small one. “We knew it was going to be tough, Syd. Since we made this decision, we knew that.”
“I know,” she said with reddening eyes. “But knowing and living are so different, and there’s nothing anyone can do to prepare for the loneliness that ensues.”
“You feel lonely?” he inquired quickly, never before knowing lonesomeness was a factor in their long-distance relationship.
“Sometimes… when I’m in my dorm at night, all by myself… I just wish you were there with me,” she said, struggling, it appeared, for each word as she spoke.
“Sydney, I am always going to be there for you,” he said, caressing her cheek.
“Yeah, but you’re not there with me.” She looked down.
Delicately, he cupped her chin, and lifted her head so that they were quite literally eye to eye. Vaughn knew he could not deny anything in her statement, for it was the solid truth. So, he said the first thing that came to mind. “It’s because I’m prettier than you and you’re jealous. I understand.” He grinned at her.
For a moment, she just stared at him, downright baffled in every way. Then, within a few more seconds, she remembered: Vaughn had said the same words to her when they were at her house, following her prom. He was trying to make her laugh, and he succeeded, so well that it initially came out as a loud burst. As each of their hearts lightened, weights lifted, they leaned in for a simple, habitual kiss.
Vaughn left his hand on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “You think it’s time to get out of the car now?”
She nodded, and then went to pick up the keys, while Vaughn popped open the trunk, and exited the vehicle. Through the rear window, Sydney watched as Vaughn rummaged through his belongings and retrieved his comforter. Joining him outside in the brisk air, she shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.
“Hey,” he defended, “there’s no heat in there! You never know why we’ll need this; I just think it could be useful.”
Entering through the back sliding door, they, at first, had the goal of going upstairs, to his room. But neither of them left the family room they were already in. Instead, they sat down on what once upon a time was the couch that Weiss had fallen asleep on while they watched a movie. Sydney felt nervous, as if she and Vaughn had never even kissed before. Though her palms often sweated, and her heart often raced, it had been quite a while since she actually felt nervous around Vaughn, someone she’s known for more than two years. Vaughn went to finger-comb her hair behind her ear, and his hand lingered on the side of her head. Unhurriedly, he leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed her softly, just once at first, then twice, then three times, and more. Originally, the kisses were barely more than mild pecks, but soon they grew into a series of lengthy, romantic twisting of tongues.
His one hand never left where it had been placed, while his other catered to the back of her head for support. Meanwhile, Sydney’s owns palms were laid against his chest, gingerly dancing around his seemingly innate muscles.
They did not rush as they began to peel their clothing off and embark on what was to be a new journey through an old town, each detecting the new improvements made since the last time they visited, mostly in the form of a wholly blissful smile.
Though they had begun on the couch nearest the door, they ended up on the floor beside the couch where they had sat during that fateful movie, and sleep claimed them both.
Sydney drew in a sharp breath, and rolled over onto her other side. They were no waves of bodily heat being emitted around her, and she knew Vaughn was not lying on the carpet with her. She opened her eyes groggily, yet voluntarily, and moved her jaw around. Pulling the comforter up higher, to keep out the cold, she called out Vaughn’s name. No response. Again, she shouted out his name, and again no reply. As she was about to say his name again, she heard the back door slide open, and saw him enter, carrying a few items.
She smiled at him, and he returned the intimate action, placing his small bundle on a couch, removed his shoes, and bent down alongside her, only he was atop the covers. He kissed her, and their lips did not want to part, but reluctantly did so. “You could go back to sleep,” he told her. Ignoring the statement, she asked him what he had brought inside. “Oh, I thought maybe we should shower before going to my house, so I got soap, and towels, and stuff like that.”
Nodding, she said, “I don’t want to go back to sleep.” Next, she kissed him, deeply and meaningfully. Their foreheads rested against the others.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Vaughn exhaled, their noses almost in contact, but not just yet.
Sydney nudged her head closer, so that their lips just barely met, inadvertently teasing them both. “Out to dinner, I think,” she answered before finally joining their mouths.
Vaughn pulled back, just an inch, and said, “Don’t do that.” She was momentarily confused before he clarified. “Come to my house,” he mumbled before kissing her again. “Please,” he said, his voice strained, “come to my house.”
She agreed, and Vaughn said that if she didn’t come, his mother would have been insulted. And then, she shivered, and she didn’t think it was from the cold, but Vaughn told her they should probably start showering, and then get going, before a parent got overly suspicious.
The water falling from the showerhead and landing on the tops of their own heads was like a baptism, a renewal of their relationship, making them stronger in every way.
And, at that time, they were so indestructible that they wouldn’t even gradually deteriorate over time: they would just be forever.
i'd just like to add that i wish a very happy belated birthday to michael vartan
Within two hours, Vaughn was pulling into his beach house’s driveway, adding life to the otherwise dead street and seasonally comatose seaside town in general. Mutely, he withdrew the keys from the ignition and proceeded to hand them to their rightful owner. Sydney had every intention of receiving the car keys and putting them in her purse. But when Vaughn went to give them to her, something made her not stick her hand out far enough, causing the rigid pieces of metal on the ring to miss her hand completely, and they jingled to the carpeted mat below her feet, her gaze following them all the way down. It was in those moments that Sydney underwent a mood change. Vaughn was there, and she was there, and they were alone at the place where mostly every major event, both good and bad, between them had taken place. They were entirely by themselves for the first time in several months, possibly for the last time for another twenty or more days. She left the keys on the floor and turned to look at her boyfriend.
His forehead was creased as he attempted to comprehend her logic.
Her eyes now fixed on him, she began to realize just how much she missed him during their time apart. She remembered days where she longed to see his smile, easy and carefree, and nights she yearned for the warmth that comes from lying next to someone, skin to skin. Though they had been together only last night, it had been hasty, and purely physical, more for the purpose of lust rather than for love, and she realized, for the umpteenth time, that she had never felt the way she felt about Vaughn in all her eighteen years, and she was certain that she never would again. He was sitting next to her in the driver’s seat of her car, close enough to touch, for what seemed like the first time in a lifetime, although he’d been sitting there all along. Metaphorically, he was always in the driver’s seat to her passenger seat. Always. Sydney noticed now that he was staring quizzically at her in turn to her own adrift gazing at him. Smiling softly, she rotated back into a position in which she was facing front, and closed her eyes gently.
Not understanding, and lost with her mind, having no road map for directions, he extended his arm out, and began to lightly run his fingertips along her coat-covered arm, communicating a small gesture of affection, of adoration, generating rows and rows of goose bumps and tiny hairs to stand tall. “You okay?” he asked finally.
Turning her head back to him, she maintained her closed-mouth smile, and broadened it slightly. “I just miss you,” she said at last. They seemed to be sharing the same sad smile, as joyless as a gloomy day.
But bleak skies open up to let the sun come out, to reheat the earth, to bring bliss, to beget rebirth.
“I miss not seeing you everyday. I miss not seeing you every weekend. I miss not seeing you every other week.” The only thought in her mind was that she didn’t want to cry, even though the tears were daring to leap off her eyelid rim. Quieter, she added, “I’d even be happy with every three weeks, or every month.”
He swallowed, not hard, and it wasn’t a gulp. The swallow was an empty reaction to her words which of course conveyed the same feelings he had. “Hey,” he said almost in a whisper as he relocated his hand to her cheek, and then his fingers went to the circles under her eyes, tenderly brushing the would-be tears away entirely before they had the chance to skydive off her chin. Around the two of them, everything was silent, except for the distant sound of a stubborn sea gull who had as of yet still refused to migrate south for the winter, and the rustling of softhearted wind.
“We’re here now; we’re together now,” he enlightened endearingly, the sad smile fired, the new employee taking over for it a small one. “We knew it was going to be tough, Syd. Since we made this decision, we knew that.”
“I know,” she said with reddening eyes. “But knowing and living are so different, and there’s nothing anyone can do to prepare for the loneliness that ensues.”
“You feel lonely?” he inquired quickly, never before knowing lonesomeness was a factor in their long-distance relationship.
“Sometimes… when I’m in my dorm at night, all by myself… I just wish you were there with me,” she said, struggling, it appeared, for each word as she spoke.
“Sydney, I am always going to be there for you,” he said, caressing her cheek.
“Yeah, but you’re not there with me.” She looked down.
Delicately, he cupped her chin, and lifted her head so that they were quite literally eye to eye. Vaughn knew he could not deny anything in her statement, for it was the solid truth. So, he said the first thing that came to mind. “It’s because I’m prettier than you and you’re jealous. I understand.” He grinned at her.
For a moment, she just stared at him, downright baffled in every way. Then, within a few more seconds, she remembered: Vaughn had said the same words to her when they were at her house, following her prom. He was trying to make her laugh, and he succeeded, so well that it initially came out as a loud burst. As each of their hearts lightened, weights lifted, they leaned in for a simple, habitual kiss.
Vaughn left his hand on her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “You think it’s time to get out of the car now?”
She nodded, and then went to pick up the keys, while Vaughn popped open the trunk, and exited the vehicle. Through the rear window, Sydney watched as Vaughn rummaged through his belongings and retrieved his comforter. Joining him outside in the brisk air, she shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.
“Hey,” he defended, “there’s no heat in there! You never know why we’ll need this; I just think it could be useful.”
Entering through the back sliding door, they, at first, had the goal of going upstairs, to his room. But neither of them left the family room they were already in. Instead, they sat down on what once upon a time was the couch that Weiss had fallen asleep on while they watched a movie. Sydney felt nervous, as if she and Vaughn had never even kissed before. Though her palms often sweated, and her heart often raced, it had been quite a while since she actually felt nervous around Vaughn, someone she’s known for more than two years. Vaughn went to finger-comb her hair behind her ear, and his hand lingered on the side of her head. Unhurriedly, he leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed her softly, just once at first, then twice, then three times, and more. Originally, the kisses were barely more than mild pecks, but soon they grew into a series of lengthy, romantic twisting of tongues.
His one hand never left where it had been placed, while his other catered to the back of her head for support. Meanwhile, Sydney’s owns palms were laid against his chest, gingerly dancing around his seemingly innate muscles.
They did not rush as they began to peel their clothing off and embark on what was to be a new journey through an old town, each detecting the new improvements made since the last time they visited, mostly in the form of a wholly blissful smile.
Though they had begun on the couch nearest the door, they ended up on the floor beside the couch where they had sat during that fateful movie, and sleep claimed them both.
Sydney drew in a sharp breath, and rolled over onto her other side. They were no waves of bodily heat being emitted around her, and she knew Vaughn was not lying on the carpet with her. She opened her eyes groggily, yet voluntarily, and moved her jaw around. Pulling the comforter up higher, to keep out the cold, she called out Vaughn’s name. No response. Again, she shouted out his name, and again no reply. As she was about to say his name again, she heard the back door slide open, and saw him enter, carrying a few items.
She smiled at him, and he returned the intimate action, placing his small bundle on a couch, removed his shoes, and bent down alongside her, only he was atop the covers. He kissed her, and their lips did not want to part, but reluctantly did so. “You could go back to sleep,” he told her. Ignoring the statement, she asked him what he had brought inside. “Oh, I thought maybe we should shower before going to my house, so I got soap, and towels, and stuff like that.”
Nodding, she said, “I don’t want to go back to sleep.” Next, she kissed him, deeply and meaningfully. Their foreheads rested against the others.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Vaughn exhaled, their noses almost in contact, but not just yet.
Sydney nudged her head closer, so that their lips just barely met, inadvertently teasing them both. “Out to dinner, I think,” she answered before finally joining their mouths.
Vaughn pulled back, just an inch, and said, “Don’t do that.” She was momentarily confused before he clarified. “Come to my house,” he mumbled before kissing her again. “Please,” he said, his voice strained, “come to my house.”
She agreed, and Vaughn said that if she didn’t come, his mother would have been insulted. And then, she shivered, and she didn’t think it was from the cold, but Vaughn told her they should probably start showering, and then get going, before a parent got overly suspicious.
The water falling from the showerhead and landing on the tops of their own heads was like a baptism, a renewal of their relationship, making them stronger in every way.
And, at that time, they were so indestructible that they wouldn’t even gradually deteriorate over time: they would just be forever.
i'd just like to add that i wish a very happy belated birthday to michael vartan
i love vaughny
Cadet
it's one of my faves, too.WOW!!! You are amazing!!! Seriously that was....A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!
-I don't know why but I LOVED this...its probably one of my favorites!
i think because of everyone's vulnerability or something
Boyscout_Mountainer
Cadet
HOLY-DODDLE-DO!!!
i just read ur first fiction: the edge of somthing new in this past week!
you are one talented writter!
when you update can i have a pm? and the same if you write any others plz?
Pheonix
i just read ur first fiction: the edge of somthing new in this past week!
you are one talented writter!
when you update can i have a pm? and the same if you write any others plz?
Pheonix
i love vaughny
Cadet
thanks!
but i don't do pms anymore. i do, however, update the tagline (under the title link) and say the date i updated.
but i don't do pms anymore. i do, however, update the tagline (under the title link) and say the date i updated.
i love vaughny
Cadet
alright. that's totally not unreasonable. PLUS! i'm in a freaking fantastic mood!!!! merry christmas!!!
Chapter Thirteen
Once home again, Sydney spoke with her father for some time, filling him in on her scholastic life, and other happenings that had occurred during the last three months while she was in California.
And she told him that Vaughn had invited them both to his house for Thanksgiving dinner the next day. “So, maybe,” she continued, “we can go there instead of out to eat?” It originally wasn’t supposed to be stated as a question, but it turned out that way in the end. “He said it’s something they do every year,” she said, meaning the family and friends supper his mother cooked annually. Then, she remembered the year he went to France. “Well, mostly every year.”
Since the day Michael Vaughn stood up to Jack, defending his love for Sydney, and proving that Jack wasn’t even a decent parent, Jack had clandestinely accepted – if not, admired – him, and began to trust him, just a little. At least, he believed that Michael Vaughn did love his daughter, and cared about her to no end. Jack had known for some time now that his daughter and Michael Vaughn were in a serious relationship. What he didn’t quite like about their coupling was the fact that it was long-distance, and he knew it was tough for them to maintain their bond. On the contrary, he commended both of them for studying in prestigious universities that were excellent mediums for them to display their talents and intelligence. The invitation to the Thanksgiving dinner was just another exhibit of their affection.
“We should bring something to contribute,” Jack responded. “It’s rude to show up without some sort of token of appreciation,” he informed. Sydney smiled. “What do you think about getting a pie?” Jack asked, a trace of a smile dangling on his lips.
Sydney nodded. “I think a pie is great.”
Vaughn had called Sydney later that night to tell her that the party would begin at three-thirty and that his mother was ecstatic that both she and her father were coming to join them. Secretly, Vaughn himself was glad that Mr. Bristow would be attending as well. He liked that Sydney and her father were working to improve their relationship.
The Bristows arrived promptly, but they seemed to be late, the reason being there were plenty of cars already parked out front of the Vaughn house, and across the street, and in front of each of the next-door neighbors’ homes. Jack had been under the impression that this dinner would be more intimate: he was not expecting almost twenty people to be there. Sydney took initiative when they reached the front door, and knocked a few times, before entering. This way, she gave the party-goers inside a warning that someone was coming inside, but no one had been disrupted from their work to go answer the door.
Jack took note of how at home Sydney was at one that was not her own. The truth of the matter was, even though he was never nervous, he was slightly tense on how he would be receipted into a close-knit family of sorts, when he was so evidently an outside.
They entered, and delicious aromas invaded their nostrils, while children – six girls, and two boys – were running around, screaming and laughing, and attacking their ears. Vaughn had been in the kitchen helping his mother with the food when he heard a knock on the door. Knowing it was Sydney, Amelie let her son leave and greet her, but quietly demanded that he bring her in so that she could properly say hello, since she hadn’t seen her since August.
Multitasking by wiping his hands on a dish towel and walking to the front door, Vaughn smiled when he saw his girlfriend and her father. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he said to them both. Subsequently, he kissed Sydney’s cheek softly. “Mr. Bristow,” he said, shaking his hand firmly. He took their coats and hung them up in the foyer closet. Vaughn told them that his mother wanted to say her hellos, and they were bombarded by several people on their way to the kitchen – first his Aunt Trish, then his mother’ friends Paul and Beth, and then a few others. They also had to get past the eight kids, and Sydney grinned to herself when she stole a glance at her father to see how he was holding up. Jack looked absolutely petrified, and as if he had no idea how to react.
Finally, they reached the quaint kitchen. “Sydney! Jack!” Amelie grinned widely. “It’s so good to see you again!” She hugged Sydney, and Jack, for the first time, really saw how welcome her daughter was in this household, how loved she was. Vaughn observed that the kids were about to horrifically ruin the house, so he excused himself so that he could usher them all into the basement, where they really weren’t many breakables. Sydney excused herself, too, so that she could assist Vaughn. Aunt Trish made it her responsibility to take Jack under her wing and introduce him properly to all of the other guests.
And strangely, he didn’t mind being pushed around by someone other than himself for once.
Sydney made her way downstairs almost excitedly, because she knew these kids this time around. More importantly, she knew their deviousness, and how to avoid and counteract it. First, she saw the eight-year-old, strawberry blonde twins, Chelsea and Sam, followed shortly by all the rest, starting with the brunette Natalie, then the blonde Amber, next the dirty blonde Sarah, followed by the two dark haired siblings, Andy, seven, and Katie, five. She was prepared this time, with her hair in a simple, chic messy bun. Crossing the room, saying hi to everyone as she moved along, she finally encountered Matty, the shy two-year-old who she thought was the cutest little boy, ever. Smiling, she picked him up out of his play pen, and he giggled at her. “Syd-syd!” he laughed, and Sydney immediately looked over at Vaughn, who was walking towards her.
“You taught him that?” she inquired, smiling yet again.
“Now,” Vaughn smiled, painfully attractively, “you know I’m no teacher.”
She nodded, and then bobbed her head over at the pool table that was on the opposite side of the room. “You taught me how to play pool.”
He shrugged. “So I taught him your name.” Raising and lowering his shoulders once more, he added, “His face lit up when I mentioned you, though – and I’m not making that up.” Her own face lit up as well.
About ten minutes later, the food –the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, string beans, and practically every other food anyone could imagine was placed on the table in front of everyone. The children, including Sydney and Vaughn, were all sat towards one end of the table, which was really a couple tables put together, while the parents and adults branched out towards the other end. Every so often, Jack would turn his head and look at his daughter: every time he looked, she was laughing, obviously overly enjoying herself, comfortable with these people that had taken her in. Jack was still awe struck that anyone could be so accommodating, and yet these people, Vaughn’s immediate and surrogate family, were.
Later, after dinner and dessert, Vaughn turned on a video for the kids. Amazingly, they were all watching intently, and undividedly. Sydney and Vaughn found this the opportune time to separately sneak upstairs, meeting up in his bedroom.
As she was lowering herself into a lying position on Vaughn’s bed, Sydney pulled the hair tie out of her locks and slipped it onto her wrist as if it were a bracelet. She closed her eyes. Vaughn, who was sitting on his rolling computer chair, glided over to her, and reached for her hand. He raised their entwined hands and kissed hers gently, before returning them to their spot.
“I think I still have a little jet lag,” she yawned, her eyes still shut.
He smiled minutely. “I’ll leave, and you can nap.”
Using her free hand to cover her second yawn, she said, “Yes to the second, no to the first.”
So, he stayed with her while she slept. He even covered her with a blanket. Their hands were knotted the whole time.
The truth was he missed her, too.
Chapter Thirteen
Once home again, Sydney spoke with her father for some time, filling him in on her scholastic life, and other happenings that had occurred during the last three months while she was in California.
And she told him that Vaughn had invited them both to his house for Thanksgiving dinner the next day. “So, maybe,” she continued, “we can go there instead of out to eat?” It originally wasn’t supposed to be stated as a question, but it turned out that way in the end. “He said it’s something they do every year,” she said, meaning the family and friends supper his mother cooked annually. Then, she remembered the year he went to France. “Well, mostly every year.”
Since the day Michael Vaughn stood up to Jack, defending his love for Sydney, and proving that Jack wasn’t even a decent parent, Jack had clandestinely accepted – if not, admired – him, and began to trust him, just a little. At least, he believed that Michael Vaughn did love his daughter, and cared about her to no end. Jack had known for some time now that his daughter and Michael Vaughn were in a serious relationship. What he didn’t quite like about their coupling was the fact that it was long-distance, and he knew it was tough for them to maintain their bond. On the contrary, he commended both of them for studying in prestigious universities that were excellent mediums for them to display their talents and intelligence. The invitation to the Thanksgiving dinner was just another exhibit of their affection.
“We should bring something to contribute,” Jack responded. “It’s rude to show up without some sort of token of appreciation,” he informed. Sydney smiled. “What do you think about getting a pie?” Jack asked, a trace of a smile dangling on his lips.
Sydney nodded. “I think a pie is great.”
Vaughn had called Sydney later that night to tell her that the party would begin at three-thirty and that his mother was ecstatic that both she and her father were coming to join them. Secretly, Vaughn himself was glad that Mr. Bristow would be attending as well. He liked that Sydney and her father were working to improve their relationship.
The Bristows arrived promptly, but they seemed to be late, the reason being there were plenty of cars already parked out front of the Vaughn house, and across the street, and in front of each of the next-door neighbors’ homes. Jack had been under the impression that this dinner would be more intimate: he was not expecting almost twenty people to be there. Sydney took initiative when they reached the front door, and knocked a few times, before entering. This way, she gave the party-goers inside a warning that someone was coming inside, but no one had been disrupted from their work to go answer the door.
Jack took note of how at home Sydney was at one that was not her own. The truth of the matter was, even though he was never nervous, he was slightly tense on how he would be receipted into a close-knit family of sorts, when he was so evidently an outside.
They entered, and delicious aromas invaded their nostrils, while children – six girls, and two boys – were running around, screaming and laughing, and attacking their ears. Vaughn had been in the kitchen helping his mother with the food when he heard a knock on the door. Knowing it was Sydney, Amelie let her son leave and greet her, but quietly demanded that he bring her in so that she could properly say hello, since she hadn’t seen her since August.
Multitasking by wiping his hands on a dish towel and walking to the front door, Vaughn smiled when he saw his girlfriend and her father. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he said to them both. Subsequently, he kissed Sydney’s cheek softly. “Mr. Bristow,” he said, shaking his hand firmly. He took their coats and hung them up in the foyer closet. Vaughn told them that his mother wanted to say her hellos, and they were bombarded by several people on their way to the kitchen – first his Aunt Trish, then his mother’ friends Paul and Beth, and then a few others. They also had to get past the eight kids, and Sydney grinned to herself when she stole a glance at her father to see how he was holding up. Jack looked absolutely petrified, and as if he had no idea how to react.
Finally, they reached the quaint kitchen. “Sydney! Jack!” Amelie grinned widely. “It’s so good to see you again!” She hugged Sydney, and Jack, for the first time, really saw how welcome her daughter was in this household, how loved she was. Vaughn observed that the kids were about to horrifically ruin the house, so he excused himself so that he could usher them all into the basement, where they really weren’t many breakables. Sydney excused herself, too, so that she could assist Vaughn. Aunt Trish made it her responsibility to take Jack under her wing and introduce him properly to all of the other guests.
And strangely, he didn’t mind being pushed around by someone other than himself for once.
Sydney made her way downstairs almost excitedly, because she knew these kids this time around. More importantly, she knew their deviousness, and how to avoid and counteract it. First, she saw the eight-year-old, strawberry blonde twins, Chelsea and Sam, followed shortly by all the rest, starting with the brunette Natalie, then the blonde Amber, next the dirty blonde Sarah, followed by the two dark haired siblings, Andy, seven, and Katie, five. She was prepared this time, with her hair in a simple, chic messy bun. Crossing the room, saying hi to everyone as she moved along, she finally encountered Matty, the shy two-year-old who she thought was the cutest little boy, ever. Smiling, she picked him up out of his play pen, and he giggled at her. “Syd-syd!” he laughed, and Sydney immediately looked over at Vaughn, who was walking towards her.
“You taught him that?” she inquired, smiling yet again.
“Now,” Vaughn smiled, painfully attractively, “you know I’m no teacher.”
She nodded, and then bobbed her head over at the pool table that was on the opposite side of the room. “You taught me how to play pool.”
He shrugged. “So I taught him your name.” Raising and lowering his shoulders once more, he added, “His face lit up when I mentioned you, though – and I’m not making that up.” Her own face lit up as well.
About ten minutes later, the food –the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, string beans, and practically every other food anyone could imagine was placed on the table in front of everyone. The children, including Sydney and Vaughn, were all sat towards one end of the table, which was really a couple tables put together, while the parents and adults branched out towards the other end. Every so often, Jack would turn his head and look at his daughter: every time he looked, she was laughing, obviously overly enjoying herself, comfortable with these people that had taken her in. Jack was still awe struck that anyone could be so accommodating, and yet these people, Vaughn’s immediate and surrogate family, were.
Later, after dinner and dessert, Vaughn turned on a video for the kids. Amazingly, they were all watching intently, and undividedly. Sydney and Vaughn found this the opportune time to separately sneak upstairs, meeting up in his bedroom.
As she was lowering herself into a lying position on Vaughn’s bed, Sydney pulled the hair tie out of her locks and slipped it onto her wrist as if it were a bracelet. She closed her eyes. Vaughn, who was sitting on his rolling computer chair, glided over to her, and reached for her hand. He raised their entwined hands and kissed hers gently, before returning them to their spot.
“I think I still have a little jet lag,” she yawned, her eyes still shut.
He smiled minutely. “I’ll leave, and you can nap.”
Using her free hand to cover her second yawn, she said, “Yes to the second, no to the first.”
So, he stayed with her while she slept. He even covered her with a blanket. Their hands were knotted the whole time.
The truth was he missed her, too.
i love vaughny
Cadet
i'm sad that christmas is over! it didn't even feel like it was here!!!
i love vaughny
Cadet
i just want to say, if i had more written (i have an even 20 chapters), i'd post double today.
ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'M SEEING CYRANO DE BERGERAC IN LIKE... LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!!! WAHOO!
ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'M SEEING CYRANO DE BERGERAC IN LIKE... LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!!! WAHOO!
i love vaughny
Cadet
all you do is want, want, want
tell you what. i'll think about it because i actually managed to finish a chapter this week.
tell you what. i'll think about it because i actually managed to finish a chapter this week.
