“Hey, our Jane is on the front page of the Congress poster this year!” excited shares Mr. Weston with his son taking out a copy that he has brought with him from the office.
Grant looks at the poster and rolls his eyes. In the poster is a collage of about four pictures advertising the workshops for Saturday afternoon Congress in June. Not only is the photo of Jane and Allen Dixon sitting together with the other kids of the VBS, but now they have included a photo of just the two of them, as well as a couple of others where they are on field trips together. “Couldn’t they find some others to use! Why are they all of them?”
“What are you talking about?” asks Mr. Weston delighted that Jane is making a mark and thrilled that she is now attending Crestwood. “As you know, I have a soft spot in my heart for Jane. When you weren’t able to be near me, Jane would visit during the summers and share little tidbits about you that are not normally shared through a letter and it helped me to feel that you were not that far away. She’s a lovely girl, Grant”.
“Yes, I know. I’m fully aware of how great she is” sighing agrees Grant while rolling the poster up and then slamming it down against the counter “but why is she always with him of all people?”
“Sometimes that’s the way things go, but maybe it is not time yet and it is just around the corner” offers Mr. Weston with a word of encouragement and fatherly advice noticing his son’s reaction “She’s someone that a man might not want to let go of and a little effort might be helpful in bringing her back around.”
“Dad, I don’t know that Jane wants me. She always seems so distant or mad at me and I don’t know what I’ve done wrong” frustrated shares Grant feeling a bit defeated from all of the recent photographic reminders of his rejection.
“Son, take it one day at a time” putting his arm around Grant’s shoulder “Jealousy is never really a good thing. It doesn’t bring out the best in anyone and usually ends up causing more trouble. It tends to get in the way of just being the great man you are. A lot can be accomplished by being her genuine friend and being there for her. Jane will see in time.”
“Thanks Dad” not really believing his advice although hoping that it is true. Grant makes a sandwich of leftover turkey and grabs a cold Coke before settling in the den to watch the news with his father.
>>>>>
Taking one last look in the mirror, Jane adjusts her pony tail and applies her mascara before heading out the door. She is meeting April at Elton’s house to help prepare the food for the picnic. She wonders if Grant will be friendly. He seems to be flirting a lot lately with Emma and sometimes even Harriet too.
Considering for a moment of different times they have been together as a group, she doesn’t think that Grant is really all that interested in Emma but he certainly does seem to enjoy all the attention from her which is really quite annoying. In mild jealously which she will not admit to herself, Jane thinks that it is rather immature of him to always need so much attention from other girls.
Recalling many times of previous rejection, there have always been silly girls and young women acting ridiculous around him. She can remember so many others from before they came to Crestwood even though he always seems to come back to her. This is the reason she finally decided to come and give herself a break even though she is very glad that Grant followed not too much later.
But lately he is acting so weird. Grant is irritated every time he is around her recently and says some snappy comment back to her for no apparent reason no matter what conversation they are in. He is mad about something but Jane is entirely clueless as to the reason.
However Grant seems wrapped up in everyone else again which is so typical of him. But the truth is that there is no one else that Jane would like to spend the rest of her life with. “I don’t want to get muddled up in all of his nonsense until he is ready to pick just me and feel that I am enough” states Jane out loud to herself with determination looking in her rearview mirror waiting for the light to change.
As far as Emma is concerned, it seems that Emma has an agenda but is not entirely sure what that is. Emma is hard to read sometimes. One moment it appears that she is entirely into Knightly and the next she is chatting with someone else. Emma is so sure of herself and that is reflected in her confidence. “I think guys admire and find that attractive in her” observes Jane to herself taking another look at her reflection in the review mirror as she changes lanes.
At least Elton and April seem really happy together now that they are adjusting as a couple these past few months this spring. April seems to be more settled now. Obviously, April still has her quirks but she is also an intelligent person with some good points even if you have to dig a little deeper under the surface to find them and bring them out. At least they are now friends after absurdly thinking she would actually be interested in Elton when it was clear that he was interested in Emma all the time.
While glancing at the road ahead, Jane considers that Harriet is a really sweet girl but a little too influenced by Emma. Robert can’t keep his eyes off of her anytime they are together which is very tender to see. He is entirely taken by her. Harriet would like him too if only Emma would give her a break to breathe. Harriet and Robert make a very cute couple together and have so much similar interests and personalities. It seems like such a no-brainer.
Jane thinks for a moment and remembers that last summer, Emma was going through her sort-of dating ‘other types’ kind-of thing. She had originally forgot but now remembers that Emma was quite attracted to Robert and recalls that on several occasions mentioning that she would be interested in going out with him. But from what she can remember, Robert didn’t seem to give her the time-of-day. Thinking back, she thinks that Mr. Weston set her up on a blind date with him which she recalls didn’t go well at all and she thinks that they tried to go out again a couple more times but they were both fiascos. If she remembers right, Emma didn’t mention him after that and acted like she had never met him before when his name was brought up. But that was last year and things can change between then and now too.
As she pulls into the driveway, Jane reapplies some pink lip gloss which blends into her natural summer look. She sees April waving from the door way and then motioning for her to come on in. Jane grabs a few bags of groceries that she brought from her house and heads inside ready for what they day may bring.
“I thought that you would never get here! Ms Bates already called wondering if you were all right and had arrived yet. She was watching the news this morning and saw that there were a couple of accidents on the freeway and was anxious that you were not involved in either of them” April shares a look of empathy with Jane and a smile.
“Auntie Bates is very kind and good to me. But occasionally it would be nice to have a little trust and faith in me. But I can’t complain. They are my family and I love them” explains Jane feeling a wave of warmth remembering Ms. Bates making a batch of fresh cookies to take with her the morning before to the office to share with the other employees for break at area command.
April takes out the chicken to be fried out of the refrigerator as well as the other ingredients from the cabinets which she has re-organized for Elton knowing that in a few weeks this will become her home too. “In few minutes I’m going to have Elton make the lemonade and will borrow a large Igloo from the corps. I think that it will be much easier that way.”
“I brought a watermelon but I left it in the car to take out later” explains Jane “but here are the packages of noodles for the pasta salad and olives, oil, and other things for it. I’m going to start on the pinwheel sandwiches I brought the canned tuna and chicken too”.
“Alice Hammer is making deviled eggs and Waldorf salad; Ann and Henry are bringing homemade pies, Knightly said he would pick up some pre-made cold cut trays and bread from Wal-mart, the Bates asked to bring a large bowl of oranges, strawberries, blue berries, and grapes from the farmer’s market which I’m sure will be delicious!” exclaims April “Do you know what Grant is bringing?”
“Not for sure, but I know that Emma is bringing potato salad and Harriet is making tortillas and homemade salsa” explains Jane going through the list in her mind “but I don’t remember what Grant said he would bring with him”.
“I’ve had Harriet’s salsa before and it is definitely one of the best I’ve ever had” shares April no longer carrying any animosity towards Harriet now that a few months have past and feeling rather foolish in regards to her previous behavior and jealousy towards her.
“Jennings called earlier this morning. She and Mrs. Dashing are bringing brownies and chips with dip” shares April dipping the chicken legs into the batter “I think that is everyone that said they were coming. It is too bad that Robert and his sisters can’t come. I was looking forward to seeing all of them again”.
As she slices the sandwich roll, Jane is glad that finally April is coming around and feeling a part of everything else that is happening at Crestwood. Things seem much better between everyone since that has happened.
As April swings a knife around as she talks “I just remembered Grant is bringing several liters of soda as an option to the lemonade and sweet tea which reminds me . . . I’m actually making sun tea like my grandma use to make when I was a child which is now out on the back porch which I need to remember to bring with me so please remind me. I’m making sweet tea, un-sweet, and sugar-free with Splenda because everyone likes their tea in different ways and I want to make everyone happy”.
“How are you and Grant doing? Have you spoken to him lately?” curiously asks April wondering how things are going between the two of them.
“I guess all right. We’re not fighting any more that I can tell but who knows. But I think that he might be interested in Emma now” states Jane in a disappointed tone.
“Umm . . . I don’t see that so much. They do talk and awful lot but it is usually just a lot of chatter. In my opinion, Grant always seems a little more conscious of what you are doing and where you are than someone who doesn’t care at all. But what is this about Allen Dixon that I keep hearing about?” asks April “You know I hired him at Bristol to work with me because his fiancé attends the corps. I got a strange call last week from Mrs. Bennett at Longborn Citadel, my home corps. Have they broken up?”
“What?” shocked asks Emma “I just talked to his fiancé last week. We’re best friends and she didn’t mention anything about even having a fight let alone breaking up”.
“Well, I heard some unbelievable news that you in the middle of breaking up Allen and his fiancé. Evidently, he’s chasing you again” shares April wanting some clarification and not understanding the whole situation.
“That’s ridiculous! Allen seems very happy and content. They are supposed to be getting married at the end of the summer. I don’t know where people come up with such ideas!” Disgusted states Jane setting the bowl down in the sink a little harder than intended “Allen and I have been friends since we were children but there has never been anything between us.”
“I didn’t think so. The future Dixons seems quite content in each other’s company. Perhaps it is the photo of you with the VBS that is causing so much gossip” suggests April trying to discover a reason for the gossip.
“What photo? I don’t know what you are talking about. Do you mean VBS from last summer?” asks Jane barely recalling what happened last summer and wondering if she ever left Allen with the impression that she was interested in him. He spent the entire time around his fiancé. Most of the time, he barely noticed anyone else in the room.
“Just a minute, I’ll be right back. I want to show you something” entertained by the recent comments and wanting to enlighten Jane “Have you seen the Northern News from a few weeks ago?” Calling from the living room as April digs through a magazine rack by the antique upright piano a little more damaged from wear.
“Grant handed me one a few weeks ago which was a little unusual for him, but I haven’t even looked at it. It is somewhere in my music bag” remembers Jane.
“I think you might want to look at this. Elton still has his new packet of VBS materials on his desk in the den that he was reviewing to make plans for this summer. Did you happen to see the new posters that just arrived either?” asks April amused that somehow Jane has entirely missed her fifteen minutes of fame.
April hands her the copy of the Northern News and opens it to the center section. “This might be why everyone is talking a little too much” offers April “You are sitting awfully close together”.
“That was because of the photographer. The he wanted to get a clear picture of the child sitting on my lap and asked me to lean in that particular direction that just happened to be next to Allen. We weren’t a couple, not even remotely a couple!” justifies Jane “It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Well, let me show you something else. Follow me to the den downstairs” directs April as Jane washes her hands and follows her.
“Did you see these?” asks April quite tickled by Jane’s lack of noticing that she is a current celebrity in the Army world.
“Oh no! Ugh!” gasps Jane shaking her head.
“Both of you are standing with your arm around each other” making a statement of fact remarks April “this might be another reason for all the talk.”
“It was just in a moment of fun. Allen had been sharing some dumb jokes with the kids and the photographer asked to take a picture of us together which he popped another one right at that moment” studying it for a moment Jane continues “It does sort of leave you with the impression that we might be a couple I guess, but that wasn’t it at all. It was never like that between us and my best friend was there the entire time. They were definitely a couple. What a mess!”
“Brace yourself, there is still one more” frankly states April handing her a stack of lesson books “This is the new VBS material that was sent to all the corps in the territory. Once you open up the packet there are pictures of your summer all over the place” chuckles April as Jane horrified reaction.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” asks Jane in despair feeling that everyone in the territory must be gossiping about her and hurting her best friend in the meantime.
“I assumed you already knew. But this may be why Grant is so upset. As a kid at territorial music and youth institutes, I remember that Allen Dixon was his main rival. It always seemed to be one or the other getting all the awards. I even think that one year at youth councils they had to share an award because it was a tie” remembers April as camp memories flood her thoughts.
“I can’t believe it. I understand why the photos were used because they are really good photos of interactions between the kids. Honestly though all the talk is a little crazy” explains Jane concerned now that her best friend has been rather quiet and reserved in her comments on the phone the last couple of weeks and this may be the reason. Jane had assumed it was just from being tired making all the wedding plans.
“Don’t worry about it. It will sort itself all out. Once they send out their wedding invitations all the nonsense will be forgotten” sincerely replies April stacking the VBS material as it was originally sorted on the desk.
“What are you doing?” asks Elton entering the den and giving April a kiss on the cheek. “I picked up some condiments and fresh kosher dill pickles from the deli which I thought would be a good treat for our picnic. I could eat a whole jar just by myself”.
“Looking through some things, but we’re done now. Everything is about ready to go if you want to help us start loading it into the mini-van” suggests April while walking out of the room and up the stairs.
“Show me what to take out and I’ll get it ready” offers Elton looking forward to being married in the upcoming weeks to April and sharing a home with her.
Feeling a bit of a third wheel, Jane follows behind them watching as Elton gently places a hand on April’s back as they walk up the stairs and then reaching down to hold her hand for a short moment. April slightly turns to face him and he returns her smile that is meant for just the two of them.
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