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tece26

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1. “Oh!” So much for that topic.
2. They stayed silent as the waitress placed their orders in front of them. Jenny picked up her chicken sandwich and took a bite enjoying watching Joe putting some off the eggs from his omelet on a plate for Sandy.
3. She had to choke back her laugh as Sandy picked up a piece of egg and threw it straight in Joes face. “See what I said about wearing the food?”
4. “Oh yes, uhm… you might want to move the cottage cheese there.” She giggled to see Joe move so fast.
5. “Yep, seriously parenthood totally changes your life,” He pointed at the food, “because of this little monster here, my life was all about me, what makes me happy, what I want, what I need. But now all of that seems shallow, now all I care about is her and what she wants, what would make her happy. I know it’s cheesy but it’s true.”
6. "Yeah I bet; it must be hard, are you alone at this?"
7. “Luckily not, I have my sister she watches her and all but I like to depend on myself, she is really nice and all but she has her own family to worry about, and I've got my brother Mark; he tries to help but he sucks at it." They both laughed.
8. "You know what's funny about my family?" He said after a pause.
9. "What?"
10. "It’s globalized!"
11. "Globalized? What do you mean?” She laughed, “Is that even a word?"
12. He laughed to, "You see my sister is married to a guy from Sweden, and Sandra was British and worse of all my brother mark is in love with a Canadian girl"
13. "Ha ha ha, why is it worse? What’s wrong with Canada eh?"
14. He laughed “It’s not Canada that is the problem. it’s the fact that the girl has no idea he loves her that bad or even want to be with her"
15. "Why doesn't he tell her how he feels?" Boys! She thought.
16. "Two reasons first he is afraid she would turn him down, second he is too shy to do it"
17. "How old is your brother?"
18. "24 he is the eldest, and my sister is 22 and I am 18… you?"
19. "Hmm never ask a girl about her age right?" She winked at him.
20. "Only if she looks real old" he joked .
21. She laughed "Well I suppose that was a compliment, am 18 as well"
22. "Interesting, you defiantly look younger! I was going to ask you to show some ID"  He was teasing her.
23. “I envy you.” She shook her head. “With my dad gone and my mom… well, being sick and all, I would give anything to find my brother. I know he would want to be here.”
24. 
    “Where is he?” Joe asked
    
    “Andy just left one night. Just a year ago actually. He had a fight with my mom, pretty bad and left.” She paused, thinking. “It’s very confusing to me. We always got along great, the whole family.” She stopped and looked at him. “How much do you want to know?”
25. “I want to hear. Tell me.”
    
    Jenny took a shaky breath. “Okay… Well, my dad was a great guy. And we had the perfect life. Andy adored dad, always looked up to him and wanted to be just like him. A little over a year ago my dads’ job transferred him here. We moved here not knowing anyone and it was a little stressful at first.” She sipped her coke, “My parents got into a fight one night, over something stupid I can’t even remember what. My dad did what he always did, went out for a walk to cool off.” Jenny felt herself shiver as she remembered. “He was only two blocks from the house when he was hit by a drunk driver and killed. Andy blamed my mom for driving him out of the house that night.” She looked up into
    Joes eyes. “After that the family fell apart. Andy did all he could to hurt my mom. They fought all the time and made friends with people he knew she wouldn’t like. I didn’t know anyone so I tried hard to fix the things between the two of them. It just made Andy think I was betraying my dad and my mom leaned on me more than she should have.” She smiled a sad smile. “I just wanted the family I had left to be like I remembered. As close to that as possible anyway.”
    
    Joe nodded but kept silent.
    
    “That was a year ago. I know Andy would have had time to cool off, he’s always been smart, but I can’t find him. I tracked down an old high school friend of his who finally admitted to seeing him awhile back, but he didn’t promise to pass the news along.”
    “That’s a lot to take on all by yourself. Not something you could fix alone.” Joe said
    
    “I know.” Jenny smiled softly. “I just thought that if my brother came back my mom would rest a bit better. She was having a hard time with the anniversary of my dads’ death and Andy leaving. Her perfect family ending so suddenly. Now that she is in the coma I haven’t been trying so hard to find him. She wouldn’t know and I’ve been unwilling to leave her much.” She looked at her watch. “In fact this is the longest I have been away from her.”
    
    “What time is it?” Joe asked looking at his own watch. “Wow. 4 o’clock.”
    
    “You know. This has been the longest I have been away from the hospital all week. And I’m not even been worried. Thank you.”
    
    “You’re welcome.” Joe laughed. “For what exactly?”
    
    “You got me out, helped me sleep, got me food and coffee!” Jenny smiled. “I didn’t realize how bad I needed someone to talk to. I’m glad you were there.”
    
    “Glad I could help. It was nice for me to have someone to talk to as well.” Joe said.
    
    “You know what?” Jenny asked.
    
    “What?”
    
    “I don’t think you ever did tell me why you were there. What tests were you having? Do you mind me asking?”
    
    She watched him as he looked down at his hands and trembled. He took so long but was so obviously in deep memory, Jenny didn’t want to push. She just watched until he finally seemed to pull himself back from his memories. "Oh you still there?" he laughed
    
    "Oh" she smiled back "I'm still here"
    
    She saw him relax as he started playing with little Sandra's hair. He reached for his empty sprite and slurped up the last drop of the sprite, looked up sheepishly then said "Uhm so you were saying?"
    
    "I was asking what the tests were that you were having done?"
    
    "Oh... right; nothing much just some DNA tests; to prove that this little devil here is mine,” he laughed “I am not that cute!!!" He picked her up and away from the remaining food she was throwing on the floor.
    
    Jenny laughed "There was doubt about that? I see quite a bit of her in you… You have the same eyes"
    
    "Ha ha ha ... no way my eyes are cooler! ... there was no doubt it just Sandra's grandfather wants to take her away. And he is trying everything he can. The last thing he came up with is saying that she isn't mine to begin with, I mean how can a father accuse his own daughter with something like that is beneath me!" He looked totally disgusted. Jenny could feel the anger in those words.
    
    She thought of how sad it must be, and hard for Joe. He was holding Sandy and just wanted his life back "How horrible!"
    
    She had no idea what she could possibly say to help. He was still someone she just met, and as much as she wanted to help what could she offer? "I'm so sorry for you" It felt inadequate even as she said it.
    
    He smiled moving Sandy from the table to his lap and away from his cup. "You know what's really heartbreaking"
    
    "What's that?"
    
    "You would think that one day we would remember that stuff that made us cry and laugh about it, but we never think that we would cry at the things that made us laugh… like whenever I remember the good memories; her laugh; the way she looked at me .. everything ... a piece of me dies as well knowing I won’t have that again"
    
    "You know that's true! We always say we will look back on this and laugh one day, but spend our time wishing for the good times again, trying to recreate them. Wow, I never thought of that before!"
    
    "Yeah! … you know it’s good to have someone to share everything with ... without having 'em weeping on me" he laughed
    
    Jenny laughing as well "I think I have cried enough for a long time! It’s good to get it off my chest. How can I even begin to thank you?"
    
    "Thank me? For what?
    
    "Hmmm let’s see… she started ticking things off on her fingers. You listened to me... supported me... got me to sleep... fed me... got me out of the hospital longer than I have been all week... fed me again and made me smile, laugh... that's quite a bit for someone I just met… how did u do that?"
    
    "A good friend of mine always told me you can’t help greatness ha ha ha"
    
    She laughed "well…
    
    He continued looking more serious "I did what any man would do, I guess I just got lucky I was in the right place at the right time"
    
    She grinned "Marcy will thank you too. I don't think she likes me much. I am kind of a pain"
    
    "Tell me something I don’t know" he laughed
    
    "You got me out of her hair"
    
    He smiled "maybe she paid me to do it"
    
    "Hmmmm, did she? I wouldn't put it past her. she pretty much has had to throw me out in the past just for holding her hand." She caught her breath as he placed his hand over hers. "Is something wrong?" His hands felt so good! They were so strong and masculine. She started to blush as she realized where her thoughts were headed.