Chapter 62 - In An Empty Room

 

"Come on  babe, let's go for a drive."  Jon tells Beth when he finds her in the yard playing with grape vines.  "We'll go down the shore."

Beth stands up and brushes dirt off her knees and off of her hands, "Okay, how come?" she asks him, with a smile on her face.  She walks up to him and kisses him.  "How is Paul?"

"Paul is good."  Jon tells her.  "He had some show requests for me."

"Oh really.  When and where?" Beth asks as she picks up her gardening tools, "Do you have to travel?"

"One is for Apple, that I remember.  I don't remember what the other ones are, he'll email me."

"Why do you want to go for a drive?" she questions, putting her things in her storage bench and then she grabs the basket that she filled with cherry tomato's.  "I need a minute to clean up, do I have time?"

"Yeah, yeah - take your time.  I just thought it would be nice to take a drive."

"Okay.  I'll hurry."  Beth disappears into the house.  Jon sits in a patio chair and appraises what she has done with the back yard.  He laughs when he sees all of the hearty grapevines that she has managed to plant and care for.   Her passion for wine making stayed with her and he loves that about her.  With all that she, all that they, have been through he's happy that she has a hobby that she loves and one that keeps her busy.  Between the 6 kids and fundraising, she has a pretty full schedule and he's happy that she has something that can take her mind off of all of it. 

He goes in the house and grabs a bottle of water, leaning on the kitchen counter, he looks up at the white board.  The white board that has schedule upon schedule - dictating what the family does and when.  Today, the kids are with Dorothea in the city.  It's just Jon, Beth, Pete and the twins in the new house. 

Jon walks through the house and looks for Lupetta.  She's in the nursery with the twins, putting clothes away in their dressers.  "Pete, do you have anything planned?"

"Nope."

"Can you watch them while Beth and I step out for a while?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, you're a doll."  Jon kisses her cheek, "I don't know what we would do without you."

"Lucky for you, I'm flexible, so you'll never have to find out." she winks at Jon.

"We're just going to go for a drive.  We shouldn't be too long."

"I'm here.  Go."

Jon and Beth make their way through town and follow Highway 36 south down the shore.  The top is down and they have nothing but time.  They are almost to Sea Bright before Jon asks her, "Are you ready to testify at Dalton's trial?"

She felt like she was punched in the stomach, she was so caught off guard by his question.  "Um, yeah, are you?"

"I am."

"Where did that come from?" she wonders what drove him to ask her that question. 

"That's one of the reasons that Paul wanted to meet.  He thinks it's a bad idea if we attend the trial."

"We have to be there.  I have to testify."  Beth reminds him.  "Paul knows that."

"I don't think he wants us hanging around before and after you testify.  From a publicity stand point." Jon tells her, mentally agreeing with Paul but he needed to give Beth the option. 

"I'm sorry Jon, but I'm going for the whole thing.  I need to see that he is taken away and out of my life forever."

"I knew you would say that.  I just want you to remember though babe, if we're there then everyone will know what happened to you."

"I don't care.  The whole world can find out, as long as the asshole is locked up for a very long time."

"Are you sure?" he asks, hoping that she changes her mind. 

"100% sure, I'll fly out there alone if I have to, but I'll be there." Beth can feel in her bones that she needs to be there.  For her to have any closure at all, she needs to see this through - from the beginning to the end.  "Are you going?"

"Of course, do you think I would let you go out there alone?" he almost mocks her, "It's you and me, Thick As Thieves - remember?"  He winks at her, and she smiles.

"I need to put that piece of shit away and in the past and I can't do that from here.  He has taken too much from me and done too much to me for me to stay here and not add my 50 cents.  I'm going, and I'll sit where he can see me the whole damn time."  Beth adjusts her sunglasses, and then puts her hair up in a pony tail.

The view and the breeze makes the drive down the shore more beautiful than any words could describe.  The sun feels great on her face and she is in a happy place right now.  She is finally able to relax and start to enjoy the life that they are trying so hard to make together.

"Well then, if we're going to California for the trial, I'd like to leave the twins here with my mom and Pete, are you okay with that?" he asks, "The days will be long, I'm sure."

Beth gives him a crooked look and thinks about it for a second, "Hmm, I think that will be okay, but what if it takes several days?"

"We can fly back and forth if we have too, but I'd rather they stay here."

"Okay, I think you're right.  I would want your mom to stay at the house with Pete, though."

"Mom won't mind, you know that." he reaches over and squeezes her leg, tickling her to the point that she grabs his hand.  "I'll make the arrangements in the morning.  We can go out the night before and be ready."

Beth nods, "Okay, sounds good."  She kisses his fingers and gives him her coy, playful look, "When do you want to get married?"

"As soon as you want to.  I have been ready for months!" he looks at her and in this second, he sees the innocent untouched Beth that he met so many years ago.  The Beth that wasn't tainted and calloused by the life that they have shared, the life that they are making work - one day at a time.

"We need a date." she tells him, "I can't plan until we have a date."

"Tomorrow?" he jokes with her, "We can go to the justice of the peace tomorrow."

"Too soon.  I need to hire a planner."

"You?"

She nods and smiles, "Planning a wedding is the last thing that I want to do.  Fuck, the guest list alone will be a full time job."

They both laugh at that, because she's right.  With all of the people that they know, the guest list will take weeks to finalize. 

The drive down the shore proved to be more therapeutic than they thought it would be.  They went all the way down to Wildwood before stopping for dinner before they headed back home.  Jon felt like he was on a first date with her, for some reason he felt a little nervous. 

Sitting across from her in the booth, he studies her face and smiles as he traces her features with his eyes, "Brianna looks just like you."

Beth smiles her biggest smile, "She's absolutely beautiful, isn't she?  I can believe how big they are getting."

"Growing like weeds."

"I think the move has been good for them, they seem to be thriving a little better here than back in California." she stretches and holds Jon's hands on the table.  "I think it's the stimulation that they have 24/7 with the kids and Pete."

"Plus they have their dad."  He plays with her fingers, checking out the diamond that he bought her, "Do you like your ring?  Is it big enough?"

Beth chuckles, "I love it, and it's plenty big enough.  You know that."

"It's beautiful on your finger."

"It's beautiful, period."

They eat dinner like a couple on a date and when they head back towards home, they took the long way.  They both were enjoying the alone time without any pressures and they knew all of the kids were fine.  They were in no hurry.