Chapter 15: The Mistake

"'Don't worry, i forgive you.'

I should have said it right there and then."

Mason had found his way closer to Jaimie-mae after she had moved herself between the two boys. Both of the brothers watched curiously as she sketched and hummed to herself. She was humming a sweet tune. 'La Vie En Rose' it was called.

They were just about straining their ears to hear her pretty hum. Her voice was just so faint, it was barely above hearing level. But when they got small parts of it, it gave off such a soft happy vibe.

It lit up the bubble that they had around them but the bubble easily popped and dripped to the ground when Justin's deep masculine voice drifted through the room.

"I've never heard you boys so quiet. We should have you over more often Jaimie-mae."

She lifted her head and smiled brightly at Justin. He chuckled at her quietly.

"There's dessert downstairs. Come on."

All three of them sprung up and abandoned the art stuff on the floor and desk. Mason left them behind by how fast he had run downstairs and Jaimie-mae had kindly stayed behind to walk alongside Fabian. She seemed to be a lot more calm and uncaring now. Fabian realized that she just needed time to warm up around him and his family. He could do that; give her time.

Once Fabian was safely down the stairs, Jaimie-mae left his side and drifted into the kitchen, instead of the dining room. He was about to follow her in, but his dad stopped him and guided him into the dining room.

He slowly eased into the polished wooden seat, which was cushioned and waited quietly at the table with his dad.

Mason's laughs could be heard around the house and soon he appeared at the table. His hair was half wet and dripping down his forehead and he had a lone cookie in his hand. Justin and Fabian chuckled at him, because obviously he had tried sneaking a bit of dessert... again. But this time it didn't seem like he got off completely safe from harm.

"If you keep stealing food all the time, you're gonna be fat," Fabian teased.

Mason only stuck his tongue out in reply and chomped down on his cookie as he sat down in a chair.

Not to long later, Madison and Jaimie-mae came into the room with bowls in their hands. Jaimie-mae had three and Madison only two.

Jaimie-mae carefully placed the bowls of dessert in front of Mason and then Fabian, then she placed hers down and slid into the seat beside Fabian. He thanked her and quickly took a spoonful, humming in delight.

Fabian was secretly surprised to see so much junk in his icecream sundae. Normally, his mom wouldn't even let them look at a sundae. This was new.

"Did you make this Jaimie-mae?" Justin asked with a smile. He knew the answer already, he knew his wife well enough to know she would never willingly make something like this.

"Hmm. Yeah. How did you know?"

"Madison would never make something like this. I like it, it's not too sweet," he said with a wink towards Fabian.

Fabian had to stifle a laugh. He completely agreed with his dad.

One day Madison was out on business and the boys decided they would rebel and eat dessert all night. At first Justin tried to be a good parent and say no, but after the fourth time of them asking, he broke and went to the store himself to buy sundae stuff.

Mason insisted that he should make the sundaes for them so they agreed and he went to work. He threw in three scoops of vanilla icecream, a butload of sprinkles, gummy bears, crumbled brownies and enough chocolate shell to cover any vanilla ice-cream that was showing.

They ended up going to bed with huge stomach aches and decided they would never have another sundae ever again. But, here they were eating sundaes with Jaimie-mae and not feeling sick to their stomachs.

"Can i ask you something Jaimie-mae?" Madison asked with a smile.

Jaimie-mae nodded as she took another scoop of her sundae.

"Did you see the car that hit my son?"

Both Jaimie-mae and Fabian froze, both for different reasons.

"Umm, n-no. I didn't sorry."

Madison gave her a small dissapointed smile. "That's okay."

"He's lucky that you were there that day," Justin said as he looked over at Jaimie-mae curiously at her sudden change of mood.

"Yeah, i guess he was," she said quietly. She put her attention on the one maraschino cherry in her ice-cream. She only really liked them in her Shirley temples and ice cold gingerales. Never really in her sundaes.

"Mom?" Mason called out curiously as he finished off his ice cream.

"Yes Mason?"

"What is P-PT Es D?" he asked, clearly trying to remember it.

Madison, Justin and Fabian all stared at him in shock. Fabian started to feel a small bit of panic in his chest.

He looked over cautiously at Jaimie-mae and she suddenly looked a lot paler then ten seconds before.

"Why do-"

Jaimie-mae cut off Madison when she slid her chair back. "Um, sorry. Where's the bathroom?"

"To the right, down the hallway."

"Thank you," she mumbled and rushed out.

When she was gone there was a tence silence in the air.

"Mason, why are you asking that?" Justin asked for Madison.

"I saw it on Fabian's laptop when i was in there playing a card game with him."

Madison and Justin slowly looked to Fabian with raised eyebrows. The nervousness bubbled up in Fabian's chest like boiling chili in a pot, threatening to spill over if the fire wasn't turned down.

He didn't want to tell his parents about Jaimie-mae. It wasn't his secret to tell. Obviously, Jaimie-mae didn't find it easy to tell people. Or maybe she just didn't want them knowing at all because they'd have to be careful around her if they knew. Fabian knew he'd dislike it if people treated him like fragile glass all the time. He made a mental note not to be to cautious around her.

"Is there something you would like to tell us?" Madison asked in her slightly threatening 'mom voice'.

Fabian scoffed. "No."

"Fabian," Justin said in a warning voice.

"School project." It sounded more like a question than a statement. He cursed under his breath, he was usually better at hiding stuff.

"Is that what Jaimie-mae has? Is that why she has panic attacks? PTSD."

"N-no."

"Why are you lying? She was having a break down in the car. I don't know how we didn't notice it sooner," Madison said sadly.

"Look, mom. I don't think she wants the whole world knowing. So could you maybe act like she doesn't have PTSD? Please."

"Is that why you still hang around her? Because you feel bad?" Justin asked seriously.

"What! No."

"She's seventeen. I've only seen you hang around older girls. Don't hurt her by staying around because you pity her."

Fabian just about growled at his dad. "I don't hang around because i 'pity' her. I hang around because i genuinely like her!"

Both his parents raised their eyebrows and he sank down into his seat when he realized what he said.

"As a friend," he mumbled.

Mason sat in his chair, licking his bowl clean, unfazed by the whole argument that had just happened.

He soon broke the lingering tension. "I kinda want Jaimie-mae to make me another sundae. She made ours better than we did."

Fabian had to keep himself from face-palming.

"We?" Madison asked sharply.

Jaimie-mae interrupted the lecture they were for sure going to receive.

"Oh thank God," Justin said under his breath.

Madison quickly shot him a glare then turned to Jaimie-mae with a sweet smile. "Yes sweetie?"

"My mom wants me home now because its getting late. Thank you for the the food, it was good, truly."

"Oh no problem. It was nice having you. Let me just go get my keys."

"Oh no. It's fine. I already called a cab so you wouldn't have to drive back and forth."

Madison's face fell a bit. "Oh okay. Well come back anytime. It's nice having another girl over."

She nodded shyly then turned to Fabian. "It was fun hanging out with you, you too Mason. Thanks." She said all this with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

There was a faint beep that came from the front door. "I think that's the cab, thanks so much."

Fabian quickly hopped out of his chair and grabbed his crutches. "I will walk her out."

He slowly walked to the door, trying to subtly prolong the amount time he had to see her. Even if it was by just a few seconds.

She opened the door and was about to walk out but Fabian stopped her. "I'm really sorry. I didn't m- I had fun today. I'll text you okay. Get home safe."

Jaimie-mae nodded wordlessly and walked out. Fabian watched as she walked to the cab.

He would have thought he ruined it all if it weren't for the small wave she gave him before she shut the cab door behind her.