Chapter 15 Another Raw Chapter

Jon had to smile, he knew that Colleen, was loving every minute of the girls being there.

“I was sneaking into bars, playing with any band that would let me sit in.”  Jon remembered many nights not getting home before he went to school. Many days, just changing clothes and a swish of mouth wash, and heading to school.  If it hadn’t been for Dorothea, he would never have graduated at all.

Colleen watched Jon’s smile slip off his face.  Whatever that memory brought up, seemed to close him off. She started to say something, when the kids came back to the table, all talking over each other.  Jon seemed to snap out of his damaging memory, till it was time to head home.

They had gotten to where the cars were parked, Jon walked Colleen and the girls and waited till they got in.  Colleen rolled the window down and Jon leaned in, and promised to call her later.  He had wanted to give her a kiss, but they were being overly watched.  He watched her drive off, then turned to his car, where the kids stood watching.

“What,” He rolled his eyes, “Get in the car.”  Shaking his head as he watched them laugh and pile in.

Back at Colleen house, she went to take a bath, while the girls made popcorn and picked out a movie.  Pizza, sodas and Italian ice and they still wanted popcorn, she sighed as the water flowed around her tired body.  Thinking back over dinner with Jon’s family, she could feel then watching her. They seemed to be taking notes on how she and Jon were getting along.  She wanted them to like her and maybe trust her.  It was all she thought about on the ride home, what did they think of her?  Did they think she was right for their dad?  Getting up out of the tub, all she thought was, call Jon.  The more she dried off, the more she heard the girls talking, so calling Jon was not going to happen tonight.

By the time Jon got back to the townhouse, the kids scattered and he made it to his office, the door had barely closed when someone knocked.  Taking a deep breath, rolling his eyes, which of his kids was daring to knock on his door.

“Dad?”  Stephanie asked.

Well that answered that question. He watched the door slowly open.

“Come on in Steph.”  Jon called to his daughter.

Stephanie was followed by Jesse, they settled into the club chairs, and looked at each other.

He watched them trying to see who would talk first.

“If you two are going to just give each other the stink eye, do you mind if I fix a glass of wine?”  Jon said as he got up and went to the wine fridge. 

“Stephanie wants to tell you something.”  Jesse finally said, much to his sister’s dismay.

“Thanks Jess,” Stephanie rolled her eyes.  “Pop’s we want to tell you, we like Colleen.”  Stephanie looked over at Jesse.

“Yeah, we give our approval, you know, if you want to see, you know date or something.”  Jesse kinda looked uncomfortable.

“Date or something hum?”  Jon tried not to laugh at his oldest two.  Granted, having them approve of Colleen and him seeing each other, made things a little easier for them.  Now if he could get the other two on board.

“Yeah, we think you’re ready to go out and have a life again.  You haven’t written anything since Uncle Mookie split.  Then Mom, well you’ve been doing great for us, and the brothers. It’s time to get back in the world, you know, live a little.”  Stephanie elaborated on what Jesse had said.

Jon thought about what she was saying.  Yeah, since Richie turned his back on Bon Jovi, and broke up the brotherhood, he hadn’t written anything.  He never even finished the song he started writing since he met Colleen.  The only one, of the remaining band members, that knew he had met someone was Lema.

Later as Jon sat in his office, strumming his guitar.  The words were right on the edge of his brain.  He had the first few lyrics, he just couldn’t get the next lyrics to pull together. He toyed with his phone, damn he wanted to just hear her voice.

Somewhere during the movie, both girls fell asleep on the sleeping bags on the floor.  Colleen got up and cleaned up the popcorn and the empty cups, turning off the movie, she went into her room.  Curling up in the big bed, she set her alarm, she had to make sure the girls got to church.  She sat the phone on the little bedside table, just then the light on her phone lit up. Who would be calling this late?  Looking at the Caller ID she smiled.

“Hi Jon.”