GEN II: Chapter 23

The next morning Hayden and the boys realized how different life was going to be without Jenni. The things she always did in the morning before they got up were taken more for granted than they realized. There were no fresh pancakes or waffles ready when they came down from their showers, and the laundry was not collected from the rooms.

Each of them sat down to a plate of leftover cake, because no one felt like cooking. Thinking about Jenni not being there had brought sadness among them again. It felt like they would never make it without her.

After their makeshift breakfast, Cedric pulled his father aside and told him of plans for the day.

"I know you said you weren't sure if you wanted to hold a service for Grandma," Cedric said. "But I feel we have to honor her and giver her at least that much. She meant a lot to a lot of people dad, not just us."

"I know son, but I just do not have the energy anymore. I don't think I could handle it."

"Well you have three young men here to help you out you know. You do not have to do everything yourself. We are here for you." Cedric argued. "...James and I have already made arrangements for a service to be held for her at one of her favorite places. Charlie put everything in place already. It is already done, all you have to do is show up. Will you?"

Hayden's eyes moistened, and nearly overflowed at the thought of his boys taking over and taking care of what he couldn't. He couldn't speak. All he could do was nod. Hayden's silent agreement was understood by Cedric and he took his father upstairs to get ready.

The family piled into the car when they were ready and went off to Jenni's funeral. Hayden couldn't help it, he let his tears fall when he noticed where his late wife's service was to be held. It was the public garden. Cedric was right, it was one of her favorite places, though she didn't have time to visit as much as she would have liked.

"This is wonderful boys, thank you. Thank you so much." Hayden told his sons as they got out and greeted the arriving guests.

Each guest brought their condolences to the grieving family and some offered help if they should need it. A few people were overheard talking of this being the perfect place for the service. Everyone knew about Jenni's love for gardening.

Chase, since he is naturally so aloof, remained away from the crowd as much as he could, but as close to his mother as he could as well. He mourned for her as much as anyone, maybe more. She always made it clear how much he was wanted, and loved by all, though he thought opposite sometimes.

The service lasted most of the day, people coming and going. Offering good wishes to the family and even some brought gifts.

By the time the sun was setting it seemed like everyone who was going to show up had, and left. James volunteered to collect her Urn and bring it back home. He paused just before and harvested a nearby plant because he felt like he needed to, though unsure where this feeling came from. He gathered the vegetables and thought of Jenni. He then picked up her Urn as carefully as he could and went back to the house.

Charlie and Cedric were not ready to go home yet, so went to the park to air themselves off a little more. They just didn't seem ready to go back to that full, yet empty house. It was different now that their grandmother was gone.

Charlie was on his way to a bench to sit when he noticed a very pretty girl. His plan was to just walk past her to the bench but she stopped him.

"Your Charlie Fuller right? I heard it was your birthday today, congratulations!" She told him.

"Oh, uh... thanks. That's nice of you, thank you." Charlie muttered, half embarrassed. Being well known sometimes had it's drawbacks in a small town like Twinbrook. "You are...?"

"OH I'm sorry, where are my manners?" She cried, a little flustered. "My name is Angela, I'm actually a tourist here, I'm visiting from Sunset Valley."

"It's nice to meet you." Charlie said. Just then he was interrupted by his brother.

A little more forward than Charlie was, Cedric offered his hand and introduced himself to this dashing woman. Immediately they started into conversation. It was just the distraction Charlie needed, he faded into the background and then disappeared all together. Charlie didn't really want company right now.

Cedric and Angela talked for quite a while, he even went so far as to flirt with her a little bit. Then he found out she was a tourist, not living here. That didn't really stop him from flirting though. It seemed that Cedric had found an outlet for his grief. Flirting with a stranger made him feel better, he briefly forgot about the pain. He even cried on her shoulder, just so he could get closer to her. She did not seem to mind all that much. The two of them chatted for just a little bit longer when Cedric bid her farewell. It was time to rejoin his family.

Charlie and Cedric went home to Hayden, Isabel and James. They each sat in silence doing nothing for a while, then went to bed. Tomorrow began a new day, different from any other they had experienced.

GEN II: Chapter 22

Late that night, everyone had gone to bed. James and Cedric were restless though, and stayed up for a while. Cedric practiced his chess strategy while James read a book upstairs in the den. These two of the triplets seemed to sense something in the air tonight. Something a little off. Each tried to shrug that feeling off and concentrate on what they were doing. That feeling crept back up on them every once in a while though.

Charlie was in his bed, but not quite asleep. He felt a little anxious himself, but he was too warm under his blankets to come back out and join his brothers. In another room, Hayden and Isabel cuddled with each other fast asleep.

Downstairs with Jenni, something else was going on. Jenni had been asleep in her bed, settled in after a long evening. Just after they celebrated Hayden's birthday that night, she had helped a woman to the hospital, who had started going into labor on their own porch. Jenni also stayed with the woman while she delivered her cute baby boy. She had just been home an hour before deciding to go to bed, and was only asleep one hour when she felt the need to rise, apparently she was feeling the same thing as the boys.

She got up, as she crawled out of the comfort of her bed and tried to place her feet on the ground, she noticed she couldn't step down. Jenni was floating. She remembered Kenya at that moment doing the same thing just a few days ago, then Jenni then understood that she had passed away in her sleep. This did not surprise Jenni as much as she thought it would, but it wasn't until then that she realized she had been expecting it anytime. Though she was breaking the silent promise she made to herself regarding her grandsons, she couldn't stop what was happening.

Jenni felt the arrival of another presence and drifted outside her door. She knew who it was before she got there, Jenni had witnessed this more than once in her days.



When she came out, she was greeted by the Angel of Death. Jenni was not afraid, for the most part she was ready. What she wasn't ready for, was her family's reactions. She did not want to see the tears from her babies or grand babies. Jenni never liked to see them upset. As usual, she tried to remain strong and calm for them.

"I know this will be hard for you, but it's time for me to go." She told them as they gathered around to mourn her and beg Death to keep her here. "I'll be watching over you, do not fear. I'll miss you all dearly. Please don't be sad too long, live a happy life. And boys... Have a great birthday. I'll be there to see you grow. I promise I'll watch over you." Jenni tried very hard not to cry but it was almost impossible. Her voice cracked harder with every word. She was told it was time to go, and with a final farewell she disappeared leaving behind nothing but an Urn.

For the briefest of moments everyone stood there, breathless and speechless. Then it struck them. She was gone, Jenni was gone. The mother of the whole family had passed on, just leaving them here. The family seemed broken, unrepairable. Each tear filled Fuller dealt with their pain in their own way that night. Cedric ran upstairs in tears, and slammed his door. Charlie almost did the same but Isabel followed and tried to comfort him. She was also torn up though and they ended up just crying together. Hayden basically stood in a trance, unable to move for a while. James, being the soft yet very strong heart he is, whispered goodbye to his grandmother - his rock - and went into her room. He collected the clothes to wash and made the bed. James also dusted the furniture and made sure the bathroom was clean. Working this whole time through tear filled eyes, he talked to himself as he bustled about. "This is her room. No one else's. No one can use it while I am here. No one else belongs here. It's hers." He did not want to let go of her, and wanted to keep her things just as she had them. In case she came back.

When the sun rose, Hayden made a call. There had been a party planned that day for the boys. They were turning into young adults and Isabel had a big celebration ready. Hayden was calling each invited guest and canceling. The first person he called was Damien. On the other line Damien sounded heartbroken, just as the rest of them. He understood the cancellation of the party and wished the boys 'as happy a day as they could have'. Hayden showered and readied himself as he could. It was hard to do, since every few seconds a fresh wave of pain hit him and he had to cry. His mother was gone, without warning. He knew he should have expected it, but it would be a while before he was over it. She had always been there for him. There hadn't been a day she wasn't.



Downstairs, Isabel kept herself busy. It was the best way she knew to keep herself composed. If her hands were constantly moving, and her mind working, she wouldn't break down. Isabel set out the three cakes she had gotten and blew up all the balloons. The dining room was ready for a party that they weren't going to have. They would still celebrate the boys birthday, though no one else was invited. When Isabel finished with the decorations she stopped moving and surveyed her work. A mistake on her part, when she stopped and looked, she wanted to show Jenni. She had forgotten for a moment that Jenni wasn't around anymore. The memory flooded back and fresh tears began. Isabel stood and let them come for a little while before calling Hayden and the boys in.




James

Charlie

Cedric





The triplets each blew out their candles with heavy hearts, and each wished for the same thing. They grew into strong and handsome young men, almost ready to take on the world. James, Charlie and Cedric looked at each other, and at the same time said "We love you grandma." Hearing that made Isabel bow her head to try and hide the tears, and Hayden to hug his each of his boys. "She's here, she hears you." He said to them.

The rest of the day was spent not doing much of anything. Comforting each other, just by being together. Hayden did make a few phone calls to inform some friends about Jenni's passing. Hayden was unsure of whether to have a service for her or not. She always said that birthdays were something to celebrate, but never mentioned funerals. She had one for Kenya, but that was largely in part for Chase and Crystal. At the moment her death was to fresh on Hayden's mind to want to see anyone. Right now, the answer was no, he wasn't going to hold any kind of service. He might change his mind though.

Top : James

Center: Cedric

Bottom: Charlie

GEN II: Chapter 21

The morning went by fairly quickly, the only difference in routine was that it was remarkably quiet in the house. Every once in a while you could hear a sigh, or a quiet sob coming from one family member or another. They each missed Kenya. The triplets had school this day, and they did attend, though they would have rather stayed home with Hayden, Isabel and Jenni. Hayden told them they had to go in, so the grownups could get ready for the funeral this afternoon.

"We just have too many things to do to have you guys here." Hayden told them. "It would be easier for you guys to be in school too you know."

The boys tried again to get their father to let them cut today and help out. Unfortunately the bus had pulled up and Hayden ushered them on to it before they could really argue anymore.

Hayden waved to his boys as the bus pulled away. He turned to go inside and get ready to leave and passed Jenni on her way out. She was on her way to pick up Chase, he would not come voluntarily.




When Jenni pulled up to his house, Chase was just about to leave. Jenni stopped him. "Where do you think your going?" She asked.

"Uh, I was just going... grocery shopping." Chase answered, with hesitation. Then he let out a sigh. "I just don't think I can come. No one really likes me anyway, she was the life of the family...not me."

"Nonsense!" Jenni argued. "You are my son, and we all love you. Even though you can be a pain. We want you around. Don't think you can just disappear because your wife is gone. You can't. You know Hayden's boys love to hang out with you, you couldn't abandon them. You're their favorite uncle!"

"I'm almost their only uncle. Damien doesn't come around very much you know." Chase said. His words stung Jenni a little bit. He was right, Damien didn't come around as much as she would like. She passed off an excuse on his behalf, something about 'artists are always really busy.'

"Look, your coming. Period. Now get in the car." Jenni insisted. She pulled him by the arm to the passenger seat and drove home.

*Meanwhile*

Hayden had gotten dressed and left right after Jenni did. He was going to the mausoleum to pick up the gravestone they had gotten made for Kenya. He signed some papers stating that she was to be placed in their family cemetery, not in the public yard.

On his way back to the house he thought about his boys. He knew the guests would be arriving really soon, if not already. Making a quick decision and a quick right turn, Hayden went to the school to pick up the triplets. Originally Hayden wanted to keep the kids' sadness at bay, and send them to school to distract them. Now he was considering that they really might want to attend her funeral. After all they knew, and loved Kenya too. Hayden went in and pulled them out for the rest of the day. Then took them home.

At the same time Hayden and the boys pulled into the drive, so did Jenni. Also right then, some guests had been coming in as well. Each had the same expression on their faces. Charlie called it the 'funeral face'. It was a mixture of sadness and pity for the remaining family.

Jenni invited everyone inside.

Jenni made sure to speak with every guest and thank them for coming. She really appreciated them all being there. Chase was pretty allusive, he was not to fond of the crowd of people with them. He would have preferred to keep this with just the family.

Jenni made some dinner for everyone and also tended the bar for a while. Drinks were served and everyone mingled with each other talking of memories with Kenya. Some people were more looking for gossip than just conversation. Hayden heard questions like "Why didn't she have kids?" and "Where is Kenya's husband?" At that question Hayden looked around. Where was Chase? Hayden looked for him, but never found him. He assumed Chase left, which he thought was kind of rude.

Jenni was happy to see that Damien had come as well. She talked to him for a while to see how he was doing. He told her that he was good, and promised to come over a little more often.

By nightfall everyone said their goodbyes, and most of the guests had gone. When almost everyone had left Chase emerged from somewhere to thank Jenni for hosting the service. He appreciated it very much, though he did not show it.

Jenni placed Kenya's headstone in the family cemetery next to some beautiful pink flowers that she knew Kenya would have loved. She stood for a moment and talked to Kenya, and also made a visit to Alan's grave. She told him to make sure Kenya was okay with her new place.

The following morning, Jenni slept in and the boys came down for food. Hayden had his breakfast with his kids and sent them off to school. Isabel made her appearance shortly after, and Hayden sat with her while she ate. Isabel told Hayden that the fireplace was broken.

"For some reason none of the smoke goes out the chimney, it all comes back in the house." She said. "We can't build a fire in it at all."

"Okay, I'll take a look at it." Hayden told her. "Good, it will give me something to do today. I'm feeling kind of restless."

Isabel laughed at her husband. "That's because your getting old. Your brain is trying to deny it's age. It's your birthday today guy, get over it." Isabel gently chided her love and smiled at him. Hayden chuckled and nodded at Isabel, then went off to fix the fireplace.

He finished the repairs, and started a fire for comfort. After he was done, he looked around for something else to keep his hands busy, but found nothing of interest. He would have gone to invent something but did not want to get wrapped up. After all he had promised his wife he wouldn't. The basement did hold an exercise machine though, and that sounded like it was good enough to occupy his time.

Jenni did some laundry, in the newly refurbished laundry room. The family had finally gotten the basement sectioned off and built a separate room for all the laundry things they needed. It was finally organized. While the clothes washed, Jenni practiced her piano skills. She was getting pretty good, but not as good as James had become. He was quite talented. Pretty soon Isabel joined Jenni and had a small jam session, with just the two of them. They enjoyed playing together.

James, Cedric and Charlie came home and did their homework right away. They knew it was their dad's birthday today and had stopped and gotten him a cake on the way home. After finishing their work they set the cake out and called everyone in.



Hayden was honestly surprised. He didn't really think of celebrating in anyway. Almost did not want to, but he did. Each birthday was special, even the ones that make you old. After all, wrinkles are just proof of knowledge and experience right? He blew out his candles, but did not make a wish. He had everything he wanted right there in that room with him. For some reason he thought of retirement. He had not reached the top yet though, so he was not ready to do that. Hayden still had to give it his best, he wanted so much to be that pro athlete his father always said he would be.

Everyone sat down to have some cake, no one had had dinner yet, so they were all hungry. Since it was late in the evening, after the celebration and cake the family got ready for bed.


"Quite and old man you've become." Isabel said to Hayden. "Are you sure you can keep up with your boys in your old age??" She smiled a smile full of love as she joked with Hayden.

"I'll show what old men can do!" With that he scooped her up in his arms and took her to bed. He proved that night that that old man still had the 'old stuff' he had before. Maybe even better now than it was then.