"Zac can we go for a walk?" Jessy asked. "You want to walk up and down the hall." Zac asked. "I guess the answers no. Up and down the hall is pacing. I mean a walk, green grass, trees, fresh air. You know a walk." Jessy said rolling her eyes and heading back to the couch. "Come here." Zac said pulling her back up. "Come on, Trust me." Zac said and he led her outside the door. "Jessy, here take my arm, lay your head on my shoulder, leave it there. Now I need you to trust me and close your eyes. Yes close your eyes." Zac said. "Zac what are you doing?" Jessy asked. "That's not trusting me." Zac said and Jessy did what he asked. "Now feel the breeze on your face. Hear the leaves rustling. Come, let's walk down this path, shaded by the big old oak trees. Feel the acorns beneath your feet. Hear the birds, up in the trees chirping back and forth." Zac said as he walked her down the hall, all the way to the end. As he turned her to head back, the elevator bell sounded disturbing the image and as the doors opened. "Hey Zac, hey my Jessy. I missed you." Momma said. "Momma. You're here. I missed you too. Momma this is Zac. Zac this is my Momma. You can call her Barbara or Momma but not Mrs., she'll snap your head off." Jessy said. "I haven't snapped a head since, let me think, the lobby." Momma laughed. "You looked like you were having a nice walk there," she asked. "I was feeling sorry for myself and Zac was describing this path through a woods with oak trees." Jessy said. "Creative besides talented. Impressive." Momma said. "How's my other girls?" she asked. "Asleep, Everyone's asleep except me because I couldn't wait until you got here and Zac because he loves me, so he stayed up with me." Jessy said. "Isn't love grand." Momma laughed. "Tell you what, let's leave a note for your folks and go exploring, the docks, the stadium, soldiers field, you name let's find it." Momma said and she wrote a note and the three headed out to watch the city come to life. "Recognize the car. It finally dried out." Momma razed him to see what he was made of. She stopped and talked to just about anyone who would listen. "Boy I see where you get your adventuresome nature." Zac told Jessy. "Thank you young man. Can't learn if you don't look or ask. Do both and you learn faster." Momma laughed. The trio explored the docks and marinas, the farmer's market, then stopped and Jessy and Zac walked in the park as Momma visited with a couple of vendors then she watched as Jessy sprinted away and Zac chased after her, she noticed Jessy slow so he could catch her and they tumbled to the grass. "Love" Momma mumbled. When the two finally returned they both were all smiles. "That's what was missing." Momma said. "What was missing, Momma." Jessy asked. "The smile in your eyes. but it's back, even Zac's eyes are smiling now, but I think that has more to do with you being happy that him enjoying the grass and the trees." Momma said. "Zac she's a country girl. You put her on asphalt and concrete too long and she'll get blue, not that you did anything, but she'll take it out on you because she loves and trusts you. Just find her grass, trees, nature and she'll be fine." Momma said. "Thanks Momma, I'll make sure she doesn't get blue." Zac said. The three made it back to the hotel, to meet Zac's family. "Momma" Chele called running down the hall. "How's my girl?" Momma hugged her. "Happy and sad." Chele said. "Wierd huh? Why be just one and limit yourself." Momma laughed. "And where is the smitten Taylor Hanson?" Momma asked. "I think he's still sleeping. Zac could you go check. Please go check Zac?" Chele asked, and Zac went in his room. Taylor was sprawled across the bed and Isaac was sprawled across Monica. "Jessy's Mom is here so I think you ought to get up and come out and meet her. I'm sure she'd like to meet you both and see her other daughter." Zac said loudly but nothing. "Taylor get your lazy butt up. Monica wake up. Isaac get up." he tried but nothing still. He walked into the bathroom got a glass of cold water, walked back out and threw it across the two beds and walked back and put the glass back down, listening to their screams. "Hey stop bitching, I was just going to have Jessy's Mom come in to meet you as you were, but then I thought she'd never let Jessy stay around the likes of you three. Now get your butts up, get them dressed and come meet her and you better make a good impression. You screw this up for me and I'll make your lives a living hell." Zac said closing the door behind them. As he entered the room with the rest of his family, "They're up now." Zac said. "We heard your brothers screaming." Dad said. "Chele why don't you go wake Monica. Oh never mind, I'm sure the guy's yelling next door to your room probably woke her." Zac said. "So Zac, you sure you want to live 24/7 with my daughter. All the mystery will be gone, you'll see her morning look, live through PMS and the blues, all those wonderful traits she can hide from you now." Momma asked. "Momma" Jessy complained. "Oh complain, complain. What about you, this is Hanson you'll be with 24/7. You've idolized them for years, are you really ready to admit they're just like everyone else, they burp, fart, have BO. Are you ready to give up your fantasy." she asked. "Momma I gave that up the first time Zac took me in his arms and kissed me. There's nothing like the real world, especially with Zac in it." Jessy said scooting onto Zac's lap and hugging him. "You kids just promise me that you will always give each other the chance to explain, no matter how much you want to walk away. Promise me you'll take the time to listen." Momma said. "We've already been there Momma, but I'm sure will most likely be there again and again." Jessy said. "Yeah talking it out is important. That blind apology, don't get it with Jessy." Zac said. "Oh boy did you learn the hard way." Momma laughed. "She wasn't even angry with me." Zac laughed. "You two, I'm right here." Jessy complained. "I'm surprised you got it back on so well, no bite marks. Oh, a little territory marking though." Momma laughed checking out Zac's neck. "What? Jessy" Zac complained. "What? Matching necks, it's the latest fashion." she said lifting her hair. "Whoa. Now you've been marked. Why don't we go swimming. That way I can see if he's laid claim to anything else." Momma said. "You're terrible." Jessy declared. "No, I'm a realist. That also comes with 24/7. You'll have nothing but time to kill, especially traveling." she warned. "You don't have to worry Momma, Zac's a perfect gentleman. We'll maybe not perfect, who's perfect. He really cares about me and isn't going to do anything I don't want to do." Jessy said. "Yeah that's the problem, what you want to do." Momma said shaking her head. "Well Chele, I talked to Donna last night." Momma started but Chele got up "I know get packed, you're going home since Jessy won't be around the rest of the summer." "Oh my baby, my little doom and gloom, always ready to be down. Sit, right there on that table, so I can see you." Momma said watching Chele sit. "Get your eyes up off the floor, there's no loose change. I already checked." she said. "Oh Momma you're a hoot." Chele laughed. "You Chele are so insecure and I worry. I won't have my annual hands on with you, building up that ego you so desperately hide. Like you don't deserve to have one. You know what I think about you, my beautiful, creative, sensitive, kind little soul and I know if you came home with me now, by the end of our summertime together you would believe in yourself again but it's time for you to grow up and take charge of things. You decide. Yes you can go home now if that's what you want." Momma said. "No I don't want to go home, I don't care if Jessy's not there, I want to stay with you and the boys." Chele said. "That's so sweet baby, I love you too. But there is one more option, so save your decision. You can go with Jessy and the Hansons." Momma said putting her hands to her ears. Chele was speechless and screamless. "Taylor, Taylor" she ran screaming. "What baby?" Taylor said opening the door in just his jeans to see what was wrong. "Taylor I'm going with you." Chele said throwing her arms around him and he spun them. "Great, I told you." Taylor said kissing her. "Now we just have to get to Tulsa." he said kissing her again more passionately. "I told you to mark my words." he reminded. "I can't wait." Chele said, adding, "Come on let's get you dressed so you can meet Momma" and the two went in his room. "Diana you sure about this?" Barbara said shaking her head. "I know you're used to growing boys and their horomones but this looks like a mighty dangerous science experiment here. You know what can happen when you mix the wrong chemicals?" Barbara started to laugh. "Of course you do, mother of seven." and the two of them laughed together. "Zac told me about the Farmer's Market, take me. Walker honey watch the kids. I'm going to make a new friend." Diana said. "Jessy I expect you to help with the kids without being asked, their your siblings now too!" Momma said. "Let's go girl, I have the convertible, Let's cruise but watch out for water balloons. You meet the strangest people." Barbara said and they left and rapped on the guys door and Chele answered. "Hey baby we're going for a ride. I didn't tell you, this isn't a free ride. I expect you to take charge of the younger four kids for the rest of the summer. Those four kids are you main concern not does Taylor Hanson really love me, do you hear me. This isn't part of the deal with Walker and Diana, they didn't ask anything of you, just welcomed you along. This is with me, it's what I expect of my children. You earn your way, changing diapers, doing dishes, laundry, shopping but first you tend to those four. Okay?" Momma asked. "Sure Momma, I won't let you down." Chele said hugging her. "See you later, let's blow this joint Diana." she said and the two headed out. "Tay I'm going to check on the kids." Chele said and she headed back down the hall and Momma turned and smiled. "This may be doable, Diana. Just might happen." she said getting on the elevator.
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