Jax heard knocking at the door and he raced over to answer it. "Hey, Chloe."

"Hey." Chloe smiled.

"Come in. Do you notice anything different about the penthouse?"

Chloe walked in and looked around. The penthouse looked the same, but then she noticed a few trash bags in the corner. "You throwing away some stuff?" Chloe asked inquisitively.

Jax smiled. "I went through the whole apartment, Chloe. Everything that was a reminder of me and Brenda's relationship is in those bags. You were right, Chloe. It really is therapeutic. It's been a little over a week since this whole mess and I finally now feel that I can just put that part of my life behind me."

"That's great, Jax! See, I told you! You're getting past this already."

"I know, you're right. Come here, I want to show you something." Jax led Chloe over to the couch and he brought out the photo albums. "When I was throwing out some things, I ran across this."

Chloe sat the photo album in her lap and opened it. "Oh, Jax! Our pictures from Rome!"

"Yeah. We were talking about that last night, and then I found those."

"Oh look at us! We're so cute! That was so much fun."

"There's you making that funny face by that statue." Jax pointed to the picture of Chloe and she laughed.

"And there's you goofing off at the Vatican. Oh, and there's us at Trevi! And look at you, Jax! You're so mean! Trying to push me into the water when it was 45° outside!"

"I was only teasing you, Chloe! I wasn't really going to push you."

Chloe smiled. "I know."

"You know, your wish came true. You became a successful fashion designer."

"Yes, it did come true. I actually wished for two things though."

"What else did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you! It might still come true. And if I tell you, then it surely won't."

Jax laughed. "Alright. Well in that case, I'm definitely not telling you what I wished before because my wish hasn't come true yet either."

"Hmm, maybe we need to go back there and wish again. We should do that, Jax. We should go to Rome again, just for the heck of it."

"Yeah, yeah, we should. But next time, we'll go when it's warm. It was way too cold at Christmas."

"Yeah, definitely when it's warmer weather."

"And maybe this time, I'll actually get to push you into the fountain." Jax chuckled.

"Not if I push you first!" Chloe mocked back. Chloe turned the page. "Oh, oh yeah! *This* is my favorite picture right here!"

"Which one?"

"Of me. Standing by that painting. The painting-of the naked man." Chloe sighed.

"That chump? Whatever."

Chloe flashed Jax a flirtatious smile and whispered in a seductive voice, "Oh come on, baby. You know I'm just teasing. He's nothing compared to you."

"Yeah, and from the looks of him, you *definitely* got that right."

"Jasper Jacks! Oh my god! The things on your mind!"

Jax laughed. "Chloe, I'm a guy, that's always on my mind."

Chloe looked at Jax, rolled her eyes, looked at Jax again, and then laughed softly.

"You know, Chloe, I still can't believe you made me take that picture. People were staring at us!"

"They were not."

"Well they were staring at me! A guy, taking a picture of a naked man! Do you know how embarrassing that is? But you begged and begged me to take it!"

Chloe looked at the picture again. "Well, it doesn't matter, he's Italian anyway." Chloe said, dismissing the admiration she held for the man in the painting she had two seconds ago.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I thought all women flocked to Italian men."

"No, you have that backwards. Italian men flock to the women. It's just that, why go for Italian men when Australian men are sooo much cuter?" Chloe said, flirting with Jax again.

Jax laughed. "Okay, just for saying that, I guess I can forgive you for making me take that awful picture."

"Oh good. I would hate for you to still be mad at me! Oh, I should go." Chloe said, suddenly noticing the time. "I have to meet a client in fifteen minutes."

"Okay."

"Hey, I was going to ask you. Do you want to have dinner at my mom's house on Sunday?"

"Sure."

"Okay, great. See you later, Jax."

Jax walked Chloe to the door. "Bye, Chloe."

As Chloe walked out, Jerry came in. "Hey, Chloe."

"Hey, Jerry." Chloe said cheerfully.

"Hey." Jax said to his brother and let him in. "Did Mom send you over to check up on me?"

"Yeah, pretty much. She's really worried about you."

"Well tell Mom I'm doing just fine."

"Are you?"

"Yes. Brenda is in the past. She's out of my life. Look, I'm even throwing out all of the reminders of her." Jax pointed to the trash bags.

"Well, that's good."

Jax started sorting through some things on his desk while Jerry kept asking him questions.

"Have you talked to her?"

"I saw her last night at the Grille. I wasn't planning on talking to her but when I was about to leave, there she was."

"Let me guess, she was trying to apologize."

"Pretty much."

"Well, Jax, I'm really sorry about all this, but you know, you don't need women like her in your life."

"I know, you're right. Chloe told me the same thing."

"Okay, good, I'm glad some of this is actually getting through to you. Look, I'm going to go, I have some things to catch up on."

"Alright."

"And give Mom a call, or go see her. She really is worried about you."

"Okay, bye, Jerry."

"Later."

Chloe pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. As she and Jax got out, they saw Valerie in the yard, raking leaves.

"Hi, Mom." Chloe said as she walked over to her mom.

"Hey, sweetie." Valerie gave her daughter a hug. "Hi, Jax." Valerie smiled widely, always happy to see Jax, whom she always thought of as the son she never had.

"Hi, Mom!" Jax said and gave her a hug. Jax always greeted her as "mom" because he had spent so much time at Chloe's house when they were kids that she really was like a second mom to him.

"Mom, what are you doing outside in this chilly weather?"

"I'm just getting some yard work done. It was so windy yesterday that leaves are everywhere and you know how that drives me crazy." Valerie chuckled.

"I thought you had dinner on the stove." Jax said.

"I do, it's cooking. I can do two things at once."

"Mom, why don't you go inside and check on dinner. Jax and I will finish up here with the raking."

"Really?"

"Yeah, go ahead, Valerie. We don't mind."

Valerie smiled. "Well, okay, thanks. Wow, I wish you two had been this helpful when you were kids." Valerie joked and went inside.

Chloe went around to the back of the house to get the other rake out of the shed. When she got back, she saw that Jax had already managed to start another pile of leaves. "Wow, you're a fast raker." Jax just smiled.

Chloe started at the other end of the yard and moved those leaves over to the big pile that her mother had started. "I love fall. It's so pretty. All of the leaves changing. All the colors."

"The colors. Ah, no wonder it's your favorite season." Chloe smiled. "My favorite season is summer."

"Yeah, because you like to get in the water. And fall's too cold for that!" Chloe said.

"Exactly." Jax said.

After Jax and Chloe had been raking for a while, they had made a huge pile of leaves in the center of the yard. Jax, being sneaky like he always was, grabbed a handful of leaves and threw them at Chloe, making her jump out of her skin.

"Jax!" She returned the gesture by throwing some leaves at him. After that, Jax came back towards her with another handful of leaves. Chloe was not about to give him the satisfaction. She ran to the edge of the yard, and Jax of course, chased her. After a few minutes of the cat and mouse game, Chloe gave up and ran and landed into the pile of leaves.

"I've got you now!" Jax yelled in victory as he crashed into the leaf pile and covered Chloe with leaves. Then, he started tickling her, mercilessly.

"No!" Chloe yelled, but laughing at the same time. Chloe tried to tickle him, but Jax was very good at avoiding someone tickling him. After this tickle fight had gone on for about a minute, Valerie poked her head out. She stood unnoticed as she watched the two and started to laugh herself. It reminded her a lot of how they were when they were children.

"Mom, why don't you go to the express checkout?"

"Because, sweetie, I have more than twelve items."

"You don't have that many over twelve. Maybe like, fourteen." Jax said.

"Ooo, Jax look, it's that new bubble gum I was telling you about! Mom, can we get some, please? Pretty please?"

"Sure, put it in the cart."

Valerie waited in line for her turn at the checkout. As she waited, some very familiar giggling took place behind her.

"Jax! Stop!"

"Haha!"

"I'm gonna tickle you, Jax!"

"Children, shh! We are at the grocery store!"

Valerie smiled as she thought of that. It was funny, she hadn't thought about that in years. She then remembered why she had come outside in the first place. In her best Florence Henderson voice, she called out, "Children, dinner is on the table."

Jax and Chloe stopped their tickling and blushed in embarrassment when they realized that they had been caught acting like kids again. They then followed Valerie inside.

"This looks great, Valerie." Jax said as he sat down at the table.

"Yeah, this looks delicious, Mom." Chloe added.

"Oh good. So, Jax, your mother called me this morning."

"Really? Was she trying to track me down or something?"

"Well, she did ask if I had seen you lately. But no, she was just inviting Chloe and I over for Thanksgiving dinner."

"Great! I hope you said yes."

"Oh course." Valerie said, smiling.

"Oh good, I really didn't want to have pizza this year with the Quartermaines!" Chloe laughed.

The three of them had not been eating for very long when they heard a knock at the door. Valerie got up to answer it. "Herbert Morgan! This is a pleasant surprise!"

"Hi, Valerie." Herbert said and gave her a hug. "I've missed you."

Chloe jumped out of her seat and ran to him. "Uncle Herbert!"

"There's my sunshine! Chloe, I have missed you the most!" Herbert gave his niece a good long hug.

"Oh I have missed *you*, Uncle Herbert! What are you doing here?! I thought you were going to be gone for another two weeks!"

"Well my business wrapped up early."

"Herbert, would you like to join us for dinner? We just sat down to eat."

"That would be wonderful, Valerie."

"Hello, Herbert." Jax said.

"Well if it isn't, Jax! How are you son?"

"I'm good."

"So have you proposed to my niece yet?"

Jax, Chloe, and Valerie all started to laugh. This had been a running joke in the family for years. Ever since Jax and Chloe were kids, Herbert had always said that they would get married when they were older, so every time he saw Jax, he always asked if he had proposed to his niece yet.

"Uh, no sir, not yet."

"What? No? You mean to tell me I've been gone for two months and there is still not a ring on this pretty girl's finger?" Herbert stood behind Chloe, who was seated at the table again, and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Uncle Herbert, Jax just got out of a serious relationship." Chloe said softly.

"Oh, okay, I see. Well, I'll let it slide this time, but next time, I expect to see a ring on this young lady's finger, alright young man?"

Jax laughed.

"Valerie, what is it that you have on that stove? It sure smells delicious!"

"Well, Herbert, I'm telling you, I must have somehow known you were coming because I made all of your favorites…" Valerie then led Herbert into the kitchen.

Jax and Chloe sat in a few moments of awkward silence as they went back to their meal.

Chloe then broke the silence. "I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving already."

"I know. And then, before we know it, Christmas will be here."

"Time really does fly." Chloe noticed a distant expression on Jax's face. "Are you thinking about Brenda?"

"Yeah, but I'm not missing her if that's what you think. I was just thinking that I'm glad I'm not spending the holidays with her, now that I know how she truly feels about me."

Chloe put her hand over Jax's. "Don't worry, Jax. This will be a wonderful holiday season. I just know it."

Jax smiled. "I'm sure it will too."

To be continued...