章 5: Everyone Matters
Jesse knew Pearl would be leaving town for camp on Wednesday and his weekend was already full of family visits, picnics and dinners. Monday was generally a bad day for professionals, so that left Tuesday.
Knowing that there was no time for random coffee dates midweek, Jesse could either meet Pearl for dinner or lunch. The former sounded too intimate, even in his mind, and he also remembered the suspicious look on Pearl's face to begin with. As fascinating as she was, he wasn't trying to sweep her off her feet or make her run off in the opposite direction. So that left lunch time.
With that decided, he picked up the phone.
He didn't think she'd be in the office on the weekend, so he dialled her cell number.
It rang a few times and Jesse was about to hang up when Pearl picked up.
"Hello?" she said breathlessly.
"Hi, Pearl, it's Jesse. Is this a bad time?"
"No, I was playing tennis with a friend. About to hit the showers."
The image of hot water falling on and around her body hit him again. It was oddly difficult for him to refrain from playfully saying 'can I join you?' but he managed.
"To what do I credit this phone call?" she asked curiously.
"Oh- uh, it's in connection with the plan Dana had to have us talk about your work."
"Oh okay, great," she said after a slight pause. "When did you pencil me in, doc?"
He laughed. "I was hoping you wouldn't be too busy to pencil me in on Tuesday at lunch."
"Oh no, you found my only free time," she groaned in good humour.
"Well, we can resched-"
"No," she cut him off. "It's alright. Tuesday at lunch is fine."
"Great. I'll pick you up at one?"
"Sure. No problem."
"Ok, then. Bye bye."
"Bye, Jesse. Thanks for calling."
She hung up and he put his phone down.
That had gone smoothly, he thought. Now to face the day…
Jesse stood up and headed to his closet to find a shirt and sweater to throw over his vest, and shoes to finish the look.
He wasn't too fussy about what he wore normally but today was a different day. He was reuniting with lots of family members after a long time apart. Many of them were married now and he had several people to meet and at least get along with. Jesse wanted to fit in.
Jesse wanted it so badly that, for the first time in a long time, what he wore actually mattered to him. With a twinge of sadness he remembered his dad telling him if people didn't look deep enough to see his heart they didn't matter. The greater, older part of him knew that. The little boy who had left all these people behind still needed reassurance.
He looked at the man standing in front of the mirror. He was tall with a strong, handsome face and it was clear to see he was in top physical form. Jesse had tried to consciously choose clothes that weren't too pretentious or that downplayed his professional success too much- he didn't want his Nana to worry that he wasn't doing well enough. The worry reflected on his face momentarily, but then he couldn't dwell on it because it was time to leave the house.
Giving himself a mental shake, Jesse turned away from the mirror, left his bedroom and headed out the door. Jumping in his rental car, he drove to the park where the first of four family reunions was taking place.
There were many cars in the parking lot but he reasoned that it was a nice day on the weekend. Lots of people would be at the park or the beach on a day like this.
What surprised him were the signs pointing to the area of the park apparently cordoned off. The placards read 'Jesse's Home! The Murray-Teab's family reunion'.
He was moved that he was getting so much attention. The emotion left him speechless when he saw just how many people were gathered to welcome him. A 'Welcome Back Jesse!' banner was hanging between two tall trees and at least thirty people of different ages shouted those words as he entered the enclosure, manned by a security officer.
Jesse spotted his mother standing with her former mother-in-law. She waved and moved toward him as did a number of his cousins. He needn't have worried about how his family would receive him. Their response was very warm.
"Great!" one aunt said. "He's just as good-looking as his father, with mom's gorgeous eyes!"
Everyone came by to shake his hand or hug and kiss him. The feeling of coming home washed over him as relief seeped into his heart. Introduction after introduction, the sensation of being back home and in a safe space increased and it wrapped around him like a warm blanket.
His grandmother had tears in her eyes later, when they finally got a moment to speak.
"Your father was my only son," she said softly. "And what my daughter said about you looking like him is so true! You and Samuel are all I have left of David."
Jesse squeezed Mrs Murray's hand. "Oh, Nana, don't be sad. Dad always used to tell me about you and how sorry he was that he couldn't see you more often. I'm here because I don't want to make the same mistake. Family is very important to me."
She gave him a nod of the head and her bright blue eyes shone with pride. "I'm so glad."
Rebecca Murray looked around at most of her children and their children mingling with the few present members of the Teab family. She had five daughters left after Jesse's father had passed on. They were all married with children and one of the near twenty grandchildren had triplets.
David had been the oldest but had not had children until some of his sisters had already gotten started on their families. His sisters Leah, Martha, Deborah, Miriam and Hannah all spent time gazing sadly at Jesse's face. If he hadn't missed his dad just as much as they did, he'd have felt uncomfortable. But he understood and it was comforting to be with people who loved his father as much him.
Martha, the one who'd called him good-looking said, "We all wish we had seen more of him before he passed away. It was so sudden!"
Leah nodded. "I think he deserved some time away from us, though. All those years as big brother, enduring hormones and boy drama," she finished with a laugh. "Your mom always joked about that being the reason the two of them didn't work out. He'd had enough of women!"
Jesse smiled at that. "He said the same thing to me a few times."
He'd often considered it as a young man, sometimes convincing himself that there may have been some truth in it. Neither of his parents had ever remarried and hardly ever did her mother speak ill of his father. His father had always told tales- good ones- about his mom. And he did remember them together. His childhood had been a happy one.
About two hours into the gathering when Jesse was talking to some Teabs'- his mother's cousins- he heard them announce that Nana was leaving. He excused himself and made sure he escorted her to the car that was taking her to her San Francisco home.
"I'm so glad you came back," she told Jesse. "It's good to have you home, Jesse."
"It feels good to be home, Nana," he said honestly. "Everyone's been so nice to me."
She smiled and caressed his cheek. "It's great to see you in person and… Sam's always talking about you." Pause. "Everybody in the family matters, baby. I want you to know that."
Jesse watched the driver open the door for his grandmother and then waved as the car pulled away.
As he returned to the party, he considered just how lucky he was to have family like his. Lots of his colleagues would get cards and balloons after long periods away from home. He was getting a king's reception.
Jesse drove to the apartment he was leasing later, as the sun set, to get ready for the dinner being held for the Murrays at Rebecca Murray's home in the lush suburb of Piedmont.
Sam and Dana took a cab from the airport to Jesse's place and once Jesse had brushed his blonde hair into orderly waves, they left in his Jeep for the party. It was a night for the older relatives to re-connect and celebrate the strength of their relations. Many of them had travelled just to be there that weekend and yet none of them complained or made any mention of the fact that they had been waiting for ages for Jesse to come back to the States.
They all remembered the two brothers separated at the airport by their parents' divorce. They also remembered the emails and calls they'd received from Samuel when he had reunited with his brother on his first trip to Europe. The sentiment was that it was wonderful to see the two together again and it was communicated to Jesse so clearly over that weekend.
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