i've missed you--[charlie]

[jacob noah king]

i've only have eyes...
for you...

[/font]


Maine, every time this young boy thought about it, memories came rushing back to him. Not all were good, but most of his time here was wonderful, enjoyable even. His old life, the one he could never get back was here, disappeared when he left this place to travel, mistake on his part. He had everything, a family, girlfriend, career, but he gave all that up once college rolled around. Another reason he left, his split from that girlfriend he talked about, the one who held his life in her hands. At first, Jacob King was your average boy, once he met Charlotte Gray, everything had changed about him. They were different, he had been a football player and dated cheerleaders, but he noticed her right off the bat. They were friends for a while, even before highschool started and all, childhood friends. Truthfully, their parents had always made them play together, since their mothers were good friends with one another, that meant they had to be. It wasn't torture, later on Charlie would become his everything, and maybe he had his mother to thank for that. Feelings of love were rare, and he was happy that he at least got to feel it once in his life.

It was his fault, running away form all of this, he shouldn't of and he wanted to rewind and fix everything. Charlie was his first real girlfriend, he dated girls in the past but they were all just girls that he didn't have true feelings for. She opened his eyes to so many things, and they seemed to be going strong for such a long time. He couldn't even tell you why they broke up, and his constant jealousy had never been a good contender to the table. Maybe it was his fault, maybe he should of kept his cool when it came to her talking to guys or in his terms, flirting with them. After that, he ran, got accepted into a college far away, and didn't even speak to Charlie all that much. It wasn't like he forgot about her though, he ended up calling his new girlfriends by her name sometimes, that never went over very well. She was the reason his relationships ended, he just couldn't get her out of his head, and to him, he just didn't want to. He picked up singing, never really noticed he was good at it until he tried, strumming a guitar and singing about whatever came to his mind. Most were just made up songs about her, songs that were a jumbled mess just talking about how beautiful she is and how much he misses her.

Now, it came the time that he had to see her again, that she was reentering his life and Jacob was becoming a bit scared. They were older now, obviously he had grown and so had she, and he already knew she probably just got more beautiful than she had been before. Which... was indeed hard to do, but still he was going to have to contain himself. Containing himself from attacking her, from making a move on her, and all the above. He missed those times waking up next to her, his arms securely around her small waist, crap he screwed up everything. He wasn't here just to get her back though, thinking about her was getting his mind off his father's death, and hell he needed all the distractions in the world right now. His mother hadn't come out of her room all day, only to greet him and that was all. Jake had no idea what to do, he never knew how to handle situations like this, he loved his mother dearly but a tragic situation he was not ready to deal with. His father had been sick, Jake had been coming to see his parents anyway but didn't expect something like this, then again who would.

He stood there in front of the mirror for a moment, staring at his reflection and wondering just how much he had changed since he last saw Charlie. He cut his hair a bit, made sure he was clean shaved, maybe he should show off the muscles a bit, which there wasn't much of but still. He ruffled his hair once or twice, trying to look a bit more sexy but it just wasn't working, he figured she wouldn't really be interested anyway. They were broken up, and for all he knew, she had some guy to meet up with later tonight, some boyfriend to go sex up later on. He just sighed, pulling on a shirt and buttoning his jeans, before leaving the bathroom. Best get started on those pancakes he promised, and that was just what he did as he entered the kitchen. Jake was the worst cook around, managed to burn noodles one time, he didn't even know that was possible, but it sure was. Making pancakes came easy to him though, used to make them sometimes on those special days for Charlie, like their anniversary or just when he was trying to be extra nice. After he flipped the last one, he nodded at his accomplishment, not a single one burned, that was a new record.

He stopped in his tracks as he heard the doorbell, watching a small kitten run through his legs to go to the door. "Rex, it's not for you." He swore this little guy was just like a puppy, wanting to greet everyone. He walked towards the door, yelling upstairs that it was for him and he'd answer it. With a hand placed on the door, he turned the doorknob, after taking a deep and needed breath, of course. "C-Charlie!" He stumbled over his words for a moment, taking her her... beautiful body and instantly connecting eyes with her. "Hey." He scratched the back of his head, as if to show he was a bit nervous about this whole thing. "Oh! Right right, come in come in." He stepped aside to allow her to come in, making sure he was keeping back the kitten from jumping at her legs. "You... you look great, long time no see." Again with the awkward comments, he knew this night was not going to go over very well at all.



words: 1079
tag: luna as charlotte!<3
notes: hope this is alright![/center]

[charlotte marie gray]

open your heart to me i hold the lock and you hold the key ,

Charlie Gray was nervous. She hadn’t know she could be nervous, but here she was, with shaking hands and butterflies in her stomach. She had performed for enormous crowds of people, sang her heart out in the middle of a stage with a spotlight on her, and performed a dance number with the other dance teachers that she alone had created. She was a performer to the very core, but even those things had never made her feel this nervous. Ever. And this was all because of one Jacob King. Charlie couldn’t remember him ever making her nervous like this before, but now here she was, feeling like she was going to throw up at the thought of seeing him again. Jacob had once been a very important person in her lie. Their parents had grown up with each other, and so Charlie had probably known him longer than she could even remember. She did know that she could always remember him being there. He had always been one of her guy friends. He was always there for her, always around when she needed him. She could remember their mothers always saying how great t would be if the two of them got together and maybe even getting married. Charlie had just rolled her eyes at the time, thinking that her mother was insane and that such a thing would never happen. She didn’t think of Jake in that way, and she was more than certain that he didn’t either.

But then things had changed. There had been a moment when Charlie had realized that what she felt for him was more than friendly. Jacob was an incredible guy. He meant a great deal to the young girl, and at the time, she honestly hadn’t known what to do. Charlie hadn’t been new to relationships at the time, usually being the type to go after what she wanted. But it was different with Jacob because she had to have him in her life. What if she had started a relationship with him and something went wrong and she lost him forever? That had been her big fear at the time, and it had turned out to be right. Knowing what she did now, though, Charlie didn’t think she’d change anything about what had happened between them. Because Charlie had experienced love for the first time. She had been so happy with him, feeling as though being more than just friends had been right somehow. She had been sixteen at the time, but it hadn’t taken her long to fall hard for her best friends. Things had been great too. For three years they were together and things had been great. And then something had gone horribly wrong. Charlie couldn’t for the life of her remember why they had broken up, though. She could only remember being so angry at him, but other than that she couldn’t remember anything about it. Everything was just a blur to her now, but there had to be a good reason for it, right? Not too long after that he had left for college elsewhere, and she had barely spoken to him since. She felt like she didn’t even know him anymore. But now he was back, and Charlie now found herself in this situation. She was going to go see him now for the first time in years, and the thought alone was enough to make her even more nervous.

Charlie had spent entirely too much time getting ready after Randi left to go see him. She had called him quickly to tell him she was finally on her way, then she had set about getting dressed and making her presentable. She didn’t think she had ever spent so much time getting ready to go see a friend. But she did work to make it look like she hadn’t put much thought into her jeans, boots, and t-shirt. She was going to be helping him unpack, so she didn’t want to look too nice. Satisfied with how she looked, Charlie had grabbed her keys from the counter and headed out the door. As much as she joked that she might not remember where it was that he lived, Charlie remembered exactly what it was that his house was, and exactly how long it would take her to get there. She had visited his house a lot over the years, as they had grown up together and hung out. They had a lot of memories together, for sure, which was the reason Charlie was so anxious about seeing him again. It had been so long since they had been together, and now here they were again. And even worse, the circumstances that had brought him back to her were not the best. She couldn’t believe that she hadn’t heard about his dad’s death before now, though when she had called her mom, she had already known and swore that she had already told Charlie about it. Charlie knew that she hadn’t, though, because if she had, she would have thought about Jacob’s arrival long before now. She honestly hadn’t thought about the chances of him coming back. After a couple of years she had given up on the idea that he might come back some day. He had been gone so long, she had just started to think he would stay gone.

Soon Charlie was pulling into the driveway to Jacob’s house, the house looking just as she had remembered it. She turned the car off and walked to the door, ringing the doorbell to announce her presence. The minute he opened the door the smell of pancakes hit her, which made a smile come to her lips. And of course seeing him. "C-Charlie!" She offered him a genuine smile, sensing that he was just as nervous, if not more, than she was. She was just better at hiding it. She was an actress, after all. At least to some degree, anyway. "Hey." She tried not to laugh at how awkward he seemed to be making things. “Hello to you, too.” Then she just stood there, giving him a look that signaled he should probably invite her in. "Oh! Right right, come in come in." That was better. She stepped inside where it was warm, working at the buttons on her coat and then laying it over the back of a chair. "You... you look great, long time no see." She smiled at him, walking towards him. “And whose fault is that,” she said with a little laugh to show she was kidding. She held out her arms then stood on her toes a little so she could wrap her arms around his neck to give him a hug. Charlie was a bit of a hugger, especially when it came to old friends she hadn’t seen in a long time. That was the way you greeted friends. She didn’t let the hug last long, though, and was soon pulling away from him. “So I see you came through on your end of the deal,” she said, indicating the pancakes she saw next to the stove, a grin on her face. “So is this one of those moments where I have to work for my food, or is it more of a good-faith gesture?” She was doing her best to lighten the moment, to make it easier on the both of them and to relieve her own tension at the same time. It was then that she noticed the kitten on the floor. “And whose this little guy?” she asked. Charlie had a soft spot for all animals, them being the reason she was a vegetarian. She had a soft spot for them, as she did for a lot of things. Charlie was a very compassionate person, and that part of her would probably never change.

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tagged for ; jacob noah king status ; complete word count ; 1,310 words lyrics ; open your heart by madonna notes ; this totally turned out better than i thought it would, so enjoy!

[/center][/blockquote]

[jacob noah king]

i've only have eyes...
for you...

[/font]


High school, it was so far behind him, that he silently wished he could just go back to those days. The days where he had Charlie by his side, he could walk through hallways with his head held high and know that he had everything a guy could ever want. Now, he'd be terrified to go back with what he had, no one would be by his side and he wouldn't have that football player reputation. That's what you needed in high school, a big reputation so that everyone would want to be with you, everyone would want you. Jacob didn't miss that really, he enjoyed less attention, and no matter how many times he told Charlie that in the past, she'd make him sing with her or do lines with her. There were even a few dance moments between them, even if he truthfully couldn't dance at all. He was with her every step of the way, and now he missed out on watching her make it, missed out on seeing her become this beautiful woman. Jacob was self-hating right now, and the rewind button wasn't working all that well. The old life was gone for good, and he was stuck without anything. She must of moved on by now, though he asked her in the conversation online, she didn't really give him a firm answer. Maybe she didn't want to go backwards, maybe he screwed up royally and she would rather be with someone else, breaking his heart every step of the way.

It was selfish, wasn't it? To want her all for himself again, that's probably one reason they broke up, he was too protective. No, she wasn't the most popular girl in school, nor was she the most desirable, but Jacob saw her as thus. Every male that gave her the wrong attention, he'd get mad at and make sure to keep a firm hold of her. Jealousy was never his best friend, and he saw some of the mistakes he made that drove her away, seems it's a bit too late for that though. Leaving, that was the biggest mistake ever, wanting to go to college without her, he ran from the feeling of love and closeness. Jacob could of swore she was the girl he would marry, and maybe he needed some time apart to realize that, all he thought about was her. No other girl ever measured to her, and he knew that a wedding ring would be the right choice. First, there was the factor of getting back together, proposing to her right now would be stupid, because he'd get a no and that he was sure of. He did have something for her, he'd wait until later tonight though, something he meant to give her before he had left, something important.

This object was a materialistic thing, something that probably held no meaning behind it. This was a time to catch up, they were going to be talking a lot tonight, and he was willing to spill his guts to her. For in his pocket was a promise ring, one of which he had engraved and all, spent a lot of hard earned money. He was indeed back in town because his father's passing, but he was going to stay for Charlie. If she didn't push him away, if she accepted all of this, he'd make sure this ring be given to her soon, maybe even tonight. He wasn't about to rush into anything, truthfully he needed someone's shoulder to lean on right now. His father was a big part of his life, and losing him was killing Jacob by the minute. Family was important, his mother was hit the hardest, and now Jake had no one else as family to turn to. No brothers or sisters, ended up being an only child, which was going to make the course of this worse. Charlie was going to come in handy, he hoped that she was ready for this, ready to see the big macho once football player break down in front of her. He wasn't scared about doing something like that, since he had cried in front of her before, one big one being their break up. That ring... he had been holding onto it for so long, even showed his father, now he felt like since this was the last thing his father ever pushed him to do, he'd make Charlie his wife someday, as a promise to himself, to his father, and to his heart.

It was like he could hear the car pull up, his heart sped and his words just felt like they were caught in his throat. Once he saw her, that was it, he was done, Jacob had officially lost everything he was going to say. He wanted to just blurt out 'i love you' to her all over again, but he knew it wasn't really the right time for that. Neither was saying that she looked hot, so he was going to keep that one to himself too. His eyes scanned her as she took off her coat, releasing a breath he really didn't notice he was holding this whole time. "Mine, it's... my fault." He looked away, though before he knew it, was embraced by her. Every memory came rushing back to him, as he put his arms slowly around her. Though right when he got comfortable, she pulled back and he began to pout. He made that quickly disappear from his face, making sure that she wouldn't see it. "Of course I did, and well... if you'd like to do a little dance for me, it may earn you a pancake." He joked, though hey if she thought it was serious, all the better. But, it was one of those look but can't touch times, he had to keep his hands away from her, and off her. He looked down at the small kitten when she mentioned him, smiling lightly and picking him up. "Rescued him from the shelter a few weeks ago, rode with me the car ride here, his name is Rex." He laughed as the small kitten started to climb on him. "Would you like to hold him?" He asked, holding out the tiny guy, watching as Rex just seemed to look at Charlie confused like, tilting his head and all. Like holding a child really, and hey he got to share this moment with her, it was worth something.



words: 1119
tag: luna as charlotte!<3
notes: -pets them- so broken hearted![/center]

[charlotte marie gray]

open your heart to me i hold the lock and you hold the key ,

"Mine, it's... my fault." There he went making it awkward while she tried to lighten the mood some more. So Charlie just decided to ignore that one, not commenting on it or dwelling on it. He was very right, however; it was his fault. He was the one that had left in the first place and then not came back. She could probably count on one hand the number of times she had talked to him since he had left Arietta, and she hadn’t seen him at all in that time. The last time she had seen him in person was when he had left town. Since then he had just been a distant memory, and she had been fairly certain that she might never see him again. Their breakup wasn’t something that she liked to think about, and seeing him again like this was bringing all that back again. It was painful, because he had meant so much to her. She just didn’t know where they had gone wrong. Everything had been pretty good between them for so long, and then it just suddenly turned bad. Sometimes it just didn’t even seem real. Jacob had been a lot of things to Charlie, and he held a lot of her firsts. There had been plenty of guys before him, but none of them even came close to comparing to him. She had been with him for three years, where before she had only had relationships that lasted months. And since him, it had been pretty much the same story. There had been no one that made her feel like that, not even close. She supposed that once you truly felt love with someone nothing else really compared to that. None of the other guys had been like Jacob, and she would always catch herself comparing them to him. That wasn’t really fair, but that was how it was. Those others guys never even stood a chance.

"Of course I did, and well... if you'd like to do a little dance for me, it may earn you a pancake." Charlie laughed but shook her head. “No, no, no. The deal was that I help you unpack and you give me pancakes. You don’t get to change your demands.” She laughed again, joking along with him, but still totally serious on some level. It was then that she turned her attention to his little kitten, who was entirely too cute for his own good. "Rescued him from the shelter a few weeks ago, rode with me the car ride here, his name is Rex." She grinned. “Awww, such a big name for one so tiny. He your guard cat?” Still teasing. She really had to stop that. "Would you like to hold him?" She nodded. “Of course! He’s so adorable!” She held out her arms and took him from Jacob, her nails finding the spot behind his ears that he was sure to like and scratching there, smiling when she heard a loud purr come from the small creature. Charlie had always loved animals. Like all little girls she had wanted a house full of animals, and her parents had humored her because she was their one and only. She was actually their miracle child, Maria and Charles always thinking they were never going to have kids but wanting them desperately. The doctors had said the chances for them to have kids was very slim, but here Charlie was. They hadn’t had any more kids after she had come along, and because they knew how lucky they were to have her, they had spoiled her with just about anything she wanted. Dance lessons, a pet rabbit, a raise in her allowance… she had been able to get just about anything she wanted from them. Charlie adored her parents, not because of all the stuff they had given her over the years, but all they had done for her, knowing she wouldn’t be where she was today without them. She had even followed in their footsteps and became a high school teacher. Family was everything to Charlie, as were her friends.

Which was why she was here. Despite all the years of absence in her life, Charlie still considered Jacob to be a friend, and his family had always been like one to her as well, their parents being as close as they were. Because of that, she was there for him, to help him and his mom get through his extremely difficult time. That was Charlie, though. She was dependable to a fault sometimes, and would drop everything if she was really needed. Everyone knew all they had to do was call her and she’d be there. And so when Jacob had asked her to come over, of course Charlie had agreed. She had taken care of everything she had to, then gotten in her car and came over. It wasn’t just because he needed her, though, but also because she had desperately wanted to see him again, and to take the chance to catch up. She wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for anything. She looked back up at Jacob, having to strain her neck to do so as he was quite tall and she was quite short. She was the butt of just about every joke and had heard them all a thousand times. She was perfectly content with her shortness, though, and never let any of that get to her. “So back to those pancakes. I want them. Now.” She grinned when she said it, though, to show that she wasn’t actually demanding anything of him. “So get on it!” she urged with a laugh, tempted to just grab a fork and dig in without his permission. She’d wait, though, and be patient, and allow for him to give them to her instead.

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tagged for ; jacob noah king status ; complete word count ; 973 words lyrics ; open your heart by madonna notes ; very rambly, but still good, i think.

[/center][/blockquote]

[jacob noah king]

i've only have eyes...
for you...

[/font]


The night that Jacob left was still flashing in his mind, the way it seemed so tragic and movie like when he gave Charlie the final kiss. He said that he'd call her, and he had kept that up the first few months he was gone. Saying that he loved her, and he'd come back and visit soon, but he got so caught up in school. He left the only person that he could ever see himself loving behind, for a football scholarship and college itself. Now, he was stuck with the decision of when it would be time to go back, or he could end up staying here. It all depended if he could fix things with her, if he could figure out some way to win her back, he'd stay. Jacob was already thinking about enrolling in college here, to be closer to his mom so he'd be here whenever she needed him. But, he knew Charlie had no right to forgive him, he told her that he loved her and ran away. He didn't deserve it, not at all, and well... he'd understand if he never got to see her again after this day. At least he would be getting a few moments here and there, since she still offered to be a great friend for him, that smile would light his face every now and then for her. His father's passing had been coming for a while now, he had been sick but Jacob didn't expect it to be this soon. He hid his feelings though, and was bound to break down soon enough. Charlie's presence was distracting him from sadness though, which was a great thing. But, it also reminded him of the memories he had with her, which also broke his heart. He remembered her face when he left, remembered how destroyed she was. God, how could be he so stupid to let this go on for so long, he... felt his heart breaking all over again.

He snapped his fingers when his offer was rejected, pouting at her and stomping his foot like a little child. He learned his acting skills from being with her for so long, he'd seen her pull a lot and he'd fall for it most of the time. "Can I have a little dance later? You're bound to want something else!" He laughed, though stopped when he noticed what that sounded like. "Whoa, I mean, not like that of course, or... well I give up on that sentence." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, a small tinge of a blush came upon his cheeks. He watched her take the kitten in her arms, the little guy seemed to enjoy being held by her. "He likes you." That sentence had two meaning to it, for himself and for the kitten in front of him, he watched as Rex licked her hand. He nodded at her previous statement, knowing she was only teasing him. Charlie hadn't changed at all, she was still the girl that he remembered, only more grown up now. She wasn't all nerdy like anymore, nor was she the girl from high school that he remembered so well. "He is my guard cat, since who in their right mind would harm a face like that." He smiled, patting the kitten's head a few times. His mother didn't really like the little furball, since he enjoyed scratching up the couch and all, he had to keep Rex in his room. Now Jake was really wishing that he had gotten an apartment on his own, though right now he was here to keep his mom company.

The one thing that Jacob knew he could count on was Charlie, he knew that no matter where he was and what he was doing, all her had to do was call her. He was beating around the bush with all of this, he just wanted to say it, and he almost did until she spoke up about those pancakes that he owed her. "Oh... right." He nodded, leading her into the kitchen where he had the pancakes on a plate already. He lifted the plate, holding it out to her than just placing it on the table. He got a fork out, as well as some syrup, and he allowed her to judge his work. Jacob wasn't a cook, actually he hated cooking, but he'd do just about anything for her. She was actually the one who taught him how to cook, taught him how to make these pancakes right here, and it hadn't been all that hard. Since he was traditionally bad at just about everything else, this was his best bet. "Charlie, I know this is something you don't want to talk about but I feel like we need to." He said, sitting down at the table. He looked at her, just... took her all in again, memories flashing back and forth. "Charlie, I still love you, and I'm sorry for leaving you, I'm sorry for everything. I know sorry isn't really enough, but... I'll do anything for you to forgive me." He looked down at the table, not really sure what else to say to her. The word anything was never safe, since it could mean being her slave, it could mean... well anything now. Though, he wanted to tell her this before she got herself all mixed up in something that she wouldn't be pleased with. Beating around the bush was just stupid, and he was done with that really. He wanted her back, and though he realized that he will probably be told to work for it, it'd be worth it.



words: 987
tag: luna as charlotte!<3
notes: this took me forever, sorry! my jacob muse is back though![/center]

[charlotte marie gray]

_{this post is tagged for jacob noah king. it is complete and came to be
1,061 words. impressive, huh? the lyrics found in this post are from the song
open your heart by madonna. this post template was created by the one and only
luna, who does not appreciate stealing. additional notes: chake!!! yess! =D}

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Charlie had missed Jacob more than she’d probably ever be able to admit. He had once been such a huge part of her life and then that had just ended. They broke up and then he left for college and that left Charlie to her own devices. It had never crossed Charlie’s mind that they might end and not be together forever, but it had happened and here they were. She hadn’t seen him in so many years. So many so that she had lost count. It was tragic that someone who had once been such a huge part of her was just gone so quickly. It was somewhat clear that Charlie had never gotten over Jake. She hadn’t had a solid relationship in year, and the few that she had actually had were few in numbers. They hadn’t made everlasting impressions on the twenty-four year old. And now Jacob had stepped back into her life. Just like that. Granted it wasn’t under the best circumstances, and that was so very sad. Their families had always been so close, and it was because of their parents that Charlie and Jake even knew each other. It was almost like Charlie had lost a father too, but she was pretty good at hiding such things. She was the strong one, typically. She looked after everyone else before she worried herself with her own feelings. That was just how Charlie had always been. She was that shoulder to cry on when it was needed. She was the kick in the butt you needed to do something. She was the comic relief when all you wanted to do was sit alone in a corner and bawl your eyes out. That was just who Charlie was, and it was who she had always been. She was dependable to a fault, even to friends she had barely spoken to in years.

"Can I have a little dance later? You're bound to want something else!" Charlie laughed and shook her head, about to respond, but closed her mouth whenever he went on. "Whoa, I mean, not like that of course, or... well I give up on that sentence." Charlie kept laughing. “Jake, I think you’ve developed foot-in-the-mouth syndrome.” Because he seemed to be doing that a lot since they had started talking only a couple of hours ago. She giggled. “And no! There will be no dance!” She offered him a smile. “You do know that it’s not nice to bribe people, right?” Charlie was teasing, of course. She did such things herself sometimes, but she was trying to be her easy-going self. Charlie scratched Jake’s little kitten behind the ears, a smile coming to her lips as he purred loudly from her touch. "He likes you." She looked up at Jacob with a smile. “Of course he likes me. I’m amazing!” She laughed. Charlie was in no way full of herself or egotistical in any way. She did know that she was a pretty great person, though. "He is my guard cat, since who in their right mind would harm a face like that." She laughed again. “Oh of course!” She grinned, her eyes going down to the kitten again as she petted him. He was so small and soft and nothing but fur. He was absolutely adorable and Charlie already had developed a soft spot for him.

It was then that Charlie indicated to him that she wanted her pancakes. That had been the deal, any way. "Oh... right." He nodded and started walking to the kitchen, Charlie following him, kitten still held in her arms. She sat down at the kitchen table, Jacob bringing the plate over and then grabbed some butter and syrup. She finally sat the kitten on the floor, picking up the knife and the butter and spreading it across them, then doing the same with the syrup. She cut a chunk with her fork and placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly. They were good. Somewhat cold, but good. He had done well, just like she had taught him. When he spoke she looked up at him. "Charlie, I know this is something you don't want to talk about but I feel like we need to." She looked at him, a confused expression crossing her face, but she sat and waited for him to say what it was that he had to say. He sat down at the table next to her. "Charlie, I still love you, and I'm sorry for leaving you, I'm sorry for everything. I know sorry isn't really enough, but... I'll do anything for you to forgive me." Charlie just sat there staring at him, not totally sure what to say. Gently she laid her fork down and turned to face him. “There is nothing to forgive,” she said softly, reaching out and taking his hand into hers. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” And he hadn’t. It was his choice whether or not he left to pursue college elsewhere. She couldn’t blame him for that, and she wouldn’t. There was more to this than that, though, and her hesitant silence after those few words said that much. “But…” Yep, there it was, the dreaded but. The one that always made something that seemed like it might be good turn into a bad thing. “Jake, I’ve barely spoken to you in years. Years. You’ve only been back here a couple of hours.”

She paused, biting her lip and thinking her words out carefully. She didn’t want to say the wrong thing, and this really felt like a very delicate situation. “I’ve missed you, I have. It’s just… I want to get to know you again.” She offered him a small smile. “I can’t be sure I even know you anymore.” She paused again. “Let’s just worry about catching up right now,” she offered. “The rest… it’ll come later.” It had been so long. He couldn’t just come back and expect things to be the same. People changed, circumstances changed. Nothing ever stayed the same for long. She let go of his hand and turned back to her pancakes, lifting her fork. “So I’m going to finish these delicious pancakes, and then I will help you unpack! Sound good?” She smiled at him, then took another bite. She had a feeling this was going to be an interesting night.

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