Be Yourself ((Jeremiah))

[Vanessa Baer]

“OW!”

“Well, stop moving and it wouldn’t hurt nearly as much!”

“For some reason, I highly doubt that…” Vanessa grumbled as Jordan continued to tug at her long black hair. She had agreed to let Jordan do her hair (which was beyond Vanessa because she normally just styled it with magic) and now she was regretting it. Jordan’s hair always looked amazing, though, and she never used magic – so Vanessa still trusted her a bit. Besides, if she didn’t like it her wand could change it with a flick. With a few more shrieks from Vanessa as Jordan yanked a brush through her hair and twisted it into place and a few minutes later; Vanessa was told she could look in the mirror. She turned toward the full length mirror that was against the wall that separated her and Jordan’s beds and looked into apprehensively. Immediately the uneasy grew as she stared at her perfectly straight black hair that was twisted into a neat little cinnamon roll type things on each side. She raised an eyebrow at Jordan’s reflection. “You’re joking, right?”

“O’ course I am! What kind of friend do you take me for?” Jordan feigned a hurt expression and then reached over and unrolled the cinnamon roll hair. Immediately Vanessa’s black hair cascaded down to the end of her ribcage, silky smooth. Her hair wasn’t normally this long, and she knew that Jordan had used magic regardless of what she said. “Is that better?” She asked in anxiety. Vanessa touched her hair and then nodded her head. “Oh! Goodie! Well, my work here is done, I’m off to meet Braeden. Tootals!” And with a flash of brown hair and red jacket, Jordan had left the dorm. Truth be told, Vanessa really liked the length of her hair, but she knew it just wouldn’t do. She took out her wand and flicked it once, immediately her hair went back to the normal shoulder length. She spun her wand in a circle and then flicked it again and her bangs appeared just above her eyes. Her parents didn’t need to think she had completely changed; it was going to be hard enough. One final flick and her hair was pulled back a bit with a barrette. Vanessa sighed and pocketed her wand before grabbing up her purse and leaving the dorm.

Her stomach was knotted as she left the common room and headed toward the entrance hall where she and Jeremiah had agreed to meet. They, or rather she, were going to tell her parents. Jeremiah was there for support, Vanessa assumed, but she wasn’t complaining about it. Support was probably all he could really give, considering her parents were… well… her parents. They had no idea that she was going to be arriving, much less that she would be arriving with Jeremiah, her fiancé. This was going to be a very amusing, yet highly tense, afternoon. Vanessa chewed on her bottom lip as she neared the entrance hall. They would have to go to Hogsmeade first, so they could apparate to Manchester. After all, that was the only way to get there; besides Floo, and apparating was so much quicker than flooing anyway. Her footsteps quickened as the great double doors came in her line of vision. Jeremiah was standing there, looking almost as nervous as she was. She let out a breath, feeling the knot ease away just at the sight of him.

Everything would be fine if he was with her. Vanessa was sure of it. Everything would be fine. She smiled as she reached him, “I think I’d rather take on a crowd of dementors than do what we’re about to do. It’s nearly suicidal, I’m sure.” OK, so maybe she was over exaggerating it a tiny bit, but it was rather scary for Vanessa. She tried to control the nerves which were making her shake, by looping her arm through Jeremiah’s and starting the walk to the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade. The last time they had gone to Hogsmeade had been their first date, and now they were engaged. Vanessa had gotten over the initial shock of it, but the happiness hadn’t worn off… nor did she think it would. The proposal was unexpected, yes, but Vanessa was quite happy he had asked her. The carriage pulled away once they were situated inside it, and Vanessa looked absently out the window with a dazed look on her face. Her mind was elsewhere, mainly on what Jeremiah would think when he met her parents; not what her parents would think of him. She couldn’t care less what her parents thought of Jeremiah, because it was what she thought that mattered. But she felt so determined to make Jeremiah see the side of her that he’s been seeing instead of the side of her that had been locked up in the house they were going to be in today.

“It’ll be fine…” she said into the silent carriage as she tore her gaze away from the scenery (which was slowly turning into the village) to look at Jeremiah. “It’ll be fine…” Her repeated phrase soon lost meaning though as the carriage came to a stop. She sent Jeremiah a nervous look and then climbed out of the carriage. Her mind was going through excuse upon excuse to find a way to stall time, but she knew she couldn’t procrastinate. Once Jeremiah was beside her, she held his hand and squeezed it with a deep breath. “Hold on tight, yeah?” Before he could do or say anything more, they disappeared with a crack and then reappeared in the foyer in her house… her childhood home, with another crack. This crack startled someone though. This someone jumped so high and backward, that he knocked over the piano bench and sent his sheet music flying. Vanessa plucked one of the papers that had been fluttering to the ground out of the air and read the top. It was the paper she had given him for Christmas. She showed it to Jeremiah and then looked up as Aryeh stood and righted the piano bench. “Bloody hell! Ness, you know better than to app-…” He trailed off at the site of Jeremiah. “…arate… in here. Who’s your friend?” Vanessa scowled slightly, her hand squeezing Jeremiah’s tighter still.

“Where’s Mum and Dad?” She asked in reply, preparing herself to pull Jeremiah into the kitchen away from Aryeh – knowing full well he would only follow them. Aryeh nodded toward the living room with his head, his eyes still on Jeremiah. Vanessa sighed and then started toward the living room, “Let’s get this done and over with.”

((Sooo, I know I moved FAST, but I wanted to get them at her house. I also realize I left you with nothing to respond to at the end, but I was hoping you could just do what I did for a lot of it… you know emotions, thoughts, movements. Hah, I’m telling you how to write, how d’ya like that? Next post of mine will give Jeremiah something to actually reply to…))

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah leaned against the stone wall of the entrance hall. His hands were behind his back, one holding the wrist of the other to keep from fidgeting around too much. The morning seemed to fly by, and the time had came so quickly for him to meet Vanessa to go to Hogsmeade and then her home. If it didn't mean seeing Vanessa, he'd have dreaded the whole experience a lot more than he already was dreading it. With a nervous glance at his watch, he knew she would be arriving anytime.

Most of the morning was spent dreaming up the many awkward positions Jeremiah might find himself in. He thought of all the things he might say to make this trip as painless as possible. Most of all though, he was afraid that if it got really bad, he might just lose it and do who knows what. Hopefully though, that wouldn't be the case, and things would go smoothly. Jeremiah could handle awkward, but it was his temper that he would need to be careful of. When it came to what he loved, which Vanessa topped the list, he could become very protective. Since she had warned him that the visit might not be the easiest, he was prepared to defend their relationship if he had to. He didn't want it to get to that point, but he was ready nonetheless.

Interrupting his thoughts, Jeremiah heard Vanessa's voice mention Dementors and that what they were about to do was suicidal. Way to ease his mind, he thought as he bit his lower lip. "That helps the nerves," he teased with a smile as he grabbed Vanessa's hand and walked to where they would pick up the carriage. He felt the cold metal band from the ring. It made him smile when he thought of what that ring symbolized. They were shortly in the carriage, and after an almost completely silent ride, they were in Hogsmeade.

Fine. The word was so overused, and not that he was blaming Vanessa for using it, but fine could mean almost anything. Jeremiah always heard the joke that it meant freaked-out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. That saying could very well describe what he was feeling. Just fine. With a forced grin, he followed Vanessa out of the carriage. Before he really even had the chance to say one last thing and tell her that he loved her no matter what might happen, Vanessa had grabbed his hand and apparated the two of them to what Jeremiah assumed would be their doom.

Jeremiah kept his eyes closed at first, thinking that maybe it wouldn't be real if he didn't open them. The sound of a crashing object though brought the reality to him as he opened his eyes and saw a piano and another guy about his age. It didn't take anything for him to know right away that it must be Aryeh. Vanessa and Aryeh exchanged some quick words, and Jeremiah counted to three in his mind, doing his best to just separate himself from his surroundings, even if just for the time being. Shortly, Jeremiah found himself following Vanessa to where her parents were waiting. The time had come.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa breathed in sharply and held her breath as she stepped into the brightly lit living room. The curtains were open, letting in the sunlight and the view of the sunflower field in the back. She cast a quick glance at it, thinking about all that field held memories wise for her. Right. No. Not important. She looked around the room, at the white walls with the art work on it. At the pastel coloured furniture and the coffee table with the pictures on it. This was where she had grown up, but it held nothing of her in it. No soul. Finally, Vanessa looked at her parents. Her father, typical of him, was reading the newspaper and her mother was scrap booking. Vanessa groaned inwardly at the thought of the fifty albums stacked in the attack. They didn’t seem to notice Vanessa and Jeremiah’s entrance, but Vanessa hadn’t expected them to. She watched and waited, sent Jeremiah a quick look, and then opened her mouth to say something. Just at the moment, Carol looked up and shrieked with delight at the sight of her daughter. Vanessa groaned audibly this time as her mother dropped her scrap booking supplies and nearly flung herself at Vanessa. “Mmmmum…” she mumbled as she was torn away from Jeremiah, she instantly felt alone. She didn’t have much time to think, though, because her mother pulled away from the tight hug and held her at arms length.

“Vanessa! You look… darling, have you gained weight? Oh, that’s alright, it’s hardly noticeable. Your hair… it looks limp, are you using the shampoo I sent you?” Carol started to pick at Vanessa’s hair, but instinctively Vanessa batted her hand away and quickly rolled her eyes. “Are you blind, Carol?” Came a deep voice from the couch. Carol jumped and turned to look at her husband. He hadn’t even looked up from the paper. “She’s got someone with her,” Carol blinked and then turned slowly to see what Lonnie could be talking about. When she saw Jeremiah, she jumped again, and put her hand to her heart. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t see… I was…” “Too preoccupied with Vanessa’s well being to realize she had a man standing next to her and that they were holding hands? Well, yes, that’s understandable.” Carol sent her husband a quick glare before turning to look at Jeremiah again and then turning her gaze to Vanessa. “Did you see Aryeh out there?” She asked, as if Jeremiah wasn’t even there. Carol turned and returned to her scrap booking as Vanessa grabbed Jeremiah’s hand again and gave it a light squeeze before motioning him to an armchair.

Sinking onto the ottoman in front of the chair Jeremiah was sitting in, she had moved it to the left a little, though, so she wouldn’t be blocking him or his view. Lovely view, Vanessa thought. “Yeah, we saw him. Gave him a right scare when we popped in.” She looked over at Jeremiah, offered him a quick smile before looking back at her parents. She absentmindedly fiddled with her engagement ring before continuing, “This is Jeremiah Baer – yes, Dad, you heard correctly… Baer.” Lonnie folded up his newspaper and placed it on the table beside him before looking over at the two. Vanessa knew that the pleasant demeanor of her father would vanish once she told them that she was engaged. She watched her mother as Lonnie stood up and offered his hand for Jeremiah to shake. “I’m Lonnie, this is Carol. Don’t be fooled by her cold shoulder, she’s really a loving viper.” He smiled and Vanessa felt her insides shake slightly. He wouldn’t be smiling soon, will he? Vanessa smiled shakily and leaned back a little so she could say in a low voice, “They both are.”

“Damn right they both are, first time I stepped into this house; Carol threw a frying pan at my head.” Vanessa looked over at the doorway to see Aryeh leaning against it. “Too bad she didn’t hit you, remind me to do it later.” She scowled as she turned away from Aryeh to her parents again. Her mother was watching her closely, only not her. Her hand. Vanessa felt her heart skip a beat as her mother put down her scissors and leaned forward to look more closely at Vanessa’s hand. She was about to do something but it was too late. “Vanessa…” “Now, Mum, don’t… don’t over-…” “-react?! Don’t overreact?! You’re seventeen! SEVENTEEN!” Lonnie looked from his daughter to his wife in confusion. Right. Not good. Why didn’t she just say it? By now, Aryeh had caught on and had moved away from the door frame to reach over and grab her hand, pulling it toward him harshly. Carol was muttering the word seventeen over and over again and Aryeh was burning a hole into her hand as if willing the ring to disappear from it.

“You’re engaged….” He said quietly. Vanessa yanked her arm away, “Well spotted, Mum beat you to it.” Aryeh didn’t seem to hear her, though, his gaze had turned to Jeremiah. “To him? You’re engaged to him?” “He has a name, Aryeh. This is Jeremiah Baer, my fiancé.” There was a squeal from the chair Carol was sitting in. Lonnie had remained quiet, though. And after awhile it was just Carol’s sobbing that could be heard. Finally, he spoke. The question wasn’t directed at Vanessa, and it wasn’t a command for Carol to stop crying. His voice was steady and he looked straight at Jeremiah, “You do realize that you two are very young, that Vanessa is very precious to us, and that if anything is to happen to her that will result in her misery… the person who is solely responsible for that will be harmed, correct?” Vanessa looked at Jeremiah as she stood and moved beside him, further away from Aryeh who was still staring at her. She couldn’t believe her father was being the sensible one, slightly threatening, but it was calm for what she thought he might do.

[Jeremiah Baer]

As the two of them walked into the sunlit room, Jeremiah glanced around quickly, but stopped when he saw Vanessa's parents. He tensed up a bit and squeezed Vanessa's hand almost unknowingly. Seconds passed, seeming like years before either of them even noticed their presence. Then, though, it was if a celebrity had appeared when Vanessa's mother greeted her, not even acknowledging Jeremiah. He wasn't too upset about that though. He simply watched her mother act like most mothers, only maybe a bit more overbearing. A bit of Jeremiah wondered if his own mother would have been that protective of him.

His thoughts were torn into though by Vanessa's father's voice. From his seat, he had obviously spotted Jeremiah a lot quicker than her mother had. Jeremiah sensed a bit of sarcasm or even hostility in Lonnie's voice, and then got nothing more than a glance from Carol. He definitely felt like he was not even there, except for the stares he received. Vanessa quickly came to his aid though and sat him down, placing herself in front of him, which made him feel a little more secure. How sad was that, she was the one protecting him. It was best though, if he were to keep his cool and not just up and storm out of the house. He already sensed that the three of them, Aryeh included were not happy of his presence. Maybe they weren't totally upset, but the worst had yet to be revealed.

Vanessa soon took control of the conversation, introducing Jeremiah properly. When Lonnie stood and offered his hand, Jeremiah did the same. "Nice to meet you," he said, emotionless. He felt like he really didn't mean it, however Lonnie's comment made him think that maybe he was just being too quick to judge. Maybe it would just be a little hurdle that they would need to get over. And then, everything could be good, right? It was a long shot, but Jeremiah sat back down, silent, as Aryeh and Vanessa spoke. When are you going to tell them, Vanessa? he thought nervously. Would this be an all day thing where she waited until they were about ready to go to tell them? Surely not. He figured she just needed to work up the courage to break the news. Heck, if she didn't do it soon though, Jeremiah thought he might not be able to stop himself from just ending the suspense and getting it over with. He was a 'tear-the-bandaid-off-in-one-yank' kind of person, if there was such an adjective.

Before he even knew what was happening, Jeremiah realized that the bandaid had already been yanked, and now was just the initial burst of pain. One. Two. Three. he counted as he had practiced. After a lot of quick and loud conversation, silence settled in just before Jeremiah turned to look at Lonnie who had addressed him. "Yes sir," he replied quickly and confidently. The threats didn't bother him. In a way, it helped to see that her father was serious. Jeremiah appreciated his frankness. "And it's a responsibility I am more than ready to take." Jeremiah's voice was strong yet respectful. He meant it, or at least felt it. Whether or not he and Vanessa would really be well-off was something he constantly worried about. Not now though. He needed to be sure of himself now. Don't back down, he thought.

[Vanessa Baer]

Her mother was being ridiculous. She had to restrain herself from snapping at her to just shut up. Honestly, the hysterical tears weren’t helping the knot in Vanessa’s stomach no matter how good her father seemed to be taking it all. She couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t throwing them out of his house as she thought he would, or screaming at her even. She knew her father had a temper; it’s where she got hers (although that hardly ever made an appearance). She felt her mouth go dry as Jeremiah answered her father, she looked down at him from where she was standing and smiled. There was quiet again and Lonnie seemed to be thinking over something. “I trust Vanessa,” he said in a low rumble, “I don’t know you well enough to trust you with my daughter, but I trust her to make good choices in her life. Her mother has made poor choices when it comes to Vanessa, and that’s the one thing that has made her stronger than most girls at her age. I’m not going to assume that you two have been together for long, because she would have mentioned you; but I’m not going to forbid a marriage that I know my daughter will go through with or without my blessing.” Vanessa fidgeted slightly as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and started to braid it. She knew there was more to what he was going to say. He was going to say more, wasn’t he? It would appear not. Someone else had something to say, though.

“You’ve got to be joking, Lonnie! You can’t honestly let her marry at seventeen. She’s still young, she’s… young. She’s got her whole life ahead of her.” Aryeh had taken a step toward Lonnie with anger in his eyes and Vanessa felt anger boil up inside of her. “Oh, a life ahead of me?! Do you mean RAM? The music academy that I didn’t even apply for and somehow got in? For Merlin’s sake, mother!” Vanessa turned her attention to her mother who had started to cry again. Carol whimpered and buried her head in a pillow on the couch and then Vanessa turned to Aryeh again. “Is that why you’re marrying him? So you have an excuse to give me so you won’t have to go to RAM?” Vanessa glared at him as she dug her fingernails into the back of the chair her hand was resting on. “No! I’m marrying him because I love him! Not everything is about music for me Aryeh, but I wouldn’t expect you to understand that because you never understand anything when it comes to me. You like to think you do, but you don’t.” Aryeh raised his eyebrows at her and Vanessa knew what was coming before he even did it. “I don’t understand anything when it comes to you, huh? Right. Well, I suppose the past years that I’ve been the person you looked to for guidance or whatever you called it, were just… me blind sighting it? Vanessa, I know you, I know you a lot better than he ever could. Music is everything for you. It has been since you found that blasted piano in the room.”

Vanessa opened her mouth to speak, but Aryeh kept going. “Has he seen you scream and throw things around because you can’t get the perfect rhythm to a song you’re writing? Has he seen you cry your eyes out over something to deal with your family or circumstances at your school? Vanessa, you two hardly know each other. You met, what, five months ago? If even that. I’ve known you since you were seven, I know this isn’t what you want.” The anger was rising inside of Vanessa like a volcano and she felt tears well in her eyes. Her knuckles were turning white from her grip on the arm chair. It was all she could do to make sure she didn’t fall on the floor in a crumpled heap. “Yo-you don’t kn-kn-…” “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Does he know about your stutter? The stutter I helped you get over? Vanessa you can’t survive in this world with anyone who hasn’t been there your whole life.” “Yea-yeah I ca-can.” “No! You can’t!” Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut and let go of the chair, “YES I CAN. Merlin, Aryeh. I’m not the girl I was ten years ago! Don’t think you can belittle me by reminding me of my temper, my stutter, or my problems with life in general. I’ve gotten over them before without your help, I can do it again. You’re right, I haven’t known Jeremiah that long, but it doesn’t matter because he does know me better than you do. He’s willing to understand me better than you do.”

She had opened her eyes and the tears were falling down her cheeks, which she hastily moved to wipe away. Aryeh looked like he was about to say something more, as Vanessa sunk onto the arm rest of the chair Jeremiah was sitting in. “That’s enough.” Carol stood from her chair and fixed her hair which had been in perfect curls before her hysterics. “You two always fight now-a-days, you always got along so well. That’s no matter, the most important thing here is that Lonnie has indeed said he is okay with Vanessa and Jeremiah’s engagement. That’s what matters. However, I would like to get to know my future-son-in-law and it would be nice if we could do it over a cup of tea without the screaming.” Vanessa let out a shaky breath as she closed her eyes again. “Aryeh, you should head home. Lonnie, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen?” Soon, it was like the tension was just… pulled out of the air with the leaving of the three others. Vanessa sighed as she turned and hugged Jeremiah. She was shaking and tears were flowing slowly, but she was regaining her composure. She hugged him a moment before pulling away and laughing lightly as she wiped at the tears with the sleeve of her shirt, “It wasn’t too horrible, was it?”

((I’m hoping this post will slow down with Aryeh out of it. We can have him return if you want Jeremiah to punch him . I also thought it might be nice if Jeremiah and Vanessa were able to be alone and recollect themselves before they are forced horrid tea and scones.))

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah nodded when Lonnie continued with his input on the situation. It was fair. Jeremiah respected his honestly and willingness to trust Vanessa's decision. It was also nice to know that even if Lonnie was necessarily supporting their decision to marry, he wasn't outright opposed to it. After he finished though, Jeremiah was surprised that Aryeh felt the compulsion to share his opinion. His eyes full of fire, Jeremiah watched Aryeh speaking. At first, he instinctively twitched, about to stand up until he felt Vanessa put her hand on his lap, signifying that he should remain seated. It took everything in him though to respect her caution and stay calm. As he had to sit there and watch Aryeh come at Vanessa with one snide comment after another, Jeremiah's pulse began to speed up. He held the arms of the chair, digging his fingers into the fabric. Vanessa was sticking up for herself at least. Jeremiah wanted so badly though to just get up and let Aryeh have it. How did he think he had the right to talk to Vanessa that way?

"Y..." Jeremiah began but was instantly cut off by Carol who tried breaking up the argument between Vanessa and Aryeh. Jeremiah was surprised to hear words that actually sounded positive coming from her mouth. One minute she was screaming hysterically and the next, talking sanely. Aryeh surprisingly left as well, and before Jeremiah even really got calmed down, it was just he and Vanessa left in the room.

When he realized she was crying, it made him a little more upset, but he tried to push his emotions away as he hugged Vanessa back when she fell into his arms. "No more tears then?" he said in a soft voice, wiping the wet streaks from her face that her sleeve had missed. "Yeah, I think that in the end, your parents handled it well. But... that jerk. I'm glad you stopped me from doing something ridiculous, but I'd have loved to have just punched him. Does he always treat you like that?" Noticing that Vanessa was shaking a little less than before, Jeremiah pulled her head to his shoulder as she sat on his lap. "We make a good team," he said, hoping to cheer Vanessa up a bit.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa smiled slightly as Jeremiah wiped away some tears she apparently missed. She nodded slowly in agreement with him, her parents had taken it rather well. OK, her mother seemed to gain control of her emotions after a bit, but her father had been surprising. Vanessa wondered if this would cause an argument between her parents after her and Jeremiah returned to Hogsmeade, but she didn’t stay on the thought for too long because she had to think about what Jeremiah had asked. Did Aryeh always treat her that way? It was hard to think about. For the longest time Aryeh was like a hero to her, someone she saw only in a golden light and on a pedestal. She stepped out of the box and looked at his actions from an outsider’s point of view. It dawned on her that he did in fact treat her like that a lot of the time. “I never realized it before, but yeah… I guess he does. He’s like my mother in more ways than he knows. Starting with the fact that they both think they know what’s best for me and I have no idea what I’m talking about. It’s like I told him, I’m not who I was ten years ago. Especially when it comes to making my own decisions.” She let out a small sigh before offering a shaky, but bright, smile; “It could have gone worse. My father could have done what I thought he was going to.” Over all, Vanessa thought it had gone… alright. She wouldn’t go as far as to say smoothly, but it could have been much worse. She was only wondering how it would have gone if she had told them instead of her mother seeing the ring. Would it have been easier?

I’m not going to think about that now, she thought to herself as she leaned her head on Jeremiah’s shoulder and continued to return to her normal composure. When he said they made a good team, Vanessa smiled again; “Yeah, we do.” That was the last thing that was said for awhile. She let the silence wash over her and steady her emotions enough so she wasn’t shaking anymore, and then, after a moment Vanessa laughed. At first it was a small laugh and then it turned into a torrent of giggles. “I’m sorry, it’s just…” she tried to finish her sentence as she giggled some more, “… my mother was so melodramatic. Honestly, you’d think she was being tortured or something.” It was really a lot easier to think about if you were laughing about it. Vanessa looked up at Jeremiah with the laughter still in her eyes and a bright smile on her face, “I remember when I was younger, I used to think she was three different women. There was Mummy who was caring and told me stories before bed, Mum who wasn’t as caring as Mummy and was rather strict, and Mother who was strict, controlling, and paranoid. I think all three of the women must have been fighting each other to get out and that’s why she snapped. That, or she just really thought it was the end of the world.”

Vanessa looked away after a moment. There was a lot about her childhood that she could tell Jeremiah, because Aryeh had been right in that prospect of his argument. Jeremiah knew very little about who she was as a child, but in return she knew very little about his childhood, too. It would be alright, though. She just knew it. “Thanks,” she said quietly as she looked at him again, “for coming and being here. You could have just as easily said you wouldn’t come. I would have understood.”

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah wasn't about to argue when Vanessa said that it could have gone worse. She was more than right. It could have been a lot worse. Jeremiah knew that, but still he couldn't help but feel a little anger inside. Mostly, his anger was directed toward Aryeh, but he hoped that Aryeh would soon fade as a problem from his and Vanessa's life.

When Vanessa started laughing, Jeremiah just gave her a confused look. And then, when she mentioned her mother's dramatic demeanor, he laughed a little himself. It was nice to lighten the mood a little bit. He was going to comment on her mother's persona, but then Vanessa explained to him how it had affected her when she was younger. It sounded as though it must have been hard for her, not ever knowing what aspect of her mother's personality she would be dealing with at any given time.

He squeezed her with a hug as the thanked him for coming. "That wouldn't have been very team-like," he replied with a smile. "I'm willing to do anything for you," he assured her. Jeremiah heard the sound of dishes clanking from the kitchen area. He'd have much rather just spent the rest of the day with only Vanessa, but he knew that if things were to get any better, he should at least try to make things decent between himself and her parents. If anything, it would only make that aspect of his relationship with Vanessa less stressful and straining on the two of them. "Well, as much as I'd love to hold you all day, d'ya think we should probably head to the kitchen? If Aryeh's still in there though, you might have to restrain me."