“Oh uhhh hey, Mom,” Jason said, feeling his nerves fray slightly as he looked at his mother, but she was too busy eyeing the girl on the couch to respond to him.

“Hi, Mrs.M,” Jillian greeted with a dazed expression. Katia looked between them, seeming a bit puzzled and upset.

“Mom, I... we uhh...” Jason started, but Katia raised her hand to cut him off.

“Hold on, Jason. Save it. I want you both in the kitchen in twenty minutes.”

Jason sighed, feeling a bit dejected.

“Alright, Mom, I understand.”

“I am so unprepared for this, oh my goodness!”

With that, she hurried off down the hall, leaving Jason feeling like a kid in trouble, even after all these years.

“Huh, she took that well,’’ Jillian quipped sarcastically, with a half-asleep tone, letting out a big yawn. “What’s gonna happen?”

Jason groaned at her.

“Honestly, I have no clue. My mom’s never caught me alone with a girl before,” he said, roughly scratching the back of his head. Jillian let out a snort, amused.

“Yeah, I bet...” She quickly trailed off, catching herself slipping into old habits. The harsh glare from Jason didn’t help either. “Sorry,” she murmured, gazing back up at the ceiling again. She draped an arm over her midsection, feeling the warmth from earlier slowly fading away.

He kinda hated to admit it, but he definitely didn’t have many, if any, girls interested in him during his teen years. At least none that he could remember or knew about. At this point in his life, women had become pests that he mostly shooed away like a pesky fly.

“Whatever. I’m gonna take a shower. You can... I don’t know, just stay there, and don’t touch anything.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Jillian said, closing her eyes and resting her head back, her mass of red curls spilling out around her. Shaking his head, Jason left the room and headed to the bathroom.

Once Jason was out of the room, Jillian cracked open one eye to make sure he was really gone. Slowly sitting up, she rested her arms on her legs. With a deep breath, she ran a hand through her disheveled curls.

“Why are you still here... You should just leave and get it over with,” she muttered to herself, a scowl forming on her face. Hearing the faint sound of the shower starting in the other room, she glanced up at the wall.

Jillian slowly pictured Jason naked in the shower, imagining every muscle glistening as the warm water raced down the ridges of his body. She bit her bottom lip, a warmth spreading through her abdomen.

“Fuck, Jill, what is wrong with you, snap out of it. Why am I even fantasizing about this Jerk?” The answer was obvious, but she pushed it aside for now.

Testing out her legs, they actually felt sturdier as she got up from the couch. Her butt still hurt a bit, but at least she could walk now. She was a bit stunned that the massage had actually done something. She had just wanted a rub down to help with the pain. But it was like his hands were magic.

“Damn… I didn’t think it would actually work.” Leaving the office, she noticed how quiet the house was compared to hers. In a household of eight, silence was a luxury. So this was a welcome change.

Walking down the hall, Jillian noticed a door slightly ajar and her curious nature got the best of her. Pushing it open, she found herself in a small room covered with posters of things she didn’t recognize.

“World of Warcraft? Metal Gear Solid? What’s a Deeoo-usss duces ex? Friggin nerd,” she chuckled to herself, before the realization she was being a bitch again sunk in. “Ugh, can I just not for two damn seconds?” she groaned, then flopped face-first onto the bed. She hated being so self aware.

Resting her face on the pillow, she caught a whiff of flowery shampoo mixed with that familiar musky scent. She lifted her head, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Hmm, didn’t peg him for the fancy soap type.” She sat up on the bed, scanning the room. Standing up, she wandered over to the closet, sliding it open to reveal a row of neatly hung shirts from Jason’s youth. Grabbing one, she examined it—a logo for some video game or whatever nerd shit it was supposed to be. She chuckled to herself, rolling her eyes.

“Seriously, he’s got so friggin ‘many of these. Why don’t I remember any of them?” She paused to think about what the boy wore back then. Only ever remembering him being in very basic clothes most of the time. Like he had been too afraid to show any kind of personality. The thought made her stomach turn a little. “Just another addition to the list of things that are my fault.” She sighed.

Jillian tried to push away the thought of him, unable to express himself thanks to her. Taking a deep breath, and eventually clearing her mind. She continued to look through the shirts, running her fingers over each one as she read the sizes aloud. “Double XL, triple XL... Wonder how they would fit him now.” The thought made her grin. “They’d be like dresses on me, haha.” Like flipping a switch, an idea struck her.

Jillian pulled off her hoodie, leaving her completely topless; she casually tossed it aside. She sifted through the shirts until she found one that looked like the logo of a metal band. It would work. Slipping it on, it was way too big, practically reaching her knees, but it sure was comfy. With a slight grin, she checked her phone, pulling it out of her sweatpants pocket. It had been almost twenty minutes, but she could still hear the shower running. Shrugging, she figured Katia couldn’t really punish someone who wasn’t her own daughter. Plus, it was easy to forget she was an adult in her current situation. So she strolled out of the boy’s bedroom and down the hall, when suddenly she caught the aroma of something good.

Jason took his time under the cascade of warm water, racking his brain for plausible reasons he and Jillian were alone together so early in the morning. He couldn’t conjure up a convincing excuse. With no intention of deceiving his mother, he decided that honesty, as always, was the best policy; he just hoped she’d understand. Not that they even did anything. After drying off a bit, he wrapped a towel around his waist and cautiously poked his head out of the bathroom door, scanning the hallway for any signs of movement. Finding it clear, he made a dash for his room, shutting the door behind him. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed his closet door was open. Grabbing some clothes out of his bag, he hastily threw on a plain white tee and comfy basketball shorts. Walking out, he made his way down the hall.

Jason heard laughter in the distance. Walking into the kitchen, he spotted Jillian at the small table, devouring a whole strip of bacon. His mother was seated beside her, flipping through an album, both of them giggling like teenagers at the pictures.

“Uh, what the fuck is this?” Jason blurted out, standing a few feet away.

“Jason Alexander Merris, mind your language!” His mother scolded, both of them looking up from the table, which was overflowing with food - eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, toast, and sliced fresh fruit. Jillian shot Jason a mischievous grin, wearing his black and red Horde shirt from Warcraft. His frown deepened at the sight of his stolen shirt.

Katia let out a huff, but her smile quickly returned after scolding him.

“Well, don’t just stand there, sit down and dig in dear. I was just flipping through some old pictures with Jillian here,” Jason’s mom chirped happily as she was in her element. Cautiously taking his seat, Jason’s confusion was clear on his face.

“You were such a cutie, Jason. What happened?” Jillian teased, and both she and Katia burst into giggles again.

“Aww, I think he turned into a fine young man, though I do miss my little boy sometimes,” Katia sighed wistfully. Jason let out one of his own, though a bit more melancholic, as he piled food onto his plate.

Jillian whistled, her eyes glued to a photo Jason couldn’t see.

“Who’s that handsome devil?” she asked.

Katia explained, “Oh, that’s Jason’s dad way back when we first got together.”

Jillian was a bit speechless as she examined the handsome visage of a younger version of Jason’s father lounging by a pool. “Oh damn, Katia, good for you. Where’s he now?”

The jovial mood suddenly shifted as Katia’s smile faded slightly, a heavy silence hanging in the air. The clinking of Jason’s fork against his plate was the only remaining sound as he continued eating. It quickly became evident to Jillian that something had happened to Katia’s husband… Jason’s father.

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Katia let out a soft and short “Heh,” Like she was trying to keep the cheerful mood going, but failed. “My Franky was such a good man, and we were blessed to have him. My family couldn’t stand him, but he never let that get in his way.” Her fingers lightly tracing the edge of the picture.

“During his time in the army, he worked with some hazardous materials. The cancer crept up on him slowly. He showed no signs of being sick until the last few years of his life. The doctor said we were lucky to have the time we did with him. He was the strongest man I knew, and he fought as hard as he could to give us what he did.” Jason remained silent, keeping his mouth busy with his as he aggressively shoveled food into it.

“He left us a few weeks after Jason's thirteenth birthday...” She struggled to hold back tears.

Jillian sat in stunned silence, absorbing the painful memory that Katia was sharing.

“He was always so proud of his son. If only he could see the man he is now…” Katia paused as she struggled to continue, “I am sure he would have loved to meet you as well, dear.” She fanned herself with her hand to try to cool down, blowing out a long breath. “Haha, sorry, I’m just making a mess of myself. Please excuse me.” Giving them a quivering smile, despite the slight sadness in her eyes.

Jillian, to her credit, didn’t crack any jokes or make any snide remarks. Like he half expected from her. Instead, she leaned over and gave Katia a big hug, which she returned. They held each other for a while, leaving Jason to watch them in silence. When their embrace finally broke, Katia sniffed loudly and smiled at Jillian.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she whispered, but just Jillian shook her head.

“Please don't thank me. I’m sorry if I brought up any bad memories.”

Katia just laughed softly, wiped her eyes, and shook her head. “I don’t see any memories of my late husband as bad ones.”

“Yeah, but what about that time dad came home drunk and he…” Jason began, but his mom cut him off with a look that could kill, all while smiling pleasantly.

“Oh let’s not bring that one up, okay sweetheart?” sounding more like a threat, she warned him not to bring up that particular moment. Jason just grinned and went back to eating. Jillian perked up, intrigued. She made a mental note to ask Jason about it later. It made her wonder, did she want there to be a later? Did he? Today he had been looking at her with a mix of pity and anger. She didn’t want to stick around if he only saw her as some kind of charity case that he was begrudgingly putting up with.

The rest of breakfast passed without much excitement. Jillian couldn’t believe how much food Jason could fit in his stomach. Watching him use a piece of toast to wipe up the last bits of food from his plate, she couldn’t help but stare. He bit the toast in half with one bite before glancing up at Jillian, who was still staring at him.

Chewing slowly, they locked eyes.

“What?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

Jillian, trying to sound innocent, replied . “Nothing... Just never seen someone eat like you before. You’re like a human garbage disposal.”

Setting his toast down, he cast a glance to his mother, who was busy preparing more tea. Turning back to Jillian, his tone became serious and slightly angry.

“So what, you’re stooping back to fat jokes now?”

Taken aback, Jillian furrowed her brow.

“What!? No, of course not, you friggin idiot. You just ate five eggs, two giant pancakes, a ton of bacon and sausage, and four pieces of toast. It’s more impressive than anything.”

Jason finished the last bite of his toast while Jillian failed miserably at not being insulting. He leaned back in his chair, giving her a stare like she was next on the menu. Before he could reply, his mom handed Jillian a cup of tea with honey.

“It’s so nice cooking for others again,” she said, beaming. Katia then hugged Jason tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind.

“So good to have you home, sweetie,” she said for the hundredth time since he’d arrived. He reached up and gently squeezed her arm.

“Feels good to be home, Mom.”

After breakfast, Jason and Jillian pitched in to clear the table, despite his mom’s protests. Eventually, they found themselves at the front door.

“Thanks for coming over again, Jillian. It was so great getting a chance to talk with you more,” Katia said, giving Jillian a hug.

“No, thank you, Miss M. Breakfast was delicious,” Jillian returned the hug warmly.

“Please, just call me Katia,” she insisted, releasing her. Jillian nodded, stepping back to grab her backpack from beside the door. Katia turned to address her son.

“Well, you’re going to walk her home aren’t you?” she suggested, her tone sweet.

“What? Do we suddenly live in a violent city or something and we can’t walk a few blocks?” Jason said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Katia shot her son a disapproving glare. “It’s good manners to walk a lady home, and no son of mine is going to be so rude.”

Jillian couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, then playfully used the oversized shirt she was wearing to curtsy behind Katia’s back. Jason rolled his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Okay, fine, whatever. Let’s go then,” he relented, getting his shoes on and reluctantly making his way to the door, holding it open for Jillian.

“Bye now! Don’t be a stranger!” Katia called out as they left. They’d only gone about a block away when Jason stopped abruptly.

“Hey, hold on a sec,” he said, catching Jillian’s attention as she stopped a few steps away.

“Yeah?”

With one hand on his hip and the other rubbing his forehead, Jason began his interrogation.

“First, why are you wearing one of my old shirts? Second, what were you doing in my room? Third, what is this game you’re playing getting close to my mom like that? I don’t know what you’re trying to pull here, but it needs to stop.”

Jillian scowled, feeling defensive as Jason went on with his barrage of questions. She didn’t appreciate the implication that she had some malicious intent.

“First, don’t worry about it. Second, seriously don’t worry about it. And third, for your information, I wasn’t trying to pull anything. Your mom just asked me to join her for breakfast, so I did. Why do you think I’m out to wreck your life still?” she asked, folding her arms across her small chest.

“Maybe because you’re you.” Jason let out a frustrated sigh. Her tendency to respond to his questions without actually answering them annoyed the ever living shit out of him. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease his growing headache. “Alright, let’s get real here.You don’t like me and I don’t like you, so-“ Jason began, but before he could continue, Jillian interjected.

“Hold up. I never said I didn’t like you. I mean, yeah, you said some pretty hurtful stuff last night, but…” Jillian retorted, her arms still folded defensively. He paused, a bit stunned by her confession, nodded slowly.

“Okay…well the way we’re going about this isn’t sustainable. We need to figure out some middle ground so we’re not constantly at each other’s throats. For the sake of our parents at least.”

“Fine, what’s your great idea then?” she asked, feeling uneasy now.

“Well, I was thinking the easiest thing to do is just avoid each other as much as we can,” Jason suggested. Jillian tried not to let her annoyance show anymore than it already was.

“Okay, and if our parents keep trying to organize more family gatherings?”

He shrugged before replying, “I don’t know. Try to dodge them if possible? We’re both adults, so they can’t exactly make us do anything.”

Jillian chuckled at the thought. “Do you honestly think you could say no to your mom? I don’t know about yours, but mine practically has me on a leash right now since I’ve been living at home, rent free,” she said, revealing more than she had intended.

Grumbling, Jason glanced down at the petite woman with a stern expression.

“I get your point, but just try. If it happens, fine, but let’s at least avoid each other as much as we can outside those gatherings. Also, cut out that whole running away bullshit. Don’t be such a coward.”

Jillian shot him a hard glare.

“First off, yeah, cause I totally planned on getting ran over this morning and second, fuck you.” She retorted, causing Jason to emit a low growl.

“Great, so it’s settled then.” He extended his hand for a shake. “Yup, hope I never see your stupid face again.” Jillian responded, mustering all her strength to grip his hand firmly.

“Feelings mutual, bitch,” Jason squeezed her hand a bit too hard, earning him a death glare in return.

“Dick.”

Meanwhile, Katia excitedly spoke over the phone.

“There’s definitely something happening between them. They were so adorable together. Our little plan is really working!” The two middle aged women squealed slightly. She had called Ginny as soon as the couple had left. Ginny didn’t even know her daughter had left, but she quickly caught on and joined in the excitement.

“Oh, my god. Katia. We could have grandchildren by this time next year!” Ginny gasped. Katia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, come on, Ginny, they’ve only just met!” Still, having grandkids would be a dream come true for the both of them.

“Kitty, you wouldn’t believe how quickly kids move these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re hearing faint wedding bells before these two weeks are over,” Ginny exaggerated into the phone. She stole a glance at her husband, both of them still lying together naked in bed. Damon looked less than thrilled at his wife’s conversation. As he gave her side eye, reading some news on his phone. With a grin, she leaned over and pecked his cheek with a kiss while Katia spoke.

“I just hope they keep in touch when Jason has to go back to Florida,” Katia said, being the more grounded one between them.

“Oh, I think I heard Jillian coming in. I’ll catch up with you later, hon. Let’s plan something for tomorrow as well if we can!” Ginny exclaimed.

“For sure! I think Jason just walked in as well. I’ll talk to you later, bye.”

Katia had been washing dishes while talking when Jason returned home, while Ginny hurriedly put on some clothes to go see Jillian. Both moms intercepted their kids as they headed to their rooms.

“Hey hun, how’d it go?” Katia asked sweetly, while Ginny assaulted Jillian with a smirk, saying, “Well, well, well, look who’s back. How’s it going, wild child?” Almost simultaneously, Jason and Jillian exclaimed, “Just fine!” before disappearing into their rooms and lightly slamming their doors.