Jason's Story

Hello everybody. SOOOOOHH sorry that I've made you wait a year and a half for this update, but life, marriage, business, and a debilitating injury will certainly sideline the creative process. Please forgive me.

For those that are just coming into this story; this chapter will make almost zero sense, so I do hope you'll go back and read the sordid, twisted history for these two.

For those that always have negative comments; just go ahead and skip this installment because you WILL be disappointed.

Finally, for those that never stopped sending me emails asking what the hell was going on (only in much sweeter tones LOL), and hoping to continue...this ones for you. I hope you like it, there's some more storytelling in this chapter.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy it, and thanks for reading. Please don't forget to vote and comment...I LIVE for that shit! Hahahaha

Kitty

Months had passed, and they both went on with life as if that night hadn't happened. It was what they'd agreed to, and it seemed to be working well for them both.

After that night; her torturous dreams of him didn't come as often, and was a welcome side effect. She noticed that Jason seemed visibly relaxed too, and the tension between them wasn't as thick.

Bria and Kane's wedding was fast approaching, and they were both very excited about it. Nigha was spending what little free time she had helping Bria with the preparations; as her Maid of Honor, it was her sworn duty. They were into a bout of heavy planning about two months before the big day when Bria decided that it was time to reveal a certain fact to Nigha.

"Nigh; I wanted you to know that I invited Brett, and he's going to be there."

Nigha stopped writing for just a second before responding. "Great; he is still your brother after all, regardless of what's going on with us. I'm glad he'll be there."

Bria hesitated before continuing, "That's not all; he's bringing a date."

She cringed when Nigha snapped the pencil that she was holding in half. After a few moments of silence; she gathered herself, and continued the conversation.

"I'm sorry about that" she said holding up the stub of a pencil left in her hand. "I just hadn't heard that he was seeing somebody. It was just...unexpected" she said after a moment of thought.

"I figured you didn't know. The boys never mentioned anything?"

"No; how do you tell your home wrecker of a mother that your father is dating again, right? It's what I want for him, I mean, someone to make him happy again; I just wasn't expecting him to move forward so soon. I don't want him rushing into anything and end up being hurt again. Did you see him, or just talk to him?"

"I went by the house to see him, and he seems to be doing better. Apparently; her name is Adrianne, and they've been seeing each other for a few months. He said it's nothing serious, but it could be. His eyes light up when he talks about her and..." she noticed that Nigha's eyes were on the verge of tearing, and she realized that she'd probably said too much. She decided that she wouldn't tell Nigha that Brett had said that it felt nice, but nothing close to the feelings that he still had for his soon-to-be-ex-wife. He told Bria not to worry, that he was definitely taking his time, and he'd dated a few women before Adrianne came along; so she wasn't his first foray into the dating scene.

Looking to quickly change the subject; she moved on to the task at hand.

"So; are we over budget yet?"

Nigha smiled a little; not oblivious to her sister's intent, and looked at the figures that she'd been working on.

"If we can get you married on time, I think we can squeak by. On second thought; you're definitely going to go over budget, but you'll only be getting married once" she said as she looked at Bria and reached over to pat her hand. "And Bria?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for talking to me about Brett. It's hard to hear about him moving on, but he'll always be in my life, and I'm glad you're staying close to him. He deserves to be happy and above all else; he loves you to pieces" she said with a smile as she squeezed Bria's hand.

Bria looked at her sister and smiled before changing the subject again. "Whadya got to eat?"

**********

He sat at his desk looking at pictures from the twins' first birthday party and smiled to himself. He'd be the best man in his brother's wedding in two months, and the surprise he had planned for Nigha would be finished around the same time. He could only hope that she'd accept it.

He slid his desk drawer open and took out the picture of Nigha that he'd taken without her realizing it. It was a shot of her leaning between the twins, and Jayden had smashed a piece of chocolate cake into her cheek. Nigha had a big 'O' look on her face, and Jayden was laughing her chubby little face off.

He put the picture back in its hiding place, and then pulled out the plans for Nigha's surprise and smiled to himself again.

"God I hope she likes it" he said in a whisper to himself. A great deal was riding on her reaction to the gift; namely, their future.

He'd kept true to his promise and brought her lunch at least 3 times a week, and she was slowly gaining some weight. She really enjoyed his cooking, and they'd grown to be close friends over the months that had passed since 'the incident'. In the beginning; he'd just drop her lunch off before she came in, but at her insistence, they'd eat together at least once a week.

******

The months leading up to Bria's wedding flew by, and there was only a week left before the big day. Nigha decided to take the week off to help with the final planning, and to spend the time with Bria.

Jason had offered to keep the girls from Friday night until Sunday morning so that she could be with Bria to button up the final details, and for the Bachelorette party. She thought it was such a sweet gesture, and even though her parents had volunteered to keep the twins; she knew the girls would be happiest with their father. The boys would be with Brett, so it really was going to be a "single-girl's" weekend. When she got the girls up to his floor; she knocked on the door, and felt her breath leave her body when she saw who'd answered.

There was no mistaking who she was. She looked to be in her mid-to-late fifties; jet-black hair with a perfect streak of gray in the front, and eyes that matched Kane's. It was at that point that she was reminded that she'd never met her daughter's other grandparents.

"Hello" the woman said; realizing that Nigha might need a few seconds to process who she was. She could tell by the look in her eyes that she'd immediately figured it out on her own.

"Hi" she stated again, and this time Nigha seemed to snap out of her fog.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry I was just..."

"Nonsense. No need for apologies; I caught you off guard" she said with a cautious smile. Please come in, and let me help you with those precious angels" and with that she reached for the stroller and pulled it inside the apartment.

"How foolish of me; I've been so busy with work, the kids, Bria's wedding..."

"Among other things"

"Ahhh, yes. I knew that you and your husband would be at the wedding; I just wasn't expecting to you to be here two weeks prior. I'm Nigha," she said and extended her hand.

"I know quite well who you are, and just in case my son hasn't filled you in; I am Alessandra Branson. I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time Nigha."

"Wow, Mrs. Branson..."

"No, just Alessandra will be fine" she said as she placed her right hand over their joined hands. At that point Nigha realized that she was still holding onto Alessandra's hand; mainly from the shock of the situation, and gently let it go.

"Is Jason here?"

"He should be back any minute. We came in early and he and Michael went to the store to pick up some food for dinner. He mentioned that you were bringing over my darling little angels, so I told him that I'd stay behind to make sure that you wouldn't be waiting outside for him."

When Alessandra leaned over to talk to the girls, and knew which one was which; she realized that this wasn't the first time the three of them had spent time together. Very few people could tell them apart, and it was almost impossible without knowing how.

"Okay, I appreciate that. So you've spent time with them before?" she asked as Alessandra picked Jayden up and started to kiss her chubby little cheeks.

"Many, many times. It took me a little while to tell them apart, but one day I noticed that even though they're identical; they have mirror image birthmarks."

Yes, Alessandra had definitely spent time with her granddaughters. Which was further evidenced by Bryce reaching for her and saying "Nonnononno" repeatedly.

"I've been wondering where that came from" Nigha said with a smile.

"Yes" she said while laughing as Jayden pulled her hair. "I've been teaching them to say 'Nonna'; Italian for Grandmother. So they've been practicing?"

Nigha smiled at that. "For the past 2 months it and 'food' are the only additions to 'Mamma' and 'Dadda' in their vocabulary."

"Come, let's get them settled and have a little chat; yes?"

"Sure" Nigha replied as they walked toward the living room.

Nigha didn't know what to expect, and was still a bit shaken about meeting Jason's mother this way. She looked on with awe as Alessandra managed the twins with ease. After Alessandra had the twins settled in their playpen; she turned to Nigha with a smile.

"Come, sit with me Nigha" she said as she sat on the sectional and patted the seat next to her with her hand.

Nigha sat down and they were facing each other when Alessandra began.

"I can't imagine how this whole situation is for you; having my darling granddaughters, the decimation of your marriage, and falling in love with my son...not necessarily in that order" she said as she patted Nigha's hand again. "I don't want you to misunderstand me; my intent is not to judge, but to get to know the beautiful mother of my grandchildren, and the woman that hold's my son's heart and future in her hands."

"Mrs...Alessandra; I don't have that kind of power over Jason. He's free to move on with his life, and I do hope that he finds someone that makes him happy."

"He's already found her" she replied as she started to formulate a plan in her head. "Has Jason ever mentioned Gina to you?"

Nigha was visibly unnerved by the question, and Alessandra had to do her best to choke back a smile.

'You hope he finds someone my ass'

she thought with an internal chuckle.

"No; he hasn't ever mentioned Gina. Is she...his girlfriend? Not that it's any of my business" she tried to cover; unsuccessfully.

"I've only seen her in passing, but she's very beautiful. I believe he said they met when he was working in Atlanta." Alessandra was telling the truth, but she left out a few important details. The fact that Gina looked dangerously like Nigha being one, and the fact that Gina came into town with her boyfriend to work with Jason on a secret project was the other. She knew that she was being devious, but her son's happiness was on the line and Alessandra could tell that all it would take was just a little push to help things along. She watched Nigha's reactions intently.

"Well, he hasn't mentioned her to me but then again; why would he? His personal life, aside from how our children are affected by it; really doesn't concern me. Our personal lives are separate."

"Mmmnh hmmnh" Alessandra replied thoughtfully. "So Nigha; do you mean to tell me that if he's personally involved with this Gina, then it wouldn't bother you?"

"Well...I..."

"Think very carefully before you answer; not so much for my benefit, but for your own. Do you really feel that you could just step aside and let Gina; or anyone else just come in and take the man that you're clearly in love with?"

She looked Alessandra in the eyes then, and very thoughtfully considered how she would answer.

"What right do I have to ask him to wait until I'm ready?"

"What makes you think that he can possibly do anything else Nigha? I know my son is an enormous part of why you're in this situation, but I also know that he's tried to 'live his life and move on' as you like to put it. He can't, and he won't unless he's moving toward something with you. Can you move on with someone else? Someone other than your husband; someone other than my son?"

Nigha looked down at Alessandra's hand covering her own and let out a sigh and visibly relaxed her shoulders.

"No. The simple answer is that I can't move on; not with my husband, not with your son, and not with anyone else. I'm trying to repair my relationship with my children and myself. It's a lot; you know?"

"I can honestly say that I can't possibly imagine what this must be like for you. When I first found out about you, I was angry. Angry at Jason for pursuing someone that was unavailable, and angry at you for allowing him to enter your heart. I don't know all of the details, but I can't imagine how difficult my life would've been if I'd begun it with someone else before I'd met Michael. I wouldn't want to trade places with you for a second, but I'd be lying if I said that I wish you and my son had never gotten together. Every second that I've spent with those beautiful, healthy girls brings me a bit closer to you. You can tell a lot about a woman by the happiness of her babies. Those babies tell me that you must be a wonderful person; deep down, regardless of your flaws. Sometimes it's easier to forgive others for much worse things than you could forgive yourself."

"How much has Jason told you about how we got together?"

Alessandra looked at Nigha with a puzzled expression before she answered. "We didn't go into great detail, but he did tell me that he'd tricked you into following your heart. I knew that it was code for him ignoring the fact that you were a married woman, and pursued you anyway. Other than that; I know nothing more than the fact that he loves you and his daughters very much."

"I don't know if I've forgiven him completely, or if I'll ever be able to forgive myself. I've made so many mistakes in all of this, and I've hurt my husband, my sons, my husband's family, and your son. I'm making headway in repairing the relationships with my sons, and my husband is starting to move on, but I think we all have a long way to go."

Nigha couldn't put her finger on why she was so comfortable discussing all of this with Jason's mother, but the fact was that it felt good to get some of those feelings off of her chest. She was about to change the subject when she heard keys in the lock, and Jason and his father walked in.

Jason made her heart flutter whenever she saw him, but Michael Branson was a sight to behold. She knew that he was probably somewhere between 45 and 55, but he was definitely the origin of the seeds that became Jason and Kane. With parents as beautiful as Alessandra and Michael Branson; she knew it was a wonder that Jason and Kane were both single when she and her sister came along.

She turned to look at Alessandra, and was surprised by the look in Alessandra's eyes. She hadn't seen that look, but she knew that it matched her own whenever Jason walked into a room. One of Nigha's many problems was that a very similar look and feeling still came over her whenever she was in the same breathing space as her husband; making it impossible for her to move on. She marveled internally at how fucked up her life had become. She wouldn't have believed anyone that had told her that the gorgeous, cheeky, god-like young man in that training class that made a pass at her; would someday be the father of two of her children.

*****

Jason stopped speaking as soon as he saw her. It always seemed that he lost his breath whenever he'd see her, and since he'd known her for years; he was pretty sure that would never change. He noticed that his mother had Nigha's hand in her own, and he knew that they'd been talking; he had some idea about what, but knew that he'd never get the whole story.

After a few moments; his father walked over to Nigha, and she rose from the couch to shake his hand.

"And you must be Nigha. You're more beautiful than I imagined" he said as he took her outstretched hand, and turned it so that he could kiss the back of it. "Michael Branson, pleasure to meet you."

She giggled just a bit before reigning in her schoolgirl reaction. "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Branson," she said with a smile.

"Nonsense girl. Mr. Branson is my father, you can call me Michael."

"Sure thing Michael."

It was amazing how Jason nailed it when he said that he looked like his mother, but had his father's eyes, and Kane was just the opposite. Looking into Michael's eyes was just like looking into Jason's, but the fact that they were on future-Kane's face was just enough to jar her a bit. She noticed that he was looking into her eyes and at her face intently, while neither of them had made a move to separate their hands.

'What is it with these people, and holding my hand?' she thought .

"Well, I've got a lot on my plate, so I should probably get going..."

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when his mother hopped up, and wrapped her arms around Nigha's shoulders.

"Can't you stay for dinner? Kane and your sister will be joining us, and they should be here any moment now," she said with a hopeful look, while she patted Nigha's upper arms.

Michael chimed in shortly thereafter, while gently taking hold of her hand. "Please join us for dinner..."

"Unless you have other plans," Jason interrupted.

She knew that Jason wanted her to stay even though he was kind enough to offer her a way out, and Alessandra and Michael looked so hopeful; her decision was practically made for her.

"I was planning on checking in with Bria to see if I could help her with any last minute preparations, but since she'll be here shortly; you guys have saved me a trip," she said with a smile, and patted Michaels hand.

"Wonderful!" Alessandra and Michael exclaimed in unison, while Alessandra squeezed her shoulders and shook her head a little.

She looked at Jason just as he smiled and shook his head at his parents' antics. He knew she wouldn't be able to say "no" to his parents. Few people could; that's part of what made them so successful in life, love, and business.

"So, what's on the menu?" she asked, and noticed for the first time since she walked in, that something that smelled delectable was already cooking.

"Just some salad, garlic bread, lasagna, and canolli for dessert. Nigha honey; do you get enough to eat?" Alessandra asked with concern evident on her face and in her voice.

Nigha giggled before she answered; thinking that Alessandra may have kidnapped and force-fed her if she'd seen her five months prior. Even though she was still very thin at a size 4; she'd been a size 2 when Jason made it his mission to "put some meat back on her bones."

"I lost a lot of weight after the accident and having the twins, but I've gained about 20 pounds over the past few months because

someone

has made it their mission to fatten me up," she said while motioning toward Jason.

"Guilty as charged," Jason said as he put his hands in the air in mock-surrender.

Alessandra walked over to him and patted him on the cheeks. "That's my boy," she said. "You took notes, ah?"

"Yeah Ma, I took notes," he answered with a laugh, as he put his hands over hers before leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

She took his hands as Michael began walking over to Nigha.

"Let's go into the kitchen to see if you got my Lasagna right. If you're gonna be in charge of feeding this poor girl, I gotta make sure you're getting it right," she said as she took him into the kitchen.