All Over Again"


Ok, I couldn't resist LOL... I'm going to send the first scene of my short story, which I just finished a few minutes ago. Boy I wish I could write this much when I'm working on my other stuff! I guess I've just got Kyle on the brain, and that helps LOL ;-).

Let me set this up... This is set about a year after Jeff and Ginger's wedding. It's a week before their anniversary, and J&G are planning a second wedding to renew their vows in front of everyone--so Ginger can finally put on the wedding she's planned all her life :-). Btw, Anne, Al, and Michael are back in River Run, though I haven't really explained why in the story (mostly 'cause I haven't thought of a good reason yet LOL), and Jeff has been back in the majors for a few months now, so he is once again in River Run. He and Ginger are still staying at the Metcalf house, but will be moving out soon, as soon as they can save up enough for a down payment on their own house...
Ok, here comes part 1:
"All Over Again"
He’d know that laugh anywhere. When Jeff Metcalf walked into his family’s house, the windows rattling as the brisk wind outside slammed the door shut, the first thing he noticed was the familiar laugh.
It came from the kitchen, along with other voices he heard. Jeff was used to
coming home to the sound of soft chatter--it seemed their house was a favorite stomping ground for friends and neighbors who often dropped by unannounced to visit and chat. But there along with his wife’s signature girlish laugh was a voice he hadn’t heard in a while.
"Jeff! Honey, I’m so glad you got here a little early!"

Ginger leapt out of her seat immediately when Jeff stepped into the kitchen,
flying into his arms and greeting him with a kiss before he could even open his mouth to say anything. "Look who’s here!" she said, laughing breathlessly.
"Hank? Hey, you’re here already!" Without a moment’s hesitation, Jeff
grabbed his older brother’s arm and pulled him up off his seat to give him a hug. "I’m so glad you made it," he said. "When you said you weren’t sure if you could come..."
Hank eased himself off Jeff and cleared his throat. "You have your lovely
wife to thank for that. She’s the one convinced me that I needed to come."
Ginger slipped an arm around Jeff’s waist and smiled at the two brothers.
"Well this wedding wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t here, Hank," she said. "This one is for all the people we love that we didn’t get to share this with the first time, and if I had to hitch-hike to Chicago to come get you myself, I would have done it!"
Jeff stifled a laugh. "You see," he said, well aware of his wife’s eyes on him, and knowing she’d probably give him a swift elbow in the ribs for saying this, "she’s been planning this perfect wedding for the last 26 years, and a little detail like the best man being missing would have put her in a bad mood-"
"You know so much, buster!"
"Well it’s true, isn’t it?"
"Jeff Metcalf, you know this is as much your wedding as it is mine, now you promised this time around you’d care more about all the plans!"
"Good Lord... I mean, of course I care, honey."
Ginger raised her eyebrow in suspicion, but Jeff knew she could never stay mad at him for too long. Sure enough, the corners of her mouth soon formed into an exasperated smile. "All right then," she said. Jeff could see she was trying to keep a straight face, but was failing miserably. "I’ll leave you two alone--you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Hank, I’ll go fix up your room upstairs-"
"Uh, Ginger, that won't be necessary..."
Jeff looked back at his brother. "What do you mean? You are staying here, aren’t you?"
Hank shook his head. "You guys have got a full house here already, I don’t want to be a bother..."
"Of course it isn’t a bother, Hank," Ginger said. "You’re family, and there’s plenty of room!"
Hank shot her an incredulous look.
Ginger giggled. "Okay, technically, there’s not a lot of room, but we can make room for you-"
"I’ve already reserved a room at the River Run Hotel," he said. "It’s all right, really... I’ll stop by in the morning to see Mom and Linda."
"Mikey’s really excited to see you," Jeff said. "You know, he’s starting to talk now.. Mom’s trying to get him to say all our names, and she shows him your picture all the time so he’ll know who you are."
Hank nodded and donned his hat once again, making a motion towards the back door. "Ginger, thanks for the cobbler... I’ll be sure to stop by Rupert’s while I’m here and tell Mrs. Davis that she still makes the best cobbler I’ve ever had in my life. I’ll be back tomorrow..."
"Hank-"
Jeff didn’t know what to say when his brother turned around to look at him. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he grinned sheepishly and said, "It’s good to see you again. I’m glad you’re here."
Hank gave him a weak smile and shut the back door behind him.

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