THE REUNION

Susan opened the front door to see her best friend Amanda and Jade, Amanda's daughter standing over there.

She squealed and hugged Amanda though they had met just the previous day for lunch.

Then she pulled Jade into a tight hug.

"Hello Mrs Carter!"

Jade laughed when she held her at arms length.

It's had been too long since she had met Jade.

Her dark brown, almost black hair had grown out in curls and her green eyes were still sparkly.

Susan still remembered when Alec had got Jade over for the first time, both of them laughing and joking, wearing their kindergarten uniforms.

Jade had changed a lot since then, but she was still her Jady, she was still like a daughter to her.

"Hello Jade!"

"Now Mrs Carter, soon I'll start looking older than you. Have some pity on the minors!"

Susan laughed, "Flattering me won't help. I've not met you for days. And you calling me Mrs Carter even after so many years makes me feel like I'm 90."

Jade had this thing with Susan, as a rule she never called her anything but Mrs Carter.

It always irritated her.

"Nope. I like calling you Mrs Carter."

They laughed.

"See who's here."

Julia stepped into the living room with a huge smile on her face.

"Juliana Ashby!"

The girls hugged.

"You look pretty!"

Julia said once they separated.

"You don't look too bad yourself. I love that dress. Is it the one Steve got for you?"

Though they had not met for almost 2 years now, the girls had made it a point to keep in touch through phone calls and mails.

"Yes."

"Steve surely gets extra points in my book for that dress. He's got quite a good taste."

"He chose me, didn't he?"

Jade laughed.

"Now who's keeping the guests at the door?"

Susan asked coming to stand behind Julia with her hands on her hips.

"Since when are Amanda and Jade guests in our house?"

Julia asked, letting them enter and go towards the living room.

"So you noticed me? I thought that in your excitement to see Jade you forgot all about me."

Amanda mock frowned. She had always had a soft corner for Susan's elder daughter.

Out of all the kids she had liked reading the most. Julia had spent days in the library reading till her eyes watered during her high school and college years.

"How can I forget you, Amanda? Is it even possible?"

Julia smiled and hugged her.

"I'm meeting you'll after so long." Jade sighed and plopped onto the sofa in the familiar living room.

She knew this house almost as well as her own.

"Is Jade Marie Tucker becoming sentimental?"

Jade turned in the direction of the stairs leading to the floors above at the sound of the familiar voice she had missed so much.

And there just below the staircase stood Alexander Carter.

The guy who she had been in love with for years, and who was most importantly her best friend.

He looked the same. His sandy brown hair was still ruffled because of his fingers which he always ran through them.

His eyes had a few more lines near them but were still the crystal blue colour she remembered them to be.

He had grown a little broader in the shoulder and taller since the last time they had met and he was tanned a golden brown..

"Have you ever seen me become sentimental?"

Jade replied with the wicked expression she reserved just to use on him.

"Do you seriously want me to remind you of our graduation?"

Alec flashed her his famous crooked smile in triumph.

"At least I was not the one who cried while watching Titanic every single time."

"I was not crying. The salt from your stupid popcorn went into my eyes."

Alec said indignantly. This was one of his sore points.

"Yeah right!" Jade laughed.

They came towards each other and hugged, forgetting all the years that had gone by.

"How are you?"

Alec asked holding Jade back but still not letting her go.

"How do I look?"

"Just like you do on the cover of your novels." Alec said.

"You have seen my novels?" Jade raised one eyebrow.

"Some of them. And how do I look?"

"Like you did on the cover of Forbes last month."

Alec laughed, he remembered that a picture of Derek and him had been on the cover of Forbes magazine the previous month, along with an article about the success of Wanderlust.

He just smiled at Jade for a few minutes before stepping back and letting her go.

"Amanda!" He exclaimed when he saw her standing behind the sofa with her characteristic smile.

"Alec!" She copied him before he pulled her into a hug.

"This is what I was missing out there. I didn't get to see the pretty Amanda Tucker everyday."

"Is that so?"

Jade looked around. This was the family which she remembered from her childhood.

Before Nicole, Jason and the twins were in her life, her life rotated around her mother, Mrs Carter, Julia and Alec.

This was all she knew in her life back then. And she had been satisfied with that.

"Won't you introduce us to Emmaline?"

Jade heard her mom ask Alec who had been joking with her.

"Oh yeah! Em! Why are you standing over there come here."

From the shadow of the staircase a girl stepped out.

She looked about their age, with a beautiful face and long blonde hair.

She looked around the room warily with her green eyes and gave a small, formal smile.

"Hello."

Her voice was polished and smooth.

The way she was dressed and carried herself reminded Jade of the heroines in the regency novels she used to read.

She had a way of walking and holding herself that was calculated and belonged to a different era completely.

"Emma, this is Amanda Tucker, my childhood crush who also happens to be my mom's best friend."

Alec said throwing his arm over Amanda's shoulder.

"Hello! Don't listen to him. He's always liked to fool around. I could tell you stories from his childhood that will give you blackmail material for the rest of your life."

Alec stepped back with a pout, "Hey!"

Everyone laughed. While Emma smiled politely.

Jade went and stood behind Mrs Carter hugging her from behind.

"Hi, I'm Jade Amanda's daughter."

She said bringing a smile to her face with great difficulty.

"And my best friend!"

Emma turned toward Alec and smiled, "I've heard a lot about you from Alec."

"Now have you?"

Jade was surprised, she had not expected Alec to have mentioned her in front of his girlfriend ever.

"Yes, Alec loves telling me stories about Millbrooke."

Emma said giving her a challenging look.

This had to be interesting. Was Emma really a little jealous of her. Or was it just a misunderstanding on her part. The evening would tell.

..............................

AUTHOR'S NOTE:-

Happy Reading!! XX

The media is Susan Carter.