A few days later. They are nearly finished with packing, then, will soon be on the way home.
If they didn't drive Jessica's Toyota Sienna to California, they would have undoubtedly booked a flight home.
The twins are absolutely worn out from spending four and a half days in Disneyland; so to say that they are a wee bit grumpy, is an understatement.
"Jack! Leave me alone!" Elizabeth shouts, as she folds her arms, then pouts her lips, to convey her displeasure.
"Honey, don't shout!" Jessica tells Elizabeth, as she and Sarah are busy with packing their bags.
"Tell Jacky to leave me alone, mommy!" Elizabeth points her finger to Jessica, before turning to Jack with a withering glare.
"Mommy! When we goin' home?" Jack asks, as he furrows his brow on his mother, then lifts his hands, and shrugs his shoulders.
"No! Don't say that, Jack! I no want to leave, Disneywand!" Elizabeth places her hands on either side of her hips.
"But! I miss daddy! Mommy, I miss daddy!" Jack exclaims, with tears glistening in his eyes.
"I miss daddy, too!" Elizabeth exclaims, as she joins her brother in a chorus of tears, followed by loud sobs.
Sarah placed her hand on her chest; as the scene in front of her tugged at her heartstrings.
Sarah turns to glance at Jessica, then softly bites down on her lip, in an effort to keep her composure.
Sarah loves these two little kids, and thinks of them as her own. To think that they'll be torn apart one day, breaks Sarah's heart.
"Babies.. Come here." Jessica ceases to pack, as she sits on the edge of the bed.
Jessica leans down to pick them up, before sitting them on her lap. Jessica elicits a small smile, in an attempt to contain her emotions.
"You know that mommy loves you two, right?!" Jessica asks, as they sniffle, then wipe the tears from their eyes, before nodding their heads yes.
"You's our mommy. Of course you wuv us, mommy!" Elizabeth lifts up her hands, then giggles at her mother.
"Heh. Good!" Jessica wipes the single tear from her eye, before wrapping her arms around her two children.
"Although.. My love for you two, and for your brother and sister, is unconditional.. A mother's love knows no bounds, Angels." Jessica says, as she now has tears falling down her cheeks.
"What does no bones mean?" Jack asks, with his head tilted to the side in an inquisitive way; emitting a tearful chuckle from Jessica.
"It means that I love all of my babies equally, and with everything I have, bud." Jessica smiles brightly, as she softly rubs his chubby cheek with the back of her finger.
"Everything I am.." Jessica's voice begins to crack. "Everything I do.. I do it for you.. My babies." Jessica elicits a small, tearful smile.
"And, so does your daddy! No matter what happens. No matter what God has planned for us. .. For all of us." Jessica nods her head, before closing her eyes for a moment, to try to get ahold of her emotions.
"You four have always been, always will be, your daddy and I's greatest prizes, and our main priorities." Jessica says, as the twins look at her as though they have no idea what she's talking about.
"Heh. We love you more than anything, kiddos." Jessica tickles their sides; in an effort to lighten the mood.
"And that will never, ever, ever change!" Jessica says, when Elizabeth and Jack wrap their arms around their mother.
"My sweet, sweet, babies!" Jessica exclaims, before she leans down to kiss the top of their heads.
"I gotta go!" Sarah runs to the bathroom, with tears falling down her cheeks.
"Mm." Jessica sighs softly, before turning to look at the twins, who are still holding on tight to their mother.
"Would it be alright if mommy went to check on auntie Sarah?" Jessica asks, as they gaze up at Jessica with their big, almond eyes of brown.
"Dats okay, mommy!" Elizabeth smiles softly, as Jack nods his head in agreement.
"Yeah, dats otay, mommy. Auntie Sawah is in da bathwoom, so we is fine!"
"Heh. Thank you so much!" Jessica quickly gives them both a kiss on their chubby cheeks, before lifting them off the bed.
Jessica makes her way to the bathroom, when she quickly turns around to look at Elizabeth and Jack.
"Um.. Can you please try not to mess up the room too much?!" Jessica implored, as they nod their heads in unison.
"We won't, mommy!" They smile broadly.
"Heh. Okay!" Jessica chuckles, as she knows by the look on their faces, that they are about to do something that they are not supposed to.
**
"Sarah?!" Jessica softly knocks on the door, before letting herself in.
"You okay?!" Jessica asks, as she notices Sarah's tear stained cheeks.
"Yeah.." Sarah nods her head, then, a moment later, she shakes her head, before adding, "Well, actually.. No. Um.. It just hurts.. It hurts to know what's ahead for you guys." Sarah says, as Jessica lowers her head.
Jessica exhales a breath, then lifts her head up, to look at Sarah with tears in her eyes.
"We'll get through it.. If it weren't for the kids, then, I wouldn't know what I'd do, but.. I can't think that way.. I need to be strong for my kids. I have to be strong for them!" Jessica nods her head.
****
* A few hours into the road trip: Elizabeth and Jack have been fighting with each other since they started driving. *
"Mommy! Are we almost home yet?!" Jack asks, for what felt like the millionth time; although Jessica has yet to respond in a frustrated way.
"Little Jack! How many times has mommy tod you not today?" Elizabeth retorts, as she turns to give Jack a hard glare from her car seat.
"Mommy! * cries * Ewizabeth is being mean to me!" Jack pouts, then strikes his sister with his hand; emitting a high pitched wail from Elizabeth.
"Alright! That's enough!" Jessica raises her voice, as both kids have a —deer in the headlights— expression etched on their faces.
Jessica turns toward them. Once again, Sarah is the one who is driving first.
"Samuel Jack Shepard! We do not hit!--"
"But.. But.." Jack was crying so hard that he was gasping for breath. "Ewizabeth was being mean to me!" Jack interrupted his mother.
"Even when your sister is being mean to you, you still do not hit! .. Do you hear me?!" Jessica says, as Jack furrows his brow on his mother, and quivers his lips.
"And you do not interrupt mommy! That's another big no-no, mister!"
"I sowwy, mommy! I wuv you!" Jack exclaims, as he begins to sob once again.
"Cwy baby! Cwy baby! Cwy baby!" Elizabeth retorts in a singsong voice, when Jessica softly taps her arm.
"Elizabeth Marie! That is not nice!" Jessica says, as Elizabeth narrows her eyes on her mother.
"No! It not nice!" Jack tells Elizabeth, before he turns to his sister with a na-na-na-na-na; mommy told you, look.
"What do you's know about being nice?" Elizabeth retorts, as she gives Jack a withering glare.
"Takes one to know one!" Jack tells Elizabeth with a serious expression on his face.
Jessica lifts up her hand, before whistling; to signal for them to stop fighting.
"Now, either you two quit fighting right now, or one of you will seat in the way back. .. Do you understand me?!" Spoke Jessica in a stern tone.
Elizabeth and Jack clear their throats, then nod their heads 'yes'.
"Good!" Jessica sighs, then elicits a small smile.
"Now, I know that you two are not big fans of taking naps, but its gonna be a long trip, so I'd suggest that you partake in one!" Jessica tells them, as they give her blank looks.
"I have no idea what that means!" Jack lifts up his hands, then shrugs his shoulders. "Me needer!" Elizabeth nods her head.
'Needer', is neither.
"Just close your eyes and rest, you two crazies!" Jessica chuckles softly, then turns her head, as she's shaking her head at Sarah, who has yet to say a word.
"I'm not saying anything!" Sarah glances at Jessica, shrugs her shoulders, before turning her attention back to the road.
