Chapter Thirty Three-1

The North home became a flurry of movement and preparations over the next week. Jesse's room soon lacked most of the small things he'd collected since he was small, the things that made his room his. With the remaining time before his departure, Jesse bought several maps of the USA, guidebooks and spent hours doing online research. As a result, a basic itinerary developed, giving him a bit of satisfaction about his choice. Jesse knew how he wanted to proceed with this adventure. His maps were marked up, miles were calculated and he figured if he needed money, he could put down temporary roots in some spots and make some cash before moving on. Odds job existed if you looked for them and Jesse knew just how to do it. The plan Jesse imagined for his future seemed to be coming together quite nicely. Except for one thing: he still felt as though his parents were tip toeing around him. Jesse liked to think he knew his parents fairly well, having grown up with them and all, so he could recognize the signs of them being off and weird. They were definitely being off and definitely being weird. Whenever Jesse would make his way into a room, they would stop their conversations and attempt to look at him casually. They failed every time. His parents had something up their sleeve. "I just don't know what," Jesse wondered, kicking a rock from his path. Lizzie walked next to him, only half listening. He'd said these same words several times over the past couple of days and he didn't seem any closer to an answer. At the moment, Lizzie and Jesse wandered around the neighborhood, getting a bit of fresh air as they spoke. Jesse's nerves were beginning to get the better of him and he found the more he walked, the more he could keep it under control. "Well, gee, have you tried, oh I don't know - asking them what's up? Maybe if you opened conversation you could actually get an answer?" she pointed out, raising her eyebrows at him. Jesse just shrugged, hands hanging limply at his sides. The weather no longer called for jackets and putting his hands in the pockets of his pants felt awkward. So he figured they could just swing back and forth as he walked. "Just leave it alone, I think," Lizzie advised, nudging him with her shoulder. "Whatever it is, they obviously want to surprise you. Just wait it out." Jesse grumbled a bit, but took the advice to heart. The two parted ways as they reached the North home once again. Lizzie hopped in her car, stating it was lasagna night which she refused to miss, and headed off with a wave. Turning to his home, Jesse stood and stared for a few moments, drinking in every detail and committing the structure to memory. All his firsts were in this house. And in a few days, he would be leaving it all behind. Some part of Jesse refused to acknowledge those things; refused to truly acknowledge how big of a deal it was. But his heart knew. And it grew heavier with each passing day, filled to the brim with nostalgia and love and memories. It hurt, but what a good kind of pain it was. ************ Denise fixed Jesse's favorite on his last night at home. The table held an assortment of Mexican dishes, from tacos to enchiladas. Everett certainly didn't mind it, as he loves a good taco just as much as the next guy. But he found it a little hard to eat. The entire house felt it; Jesse's last night. Everett tried to imagine life without Jesse's voice as a constant. For so long, Jesse kept him on his routine, maybe without either of them even knowing. While he definitely held better perspective on the world and on himself, Everett still would miss the larger than life personality of his younger brother. Though, he supposed he would have needed to get used to it anyway. Everett would be leaving for college himself once the semester rolled over. The idea of coming in at all late frustrated him and aside from that, he didn't have his all the supplies he needed. So he knew this would all be hitting him soon enough. It just took him by surprise of how soon. "So, what's the first place on your list that you want to visit?" Denise asked as they sat around the table. It clearly took Jesse by surprise as he seemed to fumble for words. "Oh. Oh, I, uh - I sort of want to head down and walk around the Smithsonian for starters," he said quietly, suddenly feeling silly. "I thought I could walk through and it would give me inspiration for future stops." "That sounds like a fine idea." Everett didn't smile, but it made him content to hear the input of their father. Peter seemed to be the least on board with the impromptu detour Jesse decided to take, but now it looked like he warmed up to it. Everett knew Jesse needed all the support he could get on this adventure. As the family continued to eat and chat, Everett realized this would be the last time in a long time they would be together. But, surprisingly, it didn't feel as painful as he thought it would. Jesse needed this. His little brother needed to see the world, needed freedom. Jesse was vibrant all over again and he was excited. Yeah, Everett thought with a smile. I think everything will be just fine. ************ Jesse threw one more bag into the back of his car, the last of them. He inhaled deeply as the trunk slammed shut, trying to remember every detail, right down to the smell. Slowly, he pivoted to his home, where his parents and siblings were waiting to see him off and say goodbye. Heart heavy in his chest, Jesse walked back over to them. First, he hugged Everett tightly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jesse thought this might be the hardest part. For so long, a huge divide existed between the two brothers. He just got his brother back and now, Jesse felt as though he would be losing him all over again. "Promise you'll keep in touch," Everett mumbled, giving one extra squeeze before letting go. "I expect some form of contact every day." He extended his arm to ruffle his brothers hair, as older brothers sometimes do, but instead . . . "You do realize you just poked my eye, right?" Jesse dead panned, shoving his hand away with a smile. Everett shrugged, grinning. "Hair ruffle, eye poke, same difference." His expression sobered. "Take care, okay, Jesse?" Jesse swallowed around the small lump forming in his throat. "I promise. And you, too. Curtis is still a long ways away. Knock them dead, okay?" Smiling wide, Everett nodded, moving aside a little bit so Jesse had free reign to hug the parents. Their father stepped forward, grabbing his son and hugging the life out of him. "You kids grew up way too fast," he mused, shaking his head. He patted Jesse on the back. "Be careful, okay? Remember to check your oil, don't run out of gas, and I stashed a couple extra maps in the glove box just in case you need them." And with that, Peter stepped back, keeping his emotions in check though Jesse could see this was difficult. Then, he moved to the hardest one of all. Hugging Cole and tickling him a bit before handing him off to Peter, Jesse looked at his mother and felt the lump in his throat grow. Her eyes were wet, but her lips were smiling. Jesse could tell Denise was sad, but her positive front made it all better. He smiled weakly and pulled her in for the tightest hug he could muster. "Goodness," Denise started, hugging her son as tight as she could. "Five minutes ago, you were just a baby and now, you're heading out on your own. I'm terrified and proud all at the same time." She pulled back and looked Jesse in the eyes, cupping his face in her hands. "You be careful, young man. I want phone calls and text and posts on the Facesnap or whatever it's called. Please be careful." Jesse gave a watery smile and nodded. "I promise," he vowed, making eye contact with both of his parents. Denise and Peter shared a look before he began digging into his pocket. Denise turned and shot Jesse a look. "Traveling takes a lot of money, Jesse," Peter began, both hands in the front pockets of his pants. "And that's one of the things we worried about the most. So," he blew out a breath of air, doing it in such a way that Jesse wondered if it was toxic to his father. With a slight smile and shake of his head, Peter pulled one hand out of his pocket, along with a small envelope, and handed it to Jesse. With no explanation, he motioned for Jesse to open it. With extreme curiosity, Jesse broke the seal on the envelope and opened it. His brow furrowed, fingers pulling out a rectangle piece of plastic. "A debit card?" He asked, looking between his parents for an answer. Peter clearly deferred to Denise, who seemed more than happy to explain. "We didn't want you to run out of money halfway through your trip or find yourself in a bad spot. So this is what we had saved back for your college fund." Jesse's eyes grew larger with each word and by the end, he had no words. "I...what?" Looking down at the gift in his hand with newfound reference, Jesse felt his eyes water all over again.