Visitation Rights.

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark was very thoughtful as he took in the implications of what Jess had said about not being involved with anyone for that long. It wasn't as long as six years, but then she had been confident that he was the problem back then and that she would be better off with another man. So much time had passed and neither of them had remarried, but for different reasons. He wondered if Chelsea held on to hope due to that.

He also thought of what Jess had said about being her own boss. Mark had often thought of the benefits of that, but working an insurance job paid him well with the commission. Of course, it also cost a bit in gasoline, as he had to constantly drive from sale to sale. Then he had been promoted earlier in the year, finally, and had enjoyed the perks of being a manager for his team, with extra vacation time, a salary rather than commission, and the prestige of the new position, plus being able to provide very well for Chelsea and himself.

No, it suited Jess and he was happy for her, but he liked his job, always had, and was apparently on track for another promotion given enough time. He was a "suit", as some said, but being one suited him well.

Still....

"You know, I have a little savings stored up. More than a little, thanks to the commission. Surely you've noticed that the child support never let up. I've never struggled financially with my job. I say all this to say I might be able to invest a little capital in your shop, if you were open to that. As a silent partner. Not a co-owner. I don't know the first thing about running a clothing store. I just trust your intuition and your judgment, always have. That's why I knew that you'd do well on your own, not working for the Man like me. Mind you, I'm a manager now, so I guess that I am the Man these days.

"In any case, I suppose that we have a bit in common. Nothing serious in our lives to keep us apart or give us pause in terms of rekindling that old flame. I wish that I could say that I'm sorry about your social drought, but I'd be lying, because it improves my chance of getting back with you," Mark confessed.

"There was never another woman for me. Not in the romantic sense. Physically, a fling here or there, but none of them were very satisfying beyond the purely animal side of things. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't do those romantic, sentimental things for other women. It didn't feel right. Oh, I tried, as I said. That lasted a date or two, tops, before I gave up. It just wasn't right," he explained as he ate.

 

[heartofcourage]

"A silent partner?" Jessica was stunned at his offer. "Mark, you don't have to do that. I mean, sure it's been a struggle, but I'm getting my feet under me. It's very kind of you to offer though."

She went quiet for a long moment and thought about what he had said. "What if we used that money to get Chel a car? Nothing outrageous, of course, but something small and sensible? We wouldn't have to drive her everywhere and she could come and see you whenever she wanted to."

"I thought we were too young to know what we wanted. You know our parents said the same thing too." Jessica said as the waitress placed her food in front of her and quietly walked away. "But I really do miss you. No one has come close to making me smile and laugh the way that you did. And I'm sorry for all the things I said to you. I'm sorry for making you feel bad about your job and making your feel miserable about not spending enough time with Chelsea."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"A car for Chelsea...that sounds like a great surprise for her. You know me. I'm naturally inclined to spoil her rotten, I confess. That would be a terrific idea. Good for us, too, as you said.....and it does start sound like there might well be an us....doesn't it? Again, that is.

"Jess, all is forgiven, hopefully on your end as well. You've apologized and I've accepted. I've apologized and you've accepted. Let's limit talk of the past to the good times and maybe the lessons that make us do better. There were such good times, weren't there? I would love for there to be more memories made. A lot more. Oh, and I must confess that I am smoking again. I need to quit again. I will do it. It won't be easy, but I quit before and I can quit once more. For Chelsea and for you, but mostly for me. I know better than to destroy myself. It's a crutch that I've used too much and I need to give it up," Mark confessed, feeling somewhat guilty about the smoking, strangely given what they had been talking about...

"I just want this to work and us to get back together, but only if it makes both of us happy. Both of us. Would it truly work for you? I know that it would for me, but not if you're miserable all over again," Mark said as he finished his beer.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, you are the good parent." Jess said with a wry grin. "Chelsea tells me all the time the good time that she has with you. Hell, I think if she had a choice, she would have gone to live with you all the time."

Chelsea had been incredibly bitter when the divorce first happened. She was a confused little girl who saw her mother as the enemy for telling her father to go away. Of course she did fun things with him when she was at his house and when she was at her mother's, it was all about school and rules. That was one thing that she resented the most, but being there with Mark, she couldn't blame Chelsea for those feelings.

"I would love for there to still be an us." She said softly as she looked at Mark. "But I know we need to go slow. We have a lot of work to do and I want to make sure that we're both happy in the end."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Well, to be fair, you've given her the structure that she has needed. Children need that. I am sometimes a little too easygoing with her. For a variety of reasons, I suppose. It is good for her to have that balance, but I do feel awful that she thought ill of you as a result," Mark explained, "that was the past, thankfully, I believe. I think that she has fortunately grown to appreciate you more."

He had never felt comfortable with how Chelsea felt about her mother at the time and while he had been bitter, it had always bothered him. Now she clearly felt better about her mother, had accepted things in her life and come to appreciate her more. That was good.

"Yes, we do need to take it at our own pace, one that is comfortable for both of us. That was my concern. I didn't want to drag you back into a marriage before you were ready for it. Nor did I want you to feel some requirement for it. I want us to be on the same page, Jess. I suppose that we're dating each other all over again, but with the complications, good and ill, of our mutual past. Well, I don't want to date other women, but dating you is different. But, yes, we have to be careful not to rush things, much as it might be tempting in so many ways," Mark admitted.

He was somewhat subtly alluding to the physical aspect, which if hurried in this context could carry far too many implications. Much as he might still desire Jess in the physical as well as the romantic and platonic senses, he didn't want his lust or hers to push them into doing anything rash. He wanted this second marriage, if it happened, to last for a lifetime.

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, I guess setting some ground rules would be good." Jessica said as she took a drink from her beer, placing it on the table beside her plate as she dabbed a waffle cry in the chili and nibbled on it for a moment. "First and foremost, we have to think of Chelsea. I would rather keep this a secret and ease her into the idea of her mom and dad getting back together. I don't want her heart broken again."

"Second, if at any point one of us isn't happy with something, we need to say it upfront. No more secrets. I promise to be open and honest with you, Mark. Third, we need a date night at least once a week. Fourth...if we do decide to get physical...well, we need to be cautious. Again, I'm not having sex under the same roof as our 16 year old for the time being." She murmured, a hot blush coating her cheeks as she thought about all the pleasurable nights she had spent between the sheets with Mark.

"And fifth, we need to be mutual exclusive from this moment on. No other people in this relationship. Just us." She reached across the table to take his hand, squeezing it between her fingers as she gave him a soft smile. "I've missed you...a lot."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark listened to Jess's proposed rules and thought before nodding, "Yes, I think that number one is especially vital. Chelsea has to come first in this. She's our daughter and I don't want her hurt at all. Whatever else happens, I don't want to see her torn apart.

"As to honesty, yes, that's essential. You can't make any kind of progress if you don't trust each other. Right now, I think that we do, but we need to maintain that trust. This is something of a clean slate that we're giving each other, but we need to show each other that we deserve that. Not that I doubt you, but, yes, honesty is crucial in this.

"Third, I also agree that it would help us greatly to know how we're doing if we have a date night, plus it will help us get used to each other. Plus, I just plain miss it and I don't think that's limited to me."

Mark then blushed a little himself, in spite of himself, probably because this was the elephant in the room that had been waiting to come out.....they both knew that theirs had been a fairly active sex life while married, though not without its ups and downs....now it was time to bite the bullet and openly discuss it.

"Fourth, yes, that's helpful as well. No teenager wants to hear or see that with their parents, plus if she catches us, the cat's out of the bag. Discretion is vital, if and when that stage should be reached. Caution is the best watchword.

"The fifth is extremely obvious, I believe. Neither of us seem to be interested in others, anyway, not now that we are trying for reconciliation. That could be presumptuous of me to say, but I doubt it, given what you have said and I have said as well. In any case, I can't think of anything that could set us back as a couple more than inflaming jealousy.

"However, I would like to add something. I want, whenever possible, for the three of us to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at least once a week together. As a family. It can be at my place or yours. I just want to get Chelsea comfortable with us, to ease things into it. Yesterday showed the potential of happiness and comfort that we can have together. We might need a cover story to explain why we're doing this, but I don't think that Chelsea will look a gift horse in the mouth too much. I might even take you ladies out once in a while to give us all a break on the cooking. I want us to get used to spending time together again more often, just like the old days. I think that this will give us a much better idea of where we stand, too. What do you think?" Mark suggested a sixth rule.

He was a bit nervous as he finished off his food and then added, "Oh, and by the way, dessert's on me, too."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, how about another beer and some of their pecan pie?" Jessica asked, giving her order to the waitress and smiling at Mark. "How about dinner on Monday night? We can take Chel to whatever restaurant she wants and then we can take her shopping for a car. That should make her incredibly happy and I doubt she would question why we're all eating together."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark grinned at both the ideas of beer and pie on the one hand, and the Monday night idea on the other....it was good to know that Jess wanted to spend so much time together and help Chelsea get used to seeing her parents together, even if she didn't catch on to why.

"Beer and pecan pie. Sounds like a winner. Mondays sound good, too. I think that Chelsea would just be thrilled to have us both around more often. It would be good for her, to have some more pleasant memories of her folks around. We can also get her that car, as you said. I've even thought of saving up some of the money no longer spent on cigarettes, and taking you gals out to a movie now and then, if you're open to that," he thought out.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Mark, if you want to smoke, I'm not going to tell you to stop." Jessica said as the waitress came back with two slices of warm pecan pie and two new beers. "If you want to stop because you want to, then by all means do it. Don't change for me or Chelsea."

She meant that completely and totally. She didn't want him to change. Too many long days had been spent arguing with him in their marriage to change different things. She was so tired of trying to make him into something that he wasn't. He simply needed to be Mark and she would be incredibly happy for the rest of her days.

"Why don't you just take Chelsea out a few nights a week. I don't need to go with the two of you and it'll give you time to see what she thinks." She suggested, bringing the pie to her lips and letting out a sigh of delight at the flavor that burst across her tongue.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Well, I think that we're both changing for the better. I like the idea of taking Chelsea someplace special, separate from family dinners and our date nights. It will be good for both of us. Maybe right after the cooking classes or something, when neither of us are in a mood to cook," Mark laughed.

"As for quitting smoking, it is for me. I want to live longer and grow old, see my grandchildren, and have more money for other things. Plus, I want to have fresh breath and not constantly smell of smoke. I'll probably ease off it, given the trouble I had with quitting while we were married. Maybe one of those e-cigs or whatever," Mark said as he finished his pecan pie.

"Naturally, I don't want to push you too far or rush things, so I trust you'll let me know if I'm moving too fast for you. I want us to get back together for both of us, for the right reasons, not because either of us are too eager," Mark thought as he sipped the last of his beer, "I guess if either of us seem tentative or awkward, it's because we've never done this before, try to make a new marriage in place of the old with the same person as before."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We'll both have to work on this together. It's not like I have any tips for trying to get back together with my ex husband." Jessica tried to joke, reaching across the table to squeeze Mark's hand. "But I'm confident that we're going to get through this together just fine."

She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him badly. Almost like when Mark was needing a cigarette and would get antsy with her. She didn't want to rush it though. They needed to go at their own pace and let things happen in their own time.

"And we definitely need to come back here more often. I forgot how much I like it here." She said as she gave him a bright smile. "It might be a greasy diner, but it's OUR place."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"This is true. We need to let things come naturally, as they come. Do things when they feel right. Don't do things on a schedule. I think that is the key. When we both feel more comfortable doing things, that is. Not just one or the other, I think. That is going to require a lot of communication, I think," Mark admitted.

"I also think that we must get into the habit of trusting each other again. Letting ourselves open up and take the risk of being hurt again. I won't hurt you and you won't hurt me, I know, but that isn't the point. We must trust each other and not question each other. For instance, trusting that we will both be faithful from now on. I trust you and vice versa. I know that I will. I am trusting that you will as well. I hope that makes at least a little sense, and doesn't sound too cliched, like something from a self-help book," Mark laughed at his own rambling opinion.

"Then, I'm a little buzzed, so I probably sound silly, anyway," he joked a little.

"As for coming back here, why not? The memories, the old, comfortable feeling...all that is nice. Not to mention the food and drinks," Mark agreed, "there is something that we have in common here, isn't there? Not just the love of greasy spoons, but the love of being regular folks and being casual...relaxed, if you get me. Not pretending to be fancier than what we are. Sure, I'm more affluent than I used to be, but my tastes haven't changed that much, and it seems to me that neither have yours."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're still the same man that you always were, Mark." Jessica said with a slight smile on her lips. "And I think that's what I always respected about you. You never changed even when I tried to push those changes on you."

"Well, should we pay our tab? I should get back home before Chelsea calls and finds out that I'm gone. She's worse than my mother was on the night of our prom." Jessica joked, reaching for her coat and her purse to pay her portion of the meal.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark smiled as Jess complimented him, and then even more as she prepared to go Dutch, not assuming things. Still, that made him even more determined to pay for the whole meal.

"Not tonight, dear. Tonight's all on me. Just like the good ol' days," he grinned at Jess, paying for the dinner, beer, and pecan pie without any qualms. He had the money, especially these days as a manager, didn't he? For once, Mark wanted to treat Jess like a proper date, just as he had in the old days....if not his wife again quite yet, at least as a high school sweetheart....a girlfriend.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't think you're getting in my pants tonight because you're paying." Jess teased him as he pulled out his money to pay for both their meals.

It reminded her of happier times when they had shared everything. Dinner dates had made them fall in love but it was that love that kept them going. She gave him a smile as she stood and reached for her coat, hating that the evening was going to end so soon.

"You want to come over to the house for a movie?" She asked him before really thinking about it. "Netflix and a glass of wine. I know you can't turn down that offer."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark chuckled at Jess's teasing. He knew that there was a decent chance of that in time, but he shouldn't rush it. This had to come from both of them, when both were ready. He didn't want to scotch their chances of reconciliation by moving too far, too fast.

"I don't assume anything, baby. This was about giving, not taking. I am back feeling the desire to do things for you, not just for me."

He paid up and then, looking at the expression on Jess's face, nodded, "If that sounds good to you, I am more than willing. A good, relaxing night of movies and wine. Or TV series, depending on if you share my tastes in this. When we were together, we were still dealing with Redbox and doing without Blockbuster. Certainly beats my previous ideas for the night, especially for the company. Me, myself, and I cannot compete with you and me...."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Why don't you stop by the store and pick up a bottle of red? I only have white back at the house. I'll call Chel and tell her that I'm back home for the night and see what she's up to." Jessica said as they moved to leave the diner, a healthy tip left for their waitress.

"Then, it's just you me and the TV, just like when Chelsea was a newborn." She chuckled, stepping outside as the door was held open for her. "Remember when she was so tiny and we were terrified of going outside with her? I don't think I've ever watching so much TV as we did those first few weeks."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark grinned at that idea, and then he nodded, "Sounds great. I used up your last red, didn't I, yesterday? And, boy do I recall those days. Morbidly afraid of the least minor scratch. We were such typical new parents, weren't we?"

"Alright, baby, let's do that. You call Chelsea. Always good to hear from her."

Mark wasn't assuming anything, as he opened the car door for Jess...still, he didn't hide that he was ogling her body. He could remember it in detail, after all. It was a body that he knew like the back of his hand. That fine ass of hers...Every last ticklish spot, every erogenous zone that she had back then, at least...all of it. They would have to wait until they were both ready, but when it happened, Mark would be ready. In the meantime, they had other kinds of intimacy to rebuild, along with trust.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll see you back at home then." Jessica said as he held open the door to her car and she slipped behind the wheel with a smile up at him.

She knew he was looking at her ass. He had always loved the curves of her body, his hands always on her cheeks in their younger days. Discovering sex with Mark had been one of the best moments of her life. Some people had horrible experiences with their first time. She could only describe theirs as explosive. His bedroom had been the scene, a little alcohol was in play, his parents were out of town, and he had fucked her three ways til Sunday. It had been incredibly beautiful.

She still had that little smile on her lips as she placed her carnations on the passenger's seat and pulled out of the parking lot, calling Chelsea on the way home. They had decided to go to a party at a bowling alley on the other side of town. Jessica was never really much of a helicopter parent, except when she had been young. She believed in letting Chelsea make her own mistakes and learn from them to be a better person. She simply told her daughter to be careful, stay safe, stay away from alcohol, and call her if she needed help. Chelsea knew that she could rely on either of her parents if she were ever in a tough spot and Jessica knew that more often than not, she would call Mark before anyone else.

Chelsea had always adored her father. He was fun, he was happy, he had a good head on his shoulders. He was everything that Jessica wish she had the confidence to be. Raising Chelsea for the past six years hadn't been easy. She had resented the bond that her daughter shared with her ex. She wished that Chelsea would be that open with her but with age and maturity from both of them, they had a good relationship now.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Buying some wine was pretty easy, of course. A nice Merlot from Washington State, or so he read. Mark didn't mind that idea. No sense in buying overpriced imported wine when it was cheaper American and just as good. He was never one for buying things just for status. That contradicted his middle-class upbringing....he might be richer now, but those habits didn't just go away.

Waste not, want not, right?

Pulling into Jess's driveway, Mark carried the wine with him and a box of chocolates that he bought for good measure. It never hurt to turn on the romance, did it? He figured that Jess had the popcorn and movie, but he could provide her some junk food and wine, couldn't he?

 

[heartofcourage]

"Come in!" Jessica called from the kitchen as she heard Mark at the door.

She was popping the popcorn, the TV already showing the Netflix main screen. "Pick whatever you like. I'm up for anything."

She and Mark had very similar tastes when it came to watching movies and TV shows. She knew that there were some old favorites on Netflix that they had watched in the early days of their relationship. It would certainly bring back good memories.

"Butter and salt on yours?" She called as the microwave dinged and she divided up the popcorn between two bowls.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"How about some good horror?" Mark smiled, knowing that there was a chance that a horror flick would make Jess want to hold him closer.

Sure, he wasn't expecting sex, but he didn't think that Jess would mind hugging him. Besides, a good horror flick would be just like old times, wouldn't it?

"Yes, please, on both counts," Mark grinned, as he produced the Merlot and chocolates.

He badly wanted to see the look on her face from this.

 

[heartofcourage]

"If you can find a good one and not something cheesy." Jessica said as she prepared his popcorn just how he liked it before she picked up both bowls and walked into the living room where she saw the chocolate and Merlot.

"You bought me chocolate?" She asked him with a smile on her face. "I can't remember the last time that you bought me a box of chocolates and wine."

She couldn't help herself as she moved to his side and kissed his cheek before she placed the bowls of popcorn on the table and went to grab two wine glasses.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"How about a classic? Halloween?" Mark brought it up, wondering how Jess would take that idea.

"Thank you for the butter and salt. Very nice," Mark admitted as he began to eat his kernels and drink his wine.

"As for the chocolates, I wanted to surprise you," he grinned at her.

It felt just like old times, curling up with Jess, some wine, some popcorn, and a movie...a lazy Saturday night. Just the two of them. Very nice, just like old times.