Jessica walked around her mother in circles, yearning to talk on the phone next. Once again, their mother had called the boys to check on them. Sarah simply giggled at how worried her older sister could become.

"Mom… please? May I talk to Taylor now?" she begged. Diana held the phone to her ear and listened as her son talked to her. Her eyebrow raised in amusement at Jessica.

"Hey, Tay… I hate to cut this short but your sister wants to talk to you…" Jessica nodded vigorously.

"Cool, put her on the phone."

"I will in a moment. You and Zachary be careful and take care. Tell him I'll talk to him another time, okay? I love you sweetie."

"I love you too, mom." Taylor replied. He listened as he waited and could hear his mother handing the phone over to Jessica.

"Tay!" she yelled loudly into the phone.

"Jess!" Taylor laughed, mimicking her.

Her nose scrunched up, "I haven't talked to you in so long. How's California?"

"The usual. You know Aunt's Sarah's video collection?"

"Um… yeah. What about it?"

"She took Zac and me to the store with her and it's just grown to an extra thirty more."

Jessica shook her head at her brothers, "Oh my gosh. You guys are sick, spending Aunt Sarah's money like that."

"Hey! She asked for inputs and just happened to go along with it."

"I'm so sure, Taylor."

Taylor smiled, "I've missed you, you know, Jess. And everyone else too, but I've missed you."

"Yeah, same here, Tay. I miss you and Zac, even though I've still got Mac and Ike. Why'd you guys leave so much earlier then you had to?" Jessica had been wondering that all this time. It was not until now that she talked about it with her brothers, or at least one of them.

"Well, you saw the little difference in Zac and I from all the tension and stress. Besides, Dad and Chris want us all to be relaxed when we go into recording. Here in California, Zac and I are very relaxed." Taylor knew his answer was weak, but went with it anyways.

Jessica of course did not take it, "I cannot believe you three, especially you and Isaac grew apart because of Lindsay."

"That's not the reason, Jessica. Also, Isaac and I figuring it all out. Everything will be back to the same in no time." Taylor said, clutching the arm of the couch he had been sitting on.

"Well it sure seems like it. Think about it Tay. I mean, first you and Lindsay go out, then break up. Then she goes out with Isaac, and then they break up. All the while, you guys are sorta… changing. A small piece of each of you has either changed or left."

Taylor sighed hard into the phone, "Like I said, everything will be the same and back to normal in no time, Jess. I promise."

"Yeah, we'll all see each other in about… two an a half months or so. Hey, maybe sooner because of the holiday."

"See?" Taylor pointed out. "Maybe sooner because of the holiday."

Jessica crossed her fingers, hoping her brother would go for the next part, "Or maybe even sooner than that, like by next Saturday when Avery and I have our big dance recital."

Taylor's eyes grew wide on the other end of the phone, "Next Saturday is your recital? Oh, man… I'm sorry Jess, but you know we can't go. You know we can't come home then. But I'm sure Dad will video tape it and then we'll still be able to watch it."

Jessica whined, "But Tay… it's not the same. You guys missed last year's recital too."

Taylor looked at his watch, "Jess, I gotta go in like five minutes. Dinner's almost ready. But I promise I'll be there for the next one."

"You said that last year, Taylor!" Jessica's voice raised.

"I'll talk to you later, Jessica." Taylor stated calmly.

She breathed hard into the phone, "You didn't have to leave, you know."

"Bye Jess. We love you…" Taylor waited for a moment before hanging up.

"Love ya too, Tay. Tell Zac that for me… bye…" Jessica hung up the phone. She passed by the kitchen and hugged Isaac, who was eating a sandwich and reading a book, "I'll be upstairs, 'kay Ike?"

He nodded, watching her leave, "Sure, Jess. Let me know if you need anything…"

Jessica walked upstairs to her room and sat down on the bed. She inhaled deeply, then silently muttered the word she had heard on television and her brothers say so many times, "Damn it…"

During dinner, Taylor told Zac about his conversations with their mother and Jessica.

"Mom was just the same old, you know. She said that she loved us of course, to be careful, and to take care. Then Jessica told me about her big recital she's having next weekend."

"Oooh no… that's like, the second or third one we've missed. Was she upset?" Zac asked, spooning some potatoes in his mouth.

Taylor raised his eyebrows twice as he drank some milk, "Oh yeah. Her voice raised a little, then she quieted down. But she did seem upset about it."

"I bet. We'll make it up to her somehow. Just not in the way that means us having to fly back home to Tulsa." Zac laughed, along with Aunt Sarah.

"I know exactly how little Jessica feels. She reminds me of me, when I was her age. And you boys are like your mother, Diana. While your mother and father were touring with that one choir, I got the lead in this big play. Your mother never got to see one show, for she was all over the country. Instead, on my opening night, I received flowers. They were the pretty, nice smelling kind too. I remember there were poppies, daisies, and sunflowers. Beautiful bouquet, so I took a picture of it… but don't feel too bad, boys. Jessica's growing up a bit and well… puberty's a bit emotional for girls sometimes."

"Yeah I sorta fig-" Taylor got cut off my Zac's moaning.

"Ughhhhh….." he wailed as he slammed his against the table.

Taylor looked at his aunt and laughed, "A little while before we left, Zac had another one of those, "Special Talks" with our parents."

Aunt Sarah laughed right along, "The poor boy. Man, I pity him…"

Jessica looked up when the bedroom door slowly opened. Avery walked in and sat down next to her sister, "Hey Jessi… I'm guessin' that the conversation with Taylor and Zac didn't go well, huh?"

Jessica at Avery in wonder, "How'd you know?"

She shrugged and then pointed at her, "The look on your face told it all. This makes it the second, or is it third? Well it's another recital that they're missing."

"At least Ike's here to watch us… and Daddy too. Remember he had to miss it because he was with them?"

"Of course I remember." Silence settled upon the two sisters before Avery spoke up again. "Do you think it was stupid that they left?"

"Very stupid. But it's their decision."

"Yeah, and it's their absence…" Avery added while she watched Jessica get and walk over to her desk. She knew then that her sister would probably be writing in her notebook now, so Avery quietly exited the room.

Hello My Dear Journal,
I talked to Tay like I told you I would. It was stupid though because it didn't work. He and Zac had to leave because of some stupid problem and now they're not here for us once again. But then again… there is a good thing to this. Yeah, there really is! See, when we go out to see them in a few months, or for the holiday, Taylor and Zac are probably gonna feel at least a little guilty. They always do, and they always make up for it. Might as well milk it for all their worth, right? That's what Zac says to do. Anyways… I guess I'll forgive them somehow. No matter what I will in time. I love those guys too much to not forgive them. I'll write later on… Bye-Bye!
Love,
Jessica Grace Hanson