Taylor leaned his head back and tried to enjoy the fresh, country air in his face, but that was easier said than done. Ever since his chat with Jessica the day before, he was extremely restless. He still couldn’t believe those words actually came up on his computer screen. “I love you. You don’t know how much I need you...” Every time he recited the words in his head, his heart would do backflips. He had no idea that she had felt the same exact way that he did.
“Mommy! Mackie won’t give me my Ken back!” Avery squealed from the back seat of the rented mini-van. From the passenger seat, Taylor could see his mother grimace and grind her teeth. He grinned. He knew it wasn’t funny, knowing that his mother was overly stressed at the moment, but he couldn’t help it. Smiling came really easily the past few days...
Noticing the smirk on her son’s face, she instantly became suspicious. “And what would you be laughing at?” she asked him, her eyebrows raised. His grin grew wider. “Nothing...” he replied. Now it was her turn to laugh. “Nothing huh? Were you dreaming again?” “No,” he replied innocently, “it was nothing really.” Diana rolled her eyes. “Sure it is! This wouldn’t have anything to do with...I don’t know...Jessica would it?” she asked, winking. “Not Jessie, Mom, Mackie! Tell him to give it back!” Avery whined again. Taylor laughed as the smile instantly fled off his mother’s face. He turned back to look out the window again, while tuning out the conversation around him.
After stepping out of the plane at the airport, and seeing the city-life in Ohio, he instantly thought that it was nothing special. It was just another state. But now he was seeing differently. Out of the city now, all you could see was just sky. Sky, and endless farmland. Of course, if he were any other person, this would be just as exciting as the dentist, but not to him. Right then, Paris didn’t even compete with the quietness of the country.
“Mom? When are we going to get there?” Jessie asked from behind Taylor’s seat. Taylor glanced back at his mother, wanting to know the same question. Diana looked at the digital clock on the dashboard. “Well...” she replied, “we should be there any minute.” She pulled the exact address out of her purse on the floor by her feet. “2853 Morning Glory...” she said. Taylor’s eyebrows raised. “Morning Glory?” he asked, “I thought that the street name was the same as the ranch.” “Well, it is the name of the ranch. It’s the second name,” Diana answered him, “Mr. O’Donnell wanted the name to be the O’Donnell Ranch, but Mrs. O’Donnell wanted it to be Morning Glory. They made a compromise. But as soon as Mr. O’Donnell passed away, Gloria officially named it Morning Glory.” she chuckled. “ She was always stubborn like that...” Taylor smiled. His mother had told him that the O’Donnell’s were a big part of her life. They were almost like second parents, seeing as if Kelly, their oldest daughter, was her best friend for 10 years. They had lost contact after college, not knowing that they were living in the same city most of the time they were apart. Diana had found out two years before, but with her sons trying to make it big at the time, there was never time to see each other. This would be the first time in about 20 years.
“So, mom, did your friend have any beautiful daughters that just happen to be staying at the ranch too?” Zac asked, from behind Diana. He had a sleeping Zoe in the car seat next to him. Taylor shook his head. Leave it to Zac to ask about the girl issue. Diana just laughed. “You know, I think Kelly DID mention on the phone that she had three daughters...” Zac stood at attention. “So what are we talkin? Blondes or brunettes?” Taylor had to laugh at that. In fact, he was kind of curious himself. “Jessica,” he reminded himself. “I have Jessica.” But the gut feeling in his stomach wouldn’t go away. He knew that he could never meet her, and it killed him. He was suddenly beginning to realize that maybe his relationship with her wasn’t such a good idea after all...
“Well, if they take after their mother, then I think they would definitely be blonde,” Diana replied to Zac, “but sorry to break it to ya babe...they aren’t your age. I think the oldest one is Tay’s age.” Taylor cut his thoughts short. “Blonde...Jessica’s blonde...” he thought in his head. He clenched his teeth. Why did everything remind him of her? “Oh, yeah, idiot, your in love with her!” he thought, while hitting his head against the seat. He didn’t care anymore. If he had to spend the rest of his life just talking to her on the computer, then that’s what he’ll do. She meant so much to him...it was his only way of telling his feelings to someone who wasn’t involved in his star status. Talking to her was a way to forget his trouble. He just wished that he could hold her...just once.
The change in altitude snapped Taylor out of his thoughts. His mother had turned into a side road, and was now going up a very steep hill. “Is this a shortcut or something?” he asked. “No, it’s just the road to get there...I think,” his mother replied, reading the directions again, just to make sure. Getting to the top of the incline, Taylor couldn’t even imagine a more beautiful scene. About a mile away, he could spot a house that seemed to be even bigger than a mansion, but in a country style. Beyond the huge ranch house, he could see a huge lake in the back, complete with riding stables surrounded by a white picket fence. After that, just miles and miles of land and sky.
“Woah,” muttered Zac from his back seat in the van. The whole family was silent as the car descended from the hill. “Um...mom? I thought we were going to a ranch...not a resort,” Taylor said, as soon as he got over his shock. He had expected to spend his summer in a small, country ranch house, away from people completely. But the scene he was looking at was no small deal. It looked like a vacation spot, or something that belonged in a calendar. “Well...” Diana replied, “they did say that room was no problem when they offered for us to stay here. Now I won’t feel so bad.” Finally coming to the end of the road, a gate stopped them from coming in the entrance to the ranch. In huge letters, MORNING GLORY was spelled across the huge, metal entranceway. A censor must of been put up about 20 feet in front of it, because suddenly the door to the gate opened mechanically, and Diana drove in cautiously. “Okay...” Zac said, “if this place wasn’t so cool, It would be creepy!” “Man, where is everybody?” Taylor asked his mom. “Guys, you don’t need to worry about fans coming here or anything. I made sure this place wasn’t like a vacation spot,” she replied, “in fact, Kelly told me that just her mother lived here with a housekeeper when she isn’t there. She said that there sometimes would be hands to help with the horses, but that’s about it. I think the main reason that it’s so big is because this place was handed down. It did used to be a real ranch.” Understanding now, Taylor felt extremely better. He loved his fans, but sometimes he just needed a break...and in this case, a long one.
Beyond the gate, there was a fork in the road...right was for the house, and left was what looked to be a garage. Already there were 2 minivans, and three pickup trucks. Diana pulled in next to the mini-vans. “Okay, guys,” she said with a huge smile on her face, “let’s go!” Taylor opened his door and hopped out, just wanting to feel the atmosphere outside. From a distance, he could hear children laughing... “How many kids are here, mom?” he asked his mother, while lifting Zoe out of her car seat. Diana was busy getting Mackie and Avery out of the back. “Well, I think Kelly said that there were her three...and then her sisters...um,” Diana looked confused, “I guess I forgot. We’ll just wait and see.”
After making the long walk to the front of the huge ranch house, they stood out front and rang the bell. No one answered. Along with the children’s laughter, Taylor could also make out music. “I hear music. I bet they’re in the back or something,” he told his mom. Diana’s face lit up. “Hehe, we’ll just surprise them!” Taylor chuckled. He had hardly ever seen his mother like this. Starting to make their way to the back, Zac stopped Taylor. “Man, what are we going to do?” Zac asked him. “What do you mean?” Taylor replied, confused. “Mom is obviously not thinking today, dude. What happens when these people recognize us?” he exclaimed, surprised his brother didn’t even know. “Erg, I forgot about that...” Taylor replied, and shifted the still sleeping Zoe in his arms. “And there’s girls here man! We’re going to get clobbered!” Zac said, flinging his arms in the air. “Zac, stop it. I mean, if we are going to be spending 3 months with these people, I guess they are just going to have to forget about it. They would have to see after a couple of days that we are normal people. It probably won’t be a problem. If fact, after those days, I’m pretty sure that the girls are going to be fed up with you anyway,” Taylor retorted. Zac went on the defensive. “What do you mean by that, huh?” “Nothin...” Taylor replied, smiling, as he started to walk to meet his family. Zac groaned behind him. “Okay, fine, you MAY be right. But let’s just make a plan or something.” Taylor stopped again and sighed. “Okay, fine, Zac, what?” “We just won’t tell anybody,” Zac said, “if we don’t make a huge deal out of it, then they won’t right?” “But what happens when they recognize us? Are we going to lie?” asked Taylor. “No, but unless there aren’t any teenyboppers in there, then they’ll probably figure it out like in a few days. Then it won’t be a big deal.” Taylor thought about this for a moment. “Okay, fine. Go tell mom, because you know the first thing she’ll do is introduce us as “Hanson,” he said in a mocking voice. “K,” Zac replied, and ran up the walkway to tell Diana. Taylor started walking as Zoe stirred in his arms. She popped her head out from his shoulder. “Hanton,” she giggled. Taylor groaned. Hanson just HAD to be one of her first words. “No, Hanson,” he replied. “Hanton!” Zoe said again, still giggling. Taylor groaned louder as he hurried to meet the rest of his family who had already entered the back. *********************************************************************
Taylor closed his eyes as some of the disappearing sun shone on his face. He was sitting in a deck chair, on the huge deck of course, trying to drink down his third glass of lemonade that Gloria had insisted be filled up.
As soon as Taylor had appeared in the back, he was surrounded by people, who had of course, hugged him. They had grabbed Zoe as they leaded him to the deck with his other family. The people, he learned were Gloria, Kelly, and and Kelly’s two sisters, Anne and Lynn. It seemed weird to him, but they had insisted that he called them by their first names. Besides all of the hugging, he was beginning to like these people.
As he looked out at the deck view, he saw the lake to the right, and what looked like to be the “playing zone” in the front of him. Toy after toy was strewn all over the grassy area, while he could even make out a tree house in the close distance. He was sure his siblings faces had lit up at this. Farther beyond that, trees grew into a small forest while to the right of that, all you could see were miles of land. Now he was SURE that the Eiffel Tower didn’t compare to this.
His mother, at the moment, was busy being reincuanted with her friends again. Mostly they had talked about college, but now they were busy talking about their children. Taylor had noticed that Diana had caught herself several times in talking about her oldest sons. “So where are all the kids?” Diana asked looking out into the field. “I was sure I had heard children laughing.” Anne laughed. “Yeah, you did. Just five minutes before you came, we sent them out to the pond so we could talk to you without noise.” “Noise? I can probably bet that you haven’t heard real noise until we have come,” Diana said, laughing. “Believe me,” Kelly said, “YOU haven’t heard nothin!” All the women laughed. Zac spoke up from the seat beside Taylor. “You know, I might have to take offense to some of this,” he said. “Oh, honey, we didn’t mean you,” Gloria replied to him, while at the same time filling up his glass again, “we meant Taylor.” All giggled. Taylor knew he was being kind of quiet, but his thought wouldn’t let him go. He smiled at this. “Sorry, I guess I’m just tired,” he responded. “Don’t be sorry, hon,” Gloria said, grinning widely, “all you need to do is enjoy yourself here. Although...” she added, “with all these kids here, you might not have time to yourselves,” now talking to him and Zac, “in an mmmbop, we might have you guys baby-sitting or something...” Taylor stopped smiling and glanced at his brother, who seemed to have the same expression on his face. The rest of the group was cracking up, all except their mother who looked very surprised. “Mmmbop?” Zac asked slowly. “Hehe, sorry guys, we know your secret,” Kelly spoke up. Both Taylor and Zac looked at their mother, who held her hands up. “I didn’t tell a soul,” she said, glancing at Kelly and then grimacing, “oops...well, maybe I did on the phone...” Zac opened his mouth to speak, but Lynn cut him off. “You guys don’t have to worry...Jessica, and Sarah don’t know, and the little ones we can take care of when they find out.” Taylor’s heart stopped in his chest for a brief second. “Another Jessica...” he thought, “I’m going to go insane!” Zac’s eyebrows were raised. “Jessica and Sarah? Please tell me one is my age!” Taylor hit him on the arm. “Ouch,” Zac exclaimed, rubbing it, “sorry, sometimes I can’t control my mouth.” All the women were smiling. “Sarah’s my daughter, and she is your age, Zac,” Lynn said, elbowing Diana. “And Jessica is mine, and she’s 16, Taylor,” Kelly said, grinning, “but I think I read somewhere that you guys aren’t allowed to have girlfriends...” she added. Everyone laughed at this. Even Taylor and Zac. “Well, we are...we just aren’t allowed to tell anyone,” Zac replied.
Just then, screams erupted from the clump of tress in the distance. Soon following, a line of children of different ages came running out and headed straight for the house. “See what I mean, Diana?” Kelly asked her friend. Taylor had known there were children, but he figured there were like 4 or 5 of them. He didn’t expect 10 at the least! Following the children, he could spot 2 people who seemed to be Jessica and Sarah, just walking at a leisurely pace. Kelly laughed. “I guess Jess and Sarah got sick of them,” she said. As the two girls got closer, and closer, Taylor’s heart seemed to beat faster in his chest. You could tell that they were cousins, seeing that they had the same skin tone, and hair color. Taylor watched as the sun shone off of the taller one’s golden hair, and as she got closer, he was sure he hadn’t seen a more beautiful girl in his entire life. Even Jennifer Aniston didn’t compete with this. Mesmerized, he noticed she tucked her hair behind her ear when she realized everyone was watching them. She smiled a shy look as she got closer to the deck stairs. Suddenly, she looked up and caught Taylor looking at her. Their eyes met in one brief second, but it felt like a lifetime. She darted her eyes down as soon as she met the stairs, and Taylor could see her face turn pink. “She’s shy...” he thought, not caring if he was staring. As she met the top of the stairs, her eyes slowly returned to Taylor’s. Taylor knew at that instant why he was so attracted...this girl was exactly how he had pictured Jessica to be. Beautiful in every way. He didn’t realize until he had forced himself to look away that his emotions had turned to afraid...
****I am in no way associated with Hanson or Mercury Records. What you are reading is purely fiction. F-I-C-T-I-O-N.****
