little surprises

Asa didn't see this coming. Frankly, he actually thought Jane's mother was dead.

1. she never spoke of her.
2. she didn't like to talk about her.
3. she never ever mentioned her mother.

And then the door bell rang.

"How did you, even know? I'd be here." Jane wasn't at all happy to see her mother who was so bubbly with a mess of curly hair. She was nothing at all like Jane with her black hair and her oh so very pensive blue eyes.

None of this bothered Cora a bit. She pinched Asa's cheeks, went right to Dylan before she realized Jane even had a daughter.

"Oh, Janey." She kept smiling and making over the babies as if she might stay awhile.

Of course, Asa and Jane were both in the midst of folding clothes while trying to keep up with Dr. Who they'd recorded. Asa wasn't even sure there were tea bags nor a box of cookies in the house to even have a make-do tea-party, but he went to put something together.

He pulled out some cheese and looked for saltines while the kettle heated. Hopefully, Jane wouldn't have a run in with her mother before they could have tea.

Naturally, her mother showed him a picture of how Jane used to look, blond with curls. He could see now Jane didn't want to be anything like her mother.

"Well, did I miss the wedding, or anything?" Cora kept up the questions.

"No, Mom, you haven't missed anything." Jane swelled a frown. It was so hard to take in her mother's smiles. It was as if she knew they had to be fake. She'd be making fun of her, any moment.

"Oh, dear, you aren't me." Her mother kept smiling. "Look, at you." Her mother took her hands and held on to them as if she needed to see her. Perhaps, this just wasn't any visit.

"What happened with you and Duncan?" She looked at Jane with concern.

"Mom, you knew how that would turn out." Jane sighed. "Besides, you can't just have a wedding over night. They take money and time. Lots of organizational skills."

Jane felt tired thinking about such an ordeal.

"I figured I'd be the last to know." Her mother drew a frown.

"Well, you didn't exactly leave me an address, you know." Jane sighed, thinking how could her mother even be so impatient with her when she was so flighty. "What happened?" The last she knew, her mother went off with some fellow she met at a casino.

"New Mexico was nice." Her mother finally shrugged. Then she practically folded. "He found someone younger."

"And now you want Harper back?" That's what this was really about. "Well, he moved. I think he got married. He's living on an Indian Reservation now. You might try him at the casino." Jane kept even lipped. No way was she going to fall for her mother's tricks of saying she would be here when usually she wasn't.

"I'm staying at the trailer. The key still works." She was silly once again as if she didn't need Jane's help at all with her adventurous life, but she held on to Jane's hand and finally felt over the small engagement ring that Asa gave her.

"I'm going to find your father." She announced.

Jane cracked a smile.

"I'm not holding my breath on that one, Mom." Still, Jane found her mother unbelievable, but she supposed it was the thought that counted.

About then, Asa brought out the cups of hot tea along with some sliced apple, cheese and crackers.