Chapter 50 : Smiling Faces....And Lies...

The Living Room, The Rawsone Residence, Denver, Colorado...

Hadrian Rawsone was ecstatic that the new football season had begun and he was glued to the television set for several hours. As with tradition within the Rawsone home, he hosted the parties where every one of football fever status gathered and they all came with food, drinks, and various team jerseys to participate in the events. Julia had not been sure what to think as Hadrian appeared before everyone's eyes to have been the same man he always was when it came to football season. She knew him to be a Jets fan despite the team not occasionally doing well, but he wore his green and white jersey anyway pleased to be watching them play as everyone else filed in. Jasper Renwald was trying his hand at the barbeque grill, a compromise due to Hadrian's recent absence. The younger man was kind enough to allow his father to break with tradition for the occasion as he'd been absent for quite some time.

"Alright old man," said Hadrian bringing his father-in-law a beer. "What's on the grill?"

"Steak, links, and burgers," replied Julia's father with a smile.

Hadrian had been happy to hear it as it was the only occasion he had something to eat that didn't have a nutritional value attached to it and a bunch of medical advice on why it's supposed to be important for proper body function. Julia was a decent cook, but her having been a doctor put a damper on most meals when it came to what she opted to feed the household. Game days were the exception as part of the fun of the experience.

Ann seemed to take notice of Julia watching Hadrian a lot more than usual. She seemed to be on edge as well as she moved about the party tending to the guests and getting everything ready for kickoff. Hadrian was tussling with a few of their friends who had taken it upon themselves to bring a football of their own to play in the backyard when everything was done.

When it came to game night, Samantha Rawsone was as much a handful as her father about the Jets despite the terrible record on occasion. They were both die-hards and seemed to bleed green and white no matter the odds. Julia had not been surprised when the phone rang and it was Samantha on the other end begging to speak to her father.

{"Hi mom...where's Dad?"} asked Samantha in a rushed tone.

Julia smiled as it seemed even with the girls growing up so fast and heading off to college, some things had never changed. Samantha and Hadrian were always the rowdy ones come game day but she and Jessica were more interested in the spectacle the party brought than the boring game of football.

"He's stalking the grill to make sure your grandfather doesn't burn anything," replied Julia with a smile after looking out the glass sliding door to the backyard.

{"He let grandpa cook on game day?"} asked Sam skeptical. {"Is he feeling alright?"}

"He's doing just fine," replied Julia with a smile. "You can ask him yourself."

Hadrian made his way back into the house after seeing Julia motion for him to come to the phone. Anticipating that it had been the girls he rushed toward the door. Ann smiled as he made his way to the phone with a spring in his step as he'd been very close with his twin daughters.

He took the phone when Julia handed it to him and went back toward the main part of the enormous kitchen.

"Hey, Sammy Bear," said Hadrian with a smile.

{"Dad, tell me you're wearing your lucky jersey?"} said Sam sounding a bit on edge.

"I am indeed," replied Hadrian cheerfully. "Still got that lucky cap I gave you?"

{"Of course."} replied Sam as if this was a trick question. {"Mom tells me you're letting Grandpa cook on game day?"}

Hadrian looked out the glass door and watched his father-in-law.

"Trust me, honey," said Hadrian through gritted teeth. "It wasn't my choice."

{"Hi Daddy!"} exclaimed Jessica who had forced her way to the phone. {"Grandpa is seriously cooking on gameday?"}

"Hey Jessie, and to answer your question...yep he's cooking alright," replied Hadrian still watching his father-in-law at the grill. "I'm keeping an eye on the food though."

{"I'll bet."] replied Jessica giggling in the background before handing the phone back to Sam.

The two of them went on and on about the odds and stats for the upcoming game and Julia seemed to be a bit more at ease when she watched him converse happily with their twin daughters.

She had even begun to get caught up in all the fanfare when a knock on the front door changed her mood entirely. Ann continued the food prep in the kitchen while Hadrian remained on the phone and watched his father-in-law cook on the grill.

A couple of the guests which consisted of Maureen and her husband and two children, Kal and Spencer were already out back with the neighbors Bill and Marie Harper and their two children, Hailey and Heidi, as well.

Julia's heart nearly sunk into the pit of her stomach when she found herself standing face to face with Gary Sanders who had elected to accept Hadrian's invitation to come to the party due to him not seeing him in a while and that the Jets playing the bears, Gary's favorite team.

"What are you doing here?" she began caught completely off guard.

"Hi Julie, I know it's awkward and all but Hadrian invited me," replied Gary. "I know what you're thinking, but I assure you this wasn't what I had in mind, Hadrian insisted I come due to him barely getting back from his three-month absence and I already had to explain why I wasn't at the return party."

Julia had been about to protest the idea of Gary Sanders coming to a party thrown by her husband when he knew full well that they were having an affair behind his back, just as Hadrian took notice of Gary's recent arrival.

"Hey Gary come on in, the girls want to speak to you!" he shouted from across the room.

Gary moved passed reluctant to let him in Julia watched him stroll over toward Hadrian all smiles and handshakes when the feeling of guilt began to fill her. All measure of fun and relaxation she felt about settling back into the old routines and come to an end and she could only hold her breath as Hadrian and Gary joked about and hugged like brothers as if it had been old times.

She slowly closed the front door wishing like crazy that she'd been on the other side of it so that she didn't have to endure the guilt and shame her continued affair had stored up in costly measure.

From the looks of it, Hadrian had very much appeared to have been back to his old self and then some. Julia had simply hoped that the evening would get underway so that it could end and that Gary kept his mouth shut about them at least until she had time to explain to her ailing husband the truth of what happened between them.