Heart to Heart
SS by Jennifer
Rated G
Lynne/Justin
I had some free time around the house so I figured I’d get some things done.
The house looked quite messy lately, With Brit home and all.
Her break’s over, so it was time for me to clean again.
Boy, I missed her already.
At this time a few weeks ago, we would’ve been shopping or cooking something together. Hearing her laugh again was one of the best parts of the whole time she was at home with the family.
With her being on tour all the time, plus the media ripping her apart, my poor baby has been pretty stressed.
I was singing Baby One More Time as I grabbed the duster.
I must have looked like a six year old fan, the way I was dancing around.
Oh well, no one but my family here…I could make a fool out myself.
I laughed at my own silliness. I could hear Britney in my head.
“Oh mom! You’re such a goob.” Ha. I always wondered where she learned that word.
“Mom! The musical talent skipped a generation! Stop!”
“Yeah mom, save us the pain!” She joined in.
I was about to shoot a comeback at my children when the doorbell rang.
I put the duster on the coffee table and went to answer it.
Oh lordy!
Who was standing at my door…?
None other than Justin Timberlake!
“Good afternoon mam.” She said.
“Justin…I heard you were in town but I didn’t expect…”
I could tell that he was scared, the way the stared down at the floor.
I was in so much shock that I just stood at the door, looking at him.
“Oh, oh, come in won’t you?” I stopped blocking the doorway. He walked in slowly,
not making a sound.
“So, how have you been?” I asked him.
His life was quite busy, I presumed, with the solo career taking off.
“Good.” He answered, giving me a small smile.
Wow. I hardly ever saw him do that, usually he and Britney would he grinning ear to ear.
I’ve never seen him so quiet either.
“Your CD, it’s, very interesting.” I told him.
“Yeah.” He looked around the living room, like he’d never been here.
He’s been in this room a million times!
I saw him staring at various framed photographs.
“So, I’m quite surprised you wanted to come visit me today.” He blushed at my statement. “Oh, I…um, I didn’t want to seem impolite. I just, wanted to see how everyone was doing…” His sentence trailed off.
I’ve never seen him so shy.
“Here, come sit down.” He listened to me and slowly made his way to the couch.
“It’s certainly nice of you, to come here. It’s not the easiest thing to go to your ex-girlfriend’s mom to say hi huh?” Oops. I could’ve bitten my tongue.
Justin turned three shades of pink.
“I…wanted to know how Britney was doing. I haven’t heard from her in while.”
I didn’t know he was sensitive about the whole break-up.
Why, with all the rumors about Jenna, Janet, Christina, Alyssa…
Sure, Brit was pretty upset about it. It was an unspoken rule in my household to never speak of it. I knew his plan though.
He was too afraid to talk to her so he comes to the mother. Of course.
“She’s doing well.” I told him.
“Good.” Justin wasn’t usually one of those “one word answer” guys. Today though, was different. Things were different now.
I’ve know Justin since he was a preteen.
He’s become another son to me.
But the man sitting beside me now seemed like a different person.
I was starting to think I didn’t know him anymore.
I loved him with all my heart; he was such a nice young man.
Bit I also felt some anger towards him for doing what he did to my dear daughter.
“I heard she’s got some great songs for her new CD.” He said breaking the silence.
“Oh yes, I just know it’s going to be great.” I smiled with pride.
“Yeah, I’m glad.” He went back to staring at his hands.
The tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
“Justin.” I said quietly, breaking out of the cheerful tone I had and turning serious.
“Yes mam.” His voice barely above a whisper.
“I know that you didn’t just come all the way here to make small talk with me.”
Just then he turned to face me.
Now, I knew what Britney talked about when she mentioned his eyes.
His baby blues looked me straight in the eye.
“I…I wanted to tell you I’m sorry.” He said ever so softly.
He looked miserable.
“I know that…I’ve caused your family and Britney great pain.”
For the first time since the break-up and saw that Britney wasn’t the only one suffering.
He was too.
He also had a broken heart.
“Justin, it wasn’t anybody’s fault…” He cut me off.
“Yeah, I figured that out it’s just…” He paused closing his eyes for a second, searching for the words.
“I don’t want any hard feelings between us. I’ve known you, and your family for a long time and I don’t want…I don’t want Britney or you to hate me.”
He sounded like a five year old child.
I hugged him. “Don’t you ever think that anybody hates you. What happened did happen for a reason. You might not know now, but you will one day.”
“My mama told me the exact same thing.” He said laughing.
He looked relieved that I wasn’t angry with him.
“Y’know,” I started. “Britney doesn’t hate you either. You both are young…and she was happy when she was with you. That’s what counts.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I looked deeply into his eyes; he seemed so much older than twenty-two.
He was tired, and depressed.
“Fame isn’t what it’s cracked up to be is it Justin?” I joked.
“No, it isn’t.” He didn’t say much anymore.
“Brit, she was kind of upset when she saw the video for Cry Me a River.”
A mask of worry covered his face.
“Really? I mean, you know that I called her and explained that…”
“Yes, she told me. I don’t think she likes to watch it regularly but, I’m happy you two worked things out.” I smiled at him. “When Britney was in the MMC, she was very infatuated with you.”
He grinned and said “Yeah she told me.”
“I bet you she never told you this but,” I laughed. “Me and her, we used to plan your wedding. The food, and guests and invitations…it was really amusing actually.”
He chuckled. “I know it sounds silly, but I guess that’s the kind of girl Britney is.”
We sat there in silence for a few seconds, reminiscing about the times we’d always laugh together like this.
“Justin, I really thought you two would be married, really I did.” I whispered.
“I did too.” I remember Justin actually asked me one time what Jamie would say if he asked Britney to marry him.
“She misses you.” I said.
A soft smile appears on his face. “I miss her too.”
I think he had enough of the memories so he got up and put his jacket on.
“I really should be heading back. Thanks for the talk though.” He said.
I showed him to the door. “Glad to be any help…if I was.”
“You were.” He simply replied as he opened the door.
“Goodbye.” He waved.
“And, oh Justin.” I said.
“Yes mam.” He looked back over his shoulder.
“You would’ve made a great son-in-law.”
He smiled and drove away.