All This Time

Chapter: 1

Rating: PG

Toys were scattered about the three bedroom house like they were coming off a conveyer belt right out of the north pole. Mary was trying her best to pick them up while dodging two rambunctious toddlers. If only she had half the energy her little boys had. They could run circles around her before she could even catch her breath from their last burst of energy.

As she made her way into the kitchen she found her two and a half year old son pulling out the pots and pans from the cabinet. "Thomas Andrew!" she called out. "What do you think you're doing?"

He looked up at her with a smile. "Playing, mommy."

Mary starting putting the pots and pans back in the cabinet. "You have a million toys." she told him. "Why don't you go play in your room?"

"Richie's in there."

"Well then you'll have someone to play with." she told him, shutting the cabinet doors. "Run along."

Tommy headed toward the door then stopped and looked back at his mother. "When's daddy coming home?"

His blonde hair and cubby cheeks made him look like a little cherub. Mary couldn't help but smile at his angelic, innocent face. "I don't know, sweetie." she replied. "He's working."

"I miss daddy."

"I know you do." she said. "Now run along and play with your brother."

"Okay, mommy." he ran out of the kitchen and headed down the hallway.

Mary was still sitting on the kitchen floor and was resisting the urge to burst into tears. It had been almost two months since Tom left, physically left anyway. He had emotionally checked out well over a year ago. At first it seemed as though it came out of nowhere but then again it was hard to realize the obvious when you were running after two energetic toddlers.

Just when she thought she could take a breath and relax she heard her youngest son crying down the hallway. She went into the boys bedroom and scooped Richie up in her arms. He buried his red, tear stained face into her shoulder. "It's alright, Richie." she soothed him, patting his back. "What happened, Tommy?"

"He took my toy!"

"You're suppose to share with your little brother." she told him, over the cries of her youngest son. "If you're not good then we're not going to the park tomorrow."

Tommy crossed his little arms across his chest. "I want daddy!"

Mary held the baby closer to her, bouncing him in her arms. "You can see daddy in a few days."

"I want daddy, now!" he yelled. "I want my daddy!"

The tears that she had been holding back were starting to fall. "Daddy's working." she told him. "If you're a good boy then we'll go to the park tomorrow."

He was now in full fledged tears. "Not fair!" he flung himself on his bed and buried his face in the pillow. "I want my daddy!" he continued to cry.

She was trying her best to calm Richie down and now all three of them were crying. When she married Tom she knew that marriage wouldn't be a walk in the park but she never expected for him to just walk out and leave her. Especially with two very young children. She thought he would be more willing to fight for their marriage.

Lou had come in the kitchen door and had followed the sounds of crying until he got to the boy's room. He assessed the situation rather quickly. "Here." he said, taking the baby from her arms. "Why don't you go sit down and relax." he instructed. "Pour yourself a drink."

"Mr. Grant..."

"No arguments, Mary." he said. "I can handle this."

"Okay." she breathed out. She reluctantly left the room and headed to pour herself a glass of wine just like he had suggested.

Less than a half an hour later Lou found Mary sitting by lamplight in the livingroom. She was halfway through a glass of red wine. He sat down beside her. "The boys are asleep." he said, taking the wine glass from her and taking a drink.

"Already?" she asked. "How did you do it?"

"I did raise three daughters." he said, picking up the bottle of wine up off of the coffee table and refilling the glass. "Sometimes you just have to be tough."

"I'll have to remember that."

He took a drink. "You out of scotch?"

"Yeah." she replied. "I have some gin."

"I'll stick with this." he sat the glass down on the table. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." she said. "Thanks for putting the boys to bed."

"Anytime." he exhaled. He had never seen her quite so sad, even right after she and Tom had split up. And he hated seeing her sad. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mary shook her head. "No, not really."

He nodded. "I think you may feel better if you talk about it." he said. "Sometimes it helps just to let it all out."

"It's not that bad, Mr. Grant." she said. "It's just been one of those days, you know? The washing machine broke, I burnt dinner, and Tommy has been crying for his dad all evening."

Lou wrapped his arm around her. "Well hopefully tomorrow will be a better day." he said. "Have you spoken to Tom lately?

"He called earlier." she told him. "He's going to take the boys on Sunday."

"Then you'll have a day to yourself." he said. "I'll take you to a baseball game."

She relaxed into him. "I hate baseball."

"I'll take you to the movies then."

"Okay, but I get to pick the movie."

"You've got a deal."

"I don't know what I would have done without you these past few months." she said. "You've been so supportive and incredibly helpful with Tommy and Richie."

"Well they're great kids."

"They're a handful." she laughed. "They keep me busy though, it's a good distraction."

"It gets easier, you know." he said. "Life goes on and in time your wounds will heal. You just have to let some of your anger go. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I don't know if I can."

"You'll feel better." he told her. "Sometimes marriages just don't work out. You tried your very best and that's all you can do."

"I know." she breathed out. "Tom and I really tried but in the end we just couldn't make it work. We were crazy to think that it would."

"You would have been crazier not to have tried it at all." Lou said. "The old saying is true, it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all."

"Yeah, I guess so." Mary agreed. "And my marriage did give me two beautiful little boys. Even if they drive me nuts sometimes."

"You think it's bad now?" he asked. "Just wait until they're teenagers."

"Oh, I think I can wait for that."

"Once they hit about seventeen they're okay again." he assured her, glancing down at his watch. "I should get going." he said. "I'll pick you up around noon on Sunday."

Mary pulled away from him and sat up straight. "Thanks again."

Lou reached for the glass of wine and took a drink. "Whenever you need help just call."

She took the glass from his hand. "I'm sure I'll be taking you up on that offer." she took a drink of wine. "Especially now that I've learnt that you can get my kids to sleep without a long, drawn out battle."

"It's going to be okay, Mary." he said, softly. "It may take a little time, but it's going to be fine."

"I hope you're right, Mr, Grant."

Lou smiled. "I know I am." he said. "You're a loving, caring, beautiful woman. There are great things out there waiting for you."

She wanted to cry. He was saying all the things that she wanted to hear. All the things that she needed to hear. "I'll take your word for it."

He brushed the hair back away from her face. "It's true."

She smiled, slightly. "I just wish I could believe it."

His hands gently cupped her face. "You will." he said. "In time."

Mary leaned forward, into him. And when her lips met his for the first time something within both of them sparked. A simple, friendly, gesture had just possibly turned into something more.

tbc...

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