"Take your broken heart, make it into art." ~ Carrie Fisher Elizabeth ~~~
She bit her lower lip, trying to take control of the uneasiness that was slowly cropping up to unsettle her. How in the world would she tell him?! She had sent the boys over to Grandma Audrey's for the night so they would have some much needed alone time. He would be arriving at any moment and she had no idea how to say the words.
She had broken THE rule - the only rule he had given her in regards to their relationship, but it wasn't as though she had planned for it to happen. They had always been careful. They had taken every precaution. It had just... happened. Even so, how would he react when he heard the news? He was still reeling from the memories he had recently regained of his childhood abuse. He seemed fragile at times, but also extremely strong. He drew his strength from her, because she knew how it felt to be vulnerable and brutally violated. At fifteen years old, she had been raped on Valentine's Day. Life had never been the same after that fateful night. Elizabeth knew that once a person had been broken so deeply, they never really TRULY recovered. There was no going back, because sexual assault victims worked hard to mend their seeping scars. Since they both were wounded so similarly, they had been such a great comfort to one another. She admired his strength and vice versa. Gradually, he was working through the pain. The therapy wasn't easy, but he always attended. He wanted to make a good life with Elizabeth and her sons. He wanted a happy life; he had already been through far too much pain.
Franco ~~~
He had finished his art therapy for the day. The paints had kind of blended together to create a lovely image. He wanted to share his new piece of art with Elizabeth, but first he had to let the paint dry.
He was an art therapist at the hospital, helping kids get through trauma and residual pain. He was using his art talent to heal himself. The progress he had made so far was phenomenal. His psychiatrist, Kevin was proud of all his hard work. Healing a heart and a soul was not easy. There were days when he felt as though he could barely move, but Elizabeth was always there to bring him up when he was feeling down. She and her boys were his salvation.
They were getting married soon and that thought made Franco blissfully happy. They'd finally be a family then in every sense of the word. He'd be Elizabeth's husband as well as Cameron, Jake, and Aiden's step-dad. He was looking forward to the day when they'd make it official.
He was ready to take that next step. He felt as though he could put the past aside and throw all of its sorrows far behind him. His abuser wasn't alive anymore. He was a grown man and he would never again have to live through so much torment. It was time for him to make a new beginning. Thankfully he would be taking that step with Elizabeth, the woman he loved.
He smiled to himself as he got ready to leave his office. He left his painting on the table so it could dry overnight. It was time to go home to his family.
Elizabeth and Franco ~~~
Elizabeth was busy in the kitchen when he came home, preparing a delicious meal. The scents were heavenly. Franco was starved from a long and emotional day. He wandered into the kitchen. He found her standing at the stove, stirring something over a pot.
"You're cooking?" he asked with a little smirk. He knew that Elizabeth wasn't that adept in the kitchen. There were just a few meals she could prepare without a major disaster, such as flames shooting out of a common kitchen appliance.
"Yeah," she responded. "There ARE a few foods I can cook. Spaghetti, garlic bread... and- and... salad."
He laughed. "Salad and sandwiches are your speciality."
"I wanted everything to be special tonight. A special meal ... so that you and I could talk."
He watched as she stirred the pasta. His stomach growled because the food smelled absolutely incredible. He was so damn hungry; he wouldn't even mind if the spaghetti was only half-way prepared. Even if she burned the garlic bread and it was inedible, he would eat it anyway and ask for more. He would never complain. He adored Elizabeth and he thought it was sweet that she was cooking for him.
He leaned in close, caressing her hair and kissing her softly upon the neck. "I missed you today," he said.
"Awww. I missed you, too. How did it go today with Kevin and the art therapy?"
"It went," he said. "You should see the painting I created today. It's one of my greatest masterpieces."
"Really? Why is that?" she asked as she was stirring the sauce.
"Because it reminds me of you... and everything we've been through. You saved me, Elizabeth. You have my heart."
She switched off the burners considering all of the food was done. She just had to set the table, then they could enjoy their meal.
She turned toward Franco, wrapping her arms around him and looking into his eyes. "I can't wait to see your painting," she said sincerely "I bet it's amazing."
"It is - just like you. We're getting married in a few weeks. I can't wait until we make it official."
She wrapped her arms around him tighter, leaning into his muscular chest. She felt so safe with his arms around her. Safe and content.
"I can't wait either. I just hope you won't change your mind."
"Me? Change my mind?" he said with a little frown. "Why would I do that?"
She reached up, lightly caressing his cheek. "There's something I have to tell you. I wanted to wait until after our dinner, but I just can't. I have to tell you now."
"What is it?" he asked as look of worry came to his face. He could see that she was stalling, almost as if she were afraid to tell him something of great importance. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, Elizabeth. I love you so much... and I don't want us to keep secrets from one another."
"Well, okay then... but I don't think you're going to like it."
Franco was totally clueless. He had no idea the gravity of what Elizabeth was about to tell him. He had been so caught up in his therapy; concentrating on getting well and improving his mental state after coming to terms with the childhood abuse he had endured. He had no inkling whatsoever. "What is it?" he asked as he gazed at her tenderly with so much love and concern.
She said it so softly that her voice was almost inaudible. Even so, he picked up on her words.
"I broke the rule."
"The rule? What rule?"
"You know the one. THE rule."
His eyes widened as he was suddenly catching on. "Ohhh... THAT," he said. "Well, uhhhhh... are you sure?"
"Of course I am sure. It's not as though I am a novice at this. I already have three kids... and it would appear that I am very fertile."
"Ummm yes. Very," he replied because there was no arguing when it came to that fact.
They had been using multiple forms of birth control. This WASN'T supposed to happen. It WASN'T in the plans. He had told Elizabeth from the very beginning that he absolutely, under no circumstances wanted to become a father. He feared that his genes were tainted. He feared that somewhere deep inside his soul lurked a growing evil and he didn't want to pass any of that off onto a child. Loving Elizabeth's boys had been simple and safe. He had no fears that he could ever hurt them. But to doom his own flesh and blood to the darkness that had driven him to commit evil; he couldn't push that off on anyone, especially a child. He just couldn't.
He pulled out of Elizabeth's embrace, swiping his fingers through his hair. She watched as he started to pace. "Franco, it will be alright. I promise you..."
He cut off her words. "No, it won't be alright. I can't handle this. I can't justify bringing a child into this world, allowing it to have my DNA. We both know what I've done... and what I am capable of."
"I know exactly who you are and all that you've done, but I love you despite of all of that. You're not a bad person, Franco. You help people. You're strong and brave and courageous. You're the best guy I know, so that is why I am marrying you," she said. "You've been a father-figure to my boys and I know without a doubt that you're going to be the best dad. I've seen you with Kiki. You adore her."
"I do, but that's not the point. I love your boys, but they don't have my DNA. My DNA is like poison."
He looked down at her stomach that hadn't grown yet. He couldn't imagine her swelling with HIS child. The thought of it horrified him.
"I am not ready. I don't know if I will ever be," he told her sadly.
She reached out, lightly touching his arm. She caressed his skin in a soothing gesture. "I know it's scary, but I am happy. It's not what we planned, but it is what's meant to be. I am having your baby, Franco. You may not like it now, but it's reality and you'll just have to accept it," she said gently. "You're going to be a dad."
He went to sit down at the table, placing his head into his hands. All the while her words echoed in his head, *You're going to be a dad.*
Him... a father? He had sworn it would NEVER happen... but it was! Elizabeth was carrying his child!
She sat down at the table close to him, wrapping an arm around him. "You can get through this, Franco. WE can get through this. You know we've been through so much worse."
He raised his head to look at her as a single tear rushed down his cheek. "You're right," he said. "We've been hurt so deeply, so we have to make sure that Cam, Aiden, and little Jake have a happy life. And our baby, too."
There - he had said it. The dreaded words. *Our baby.* Elizabeth was carrying HIS baby.
It was slowly sinking in, bit by bit. He felt calmer. He just might get through this. He had survived so much worse.
"Elizabeth, you know the painting I made in art therapy today?"
She nodded. She hadn't seen it yet, but she was sure he had created a masterpiece.
"I know just what we'll do with it. We'll put it in a frame, then we'll hang it up in the spare bedroom."
"Why?"
"We'll make that room into the baby's nursery. After it's ready, we'll hang my painting on the wall. I will call my work of art - 'The Beautiful Broken Rule.' I know you didn't mean for it to happen, but even so, thank you for breaking it."
"You're thanking me?" she said with a little laugh. "It was your powerful sperm that broke through that condom."
"But you're the one who is ever so fertile. Thanks for baking my little bun in your ripe little oven."
"Speaking of oven, I need to get the garlic bread out," she said as she jumped up and grabbed an oven mitt. A few seconds later, she withdrew the garlic bread which was only a tad bit burnt.
"Yayyy, I cooked," she said with happiness.
"It looks fit to eat. Ohhh by the way, where are the boys?" he questioned, looking around for them. Cameron, Aiden and Jake were nowhere to be found.
"They're spending the night with Grandma Audrey."
"Does this mean we get the whole night to ourselves?" Franco asked eagerly.
"Yes," she said as she was glowing with happiness.
"Great, because that means more garlic bread for me then."