Chapter 3: Nothing to Regret

(Angel Grove Airport)

It was the week of Thanksgiving and Tommy and Kimberly were thrilled to have Rosaline coming home for the holidays. In fact, she called her parents to inform you that she was flying out a day earlier than expected due to a few of her classes being cancelled for the holiday week. However, she reluctantly agreed to fly back home instead of using the teleportation but didn't mind paying for her ticket. Once the entire family greeted Rosaline by the gate and helped her pick up her luggage from baggage claim, Tommy, Kim and the kids made their way back to the car. As they were walking out of the airport, Kimberly saw a familiar person staring at her as her eyes widened in shock.

"M-Mom?" Kimberly stuttered.

Mrs. Dumas walked over to her daughter with a small smile. "Well, look at you Kimberly," she commented. Kimberly kept a tight grip on Tommy's hand and the kids looked at their parents confused. "It's been a long time. I see that some things don't change, especially your taste in men." she added.

"Caroline I think you should be careful of how to talk to my wife," Tommy answered.

Mrs. Dumas looked at Kimberly in shock. "Oh I see...so you two finally tied the knot after all these years?" She asked. The twins pulled on their parent's arm.

"Mommy, daddy who is she?" Elena and Hayden asked.

Kimberly looked at the kids and then reluctantly turned to her mother. "Kids, this is my mom, Caroline," Kimberly replied. "She lives in Paris with my stepfather Pierre. I don't know what she's doing in Angel Grove but it's been a long time...since I've last seen her."

"Wait a minute...this is grandma Caroline?" Rosaline asked. "Was...she the one that disowned you years ago?"

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Dumas asked, "Young lady I believe you should watch your mouth there."

"Yes, that's right Rosie this is your grandma. This is the own that disowned me eighteen years ago." Kimberly snapped looking at her mother. "Oh you heard me, mom yeah that teenager you're staring at is your granddaughter. The same one you and dad try to have me abort years ago. Guess what? I kept her because I chose life. I choose my daughter over you guys. This is Rosaline Oliver, my daughter with Tommy and these other children are Elena, Hayden and Gabriel, your grandchildren."

"So you kept her all this time? I'm still trying to figure out why you chose a baby born out of wedlock over your own family all those years ago."

"Because she did the right thing," Tommy commented. "You couldn't imagine what life was like for your daughter after you had your entire family turn their back on her. We lost the first sixteen years of our daughter's life because of you. How could you abandon Kim like that? Because of you Kim had to give Rosaline up for adoption when she was a baby. As much as she wanted to raise our daughter she made the hardest decision that haunted her for all these years. It was hard not being able to see her grow up, but we got our second chance. She did right by Rosaline by giving her a good life with people who love her. In my eyes and the eyes of Kimberly, our daughter was never a mistake. Neither is anyone of our other children."

"So is she our adopted grandmother?" Elena commented.

"I thought we only had one set of adopted grandparents," Hayden replied. Caroline gasped when she heard the word adopted coming out of the mouth of the twins. "Grandma Melissa and Grandpa James. Is she also our grandma too?"

"Adopted? Kimberly Ann, please tell me that you didn't consider that option also?"

Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think that's any of your business, mother. You made it clear you and dad didn't want anything to do with me all those years ago. Tommy and I may not be Elena and Hayden's parents biologically, but we love them as much as if they are our own children. Those two kids are Rosaline's younger brother and sister and also Gabriel's siblings as well. You lost the right to have any say in my life when you tossed me away like some piece of garbage." she commented.

"Kimberly, let me explain…" Caroline trailed off.

"I really don't give a damn why you're in town and since you're here you can answer me this one question." Kimberly answered.

"Kim, come on not here, not in front of the kids she doesn't deserve anything from you," Tommy said trying to calm his wife down. "She's not worth it anymore."

"If you haven't knocked my daughter all those years she could have gone back to her gymnastics training," Mrs. Dumas snapped staring at Tommy. "Because of you my daughter tarnished her dreams in the name of keeping that bastard daughter of yours. Do you have any idea what you did to our family by getting Kimberly pregnant? Our reputation and family name was a laughing stock and for what? The idea to let this girl live? She was destined to become a gymnast but the day that boy walked into your life everything started going down hill didn't it?"

"Don't you dare blame this all on Tommy mother. None of this wasn't his fault. How dare you stand here and tell me that my daughter is nothing but an accident to our family! I wanted to ask you for all these years why you did what you did to me and I got my answer. No matter what I do in my life and the choices I make, I know where you stand and what you think about where my life is right now. However, I'm happy and that that is something you can't take away from me. Tommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me and it's sad that you don't see it."

"Well, I see you have single handedly ruined your life, Kimberly Ann," Mrs. Dumas commented. "Nothing has changed over the years hasn't it?" The children looked at Mrs. Dumas in disbelief.

"Excuse me?" Rosaline asked holding her baby brother. "Wow I'm glad I never got the chance to meet you until now. You're not going to let her getaway with speaking to you like are you mom? Dad? I'm surprised I'm related to a person who has so much animosity against me and to think that you're my grandma? I really don't want to know what the rest of the Hart clan is like. I'm probably thinking I'm forever going to be nothing but the bastard grandchild that turned your daughter from a soon-to-be Pan Global Champion to a wife and mother of four."

"Don't you dare make me out the bad guy, girl. You're the one that ruined your mother's dream," Mrs. Dumas scolded.

"You don't talk to my daughter that way," Kimberly snapped. "I've got a better dream. I love being a mother, a wife, daughter, sister, and friend. You can't take that away from me. I spent years wondering if I'm able to pull this off but you know something I proved you wrong. I got nothing more to say to you because I know where you stand with me. In reality, I'm happy of where we stand right now because life is better this way. At the end of the day I'm always going to be proud of what I do and what I have in my life. That is something you'll never understand." Mrs. Dumas sighed and she pulled her sunglasses on.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be," she muttered. "I see that this is where we're going to be from now on." Then she headed towards the departure gate to catch her flight back to Paris.

Tommy walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "You okay?" He asked. "For the record, no matter what you do in life I'm always going to be proud of you, and so are our children."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "And thanks for being there for me. You're my family now, and that's something no one can't take away from us, not even her."

(The Boarding House)

A little while later, Tommy and Kimberly arrived home with the kids from the airport. They were preparing everything for Thanksgiving Dinner and invited Tommy's family and their friends over for dinner. Rosaline and the kids didn't want to talk to their mom about their surprising encounter with Kim's mother. The twins were confused about why their adopted grandmother had some animosity against their parents and their older sister. Tommy tried to reassure the children that it's nothing to worry about. For Kimberly, seeing her mother again after all these years brought back some ill fated memories of abandonment by her own family.

Sometime later, Kimberly stepped into the training room and sat on the work bench in deep thought. Rosaline and the twins spied on their mom from the hallway as they watch Kimberly punch the punching bag in frustration. It was rare for them to see her working on a punching bag but they were a bit worried about her.

"Mommy seems really upset doesn't she Rosie?" Elena asked as the three of them watched from the staircase. "Does it have to do with what that lady said?"

"That lady is Mama Kim's mother Ellie," Hayden added, "She's our adopted grandma too so she's...also family is she? Rosie, why did she say mean things to to mom?"

"I really don't know Haye but all I know is I know how she really feels about me," Rosaline said with a bit of disdain in her voice. "You guys are too young to understand but all I could say about grandma Caroline is that...it's better we don't anything about her. She thinks...I ruined mom's life and dad was also to blame for it too."

"Why would she say that? You didn't do anything wrong! I wish she didn't say all those bad things to mom and dad."

"Ellie is right...she's not our grandmother because she said all those awful things to mom. Rosie, you're not a mistake whatever that lady says. I don't know what she's talking about calling you an accident or a mistake. Mom and dad loves us all so much just like our real parents too. We have two moms and dads who love all of us and don't think we're bad kids."

"You guys are really sweet you know that," Rosaline said, smiling a bit through a few tears. "Yeah you're right guys. We have two moms and dads who love us very much and that is something grandma Caroline doesn't understand. She'll hate me I know that, mom's family will always think of me as a bastard child. We're thankful for dad's family and I'm proud to say I'm sure glad to be an Oliver. You want to know something you two? When mom and dad died it was a rough time for us. I know I wasn't around when you guys needed me for months and gran and granddad did everything they could for us. When we lost them too, if it wasn't for Tommy and Kimberly, the three of us wouldn't be here again as a family. They maybe my real parents, and not yours biologically but they love you as much as your real parents do."

Unknown to the children, Kimberly heard their entire conversation after she stopped hitting the punching bag. A slight tear came down her face knowing that she had the full support of her children. Minutes later, Tommy walked into the training room carrying Gabriel in his arms as the children continue to talk by the stairs.

"I don't regret choosing to keep Rosaline over my family," Kimberly suddenly said looking at Tommy, "I don't regret ever falling in love with you all those years ago. I don't regret the life we have now with our family. If I could do that all over again I would in a heartbeat because I made the right decision. Why is it still hard for my own family to see it? Why can't I have a more understanding family like yours? Do you want to know something? All those times when I came over to your house, it was like a second home, a place where I belonged."

"I know and I'm not going to pass judgment on you Beautiful. I'm glad you chose our daughter all those years ago. God, I didn't make things easy for you back then didn't I? If I had found out what happened all those years ago then you didn't have to go through this on your own. Your mother's wrong about us. She can't understand what our relationship means to us and this family. I have nothing to regret in my life, not even you. I don't regret our children, whether they're adopted or biological they are still our children. I don't meeting you because the day you walked into my life was the single greatest thing that could ever happen to me. Life was never easy for us."

"Well I didn't make it any easier for you either, Handsome," Kimberly replied as the two sat down on the work bench together. "I kept you in the dark for all those years about our daughter. Still, that was one thing I wish I could take back. I wish I gave you the opportunity to know you had a daughter from the very beginning. I think about what my mother said at the airport and it aggravates me. She blamed you for ruining my life, my dreams and still to this day she'll see our daughter as nothing but a bastard child that tarnished my family's reputation. That's her own granddaughter! How could a mother say that to your own child?"

"You're not your mother and don't for a second let her make you feel that you don't deserve us," he assured her, "The difference between you and her is that you do right by your children regardless of the decisions they make. I know why you chose to give up Rosaline all those years ago because you wanted to do right by her. You wanted to give her a good childhood with the Bennetts for the first sixteen years of her life. We chose to adopt Elena and Hayden because they're apart of this family as much as our own daughter. Those twins are Rosaline's brother and sister just like our little miracle boy here, Gabriel. Caroline and your family made their choice many years ago and they're going to live with it. You have a family Kim that loves you with all their hearts and will stand by you regardless of the choices you make in life. We're your family and remember that we love you."

"You always know what to say at the right time don't you?" she smiled watching Gabriel reaching out for her. "Oh someone wants some quality time with mommy."

"Hey it's my job as your husband to always make you smile, aren't we right Gabe?" he replied handing the baby over to Kim. "So did your boys do their job cheering up the special lady in their lives?"

"I think my special people have already done what they needed to do," she replied giving him a kiss.

"Now that's the spirit," he reminded her. "Always know that your family will always stand by you."

(A few days later)

It was already the day of Thanksgiving and everyone arrived for dinner at the boarding house. Everyone heard about the encounter with Caroline at the airport a few days back. It was no surprise especially from Jason and Tommy's parents that Kimberly's mother hasn't changed a bit over the years. However, in spite of losing her own family, Kimberly was fortunate enough to gain a better family. Still, both Tommy and Kimberly were worried about Rosaline after hearing what Caroline truly felt about her. While everyone was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner, the two ventured into the living room finding Rosaline on her labtop watching the kids while they played.

"Checking your emails again as usual?" Tommy asked his daughter sincerely.

"Pretty much just wanted to see how the gang was doing," Rosaline replied powering off her labtop. "Desmond flew back to San Antonio to spend Thanksgiving with his mother; Penny's been busy making public appearances with her father at every political event in London and misses Des like crazy. Bianca is in Westbury learning all there is about her Necromancy; Quincy is in Detroit spending the holidays with his family; Chan and Shi-Ann are back in China holding down the compound. Aidan is off in Kenya with Tanya to check up on their sister Kendall and Virgil left to spend the holidays in Laguna yesterday with Carlos and their family."

"Waited last to say what Virgil was up to huh?" Kim smiled eying her daughter suspiciously. "Anything we should know..."

"Okay don't get me started again with Virgil and me, we're just friends okay? Gosh you two are such noisy busybodies!" she pouted at her parents. "I'm eighteen years old can't I be entitled to some privacy about my love life?"

"Alright gosh we'll layoff on the Virgil issue," Tommy teased. "But if I hear a knock on our door asking us permission to go out with you then..."

"I know the drill and hopefully, maybe soon he'll probably ask me out." she shyly smiled thinking about it.

"So kiddo, on a more serious note how are you holding up?" Kimberly asked their daughter. "Look I know it was your first time meeting my mother, well technically your biological grandmother Caroline. Listen, about all that stuff she said about us, and in particular about you don't think too highly of it okay?"

"It's okay seriously," she assured her parents. "There is nothing to worry about. I understand what Caroline thinks about me after all these years. I'm not blind or deaf to know that in her eyes and the eyes of mom's family I'm forever going to be known as the bastard child that wrecked their family. I know why you chose to keep me and I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you two. Mom chose life...over her family, she chose me at the price of losing her family over it. Dad is right about one thing you know?"

"And what is that Rosie?" they asked.

"You're nothing like Caroline, in fact you're a better mother than she is," Rosaline smiled. "She doesn't know anything about raising a family or being there for her children. You and dad, you're there for all four of us. We wouldn't be a family if it wasn't for you two. I read the letters from my adopted parents and grandparents and they don't regret making the decision in what they did for us. It comes to show you that even strangers who barely know you like my adopted family can see the goodness inside the two of you. Even though your own family disowned you mom, you gained something better despite it. Caroline maybe my real grandmother, but a real grandparent wouldn't deem their own grandchild as a bastard and tell their son-in-law he was the reason for ruining mom's family. We're not mistakes and there is nothing I regret at all."

"Our daughter is right you know," Tommy assured his wife, "You have a family that is here celebrating Thanksgiving with you. In spite of losing one family many years ago, you gained another one and they love you twice as much as your own. Our family and the life we have together is not a mistake so don't let Caroline ever think that. We want you to say it? Tell us there is nothing you regret in your life."

"I'll say it loud and clearly and maybe one day my mother will understand," Kimberly smiled, "I don't have nothing to regret in my life. If I could, I do it all over again. And for the record Rosaline, you were never a mistake and neither is adopting Elena and Hayden or having Gabriel."

"You got to love these little moments don't you Rosie?" Tommy slightly teased. "Nothing like a little Oliver family moment?"

"Great you could probably put that on one of the Hallmark cards for this Christmas don't you think dad?"

"I'll ask your mom about that one," he replied as they heard Gabriel crying over the baby monitor, "Oh I hear the little guy is up but our guests may need a set of extra hands in the kitchen."

"Hey sweetie if you don't mind do you think you can check up on your brother?" Kimberly asked.

"Sure thing mom I'll go check up on him," Rosaline replied heading upstairs. Once her parents headed back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner, Rosaline headed upstairs to the nursery to get Gabriel. After looking after him for a bit, she carried her baby brother and proceeded to head back downstairs to the main floor. However, as she was walking through the hallways upstairs, she heard her bedroom door crack open for a bit. She headed to her bedroom to find her notebook suddenly on her bed but smiled reading the message written inside.

"Be thankful and happy to have a family that loves and cares about you Rosie. Always remember family comes first regardless of what people say. Don't ever regret anything in your life," which was written inside her notebook, "PS: you're no accident in life and your parents made the right call many years ago." Deep down Rosaline knew who wrote the message but for today it didn't bother her whether it be either Silas, Kenji, Grace or Abigail or anyone of her friends she lost that wrote it, all she did was simply smile.

"Thanks you guys I appreciate it," she quietly said to herself as she headed downstairs with Gabriel in toll.