Month Six:

"Uh." She sighs lying back down. Adam sighs at the same time. He brushes his wet hair off his forehead. Liza takes a few more deep breaths before turning to look at him. "So, are you trying to give the penthouse some last wonderful memories?" She laughs. He cracks a smile.

"Just excited…"

"I'll say." She bites her lower lip.

"Just excited to have you moving closer." She nods. He turns to look into her eyes. She moves her hand to his face, lightly touching his cheek. He turns to kiss her fingers. After a few minutes of rest, she rolls over placing her head on his chest.

"Have I said thank you for the new house?" He pulls her closer.

"Yes." They lay in silence for a while. "I can't believe you got it furnished so soon." He chuckles a little.

"Well, I have a great decorator who knows what I like and the money to make it happen." Liza kisses his chest a few times. "Adam, we need to talk about us." He has been waiting for this. No more putting it off.

"Ok, what will make you happy?" He puts one arm behind his head as she lifts up to look at him.
"JR is not to see the boys alone and I don't want him in my house without you there." He doesn't completely understand why she is so insistent.

"Ok, done."
"I want you to understand that I have to take business trips to my other companies and it is not something I will clear with you."

"Fine, I will try not to take it personally." He smiles at her.

"That's all I can think of…give me a minute." She lays her head back on his chest and he is happy that she can't think of things to keep them apart anymore.

"Ok, then, I'll tell you mine." He feels her stiffen up. "When you go on these business trips, I would like to take the boys. I can watch them here or at my house. Also, I want a weekly dinner with just our family so we can work out any problems."
"Nothing I can't live with." She whispers.

"I want you to take Winifred." She sits up.

"Adam, you can't just give her away. Besides, she really cares for you."
"You didn't let me finish." She closes her mouth. "I want you to take Winifred for a while until you decide if you want a staff or not. That is a lot of house for just you. And I have already suggested it to her. She wants to help."

"Of course she does, you asked her." She laughs.

"Jealous?" He squeezes his arms tighter around her.

"No, not really." Liza lays her head back down. "I hope this isn't a mistake for us. What if this ends it?"
"It won't. I think it will make it better. I'll try not to be so smothering." She pulls the sheet tight around her and rises up to look him in the eye.

"I know I haven't been that flexible…"
"Oh yes, you have." He smirks and winks.

"I'm being serious. I want you to know that I've seen how much you've changed and the control you've given me. I haven't given you as much as you have given me. I will make more of an effort." She slides up his chest and kisses him. "I love you…for being so patient." She tries to keep eye contact like it wasn't a big admission, but can't. Adam rolls her onto her back with him on top.

"Don't worry; I won't let that go to my head." She lightly brushes his hair off his forehead.

"As long as it made it to your heart." He nods before kissing her.

"Adam!" She cries out as he tosses her back onto the bed. "I'm trying to unpack. You know, like you were pretending to do." She pushes him away and gets up. The boys are contentedly sleeping in their new room. Winifred is downstairs unpacking all of the stuff in the basement from Liza's storage building.

"You will be living here. You can take your time to unpack." Adam grabs her hand pulling her back to him. "Let's take the time to make good memories right from the start."

"The sooner I get things situated the more likely I'll never want to leave." He lets go of her hand and stands up.

"Ok, what can I do to speed this along?" She smiles and points to the boxes in the corner. She turns away from him but he pulls her back and she laughs.

"Can I stay tonight? You know help you get use to the place." She turns her head to kiss him.

"Yes, you can. Thanks for asking. Now, get to work."
"Yes, ma'am." They work until dinner time. Winifred tries to keep her gushing under control, she leaves them to eat. Liza watches Adam feeding Ben. He catches her staring so she turns to feed Chris. "What?" She smiles.

"Nothing, this is just nice. You, me, our sons, just having dinner in this lovely kitchen."
"We could have used the dining room."
"No, this is more intimate, homier. Its…it feels different from the penthouse. I think this was a good move." He smiles.

"Good. I'm glad you got everything out of boxes and are more relaxed."
"Yes, tonight you have my focus." She winks. They both go back to dinner hoping to hurry the night along.

_______________________________________________________________________

Liza takes a minute, watching the boys slumber to feel relaxed. Adam disappeared several minutes ago and the room is so quiet she can hear the boys breathe. It's not Billy's house, it's not the penthouse with people walking around outside, it is silent and comfortable. She quietly closes the nursery door and walks to her new bedroom. She tries to open the door but it is locked. "Adam?" she whines, the day is catching up with her.

"Just a minute." She leans against the door frame.

"I'm tired and this is my room." She hears him laugh on the other side. "Adam, please."

"I love it when you beg." He laughs.

"Ha ha. Adam, come on." He opens the door. She brushes past him into a candle lit bedroom. She hears him close the door quietly behind them. The room smells heavenly with light scents of vanilla and something she can't quite name. Liza closes her eyes and inhales.

"Still mad?" He whispers wrapping his arms around her.

"No. Damnit, I'm not." He smiles and nuzzles closer to kiss her neck then around to her throat. She relaxes completely in his arms.

"Come on." He lightly pushes her toward the bathroom which is also lit with candles. She smiles at the sight of the bubbles in the bathtub. "You relax and I will open the wine." He steps away but she grabs his arm holding him still.

"You're not relaxing with me?" She half smiles.

"No, I would absolutely love to but I think that I'll wait." He pulls her into his arms and into a kiss. He almost changes his mind when she nibbles her lip. "You're worth the wait." Reluctantly, she removes her clothes alone and he closes the door.

________________________________________________________________________

After an hour has passed, he begins to worry. "Liza." He lightly knocks.

"Yes." She opens the door, hair still damp, wrapped in a soft robe.

"Beautiful." He whispers pulling her into his arms.

"That was wonderful thank you." Her scent is intoxicating. He can't help kissing her warm, clean skin.

"Good." She turns to kiss him. He reaches over and turns on some music.

When a man loves a woman

Can't keep his mind on nothin' else

"Obviously." She smiles before he brings her back into their kiss.

He'd trade the world for the good thing he's found.

If she's bad he can't see it

She can do no wrong.

Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down.

"If I had one." Adam whispers swaying them to the music.

When a man loves a woman,

He'll spend his very last dime

Trying' to hold on to what he needs.

He'd give up all his comforts

And sleep out in the rain.

If she said that's the way it ought to be.

"As it should be." She chuckles.

Well, this man loves you, woman.

I gave you everything I have.

Tryin' to hold on to your precious love.

Baby please don't treat me bad.

When a man loves a woman,

Deep down in his soul.

She can bring him such misery.

"No kidding." She lightly hits his arm.

If she's playin' him for a fool,

He's the last one to know.

Lovin' eyes can never see.

When a man loves a woman,

He can do her no wrong.

He can never love some other girl.

Yes. When a man loves a woman.

I know exactly how he feels

Cause baby, baby, I love you.

"So, what was your seduction plan tonight?"
"No plan, I just want you to start off with some good memories." The next song starts and she pulls him close and lays her head on his shoulder.

This woman that takes on the world

And picks up your shirts,

Keeps it together somehow.

This same woman that melts with your touch.

Liza lightly traces over his chest with her fingers. Adam takes her hand and kisses it.

Wants you to feel what I'm feeling right now.

Cause this woman needs

A safe place to land

The strength in your hands

To know you know

What this woman needs

Is somewhere to cry.

To lay by my side

And I'll tell you

What this woman needs.

To be reassured,

My hearts your home and love is hold you to me.

I need you to see me in every light

And hear that you still think I'm beautiful anyway.

"Always." Adam whispers in her ear.

Cause this woman needs

A safe place to land

The strength in your hands

To know you know

What this woman needs

Is somewhere to cry.

To lay by my side

And I'll tell you

What this woman needs.

Whoa, oh, whoa, oh whoa

What this woman needs

Is somewhere to cry

So lay by my side

"For as long as you want me." He says.

And I'll tell you (I'll tell you)

What this woman needs.

Yeah, what this woman needs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah

What this woman needs.

Liza steps away and turns off the music. She pulls Adam to the bed and pulls back the covers. He watches as she slowly unties and removes her robe.

___________________________________________________________________________

Liza lays her head on his chest. Their breathing is still trying to slow. He holds her on top of him. "Hot." She sighs.

"Thank you." She laughs.

"No, I mean I can't cool down." He loosens his grip. But she only moves the sheet lower down her back so she slides up his body a little. "That doesn't mean that it wasn't hot." He laughs and caresses her back lazily.

"Liza, I want…I'm so glad that you are here."

"I figured that out. Just hold me." She lays her head back down on his chest.

_____________________________________________________________________________

A week later, Liza is in her home office on speaker phone. Adam sneaks up behind her and pulls her to him. She pushes him away, turning to look at him. She shakes her head no and continues business. He tries again, but she pushes him away and sits at her desk. He waits for a minute then leaves the room. After an hour passes she locks up the office and crashes on the couch. Adam comes out of the kitchen. "Hey." He says lifting up her feet to sit down.

"What?" She keeps her eyes closed.

"Are you hungry? Winifred said that the boys are starting to fuss."

"I am but I…" She shakes her head.

"What?"
"I want to be alone. I'm too tired to entertain you." He rubs her calf.

"You don't have to entertain me." He chuckles. She sits up.

"I feel like I do. Adam, you have been here every night this week. I never have time with just the boys. I'm never alone anymore."

"You want me to leave?"

"Yes, leave. Go home." She closes her eyes and lies back down.

"Ok." He moves her legs to stand up. "Colby wants to come by. She was waiting until you were settled so…I'll have her call you." She nods slightly. He turns to walk out.

______________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, Liza opens the door to Colby. "Hi." Colby practically whispers. Liza waves her in.

"How are you?"

"Good." Colby looks around in awe. "This is beautiful."

"Adam has good taste."

"Well, he loves you." Liza shakes her head and walks into the living room. "Mom, he does love you."

"I know, Colby. Is this what you're here for? I thought you wanted to see the house and your brothers."
"I do but we need to talk."

"Fight."
"Whatever. I've seen you hate Dad most of my life and I've seen you love Billy.

"This has nothing to do with Billy." Liza paces a little. Colby realizes she hit a nerve.

"Yes, it does. It has everything to do with him. You got use to that kind of love. Where does Dad fit in? What about me?"
"My love life has nothing to do with how we interact. We have developed a lot of problems, Colby. But none of it has changed my love for you." Colby paces now. Liza lets her think.

"You loved Dad. Then, you didn't. You loved Billy and now you've moved on and you love Dad again."

"For one thing, I have not moved on. I still love Billy. I always will. He is part of me, a part of who I am becoming. You remember his dreams of our family, what he wanted for us."
"Yes, I remember." Colby yells. "I also remember that he believed in honesty and communication. Did that die with him? What, two years ago, you decided to cut me out of important details?" Liza yells an answer as Winifred slips back up the stairs.

"No, you took yourself out of my life not the other way around. You, Adam, and my own mother told me not to contact you for anything. All you needed was your father. Did that turn out to be true? Do you only need the Chandlers? Was life so bad before? Why did you think you had to choose? I would have done anything for you. Gone through hell, or Pine Valley, for your happiness. And you knew that." Colby takes a deep breath.

"I did know. I knew everything I had read about Dad, everything I overheard you tell people. Dad would have come after you and Billy for taking me away. I figured the best way was to convince him that I hated you."

"Convince him, not me." Liza protests.

"And it did, he didn't look for you. I thought you would be happy." Tears are flowing down both their cheeks.

"How? How could I be happy without my child? How, Colby? You are my heart and it was ripped away. Don't you understand how much that hurt. If you knew anything about me, you know I could have helped you in these lies and Billy and I wouldn't have been hurt. Or you could have let me decide whether to take the risk with Adam." Colby sits down unable to continue. Liza stalks off to the kitchen. Winifred slips down the stairs and into her room.

____________________________________________________________________________

A couple of hours later, Winifred meets Adam in the foyer. She closes the door quietly. He looks at her confused. "Ms. Liza and Ms. Colby have been fighting for hours." She whispers and points to the kitchen. He hears it then.

"We are talking in circles." Liza yells and slams the glass she was holding to the floor. Colby doesn't even step out of the way of the shattering glass.

"No kidding." Adam looks to Winifred at Colby's loud statement. Then, he reopens the door.

"I wasn't here." He says before slipping out, missing the laughter that starts coming from the kitchen. Liza starts laughing at the glass on the floor. Colby can't help joining in. For several minutes, their laughter is uncontrollable. Liza wipes away the tears.

"Ok, this is ridiculous." She looks around. "And cliché."

"Meaning?" Colby asks taking deep breaths.

"Us, mother and daughter. Too alike to see it. Me, smashing glass in anger and frustration. It's all so…pointless." Liza picks her way through the broken glass. "Colby." She takes Colby's face in her hands. "I love you. Everything else we will work through together. If that's what you want?"
"Yes, it is." Colby quickly takes her into a hug, holding her tight.

"Ok, baby." Liza pulls back a little. "Let's go sit down."
"What about the glass?" Colby looks to their feet.

"We'll deal with it later." They both walk out.

__________________________________________________________________________

That night, they are both sitting on the floor leaning back against the couch. "So, how mad at me is your Dad?"
"I think he's mad at himself."
"How so?"
"He is a proud man. You have him by the…heart." She amends seeing Liza's face. "He can't fight back because he knows you'll take Ben and Chris."
"I deserve that distrust. I will talk to him. Our relationship has changed since the boys were born."
"You love him, though, right?"
"Yes. I always did, it's just that I couldn't stand the pain and constant battling."
"How…" Colby summons up the courage for the question she has been dying to ask. Liza waits patiently for her. "How did you forgive him for …me?"
"You? My precious blessing?"
"For sperm switching?" Liza chokes on the sip of wine she just took.

"The switch." Colby watches as she takes another drink.

"Mom?"
"I forgave him slowly but I was in love with him. I wanted a baby. Deep down I wanted his baby, I was just hurt and knew having a baby without him would make him crazy. It did. Crazy enough to covertly create you. I was so infuriated I set out to hurt him as much as possible but I wouldn't wish you away for anything. I love who you are. Don't give my past with Adam a second thought. No matter what you were conceived in love. My love for you, his love for me."
"I don't get it but it was your decision. Everything I've learned about Dad firsthand makes me understand why we left."
"And why I stayed as long as I did." Colby nods. "Things have changed each of us."

___________________________________________________________________________

Colby stumbles down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She looks around for Liza then checks the home office. She lightly knocks on the door. "Come in." Liza is dressed in a suit and closing her laptop. "Good morning." She says looking at her watch.

"Yes, it is still morning. You get up too early."
"Sometimes I feel I never went to sleep. This is the fourth morning in a row you have stumbled down the stairs." Liza says jokingly. Deep down she is happier than she has been in a while. Colby has spent the last few days at the house hashing everything out but Adam hasn't even come by to see the boys. "Breakfast should be ready." They head for the kitchen. Winifred is laying the plates down when the doorbell rings. Minutes later, Adam comes in. "I was just thinking about you." Adam smiles.

"Good." Colby smiles.

"Where have you been?" She reaches for his hand and pulles him into the seat next to her.

"Giving you space." He steals a piece of her bacon.

"There is space and then there's abandonment." She teases. "The boys are missing you."
"I missed them but I decided to come and make sure everyone is alright."
"We're good, Dad." She finishes her juice and stands up. "I'm going to get dressed." She winks at Liza and leaves.

"What was that?" He asks suspiciously. Liza swallow and leans in towards him.

"Adam, you've been good. And I appreciate it…"
"But?" She takes his hand.

"But I don't want you to feel you can't be yourself. Feel free to call me out when I'm being a pain or to air your feelings. All I want is for you to be honest with me… and my business. But we'll talk about that later. I am not taking the boys away. Things are so much different this time. I don't want to run again. If you can't believe that, I will give you legal visitation where you have legal rights to them." Adam jumps in when she takes a breath.

"Liza, I had legal visitation to Colby." She nods.

"Ok, joint custody, then. Whatever it takes to take the fear out of our relationship."
"No." she is startled. "No, my fear is less now. You won't leave Colby. And even if you could, I know you would only do it if I hurt you. I don't intend to. And I won't take the full custody, I gave you, away. I did that to take away your fear."

"So…we're not fighting…again." He laughs.

"Nope." They both lean in to kiss. "What did you mean, honesty in your business?" She sits back.