A/N: ONLY 3 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT OF ALWHEO
CHAPTER SEVEN
Three months later
Sara-Mae felt tears in her eyes as she made her way to the front of the small church where Belle's memorial service was being held.
"What is there to say about someone you have known all your life?" Sara-Mae started, her voice trembling as she read from her note cards. "She was more than a sister to me – she was a friend and aunt to our children, whom she never got to meet." Sara-Mae took a deep breath and continued her speech. "Wherever you are, Belle, I hope you know we love you and miss you. God bless."
Sara-Mae walked back to her seat, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat down next to Parker and bawled her eyes out. He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him.
After the memorial service, there was a reception held at Sara-Mae and Parker's house. Sara-Mae couldn't face more people, so she hid in the master bedroom, her nose buried in a book.
There was a soft knock on the door and Parker entered. He went to Sara-Mae's side and looked into her eyes.
"Hey, I know you're hurting, but there's people out there that want to see your beautiful face." He told her, his tone soothing.
"I'll be down in a minute." Sara-Mae assured him. He kissed her forehead and exited the room. Sara-Mae went to the bathroom across the hall and freshened up. She then went downstairs and stood by Parker the rest of the night.
Once everyone had gone, Sara-Mae and Parker, along with Jace, Roger, Mark and some friends of Mark and Roger's went on the porch for some wine and to listen to the sounds of nature. Alex was up in the master bedroom, watching a movie and the Jordon kids were down for the night.
"I remember you when you were little." Joanne – a beautiful African-American woman told Sara-Mae. Sara-Mae smiled and looked off into the distance. Four deer had made their way into the Jordon's backyard and were staring at the strangers on the porch.
"Yeah, you and your sister were adorable!" Maureen – Joanne's partner – told Sara-Mae. "You were the cutest things."
"I used to watch you and your sister sometimes when your dads would need a night out." Benny – one of the African-American men – told Sara-Mae.
"I kind of remember that." Sara-Mae told Benny, taking a sip of her wine. Just then the monitor went off. "I better get this."
"I'll come with you." Collins volunteered. Sara-Mae nodded and led the way to the nursery.
Jace watched Mark and Roger hold hands and laugh at each other's jokes. He wished that Belle could see what was happening.
"So, when do you two leave for Hawaii?" Jace questioned.
"The day after tomorrow." Roger answered, kissing Mark's cheek. "I can't believe we've been together for 30 years."
"Time flies when we're having fun." Mark added.
"What sort of things are you two gonna do in Hawaii?" Joanne inquired.
"We're taking surf and hula lessons. I also found this amazing resort that has a horse stable. We've also signed up for a couple's cooking class." Roger said.
Sara-Mae and Collins came back onto the porch. Sara-Mae looked extremely tired. Parker took Sara-Mae to bed and promised he would be back soon.
"So, Parker, how did you and Sara-Mae meet?" Angel – Collins' drag-queen partner – wanted to know.
"It was at Sara-Mae and Belle's sixteenth birthday party. She chose both Jace and I to be on her team for Capture the Flag. I've been in love with her ever since." Parker told Angel.
Parker enjoyed the small talk, but after two hours, people started leaving. First to go were Joanne and Maureen, followed by Benny. Collins and Angel hugged Parker, Roger and Mark before leaving.
"I'll go get Alex and then we can leave, okay?" Mark told Roger. He nodded and helped Parker with dishes.
"I better get home and tend to Shayla." Jace told Parker.
"Wait a minute – who's Shayla?" Parker asked, thrown off-guard.
"She's the black Cocker Spaniel I adopted two days after Belle died." Jace explained.
"Okay. Take it easy, bro." Parker told Jace. He nodded and exited the house.
Mark came down the stairs with Alex. Parker hugged the three of them before going to check on Sara-Mae.
He took a quick shower, put on his pajamas and climbed in next to Sara-Mae, instantly taking her in his arms.
Four weeks later
"Aloha!" Mark and Roger greeted Sara-Mae, Parker, Alex and Rachel as they came off the terminal. Jace was watching the twins, so Sara-Mae and Parker knew they were in safe hands.
"How was it?" Sara-Mae inquired as she hugged Roger. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her shoulder. She then went to hug Mark as Parker hugged Roger.
"Beautiful – the island, our room at the resort, the people." Mark answered, holding Roger's hand.
"The countless sunsets and sunrises we saw were beautiful." Roger added, squeezing Mark's hand back.
Sara-Mae, Parker and Rachel headed back to the house to relieve Jace of babysitting. Parker hugged his brother as Sara-Mae went to put Rachel to bed. Parker bottle-fed both boys, changed them and put them to bed. The boys were now sleeping through the night, which was a relief for Parker and Sara-Mae.
The following morning, Sara-Mae went to work while Parker took care of the boys and Rachel. Mark, Roger and Alex would be coming over to help out in the afternoon, which was a huge relief.
As Sara-Mae was going to her office, the heel of her shoe got stuck on one of the stairs. Sara-Mae fell down two flights of stairs and ended up breaking her right ankle and had a few scrapes and bruises.
A work friend of Sara-Mae's, Leila, ended up taking Sara-Mae to the hospital. She was treated for her ankle and the scrapes. She went home the same day and was ordered to keep weight off her ankle.
"I HATE these crutches!" Sara-Mae exclaimed as Parker helped her to the guest room on the main floor. He kissed her forehead and went to get Sara-Mae something to eat.
He came back a while later with two slices of cheese pizza, a salad and a glass of lemonade. He set up a TV tray for Sara-Mae and handed her the remote. He then fluffed the three pillows that supported Sara-Mae's ankle. Sara-Mae took the pain relievers that were on the napkin and turned on the TV.
"Roger and I are gonna take Alex, Rachel and the boys to the park. Mark's here if you need anything. I also have my cell, in case you need me." Parker told Sara-Mae.
"Thanks, sweetie. Could you do me a favor before you go?" Sara-Mae inquired. Parker nodded. "Would you please get me my cell phone and the large black book that has House of Hades on it, please?"
"Of course. Anything for my queen." Parker told Sara-Mae. He put both the book and her phone on the bedside table. He took care of the dirty dishes and refilled Sara-Mae's lemonade – this time with pink lemonade.
"Have fun. I'll see you when you get back." Sara-Mae told Parker. She blew him a kiss as he exited the room.
As Sara-Mae watched one of her favorite TV shows, The Fosters, she thought she heard retching coming from the bathroom. She groaned and found her crutches. She then hobbled to the bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Dad? You okay in there?" Sara-Mae asked.
"Yeah. It's probably something I ate. I'll be fine." Mark assured Sara-Mae. She sighed and hobbled back to her bedroom.
Ten minutes later, she was comfortable again. She was finished watching The Fosters and put on a recording of Switched at Birth. It was the season finale and the episode that Sara-Mae was waiting for.
As she watched the episode, she found herself signing. She knew a little sign language and was wanting to learn more.
After Switched at Birth was over, Sara-Mae turned off the TV and found her laptop. She went on YouTube and found some sign language videos, some amateur, some professional.
"Hey. What are you up to?" Mark asked as he came into the room.
"Learning some sign language." Sara-Mae responded, signing along for the video for the song 'Strangers Like Me' from the movie Tarzan.
Mark entered the room and sat next to Sara-Mae, putting an arm around her shoulders. Sara-Mae put her head on his shoulder and leaned against him. She felt Mark stroking her hair, the way he used to do when she was a kid.
"You doing okay in here?" Mark asked as the video finished.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Sara-Mae answered, stifling a yawn.
"I was gonna watch a movie. Wanna watch one with me?" Mark inquired.
"Which one?" Sara-Mae wanted to know.
"The Music Man." Mark said. Sara-Mae's eyes lit up like Christmas trees.
"Of course! It's one of my favorites." Sara-Mae replied.
"I'll watch it in here with you, so that way you don't have to move." Mark said, disappearing for a moment before returning with the DVD.
Sara-Mae instructed him on how to operate the DVD player. A few minutes later, the opening credits rolled and Sara-Mae felt herself singing along with most of the songs.
"I love the song between Marion and her mother." Sara-Mae told Mark.
"That's one of my favorites, too." Mark whispered to Sara-Mae.
Sara-Mae ended up falling asleep toward the middle of the movie. Mark kissed her forehead, turned off the TV and DVD player, turned off the lights and exited the room.
He was about to pick up his book when he felt bile rise in his throat. He made another dash to the bathroom just as Parker, Roger and the kids entered the house. Roger heard retching coming from the bathroom and ran toward the noise.
"Babe, I'm here." Roger soothed Mark, holding him in his arms as he puked. After Mark was finished and freshened up, he and Roger cuddled on the couch while Alex, Rachel and the boys went downstairs to play.
After an hour, Roger, Mark and Alex went home while Parker ordered Chinese food from Koi's. The boys weren't old enough to have Chinese food yet, so Parker made them something they would like.
Sara-Mae was still sleeping when she smelled the fragrant aroma of Chinese food. She carefully hobbled to the living room where all her kids attacked her at once.
"Kids, leave mommy alone – she broke her ankle today and needs some rest." Parker told the kids as he helped Sara-Mae back to the master bedroom.
Everyone ended up eating in the master bedroom and watched The Music Man.
Once The Music Man was over, Parker helped the boys with their bath while Rachel changed into her pajamas and brought in the book she and Sara-Mae were reading.
After reading a chapter of the book, it was time for Rachel to go to bed. She kissed Sara-Mae goodnight and exited the room, just as Parker entered.
The two of them read a little bit before going to bed.
Six months later
Everyone was at Mark and Roger's for a barbeque and having a great time. Mark sat in a lawn chair, a light blanket over his lap. Sara-Mae went over and ate with him.
"How're you feeling, dad?" Sara-Mae asked, taking a bite of her burger.
"I'm all right. Tomorrow, your dad and I find out what we're having." Mark answered, looking at his enormous belly. It turned out that Mark had a rare condition in his family in which he could become – or get – pregnant. Mark and Roger were shocked to find out, but eventually came to terms that Mark was going to be a parent.
"Mind if I come?" Sara-Mae asked. "There's an audition at the community college and I'm trying out."
"Not at all, honey." Mark said, kissing her temple just as Roger and Parker joined them.
"How did Alex react when you told her?" Parker asked Roger.
"She didn't know how to respond – she was just as shocked as we were." Roger answered.
"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Sara-Mae questioned.
"A boy." Mark and Roger answered in unison.
The following afternoon, Sara-Mae went with Mark and Roger to their appointment. They all smiled when Dr. Wooley walked into the room.
"Hi you guys!" she greeted them as Mark got on the examining table. She put on gloves and put the special gel on Mark's stomach. She moved the wand around until they heard the baby's heartbeat.
"What a handsome devil he is!" Dr. Wooley told Mark and Roger. Roger looked over Mark's shoulder and lovingly squeezed it. Sara-Mae also looked at her brother – he was adorable.
"Look at that little miracle!" Roger whispered, completely in awe.
"He's so handsome." Mark whispered back.
Dr. Wooley cleaned Mark's stomach and gave the couple a picture of the little guy. They also scheduled a C-Section date and time.
The three of them thanked Dr. Wooley and exited the examining room. Mark and Roger walked hand-in-hand, ready to start a new chapter in their lives.
They went with Sara-Mae to her audition. She danced with the grace of a deer for her dance audition, sang a beautiful song for her singing audition and performed a monologue from the musical the college was performing as her acting audition.
After the audition, the three of them went out for frozen custard.
A few weeks later, Sara-Mae was checking her email when she let out a loud squeal. Parker came running into the room, almost skidding on the hardwood floor.
"Honey? What's going on? You okay?" Parker questioned, a look of panic on his face.
"I'm fine. I got an email from the director from the college that the musical I auditioned for – I got the female lead!" Sara-Mae squeaked.
"Congratulations – I am so proud of you!" Parker told Sara-Mae, giving her a quick peck on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he got on top of her.
Things only got better from there.
Three months later
Sara-Mae and Parker were in a deep sleep when the house phone ringing pierced the night. Parker answered it, since he was closest. Sara-Mae went back to sleep, hugging the pillow she usually slept on closer to her.
"Hun, wake up. Mark is at the hospital, having an emergency C-Section." Parker told Sara-Mae five minutes later. She quickly got up and threw on a sweater and jeans over her pajamas.
They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. Sara-Mae called a friend of hers to watch Rachel and the boys while they went to the hospital. It was hard to find someone at 3:26 in the morning, but Sara-Mae's friend was willing to come over right away.
At the hospital, Parker and Sara-Mae went to find Roger and Alex. According to the nurses at the nurse's station, they were in room 212.
Sara-Mae bought a blue stuffed bear for her little brother at the gift shop before heading to see Mark and baby.
As they entered the room, Sara-Mae saw Roger and Alex sleeping on comfortable armchairs. Sara-Mae touched Roger's shoulder and he jumped a mile in the air. He smiled when he saw Sara-Mae and Parker. He got out of his chair, stretched and led Sara-Mae and Parker into the hallway. Alex continued to sleep.
"Mark is in recovery, but he should be out soon." Roger started, grinning like an idiot. He turned to Sara-Mae. "Your little brother – David Matthew Cohen-Davis was born at 2:22 AM. He's absolutely perfect. He weighs 7 pounds, 6 ounces and is 16.5 inches long."
"Can we see him?" Sara-Mae inquired, eyes hopeful. Roger nodded and led the way to the nursery.
"Has Alex seen David yet?" Parker wanted to know.
"Not yet. She'll meet him in the morning." Roger answered. They stopped at the observatory and looked at all the sleeping babies. "He's third one in the first row on the left-hand side."
Sara-Mae and Parker looked at the little baby sleeping before them. He had wisps of blonde hair sprouting from his scalp. Sara-Mae smiled widely as she looked at her little brother.
"How's Dad doing?" Sara-Mae asked as the three of them headed back to the hospital room.
"He's tired, but doing okay. He should be in the room now." Roger said, going into the hospital room. Alex was still sleeping, which was believable – that girl could sleep through an earthquake.
Sara-Mae smiled as they entered the room. Mark was there, looking very peaceful as he slept. Roger brushed back Mark's hair and kissed his forehead.
Parker and Sara-Mae congratulated Mark on the birth of David and praised at how beautiful he was. Mark smiled sleepily and thanked them, his voice barely above a whisper.
The couple decided to let Mark and Roger get some sleep before they saw visitors the following day.
Four months later
Roger, Parker, Rachel, Alex, Derek and Greg found their seats in the auditorium and waited for the musical Sara-Mae was in to start.
"What part does Sara-Mae have again?" Roger asked, flipping through his program.
"Lydia." Parker answered.
"Where's mommy?" Rachel asked.
"She's getting ready to come onstage." Parker answered. He then went to explain what the musical was about when the lights dimmed and a female's voice reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones, open candy wrappers now and no recording of any kind.
The stage darkened and the overture played. Parker kept looking over at the kids every so often while the musical was going on.
Sara-Mae entered the stage, singing a pretty ballad with a tall Asian man. Sara-Mae danced with him for a while before going off-stage. She emerged ten minutes later on the arm of another gentleman.
Parker couldn't believe how much emotion Sara-Mae poured into her role. When the tall Asian man Sara-Mae appeared with in the opening number (Frank was his character's name) got killed at the end of Act 1, Parker could tell those were actual tears pouring down her cheeks.
It was now intermission and the house lights came up. Parker turned to his family.
"What do you think of it so far?" Parker wanted to know.
"I'm really liking it. I loved Scarlett, Lydia and Olivia's trio – that was hilarious." Alex told Parker.
"Mommy's really good." Rachel answered.
"I like mommy's girl. She nice." Derek chimed in.
"I like mommy's singing. It pretty." Greg added.
Parker turned to Roger.
"What do you think?" Parker asked.
"It's really intense, but really good. I love the songs, especially At Least We Have Each Other and the one that Lydia and the character of Olivia did on the farm while they were milking the cows." Roger told Parker. "What do you think of it so far, Parker?"
"I don't really like seeing Sara-Mae with other guys, so that kind of annoys me. I love the songs and I really like the costumes, especially Lydia's wedding dress – that was beautiful. I also like the storyline." Parker said, looking to see what songs were in Act 2.
Act 2 was longer than Act 1, but it was amazing. At the end of the show, Sara-Mae's character drank poison by mistake and was slowly dying in the arms of her mysterious lover. The two of them sang At Least We Have Each Other (Reprise) before Sara-Mae's character died.
"NO! LYDIA! COME BACK TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME WITH OUR SON!" the lover wailed as he clung to Lydia's still form.
A few minutes later, there was a loud bang and the lights dimmed. The stage lights came up and At Least We Have Each Other played as the house lights came up and the cast did their curtain calls.
Sara-Mae, the guy that played the mysterious lover, the guy that played Frank and the girl that played Olivia received standing ovations. Thunderous applause rang out throughout the auditorium as the stage lights dimmed and the cast exited the stage.
"Let's go find mommy." Parker told his children, Roger and Alex. They all nodded and got up from their seats.
Parker led them backstage to where Sara-Mae would be meeting them. While they waited, Parker went to get Sara-Mae a dozen red roses. Roger and Alex had gone to use the bathroom, Rachel, Greg and Derek following behind them.
"Hey there stranger." Sara-Mae told her husband a few minutes later. She was out of costume and was in street clothes.
"You were the most wonderful star out there." Parker told her, handing her the roses. She smiled and kissed him just as Roger, Alex and the kids joined them.
"Honey, you were fantastic out there. I wish Mark and David could've seen you." Roger told Sara-Mae, kissing her temple.
"I know. I felt them in spirit, though." Sara-Mae told her dad. She then turned to the kids. "What did you guys think?"
"We really liked it!" all the kids exclaimed in unison. Sara-Mae smiled and greeted some cast mates.
"Everyone, this is Tom, Hannah and Mike – they played Frank, Scarlett and the mysterious lover. Tom, Hannah and Mike, this is my husband Parker, our oldest Rachel, twins Derek and Greg, my dad Roger and my sister, Alex." Sara-Mae introduced everyone.
"It's nice to meet you guys." Mike said, shaking everyone's hand.
"I liked your song that you sang with mommy and Olivia." Derek told Hannah. She smiled and hugged him.
"Are you coming out with us?" Jewel – the girl that played Olivia – inquired.
"Um, I don't think so. Parker, Rachel, the boys and I are going to head back to our house and get ready for bed." Sara-Mae told Jewel.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked.
"I won't be able to make it tomorrow – it's my birthday, so my understudy, Amanda, is gonna take over my part." Sara-Mae told Jewel.
"See you soon, hopefully. Nice to have met all of you." Jewel told Sara-Mae's family.
The musical ran for three more weeks before closing. Sara-Mae received an autographed copy of the DVD and soundtrack. Sara-Mae found her signature on the DVD box and smiled, happy to have been part of a stage family.
