Chapter 10

As morning came all too quickly for Michaela, she groaned and rolled over in bed. She had been absorbed in a dream filled sleep and she wasn't quite ready for it to end yet. She stretched and pulled herself out of bed. It was her last day in Boston before she would return to Colorado. The trip had turned out better than she had thought. She had managed to successfully avoid any major conflicts with David, her friends were all accepting of her life in Colorado, and she'd had a wonderful time with Sully at the wedding. Her mother was the last obstacle that she needed to overcome. She never understood why her mother was so hard on her and not her sisters. Michaela always seemed to get the brunt of whatever was going through her mother's head. As she stood and wrapped her robe around herself, she decided to get herself a cup of coffee and talk to her.

Michaela made her way to the kitchen and found her mother perched at the bar sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. "Good morning mother", she greeted.

"Good morning dear. Did you have fun last night? You sure managed to stay out late enough with Sully.", she said in a condescending tone.

"Mother, are you really going to start with this this early, and on my last day here? Why can't you just be happy that I'm happy?"

"I can't be happy for you when you choose someone like him. Michaela you said yourself that he wasn't in school. Do you really think that someone that aimless can offer you a proper life?"

"That depends on how you define proper, mother. A life with love is better than prestige. Don't you want me to be with someone who loves me, and treats me right? Status in society isn't the only thing that matters.", she could feel herself losing the battle with her emotions at this point.

Elizabeth not being one to give in, rose from her chair, stuck her chin in the air, and glared at Michaela. "I don't approve of him. He's not good enough for you. You're not going to convince me otherwise, so you might as well stop trying!", she demanded.

Knowing that she had lost this round of the battle, Michaela turned and rushed out of the room and back upstairs. She quickly dressed in some cotton shorts, a tank top, and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She wiped the tears from her face, and took off down the stairs. Upon reaching the front door of the house, she flung it open, marched outside, and slammed it behind herself. In an angry rage she began walking down the street toward her favorite spot to vent. Her bench along the Charles. It had been a long time since she had been here, but it always seemed to help. She didn't care that people back at the house would wonder where she went, Sully for example, she needed this time to calm herself and think about how she was going to deal with her mother.

Sully on the other had woken to the shouting in the kitchen. He rose and ventured down the back staircase of the house. He paused near the bottom so as not to intrude on the current conversation. He could hear Michaela's angry shouts as she took on her mother. He sighed and slumped his shoulders as he heard Elizabeth's demanding orders. This was not the way he wanted to wake up after such a wonderful evening the night before. He heard her slam the door as she rushed from the house. He was determined to help this situation even if it meant taking on Elizabeth himself. He turned, went back up to his room, and dressed for the day.

As Sully emerged from his room about thirty minutes later, he walked down the stairs to look for Elizabeth. He wanted to talk to her and see what her aversion to him was. He found her sitting in the parlor of the house continuing to read the paper.

He cleared his throat, "Mrs. Quinn, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"What is it Mr. Sully?", she flung the paper down in aggravation.

"I'd like to talk to you about Michaela, if you don't mind?", he tentatively moved in her direction.

"What about her? She's stormed off to god knows where, but she'll come back, she always does.", she rolled her eyes.

"I just want to know what it is about me that bothers you so much. I mean, I really like your daughter, and I feel like we're building something real here. For some reason your opinion really matters to her. I want her to be happy, so whatever I need to do to make you take an easy on her I'll do it.", he questioned. "You're her mother, she loves you. I know you love her too. I think you just have a hard time showing it."

"Yes, I do love her, very much so. I want Michaela to have a successful career as a doctor, and that can't happen if she's so heavily involved with someone right now. I want her to have a life where so never wants for anything. How can you provide that if you don't have a degree? She needs stability!", she barked at him anger beginning to return to her voice.

"I am going to have a degree. I took sometime off to sort out my life and make sure that I'm making the right choices. I'm planning on going back to school in the fall to continue. I'm getting a degree in architecture if you must know. Michaela will finish medical school the same time I finish. I support her becoming a doctor and would never do anything to jeopardize her dream. Most importantly, I love her with all my heart. I would do anything for her, why do you think I'm talking to you right now trying to fix this?" he lifted his hands in the air signaling a truce.

Elizabeth acquiesced raising her hands, "ok Mr. Sully, you seemed to really care for her. I still don't agree with Michaela, but I'm willing to see how this plays out. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to finish reading The Globe."

Sully turned and left the room. He bumped into Joseph on his way out of the parlor. "She's somewhere along the river. You shouldn't have trouble finding her this early. Not many people out there this time of day.", he whispered into Sully's ear. Sully smiled in the form of thanks as he headed out the door to find Michaela.

As he walked along the streets of Boston heading for the Charles River, he couldn't help but play over the conversation he'd had with Elizabeth. He was angered over the fact that there was so much tension between the two women. He loved her and wanted her to be happy.

It was a hot July day and Sully was about to turn back thinking he'd miss her and she'd headed home, when he spotted her sitting on a bench. She had her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She looked worn out. He silently crept up to her. Not knowing how she would react to him following her, he remained quiet until she noticed his presence.

"How'd you find me?", she looked up with a tear stained face.

"Your Dad. He said you usually come here to vent.", Sully motioned to the river.

"Yes, this is my spot. Remember when we were walking on the beach in Palm Springs and I told you about the Charles? Well this is it.", she pointed not at anything particular and shrugged her shoulders.

"Listen Michaela, I know that things aren't going the way you'd hoped with your mom. You have every right to be angry. Keep in mind that you're her youngest, the one she feels she needs to protect the most. The choices that you've made have taken that from her. I know that that's not an excuse, but I do understand where she's coming from.", he sat beside her.

"Who's side are you on?", she said with a bit of anger in her voice.

"I'm on your side. If I wasn't I wouldn't have gone to bat for you with your mom.", he sighed and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"You talked to mother for me? Oh Sully, I'm sorry. She just makes me so angry sometimes. I know I should just let it go, but I want to be close with her. I want a mother/daughter relationship. It doesn't look like I'm going to get one though.", she placed her head back in her hands.

Sully reached over, placed his arm around her, and pulled her to lean into him. Placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head he murmured, "I know sweetheart, give it time."

After sitting quietly for several more minutes the pair decided to make their way back to the house. Neither one had had anything to eat for breakfast, and after sitting in the hot sun they were both in need of some cooling off. They stood and walked hand in hand home.

Most of the morning around the Quinn house was spent in comfortable silence. Michaela and Elizabeth had both been successful in avoiding each other. That evening however there was a soft knock on Michaela's door. "Come in", she said with her back to the door.

Elizabeth emerged with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. "Thought you might like these", she said placing the items on the desk. "When you were little you always wanted cookies before bed."

"Yes, and you always told me they would rot my teeth", she stated rather flippantly.

"Ok, I deserve that. I come in peace here, I don't want us parting like this Michaela. Your Sully seems like a nice man. I only hope that I'm wrong about him and things work out for you two.", Elizabeth sat herself on the edge of the bed.

"Thank you mother. I don't want to fight with you either, but you have to let me make my own decisions. I'm not a child anymore. I can't grow as a person if you don't let me make my own choices."

Having come to a compromise that both could agree on, the two women hugged in silence both realizing the giant step they had just made as mother/daughter. With that Elizabeth rose from the bed and moved to walk out of the room. "Thanks mom", Michaela sighed as Elizabeth left the room.

Michaela moved to grab a cookie and sat on the bed thinking, whatever Sully said must have hit home. Never in all her life had her mother been the one to back down from an argument. She had indeed found an amazing man. She was yet to know just how amazing.

Meanwhile Sully was talking with Joseph in his study downstairs. As he paced back and forth across the room, Joseph finally said, "son, why don't you sit down. You seem rather tense. Whatever it is, I assure you that it'll be ok."

Upon sitting, Sully knitted his hands in his lap occasionally wiping his brow. Darting his eyes between the floor and Joseph's, the words began to come out in a jumble. "Well you know sir that I really care about your daughter."

Joseph nodded his head in agreement figuring he might know where this conversation was heading he tried to hide the smile that was forming on his lips. Sully continued, "and well, I'm pretty sure she cares for me the same. …..I was wondering how you felt about me asking her to marry me?" He sat back and let out a deep sigh. There, he'd said it. Now he braced himself for what was to come.

Joseph wiped his hands across his eyes and shook with a slight amount of laughter. "You know son, I'm not going to shoot you?", he chuckled. "I'm glad that Michaela has found someone who cares this deeply about her, and I'm also proud of the fact that you came to me. Not many men in today's society would be so inclined.", he pat Sully on the shoulder.

Sully relaxed a bit more and stood, "well sir, I was raised being told that this was only right. I want to start on the right foot, and this seems like the best way to do that."

"Yes, this is the right way, and yes you have my blessing and permission.", he hugged Sully. "When do you plan to do this? I'm assuming that Michaela is completely in the dark about this. Does she even know you're down here right now?"

"No Michaela knows nothing about this. I haven't decided when. I'm waiting for the right moment, and there's this little issue of needing to buy a ring still", he chuckled. "Michaela deserves something special, and that's what I intend to do, make this special."

"Well, in that case, I have something you might like to have", he walked over to his desk and pulled open the drawer. He lifted a small leather pouch out and opened it. He poured the contents onto his hand and showed it to Sully. There in the palm of his hand was a beautiful ring. It was yellow gold and had three stones. The middle stone was larger than the two surrounding it. "Needs to be cleaned up, but if you want "special" it's your's", he said handing it to Sully.

"Oh I couldn't take that", Sully tried to hand the diamond back to Joseph.

"Nonsense, it was my mother's. None of the other girls wanted it. They said it was too antique. They wanted a newer ring. Trust me when I tell you Michaela will love it. And, if she says yes, I've got the matching wedding band that goes with it.", he grinned pulling Sully into a hug and slapping him on the back.

"Thank you so much sir, my only concern now is telling Mrs. Quinn. I know she and Michaela have had a rough day today.", Sully sighed.

"You leave Mrs. Quinn to me. I'll tell her at the right time", Joseph looked at him with trusting eyes.

With that Sully put the ring in his pocket and made his way up to bed. He had a little extra hop in his step as he felt the ring jingle along. Now he had to plan this. It had to be perfect for his Michaela. He wanted her to have a moment that she would always remember. One that she would one day tell their family about, and be proud of. One that would make her say….YES!

The next morning the group gathered at the steps bidding the couple good bye. Rebecca had offered to drive them back to the airport. Sully was loading the luggage into the trunk as Michaela was hugging her parents good bye. "Thanks for everything, Dad. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too. Come back and see us real soon.", Joseph hugged Michaela and looked over her shoulder winking at Sully in the process. Michaela then moved over to Elizabeth, "good bye mother". Elizabeth hugged her in return saying, "you better come home more often. We both miss you very much."

"I will", Michaela answered. With that Sully stepped forward and shook Joseph's hand, "thank you so much for you hospitality. Both of you."

As they got into the car, Elizabeth looked over at Joseph, "I can tell when you're hiding something dear. You stink at it. What's going on, and what was that wink all about?"

"He's going to ask her to marry him.", Joseph sighed.

"He's going to what?", she screeched.

"He came to me last night and asked my permission. He really loves her, and now he's going to ask her to marry him.", he sighed even deeper.

"Well, I hope you told him no!", she demanded.

"Of course not. He loves her. We knew this would happen sooner or later. He's a good guy Lizzie. Just give him a chance.", Joseph put his arm around her and led her into the house.

Once at the airport, Michaela and Sully said their good byes to Rebecca promising to call more often. Sully dropped their bags at the ticket counter and got them checked in. He reached for Michaela's hand to lead her toward the security check. "You ready", he asked.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'll call you soon, Rebecca. I love you sis.", she shouted waving in the direction of the car.

"Love you too", Rebecca shouted back.

With that they disappeared into the crowd at the airport as they began their journey home.

So I wasn't planning on finishing this chapter today, but I got on a roll and couldn't stop. Thank you for your continued support on this story.