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Chapter 13

"And mommy said that maybe for my birthday we can go to Disneyland!" Lila's excited little voice rang through the hallway.

Alexis shook her head with a smile as she laid out Lila's pajamas on her bed while the little girl continued to talk from the bathroom down the hall while she brushed her teeth. She looked up when her petite shadow bounced into the room.

"Would you come too?" She raised her brow, looking hopefully to her grandmother.

"Of course I would," She smiled.

Lila's eyes danced, "And grampa, too!"

"I'm sure he would love that," She nodded as she turned down the bed while Lila changed into her pajamas.

"How come aunt Molly didn't come home with us?" Lila questioned as she pulled her pajama shorts on and jumped into her freshly turned down bed, her grandmother taking a seat beside her.

"She wanted to spend the night with grandpa," Alexis explained as she pulled the covers over the lower half of Lila's body, folding them once, as the little girl rest both arms atop them.

"Why didn't grampa just stay here? With all of us?"

Alexis cleared her throat, "Because he's staying at the hotel, honey."

"Yeah, but… why didn't he just stay here?" Lila waited for an answer as her grandmother continued to smooth the blankets, "Gramma?"

"What?" finally meeting her granddaughter's eyes, she smiled and ran her hand softly over her cheek.

"You and Grampa love each other right?"

"Yes," Alexis nodded.

"Then why doesn't grampa live here with you?" Lila shifted her head in question,

"Because…" She drew a deep breath, not even able to know where to begin with that explanation. Her granddaughter had not a clue the extent of the question she had asked, "Because he lives in New York City, honey… you know…"

"I know that," Lila rolled her dark brown eyes, "But why does he live there and not here with you and aunt Molly?"

"Lila," Alexis sighed, "Because, that's where his job is. He's owns a big publishing company so he has to be in New York City to take care of all of that."

"I still think that's weird."

"What do you mean you think it's weird?" Alexis furrowed her brow.

"I just mean… when two people love each other… they don't leave and live somewhere else just because of their job!"

"How about this," Her grandmother began, "I love you, but we don't live together."

"Gramma…" Lila scoffed, "I'm not talking about that kind of love. I'm talking about romantic "in love" love."

"Oh," Alexis nodded, she was never going to get out of this now, "You mean like the Disney princess kind of love."

"Exactly."

"Exactly," She mocked with a light chuckle.

"When two people are in love… they don't let anything get in their way. Especially their job!"

"You are too much like your aunt Molly…" Her grandmother chuckled as she brushed the hair away from the little girl's face.

"Well, don't you think it's weird?" Lila's eyes widened.

"No, I don't think it's weird," She shook her head, "Everyone is different, dolly."

"Love isn't different. When you love someone, you want to be around them all the time."

"You're right," Alexis nodded, "But that doesn't mean that you are always able to do that."

"But, Grampa should be here with you. Because you love each other."

"Okay, Molly junior…" Alexis sighed as she turned off Lila's bedside table lamp, "Why don't you close your eyes, now, hmm?"

"I'm not tired." Her proclamation was followed by a stifled yawn that brought out a light chuckle from her grandmother. Her watery eyes now rested back to the woman sitting on the edge of her bed, "How did you and grampa meet?"

Alexis breath hitched in her throat as she stared into her granddaughter's big brown eyes and her mind wandered to the true answer to the little girl's question, 'oh, just in a bar… where I was drinking under age… and then… we went into his car where I proceeded to lose my virginity and get pregnant with your mother. Very romantic.'

"Gramma?" Lila was relentless… it was after all, a family trait.

"Um," She cleared her throat, "We met when we were in school."

"How?"

Alexis cleared her throat again. She had to stop doing that… it always gave her away, "We both went to school near each other."

"Where?"

"New Hampshire."

"Oh," she nodded, finally seeming satisfied with an answer, until her bright brown eyes locked with her grandmother's once again, "Was it love at first sight?"

"Oh, Lila…" Alexis shook her head and couldn't help but laugh. After almost two whole days of no sleep… she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She finally sighed, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Her face contorted.

She did know. And of course it was. But, still, after all these years, she wasn't sure she could actually let her guard down long enough to admit it. Julian was it for her… he was the first person that loved her unconditionally. That would move heaven and earth to give her whatever she needed. Until he didn't anymore… until the business got in the way and Alexis felt as if the mere need for safety was put behind Julian's hunger for power. It was a different side to him than she had ever seen before.

"Gramma?"

Alexis turned back to Lila to find her scanning the room, "Yes, baby."

"Um," Her wide brown eyes locked with her grandmother's, "Am I gonna have to share this room with Danny, now?"

Alexis paused for a moment and looked around. Lila had certainly made it her own. Pink and purple adorned every inch that could possibly be decorated. Not to mention, her "classroom" where she had a wall mounted chalk-board and three desks for her "furry" students. Truth was, she hadn't even thought about Lila having to share her special space.

"I mean," the little girl began again, "It's okay if I do… I want Danny to be able to have sleepovers too! But I don't know if he is gonna like it in here…"

"Well," Alexis smiled, "We still have a little while before Danny will be having sleepovers so we have some time to figure it out."

"Okay…" She nodded, "I just don't want to have to get rid of my princess canopy… because grampa built it especially for me so I want to always keep it forever."

Alexis tilted her head upwards to admire the work of artistry that Julian had made Lila for her fifth birthday, finally creating a space that Lila felt comfortable to sleep in… a protective cover that for sure would keep any monsters away if per chance some happen to exist, which, of course, was just make believe. She looked back down at the precious face rested against the pink pillow, and cupped her cheek.

"You won't have to give up your princess canopy…"

"Okay, good." Lila nodded again before another yawn took over her face.

"Come on, angel, close your eyes. I think we both need to get some good sleep tonight," As she brushed the hair away from her face, Lila reached up and gripped her hand, her heavy eyes looking into hers.

"Stay with me?"

Alexis frowned at Lila's small voice. The bubbly excitement having dissipated… the little girl needed some attention. Some one-on-one love. As much as having a new baby brother was exciting for her… she couldn't help but be a little scared, too, at how things were going to change.

Instinctively, Alexis reached out a placed a hand to her forehead, "Do you feel okay, honey?"

"Yeah," She nodded tiredly, "I just want you."

"Okay, precious…" She leaned over, kissing her cheek, "Move over a little…"

Lila shifted to the side and as soon as Alexis was in the bed beside her, she snuggled back up close, wrapping her arms around her midsection and resting her head against her chest.

Alexis kissed the top of her raven-haired head before resting her cheek against it, "I love you, little one."

"Love you, too…" Lila yawned again before her eyes closed and Alexis felt her body relax.

Alexis felt herself relax with her arms wrapped around her granddaughter. She realized in that moment, there was no place she would rather be. In a matter of 24 hours, their family had expanded to now include their new baby Daniel. Everything was going to change, as it always did with a new addition to the family. But their love stayed the same. Lila was right… love isn't different. Looking down, she smiled when Lila snuggled her face further into the crook of her arm. There wasn't much better than a night snuggled in with one of her girls.

1993

Alexis quietly closed the door to Kristina's room and slowly stepped away. The infant had awoken for the third time that night and she was beginning to think she would never sleep again.

As she made her way down the hall, she frowned when she saw light streaming under her eldest daughter's door. She stepped closer and slowly opened the door a crack to find Sam reading under her light.

"Honey… it's 3:30 in the morning…"

Sam looked up over the edge of her book, "Why don't you tell Kristina that…"

"Baby, I'm sorry…" Alexis sighed as she stepped further into her daughter's room, closing the door behind her, "She woke you up, huh?"

"No," Sam shook her head, "I never got to sleep."

"Oh, honey," Alexis ran a hand over her daughter's cheek, "Well, I just fed her and burped her, and she spit up all over me so I think she'll probably be good for the night."

Sam grimaced, looking at her mother's shirt, "I hope you changed."

"I did," her mother chuckled as she lightly brushed the hair away from her face and Sam yawned.

"That makes me tired…" Sam's heavy eyes met her mother's who smiled.

"I know…"

Sam glanced down at the book in her hands, "I got a lot of reading done for my book report next week."

"Well, there's a plus." Her mother pulled the book from her hands, placing it face down on the bedside table before turning out the light.

"Hey… I can't see you… I was talking to you."

"It's bedtime."

"I'm not a baby, mom…" Sam turned on the light just in time to showcase her trademark eye roll, "Kristina's the baby…"

"As long as I'm your mommy…" She cooed, leaning into place kisses to Sam's cheek,"…you will always be my baby."

"Mom," Sam chuckled as her mother's kisses tickled her cheek.

"What?"

"Nothing," She shook her head, "Hey… where's Ric? Why doesn't he get up with Kristina?"

Alexis shrugged, "Kristina wants her mommy when she wakes up."

"Not fair he gets to sleep all through the night… what does he do, wear ear plugs?"

"I don't know. He's just a heavy sleeper, that's all."

"He should help you."

Alexis could hear the disappointment in Sam's voice. Ric coming into their lives wasn't the easiest thing for Sam to deal with… having to answer to someone else trying to parent her. She missed her dad. She was confident that eventually Sam would adjust. At least Kristina would never know life any other way… it was easier that way.

"It's all right… I can take care of Kristina." Again, she caressed her daughter's hair.

"Did Dad help you with me when I was a baby?"

Alexis nodded softly and smiled, "You liked to sleep more than you liked to eat, though. You weren't awake very much in the night."

"So, I was a better baby than Kristina…" Sam smirked and Alexis scolded her with her eyes.

"That's not what I said, smarty."

Sam chuckled, "You don't have to say it. I know."

"Come on," Alexis rolled her eyes and stifled a chuckle, "I'm turning the light off, now. You need to get some sleep. You're never going to want to get up for school tomorrow."

"Okay," As Sam watched her mother's arm move to turn off the light, she reached out and placed her hand atop it, prompting her to look at her before the darkness took over.

"What?"

"Will you sleep with me?" Sam tilted her head, her voice small and almost bashful.

Alexis beamed and felt tears fill her eyes, "Of course, I will."

Sam moved over in her bed to allow her mother to get in beside her. As her mother turned off the light, Sam wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her head in the crook of her arm.

"Mom…"

"Hmm?" Alexis answered as she rested her cheek against her daughter's head.

"I love you."

Alexis placed a soft kiss to her daughter's head, "I love you too, baby girl."