A/N: Wow, what's it been this time, two days? Sometimes the writing bug hits...and it chose today. Plus, I've been in a major Adam Pascal mood today. I don't know why. So that helped.
This chapter is okay, from my perspective. It might need a little revising later on...but maybe not.
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"Mark, I think I should go get Roger," Anna said, shooting a nervous look in the direction of the bathroom. "They have to talk about this."
"Maureen will convince him to come down," Mark said confidently.
Anna heaved a sigh and threw herself onto the couch. "I feel so helpless!"
Mark nodded. "I know," he said soothingly, "But they'll work it out. They always do."
The door slid open, revealing Roger. "Where is she?" he asked.
Mark pointed at the bathroom door. "See?" he whispered to his wife.
"Mimi?" Roger was at the bathroom now. "Mimi, please open the door. I wanna talk."
The crying inside was hastily muffled. After a moment, there was a click and the door swung slowly inward. Mimi emerged, her eyes red and puffy.
"The roof?" she suggested hopefully, sniffling.
Roger nodded and turned without a word. Mimi trailed after him. As they left, Maureen passed them on her way in. She plopped down in the armchair.
"How did you do it?" Anna asked.
Maureen smiled. "Just call me the 'Love Doctor.'
Mark snorted.
--
"Roger…"
He turned from his position leaning against the wall. Mimi stood several paces behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around her against the wind.
"Here," Roger peeled off his leather jacket and tossed it to her. "Put this on, you'll be warmer."
It was a casual gesture, something that had been done many times over the years, but it was oddly leaden, mechanical, right now. Hesitantly, Mimi slid into the coat, shoving her hands into the pockets. Roger had turned away again.
"Roger…I should have told you about Adrienne. You deserved to know." Her husband didn't respond, staring motionlessly out at the city. "I didn't want to think about those years. It's been so long…and we live in such a big city. I never expected to be faced by my past this far along in my life. I'm not offering this as an excuse, I promise. And you have every right to be angry…" she fell silent. He still didn't look at her. There was a pause. "Roger, you're shivering. Let's go inside? The last thing our immune systems need is pneumonia."
He finally turned to face her, and his eyes were soft as he looked her up and down. "Are you cold?" he murmured.
She shook her head. "You?"
He shrugged. "A little."
And then, neither of them was quite sure how it happened, she was sobbing in his arms, and he was whispering into her hair, and they were caught in a tight lover's embrace.
"I'm so sorry!" Mimi whispered.
"Stop saying that," he chided, holding her close. "I shouldn't get upset so easily."
"No, you have every right to be upset. I'm such a screw-up…"
"Don't. Mimi, don't say that about yourself." He sighed and released her slightly, staring intently into her eyes. "You are a beautiful and intelligent person who has skeletons in her past, the same as everyone else. So you and Benny had a daughter. Yes, it is a big deal, but you wanted to forget about it. It was before we met, a long time ago. Yes, you should have told me about her, but…I don't want to fight about it. I'm sick of us fighting." He pulled her close again. "We've been through too much," he muttered, "to lose it because of this."
Tears streaked silently down Mimi's cheeks. "I really am sorry. I promise I'll never keep secrets from you again."
"I believe you," he whispered into her hair. "It's going to take time getting used to, but we'll make it work somehow."
She laughed shakily. "What did I do to deserve you?"
Roger laughed. "What did I do to deserve you?"
Mimi smiled. A moment later, she sighed and pulled back. "We should try to talk to Angie. She was really upset."
Roger nodded in agreement, so they clasped hands and descended the stairs, past the Loft to their apartment. When they slid the door open, Angie and Rachael looked up from the magazines they had been trying (and failing) to read. Angie's face lit up upon sight of her parent's reconciliation.
"Rachael, can we talk to Angie privately?" Mimi asked gently.
Rachael jumped up. "Yeah. I'll be upstairs." She shot Angie one last look, then exited the room and was heard pounding up the stairs.
Mimi sat on one side of her daughter, and Roger sat on the other.
"Honey…we need to talk about Adrienne," Mimi said.
Angie's face fell. "I don't want to talk about that."
"We have to," Mimi sighed. "Because she's your sister whether you like it or not."
"I don't want a sister," Angie said sourly. "I've got Rachael, and that's enough for me."
"Unfortunately, you don't really have a choice. It could be fun. Adrienne's very sweet, and I know she wants to meet you and be your sister."
"Quit calling her that!" Angie shouted, jumping up. "I like being an only child! I don't want someone else ruining it after sixteen years! Besides, she's only my half-sister, not my real sister!"
Mimi's eyes dropped to the floor. "I should have told you a long time ago. But sweetie, I honestly never thought you would meet her."
"You were wrong." Angie crossed her arms and turned away.
Roger spoke for the first time. "Angie…are you worried that Adrienne is going to take your place?"
Mimi's eyes snapped up and latched onto her daughter's. Angie's face twisted, and she dropped back onto the couch and hid her face in her hands.
"Angela April Davis!" Mimi gasped, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Don't think that for one second! No one could ever, ever take your place. Ever. You are the best thing that has ever happened to your father and I. No matter how great Adrienne may be, she could never take your place in this family."
"I just don't want to have to share you!" Angie choked, revealing her tear-stained face. "I don't want to have to share with this girl."
"Adrienne isn't even going to live with us," Mimi said. "You'll have to share me a little, but just think about how Adrienne is feeling. She didn't get to grow up with her parents, and they aren't married, and not even on exceptionally good terms. She doesn't know anyone in our group, and she's going to have to forge relationships with them all. Unlike you, she isn't going to be accepted simply because of who her parents are. She's probably very scared, and you could help by being nice to her. Try to get used to her. I'm not asking you to become her best friend, or even to be her friend at first. Just try to be nice to her, look at things from her point of view. I think you'll find you like her. Keep in mind she's much more insecure in this than you are."
Angie nodded slowly. "I'll try," she said finally. "I really will."
"That's all anyone can ask," Mimi said, kissing her daughter on the head.
"I still need time to think about this," Angie said. "Just quiet time to think. It's…a lot to take in. I'm just not sure how I feel about it yet."
Mimi nodded. "No one will begrudge you that." She hesitated. "What about if I invited Adrienne to come to dinner with us at the Life sometime in the near future? If you'd like, we can invite everyone. Then later the two of us can go to lunch with her…sort of a mother-daughter thing."
"Okay. But not for a few days?" Angie pleaded.
"Of course. I love you, chica. Don't forget that." Mimi hugged her daughter once more, and then stood. Roger had watched the affair in silence, realizing this was something between the women in his life. He and Mimi had already had their talk.
"I think I'm going to go lie down for a while," Angie announced. She stood and stretched, then kissed her father and headed toward her bedroom.
"We should probably go up to the Loft and show the others everything's okay." Roger said.
"And thank Maureen," Mimi smiled.
"How did you know?" Roger asked, aghast.
"I heard her coming into the Loft, and Mark sent her up after you. Then she was coming down when we went up. I know Maureen."
Roger smiled, shaking his head, and he followed his wife eagerly up the stairs.
We're okay…
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A/N: I'm struggling for endings to these chapters. Ah, well, review and tell me what you thought about it? Any suggestions would be helpful...I sort of feel like this chapter might be missing something.