Their Second Chance

Chapter 21

Mike's stomach was really bothering him and he knew he had stretched something. He finally gave in and called Tom for help. Tom recruited Wolfe and Russ to help move in Miss Ellie's belongings. Within a half hour, they had her furniture and belongings moved in and Lily's suitcases moved in. Neither of them had much in the way of belongings and Mike knew they would be shopping again. Lily and Hannah got along wonderfully and were playing with Clumsy. Miss Ellie was cooking dinner while Andrea was trying to get Mike's belongings in their bedroom and Lily's in the bedroom that he had slept in. He quickly cleaned out the nightstand drawer where Christine and Abby's letters had been, along with the box that had his wedding band in it. He just had no idea where to go with them. The ring would be kept for Hannah and Mike wanted to keep the letters for himself. It just seemed odd because he was moving into another woman's bedroom but still holding onto something from his dead wife. He was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at the box trying to figure out where to put it when Andrea walked in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"How bad is the stomach?"

"It'll be okay as long as I don't overuse it."

"Something is on your mind. Is it Lily?"

"No. Something much different than her."

"What?"

"My wedding band is in this box along with the last letters from Christine and Abby. I want to save the ring for Hannah to give her husband someday but it doesn't feel right to move these letters in here with you."

"Mike, I am fine with the letters and the ring. Christine, Lucas and Abby will always be a part of your life, of Hannah's life. Just as Bill will always be a part of mine and Lily's. Trying to ignore that they existed will only cause more pain. Granted my marriage to Bill was not what I thought it was, but your marriage to Christine was good for the most part. You shared three children and a lot of years with her. That's a very intimate connection and I will not ignore her existence. I have big shoes to fill as a mother figure for Hannah, even if Christine wasn't confident as a mother, she was a great one. Likewise, you have Bill's shoes to fill where Lily is concerned. Although, I don't think you will have to hard of a time. She's already figured out that you treat me better than he did and she loves your hugs. My concern isn't with these letters or that wedding band; it's how you feel concerning Lily. She's the same age Abby was. That has to hurt."

"It does a little but I'm happy for you and I am thrilled she survived. Back in Dickson, she apparently remembered me and gave me this huge hug. Initially all I could think was that I wished it was Abby but then I focused in on that it was Lily and I was going to get to see you with her. I also realized that despite you and I are barely forty eight hours into this; whatever this is, I was going to be a father figure to her. I need to be a better father figure to her than what I was to Abby. I can't go back and change things where Abby is concerned but I can be better for Lily and Hannah. It's something I take seriously."

"Well, given that, you will be a better father to her then her own was. I guess I never realized how bad things were. Ellie is definitely not a Bill fan. She's already said that she loves you because of how much better you treat me compared to Bill."

"She's a character."

"She definitely is. I am so glad you brought her back here."

"I think if I hadn't, Hannah would have suffocated me in my sleep. She loves those ginger snaps."

"Oh, I think she loves you just a tiny bit more. Wait until Ellie makes her lemon bars. They are amazing."

"I wonder how she would feel about making a pineapple meringue pie or a raisin cream pie or a…"

"Just remember, Mike, I really like how in shape you are. And if she did make all that, I would be eating it too."

"I don't mind. My mom made the pineapple meringue pie when I got home from every deployment and Christine made the raisin cream and these apple turnovers."

"I remember her apple turnovers. Those things were unreal. And the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies? Wow."

"My favorite. I have their recipes. I have no idea why I packed it. I'm not a baker. I can cook but baking is too precise for me."

"Mike, where are those recipes? You've been withholding because I can bake! I've been thinking about those apple turnovers all week."

"You want to bake stuff my wife made?"

"Is it weird?"

"No. As long as you make those cookies. I've been thinking about them for months. It's a good thing the food shortages are ending."

"Yes, it is. If you don't want me to use their recipes, I won't."

"Nope. I'll get them out of the closet."

Andrea pulled him into a kiss that quickly become passionate until they heard the girls laughing from the living room. She grabbed the box with the letters and wedding band in it and put it on top of the dresser that she had moved Mike's clothes into while he found the recipe box. He handed it to Andrea and she held onto it like it was a precious gemstone which made him laugh. They kissed again and headed into the living room. He was still holding his stomach slightly and Ellie sit him down in the living room with orders to rest. Tom, Jeter and Wolfe were sitting Ellie's bed up and Tom walked in and sit on the chair next to the recliner.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just overdid it. Thanks for the help."

"No biggie. Wolfe and Russ did the biggest part of it. So where are you sleeping? I moved Lily's bags into the bedroom you had been, Hannah is in the yellow room. That leaves the couch unless…"

"You are a gossip. Where do you sleep?"

"In a bed in a house."

"With whom?"

"Sasha and sometimes if he has a nightmare, Sammy."

"And so why is where I sleep so interesting?"

"I'm just curious. Forty eight hours ago, I was babysitting your daughter because she wanted you and Andrea to have a date. She and Sasha picked out engagement rings and everything."

"Congratulations. I am glad you found your better looking half again."

"Not for me to buy. For you. Although she did give me some very sound dating advice. Sasha loved the ice cream idea."

"The fact that you took dating advice from a ten year old is just amusing."

"Hey, it was good advice. I feel sorry for her future boyfriend though."

"Because of her dating standards or me?"

"Both. If he can get through her standards, he will never get past you. If he does, he will be one brave soul to date your little girl."

"If he makes it past that, he had better plan on more than dating my little girl. And now I have Lily."

"So you guys are pretty serious?"

"Me and Lily? That's just weird, she's thirteen. I don't roll like that."

"No, idiot. Her mother. And you know what I meant."

"I did. I don't know that we are to the point of buying engagement rings and such but we are serious."

"Answers my question concerning where you're sleeping. Hey, Russ, you owe me twenty bucks!"

"You guys have been betting on us?"

"Yeah. Since before you got back. So how does Hannah feel about this?"

"She's already asking when we're having a baby, or three or four."

"Wow. Okay. So she's good with it."

"Yeah, the little stinker tricked me into giving her the sex talk. I was so embarrassed."

"Did she walk in on something? Mike, I think you can probably lock that bedroom door."

"No. But we felt we needed to make her understand that I was sharing a room with Andrea. She acted like it was completely normal and is asking when we are getting married and when we'll have a baby."

"Or three or four?"

"Not having three or four."

"But maybe one or two?"

"I have no idea. Why am I discussing this with you? You did just call me an idiot."

"You've called me worse. I wonder if those guys have that bed together yet?"

"Well, you are in here talking while they work. I don't think you have much say in how long they take. You are the perfect supervisor though. In here with your feet up, while they are in there working."

"And look at you."

"I'm hurt. Miss Ellie benched me."

"Or Andrea did because she wanted to thank you later for finding her daughter?"

"I think that is her intention but it was Miss Ellie that made me sit down in here. Are you jealous?"

"I have Sasha. All I have to do is buy her ice cream. You, however, my friend had better be buying her a ring. You can't top finding her daughter."

"Well, Andrea is satisfied with a recipe box and that has benefits for me. My mom's pineapple meringue pie? Christine's apple turnovers?"

"Oh, those turnovers. I wonder what I could do for Andrea?"

"That came out wrong."

"Oh, Lord, yes. Not how I meant it. Those turnovers are amazing though."

"And her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?"

"Raisin Cream Pie? Or those raspberry cream puff things that she made? Why did she not open a bakery?"

"Money. And she preferred baking for her family and friends. Plus, she had enrolled in college. End goal was law school."

"Wow. I didn't know that."

"Yeah, she kept it quiet. She had been working for a public advocate for abused women."

"Really? How did she stumble on that? Christine wasn't abused."

"No. Not physically by me. But her dad was physically and emotionally abusive and she had been attacked at work. Attempted rape."

"And you didn't kill the guy?"

"No. Christine needed me at home and not in the brig."

"Who was it? I remember her quitting the job she had at Bill's law firm suddenly and she seemed off after that." Lily had walked back in the room and Mike shook his head at Tom. He would not bad mouth the girl's father, especially around her. Tom's eyes went wide and he gestured at Andrea who was in the kitchen with Ellie and the two girls. Mike nodded at him, indicating that Andrea knew. He could tell that Tom was shell shocked by the revelation but would understand not wanting to talk about it around Lily. He would go along with it even if his mind was spinning. Hannah came in and jumped next to Mike on the couch which jostled his very sore stomach.

"Sorry, Daddy! What happened to your stomach?"

"I just moved something too heavy today. No biggie."

"But you have that scar on your stomach. What happened?"

"It was awhile back. Don't worry about it, sweetie."

"Hannah, your dad got stabbed about two weeks ago and he likes to overdo it. Doc Rios is going to be pretty upset with him. Can you make sure he doesn't do that again?"

"Gee, thanks, friend. Sweetie, I'm fine."

"But that sounds really bad, Daddy. And I saw your stomach. It looks really gross."

"And Hannah, your dad lost a whole bunch of blood. They had to give him some of mine to make him feel better."

Hannah's little eyes went wide and she lifted Mike's shirt up so she could see his stomach and then looked up and inspected his face like she was assessing him. All of a sudden, she jumped into Mike's lap and threw her arms around his neck. The little girl was clearly upset and Mike threw Tom a warning look to stop. He didn't mind Hannah knowing that he had been injured but he didn't need her upset or worried about him. Andrea and Miss Ellie were already fussing over him.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm fine now. The muscles just have to regrow a bit from where the knife hurt them. I just overdid those muscles today."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm fine. That's why I'm sitting on the couch, so I can take it easy. I'm not sure what Uncle Tom's excuse is though."

"I'm gonna sit in here with you and make sure you stay right here and don't hurt yourself again."

"Yes, Nurse Hannah. As long as you stay right here on my lap so I can cuddle?"

"Okay, you know what Lily told me?"

"What's that?"

"Her dad never cuddled her and I think that she would like you to cuddle her like you do me. I'll go get her and then I'll get back on your lap. She's too big for that."

Before Mike could stop her, Hannah jumped off his lap and went into the kitchen and had Lily bending over so she could whisper in her ear. Tom looked at Mike with raised eyebrows but got up and went into the extra room to see if he could be of any assistance. Andrea and Ellie were looking through the recipe box and discussing ingredients and what they wanted to bake. Hannah and Lily walked into the living room. Hannah settled on his lap as she promised and Lily sit down next to Mike. He felt nervous but she wasn't. Before he even realized it, she had her head on his shoulder and he had an arm around her. Both girls were sound asleep, with both their heads on his chest. Andrea walked in and instantly smiled. She grabbed a quilt from the back of the chair and put over both of them.

"Thank you for being so good with her. She's never had this with anyone besides me and Ellie. I think I just fell a little more in love with you."

"I wish I could say it was my idea. Hannah had ulterior motives. Tom scared her and she decided I needed to sit tight. So she recruited Lily to help her."

"And you don't mind in the least do you?"

"No."

"But it's still hard not to think about Abby is it?"

"I'm trying not to think about her. I guess that's wrong but I feel I need to concentrate on Lily."

"There is nothing wrong with thinking about Abby. You aren't replacing her with Lily. I know that, you know that, and Lily knows that. That's the important thing. She is wiggling her way into your heart and finding a new place in it. Exactly what I want for you and her."

"She is a pretty special girl. I figured she would have problems with our…arrangement. It would be normal for her age."

"She just wants me treated better than what her father did. And in turn, I want her treated better. You are already doing both. I don't guess I realized how bad it was with Bill. When all this started, you fixated on how bad things were with Christine but have realized how good it actually was. With me, I thought I had a good marriage but I was wrong. And somehow, it works for the two of us."

"It does."

"I am going to formally thank you later for finding her and Ellie. You have no idea how much that means."

"Well, I kind of do, since you found Hannah for me. And you do owe me a kiss."

"I have already kissed you since you got home but I had much more in mind than a kiss."

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds good too. I'm reserving my energy."

"Then sit tight. Our daughters will hold you down."

Mike laughed and Andrea kissed both Hannah and Lily's foreheads and gave Mike a kiss. He tucked the quilt a little tighter around them and listened to Russ instructing Tom on not touching the bedframe. Apparently he couldn't put furniture together. Ellie was cooking something in the kitchen and Andrea had gone back in with her. Just in her mannerisms, Ellie reminded Mike a lot of his own mother, especially in the way she fussed over them. Mike had a lengthy to do list but he decided to just relax and enjoy the time with the two girls.