Christian – 27 years later

"Wow… I had no idea… wait I really crashed your first attempt to marry, Mom?" Liam asks with a smirk. We have been sitting in my study for almost six hours now and I have done something, I never thought I would, but I don't want him to repeat my mistakes.

He has been casually dating the same girl for a few months now. She is a nice girl, called Lisa, whom he met at his sister's 21st birthday party. Literally everyone in the room could see how from the first time he laid eyes on her, he fell head over heels in love with her. Yet, the only one who didn't see it was he himself.

He asked her out and from what we know they have seen each other quite a lot over the last five months. He even brought her over as his date for the Coping Together Gala. Still, he introduced her to everyone as his friend, not his girlfriend. Even I could tell that Lisa was really upset about that, especially because while he had officially friend-zoned her, he still would touch and kiss her at any given chance.

That resulted in not just all three of his sister, but also Ana, both his grandmothers and aunts giving him nasty looks all evening. Ana wanted to talk to him, but I stopped her knowing that Liam wouldn't appreciate it and they would probably lock horns, which in result would make Ana upset and then I would have had to let him have it.

So, instead I let it go until this afternoon. We had a family BBQ and he brought Lisa with him. A little later we were all sitting together when he, his brother and all three of his cousins started to talk about some chick they had met at a bar the other night and he said he was really tempted to tap that ass, while Lisa was sitting next to him. I wanted to smack him across the head, but Lisa beat me to it when she got up, emptied her soda over his head and left visibly upset, while my son sat there like he had no idea what just happened.

Ana was fuming and told him in no uncertain words either to leave the poor girl alone and finally admit that he had feelings for her, before she got up and went after her. I decided it was time to pull him aside and have a conversation with him. I just don't get it, he has little hearts in his eyes whenever he looks at her and she is a nice girl who obviously adores him… still he treats her so poorly most of the time.

We sat down in my office and I had to smile at my son, who was giving me the same stubborn expression he would always give me throughout his childhood and teen years, when he knew he did something wrong and wasn't willing to confess it. So, after him stubbornly trying to ignore me for almost thirty minutes, I decided to share my story with him. Because maybe hearing how I almost lost his mother because I wasn't willing to see how much I love her will help him figure out if he wants to be with Lisa or let her go.

"You sure did… but this is not what this is about. It's about you and why you are treating a girl you obviously like, like trash."

"I am not, Dad… it's just… look do you remember Megan?" He asks and I sigh. Megan was a girl he dated about three years ago and she was a whore. I hate calling a woman a whore, but there is no nicer way of saying it. She was a whore and she was playing him like a fiddle. It drove me nuts that he was the only one who didn't see that she was playing him, but he was so head over heels in love with her that at one point he punched his brother in the face after Mason told him that Megan was bad news and he should get rid of her. I was so fucking pissed at Liam at that point, I wanted to punch him myself, but instead grabbed him by the neck and told him to leave my house and not to return until he would finally see that his entire family was just trying to protect him from getting hurt or taken advantage of.

"Yes, of course, what about her?"

"After everything that happened with her, I made a vow to myself that I would never allow a woman into my life… well not enough to hurt me and now with Lisa… fuck Dad, she perfect… I mean she is smart, funny, kind, caring… the list goes on and she is so much fun to have around. Fuck, a few days ago she came to my place and I had planned to fuck her all night… instead we just talked… it was great we just talked and talked and suddenly we both realized that it was already the next morning… she is so supportive too, you know how usually girls get clingy or pissed when I don't call every day or have to cancel a date because of work… Lisa is different, she doesn't get pissed, maybe a little upset, but I get that and it doesn't piss me off. Fuck, she even talked me into going on a business trip I didn't want to go to because her birthday was coming up that same weekend… but I'm scared." He confesses gets up and pours himself a drink.

"Why?"

"Well, what if I let her in and everything turns to shit… what if she turns out like her?"

"Liam, I highly doubt that. Megan was a spoiled little bitch who basically was just looking for guy who would spoil her as much as her parents did. She saw you and had dollar signs in her eyes… that is lightyears away from the girl who is probably crying her eyes out right now because you are punishing her for someone else's mistake. I understand if you are not ready to commit or if you don't feel serious about her… but what you are doing is not fair to her and you can be damn lucky that I was the one pulling you aside and not your mom, because she would have ripped you a new one. Bottom-line is, you have to make up your mind, either turn this into a serious relationship and or let her go, but don't give her hope whenever no one is watching only to friendzone her when someone else is around."

"I'm not treating her like that when someone is around!" He says pissed and I roll my eyes… hell, I was a dick in my time, but at least I knew it, he is completely oblivious.

"Really, let's say one of your sisters would bring a guy home, shove his tongue down her throat at any given chance and then proceed to tell you he met a chick last night and really wanted to tap that ass." I say and raise an eyebrow.

"I would fucking kill that piece of shit."

"Well then, why do you think it is right to act that way towards the girl you are dating?" I ask and he sighs.

"Shit… I don't know… sometimes it's like I want to test her… see if she is going to show any sign that she isn't what she is pretending to be… I don't know… damn, I'm so fucked up."

"No, you are not, you are just insecure when it comes to relationships and I get that, but you have to make a decision now, Liam. Maybe it's just not the right time for Lisa and you."

He looks at me for a moment and then says what everyone who has ever seen them together already knows.

"But I can't let her go, Dad… she makes me happy."

"Then you need to make sure to make her happy too. No one wants you to propose right away… just treat her the right way and show some appreciation for the way she makes you feel. It took me nearly losing your mother to finally understand what she means to me, don't make that mistake too."

"I won't thanks, Dad… I should probably go and find Lisa. I need to apologize to her." He says and leaves my study, while I stay behind and count to ten… just when I have reached ten Ana steps into my study, just like I thought she would.

"I love all of our children with all of my heart, but dear god do I want to slap some sense into Liam." She says making me laugh.

"I figured that much, have you talked to Lisa?"

"I've tried, but she just wanted to leave. I can understand her though, I would have felt so humiliated… I hope he does the right thing." She sighs and sits on my lap.

"He'll come around, he knows she is the one, he is just not ready to say it out loud, but he is not going to lose her over his insecurities."

"I do hope so, she is such a nice girl, she is just what he needs. Oh… and since we are already on the topic, Sienna wants to go on a date next Friday." Ana says and I feel my body tense. Sienna is our youngest daughter, she has just turned sixteen and I am not ready for her to start dating. I've been through this with her older sister's Alissa and Michelle and I had high hopes that at least my little angel wasn't going to date until she goes to college.

"Ana…" I whine and she kisses me.

"I know you hate that Sienna is growing up, but she actually wants to have her date here." She says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, she told me she wants the boy… his name is Noah, to come over here, they want to cook together and watch a movie. I told her we could give her money to go to a restaurant if he couldn't afford it, but apparently, they both enjoy to cook and wanted to cook together." She explains and I sigh.

Dating… Christ, I could write a book about all the shit that went down in this house when my girls started to date. I will never forget how one day I was monitoring Michelle's social media account and she had posted something that sounded like a fucking suicide note.

I fucking lost it, cancelled a meeting that had cost me weeks to schedule and drove to her school like a man possessed. I ran into the school and into her class room, ignoring the angry security guy and teacher who just about cussed me out when I took Michelle out of class. Not to mention my whining teenager daughter who was about to die of embarrassment due to the scene I was creating in front of her friends.

Ignoring everything I got my moping and possibly suicidal daughter into the car, called Ana to come home immediately and then proceeded to call Autumn for an emergency skype session as soon as I was home. What followed went down a little something like this…

"Mom, do something, Dad has lost his mind, he stormed into my class and took me home. I can never go back to school… oh my God, I'm so mortified…" Michelle whined as soon as Ana came into the house.

"What, why would you do that, Christian?" Ana asked and I handed her my phone so she could read our daughter's last message on her social media page.

"Wait… isn't that from a song, Michelle?" She asked our pouting daughter and I just stared at them… a song?

"Yes, it's from my favorite band… it's called "Eternity with you". Wait… you got me out of class because I posted my favorite lyrics online?" Michelle asked me and to say that I felt like a lunatic idiot in that moment would have been an understatement.

"Christian?! What is going on, why did you take her out of school?" Ana asked with a look on her face she would otherwise only use on our kids when they were trying to get out of trouble.

"Mistake on my part." I muttered and Ana turned to face our pouting child.

"Sweetheart, please go to your room, I need to talk to your Dad." Ana said and Michelle quickly left the room.

"Care to explain your mistake?" She asked and I could tell that she was anything but amused.

"I thought our daughter left a suicide note on social media… who could have guessed it's nothing but song lyrics." I confessed.

"Oh, I don't know… maybe the same father who two nights ago threatened his daughter to take her computer away if she wouldn't stop playing the same song on repeat… which incidentally is the same song she posted online."

"Well fuck, you know I don't listen to shit like that… and why is she posting shit like that anyway?"

"She has a crush on a boy and he isn't into her." Ana sighed.

"What? Who is that little asshole, I will…."

"You will do what, make him date her?" Ana asked with one raised brow.

"No… I… but how dare he reject my daughter!"

"Ok, I have to get back to work, since you already skyped Autumn, why don't you talk to her." Ana suggested with a smirk and then kissed me.

"You are the most caring father in the world, Christian Grey… but please, the next time you believe on of our children posted a suicide note online… call me first." She said before she went upstairs to talk to our daughter.

"So, are you ok with Sienna having the boy over for the evening?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, you can say no, but I don't think that would stop Sienna from ever starting to date and at least here you can see what they are doing."

"Why couldn't our kids stay little? Let's have a baby!"

"Oh no… we are not going back to the start… do you hear me, Christian Grey? No more baby making for us… the next baby I want to hold in my arms is my grandchild."

"Grandchildren? We are not old enough to be grandparents…"

"Ok, how about we have triplets… all girls who will want to date one day." Ana says with a grin and I groan.

"Fine… you win… but how about we go upstairs and get into the baby making business without actually making a baby?" I ask as my hand runs down her back.

"Now that sounds like a really good plan, Mr. Grey."

Ana – Two years later

"Oh, I'm so nervous, can you believe we are going to hold our first grandbaby soon?" I whisper to Christian while we are sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for Lisa to give birth to our first grandchild.

"Why are you nervous… this time we don't have to raise the child… we get to do all the fun stuff."

"I know, that's why I'm so excited… if it's a girl, I can take her to Spa days and tea parties… we can bake cookies and…"

"… and I don't have to deal with her dating." Christian says and I snort.

"Be serious, Christian, you will be the grandpa from hell when she starts to date… well that is if it is a girl… you never had a problem with our boys dating." I say and recall the fight we had when I overheard him tell Liam just do it if he felt like it, when my boy was just sixteen years old. Had I told one of our girls the same thing he would have lost it… not that I would have ever done that… but still, it's a double standard.

"I suppose you are right."

"And I know I am." I reply with a wink and he smiles. He has changed so much from the man I first met all those years ago… but his overprotectiveness will never go away… and it is one of the things I love about him. Yes, from time to time, I wanted to strangle him over it, but in the end I always understood his reasons… his overprotectiveness comes from a place of love, which is why I have learned to love it. It is his way of showing how much he cares and because we don't live in a perfect world it is also comforting to know that my husband will do whatever it takes to keep our family save.

"I still can't believe it's really happening." I murmur and he smiles at me. I love being a mother, but I have always dreamed of this day where I would become a grandmother. I hope I can be as good of a grandma as my mother and Grace. Watching both of them with my children was what made me look forward to this moment myself and I'm so glad they are both still with us to meet there first great-grandchild and hopefully many more to come. We sadly lost Carrick last year, which has been a shock to the entire family. He was healthy as a horse but one night shortly after Easter last year he just passed away in his sleep. For the first few weeks after his passing Grace lived with us, but then she went back home, because she says it is where she feels closest to him. Just thinking about losing Christian one day is so painful that I don't even allow my thoughts to go there. Instead Carrick's passing showed us all that we need to celebrate life even more and live every day to the fullest.

Looking around the waiting room, filled with our family, I feel very blessed. To think that once upon on a time I was just an only child with divorced parents and now I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and soon grandmother fills me with so much joy.

Just as this thought comes to me I look at Grace and we share a smile. She is so strong, still caring and trying to stay so positive, even after losing the love of her life. Getting up, I sit down next to her and smile.

"It's been almost ten months today… isn't it extraordinary to think that the second Carry's life ended a new life has been created." She says and I smile as I take her hand in mine.

"It is."

"I can still feel him, you know. He hasn't left me… I do believe that he is still with us watching over us." She says and just then Liam walks into the room.

"Everyone, I would like you all to meet the newest addition to the Grey family… Carrick Jonathan Grey."

I gasp, I had no idea Liam was going to name his son after his grandfather… and as it is my turn to hold my first grandchild, I smile. It is true, there is a new beginning in every end…

Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and most of all for being patient with me, even as my updates started to take forever.

For those of you following Seduction and Broken, I am currently re-reading Seduction and will write the remaining three or four chapters in the next couple of weeks, so if you want to, start re-reading it. After that I'll finish Broken, so my guess is that both stories will be finished in late March or early April. Once all my stories are finished, I have a new story, which as always will have lots of drama and heartbreak, but I'll wait to post that until I have it finished, so finally I can just post and not slow down half way through it ;-)

Sunnyxxx