Found Love
Chapter 38-3 years later
Russ smiled as he put the finishing touches on the window. He had never imagined opening a restaurant and bakery, but it just worked. They had bought the restaurant with Mike and Christine. Laura Kate was also going to be helping, even though she didn't have a financial stake. She had turned into a baker and cake decorator; and had recently quit her job to work at the restaurant full-time. She'd had a surgery the year before to remove the last bit of bullet and was doing wonderfully and she and Wolf were engaged.
The restaurant was Christine and Josie's dream. It was far from nursing, where Christine wanted to be and helped both women's love of cooking. Mike had also quit working at the same time Laura Kate did and was devoting himself to watching Noah, Norah and Zoe when Russ and Josie needed him to. Mike and Christine were supposed to be silent partners but were just as heavily involved as Russ and Josie.
The "three musketeers," as their parents had dubbed them, were inseparable and Mike had his hands full. Thankfully, Hannah, Alex and Sophie helped him with them. Hannah was now fifteen and a heartbreaker but thoroughly a daddy's girl. She and Alex were best friends and Mike suspected that the friendship would develop into something further but for now, he was just thrilled to have her be so devoted.
"Alright, what's my next order?" Russ asked the three women, Josie, Christine and Laura Kate.
"That menu board is crooked. Left side needs to go up about an inch on the left side." Laura Kate said, gesturing at the menu board. Russ immediately grabbed a step stool and began fixing it, not wanting Laura Kate to do it herself.
"Chris, do you have plans for the twenty-fifth anniversary? I'm sure we can watch the twins and Hannah can hang out with us if you and Mike want to do something tonight. Laura Kate, I figured you had plans with Wolf." Josie asked. It was Mike and Christine's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, as evidenced by the dozen pink roses that Mike had had delivered to the restaurant.
"Actually, we are just going to do a quiet dinner at home. Mike will grill steaks and the kids will swim." Christine responded as she folded silverware for the next day.
"You would think they would make a bigger deal out of their twenty-fifth. I wanted to give them a party and everything, but they nixed that idea. Volunteered to watch the twins this weekend so they could get away, but they didn't want to do that either." Laura Kate stated.
"Your dad fixed me breakfast in bed this morning and gave me this necklace. He's picking me up when he drops Alex, Sophie and Zoe off and we will spend the rest of the day together. I didn't look at the dates when we decided to launch this restaurant tomorrow. We decided a low-key day was in order. Besides, we get lots of dinners out and weekends away, thanks to you all. We want our kids close tonight and just a quiet night." Christine explained.
"I don't get wanting us close. You and Dad are typically so…affectionate. You'd think you wouldn't want us anywhere near." Laura Kate remarked. It was true, Mike and Christine had a very open and loving relationship.
"Typically, maybe. But we just want you four close. You are tangible proof of our love for each other." Christine explained.
"I get it." Josie remarked as she smiled at Christine. She knew that Mike and Christine were both having a 'rough day,' missing Lucas. She didn't understand why that day was hitting them so much harder, but it was.
"Alright. I still feel bad about not throwing you a party though." Laura Kate told her.
"You can for our thirtieth. The fact that we made it this far has been a miracle and thirty will just further prove that." Christine offered.
"Rather its twenty-five, thirty or more years; its amazing what all you and Mike have made it. You've been through a lot." Josie said after Laura Kate walked into the kitchen.
"Yep. Five kids. Losing one. My affair. His absences due to his career. The Red Flu and being separated for six years. You name it, we've been through it. I just hope the next twenty-five years is less eventful." Christine remarked as Mike walked in with the kids. He lifted Zoe out of the stroller and she immediately ran for her mom.
"I'm sure it will be. You and he are both in a really good place now." Josie said as she picked her little girl up and kissed her cheek.
"Jo, she ate all of her lunch and took about an hour nap. She did get pretty sleepy on the way over so she might sleep a bit more." Mike reported. He was one of Zoe's frequent babysitters and the little girl absolutely adored her 'Unca Mi.' She and the twins played extremely well together and were a total joy.
"Perfect, Zoe, can you give Uncle Mike a kiss goodbye? Auntie Chris, too? Mike, thanks for watching her." Josie said as she passed the little girl over to Mike.
"Never a problem. I would have been staying home to watch my own, anyway. So, are you ladies ready for tomorrow?" Mike asked after he gave Zoe a goodbye kiss and then leaned down so Christine could also kiss her.
"I think so, as much as possible." Christine stated.
"I'm sure there will be some sort of catastrophe tomorrow, but we'll be alright but don't worry about it. Enjoy your night. Mike, you did good with Christine's necklace. I can tell she loves it." Josie said.
"I do. Mike always does good, picking out gifts. And he made me chocolate muffins this morning. I love those." Christine said as she rubbed Mike's arm.
"I still have no idea what she got me. I just know that it's something I like." Mike complained. He had sat Zoe back down and she had run for her daddy.
"Oh, I know but I'm not saying. You'll know soon enough." Josie told him. She had been with Christine when she picked out the gifts. A gun that Mike had wanted for at least a year, a box of his favorite cigars, a bottle of whiskey that he liked and a black nightgown for Christine that he would really enjoy.
"You women kill me. Alright, Hannah? Ready to go?" Mike asked. Christine had already gathered up her purse and tote and Hannah was talking to Alex. Mike was lucky that Hannah hadn't really noticed any other boys besides Alex, because she was cute as could be.
"Yeah, Dad. Is Laura Kate going home with us?" Hannah asked. Laura Kate was in the kitchen but peeked through the order window.
"No, but LK, dinner will be at six. Be home, please?" Mike asked.
"Plan to be. Love you guys." Laura Kate said as she came into the main dining area and gave her mom and dad a hug.
"Love you too, honey. Wolf can come along too." Christine said.
"I'll see what he is doing." Laura Kate said.
"See you in a couple hours and I love you, too." Mike said before turning the stroller that was containing the twins.
"If you all need anything at all, call. I will see you bright and early." Christine said as she gave Josie a hug.
"Enjoy your evening." Josie answered, more or less pushing her best friend and family out the door. As soon as she thought Laura Kate was ready, she would be pushing her out too. Josie could tell that Mike and Christine needed her at home.
"Plan to." Christine said with a mischievous look towards Mike before following him out the door. Josie smiled at the couple and then looked towards her own family who had gathered around Russ.
Josie loved the simplicity of her life. Alex was now seventeen and looking at colleges that were close by, Sophie was eleven and turning into a beautiful young lady and Zoe was a happy three-year-old. Josie and Russ had a strong marriage and had discussed having another baby.
Buying the restaurant had been a shock and not something Josie or Russ expected to do but it was good too. If it hadn't been for Mike and Christine, they wouldn't have been able to and generally, Josie wouldn't have mixed money and friendship, but she had faith that it would all work out. With Josie in the front room serving, and Christine and Laura Kate in the kitchen; it was a perfect set-up. She was excited for what their futures held.
Slattery Household
Christine smiled out at the pool. Mike, Laura Kate, Hannah and the twins were outside swimming. It was not how most people would have wanted to spend their twenty-fifth anniversary but for Mike and Christine; it was exactly what they wanted. A quiet night at home with the four people they loved most with them, steaks on the grill and all the fixings.
There was a point in time that Christine wouldn't have been satisfied with the quiet night and would have balked at it. But she had changed her expectations. Even though Mike spoiled her with plenty of date nights and whatever she wanted, she didn't expect those things.
The twins had grown and would be starting preschool in the fall. Christine wasn't sure who was sadder about that; her or Mike. Noah was still a mama's boy, but he also idealized Mike. Norah was a daddy's girl, through and through. She at times got jealous when Mike spent time with Laura Kate or Hannah, but it was something easily dealt with.
Laura Kate had struggled with quitting work but sitting for long hours bothered her more then she would ever admit and because of a slight limp; she couldn't be a paramedic like she had planned. The restaurant had been the perfect answer for her because she loved to bake and decorate cakes. Josie had originally just planned on having a breakfast and lunch place but with Laura Kate on board, the restaurant became a bakery as well. Laura Kate would also be making all their buns and sandwich breads.
She and Wolf were also buying a small craftsman style home in Mike and Christine's neighborhood. It was perfect for them and they were getting married in three months in a small backyard wedding at Mike and Christine's. Mike was incidentally helping with the wedding plans since he did such a good job with Russ and Josie's wedding. Christine had some anxiety about Laura Kate moving out, but Mike had spoken with Wolf and he had agreed that if Christine got nervous during the night, she could call and check on Laura Kate.
Laura Kate's back surgery had been rough on all of them, but had she not had it, the bullet fragment would have migrated and caused her to completely lose the ability to walk and potentially endanger her life.
Hannah was now sixteen and a beauty. She was just as close with Mike as she had always been. She had not lost her sweet disposition and was a huge help with the twins. They loved their Hannah.
Becoming partners with Russ and Josie had caused a lot of anxiety for Mike and Christine. It wasn't just the financial stake but also the fact that they were so close to the other couple. Christine felt in her heart that it would go well but was worried that if it didn't, it would affect the friendship. Christine was the finance person in her marriage, and she was sweating it, but the friendship was more important to her.
Mike and Christine were doing extremely well. Even though their marriage was in no danger of ending; they had started marriage counseling to deal with the past issues and to also help both deal with the grief where Lucas was concerned. The thing that they had learned was that they would never 'deal with the grief' but they were in a better place.
Despite their past, Mike and Christine had gotten to their twenty-fifth anniversary and were looking forward to twenty-five more. It had to go easier then the first twenty-five did. They had a lot of good friends that would be dropping into the restaurant frequently, their kids were healthy and happy, and their family was expanding. It was much more then Christine could ever hope for.
Obviously, this is the last chapter! I left it open if I decided to do a sequel. It is unlikely but possible. It was hard writing this story and I figured out that I needed to just stick with Mike centric stories. I stink at it when I write other people as the main character! Thanks for all the reviews and suggestions.