Elizabeth stretched widely, groaning in satisfaction as the tips of her toes grazed the end of her bed, her arms tangling in her duvet a little as she extended them. Sunlight positively poured in through the bedroom window and there wasn't even a hint of wind or rain meeting her ears.
Not only was the pleasant weather a welcome change but she herself felt refreshed, revived and incredibly well slept.
Sure, there was a lingering sense of weakness but it was barely there, just a whisper of what her body had gone through. As her back clicked - something that almost never happened - she inhaled happily.
It felt damn good to be waking up like this. It actually put into stark contrast how bad she had felt the morning after Dwayne had claimed her and she understood why he had insisted on her getting rest. She didn't feel groggy in the slightest and, as she flung the duvet off and away from her body, a surprised, wry but bright smile exploded onto her face.
Her legs were bare.
Looking down, she saw that she was wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt. White, clean but clearly lived in. She knew it was his. She could smell him, she could almost feel him on the material. There was no substitute for him, none at all, but the gesture was incredibly powerful. It was a reminder that she was his, that she wasn't alone even though she was waking up in an empty bed with a mate that was miles away. If she closed her eyes she knew she would be able to pretend he was with her...for a short time, at least.
Feeling touched and content, she moved to run her fingers through her hair and gave a small little laugh, shaking her head happily.
Closing her eyes, she almost couldn't believe it.
Slept in though it was, her hair had clearly been brushed out after her foray into the drizzly night.
He would never accept it, he would brush it off but she knew that she owed Dwayne a big thank you. He hadn't just seen her home safely, he'd gone the extra mile and then some. It was a sweet, kind gesture and she loved that her big, strong and tough mate had such a caring side to him. Looking at him, one would never imagine it.
As she sat up, that happy smile once again again broke out onto her face and she shook her head in disbelief.
She was still in her underwear under the t-shirt.
Big, strong, tough, caring and gentlemanly.
She had never felt so in love with him.
"Thank you..." she murmured into the room, squeezing her toes against her wooden floor.
As she carefully touched the mark on her neck, she inhaled once more.
She hadn't quite understood it last night - Dwayne had been adamant that she sleep, that she rest despite how much she had wanted to be with him. She had wanted to celebrate the new stage in their relationship, to talk about what had happened, to recreate the magic she'd felt but he'd rejected her...kindly, sweetly, but a rejection all the same. Sure, she had loved being nestled in his arms, talking and listening to their hypothetical past life but it hadn't been the evening she'd envisioned when she had made her way over there but now, in the light of day and feeling refreshed as she did, Elizabeth understood why he'd been so insistent.
She felt a huge world of difference in her condition.
She felt bright and revived, happy because of the care Dwayne had taken to get her home safely, pleased to wake up and be reminded of how loved she was and physically, she felt like her old self. Well, not her old self. An elevated version of it.
She really had needed to just rest up a bit, to recover and regain some of her strength and she loved that Dwayne - though he must have been feeling pretty lustful himself - had seen what she couldn't and made sure to do what was best for her.
He really was one of a kind.
With another smile and another little fond shake of her head, Elizabeth fingered the hem of the shirt before rising to her feet. She thought that given the dinner her mother had planned for the evening, it would be unlikely she'd get to see him again today and she couldn't help but give a rueful little quirk of her eyebrow. It was strange because she could feel herself maturing, she could feel their relationship had become so solid, so, so...real...that it didn't bother her like it would have done just a few days before.
She would see him soon and when she did..well.
She knew they would more than make up for a little lost time.
As she stripped out of her makeshift pajamas she walked to her closet, taking care to fold Dwayne's t-shirt instead of letting it fall carelessly to the floor. Elizabeth grabbed fresh underwear, a pair of denim shorts and a simple cami top. It was cute enough; made from a white, embroidered material and she found that she was more than happy to embrace the sunny, warm day and enjoy not needing to hide her neck.
Moving back to her room, she carefully put the tee and clothes on her vanity, slipping off her underwear and stepping into the new set before pausing.
Something didn't belong and it had caught her eye.
There was a packet of multi-vitamins on the vanity, right there on top of her small pile of books.
With a confused but burgeoning grin, she picked up the plastic container and scanned the label: multivitamins with extra B12 and iron. Shaking her head with a smile as she returned the bottle, she saw it had been placed atop a note.
As she tugged at it, she beamed.
His writing was rugged, not at all like the elegant cursive David or Paul had used in their apology gift, and it simply said, 'just in case'.
"Well, thank you" she murmured to the room, appreciating the gesture.
It wasn't romantic but it was practical and just as welcome. As she put the note down, something caught her eye.
On the back of the scrap of paper was a number but, as she double checked it again she couldn't think as to what it meant.
It wasn't a time, it wasn't a date, it wasn't a location on a map.
As she put the note down and began to dress herself, she wondered what on earth it could mean...unless it didn't mean anything? But it had to, the writing was definitely his-
"-Elizabeth?"
The voice calling out to her was tentative and soft, inquisitory rather than commanding and very much unlike the wakeup Sammy had given her yesterday.
"Yeah, Mom?"
"Breakfast is on the table sweetie"
Elizabeth pulled on her cami as her stomach rumbled to life in a comfortable way.
Definitely nothing like yesterday. Lucy's sentence was an offering but not an order and Elizabeth felt a little swell of love for her. She felt so refreshed and in such a good mood that when she called back down to her mother, she didn't have to fake any of the peppiness, "I'll be down now, did you eat already?"
"No, do you want me to wait for you?"
"Yeah!"
Lucy's voice was warm and happy as she called out, "alright. See you in a minute, sweetheart"
It was nice to know she could have breakfast with her mother. The conversation was always good and the food would be filling and normal. No salmon, no waffles grilled in a workroom where dead animals were stuffed. Being with her mother was pretty much like having a girlfriend, someone to confide in and gossip with all while snacking and drinking warm coffees...which she was becoming increasingly partial too.
As she glanced down at the note again, quickly running a brush through her already decent hair, Elizabeth decided that it was going to have to remain a mystery. She wondered what Dwayne was up to with it because if it was a cute puzzle for her to solve, surely he would have given her a hint that she could work with. With a little shrug, she returned the brush and moved towards her door.
Breakfast and what would probably be a day of chores awaited her and-
"Dracula!"
She gasped the word, the thought popping into her head so suddenly it was as if she just had to vocalize it.
That's what it was!
It wasn't a puzzle, it wasn't a trick - it was a page number!
She turned on her heel and did a little leap back towards her vanity, moving the packet of vitamins quite carelessly to the side as she tugged Dracula from the small pile of books she had accumulated - well, liberated - from her grandfather.
As she glanced at the note, she opened the book and flicked through the pages, smiling as her eyes caught all the words and sentences he had previously highlighted. Biting her lip, she came to the page in question and, as her eyes scanned the words he had clearly intended for her to see, she wondered if she would melt.
"I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air."
Holding the open book to her chest, Elizabeth closed her eyes.
There was her romance.
She shook her head, clutching the book a little tighter.
For all of Marko's words, for David's coldness, Paul's crude wildness, Star's anger and Michael's absence...she had never felt happier. She had been promised darkness but with Dwayne she really had found nothing but light.
"Oh my God..." she whispered to herself, shaking her head and unable to keep the beaming smile from her face.
Dwayne had utilized the book when everything had been new, when she had been scared and unsure, frightened and now he had used it when everything had reached perfection.
She didn't think she would ever be able to match his romantic gestures. Subtle but powerful, unique and just so...she shook her head again. She knew that Dwayne wouldn't even want her to try to match him, that he was content and happy if she was content and happy.
The thought just made her smile more.
As she reluctantly put the book back on her vanity, she made a mental note to herself. She was going to ask him to keep the book and the flowers she'd attempted to preserve in her little room in the cave. She wanted to keep them forever and ever and she didn't want to run the risk of Sammy or their mother stumbling upon them.
She'd come to Santa Carla with nothing particularly special in her possession and now here she was with a book she knew she would treasure for all time.
"Oh my God" she groaned happily to herself once more, turning with a bit of a dramatic flair to the door once more.
She felt like she could fly and, taking a breath, she knew that she had to control herself.
Too sleepy and questions would be asked, too energetic and questions would be asked. It was a difficult balance.
She was ready to swoon, to gush and to positively explode with how loved she was feeling...so of course, questions would be asked.
As she jumped down her little staircase and made her way out into the hallway, she shook her body a little, trying to reset herself. As she took a breath, she could hear David's voice in her head, cold and filled with derision,
"You got found out because you were too happy?"
And suddenly, she found it quite easy to present herself as normal, subdued and calm.
Smiling wryly to herself, she wished that Marko was there to share a knowing look with her but as she heard Sammy's door opened, she turned her smile towards that instead.
"Good morning, sunshine"
"Someone's perky..." he said, making brief eye contact. He glanced down at her cami top before looking quickly away, heading towards the stairs.
Surprised he didn't walk with her and finding it weird that he actually seemed to be walking faster than usual, she replied, "well it's a sunny day. It's nice to have nice weather back, huh?"
He made a non-committal noise from his spot half way down the stairs and, still behind him, she asked, "want to head to the beach before lunch? Do something before the inevitable chores are doled out?"
"Is that why you're wearing the cami?"
"What?" Elizabeth looked down at her top and shrugged, "I dunno? I guess?"
It was a sunny day and she didn't have to cover her neck up, that was pretty much all the thought she'd put into her outfit.
"Why?"
"No reason" he mumbled, glancing at her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. He waved once into the kitchen and then made his way to the front door.
"Hey? Was that a yes or a no or..."
"Oh, I gotta walk Nanook. Mom wants him to get all his energy out before tonight"
"...OK..." wasn't the beach a nice place for a walk? "Well maybe tomorrow?"
Sammy still wasn't looking at her and when he did it was with a funny little glance and Elizabeth shrugged, not getting it.
"Yeah, alright. That'd be cool.." his words didn't give her much hope but he gave her a small smile before slipping out of the front door.
"What's up with him?" Elizabeth asked her mother as she stepped into the kitchen.
"What do you mean?"
"I dunno he was...weird" Elizabeth told her mother, coming to sit at the table, "oh wow-"
"-different than breakfast with your grandfather?"
"Just a bit!"
Lucy had put pastries, toast, bacon and eggs on the table and it all looked amazingly inviting. There was a coffee pot in the middle and it looked like the Emerson matriarch was already on her second cup.
Looking down at the spread, she realized how much she'd missed her mother.
"Dig in, lunch is sandwiches so fill up now if you think they won't tide you over until dinner"
"Can do" Elizabeth said, reaching to fill her plate with some of everything. Her mother didn't need to tell her twice, "so, are you feeling OK about tonight?"
"Excited" Lucy said with a smile, "but nervous, too...I mean.." she took a breath, "single mom, living with her father...I'm not exactly a catch, Max could see what life is like with me and-"
Elizabeth was feeling far too loved, far too romantic and far, far too happy to listen to her mother - who was a wonderful woman - put herself down.
"-Mom, stop" she interrupted with a disbelieving frown, bacon suspended awkwardly on her fork, "jeeze why-I mean, come on? Max obviously likes you and I'm sure you haven't kept us a secret, right?"
At Lucy's nod and shocked blink, she continued, "so he knows what he's getting into with the single mom thing. That's the only baggage you have and in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing! I wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself. You're awesome. You're a total catch and Max is lucky to have you in his life and I'm sure he knows it so...so..." Elizabeth plopped the bacon onto her plate and reached for the bowl of perfectly scrambled eggs, "..so just stop it"
In hindsight she realized that the last part was a tiny bit harsh, so she smiled at her mother.
Lucy laughed, "well..you sure told me!"
"Yeah, I did. I told you the truth"
Taking a sip of her drink, Lucy gave her daughter a warm smile, "gosh when did you get so old? I feel like you're growing up faster than I can keep up, wise beyond your years"
Elizabeth shrugged. She knew it was the influence of Marko and Paul but it's not like she could credit them, "I just don't like my mom beating herself up. Tonight will be amazing. Sammy and I will be on our best behavior, Grandpa will dazzle with his conversation, Nanook will be tired and placid and Max will think he's walking into the perfect family unit"
Lucy scoffed but her eyes were bright, "it's a big ask, you know...but I...well, I think he likes me, I think..."
"Mom. Enjoy it. Enjoy dating, enjoy being with Max. Everything's going to be fine" she took a bite of the eggs, grinning happily as she did. She loved gorging with Paul, she liked the snacks and food the boardwalk offered and she did quite enjoy Grandpa's cooky cooking but she had missed her mother's food.
Lucy was a good cook, no question.
"Good?"
"Really good"
"We haven't had many meals together recently, huh?"
Elizabeth shrugged, not wanting Lucy to feel guilty or question whether she was being a good mother, "Grandpa's been holding down the fort"
Lucy laughed, "mhmm, I grew up in that fort! It's an experience, isn't it?"
"Good word for it"
"Perils of being a working mother: I leave you at the mercy of my Dad"
"Nah" Elizabeth smiled, "it's a worthwhile sacrifice. You're happy, right Mom?"
"Happier than I've been in a long time"
"Then I'm happy to eat furry, salmony waffles prepared by my loving Grandpa"
"...what?"
Laughing at the look of dumb shock on her mother's face, Elizabeth shook her head, "nothing"
"I think ignorance may very well be bliss right now" Lucy said with another one of her perfect, warm smiles, "so...do you have plans for today?"
"No. I asked Sammy if he wanted to check out the beach before lunch but he kinda just skipped out"
"Don't mind him, I asked him to give Nanook a good walk. Tire him out-"
"-Sammy or the dog?-"
"-and...ha ha, very funny. And I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving the living room a little tidy? I can do the dining room, I'm not turning you into Cinderella don't worry-"
"-I'll do the dining room too" Elizabeth said with a shrug, "it's not a big deal. I don't have any other plans"
"Oh are you sure?"
"Yeah of course"
Lucy rarely asked them to do anything, anyway.
"Thank you, that's a big help"
Elizabeth nodded. She was happy to help her mother and honestly, giving some of the communal rooms a clean wasn't that big of a deal. Grandpa's house was lived in, kind of crazy and messy but in a comforting way and the old man kept it pretty damn clean. It would be an easy way to pass the day and after that she could take some time and get ready to meet Max and hopefully dinner would be over at a reasonable time and she could sneak in a meeting with Dwayne. She didn't think she would see him that evening - something told her it wasn't on the cards - but it would be a pleasant surprise if she did.
Not really having much else to do, Elizabeth helped Lucy clean up after breakfast and got to work on the living room pretty much straight away.
As she'd predicted it wasn't the most challenging job in the world. Hell, Grandpa had even given the floors a polish fairly recently so all she'd had to do was a quick once over before neatening the books scattered around, fluffing the pillows and tidying up the clutter lining the fireplace. She'd even considered which lamps to light to give the room a warm, comforting vibe when night fell.
The dining room was even easier.
Rarely used but spacious, it had taken her no time at all to make that room decent for a formal dinner. She'd managed to dig out some candles and table runners, some placemats and china that kind of matched. They were different shapes, sizes and textures but they were all a similar shade of white and the effect was actually pleasing. Kind of rustic, almost. Elizabeth didn't know if Lucy had glasses picked out or if she was just going to go with the mugs they usually drank from but she'd set the table anyway, deciding those last little additions could wait.
Sammy had returned after lunch with a happily tired dog and after swiping a plateful of sandwiches, he'd retired to his room without comment.
Elizabeth had bristled a little, wondering aloud if her brother was actually a sexist pig who thought cleaning was just for girls but Grandpa had distracted her by complaining about the fluffy pillows on the hard sofa. He thought it ruined the ambience of the room and by the time she convinced him that it actually enhanced it, she'd all but forgotten about her annoyance towards Sammy. As Grandpa left her with a ruffle to her head, retreating to his untouched workroom, she wondered if he'd done it deliberately to distract her.
He was a pretty sharp guy.
In the end it didn't matter. She felt pretty chilled, Lucy was grateful and pleased with the look of the house and it had been an easy afternoon.
The sun was close to setting and Lucy - looking a little stressed as she finished preparing dinner - had told the trio that dinner would be starting in under two hours so it was time to get ready. Elizabeth knew it was aimed more at her brother, he took forever styling himself. Sammy had called down from his room that the Frog Brothers would be arriving in just under an hour and his mother had shouted back, sounding just a little exasperated, asking if he could take care of them seeing as they were his friends.
Elizabeth had grinned, thinking that she sure as hell wasn't going to. Grandpa had shouted from his workroom about not needing to include the whole darn house in their conversation and, as silence had fallen once again, she'd sniggered to herself a little. The atmosphere wasn't tense but it was a little bit wired, it was obvious Lucy wanted everything to be perfect.
Sitting on the uncomfortable sofa but not resting on the pillows, Elizabeth had simply relaxed and flicked through the pages of one of the many glossy magazines Grandpa seemed to collect. Just when she was beginning to wonder if she should change her clothes or just braid her hair for the impending dinner, she heard Sammy's kind of clunky footsteps on the stairs.
"Frog Brothers will be here soon"
"Yeah but they're your responsibility" she said, still reading the magazine.
"Why do you hate them so much?"
Elizabeth wanted to say, 'because they're obnoxious and called me fat' but bit her tongue and gave a shrug instead.
"Are you changing for dinner?"
Elizabeth sighed. She thought she should, she could do better than what she currently had on. Glancing at him quickly before going back to the article she'd been scanning, "yeah, I guess so"
Originally she'd thought it would be fun to dress up but the novelty of it had worn off a little.
"You don't sound happy about it?"
The tone of Sammy's voice was weird and Elizabeth frowned. He was being weird. Dismissing her in the morning, staying in his room all day, asking about her clothes.
"It's fine" she told him.
He could be weird if he wanted but she was determined to make the night a success for their mother.
In fact-
"-Dad? Dad? Did you pick up the oregano?" Lucy called, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
Elizabeth jumped in surprise, not expecting her mother's voice to cut across the living room.
Lucy didn't even acknowledge the two siblings, "Dad? Gosh that man has selective hearing..."
The elder Emerson looked down at the large wooden spoon she was holding, glancing at it as if to assess whether the thick, red sauce staining it was at risk of dropping. Apparently she'd decided it was fine, as she strode out from the doorway, making a beeline for their Grandfather's workroom.
Sammy had also moved and he stood kind of awkwardly in front of Elizabeth before coughing, "..here.."
She blinked at him, looking up at his extended hands. He was holding a white sweater that she didn't recognize as her own, folded though it was. He pushed his hands downwards once and gave her a small, sheepish smile. It was the first smile he'd given her all day, "I thought you could wear this tonight.."
Elizabeth grimaced a little, taken aback and completely off guard. Instinctively, she frowned at him, her mouth twisted downwards, "you chose my clothes for me? Dude that's so creepy-"
"-no! No I just..." he said a little defensively before shifting on the spot and sounding unsure, "I mean..it's just..you changed your clothes last night and the turtleneck wasn't bad and..I dunno..."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You changed out of your sweater last night"
"Yeah?"
"And you're in your usual, boring clothes again"
Ignoring the insult because she actually thought she looked kind of cute, Elizabeth raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah. And?"
Sammy shifted again, lowering his strange and kind of weird offering just a little.
"I think that it's good that you tried something new yesterday and um..you know"
"Sammy what are you...wait..." she looked at her brother, finally understanding.
He hadn't made eye contact with her in the morning, he'd left her pretty damn sharpish when she tried to chat with him, he'd ignored her presence in the afternoon and he currently looked shy and embarrassed but oddly sincere.
It was all starting to make sense.
"Sammy, hold up do...you feel guilty?" Elizabeth laughed as she dropped the magazine and took the sweater from his hand, shaking it out.
It was a white turtleneck made of fairly thin fabric and without patterns or designs.
She looked at him and realized that she was right.
Her brother did feel guilty.
"I was just goofing around last night Liz, I didn't think you'd take it seriously. I didn't think you'd change and I felt bad about it after.." he admitted.
Suddenly, Elizabeth felt bad herself. Truthfully, after Sammy had touched her mark without seeming to even acknowledge it, she'd forgotten all of his jokes about her fashion sense.
She hadn't thought about it since but he clearly had. He must have assumed his comments and joking had made her change.
"Oh" she said dismissively, shaking her head, "no, don't be silly. Don't feel bad. I didn't change because of you, I was just..."
She trailed off.
I was just relieved I didn't have to wear that hideous sweater to cover the bite mark my mate gave me?
She couldn't exactly tell the truth.
"I wasn't feeling it in general..it's no big deal-"
"-no, it is. I'm sorry Liz" he said, taking a big breath, "you tried to be fashionable for once and I discouraged it. That wasn't cool"
Elizabeth smiled, draping the white sweater over her arm. Getting a proper apology from Sammy wasn't the most common of occurrences.
"Anyway, I figured since flashy isn't your style, you could wear this. You said you were a tee and jeans kind of girl, this is similar. Simple. More you but an elevated you, a fashionable you"
He had actually put genuine thought into the sweater and Elizabeth was touched.
"Did you buy this?"
"No, jeeze come on..Santa Carla doesn't exactly have a lot of good shops. It's mine and I thought, you know. If you pair it with your shorts, it's an updated classic..."
"-it'll be too big, Sammy" she told him gently, trying not to sound ungrateful. He was a size bigger than her and now that she didn't need to cover up her neck, she didn't particularly want to be wearing a turtleneck on such a warm, comforting evening.
"No, I added some stitches to the side. It'll look good, I swear, I took it in just a little. Just enough to give you some shape"
"You altered your own sweater?"
Sammy treated all of his clothes with the upmost respect. She couldn't believe he would do something like that, just because he felt bad. She looked down at it, trying to study the seams and find his alterations but she wasn't having any luck.
"It's not permanent. There are just some stitches inside, Miss Jones taught us how in Home Ec. I'll take them out after" he told her.
She knew there was no way she could turn it down, not now.
He'd gone through a decent amount of effort and made some changes to his own clothes, just to make amends?
He was a good brother.
"Sammy this is super nice of you"
"You gotta wear a napkin when you eat dinner"
She laughed.
"And if Mom serves soup, you gotta bring the bowl to you, OK?"
She nodded.
"And easy on the makeup because if it-"
"-I'll treat it with the upmost respect" she interrupted, "thank you, Sammy. I think this is actually the nicest thing you've ever done for me. I appreciate it"
"You do?"
"Yeah"
He smiled and nodded, "great!"
"Feel less guilty now?"
He nodded again.
"Well this is just perfect"
Lucy's voice, sounding somewhat tired, distracted them.
"If life gives you oranges, make orange juice huh?"
"Funny, Dad"
"Well I'm sorry-"
"No, no. It's fine..."
Lucy sighed, bypassing both Elizabeth and Sammy as she entered the kitchen once more. She walked past them as if they were ghosts, not even glancing their way but the tone of her voice told them that whatever she was talking about, it definitely wasn't fine.
Both siblings followed her with their eyes, watching as she placed the wooden spoon near a comfortably bubbling pan and wiped her hands on her apron. She spoke with her voice raised, obviously distracted and not realizing that she had an audience, "Kids? I've got to pop to the store-"
"-I'll go, Lucy"
Both Sam and Elizabeth turned to look at their Grandpa, watching him as he stood in an apron of his own in the open doors of his workroom.
"No, Dad it's fine-"
Back to their mother.
"-s'ok kiddo. No stress, I wanted to go anyway since someone ate all my oreo cookies"
"...yeah, you" Sammy muttered to himself and Grandpa spoke louder, "plus someone read oregano as oranges, so that someone-" he looked pointedly at Sammy, "ought to be the one to make it right"
"What?" Sammy blinked indignantly, "the list had oranges on it!"
"Sammy, it was oregano" Lucy sighed, once more stood in the open doorway "I'm making pasta, why would I need oranges?"
"Now she notices me" he mumbled.
Lucy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at her youngest.
"C'mon, Sammy. Let's go, we can be there and back in thirty if we hurry" Grandpa instructed, wiping his hands on his jeans rather than his apron while making a beeline for the front door, "can we pick you up anything else Lucy? Any last minute changes or...?"
"Oh..um..well..." she sounded much calmer, almost embarrassed.
Grandpa had that effect on people. He could be soothing and calm when he fancied it and Lucy must have realized how stressed she was presenting herself as in comparison.
She glanced around the kitchen, as if the chopped vegetables lining the counters, the spice rack or the serving bowls waiting to be filled with pasta and sides would supply her with an answer, "..if you want something other than tiramisu for desert, I guess you should get it?"
Elizabeth grinned. She didn't know what Lucy was making exactly and hadn't asked but she wasn't surprised to hear desert was tiramisu. Lucy used to make wonderful, themed family meals. She was an excellent cook and took great pains to make healthy, filling three courses meal that were true to the theme or cuisine she had chosen. When things had been good, they'd eaten wonderful meals as a family and always seemed to have interesting dinner table conversations.
It had died down thanks to their father, no question about it. As Lucy seemed more confident and branched out in her culinary efforts, he seemed to take personal offense. It came to a head and he had complained long and hard after Lucy had made a fun and unique Moroccan dinner one Friday evening. Elizabeth and Michael had loved it and while Sammy had been unsure of the couscous, he'd chowed down quite happily...but not their father. He'd been increasingly hard on Lucy and the family, pushing the importance of appearance and when he saw a tagine on the table, he'd come close to exploding. He'd barked 'what the hell is that?' and badgered Lucy on where she'd bought it, how much it cost and had harped on about 'God, if the guys at work could see this...'
While the kids had asked their mother about the food they were eating, asking how she found the recipes and what she knew about the country, their father had grumbled and poked at the dishes and after that, dinners seemed to be increasingly duller - meatloaves, pot roasts and sloppy joes.
Their father had taken the joy out of cooking for Lucy but here, in Santa Carla and preparing a family meal for her kids and boyfriend, she seemed her old self again.
It made Elizabeth beyond happy.
When the time came, when she..well. When she died, Elizabeth knew Lucy would be devastated but it comforted her somewhat to know that she would have Sammy, Grandpa...she knew that Michael would come back, because Dwayne would make it happen and then there would be Max, too.
Lucy would be OK.
Just like Elizabeth, she'd found happiness in Santa Carla.
"Mom, I don't like tiramisu" Sammy said, just as Grandpa told his daughter, "don't worry about me, kid. I'm not staying"
"Sammy-wha-Dad?" Lucy looked between the two men, "you're not staying? Why?"
"I hate company"
"Oh Dad, what are you talking about?" Lucy laughed, "you haven't had company since Mom died!"
"And now we're having it again" the old man grinned at his daughter, "no thanks. I'll be with The Widow. Hurry up, Sammy"
"Don't you want to change?" Sammy asked, edging towards the door but looking unhappy about it, "aren't those your work clothes?"
"Doesn't matter" Grandpa shrugged, brushing off his stained apron, "just a mix of formaldehyde, methanol, ethanol and some bunny blood.."
Sammy blanched and Grandpa laughed, opening the door.
"Oh, Dad.." Lucy sighed, her eyes bright.
"Mom?" Sammy begged but Lucy had her back turned and was walking once more towards the lightly bubbling pot, "oh sorry, yes Sammy. You can get cupcakes or something for your desert, no problems..."
Elizabeth bit her lip at Sammy's helpless look, shrugging at him in apology before Grandpa grabbed his shoulder, tugging him out of the house.
Sammy had changed into his dinner clothes and Elizabeth thought the look of panic on his face was half due to their grandfather's stained attire and half due to the fact that his grubby hand had touched Sammy's perfectly ironed cardigan.
As the door shut, Lucy gave a little, "oh!" and turned back.
"They left, want me to get them? What do you need?"
"Oh don't mind" Lucy waved her hand, "I'm sure it'll be fine..." she smiled at Elizabeth, "want to taste?"
"I'll wait. It smells great though" she stepped into the kitchen, coming to stand near to the stove, "but what were you thinking?"
"Parmesan" Lucy said with a little wry grin, "your brother said his friends are brining it...it's their contribution to dinner.."
"That's oddly nice of them"
"Mmm but if they don't, we don't have any"
Elizabeth gave a little, 'eh' sound before shaking her head, "I think your sauce will stand on its own anyway, Mom. It really does smell good"
"Thank you..I hope Max-everyone-likes it"
"I'm sure everyone will"
"What's that?" Lucy asked, giving Elizabeth a grateful smile as she put a pinch more salt into the pot.
"Oh, Sammy thought I could wear this tonight"
"That's nice, oh I'm glad. I'd like it if you two would make an effort tonight"
Elizabeth nodded, "best behavior"
"Gosh, do I sound like a stage mom?" Lucy asked, glancing at Elizabeth, "I do, don't I. Harping on about clothes and making you tidy up. Wear whatever you're comfortable in, I'm sorry. I just want this night-"
"-Mom! Relax" Elizabeth laughed, "we know. I promise we'll do you proud. Anyway, Sammy loves an occasion to dress up"
"He does, doesn't he?"
Elizabeth nodded, "he chose this for me to wear. I don't think he'd do me dirty fashion wise, Max will be impressed by how impeccably turned out your family is...so what are you wearing?"
"This?" Lucy said, sounding unsure as she looked down at herself.
"You look great"
Lucy smiled and glanced at the clock, "hey before you get ready, would you mind setting the table for me?"
"I already did. Setting for seven though...you sure Grandpa won't change his mind?"
"No chance. He's as stubborn as a donkey"
"I'll fix it"
"Thank you"
"After that I'll go get changed?"
"Mhmm but oh gosh if Sammy's friends arrive before he's back.."
Elizabeth fought down her grimace, "yeah..I'll babysit"
"You're a saint"
"...I'll need the patience of one if I'm gonna hang out with them again" Elizabeth murmured, heading to the dining room.