Hey. Sorry I am so late with an update. But the future chapters are probably going to be a little longer as I try to cover a bit more time in every chapter. I'm trying to update as soon as I can. I know some asked me to skip ahead a bit further to see more interaction between Alex and Piper. I'm not going to skip years ahead as the idea behind the story was to show their childhood growing up together and also show the backstory. Also I needed to give Diane something good as she'd gone through so much trouble already. So I try to cover more time with one chapter than I originally intended which I hope is a good compromise for everyone. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. I promise more Alex and Piper is coming soon as they're getting older.
Chapter 4: Everyone needs some luck in their life
Diane and her parents got closer again and they took Alex as often as they could. They still apologized as often as they could for leaving Diane on her own when she needed them. Diane had forgiven them after the first apology and made them promise to stop saying they were sorry when she couldn't hear it anymore.
The work at the diner was demanding and with the double load of work and taking care of Alex she was completely exhausted by the end of the day. She loved her little girl but it was more work recently as Alex had started to crawl around and enjoyed being somewhat mobile and needed so much more supervision than before. Which meant that she had to do house work like the laundry when Alex was asleep which prolonged her day even more.
One saturday afternoon Diane and Alex were visiting Carol for a playdate for Alex and Piper. While the girls played in their playpen Diane and Carol talked about their lives and what was going on.
"Everything normal at the diner?" Carol asked.
"Yeah, much as always. It's exhausting. Some guests are really annoying but that's totally normal. You get that every day. Though we got this new regular who is usually coming in around 1pm and sits at the table right at the back. I think he's testing through the whole menu. Everytime he comes in he orders something else. And he tips well. Like better than anyone else." Diane told Carol.
"Interesting. Is he good looking?" Carol wanted to know with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Oh I know what you're thinking! But yes. He is. So handsome. And always pretty flirty." Diane admitted.
"So. Do you think he likes you? How about you? Don't you want a man in your life?" Carol shot the questions at Diane so fast.
"I've got a feeling that he does. But how am I supposed to do this? Everyday when I get home I am exhausted already. But then I also want to spend time with my daughter and after she is asleep I am doing what is left to do, laundry, dishes or tidying up. After that I just drop dead into my bed until it's time to get up for work. I am lucky my boss agreed to let me do the morning shifts only so I don't have to work in the evenings anymore. How am I supposed to fit a man in there? Isn't he going to freak out when he finds out I got a daughter? I would really love to have someone around, for Alex to have a stepdad. I just don't know if that's going to work, you know?" Diane explained.
"Nobody knows if something's working out if they don't try. I didn't know if it was going to work out with Bill when I first met him. Nobody knows that. That has nothing to do with having a child. But I get that this makes it a bit more difficult. But you can't know and it won't happen if you don't try. So go and flirt back to that handsome man who obviously has thrown an eye at you. Maybe he's going to be what you have been looking for, maybe he's not. But give him a shot, won't you?" Carol tried to convince her.
"Okay, okay. I will. I'll flirt back and if he asks me out I won't say no, okay?" Diane gave in.
"Yay." Carol let out. She just wanted her friend to be happy and knew that she wanted to have a family. She could see that Diane was happy with Alex and she was positive she could do it alone, but thought that she'd be even happier if she had a man who she loved and wouldn't have to work so much anymore and have more time for Alex and herself and her boyfriend too.
"So. How about you? How are you and Bill? Is Danny still enjoying school?" Diane wanted to know but also felt like changing the topic.
"Oh everything is fine. Danny enjoys it. Every time he gets home he tells excitedly what he's learned and I think he's making friends. And Bill and I are fine. Actually we've got some news." Carol said but paused.
"Oh what would the news be?" Diane was curious.
"Well. Danny and Piper are going to have another sibling." Carol more or less blurted out.
"Oh wow. Congratulations!" Diane said, but noticed that Carol wasn't as cheerful as the last times she told her that she was pregnant.
"Thank you." Carol smiled weakly. "It actually wasn't planned. Bill and I had always spoken of two kids. But looks like we're going to have a third."
XXXXX
Couple days later Diane called Carol: "Hey. Carol. Uhm, could you watch Alex Saturday?"
"Yeah, sure. Afternoon? Evening? Oh, has your handsome guest finally asked you out?" Carol was cheerful.
"Uhm, yes he did. And we're going out Saturday evening. Is it okay if I bring her around 6?" Diane asked.
"Yeah, of course. Piper will be happy to have her best friend over. And don't you think of picking her up before Sunday morning!" Carol told her.
"Okay. I'll come pick her up in the morning then. Thank you, Carol." Diane was glad her friend could help her out.
"You're welcome. Why don't you come a little later and have lunch with us on Sunday? Then you can tell me all about your date!" Carol had a quick idea.
"Sure. Thanks again. I've got to go. I think Alex is rolling around on the couch and looks like she's gonna fall down any second. See you Saturday." and with that she hung up the phone.
XXXXX
It was Saturday afternoon and Diane was getting ready but also quite nervous. This was her first date in what felt like forever but must have been about three years. Alex was ready and her stuff packed for an overnight stay at the Chapmans.
"Hey, Alex. You're staying over at Piper's tonight. What do you say to that?" Diane asked her daughter, knowing she couldn't answer yet. Alex's eyes went wide and she smiled widely as she did everytime someone said Piper's name. She let out a light chuckle.
"Yeah, you like that, don't you? You love Piper. That's right. You two girls really are best friends already." Diane said. "You never smile for mama like that!"
"Ama." was Alex's reaction to that and Diane's eyes went wide.
"Did you say mama?" Diane asked surprised to which Alex replied "Ama." again.
"Oh my big girl. You're starting to say mama. Oh I'm so proud of you." she smiled widely to which Alex reacted with a big toothy smile. Her first teeth had come to show shortly before her first birthday. And even though Piper was a little bit younger she had gotten her first teeth first, almost two months before Alex, but their pediatrician had ensured her that it was totally normal and every kid got their first teeth at different times.
Soon Diane was finished getting ready and got Alex and the overnight bag and went to Carols.
"Hi. Are you excited?" Carol asked as she greeted Diane and Alex at the door.
"Maybe a little." Diane played it down. She didn't really want to admit how nervous she actually was. Still she knew Carol wouldn't fully believe her, but Carol let it slip obviously.
"See you later then. Bye Alex. Be good for Carol. I love you." Diane said to Alex and gave her a kiss goodbye.
"Ama." Alex said out loud and Diane again smiled proudly.
"Did she just…?" Carol was surprised.
"Say Ama? Yes. One letter missing but we all know what you mean, honey. She said it the first time when we were getting ready to come here." Diane said proudly and turned to leave. "See you tomorrow."
"Good luck. Go get your man!" Carol shouted towards Diane as she walked down the driveway towards the street.
Diane was walking towards the spot they had agreed to meet around 6.30pm and waited there. She was a bit early but didn't want to spend time just walking around to be there right on the minute so she stood there and waited. It didn't take long though for her date to arrive.
"Hi Diane." she heard his voice from behind and turned around.
"Hi Louis." she greeted back and smiled at him.
"It's great to see you." he smiled widely.
"You too. So what do you have planned? You weren't very specific when you asked." Diane asked curiously.
"I wanted to surprise you. And I dearly hope you like it. It's nothing too over the top. That would have to wait until I get to know you better, if I get the chance to." he started.
"I do like surprises. But still I'm also curious." Diane replied.
"Okay okay." he laughed. "So, I thought we take a little walk through the park and talk. I brought a few things." he held up a bag. Diane couldn't see what was inside but enjoyed the fact that he seemed to have put a lot of thought into their date.
"Sounds good."
They started walking and talking about basics like where they were from and things like that. Soon they were on a rather big green. Louis led them in the middle of it and got a blanket out of the bag he brought.
"What is this? Are we having a picnic?" Diane wondered loudly.
"Yes. That's exactly what I've got planned." he smiled widely. "I got a few things from that italian place at the market that can be eaten warm as well as cold, as I didn't know how long we would be walking before sitting down for the picnic. Plus I brought a few other things including a bottle of wine. I wasn't sure if you'd prefer white or red wine so I brought rosé."
Diane was speechless. He really put a lot of thought into their date. This was the best date she ever had already and it had only started. Diane was sure if he wanted to see her again after this first date she'd not let him go so easily.
At some point they started to talk about what they did for a living and Louis obviously knew that Diane was working as a waitress and told her that he was a teacher at the local elementary school, which delighted Diane as when he was working with kids she assumed he liked kids and knew how to handle and be around them.
"It might sound weird and I guess you get that question a lot. But you like kids, I mean in that job you have to, right?" Diane asked.
"Yes. I love kids. I love how they are the most honest human beings there are. Well mostly." he laughed. "But at that age they are still so impressible. Which is amazing but also a big responsibility, you know?"
"That's great. And I know this is the first date and we are only getting to know each other. But as we are on topic kind of, I would like to ask if you want own kids one day?" Diane tried to say casually. He went quiet for a second. She was about to excuse for asking that question too soon but then he spoke up.
"Uhm, yes I would love to have kids one day. But I've got to be honest. Since an accident when I was 17 I can't have that. It bothers me a lot but I've come to peace with it that I won't ever have own children as in biological own children. But there are other ways. Like adoption or sperm donors. So I haven't given up on the thought of having own children one day." he said soberly.
"Or single mothers." Diane added.
He laughed. "Right. Or I find myself a single mother."
"Well. As we are honest and out on the table and so on. I can say you might have found one already. I didn't know how to bring it up until now, but I do have a daughter. Her name is Alex and she is little over a year now." she smiled hopeful at him, hoping he'd be okay with that.
"Really?" he smiled not looking taken aback by that information at all. "Well then that could happen sooner than I thought." he joked but obviously wanted to show her that it wasn't a big deal to him. "And if you are willing to keep me around I'd like to meet her some time. She must be a very lucky girl, when she has someone like you as her mother."
"Oh stop it. That's too much." Diane said and felt a big blush showing on her face but still she couldn't hide the smile. How did she get so lucky to meet a man like that? This couldn't be real, could it? This was too good! But then she thought that with all the bad luck she had had the recent years it was about time something good like that happened to her. So she decided to just go with it.
They kept talking and enjoyed their dinner. When it got darker around them they started to notice how much time had passed. They packed the blanket and slowly walked back. He offered her to walk her home and she gladly took the offer. When they arrived at Diane's place she felt a little sad that the date would be over but was positive that there would be another one.
"So. I guess you gotta release the babysitter from his or her duty?" he asked.
"Uhm. No. Alex is actually staying overnight with my best friend who has a daughter the same age as Alex. Piper and Alex are already best friends. I'm picking her up tomorrow, actually." Diane answered thinking about offering him to come up for a drink or something but then remembered that the apartment was a mess as she hadn't had time to tidy up the last couple days.
"Okay. Maybe next time I could meet your daughter?" he asked cautiously.
"Yeah, sure. I'd like that. Diane smiled. They exchanged phone numbers and said goodbye. Before he left he kissed her cheek and then turned around. Diane unlocked the door and still in a daze from her date fell onto her bed with a big smile on her face, the exhaustion of the week catching up to her before she had a chance to change into pyjamas.
When she woke up the next morning she was almost certain she had dreamt the date but noticed that she still wore the same clothes. And a few minutes later she heard her phone beep and wondered who it was. Her parents checking in? It couldn't be Carol to ask how it went, they'd see each other later and she could tell her friend all about what happened.
[Louis: Thank you for the amazing evening yesterday. I hope to see you again soon.]
Diane's eyes went wide. So this was the ultimate proof that she hadn't dreamt the previous evening.
[Diane: I have to thank you. You were well prepared. :-) How about Friday? My turn to surprise you.]
[Louis: Can't wait.]
"Oh my. This guy is too good to be true." Diane said out loud into the empty apartment. She took a long and nice shower, now that she didn't have Alex to worry about falling off the couch or doing something she wasn't supposed to while Diane couldn't watch. Diane had gotten used to quickly shower after she put Alex down and finished the last things that needed to be done before she fell exhausted into bed herself. So she enjoyed the possibility of a long and hot shower a lot. After her shower she got ready to head over to Carols. She had slept in after all and it was nearly eleven already. If she was there a bit earlier she could maybe talk to Carol alone for a bit before Bill and Danny joined them for lunch.
"I want to know everything!" was the only thing Carol said when she opened the door to let Diane in.
"You won't believe it. This guy is too good to be true." Diane said and started to tell Carol about her date.
XXXXX
The next months went by fast. Diane and Louis got to know each other better and fell in love. And it didn't take too long for Louis to ask Diane if she and Alex wanted to move out of their tiny apartment into his. Diane was happy that she seemed to have found the perfect guy. And she loved how he was with Alex. Secretly she already thought that he was the best dad she could have found for her girl. When she saw them playing together she thought that Louis loved her little girl already. He treated Diane like she was the most important person in the world and Diane was head over heels for this man. After the experiences she had made she had doubted that a man like him exists but everyday she was assured anew that he existed and that he wanted her as his partner and girlfriend.
Alex had soon added the missing m to mama and a few other words like 'ball', 'Pi' when she asked for Piper who respectively called her 'Ax', or 'foo' when she was hungry.
After Alex found out how to pull herself up at the table or couch she enjoyed her first times standing and seeing her world from a new perspective. Soon she moved along the side of the table taking a few steps. Diane curiously watched that as did Carol when Piper did the same. On playdates Piper would sometimes pull herself up at the table right next to Alex and they'd just stand there next to each other smiling and learning how to balance and take a few steps. One time Alex had managed to take a few steps away from the table and Piper was fascinated, crawled to Alex and pulled herself up at her best friend. Diane and Carol both thought that any second both girls would fall back into a sitting position but Alex stood and soon Piper did too holding onto Alex. They looked like they were hugging but really just held onto each other for balance and security. However Carol and Diane enjoyed the moment and Carol quickly took a picture of the two girls. When both girls were able to walk there was nothing stopping them and they ran around like the world was theirs. Everytime Piper wandered off Alex was soon to follow as did Piper when Alex took off. The girls were inseparable.
When Diane and Alex lived with Louis for about six months Alex added the word dada to her vocabulary as she heard Piper call Bill like that. When she called Louis like that he shortly looked at Diane to see if that was okay with her who just happily nodded and very much enjoyed the scene in front of her.
When Piper and Alex turned two they had a garden party at the Chapmans garden. They had intended to keep it small but already just family were many people with the Chapmans already being five, the youngest addition Cal only born two months before Piper's second birthday, both Carol's and Bill's parents, Diane, Louis and Alex and Diane's parents as well as Louis parents who had really taken a like to Diane and Alex and already saw them as part of the family. So just the family was a total of sixteen people. Of course they also invited a few friends so the "small" garden party turned to a party of about 23 guests including the hosts.
XXXXX
Another eight months passed and everyone was happy. Diane and Louis were in an invested relationship and a perfect little family. The girls had developed a healthy interest in their surroundings and were both talking more and more day by day. While Carol was busy taking care of Cal Piper stayed over with Diane and Louis every now and then much to Alex's and Piper's delight.
A year and nine months after they first met Louis proposed to Diane as he said there'd be no one more perfect for him and he loved her and Alex so much that he wanted them around for the rest of his life. He already saw Alex as his daughter. After all she had been calling him daddy since she was able to say the word. Of course Diane said yes and was so happy. A week after the proposal they had already told his parents and were on the way to Diane's parents when they got a call. It was the city's hospital telling Diane that her parents had been in a car accident. They didn't say anything about their condition yet which worried Diane to no end. So instead of driving to her parents house they quickly turned around on their way to the hospital. They soon found out after arriving that both her parents had been hurt badly and were in a coma at the moment and they weren't sure if they'd survive. They shortly got to see them but then were asked to leave. Diane cried all the way back to their home and while Louis tried the best to calm her and tried to assure her that her parents were both strong people and they'd make it she couldn't calm down.
The next weeks were hard. They visited often but didn't get many news and the condition of both her parents didn't change much other than the wounds that started to heal. The doctors said both their conditions were still critical and they couldn't promise recovery.
Alex's birthday was a month after the accident and both of Diane's parents were still in coma. They tried to stay positive and not think about it too much. So currently they were celebrating Piper's and Alex's third birthday and everyone wished Diane the best for her parents as well as congratulated her on the engagement as some just found out that day. It was a good day full of hope that soon everything would get better.