Chapter 18
Robin stretched out her arms and sat up on the couch. She rolled her neck around and yawned. She had needed that nap and Rylee…
Where was Rylee? She had been lying with Robin when they fell asleep but the little girl was not in the living room now. Robin jumped off the couch and began calling for her. "Rylee?"
"In here grandma." Robin heard her granddaughter call to her from her bedroom. She ran towards the voice and was surprised to hear Rylee admonishing someone. "No, they have to be the same color." Frustration filled her voice as she hollered for help. "Grandma!"
Robin shook her head and walked in, fully expecting Michelle to be in there with her daughter. She was shocked when she saw Patrick sitting on the floor of Rylee's room instead. "What are you doing here?"
"I came by with burgers, ice cream, Jason's file and an apology."
"An apology?" Robin leaned against the side of the doorway and crossed her arms.
Patrick stood up and walked over to her. "I should have never told Jason you wouldn't work with him. I should have presented you his case and let you make the decision on your own. You are a brilliant and compassionate doctor who deserves to be treated with respect and I didn't do that."
"And…"
"And what?" Patrick wasn't sure what she wanted him to stay.
"And you need to explain to me why you did it but not until after you tell me why you are arguing with a four year old." Robin brushed past him and sat down next to her granddaughter. "What's going on baby girl?"
"Uncle Patrick was trying to match Olaf on the blue square with Olaf on the red square." Rylee stuck her lower lip out in a full pout.
"He didn't!" Robin gave the little girl the shocked reaction she was looking for before playfully glaring at Patrick. "You can't do that."
"I know and I tried to tell him but he didn't listen." Rylee crossed her arms and sighed dramatically.
Patrick watched the two of them and was once again amazed by how much like Robin Rylee was. He sat back down on the floor and smiled apologetically at the little girl. "I am so sorry – I won't make that mistake again."
"Okay." The little girl was quick to forgive the doctor. She looked at her grandma. "Uncle Patrick and I had ice cream and it didn't hurt my throat."
Robin rolled her eyes but decided she would chastise Patrick later. "That was very nice of Uncle Patrick but next time you need to wait until mommy or I tell you it's okay."
"Sorry Robin." Patrick did feel bad, he hadn't thought that Robin or Michelle might not have wanted her to have the ice cream. "It's just that Michelle said she had strep throat and I thought that…"
Rylee climbed into her grandma's lap and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry grandma."
Robin sighed. "It's fine – I know your throat hurts and I bet the ice cream tasted really good. Did you tell Uncle Patrick thank you?"
"Yes she did." Patrick leaned over and gently tickled the little girl's belly.
She giggled in response. "Grandma, do you want to play with us?"
"Sure baby girl." Robin hugged Ry close and then winked at Patrick. "Shuffle them up Drake and try not to cheat this time – we are both watching you."
"Michelle?" Carly approached the young woman as she was getting on the elevator. "May I speak to you for a minute?"
Michelle resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she answered the woman. Michael had warned Michelle that his mother had no problem using anyone, especially Robin's daughter, against her. "I am actually in a hurry to get home."
"This will just take a minute – I wanted to talk to you about your stepmother."
Michelle glared at the woman. "My mother," she emphasized the word mother, "is at home taking care of my daughter who is sick."
"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Carly would never willingly leave one of her children alone with Robin.
Michelle had already heard about how hateful Carly was from many people but this was ridiculous. "Still safer than living with a mobster."
Carly smirked at the young woman. It was obvious that Michelle had inherited her mother's sanctimonious attitude even without there being a blood tie between them. "I see that Robin has told you about what happened years ago with Michael."
"Actually Michael told me. He wanted me to know how much he appreciated my mom telling everyone who his dad was." Michelle took great pleasure in the look of shock that crossed Carly's face. "We have a class together at PCU."
"Michael has been misled by AJ and the Quartermaines and you might want to remember that I am on the board of this hospital. A little respect might be in order." Carly straightened up as she spoke, taking advantage of every inch she had on the young woman.
"And you might want to remember that you have to earn respect, at least with me." Michelle wasn't about to let this blonde bitch push her around. "Now, if you are done threatening me…"
Michelle went to push the elevator button but Carly stepped in front of it. "Let's start over – I was hoping to make amends with Robin and do something special for her and her family. I understand that your father passed away a few years ago – a firefighter who died in the line of duty?"
"Yes." Michelle was not going to willingly give this woman any information about her father.
"Here's the thing – I want to create a scholarship in your father's name but I need more information and I cannot find it online." Carly tilted her head as she questioned Michelle. "In fact, I can't find a record of a firefighter with the last name of Soltini in Oregon at all. Strange, huh?"
"Maybe you are just looking in the wrong place." Michelle's phone went off and she smiled at the message waiting for her. It was a picture of Patrick and Rylee playing Memory sent from her mom's phone. The fact that her mom hadn't kicked him out was a good start. "Look, I really have to go but if you really want to do something for my mom and our family then just leave us alone to live our lives."
"But…"
The elevator doors opened and Michelle pushed past Carly to jump onto it. Before the blonde could move, the doors were shutting. "Bye."
Michelle waited until the doors shut before she texted her mom and asked her to watch Ry for a little bit longer so she could go over her notes for her Bio test the next day. Fortunately her mom instantly agreed and Michelle texted Michael to tell him she was on her way over to see him. She didn't believe for one second that his mother wanted to mend fences with her mom.
No, Michael's mom was up to something and, working together, they would figure out what it was and how to stop it.
