A Second Act—Part 6
Author's Note: Still enjoying writing this little tale. Anything in italics is a flashback.
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Liz and Jennifer sat watching Jennifer's son and daughter play with Agnes and her toys in the yard.
"I'm sorry it's been so long since we last came, " Jennifer said with a smile as she drank her coffee.
"No, this is really nice, " Liz smiled. "I know life gets busy..."
"Speaking of which... Don?" Jennifer asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's been how many months?"
"Six and it's going very, very, well, " Liz smirked over her mug.
"How well?" Jennifer leaned in.
"Very, " Liz giggled.
"You aren't giving me anything, at you?" Jennifer laughed. "God love Wally, but I've been married to my wonderful accountant husband for a decade and I'd love to hear that my sister's sex life is steamy. "
Liz laughed.
"But seriously, you're happy?" Jennifer asked as she looked at her beaming sister.
"Ridiculously, stupidly happy, " Liz beamed.
"Nice to see that all those years of pining..."
"I wasn't pining..." Liz scoffed. "I've dated since Tom..."
"Half-heartedly," Jennifer scoffed. "You would have spent the rest of your life alone and their friend rather than/ settle for someone else. "
Liz couldn't argue with that.
"Anyways, I'm glad you could come for a few days, but I'm sure DC is jarring with this cold snap compared to Arizona."
"It makes them more resilient, "Jennifer laughed. "They need to be reminded there are colder places as they complain about the odd cool night."
Liz chuckled. She and Agnes had stayed with Jennifer and her kids at a hotel for a night so the kids could enjoy a pool while Liz and Jennifer soaked in the hot tub. It was a decadent start to their 4 night stay.
"I thought I'd put them all in my King and you could take Agnes' bed and I'd take the sofa," Liz said.
Her house was a one floor two-bedroom bungalow that she and Tom bought just after Agnes was born. It was perfect for her and Agnes but got squishy with others over. After Tom left, she thought she'd have to give it up but Reddington's estate sent her a wad of cash after his death and she used it to buy the house outright, pay Tom's portion to him, and had lived mortgage-free since. It was nothing fancy; but it was their home and they loved the neighborhood and the school Agnes went to.
"They'll all fit?" Jennifer asked. "Last time we did air mattresses..."
"No, they'll all fit," Liz smiled thinking of three other kids in her bed one time.
"Hey," Ressler said as he stood over a sleeping Liz on her couch with Erin sleeping on top of her. "I didn't want to wake you, but that can't be..."
"You're here?" Liz asked confused as she looked around to make sure it was her house. It was, but he and Audrey had always had a key to get in if needed.
"I needed to... here, let me..." he said as he reached down and pulled Erin off her. The child immediately snuggled into her dad.
"Put her in my bed, with the other two," Liz said tiredly as she started to stand.
He nodded and walked his sleeping 9-year-old to Liz's bedroom down the hallway.
"I love that I don't have to carry her upstairs at your house," he whispered as he walked ahead of Liz carrying Erin.
Liz smiled.
They walked into her room and Liz pulled back the covers on one side of the bed where Agnes and Carolina weren't sleeping and Ressler settled her in. Liz pulled up the covers and started to leave when she noted that Ressler hadn't moved; he was just standing there staring down at the girls.
"You okay?" Liz asked him.
He nodded his head in the negative and she then realized he seemed to be quietly crying.
"Come outside and talk," Liz said as she pulled at his hand.
It took him a moment but he wiped at his eyes and followed her.
She dropped his hand as soon as they were out of the bedroom and closed the door over so the girls wouldn't wake up.
He walked ahead of her toward her living room and sat heavily on her sofa and dropped his head back over the top, covering his eyes with the palms of his hands.
She got him a glass of water and sat down next to him, placing his water on her coffee table.
"You knew this would be tough," Liz sighed as she looked at Ressler; he hadn't changed positions at all. "But that doesn't mean knowing that made it any easier."
He gasped a little and it broke her heart.
"How's it going?" Liz asked.
Ressler, Audrey's mom, and her step-sister Samantha, had been going through her clothes and things together; deciding what needed to go to the girls, what could be donated, and what needed to stay. The counselor Ressler had spoken with about helping his kids' transition had said it was about striking a balance between not getting rid of every sign of their mother, but also not building a temple to her, or pretending like she was just away on a trip. Liz had taken the girls for the weekend so this could be done away from them. They had spent Friday at the movies, Saturday at the zoo and bowling, and tomorrow it was the children's museum and go-carts.
He gasped again.
Liz realized he was probably beyond words at this moment; beyond tired; and beyond upset. He didn't need to talk anymore; he just needed to sleep and wake up and do this all over again tomorrow.
She reached behind her and took a throw off the back of her couch and shifted down to the end of the sofa and pulled at a reluctant Ressler to lay down and place his head on her lap. It took a lot of pulling but he eventually relented, probably out of exhaustion. She covered him with the throw, reached around behind her and turned off the one light in the room, and placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. She talked about the day with the girls and all the silly things that came out of their mouths and before long he was asleep. She dropped her head onto the back of her sofa and fell asleep as well.
They were woken in that position by Agnes who loudly exclaimed "Uncle Donnie!"
Startled Don bolted upright and Liz gasped.
"Hey sweetie," Liz smiled at her eight-year-old. "You're up early."
"When did you come?" Agnes asked as she crawled onto her mother's now-vacated lap and looked at her uncle rubbing his eyes and looking around confused.
"Uncle Donnie wanted to check on you girls so he came over last night and then fell asleep because he was soooo tired," Liz smiled at her daughter. Liz noted the dried tears on his face and nodded her head toward the washroom down the hall. "Maybe, go splash some water on your face?"
He nodded and padded down the hallway away from them.
"His face is red, is he sunburnt?" Agnes asked.
Liz knew he had probably been crying in his sleep and most of the weekend and, on a ginger, that meant puffy, blotchy red skin.
"He's just had a lot going on since Auntie Audrey died," Liz explained to her child.
"I miss her," Agnes said as she snuggled her mom. "Mommies shouldn't be allowed to die."
Liz gave her child a watery smile and wiped at her eye quickly. Audrey had only been gone a month; it was all still very raw for everyone. Ressler had used the money Reddington had left him to take the last eight months off while Audrey was in treatment and for the last two months when treatment had stopped. The first round, almost two years ago, he'd taken 4 months off to get her through her first cancer diagnosis. The money he got from the estate paid for some fancy doctors for Audrey, their household bills while he cared for her, some expensive hail-mary treatments, and to bring in any equipment or personnel that made her more comfortable. There were physiotherapists, osteopaths, a private nurse, counsellors, and even a meditation person that the end-of-life counsellor recommended.
"I agree baby," Liz snuggled her daughter.
"Carolina and Erin are sad," Agnes said as she played with a lock of Liz's hair. "They want their mommy back."
"I know," Liz nodded. "So, we're going to everything we can to make them less sad, right?"
Agnes nodded solemnly.
"And that starts with pancakes," Liz said with a smile. "You go pee and wash your hands and I'll get the box out."
Agnes nodded and Liz saw her give Ressler a hug as they passed each other in the hallway when he was coming out of her washroom and Agnes was going into it.
Liz walked to the kitchen and turned on her coffee maker and found the pre-mix box of pancakes that just required water and started to measure it out. Ressler hadn't come into the kitchen in a few minutes and she kept herself from checking on him. He had been surrounded by people for years and may need some time to himself now. Between Audrey's mom and step-dad and step-sister living with them off and on for two years, the medical personnel, friends and family staying with them for periods of time to help, and everyone trying to help with his kids; he may be done with people for a while. She had moved into their house the last few weeks of Audrey's life to help because as it got closer to her going, Audrey's mom started to fall apart too and was more work than help for Ressler. Agnes had stayed mainly with Aram and Samar those last few weeks and even Ressler's kids had gone to stay with them for a few nights so they were away from the grief for brief periods so they could still be kids. It was a horrible time.
He appeared in her kitchen door frame suddenly and she was so lost in her thoughts she startled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"No, it's fine," Liz smiled at him. "I was just thinking and didn't notice..."
He nodded.
"Paige and Helen are up and wondering where the hell I am," Ressler chuckled sadly. "Six calls and 14 texts in the last hour and a half."
"You told them you were okay, right?" Liz replied, concerned.
He nodded. "Yeah, I said I was coming back."
She nodded. "Want to stay to see the girls or have coffee or pan...?" Liz asked.
He shook his head. "No, I better get back and if the girls wake up it'll be another hour before I'm out of here."
She nodded in agreement.
"Thanks for last night, I'm sorry..." Ressler started.
"No, don't ever be sorry," Liz said as she dumped the water in the mix and didn't make eye contact.
He nodded.
She turned to look at him. "I can't imagine...so you do whatever you need to do to get through this. My couch is always available, the girls all fit in my bed...I can sleep in Agnes' bed. If you just need to get away from your house, from all the memories for a moment, you and the girls can always, always come here. I mean that."
"I know you do," Ressler sighed and nodded. "Thank you."
She looked at her friend and her heart broke. He had lost weight, looked tired all the time, had let his beard grow in, and looked lost. His wife, the love of his life, was gone and he was left trying to stumble through his grief while dealing with his children's grief, the realities of life, the fact that he needed to return to work soon, and this weekend going through her things. It was too much for anyone to bear and Liz's heart sank.
She took a step toward him to hug him when Agnes came bounding into the kitchen wearing a ridiculous chef's hat that Dembe had bought her for when she cooked.
Ressler burst out laughing at the sight of her and it was the happiest Liz had seen him in months, possibly two years.
"Look at you!" Ressler said as he picked up the little girl still laughing.
"Cooking is very serious business in the Keen house," Liz smirked as she watched Ressler enjoy a moment of joy.
"I can see it is," Ressler chuckled before he put Agnes down. "Save a pancake for me and I'll warm it up when I come get my girls tonight, okay?"
Agnes saluted him and that made him laugh again. Liz caught his eye and smiled; it was good to know there was still laughter inside of him.
"I better go," he said quietly before he stepped back and walked out her front door.
Liz leaned against the door frame to her room and watched her sister give a dramatic reading of one of the Harry Potter books complete with British accents. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out to see a text from Ressler.
You got a minute to chat?
She walked away from the room and called him.
"Hey, what's up?" Liz asked.
"I have a proposition for you but I wanted to clear it before I agreed to Helen's..."
"Helen propositioned you?" Liz chuckled.
He laughed loudly. "Oh fuck that didn't sound right as soon as I said it."
She laughed with him.
"Shoot!" Liz said with a smirk.
"She wants to take my girls to Disney for a few days next month," he said.
"That's nice, they haven't been in years..." Liz said, known Ressler and Audrey took the girls when they were about 5 and 6 last.
"And I was thinking maybe I could stay with you and Agnes then?" Ressler asked.
Liz smiled. Their sex life had been...erratic at best. They had mainly gone to hotels; sometimes for the evening, sometimes overnight. He had stayed at her place a handful of times for one night on his own while the girls were at a sleepover. There had been a few times when all three girls were at a birthday party when they had taken advantage of her living room. There had also been quick and secretive sex acts in downstairs washrooms, a tent, and once her laundry room.
"Sure, you can always..." Liz started.
"And I was thinking we could meet them in Florida and go to Harry Potter World all five of us, get a family suite at one of their hotels and stay for a few days together?" Ressler asked.
Now Liz got the weight of what he was calling about. Their kids had not ever seen them together, sleeping in the same bed, like that. He'd always been up before Agnes woke when he stayed over, he and the girls had never once stayed over together, and Liz had yet to stay at his place as his girlfriend; they didn't talk about it, but it felt weird to think about sleeping with him in the same bed he slept in with Audrey for over a decade. She had, however, slept with him in the tent they'd set up in his yard that all the girls vacated at various times throughout their camp night to sleep in 'real beds'. Hard ground and stiff backs got them up at the crack of dawn and they were making breakfast together in the kitchen when the girls woke up.
"Liz?" He asked when she didn't answer.
"You stay with me while they're at Disney with Helen and Hank and let's book something that fits all of us at Harry Potter World, the kids will love it," Liz smiled into the phone.
"They have a suite...I looked at the layouts, where the kids get a room with 2 queens and we get a room with a king and there a living room area..." Ressler said, knowing this was a big step for them.
Liz and Agnes had joined him and Audrey and their girls on vacations plenty of times. They had gone camping together, beach vacations, a cruise, to amusement parks, and to historical sights. But she and Agnes had gone as one family, and his family another. This was their first time blending and letting their kids see them as one unit. It would be the first time their kids would see them going to get together and waking up together.
"I love it babe," Liz said. "Book it and I'll etransfer you half of the..."
"No, I go this," he said quickly.
"Ressler, I'm sure it's not cheap and..."
"I have some savings," he said quietly. "I want to do this."
She smiled into the phone and nodded.
"Hey, how's it going today with Jennifer and her kids?" He asked.
"Great, we're still okay to come for dinner tomorrow? Jackson will need double the food you anticipate he'll need."
Ressler laughed.
"But Chloe just grazes all day so really, it's a wash," Liz chuckled.
"I haven't seen them in years so I'm excited to meet them again," he said as he chuckled. "See you at 5?"
"I'll pick up a dessert and something for the adults to drink," Liz smirked. "You need anything else?"
"Just you," he said low and sexy into the phone.
"Well, I'm surprised you've managed without me," Liz chuckled.
"It's been tough," he snickered. "But I get you back tomorrow so..."
"So, you want to visit the downstairs washroom with me?" She whispered.
"I always want to visit anywhere with you," he said quietly. "But I think the 5 kids and other adults will probably negate any available time for a quick and private washroom visit..."
"I say we play it by ear, babe," Liz smiled into the phone.
He laughed quietly on the other side of the line.
"I'll book the suite and you need to book vacation time tomorrow," Ressler said. "I'm already off for the Harry Potter World days because I was going down to pick up the girls from their place anyways."
Liz nodded.
"Let's go this," Liz huffed, her nervousness about the next step apparent in her words and voice.
"I think it's time and they're ready..." he said confidently.
"I do too," Liz affirmed.
"I love you, Liz," he said softly over the phone.
"I love you too hon," Liz said before they disconnected their call.
To be continued...let me know what you think!