Chapter 54
"Grandpa Martin? Are my mommy and daddy mad at me?" Ali asked in a tiny voice. "Ali," he said in surprise. The food in front of him momentarily forgotten. "Come here," he said. Patting his knee. Pulling her little body onto his lap and giving her a squeeze before speaking again. "Of course not. How could they ever be mad at you, Princess?"
"I just thought they were mad at me," she sniffled. "Sweetie, your mommy and daddy love you," Theresa said. Kneeling down in front of her father and niece. "They're not mad at you. I promise. Oh, Ali. Don't cry," Theresa said. "What do you say we go call your mommy and daddy right now, and I prove to you they're not mad at you? Good idea?"
Ali nodded her blond head yes. Taking Theresa's hand and walking out of the kitchen. Martin breathed a sigh of relief and looked across the table at his wife. "Poor thing. Do you think Luis worked things out with Sheridan?" "He loves her too much not to, Martin. He almost lost his mind when he thought she was dead. A little bout with jealousy pales in comparison."
"Yes," he said. Rising from his chair and coming to a stop in front of her. Offering her his hand. Smiling when she took it and pulling her in close for a hug. "It does. He loves her. Almost as much as I love you," he said. Looking into her dark, shining eyes. Kissing her sweetly on the cheek and twirling her in his arms to music only they could hear. Stopping when they realized they had an audience.
"Don't stop on our account, Papa. MJ here thinks you're quite the dancer," Miguel said with a smile. MJ laughed then. As if to show his appreciation. Martin grinned and took his grandson from his son's arms. Saying good morning. "Where's Kay, Mijo?" "At the airport seeing Reese, Jess, and Faith off. But she promised to swing by later, Mama."
"MJ!" Ali squealed at the sight of her cousin. Her face lit up like it was Christmas morning. Pilar laughed softly at the change in her. Relieved. "See. What did I tell you?" Martin grinned. Sitting down so Ali could see MJ better. "They weren't mad at you, were they?"
"Nope," Ali smiled. Giggling as MJ grabbed her pinkie. Not letting go. "Mommy was mad at Daddy. Not me." "Really?" Miguel asked in confusion. Confused she wasn't more upset. "Uh huh. But she's not mad anymore. She said Daddy made it up to her." Pilar shot Theresa a dirty look when she giggled and said, "I bet. I'm sure Sheridan made him pay."
Ali continued playing with her cousin. Completely oblivious to all the talk around her. "Uncle Miguel?" she asked. "Can I take MJ home with me?" "Why's that?" Miguel asked. Tickling her sides and making her giggle. "Dunno. I just like him." "Well...you know, he isn't always so happy. He cries sometimes, too."
"Please, Uncle Miguel. Pretty, pretty please." "You mean you still want him. Even though he cries?" "Uh huh," she giggled. "What about the smelly diapers?" "Mommy can change them. I'm too little." He laughed. Remembering Luis rib Sheridan about not having any idea how to change a diaper all those years ago. "She needs the practice anyway."
"Why do you say that, Ali?" Theresa asked. Voice filled with amusement. Where did Ali come up with this stuff? "Cause that's what I want for Christmas, silly. A baby brother." Pilar choked on the orange juice she was sipping. "Mija! It's a little more complicated than that. And besides. Christmas is a long way off."
"Jake says she can have a baby by Christmas. He says it takes nine months, and Mommy has plenty of time. He said she's probably already going to have a baby. Cause she and Daddy kiss so much." Theresa burst into helpless laughter. It was too much. Martin chuckled to himself. He seemed to remember Hank saying something along the same lines so long ago. Afraid of her answer but not able to stop herself, Pilar took a deep breath and posed another question. "What else does Jake say?" And Ali's answers kept them entertained for much of the day.
"Grandpa Martin? Are my mommy and daddy mad at me?" Ali asked in a tiny voice. "Ali," he said in surprise. The food in front of him momentarily forgotten. "Come here," he said. Patting his knee. Pulling her little body onto his lap and giving her a squeeze before speaking again. "Of course not. How could they ever be mad at you, Princess?"
"I just thought they were mad at me," she sniffled. "Sweetie, your mommy and daddy love you," Theresa said. Kneeling down in front of her father and niece. "They're not mad at you. I promise. Oh, Ali. Don't cry," Theresa said. "What do you say we go call your mommy and daddy right now, and I prove to you they're not mad at you? Good idea?"
Ali nodded her blond head yes. Taking Theresa's hand and walking out of the kitchen. Martin breathed a sigh of relief and looked across the table at his wife. "Poor thing. Do you think Luis worked things out with Sheridan?" "He loves her too much not to, Martin. He almost lost his mind when he thought she was dead. A little bout with jealousy pales in comparison."
"Yes," he said. Rising from his chair and coming to a stop in front of her. Offering her his hand. Smiling when she took it and pulling her in close for a hug. "It does. He loves her. Almost as much as I love you," he said. Looking into her dark, shining eyes. Kissing her sweetly on the cheek and twirling her in his arms to music only they could hear. Stopping when they realized they had an audience.
"Don't stop on our account, Papa. MJ here thinks you're quite the dancer," Miguel said with a smile. MJ laughed then. As if to show his appreciation. Martin grinned and took his grandson from his son's arms. Saying good morning. "Where's Kay, Mijo?" "At the airport seeing Reese, Jess, and Faith off. But she promised to swing by later, Mama."
"MJ!" Ali squealed at the sight of her cousin. Her face lit up like it was Christmas morning. Pilar laughed softly at the change in her. Relieved. "See. What did I tell you?" Martin grinned. Sitting down so Ali could see MJ better. "They weren't mad at you, were they?"
"Nope," Ali smiled. Giggling as MJ grabbed her pinkie. Not letting go. "Mommy was mad at Daddy. Not me." "Really?" Miguel asked in confusion. Confused she wasn't more upset. "Uh huh. But she's not mad anymore. She said Daddy made it up to her." Pilar shot Theresa a dirty look when she giggled and said, "I bet. I'm sure Sheridan made him pay."
Ali continued playing with her cousin. Completely oblivious to all the talk around her. "Uncle Miguel?" she asked. "Can I take MJ home with me?" "Why's that?" Miguel asked. Tickling her sides and making her giggle. "Dunno. I just like him." "Well...you know, he isn't always so happy. He cries sometimes, too."
"Please, Uncle Miguel. Pretty, pretty please." "You mean you still want him. Even though he cries?" "Uh huh," she giggled. "What about the smelly diapers?" "Mommy can change them. I'm too little." He laughed. Remembering Luis rib Sheridan about not having any idea how to change a diaper all those years ago. "She needs the practice anyway."
"Why do you say that, Ali?" Theresa asked. Voice filled with amusement. Where did Ali come up with this stuff? "Cause that's what I want for Christmas, silly. A baby brother." Pilar choked on the orange juice she was sipping. "Mija! It's a little more complicated than that. And besides. Christmas is a long way off."
"Jake says she can have a baby by Christmas. He says it takes nine months, and Mommy has plenty of time. He said she's probably already going to have a baby. Cause she and Daddy kiss so much." Theresa burst into helpless laughter. It was too much. Martin chuckled to himself. He seemed to remember Hank saying something along the same lines so long ago. Afraid of her answer but not able to stop herself, Pilar took a deep breath and posed another question. "What else does Jake say?" And Ali's answers kept them entertained for much of the day.