Chapter 61
"I can't wait to see the look on her face," Hank laughed. "When she realizes we're married, or…" She left the question hanging in the air. Hank glanced at the rearview mirror. At Jake and Ali in the backseat. Separated by MJ's carseat. "Well, I was talking about the moment she spies your ring, Babe. But you know what? She's going to have a conniption when she sees the rugrats. You know what'd make it even better?"
"Oh," she groaned. Head in hands. "What are you planning now? Wait. I don't want to know." "What? You don't want to mess with Mommy Dearest's head a little? Really, Babe. Live a little. It'll be fun. She'll be so panicked, she won't say two words about us being married. And just think…I can almost guarantee we won't be getting any invitations to family dinners. At least not for a while. So…what do you say? Are you game?" he asked with a grin.
She couldn't deny it sounded appealing. So against her better judgment, she said, "Okay. BUT…if she attempts to murder you, I'm letting her do it," she teased. "What's this plan of yours?" He just smiled at her. "Jake. Ali. I need your help. Are you up for…" Gwen could only laugh helplessly. Mother was going to flip.
Hank's brown eyes twinkled as he removed MJ from his carseat and handed him to Gwen. She rubbed the baby's downy head and kissed his silky cheek. Smiling at her husband. She had to give him credit. Mother wasn't going to speak to them for days. Weeks, maybe. Possibly even months.
Ali took Hank's hand, and Jake grinned up at his father when he said, "You guys know the drill. You do a good job, and I'll take you all out for ice cream later. Deal?" "Deal!" Jake said. Giving him a high five. "Uncle Hank," Ali pouted. Tugging at his hand. "I'm scared." "Oh, Miss Ali," he said. Lifting her up into his arms. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. If mean, old, evil Becs tries to hurt you, sweetheart, I'll…I'll bite her. Like this," he said. Pretending to gnaw on Ali's neck. Causing her to giggle uncontrollably.
Gwen rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell. The smile on her face full- blown when her father answered it. "Oh, if it isn't my little girl," he said. Opening his arms to her. A curious look coming over his face when he spotted MJ. And Ali. "I send you off on your honeymoon. And you come back with not one, but three kids. What's going on here?" he asked. Rubbing a hand over MJ's head and smiling at Ali in Hank's arms.
"Babysitting," Gwen laughed. "It was the least we could do after leaving poor Sheridan with Jake all week. She's probably lapsed into a coma by now." "Sheridan Crane? I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. You," he said. Waving his finger in front of Ali, "you're just as pretty as your mother." Ali beamed at him. And buried her face in Hank's neck shyly. "Who's this little fella here?" he asked. Nodding at MJ in Gwen's arms. "This is my nephew," Hank smiled proudly. "MJ's my cousin," Ali said quietly.
Jonathan saw them in and led them to the living room where he sat on the sofa and listened attentively to his grandson. Detailing what he thought of as "Jake's Grand Adventures." He chuckled to himself. Jake had a way of embellishing things and making them larger than life. He hid his smile when Ali spoke up. "Jake's been so mean to my kitty, Mr. Hotchkiss. He threw her off the top of my dresser," she tattled. Blue eyes wide. Serious as can be.
"Jake, my boy. I'm disappointed in you," he scolded. "But Grandpa," Jake shot back. "I just wanted to see if she'd land on her feet. I wasn't trying to hurt her dumb cat. Honest," he said. Sticking his tongue out at Ali. "Jake," he said sternly. Wanting so badly to laugh.
MJ fussed from Gwen's lap, and Jonathan's attention was diverted from his young grandson and Ali. He smiled in amusement as he watched Gwen and Hank work together to try to calm the baby down. But nothing would work. And soon MJ was screaming at the top of his lungs. And they all turned when they heard a voice say, "What on earth is going on here?"
Hank grinned. Getting up frm the sofa and walking over to his mother-in- law. Gwen coming to stand beside him. The bawling child in her arms. Rebecca's eyes were drawn to the gold band on her finger, and they grew wide as saucers. "Is that...is that what I think it is?" she choked out.
Hank slid his arm around Gwen's waist and said, "Yeah. We're sorry you couldn't come to the wedding. It was kind of a spur of the moment deal," he grinned. "You should have seen our Gwen, Mom. Pretty as a picture," he bragged. Watching as all color drained out of Rebecca's face. She held a hand to her chest. Cringing as MJ screamed in her face. "Whose children are these?" she asked. Noticing Ali in Jonathan's lap. Not able to ignore MJ.
"Jake," Hank said. "Help me do the honors, Son." Jake got up from the sofa, took Ali by the hand, and walked over to where his parents and grandmother stood. "Grandma, this is my new sister. Ali." Ali walked up to Rebecca and wrapped her arms around her legs. Squeezing her eyes shut tight. Hank didn't know what was funnier. Ali's fright. Or the look on Bec's face when he took MJ out of Gwen's arms and handed him to her. "And this is our new son. MJ," he said. Smiling broadly.
The look of pure horror on Rebecca's face was priceless. "You can't be serious," she said in a tiny voice. Holding MJ at arms' length. And shaking her leg in an attempt to dislodge Ali. "But Mother," Gwen said. "We are. The adoption papers just went through yesterday. Jake has a new brother and sister. Aren't you happy for us?" Rebecca looked like she was going to be ill. She thrust MJ into Hank's arms and pried Ali's little arms from around her legs. "Let...go...of...me," she said through clenched teeth. Finally freeing herself. "If you'll excuse me," she said. Smoothing her skirt. "I think I'll go jump off a rocky cliff now." And she turned on her heels. Leaving them all. They could only laugh as they watched her ascend the stairs muttering obscenities under her breath.
"I don't think your grandma's going to be wanting to visit us anytime soon, kids," Hank joked.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face," Hank laughed. "When she realizes we're married, or…" She left the question hanging in the air. Hank glanced at the rearview mirror. At Jake and Ali in the backseat. Separated by MJ's carseat. "Well, I was talking about the moment she spies your ring, Babe. But you know what? She's going to have a conniption when she sees the rugrats. You know what'd make it even better?"
"Oh," she groaned. Head in hands. "What are you planning now? Wait. I don't want to know." "What? You don't want to mess with Mommy Dearest's head a little? Really, Babe. Live a little. It'll be fun. She'll be so panicked, she won't say two words about us being married. And just think…I can almost guarantee we won't be getting any invitations to family dinners. At least not for a while. So…what do you say? Are you game?" he asked with a grin.
She couldn't deny it sounded appealing. So against her better judgment, she said, "Okay. BUT…if she attempts to murder you, I'm letting her do it," she teased. "What's this plan of yours?" He just smiled at her. "Jake. Ali. I need your help. Are you up for…" Gwen could only laugh helplessly. Mother was going to flip.
Hank's brown eyes twinkled as he removed MJ from his carseat and handed him to Gwen. She rubbed the baby's downy head and kissed his silky cheek. Smiling at her husband. She had to give him credit. Mother wasn't going to speak to them for days. Weeks, maybe. Possibly even months.
Ali took Hank's hand, and Jake grinned up at his father when he said, "You guys know the drill. You do a good job, and I'll take you all out for ice cream later. Deal?" "Deal!" Jake said. Giving him a high five. "Uncle Hank," Ali pouted. Tugging at his hand. "I'm scared." "Oh, Miss Ali," he said. Lifting her up into his arms. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. If mean, old, evil Becs tries to hurt you, sweetheart, I'll…I'll bite her. Like this," he said. Pretending to gnaw on Ali's neck. Causing her to giggle uncontrollably.
Gwen rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell. The smile on her face full- blown when her father answered it. "Oh, if it isn't my little girl," he said. Opening his arms to her. A curious look coming over his face when he spotted MJ. And Ali. "I send you off on your honeymoon. And you come back with not one, but three kids. What's going on here?" he asked. Rubbing a hand over MJ's head and smiling at Ali in Hank's arms.
"Babysitting," Gwen laughed. "It was the least we could do after leaving poor Sheridan with Jake all week. She's probably lapsed into a coma by now." "Sheridan Crane? I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. You," he said. Waving his finger in front of Ali, "you're just as pretty as your mother." Ali beamed at him. And buried her face in Hank's neck shyly. "Who's this little fella here?" he asked. Nodding at MJ in Gwen's arms. "This is my nephew," Hank smiled proudly. "MJ's my cousin," Ali said quietly.
Jonathan saw them in and led them to the living room where he sat on the sofa and listened attentively to his grandson. Detailing what he thought of as "Jake's Grand Adventures." He chuckled to himself. Jake had a way of embellishing things and making them larger than life. He hid his smile when Ali spoke up. "Jake's been so mean to my kitty, Mr. Hotchkiss. He threw her off the top of my dresser," she tattled. Blue eyes wide. Serious as can be.
"Jake, my boy. I'm disappointed in you," he scolded. "But Grandpa," Jake shot back. "I just wanted to see if she'd land on her feet. I wasn't trying to hurt her dumb cat. Honest," he said. Sticking his tongue out at Ali. "Jake," he said sternly. Wanting so badly to laugh.
MJ fussed from Gwen's lap, and Jonathan's attention was diverted from his young grandson and Ali. He smiled in amusement as he watched Gwen and Hank work together to try to calm the baby down. But nothing would work. And soon MJ was screaming at the top of his lungs. And they all turned when they heard a voice say, "What on earth is going on here?"
Hank grinned. Getting up frm the sofa and walking over to his mother-in- law. Gwen coming to stand beside him. The bawling child in her arms. Rebecca's eyes were drawn to the gold band on her finger, and they grew wide as saucers. "Is that...is that what I think it is?" she choked out.
Hank slid his arm around Gwen's waist and said, "Yeah. We're sorry you couldn't come to the wedding. It was kind of a spur of the moment deal," he grinned. "You should have seen our Gwen, Mom. Pretty as a picture," he bragged. Watching as all color drained out of Rebecca's face. She held a hand to her chest. Cringing as MJ screamed in her face. "Whose children are these?" she asked. Noticing Ali in Jonathan's lap. Not able to ignore MJ.
"Jake," Hank said. "Help me do the honors, Son." Jake got up from the sofa, took Ali by the hand, and walked over to where his parents and grandmother stood. "Grandma, this is my new sister. Ali." Ali walked up to Rebecca and wrapped her arms around her legs. Squeezing her eyes shut tight. Hank didn't know what was funnier. Ali's fright. Or the look on Bec's face when he took MJ out of Gwen's arms and handed him to her. "And this is our new son. MJ," he said. Smiling broadly.
The look of pure horror on Rebecca's face was priceless. "You can't be serious," she said in a tiny voice. Holding MJ at arms' length. And shaking her leg in an attempt to dislodge Ali. "But Mother," Gwen said. "We are. The adoption papers just went through yesterday. Jake has a new brother and sister. Aren't you happy for us?" Rebecca looked like she was going to be ill. She thrust MJ into Hank's arms and pried Ali's little arms from around her legs. "Let...go...of...me," she said through clenched teeth. Finally freeing herself. "If you'll excuse me," she said. Smoothing her skirt. "I think I'll go jump off a rocky cliff now." And she turned on her heels. Leaving them all. They could only laugh as they watched her ascend the stairs muttering obscenities under her breath.
"I don't think your grandma's going to be wanting to visit us anytime soon, kids," Hank joked.