"So what happened?" Darien asked.
"I was really scared, but I didn't want Alexander to know. He would always feed on our fears and my mom wasn't scared of him anymore. I was so proud of the way she finally stood up to him." She grabbed Darien's hand. "He packed some suitcases and he and Stephan left."
"So what's gonna happen now?"
She smiled. "Mom promised me and Lita that she's finally finished with him."
Darien took a deep breath. "Yeah, but didn't she say that before?"
"I know, but this time she's serious. I know she won't take him back."
"What makes you so sure?" he asked.
"He slapped her again."
"Well, I'm glad I won't have to worry about you with that lunatic any more." He kissed her cheek.
"I'm just thankful I had you to lean on."
"You'll always have me, Serena." He grinned. "Whether you want me or not."
Morrison smiled. "Sometimes I don't know what is worse--living with two parents who are always fighting, or them living apart and having to be in the middle of their power play."
"Is it really bad?" Lita asked softly.
"It can be at times." He picked up his carton of milk, drained it, and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "My mom started running around with this tennis pro." He shook his head. "But they had problems way before that. Dad wasn't exactly innocent himself." He sighed. "They both tried to get me and Lisa to spy for them on each other. It was hell. Then Dad got this promotion and he thought maybe they could put their marriage back together if we moved here, but Mom refused. She didn't even put up a fight for custody."
Lita saw the hurt in his eyes. "Do you hear from her much?"
"Yeah, she's good about writing every week, and Lisa and I might fly out next Christmas."
"I'll miss you."
He looked into her big clear eyes. "I really like you, Lita. You're different from the girls in California."
"How?"
"I don't know--they're kinda phony. I mean it's like you don't really get to know anything about anyone. People I hung out with were so shallow. This one girl I thought was my girl and the next night she's with someone else."
"I hate when people do that," Lita said. "If I'm with someone, I don't look at another guy. Both people should know when the relationship is over. I had a guy who dumped me once and I didn't even know I was dumped until the next day in school."
"I don't know why anyone would dump you, Lita. You're fun to be with and really pretty."
Lita blushed. "Thanks." She smiled up at him. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, but I don't want you to be mad at me."
"What?"
She smiled sheepishly. "How did you get the name Morrison?"
"Come on baby, light my fire," he sang.
She squealed. "Jim Morrison! I have most of his tapes. He was so cool!"
"Yeah, my parents were kinda like 70's hippies and a Morrison song happened to be playing on their tape deck the night I was conceived." His face reddened. "Even though it was 1977, they were still in the sixties." He laughed.
"You're a year older than me?"
"Yeah, I got held back a year in eighth grade. That was a rough year." He frowned. "My parents were fighting constantly and it was hard to concentrate in school, so I sorta bombed out that year."
"I'm glad you did, or I might not have met you."
He took her hand in his, as he looked deep into her eyes. "I definitely would've found you, Lita. You're one of a kind. I just like being around you."
She squeezed his hand.
Mrs. Moseman handed Irene a stack of papers. "If you have any problem getting aid, let me know."
"I just want my girls to be okay through this. I've explained to them that financially things are going to be tough for a while."
"I'm sure they'll adjust, Mrs. Copeland. In my meetings with them, their number one concern has always been for your safety."
"I remember the fun we used to have before I met my husband. We had so many special times together."
"I know you did. The girls told me. You three would take long walks and talk and laugh."
She smiled with the memory. "Lita was always in so many activities. Sometimes it would be pretty hectic scheduling everything, but I wouldn't trade those times for anything. Unfortunately, my husband tried to tear our foundation from under us. He may have shaken it, but our feelings for each other would never let it crumble."
"I can see that," she said. "But I know that nothing can destroy the bond you and your daughters share."
"I know that deep down." She looked into Mrs. Moseman's caring eyes. "I'm worried about Stephan, though."
"He'll be closely watched," she assured Irene. "His father has been informed of the consequences of Stephan's behavior." She shook her head. "It's a sad situation because his father refuses to believe any allegations about his son."
"I know. I've tried to talk to Stephan, but my husband accused me of picking on him."
"Well, Mrs. Copeland, I wish you luck and I'm sure your daughters are going to be much happier. They are excited and happy. I can already see the peace in them."
"I can, too." She stood up. "Thank you for all of your help, Mrs. Moseman."
"You're welcome. Just remember, I'm here whenever you need someone to talk to."
"I was really scared, but I didn't want Alexander to know. He would always feed on our fears and my mom wasn't scared of him anymore. I was so proud of the way she finally stood up to him." She grabbed Darien's hand. "He packed some suitcases and he and Stephan left."
"So what's gonna happen now?"
She smiled. "Mom promised me and Lita that she's finally finished with him."
Darien took a deep breath. "Yeah, but didn't she say that before?"
"I know, but this time she's serious. I know she won't take him back."
"What makes you so sure?" he asked.
"He slapped her again."
"Well, I'm glad I won't have to worry about you with that lunatic any more." He kissed her cheek.
"I'm just thankful I had you to lean on."
"You'll always have me, Serena." He grinned. "Whether you want me or not."
Morrison smiled. "Sometimes I don't know what is worse--living with two parents who are always fighting, or them living apart and having to be in the middle of their power play."
"Is it really bad?" Lita asked softly.
"It can be at times." He picked up his carton of milk, drained it, and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "My mom started running around with this tennis pro." He shook his head. "But they had problems way before that. Dad wasn't exactly innocent himself." He sighed. "They both tried to get me and Lisa to spy for them on each other. It was hell. Then Dad got this promotion and he thought maybe they could put their marriage back together if we moved here, but Mom refused. She didn't even put up a fight for custody."
Lita saw the hurt in his eyes. "Do you hear from her much?"
"Yeah, she's good about writing every week, and Lisa and I might fly out next Christmas."
"I'll miss you."
He looked into her big clear eyes. "I really like you, Lita. You're different from the girls in California."
"How?"
"I don't know--they're kinda phony. I mean it's like you don't really get to know anything about anyone. People I hung out with were so shallow. This one girl I thought was my girl and the next night she's with someone else."
"I hate when people do that," Lita said. "If I'm with someone, I don't look at another guy. Both people should know when the relationship is over. I had a guy who dumped me once and I didn't even know I was dumped until the next day in school."
"I don't know why anyone would dump you, Lita. You're fun to be with and really pretty."
Lita blushed. "Thanks." She smiled up at him. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, but I don't want you to be mad at me."
"What?"
She smiled sheepishly. "How did you get the name Morrison?"
"Come on baby, light my fire," he sang.
She squealed. "Jim Morrison! I have most of his tapes. He was so cool!"
"Yeah, my parents were kinda like 70's hippies and a Morrison song happened to be playing on their tape deck the night I was conceived." His face reddened. "Even though it was 1977, they were still in the sixties." He laughed.
"You're a year older than me?"
"Yeah, I got held back a year in eighth grade. That was a rough year." He frowned. "My parents were fighting constantly and it was hard to concentrate in school, so I sorta bombed out that year."
"I'm glad you did, or I might not have met you."
He took her hand in his, as he looked deep into her eyes. "I definitely would've found you, Lita. You're one of a kind. I just like being around you."
She squeezed his hand.
Mrs. Moseman handed Irene a stack of papers. "If you have any problem getting aid, let me know."
"I just want my girls to be okay through this. I've explained to them that financially things are going to be tough for a while."
"I'm sure they'll adjust, Mrs. Copeland. In my meetings with them, their number one concern has always been for your safety."
"I remember the fun we used to have before I met my husband. We had so many special times together."
"I know you did. The girls told me. You three would take long walks and talk and laugh."
She smiled with the memory. "Lita was always in so many activities. Sometimes it would be pretty hectic scheduling everything, but I wouldn't trade those times for anything. Unfortunately, my husband tried to tear our foundation from under us. He may have shaken it, but our feelings for each other would never let it crumble."
"I can see that," she said. "But I know that nothing can destroy the bond you and your daughters share."
"I know that deep down." She looked into Mrs. Moseman's caring eyes. "I'm worried about Stephan, though."
"He'll be closely watched," she assured Irene. "His father has been informed of the consequences of Stephan's behavior." She shook her head. "It's a sad situation because his father refuses to believe any allegations about his son."
"I know. I've tried to talk to Stephan, but my husband accused me of picking on him."
"Well, Mrs. Copeland, I wish you luck and I'm sure your daughters are going to be much happier. They are excited and happy. I can already see the peace in them."
"I can, too." She stood up. "Thank you for all of your help, Mrs. Moseman."
"You're welcome. Just remember, I'm here whenever you need someone to talk to."