"So where are the four of you headed tonight?" Ken asked the group.
"Serena and I are going school clothes shopping," Darien said with a trace of laughter in his voice. Serena playfully punched his shoulder. "Hey! You said you would show me what the girls in college are wearing."
Ken laughed heartily. "Get used to it, Darien. Once they get you, they make you do all kinds of things you never dreamed you'd be doing."
"What do you mean by that, Detective?" Irene jokingly asked.
"Whoa, looks like I got myself in hot water again," Ken teased.
"Again!" Irene exclaimed. "You haven't been out of hot water since I met you."
Lita laughed. "You guys are so weird."
"And what are your thoughts, Morrison?" Ken asked.
"Don't drag me into this. I'm staying neutral," he grinned.
"Sure, Morrison, play it safe," Darien said.
"That's my motto. Don't take sides."
"So, how's Lisa doing?" Irene asked.
"Good. She's going to live with our mother and go to college in California."
"I sure miss her," Serena said.
"Yeah, it's strange without her around," Morrison said, then added with a glint of mischief in his eye, "but it sure is great being able to use the bathroom."
"I know what you mean," Ken jumped in. "The women go in there and you can never get them out."
"Morrison, now look what you've started," Lita laughed.
"Well, we women are going to make a list of all the things you guys do that make us crazy," Irene said.
"You start the list, Mom, and we'll add to it when we get home," Serena said.
"Peace and quiet at last," Ken sighed, leaning back into the sofa.
"You could've had peace and quiet sooner if you hadn't gotten the boys so wound up, you instigator," Irene teased.
"They're a great group of kids."
"They are. It's a relief to see the girls so relaxed again."
"They've been through so much the past few years, you must feel a tremendous burden lifted from your shoulders."
She sighed deeply. "It does feel good. Now I can finally put the past behind me and get on with my life."
"Just so I'm included in your present and future," he said seriously.
"You know you are, Ken. I don't know how I would've gotten through these past weeks without you to lean on."
"And it wasn't so bad to lean on me, was it?"
She smiled. "No, it wasn't. As a matter of fact, I could get used to having you around." She slipped her arm through his, looking deeply into his eyes. "I've gotten used to having you around."
"That's what I wanted to hear." He stroked her cheek. "So, when are you planning your trip?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. I wanted to go the end of July, but Serena won't be too thrilled leaving Darien. He has to be back in school a couple of weeks before she starts, so I might plan it then."
"Where's your destination?"
"Serena wants to go to Seattle."
"Sounds like fun." He ran his finger lightly over her bare arm. "How are you going to get around without driving?"
"Serena sent for some information. There are all types of public transportation if we stay in the city. There's a shuttle to and from the airport."
"I have some vacation time coming myself," he hinted.
"Is that so?" She smiled. "What do you plan to do?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Find an attractive author and see if she can use a rugged, lonely detective to help fill a void in her life."
She laughed. "If that's a hint Detective Tsukino, it's pretty shallow." She squeezed his hand. "For your information, the girls and I have already discussed the possibility of you joining us."
"And what was the verdict?"
"A unanimous yes!" He smiled. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes, I was, but first I wanted to see if you really wanted to go with us."
"I would go to the end of the world for you." He gently turned her chin until she was facing him. He gazed into her eyes. "One thing I promise you, Irene, is that no one will ever hurt you again. I'll be that character in your book--the one who loves you more than his own life. That's my promise to you."
She kissed him tenderly. "I've fallen in love with you, Ken. The way I feel about you I've never felt for another man," she whispered.
A smile spread across his face. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that, Irene." He cradled her in his arms. "I'm going to show you and the girls what a normal family is really like. I'll smother the three of you with so much love and affection that you'll forget all the pain and suffering you went through. That's my promise."
"I accept," she said as tears filled her eyes.
"Serena and I are going school clothes shopping," Darien said with a trace of laughter in his voice. Serena playfully punched his shoulder. "Hey! You said you would show me what the girls in college are wearing."
Ken laughed heartily. "Get used to it, Darien. Once they get you, they make you do all kinds of things you never dreamed you'd be doing."
"What do you mean by that, Detective?" Irene jokingly asked.
"Whoa, looks like I got myself in hot water again," Ken teased.
"Again!" Irene exclaimed. "You haven't been out of hot water since I met you."
Lita laughed. "You guys are so weird."
"And what are your thoughts, Morrison?" Ken asked.
"Don't drag me into this. I'm staying neutral," he grinned.
"Sure, Morrison, play it safe," Darien said.
"That's my motto. Don't take sides."
"So, how's Lisa doing?" Irene asked.
"Good. She's going to live with our mother and go to college in California."
"I sure miss her," Serena said.
"Yeah, it's strange without her around," Morrison said, then added with a glint of mischief in his eye, "but it sure is great being able to use the bathroom."
"I know what you mean," Ken jumped in. "The women go in there and you can never get them out."
"Morrison, now look what you've started," Lita laughed.
"Well, we women are going to make a list of all the things you guys do that make us crazy," Irene said.
"You start the list, Mom, and we'll add to it when we get home," Serena said.
"Peace and quiet at last," Ken sighed, leaning back into the sofa.
"You could've had peace and quiet sooner if you hadn't gotten the boys so wound up, you instigator," Irene teased.
"They're a great group of kids."
"They are. It's a relief to see the girls so relaxed again."
"They've been through so much the past few years, you must feel a tremendous burden lifted from your shoulders."
She sighed deeply. "It does feel good. Now I can finally put the past behind me and get on with my life."
"Just so I'm included in your present and future," he said seriously.
"You know you are, Ken. I don't know how I would've gotten through these past weeks without you to lean on."
"And it wasn't so bad to lean on me, was it?"
She smiled. "No, it wasn't. As a matter of fact, I could get used to having you around." She slipped her arm through his, looking deeply into his eyes. "I've gotten used to having you around."
"That's what I wanted to hear." He stroked her cheek. "So, when are you planning your trip?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. I wanted to go the end of July, but Serena won't be too thrilled leaving Darien. He has to be back in school a couple of weeks before she starts, so I might plan it then."
"Where's your destination?"
"Serena wants to go to Seattle."
"Sounds like fun." He ran his finger lightly over her bare arm. "How are you going to get around without driving?"
"Serena sent for some information. There are all types of public transportation if we stay in the city. There's a shuttle to and from the airport."
"I have some vacation time coming myself," he hinted.
"Is that so?" She smiled. "What do you plan to do?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Find an attractive author and see if she can use a rugged, lonely detective to help fill a void in her life."
She laughed. "If that's a hint Detective Tsukino, it's pretty shallow." She squeezed his hand. "For your information, the girls and I have already discussed the possibility of you joining us."
"And what was the verdict?"
"A unanimous yes!" He smiled. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes, I was, but first I wanted to see if you really wanted to go with us."
"I would go to the end of the world for you." He gently turned her chin until she was facing him. He gazed into her eyes. "One thing I promise you, Irene, is that no one will ever hurt you again. I'll be that character in your book--the one who loves you more than his own life. That's my promise to you."
She kissed him tenderly. "I've fallen in love with you, Ken. The way I feel about you I've never felt for another man," she whispered.
A smile spread across his face. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that, Irene." He cradled her in his arms. "I'm going to show you and the girls what a normal family is really like. I'll smother the three of you with so much love and affection that you'll forget all the pain and suffering you went through. That's my promise."
"I accept," she said as tears filled her eyes.