DC: Still the same.
Miguel's POV
"Look Kay, if you aren't going to do what I want, at least hear me out, okay?" I asked.
Kay grumbled.
"Okay, whaddya want?"
"You don't have to raise the baby if you don't want to. I will."
"You? Raise a baby? By yourself?"
"Mama said she'd help me and you'd never have to see it if you don't want to."
"Who said I didn't want it?"
"You're kinda implying it."
"I don't imply anything. You think you can be Sir Miguel in his shining armor on his white steed. It doesn't work out like that, this time at least."
"You're saying you don't want me to see my own baby?"
"I didn't say that. I just said that you aren't going to be the good guy in this one. That 'holier than thou' bullshit is really wearing thin, here."
"When did I ever say that?"
"When you so graciously suggested I'd give my baby up and never see it again, you hypocrite!"
"I only said that if you need a clean start-"
"A clean start? I can't have a clean start, 'cause I'll always have a baby on my hip!"
"So now you don't want it?"
"I didn't say that!"
"Then what are you saying? That you want a baby so it'll cramp your style? If you're gonna go and say that, then I might as well take it altogether!"
Kay took a deep breath.
"Look, we're not accomplishing anything here by yelling at each other. We're trying to figure out what's best for the baby," she said, rubbing her emerging belly.
"First things first: I don't want to know what it is until it's born," I said.
"That can be done."
"We both chose names and decide together what it'll be called."
"I think I've chosen them already: Logan and Hope."
"I was kinda thinking along the lines of Martin and Anne. 'Hope' is English for 'Esperanza', you know."
"Whatever. Martin, maybe. Anne, no. A big fat no. Remember, in the end, I'm the one popping this thing out, so I get to have most of the say in its name."
"You pick a girl's name, and I'll pick a boy's?"
Kay sighed again.
"If that's what you think is fair, then so be it. But don't be planing on calling it Marvin, or something stupid like that."
I took a deep breath.
"It's fair. Next: how are we going to raise it? I mean, does it go back and forth between houses, or do we plan something else?"
"I was thinking we'd get a little house together and share it, with our own lives, at least until the baby gets used to who's Mommy and who's Daddy."
"I can live with that," I said.
***********
Alex's POV
"Who's gonna be your best man?" Theresa asked.
"One of your brothers?" I asked. We were chosing the groomsmen and bridesmaids.
"You don't have to sweet talk me. You can invite one of your friends to do it," she said.
"My friends from high school moved away from home after I married Lisabeth. None of my other friends can make it," I replied.
"You chose who you want to chose, okay? Now, how about Sheridan for my bridesmaid? I would've asked Whitney, but she can't make it, either," she said.
"It's up to you."
"Then how about Xander as a ringbearer. Little Ethan isn't quite old enough for the job," she said.
"Who would be a flower girl?"
"Maybe a cousin?" she asked.
"No cousins. Mom's an only child, plus she was adopted. Dad had a brother, but he passed away during Vietnam. What about yours?"
"No little girls I can think of."
"I guess we're in the dark on that one."
***********
Livia's POV
I was walking around town, seeing things I hadn't seen in thirty years. A pang of terror was seizing my heart, knowing a woman may still live there that knew about the horrors she possessed. Finding out her little secret was enough to destroy Harmony, if not the world, was enough to send a chill up my spine. Alex walked up next to me, holding Theresa's hand.
"Hi, Mom," Alex said.
"How do you like it here?" Theresa asked.
"It's beautiful. I just came from seeing Craine Manor."
"I could show you inside, if you want to," Theresa said. "When I was... married to Julian, we lived there. And Mama still works there, even after I've told her a million times she should retire," Theresa said.
"That's okay. I've looked, but I can't find Sheridan's cottage. She's asked me to stay there with her," I said.
"I'll show you, Livia," Theresa said, and led us onto the grounds at Craine manor.
Just beyond the gates, the large house stood erect, near a small cozy looking house with a homey feel.
"We lived here when I was little," Theresa said. "Here in Sheridan's cottage, when my father was still alive."
"Mrs. Landower? Is that you?" Sheridan asked from the top step of her porch.
"Please, Livia," Mom said.
"Okay, I've got a room set up for you," she said.
"That's so kind of you," Mom said.
Sheridan led Mom in and I talked to Theresa in private.
"Something's wrong with Mom. She's never like this," I said.
"She seems a little preoccupied. I've seen it, too," she said.
"I know. She's been like this since we told her we were coming to Harmony for the wedding," I added.
***********
Tabitha's POV
"Cracked Connie isn't good for anything! Connie!" I called upstairs.
"What do you want?" she called back.
"I need to make a poultice. Get down here!"
"I'm not doing anything!"
I sighed. "Cracked Connie was getting lazy. She isn't anything like my Timmy. What I need is a child I can raise. Can't be Livia, she's too old now. She turned fourty-five a couple of months ago. This baby needs my blood in it, though. She must have kids by now," I thought out loud to myself. I rushed down to my basement to talk to the 'ghouls' to see what they knew.
"Tabitha, what brings you here?" one of the older demons asked.
"I need to use the well."
"Be my guest," it said, sarcastically. I walked over to it and started gazing.
"Livia Lennox," I commanded. The mists swirled and moved aside. An older version of the little girl I had only known for awhile was standing there, inside a vaguely familiar house. It hit me.
"She's at Sheridan's cottage! And who's with her?" I asked the demon.
"She isn't a 'Lennox' anymore. She's married and become 'Landower'. Her two children have children: one each."
"Tell me about them," I said. The mists swirled again. A younger version of Livia stood next to a tall male figure. Her hair was fair, much like Livia's. The male was different, though, with dark hair bleached blonde. They each had a child at their knees, with a spare.
"Must be a friend's," I muttered.
"Meet Lyn Black, her daughter, with her daughter, Matheson, Mattie for short. Lyn married out of high school to a man named Shawn Black, from the Air Force. He died just after Matheson was born. The male is Alex Landower. He too married young. His late wife, Lisabeth Landower, gave him a male child of his name, called Xander. Lisabeth died during a drug deal two years ago, on the same day the plane Shawn was piloting blew up."
"She has much heartache," another demon mentioned.
"You mean there's more?" I spun around back to the well. The first demon interrupted me.
"Her husband, Daniel Landower, died too. Soon after Lyn started her schooling."
The mists swirled again, this time revealing a family photo of Livia and a man who looked similar to the son. They each held a child in their laps, whom I supposed were Lyn and Alex.
"I've got it!" I cried, running up the stairs.
Miguel's POV
"Look Kay, if you aren't going to do what I want, at least hear me out, okay?" I asked.
Kay grumbled.
"Okay, whaddya want?"
"You don't have to raise the baby if you don't want to. I will."
"You? Raise a baby? By yourself?"
"Mama said she'd help me and you'd never have to see it if you don't want to."
"Who said I didn't want it?"
"You're kinda implying it."
"I don't imply anything. You think you can be Sir Miguel in his shining armor on his white steed. It doesn't work out like that, this time at least."
"You're saying you don't want me to see my own baby?"
"I didn't say that. I just said that you aren't going to be the good guy in this one. That 'holier than thou' bullshit is really wearing thin, here."
"When did I ever say that?"
"When you so graciously suggested I'd give my baby up and never see it again, you hypocrite!"
"I only said that if you need a clean start-"
"A clean start? I can't have a clean start, 'cause I'll always have a baby on my hip!"
"So now you don't want it?"
"I didn't say that!"
"Then what are you saying? That you want a baby so it'll cramp your style? If you're gonna go and say that, then I might as well take it altogether!"
Kay took a deep breath.
"Look, we're not accomplishing anything here by yelling at each other. We're trying to figure out what's best for the baby," she said, rubbing her emerging belly.
"First things first: I don't want to know what it is until it's born," I said.
"That can be done."
"We both chose names and decide together what it'll be called."
"I think I've chosen them already: Logan and Hope."
"I was kinda thinking along the lines of Martin and Anne. 'Hope' is English for 'Esperanza', you know."
"Whatever. Martin, maybe. Anne, no. A big fat no. Remember, in the end, I'm the one popping this thing out, so I get to have most of the say in its name."
"You pick a girl's name, and I'll pick a boy's?"
Kay sighed again.
"If that's what you think is fair, then so be it. But don't be planing on calling it Marvin, or something stupid like that."
I took a deep breath.
"It's fair. Next: how are we going to raise it? I mean, does it go back and forth between houses, or do we plan something else?"
"I was thinking we'd get a little house together and share it, with our own lives, at least until the baby gets used to who's Mommy and who's Daddy."
"I can live with that," I said.
***********
Alex's POV
"Who's gonna be your best man?" Theresa asked.
"One of your brothers?" I asked. We were chosing the groomsmen and bridesmaids.
"You don't have to sweet talk me. You can invite one of your friends to do it," she said.
"My friends from high school moved away from home after I married Lisabeth. None of my other friends can make it," I replied.
"You chose who you want to chose, okay? Now, how about Sheridan for my bridesmaid? I would've asked Whitney, but she can't make it, either," she said.
"It's up to you."
"Then how about Xander as a ringbearer. Little Ethan isn't quite old enough for the job," she said.
"Who would be a flower girl?"
"Maybe a cousin?" she asked.
"No cousins. Mom's an only child, plus she was adopted. Dad had a brother, but he passed away during Vietnam. What about yours?"
"No little girls I can think of."
"I guess we're in the dark on that one."
***********
Livia's POV
I was walking around town, seeing things I hadn't seen in thirty years. A pang of terror was seizing my heart, knowing a woman may still live there that knew about the horrors she possessed. Finding out her little secret was enough to destroy Harmony, if not the world, was enough to send a chill up my spine. Alex walked up next to me, holding Theresa's hand.
"Hi, Mom," Alex said.
"How do you like it here?" Theresa asked.
"It's beautiful. I just came from seeing Craine Manor."
"I could show you inside, if you want to," Theresa said. "When I was... married to Julian, we lived there. And Mama still works there, even after I've told her a million times she should retire," Theresa said.
"That's okay. I've looked, but I can't find Sheridan's cottage. She's asked me to stay there with her," I said.
"I'll show you, Livia," Theresa said, and led us onto the grounds at Craine manor.
Just beyond the gates, the large house stood erect, near a small cozy looking house with a homey feel.
"We lived here when I was little," Theresa said. "Here in Sheridan's cottage, when my father was still alive."
"Mrs. Landower? Is that you?" Sheridan asked from the top step of her porch.
"Please, Livia," Mom said.
"Okay, I've got a room set up for you," she said.
"That's so kind of you," Mom said.
Sheridan led Mom in and I talked to Theresa in private.
"Something's wrong with Mom. She's never like this," I said.
"She seems a little preoccupied. I've seen it, too," she said.
"I know. She's been like this since we told her we were coming to Harmony for the wedding," I added.
***********
Tabitha's POV
"Cracked Connie isn't good for anything! Connie!" I called upstairs.
"What do you want?" she called back.
"I need to make a poultice. Get down here!"
"I'm not doing anything!"
I sighed. "Cracked Connie was getting lazy. She isn't anything like my Timmy. What I need is a child I can raise. Can't be Livia, she's too old now. She turned fourty-five a couple of months ago. This baby needs my blood in it, though. She must have kids by now," I thought out loud to myself. I rushed down to my basement to talk to the 'ghouls' to see what they knew.
"Tabitha, what brings you here?" one of the older demons asked.
"I need to use the well."
"Be my guest," it said, sarcastically. I walked over to it and started gazing.
"Livia Lennox," I commanded. The mists swirled and moved aside. An older version of the little girl I had only known for awhile was standing there, inside a vaguely familiar house. It hit me.
"She's at Sheridan's cottage! And who's with her?" I asked the demon.
"She isn't a 'Lennox' anymore. She's married and become 'Landower'. Her two children have children: one each."
"Tell me about them," I said. The mists swirled again. A younger version of Livia stood next to a tall male figure. Her hair was fair, much like Livia's. The male was different, though, with dark hair bleached blonde. They each had a child at their knees, with a spare.
"Must be a friend's," I muttered.
"Meet Lyn Black, her daughter, with her daughter, Matheson, Mattie for short. Lyn married out of high school to a man named Shawn Black, from the Air Force. He died just after Matheson was born. The male is Alex Landower. He too married young. His late wife, Lisabeth Landower, gave him a male child of his name, called Xander. Lisabeth died during a drug deal two years ago, on the same day the plane Shawn was piloting blew up."
"She has much heartache," another demon mentioned.
"You mean there's more?" I spun around back to the well. The first demon interrupted me.
"Her husband, Daniel Landower, died too. Soon after Lyn started her schooling."
The mists swirled again, this time revealing a family photo of Livia and a man who looked similar to the son. They each held a child in their laps, whom I supposed were Lyn and Alex.
"I've got it!" I cried, running up the stairs.