"I appreciate you doing this, Brooke," Dixie said as she took a seat on the
sofa.
"Well, you shouldn't be alone at a time like this," Brooke said. "Besides, I have the extra space. Jamie will like to spend some time with JR. They could work on their soccer."
"I really would like to help you around here..."
"No, no. I got specific orders from Jake, for you to relax. No strenuous work or a lot of time on your feet."
"I do get to go to the hospital," Dixie said.
"I didn't say you were a prisoner in this house," Brooke said. "Just that you have to be careful. The baby..."
Dixie put her hand down on her now swollen belly. "We waited years for this," Dixie said. "Tad... we wanted more than anything to have a baby." she paused. "there's nothing in the world that I would do to hurt this child." Dixie sniffled. "I think I need to take a walk."
"Dixie..." Brooke said. "You shouldn't be..."
"Don't worry," Dixie assured her. "I feel fine. I won't be long, I just need to get a little air."
"If you think you can handle it."
"I can handle it." Dixie assured her. "I'm just going to go sit in the park for a while. I'll be off my feet." Dixie held up her hand. "I swear."
"Just, please take it easy, Dixie," Brooke begged.
Dixie nodded and left the house. She started towards the park. It was a pretty lengthy walk, but she paused every so often along the way.
The day was unusually warm for February. Dixie didn't even carry a jacket, there was no need. She took a seat on the park bench and rested her hand on her abdomen. She really wasn't paying attention to anything, and just let her mind wander until she felt some extra weight push down on the bench beside her.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Dixie said.
"Likewise," Adam said looking over at her. There was silence for a moment.
"Was there something you wanted, Adam?"
"This was still a public park last time I checked."
Dixie was silent. Both she and Adam kept a forward stare. It was awkward for her to be sitting there with her ex-husband.
"So..." Dixie asked. "What are you doing sitting in the park in the middle of the day?"
"Is it against the law all of a sudden to be here?"
"I'm not looking for an argument, Adam," Dixie said. "Just trying to... strike up conversation."
Adam paused. "Liza..." he started. "She's helping to get he house set up..."
"Are you hosting a party?"
"A fundraiser," Adam said.
"Ah."
"What, ah? What's that supposed to mean?"
"What's in this for you, Adam?" Dixie asked him. "I've never known you to do anything if you weren't getting something out of it."
"This is strictly professional," Adam said.
"Strictly, I'm sure." Dixie paused. "It's none of my business anyway."
"Actually, I was hoping you would attend. With JR, of course."
Dixie bit her bottom lip. "Adam, I really don't know if that's a good idea..." she trailed off. "I mean with Tad in the hospital... and Junior... he's still taking this all kind of hard."
"He's my son too, Dixie." Adam grew louder, causing Dixie to back away from him slightly. Adam ran his hands over his face. "It's a charity event," Adam started again in a calmer tone. "I would like for my son to be there."
Dixie bent over a little, resting her arms on her knees, and turned to face him. "I can't make him go," she said. "He's old enough now to make his own decisions about these things." Adam was silent, mimicking her position. Dixie sighed. The look of innocence on Adam's face could have melted anyone's heart. "Fine," she said, causing Adam to sit erect. "I'll mention it to him."
"Dixie," Adam said, reaching for her hands, but Dixie quickly pulled them away. Adam nodded and stood.
As he walked away from the bench, Dixie stood and called to him. "Adam." Adam remained with his back towards her for a moment before he turned around. "I'm not guarantying anything." Adam was silent, just nodding, before turning again and walking away from her.
Dixie sat back down. She considered long and hard whether or not to even mention the event to JR. She didn't know what it was, but something told her that Adam was up to no good, as usual. But there was also something that was calling her to attend. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was there, and she had to follow it.
"I'm not going!" JR yelled as he started upstairs in Brooke's house. Dixie followed him.
"Junior," she said. "Will you please consider this? All you have to do is go. you don't have to be seen around with anybody. Your father..."
"Don't you get it, Mom?" JR said. "I don't want to go to this...stupid party. Not after everything he's done to you."
"If I can put that aside for one night, don't you think you can do the same thing?" She paused and took his hands. "I'm not going as his date, I'm going because this is for a good cause." JR's shoulders fell. "I know that you're old enough to decide on your own what you want to do. But whether you go or not... I am." Dixie began to tug on his heart strings. "Now if you want me to go alone..."
"OK," JR gave in. "Fine, I'll go. But not for him. For you. Somebody has to make sure you don't party to hard."
Dixie embraced her son. "Thank you," she said. "We'll have a good time. Both of us. I promise."
"Well, you shouldn't be alone at a time like this," Brooke said. "Besides, I have the extra space. Jamie will like to spend some time with JR. They could work on their soccer."
"I really would like to help you around here..."
"No, no. I got specific orders from Jake, for you to relax. No strenuous work or a lot of time on your feet."
"I do get to go to the hospital," Dixie said.
"I didn't say you were a prisoner in this house," Brooke said. "Just that you have to be careful. The baby..."
Dixie put her hand down on her now swollen belly. "We waited years for this," Dixie said. "Tad... we wanted more than anything to have a baby." she paused. "there's nothing in the world that I would do to hurt this child." Dixie sniffled. "I think I need to take a walk."
"Dixie..." Brooke said. "You shouldn't be..."
"Don't worry," Dixie assured her. "I feel fine. I won't be long, I just need to get a little air."
"If you think you can handle it."
"I can handle it." Dixie assured her. "I'm just going to go sit in the park for a while. I'll be off my feet." Dixie held up her hand. "I swear."
"Just, please take it easy, Dixie," Brooke begged.
Dixie nodded and left the house. She started towards the park. It was a pretty lengthy walk, but she paused every so often along the way.
The day was unusually warm for February. Dixie didn't even carry a jacket, there was no need. She took a seat on the park bench and rested her hand on her abdomen. She really wasn't paying attention to anything, and just let her mind wander until she felt some extra weight push down on the bench beside her.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Dixie said.
"Likewise," Adam said looking over at her. There was silence for a moment.
"Was there something you wanted, Adam?"
"This was still a public park last time I checked."
Dixie was silent. Both she and Adam kept a forward stare. It was awkward for her to be sitting there with her ex-husband.
"So..." Dixie asked. "What are you doing sitting in the park in the middle of the day?"
"Is it against the law all of a sudden to be here?"
"I'm not looking for an argument, Adam," Dixie said. "Just trying to... strike up conversation."
Adam paused. "Liza..." he started. "She's helping to get he house set up..."
"Are you hosting a party?"
"A fundraiser," Adam said.
"Ah."
"What, ah? What's that supposed to mean?"
"What's in this for you, Adam?" Dixie asked him. "I've never known you to do anything if you weren't getting something out of it."
"This is strictly professional," Adam said.
"Strictly, I'm sure." Dixie paused. "It's none of my business anyway."
"Actually, I was hoping you would attend. With JR, of course."
Dixie bit her bottom lip. "Adam, I really don't know if that's a good idea..." she trailed off. "I mean with Tad in the hospital... and Junior... he's still taking this all kind of hard."
"He's my son too, Dixie." Adam grew louder, causing Dixie to back away from him slightly. Adam ran his hands over his face. "It's a charity event," Adam started again in a calmer tone. "I would like for my son to be there."
Dixie bent over a little, resting her arms on her knees, and turned to face him. "I can't make him go," she said. "He's old enough now to make his own decisions about these things." Adam was silent, mimicking her position. Dixie sighed. The look of innocence on Adam's face could have melted anyone's heart. "Fine," she said, causing Adam to sit erect. "I'll mention it to him."
"Dixie," Adam said, reaching for her hands, but Dixie quickly pulled them away. Adam nodded and stood.
As he walked away from the bench, Dixie stood and called to him. "Adam." Adam remained with his back towards her for a moment before he turned around. "I'm not guarantying anything." Adam was silent, just nodding, before turning again and walking away from her.
Dixie sat back down. She considered long and hard whether or not to even mention the event to JR. She didn't know what it was, but something told her that Adam was up to no good, as usual. But there was also something that was calling her to attend. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was there, and she had to follow it.
"I'm not going!" JR yelled as he started upstairs in Brooke's house. Dixie followed him.
"Junior," she said. "Will you please consider this? All you have to do is go. you don't have to be seen around with anybody. Your father..."
"Don't you get it, Mom?" JR said. "I don't want to go to this...stupid party. Not after everything he's done to you."
"If I can put that aside for one night, don't you think you can do the same thing?" She paused and took his hands. "I'm not going as his date, I'm going because this is for a good cause." JR's shoulders fell. "I know that you're old enough to decide on your own what you want to do. But whether you go or not... I am." Dixie began to tug on his heart strings. "Now if you want me to go alone..."
"OK," JR gave in. "Fine, I'll go. But not for him. For you. Somebody has to make sure you don't party to hard."
Dixie embraced her son. "Thank you," she said. "We'll have a good time. Both of us. I promise."
