Catherine watched quietly as the kids ate their dinner. Lindsey was eating her pasta with a fork. Gil was attempting to stop Lizzy from emptying her plate over her head. Matthew had been quiet all the afternoon, although Catherine couldn't blame him.
Lindsey put down her fork. "Done. Can I go call a
friend?"
Gil nodded. "Plate in the dishwasher. Not too long on the phone, it's a school night."
Catherine smiled to herself. Any insecurity he may have had as a parent was all gone now. He doted on his children, and for that matter, he doted on her.
"What are you grinning about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing at all," she replied. She turned
to Matthew. "Is your dinner okay?"
Matthew nodded eagerly. "Yes thankyou Mrs…I mean,
Catherine. I like
spaghetti bolognaise."
"I can see that," Catherine grinned, noting his bolognaise covered grin.
"Did Mr Brass find my mom? Is she okay?" Matthew asked.
Gil glanced at Catherine, unsure of what to say. She smiled reassuringly at him.
"Matthew, how about we go sit in the living room?" Catherine suggested.
"Is my mom dead?"
"No," Catherine said firmly, as they all sat down on the sofa. Lizzy crawled around for a few minutes before settling with her blocks.
"Then where is she?"
Catherine knelt in front of him. "She's at home, in San Francisco."
Matthew looked confused. "Did she forget me?"
Gil looked upset. "No, she didn't forget you."
"I don't understand," Matthew said.
Catherine took his hands. "Matthew, sometimes Mommies and Daddies don't get along. And well, your Daddy didn't know that you existed until you visited Las Vegas. And he's been enjoying spending time with you."
"I've had fun too," Matthew said, smiling at Gil.
Gil smiled back at him.
Matthew turned back to Catherine. "But why didn't
she
take me with her?"
"Well, I think your Mommy thought you should stay here for awhile."
"How long?"
Catherine brushed a stray curl from his face. "I don't know. I'm sorry I can't answer all your questions. But how about you stay with me and Gil for a bit?"
"I miss Mommy."
Catherine sat on the chair and enfolded the little
boy in her arms, as he began
to cry. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Gil watched heartbreakingly as his wife comforted
Matthew. He felt anger at
Sara, and pain for his son. "Matthew, I promise we'll do whatever we
can
to help. And I'm going to try and call your mom."
Matthew nodded, sniffling slightly.
Catherine stood up. "How about we go get ready for bed?"
Matthew nodded again and raised his arms to Gil, who picked him up and took him into the bedroom.
************************************************************************
Gil sat calmly on the bed and watched his wife rant as she paced the floor of their bedroom. He didn't think this stress was good for her, or their baby, and he reached out a hand to gently caress her arm. "Cath."
"What?" she asked, turning around, breaking her chain of thought.
He tugged her hand until she sat beside him on the bed and he stroked her forehead. "I don't want you getting worked up or stressed out by this. I don't think it's good for you, or the baby."
She wrenched her hand from his grasp. "Gil, don't
you
care about your son or what he's going through?"
His eyes darkened. "I care very much about Matthew. Very much. But I also care very much about you. We're going to work this out, Catherine." He looked at her intently, trying to read her emotions. "Just…I need you to be okay. You and the girls are the one thing in my life I can count on."
Her anger disappeared and she clutched his hand. "I'm fine. And we're fine." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And I know everything's going to be okay." She sighed. "It's just…pregnancy hormones and then Sara abandoning her son like that…and me thinking that it might have something to do with what…"
Gil pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't think
that.
Sara made up her own mind. It had nothing to do with what you said." He
replaced his finger with his lips. When the kiss ended, he pulled back
and
smiled at her. "Now, how about the parents get ready for bed, and then
tomorrow, we can take on the world."
"I just want you to hold me," Catherine replied, as he hugged her. "Hold me and never let go."
************************************************************************
Catherine glanced into the lounge as she watched her husband try and call Sara. The kids were having breakfast. Matthew looked a little tired, but she wasn't surprised.
"Mommy!" Lizzy giggled, drawing pictures in her cereal.
"Perhaps not?" Catherine suggested, taking away the cereal and wiping her daughter's fingers. She wondered how Gil was getting on.
************************************************************************
"Sara Sidle," came the greeting, as the connection
was finally established.
"Do not hang up on me," Gil growled.
There was silence on the other end until her small
voice
finally came back. "Grissom?"
"Why the hell did you leave our son in a motel room on his own for two days!" he cried.
"You have no idea how hard that was to do," Sara replied.
"What is hard, is trying to explain to our son why
his
mother abandoned him!"
"Have you spoken to your wife about this?"
"Do not bring Catherine into this. She has been nothing but supportive of this situation and of Matthew. This is about you and me, Sara. And I want to know what the hell you thought you were doing!"
"Did your wife tell you what we discussed?"
"I said not to bring her into this, Sara. I want you to come back to Las Vegas and explain some things to Matthew.""I can't," she replied. "I can't do it anymore."
"What do you mean you can't? You can't just have a kid and decide you don't want to have it anymore!"
"This is such a turnaround for you. Going from an emotionally closed ass to Mr Perfect Family."
"Don't turn this on me, Sara. You were the one that left. And you will damn well talk to your son."
"He's never been mine. Not really. He's you. He's all you. I tried to make him me and it didn't work. Even Catherine saw it. So I have left him with you."
Gil was frustrated. "Sara, you can't just dump him! You have to explain this to him, help him understand. You're all he's known for five years!"
"He's my son, and I'll always love him, but not the way I'm supposed to."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not the maternal type. I don't
deal well with kids, I don't relate to
them. I don't enjoy their company. I thought if I turned Matthew into a
mini me
it would help, but it didn't. I've never been his mother and I never
can
be." She sighed. "Just.just leave it Grissom. And don't ring here
again."
Gil stood rooted to the ground as the dial tone echoed in his ear. What was he going to do?
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Part 8