Rafe looked up at the clock and gave a sigh and grinned, "Just like
clockwork."
"Rafe--."
"Alison, she's been calling every few days for the past two weeks at this time—it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know who it is."
Alison gave him a half laugh as she watched him put his book down and go wash the dishes she'd just been contemplating on doing or waiting until morning. She waited for the water to turn on and then answered the phone, "Hi Livvie."
Livvie laughed, "Am I becoming that predictable?"
"To Rafe you are—and it shocks me to say that," she laughed.
"I think he's becoming predictable in his old age—he is ten years older than us after all."
"Then what about Caleb—he's how many years older than us?"
"Caleb—predictable? If that actually happened I think the world would come to an end."
"Did he do something unpredictable?"
"Yeah, we're coming home in a week."
"Wow—why?" said a surprised Alison—she hadn't been expecting them home until right before school started, and that was another three weeks away.
"Alex has realized he wants to be a kid for right now instead of the heir to the Morley throne and believe it or not—Caleb agrees with him. So how is your mother?"
Alison gave a slight grumble before answering, "I'm still mad at all of you for leaving me here with her this summer. Why did you all have to leave at the same time she was coming in? I mean who am I going to vent to?"
Livvie laughed, "I'll be there for the end of her visit—let's just hope that Leslie doesn't get wind of her dad's romp with your mom."
"First of all—I don't want to think of my mom romping with anyone, and if you don't watch it I'll force myself to remember her romps with Caleb."
"Oook—next subject, heard anything from Jamal and Imani? How was the wedding?"
"I actually got some pictures of Jamal, Gabbi, and Hope today. Hope grew up to be such a beautiful girl—I almost wish--."
"What Alison? You wish Valerie could have been there to see her?"
Alison gave a sigh, "Well, yeah. I mean everyone deserves to have both their parents there to watch them walk down the aisle."
"Even if one of them was a full-blooded nutcase?" asked Livvie, trying to hide the laughter in her voice.
"Yeah, even if that's the case."
"Well, that's very big of you, Ali—I mean the woman did try to kill you."
"You tried the same thing Livvie—multiple times even—and I forgave you," laughed Alison.
"Like I said—how big of you," said Livvie, not amused by the comment, "Oh—I talked to my dad, guess who Christina seems to be very interested in."
"Who?"
"Daniel."
Alison's eyes got huge, "Thornhart?"
"Yeah, she's been talking to him a lot this week, and all of a sudden she's decided to take up a job at the Gallery in PC."
"Well, I think it's adorable—and appropriate too. I mean both of their mom's were beginning Interns at the same time, so it's kind of coming full circle."
"I'm completely for it, it just seems so sudden."
"Uhm—yeah, Livvie—I think we are the queens of sudden relationships," laughed Alison who now got a laugh out of Livvie.
-------------------
Alison knocked on the door softly and put her head in, "Hey sweetie—Tara's on the phone. I'm off to read in bed if you need anything."
"Thanks Mom. Goodnight," said Kate as she folded the yellowed paper and put it in the top drawer of her dresser, "Hey Sunshine!"
"Hey Katie-bug!" laughed Tara. "What are you up to tonight?"
"I was just reading something," shrugged Kate, not ready to let her little secret of finding her mom's letter to her and her siblings out just yet. She hadn't been snooping or even expecting to find anything special like that—her mom had wanted her to bring down something from the attic and Kate had started looking in the wrong box and pulled out the letter—it was three pages long, and she could tell it hadn't been unfolded since it was written—December 24, 2002. A smile appeared on her face again as she thought about all her parents went through to get to that point, and then all of the stuff they went through after that and to when her and Eddie were born.
"Well, I was reading something also," hummed Tara as she ran her hand over the leather-bound book.
"Really? Are you going to keep me in suspense—and don't tell me it's nothing because I know your voice."
"It's my namesake's diary."
"Are you serious? We can read them? Well, you can—who knows if I can."
"Oh don't give me that, Katrina—you know as well as I do that you'll be able to read this and Elena's when I bring it to you."
"So what is it like to read words that are hundred's of years old and know only a few people can read them?"
"It's amazing—I was actually in the library and found it sitting there. I picked it up to see if I could read it, and I was halfway through the book before Mom came in and saw what it was I was reading. We've been reading it together the past few nights—talking about what she was thinking and feeling during this time. I haven't read Elena's though—I'm going to let you read it first, I mean it is a Kovich's diary after all, it's only right for a Kovich to read it first."
"Well, how noble of you," laughed Kate as she began to catch Tara up on the past few days of gossip.
---------------
"Hi Daddy," chimed Lizzie as she came into the kitchen as Rafe finished dishes—a smile as wide as a rainbow on her face.
"Hey sweetie," he said giving her a kiss on the forehead and watching her squirm a bit. "How was the movie with Brandy?"
"It was fine—can I call Leslie?" she said, nearly jumping up and down with anticipation.
"Sure, let me get her phone number," he said putting on his wire rim reading glasses and giving a sigh—he hated being dependent on them, but as long as Alison was telling him he looked cute in them he wasn't going to complain too much. He found the number and grabbed the phone up, hearing Kate's voice on the phone, "Sweetie—can you get off soon so Lizzie can use the phone?"
"Sure—we were just saying bye now," said Kate.
Rafe waited a few minutes and received a dial tone and dialed Jasmine and Jack's number and handed the phone to Lizzie. He was wiping off the counters as he halfway listened into her conversation.
"Hey—how is everything there?" asked Lizzie as if she hadn't just talked a few days ago to her best friend.
"It's great—Dad says next time I come during the summer you can come too—if it's ok with your dad."
"It'll probably be fine. So I went to the movie's with Brandy tonight and guess who I saw?"
"Who?"
"His name is Robby—he was in my class last year and tonight he wanted to sit next to me. He's so cute Leslie," grinned Lizzie.
"Uhm ok—does this mean no more pining over Alex?"
"No, I'm over him—I mean he's got his stuff he wants to do, and I have my stuff I want to do—I understand that."
Leslie gave a sigh of relief, "I am so happy to hear that. I mean I said I would stand beside you no matter once, but it seriously wasn't a good idea to take it past being a crush."
"Yeah—hold on a second—Dad, can you give me some privacy?" asked Lizzie as she put her hand over the phone and looked at Rafe.
He sighed as he realized his little girl was now a full fledged teenager, "Goodnight sweetie," he said giving her a kiss on the forehead and making sure the front door was locked before heading upstairs. He stopped at Eddie's door and peered inside to see he was playing a computer mind game and saw that the bedside lamp was off under the crack of the girls room so he kept walking to his room. He smiled seeing Alison asleep on her side, hugging a pillow tightly. "Alison?" he asked and received a mumble of acknowldgement. "Who was Lizzie's first crush?"
"Alex," she mumbled in her sleep and he sighed at realizing his guess was right, but at least it seemed that the problem had been avoided. He climbed in and whispered to Alison's belly, "I hope you are a boy because if you aren't then you'll have to fight three times harder for the phone in this house," he laughed giving her stomach a kiss and then Alison before turning off the lights and taking his wife in his arms and shortly falling asleep.
"Rafe--."
"Alison, she's been calling every few days for the past two weeks at this time—it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know who it is."
Alison gave him a half laugh as she watched him put his book down and go wash the dishes she'd just been contemplating on doing or waiting until morning. She waited for the water to turn on and then answered the phone, "Hi Livvie."
Livvie laughed, "Am I becoming that predictable?"
"To Rafe you are—and it shocks me to say that," she laughed.
"I think he's becoming predictable in his old age—he is ten years older than us after all."
"Then what about Caleb—he's how many years older than us?"
"Caleb—predictable? If that actually happened I think the world would come to an end."
"Did he do something unpredictable?"
"Yeah, we're coming home in a week."
"Wow—why?" said a surprised Alison—she hadn't been expecting them home until right before school started, and that was another three weeks away.
"Alex has realized he wants to be a kid for right now instead of the heir to the Morley throne and believe it or not—Caleb agrees with him. So how is your mother?"
Alison gave a slight grumble before answering, "I'm still mad at all of you for leaving me here with her this summer. Why did you all have to leave at the same time she was coming in? I mean who am I going to vent to?"
Livvie laughed, "I'll be there for the end of her visit—let's just hope that Leslie doesn't get wind of her dad's romp with your mom."
"First of all—I don't want to think of my mom romping with anyone, and if you don't watch it I'll force myself to remember her romps with Caleb."
"Oook—next subject, heard anything from Jamal and Imani? How was the wedding?"
"I actually got some pictures of Jamal, Gabbi, and Hope today. Hope grew up to be such a beautiful girl—I almost wish--."
"What Alison? You wish Valerie could have been there to see her?"
Alison gave a sigh, "Well, yeah. I mean everyone deserves to have both their parents there to watch them walk down the aisle."
"Even if one of them was a full-blooded nutcase?" asked Livvie, trying to hide the laughter in her voice.
"Yeah, even if that's the case."
"Well, that's very big of you, Ali—I mean the woman did try to kill you."
"You tried the same thing Livvie—multiple times even—and I forgave you," laughed Alison.
"Like I said—how big of you," said Livvie, not amused by the comment, "Oh—I talked to my dad, guess who Christina seems to be very interested in."
"Who?"
"Daniel."
Alison's eyes got huge, "Thornhart?"
"Yeah, she's been talking to him a lot this week, and all of a sudden she's decided to take up a job at the Gallery in PC."
"Well, I think it's adorable—and appropriate too. I mean both of their mom's were beginning Interns at the same time, so it's kind of coming full circle."
"I'm completely for it, it just seems so sudden."
"Uhm—yeah, Livvie—I think we are the queens of sudden relationships," laughed Alison who now got a laugh out of Livvie.
-------------------
Alison knocked on the door softly and put her head in, "Hey sweetie—Tara's on the phone. I'm off to read in bed if you need anything."
"Thanks Mom. Goodnight," said Kate as she folded the yellowed paper and put it in the top drawer of her dresser, "Hey Sunshine!"
"Hey Katie-bug!" laughed Tara. "What are you up to tonight?"
"I was just reading something," shrugged Kate, not ready to let her little secret of finding her mom's letter to her and her siblings out just yet. She hadn't been snooping or even expecting to find anything special like that—her mom had wanted her to bring down something from the attic and Kate had started looking in the wrong box and pulled out the letter—it was three pages long, and she could tell it hadn't been unfolded since it was written—December 24, 2002. A smile appeared on her face again as she thought about all her parents went through to get to that point, and then all of the stuff they went through after that and to when her and Eddie were born.
"Well, I was reading something also," hummed Tara as she ran her hand over the leather-bound book.
"Really? Are you going to keep me in suspense—and don't tell me it's nothing because I know your voice."
"It's my namesake's diary."
"Are you serious? We can read them? Well, you can—who knows if I can."
"Oh don't give me that, Katrina—you know as well as I do that you'll be able to read this and Elena's when I bring it to you."
"So what is it like to read words that are hundred's of years old and know only a few people can read them?"
"It's amazing—I was actually in the library and found it sitting there. I picked it up to see if I could read it, and I was halfway through the book before Mom came in and saw what it was I was reading. We've been reading it together the past few nights—talking about what she was thinking and feeling during this time. I haven't read Elena's though—I'm going to let you read it first, I mean it is a Kovich's diary after all, it's only right for a Kovich to read it first."
"Well, how noble of you," laughed Kate as she began to catch Tara up on the past few days of gossip.
---------------
"Hi Daddy," chimed Lizzie as she came into the kitchen as Rafe finished dishes—a smile as wide as a rainbow on her face.
"Hey sweetie," he said giving her a kiss on the forehead and watching her squirm a bit. "How was the movie with Brandy?"
"It was fine—can I call Leslie?" she said, nearly jumping up and down with anticipation.
"Sure, let me get her phone number," he said putting on his wire rim reading glasses and giving a sigh—he hated being dependent on them, but as long as Alison was telling him he looked cute in them he wasn't going to complain too much. He found the number and grabbed the phone up, hearing Kate's voice on the phone, "Sweetie—can you get off soon so Lizzie can use the phone?"
"Sure—we were just saying bye now," said Kate.
Rafe waited a few minutes and received a dial tone and dialed Jasmine and Jack's number and handed the phone to Lizzie. He was wiping off the counters as he halfway listened into her conversation.
"Hey—how is everything there?" asked Lizzie as if she hadn't just talked a few days ago to her best friend.
"It's great—Dad says next time I come during the summer you can come too—if it's ok with your dad."
"It'll probably be fine. So I went to the movie's with Brandy tonight and guess who I saw?"
"Who?"
"His name is Robby—he was in my class last year and tonight he wanted to sit next to me. He's so cute Leslie," grinned Lizzie.
"Uhm ok—does this mean no more pining over Alex?"
"No, I'm over him—I mean he's got his stuff he wants to do, and I have my stuff I want to do—I understand that."
Leslie gave a sigh of relief, "I am so happy to hear that. I mean I said I would stand beside you no matter once, but it seriously wasn't a good idea to take it past being a crush."
"Yeah—hold on a second—Dad, can you give me some privacy?" asked Lizzie as she put her hand over the phone and looked at Rafe.
He sighed as he realized his little girl was now a full fledged teenager, "Goodnight sweetie," he said giving her a kiss on the forehead and making sure the front door was locked before heading upstairs. He stopped at Eddie's door and peered inside to see he was playing a computer mind game and saw that the bedside lamp was off under the crack of the girls room so he kept walking to his room. He smiled seeing Alison asleep on her side, hugging a pillow tightly. "Alison?" he asked and received a mumble of acknowldgement. "Who was Lizzie's first crush?"
"Alex," she mumbled in her sleep and he sighed at realizing his guess was right, but at least it seemed that the problem had been avoided. He climbed in and whispered to Alison's belly, "I hope you are a boy because if you aren't then you'll have to fight three times harder for the phone in this house," he laughed giving her stomach a kiss and then Alison before turning off the lights and taking his wife in his arms and shortly falling asleep.