Alright guys. Sorry for not updating in a while. I think school's slowing a good majority of us down as far as updating goes! In the beginning there's a lot of people being introduced at once and I am sorry in advance for any confusion you may have! Thanks to my beta reader Starr for being so good to me!!!
Dru619
Chapter 13
Mommy
"I get it! I get it! I get it!" Julia cried jetting out of the kitchen and rushing to the door as a knock was heard.
"Kerry will you help her?" John cried trying to help Chunni separate cookies.
"Dr. Weaver will you open the door pease?" Julia asked politely.
"I sure will," Kerry smiled and opened the door to The Ross', Peter, Abby, Luka, Dave, Romano, and Randi.
"BABA!" Julia cried excitedly practically rushing out the door to greet Abby. She giggled and lifted the squirming toddler off of the ground.
"GABEY! ADEIN! NANA! BABA, BOO-BOO HERE!" Julia shrieked from Abby's arms. Two seconds later the boys came rushing out of the dining room with Liz close behind.
"BOO-BOO!" Adrian cried rushing into Luka's legs.
"DAVEY, CAROL, DOUG, PETA, ROCKET, RANDI, BABA, AMIAN, MANDA, JAMIE!" Gabriel cried not knowing who to run to first.
"What's all the excitement about?" Carter asked coming into the entrance hall in mock surprise. Everyone greeted John as well as Lucy, Liz, Chunni, Mark, and Dr. Weaver who all were present as well.
"Daddy Baba here!" Julia cried excitedly squirming out of Abby's arms and running into his. As John lifted his little girl up he smiled to himself. One of the things he missed the most when his shoulder was hurt was being able to pick up his babies and hold them. But now when they ran to him with excited yelps or with cries from 'owies' he could pick them up and assure them that he understood.
"Hi Baba," John said teasingly kissing Abby on the side of the head and greeting the rest of his friends.
"ABBY! ROCKET! DAVE! PETER! DOUG! CAROL!" Ruthie cried rushing down the stairs with Paige close behind.
"Whoa. Wait just a minute. Don't you have to be at least this tall to come downstairs?" Romano teased holding his hand over Ruthie's head.
"Hey now!" Ruthie giggled gripping Romano tightly around the waist, her head barely able to rest on his belly.
"Dad!" Damian pleaded yanking at Doug's jacket. Doug ignored his son and smiled pleasantly at his wife knowing she knew what the two really had on their minds.
"We better hurry up and get back to the living room. Half time is almost over," Carter said leaning up against the wall. Doug, Damian, Mark, and Romano followed with no complaint while Peter and Dave exchanged apprehensive glances.
"What's up with them?" Lucy asked following Abby into the living room.
"One's afraid to loose a bet and the other one doesn't know the difference between the line of scrimmage and a running back," Abby tried explaining. When she saw Lucy's puzzled look she said "It's a long story."
Before dinner Lucy and Abby took the kids out to play in the backyard to get them out of the others hair while they got dinner ready and continued to watch the football game. Snow fluttered lightly to the ground while the kids jumped around trying to catch some in their mouth. The baby jungle gyms as well as a larger slide for the bigger kids and a set of swings were covered completely with the snow. Abby and Lucy sat on the porch watching the kids run around and play.
"So how has everything been going as far as home life?" Abby asked. Lucy sighed.
"It's been alright. Some days their harder to control then others." Abby smiled.
"What about John?" she asked. "Has he brought Bella up at all?"
"To tell you the truth I think he's been avoiding it. I know he hurts inside though." Lucy took a breath and then whispered "He still cries at night." Hearing the pain in her friends voice Abby put an arm around her shoulder.
"It'll be okay Lucy," she whispered. On the playground Damian was directing the others into a game of tag.
"Okay," he said. "Since I'm the oldest I automatically am not it."
"Nah uh! Sissy's the oldest!" Ruthie protested.
"But she's inside cooking so that doesn't count," Damian pointed out then tagged Amanda not too gently on the arm. "YOUR IT!" he cried running away from her. Not liking this gesture from her brother at all Amanda erupted into a fit of cries and frustration.
"YOU'RE MEAN! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU! ABBBBBY! LUCCCCCY! DAMIAN HIT ME!" Amanda continued screaming as she ran up to the patio. After Abby reassured her, knowing the whole time she only wanted sympathy, Amanda jumped to her feet and ran into the house screeching for Carol.
"Abby are you going to punish Damian or what?" Jamie asked coming and sitting down in between Abby and Lucy.
"Jamie. Your sister is what we call a drama queen. You don't like it when she screams do you?" Lucy asked. Jamie shook her head.
"Are you kidding? She does it all the time! It drives me bananas!"
"Well all she wants is attention and if we punish Damian and give her what she wants then she'll just keep doing it," Abby said matter-of-factly.
"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Jamie asked.
Abby shrugged. "You could say that." Their conversation was broken up by another set of lungs crying. A set of lungs that weren't used to crying. Little Julia was laid out on her front crying in the snow. She got up to her legs screaming.
"Mommy! Mommy! Owie!" Julia cried running into Lucy's arms.
"It's okay Julia," she whispered stroking her hair until her cries subsided.
"All better?" Lucy asked kissing her on the head.
"All betta," Julia agreed hugging Lucy around the neck and then running back to her playmates. Abby turned to Lucy.
"Is it just me or did Julia just call you Mommy?" she asked. A guilt ridden Lucy turned to her.
"It isn't the first time. She just said it one day and I...I didn't know what to do," Lucy admitted. "I mean what was I supposed to do? I was so...happy. I felt so special. It was just one word but coming from her little mouth in that little baby voice made me feel like nothing I've ever felt before in my life."
"Didn't you feel guilty?" Abby asked.
"Of course I did. I mean Julia and the boys never really knew their real mother and here she was calling me mommy. I knew it wasn't right, that she was just confused. But at the same time I didn't tell her no."
"Has John heard her?" Abby asked. Lucy shook her head.
"Ruthie and the boys have been doing it too," she whispered.
"What?!" Abby asked forcing eye contact with Lucy expecting an explanation.
"One day Ruthie heard Julia call me mommy and she mimicked her actions. I told them they could only call me mommy when John wasn't around," Lucy said.
"Luce. You have to do something," Abby whispered. "Things are emotional enough around here."
Lucy nodded and rested her head on her best friends shoulder for comfort. "I don't know what to do Abby."
"Dinner time!" Amanda opened the door and cried. A stampede of kids pushed passed Lucy and Abby into the house.
"Mommy up pease?" Julia turned to Lucy and held up her arms. Lucy smiled gently while on the inside she was feeling guilty again. "Mommy!" Julia persisted tugging at Lucy's jeans. Lucy sighed and lifted the little girl into her arms.