I DO NOT OWN LIZZIE MCGUIRE I'll just cut to the chase. Here's chapter twenty.
Chapter Twenty
The next day, Gordo woke up, got ready and went to the hospital hoping to pick up Lizzie. He was more nervous today because he was afraid Lizzie's memory would be restored, and this is something he wasn't ready to deal with yet. While he didn't have a thought out plan or anything for this or anything, he thought he would use the time he could to try to get her to fall in love with him. That way, when her memory of him did come to her, at least she would have this to consider.
It was weird because throughout the entire night, it was as if his whole life had passed him by, focusing in on the moments he spent with Lizzie. Looking back, he really did take those years for granted and if he had the chance, he would have done a lot of things different. If he could erase time, none of this would have ever happened like this. He would have asked her to marry her before she moved in and they would be a married family and this baby would simply add to their happy family.
He made up his mind that he would try not to focus on that today. Thinking about it always made his thoughts drift down a negative spiral and he always thought of the worst thing that could happen. Lizzie could break up with him over this. Once she gets her memory back, she could flee away from him and never see him again. He would be a father who didn't know his child. His child would be a bastard, never knowing his father.
Thinking about all of this made him realize how precious life is. Gordo never really thought about it, but, he takes a lot of things and people for granted. All of the sudden, so many dreams popped up for this child, like it having the best parents ever who never fought and gave their child everything it needed.
It also made him think of his own father. He wondered how his father reacted when he learned that he was going to be a father. He knew he was a surprise to his parents, but he wondered if they went through the same thing he was going though with the fears and everything. But it was different. The difference between him and his parents was that his parents were married, he wasn't.
He arrived at the hospital in the middle of the morning and spoke to the doctor. The doctor told him that Lizzie could be released as soon as some papers were signed. Right as Gordo was signing the last of the papers, he saw Lizzie walk out of her room in her hospital clothes. She saw him and smiled. Gordo smiled back, relieved to know that she was happy. He finished up the papers and walked to her. He looked her in the eyes and after pausing for a few seconds, he smiled, and gave her a hug. "Ready to go?"
Lizzie looked down, "Yeah, but do you have any clothes for me? I don't want to wear these," she said, referring to her hospital outfit.
Gordo grinned, letting go of her, "Yeah, there are some clothes in the car."
"Good."
Lizzie and Gordo left the hospital. Once they were in Gordo's rented car, Gordo stated talking to her, "So, do you think your memory is coming back?"
Lizzie nodded her head, "Yeah, I think most of it is back."
"Really? Gordo asked, getting somewhat nervous. He gulped, "Do you remember me at all?"
Lizzie smiled, pitifully, "Not really," she said, pausing, "and believe it or not, of all things I want to remember, I want to remember you the most. Why is that so hard?"
Gordo shrugged, "I don't know."
"Well," Lizzie said, thinking, "Do you mind telling me a little more about yourself? Like, where you grew up and where you went to school?"
Gordo smiled. It was so sad watching Lizzie go through this. He couldn't imagine going through memory loss, "Well, I, like you, grew up in Hill Ridge and went to Hill Ridge Junior High and High School. You did too. We graduated together and went to college together."
"And now we live together, huh?" Lizzie said as she took this all in. What she really wanted to know was his name. Once she knew his name, she figured she would remember something else about him. She was afraid to ask him, though, and afraid to hurt his feelings.
"Yeah," Gordo said, distantly. Wow. He and Lizzie had been through a lot together. How did they make it this far in the first place?
~~~
Once they got back to Gordo's hotel room, Lizzie went to the balcony to admire the Roman view, "So this is Italy," she said, "This is Rome."
Gordo nodded his head and smiled, standing behind her and watching her watch the outside world. He wondered what she was thinking about and how much she remembered of him at this point. He was so flustered the day before, he was worried that he forgot to tell her his name. Lizzie closed her eyes and smiled as she enjoyed the warm summer Italian breeze and took deep breaths.
Gordo looked at her, and he could honestly say that she was happy. After hesitating for a minute, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her neck. She started to close her neck, so Gordo backed away. He was worried that she didn't like him anymore or that something was wrong, "Lizzie," he said quietly, letting go of her, "If this is too weird for you, please tell me. Just because we are together, I know you don't remember me, so if that kiss yesterday was weird for you, tell me. We can take this as slowly as you want."
Lizzie stood there silently for a moment to think. She didn't know why she closed her neck when he kissed it because it was comforting to have him so close to her. Then, slowly, she shook her head. She had to speak up and say what was on her mind before she forgot. She turned to him and spoke, as tears started streaming down your face, "The most frustrating thing about this is that I don't even think I know your name."
"Okay," Gordo said, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, "That's okay."
Lizzie shook her head in protest, still crying "No, it really isn't, though."
"Why?"
Lizzie took a deep breath, "Because part of me is convinced that if I know your name, that's all I'll need to know to be completely content."
Gordo pulled her into a hug, feeling somewhat guilty, "My name is David Gordon. Most of my friends call me Gordo."
"Gordo," Lizzie repeated as she pulled away from him and smiled, "I like that name. It's catchy."
"I like it, too. You picked it out, you know," he said, "When we were kids."
"Well, Gordo," Lizzie said as she played with his shirt, "I know this may sound crazy considering I hardly know your name, but the more time I spend with you, I fall in love with you."
Gordo smiled, glad she was no longer crying, "I love you, too, Lizzie," he said and he hugged her. When he heard those words from her, he felt like he was walking on Cloud Nine.
Lizzie broke off the hug, though and looked into his eyes, "You were the first guy I ever made love to, weren't you?"
Gordo nodded and kissed her on the nose, "and hopefully the last."
Lizzie smiled as she blushed and pulled him into a kiss. It looked like she didn't want to take it slowly anymore as Lizzie and Gordo continued to exchange a series of kisses and Gordo guided her to the bed, Lizzie said, "Gordo, please make love to me."
That's when Gordo stopped everything.
He got off of Lizzie and sat up, "Lizzie, you don't really want to make love to me right now."
"Why not?" Lizzie asked, confused, "I thought you loved me."
"I know," he said, "and I do, but right now, it isn't fair."
"What," she said, getting ready to cry again, "What are you talking about?"
Gordo got off the bed and straightened himself up. As hard as it was to restrain his beautiful Lizzie, he knew that he was doing the right thing, "Lizzie," he sighed, "You have to trust me on this one. I love you with all my heart and it is always hard for me to say no to anything you ask, but right now, I can't do this. It can't be like this. You have to give it time."
"But I'm ready," she said.
"I know," Gordo said, it was killing him to see her cry, "But I'm not sure you really are."
Lizzie looked at him, still lying there on the bed. Gordo couldn't stand to look at her any longer, "Lizzie, I have to go."
"Are you coming back?" Lizzie asked.
"Of course," he said and he took his hotel key and left the room.
Once the door was closed, he leaned against it and sighed heavily. That had to be the toughest thing he had to do, but he knew that he was doing the right thing.
After a few seconds of just standing there, he decided to go for a walk and decide what to do.
At first, he thought he wanted to keep the truth away from her because he didn't want to lose her, but the more time he spent with her, the more he was tempted to tell her the truth because then he could tell her what he thought now about it. The truth the old Lizzie knew was ugly, but the truth Gordo knew had changed.
He didn't know when, but at some point that afternoon, he lost track of time, as he got lost in his thoughts. He walked through most of the city of Rome and finally decided in order for something to happen, he had to make it happen. While he wasn't ready to tell her what was going on before she fainted, he knew it was time to start proving he had changed, because she wasn't going to figure it out by herself and when she finally did figure out what was going on, this could only help him.
One of the places he walked to that afternoon in Rome was a store. It wasn't a drug store, grocery story, clothing store, luggage store, candy story, or just any store. It was a store he had never set foot into his whole life. It was a store that sold great things and it was a store that could very possibly change his whole life. He went into that store a confused man and came out with everything clear, and a ring to prove it all.
He placed the ring in his pocket and headed back. Maybe he wouldn't give the ring to Lizzie that night, or in the next week, but he knew he was going to give it to her. If not for marriage, he would give it to her for the child. That way, the child, whether it was a boy or girl, would know that it had a father that offered his mother a ring at one time.
A few hours after he left his hotel, he returned, and it looked as if Lizzie hadn't moved since he last saw her. She was still on the bed, wearing what she was wearing before, but only this time, she had fallen asleep.
Gordo placed the ring in his suitcase and took a shower. After he took a shower and got dressed, he gently woke Lizzie up, "Lizzie are you hungry?"
Lizzie opened her eyes, and as soon as she saw who it was, turned her body away, "No, I'm not hungry."
"Lizzie, baby," Gordo said, stroking her hair, "You have to eat something."
"I ate breakfast this morning at the hospital," she mumbled.
"I know, but you have to remember that you are eating for two now," he said, and he had to admit, it felt weird saying that to her.
After a few moments of silence, he thought he heard her crying, "Lizzie, are you okay?"
"Yeah," she said, "Never felt better. I mean why wouldn't I be?"
"Please eat," Gordo pleaded.
"I feel awful," she said.
"You'll feel better if you eat something."
"I feel fat," she protested.
"You're beautiful," he said, "and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Come on, let's go eat and we can talk."
"Talk about what?" she said, turning around to face him.
"Talk about. . .us," he said simply, smiling at the love of his life, "Come on."
Lizzie reluctantly agreed to do this and Gordo helped her up from the bed and she excused herself to take a shower and wash her face. While Lizzie was in the bathroom, Gordo noticed there was a blinking red light on the telephone, indicating that there was a message.
Gordo went to check the machine, thinking it was either Lizzie's parents or Miranda, but to his surprise it was his mother.
"David, this is your mom. How are you? Listen, I just got off the phone with Jo McGuire and she has decided to fly to Rome with Sam because of Lizzie's health, and I know this may be a little strange, but your father and I were talking, and since this concerns the health of our future daughter-in-law as well as the mother of our future grandchildren, we have decided that we are coming, too. All four of us are coming together on a flight that should land on Friday. I told the McGuires that you would be happy to pick us up from the airport. I love you David and I can't wait to see you. Bye."
After Gordo finished listening to the message, he had to listen to it again, just to make sure he wasn't in some nightmare. He had to call his parents and tell them that was a bad idea. He had to talk them out of coming and convince the McGuires that Lizzie is fine. He decided to start with the McGuires. He completely forgot to keep them notified about the situation and he left them in the dark. He called them up.
"Hello?" Jo answered.
"Mrs. McGuire? This is Gordo."
"Gordo!" she said, and in the background, he could hear Jo yelling for Sam. He rolled his eyes as he heard someone pick a phone up.
"Gordo? How is she? Is she alright?" he asked.
"She's fine. She's out of the hospital and her memory is almost completely back," he said.
"Good," Jo said.
"Does that mean we don't have to fly all the way to Rome?" Sam asked.
Before Gordo could say anything, Jo blurted, "Sam! This is your daughter we are talking about! Of course we are coming over to see her!"
"Actually, you don't have to go. I can take care of her by myself. I promise I'll take care of her."
"Nonsense, Gordo! We wouldn't hear of it. You've done enough already! We can't get a flight until Thursday night, but we'll be there on Friday morning. Your parents are coming too."
"I know, I heard," he said, "But really, she's fine. You'll be wasting your money if you come here."
"No we won't! Even if she has her memory back, any time with Lizzie is the complete opposite of a waste of time."
Gordo gave up. It looked as if he had no other choice. The parents had made up their minds and he couldn't talk them out of it, "Well, I can't wait to see you," he said, lying.
"We're looking forward to seeing you, too, son," Sam said and they all hung up the phone and as Gordo was dialing the number to his parent's house, (he figured he might be able to talk his parents out of coming at least) he heard the shower turn off and the curtain open. He knew he had to be quick. Finally, after around four rings, his mom picked up.
"David, it's so nice to hear from you," she said.
"Hey, mom," he said, "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'm looking forward to seeing you in a few days, though. We figured we would book rooms at the same hotel as you and you and Lizzie could have your own room, your father and I could share a room and the McGuires could share a room."
"Mom," Gordo said, "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you coming all the way to Rome?"
"Because we want to help in any way we can with Lizzie. The poor girl needs all the support we can give her. Besides, we can spend time with our only son in Rome. . .a place where your father and I haven't been since our honeymoon."
Gordo rolled his eyes. He knew there was some other motivation or excuse to come there. At least, he thought, they might be out of his hair and do their own thing.
Gordo didn't have time to say anymore, as he saw Lizzie come out of the bathroom. He didn't want her to know anything about this yet, "Mom, I have to go. I love you."
He hung up the phone before his mom could say anything. He felt a little guilty because he knew she would lecture him on hanging up, but he figured he could blame it on long distance charges or something.
Lizzie stood there. She was fully clothed, in jeans and a t-shirt, with wet hair pulled back in a bun. Nonetheless, in Gordo's eyes, she looked stunning.
"How's you're mom?" she asked, with little enthusiasm.
"She's great. She asked about you."
"Oh," Lizzie said, examining herself in the full length mirror, "Do you think these jeans make me look fat?" She touched her stomach with her hands as she looked at Gordo.
"Nope," he said, "They make you look great."
"Whatever," she said, in a disbelieving tone, "Ready to go?"
"Sure," he said, grabbing his keys and wallet. He opened the door and Lizzie and Gordo were out of the hotel.
That night, Gordo took Lizzie to a casual Italian restaurant. People in Italy don't usually eat until after ten o'clock, so the restaurant wasn't very crowded. It was only eight o'clock. After pulling Lizzie's chair out for her and sitting across from her, he could tell that there was a little tension. He also felt tension because he had to tell her about their parents. He felt bad for the event that happened earlier that day, but it made him feel a little better about himself knowing that he did the right thing.
Slowly, he took her hand, "Lizzie, are you okay?"
Lizzie looked at him and then down, "Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just. . .I mean," and her voice lowered a little, "after I thought about it, I completely understand you saying no, but at the same time, it made me fell, well, you know, it made me feel a little uncomfortable in a way. Like, maybe I wasn't doing something right or you don't want me anymore."
"Lizzie," he said, squeezing her hand a little tighter, "Are you crazy? I love you so much, Lizzie. Don't ever think I don't want you. I didn't want to do anything because I thought it would be so soon."
"I know that now," she said, "But I don't know. I guess I just feel so self-conscious lately because I know I'm going to gain weight and it makes me feel ugly and fat."
"Lizzie, you are a lot of things, but you are neither fat nor ugly."
"I know, I know!" she said, "But it's weird. I feel so alone in a way. I can't believe I'm telling this to you, but I'm scared."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," she said, taking a deep breath, "Sometimes I wonder if I am ready to have a baby. I'm twenty-three years old. Have I lived enough life to where I am ready to settle down and have a child?"
~~~
A/N: Well, kiddies. What do you think?
Chapter Twenty
The next day, Gordo woke up, got ready and went to the hospital hoping to pick up Lizzie. He was more nervous today because he was afraid Lizzie's memory would be restored, and this is something he wasn't ready to deal with yet. While he didn't have a thought out plan or anything for this or anything, he thought he would use the time he could to try to get her to fall in love with him. That way, when her memory of him did come to her, at least she would have this to consider.
It was weird because throughout the entire night, it was as if his whole life had passed him by, focusing in on the moments he spent with Lizzie. Looking back, he really did take those years for granted and if he had the chance, he would have done a lot of things different. If he could erase time, none of this would have ever happened like this. He would have asked her to marry her before she moved in and they would be a married family and this baby would simply add to their happy family.
He made up his mind that he would try not to focus on that today. Thinking about it always made his thoughts drift down a negative spiral and he always thought of the worst thing that could happen. Lizzie could break up with him over this. Once she gets her memory back, she could flee away from him and never see him again. He would be a father who didn't know his child. His child would be a bastard, never knowing his father.
Thinking about all of this made him realize how precious life is. Gordo never really thought about it, but, he takes a lot of things and people for granted. All of the sudden, so many dreams popped up for this child, like it having the best parents ever who never fought and gave their child everything it needed.
It also made him think of his own father. He wondered how his father reacted when he learned that he was going to be a father. He knew he was a surprise to his parents, but he wondered if they went through the same thing he was going though with the fears and everything. But it was different. The difference between him and his parents was that his parents were married, he wasn't.
He arrived at the hospital in the middle of the morning and spoke to the doctor. The doctor told him that Lizzie could be released as soon as some papers were signed. Right as Gordo was signing the last of the papers, he saw Lizzie walk out of her room in her hospital clothes. She saw him and smiled. Gordo smiled back, relieved to know that she was happy. He finished up the papers and walked to her. He looked her in the eyes and after pausing for a few seconds, he smiled, and gave her a hug. "Ready to go?"
Lizzie looked down, "Yeah, but do you have any clothes for me? I don't want to wear these," she said, referring to her hospital outfit.
Gordo grinned, letting go of her, "Yeah, there are some clothes in the car."
"Good."
Lizzie and Gordo left the hospital. Once they were in Gordo's rented car, Gordo stated talking to her, "So, do you think your memory is coming back?"
Lizzie nodded her head, "Yeah, I think most of it is back."
"Really? Gordo asked, getting somewhat nervous. He gulped, "Do you remember me at all?"
Lizzie smiled, pitifully, "Not really," she said, pausing, "and believe it or not, of all things I want to remember, I want to remember you the most. Why is that so hard?"
Gordo shrugged, "I don't know."
"Well," Lizzie said, thinking, "Do you mind telling me a little more about yourself? Like, where you grew up and where you went to school?"
Gordo smiled. It was so sad watching Lizzie go through this. He couldn't imagine going through memory loss, "Well, I, like you, grew up in Hill Ridge and went to Hill Ridge Junior High and High School. You did too. We graduated together and went to college together."
"And now we live together, huh?" Lizzie said as she took this all in. What she really wanted to know was his name. Once she knew his name, she figured she would remember something else about him. She was afraid to ask him, though, and afraid to hurt his feelings.
"Yeah," Gordo said, distantly. Wow. He and Lizzie had been through a lot together. How did they make it this far in the first place?
~~~
Once they got back to Gordo's hotel room, Lizzie went to the balcony to admire the Roman view, "So this is Italy," she said, "This is Rome."
Gordo nodded his head and smiled, standing behind her and watching her watch the outside world. He wondered what she was thinking about and how much she remembered of him at this point. He was so flustered the day before, he was worried that he forgot to tell her his name. Lizzie closed her eyes and smiled as she enjoyed the warm summer Italian breeze and took deep breaths.
Gordo looked at her, and he could honestly say that she was happy. After hesitating for a minute, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her neck. She started to close her neck, so Gordo backed away. He was worried that she didn't like him anymore or that something was wrong, "Lizzie," he said quietly, letting go of her, "If this is too weird for you, please tell me. Just because we are together, I know you don't remember me, so if that kiss yesterday was weird for you, tell me. We can take this as slowly as you want."
Lizzie stood there silently for a moment to think. She didn't know why she closed her neck when he kissed it because it was comforting to have him so close to her. Then, slowly, she shook her head. She had to speak up and say what was on her mind before she forgot. She turned to him and spoke, as tears started streaming down your face, "The most frustrating thing about this is that I don't even think I know your name."
"Okay," Gordo said, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, "That's okay."
Lizzie shook her head in protest, still crying "No, it really isn't, though."
"Why?"
Lizzie took a deep breath, "Because part of me is convinced that if I know your name, that's all I'll need to know to be completely content."
Gordo pulled her into a hug, feeling somewhat guilty, "My name is David Gordon. Most of my friends call me Gordo."
"Gordo," Lizzie repeated as she pulled away from him and smiled, "I like that name. It's catchy."
"I like it, too. You picked it out, you know," he said, "When we were kids."
"Well, Gordo," Lizzie said as she played with his shirt, "I know this may sound crazy considering I hardly know your name, but the more time I spend with you, I fall in love with you."
Gordo smiled, glad she was no longer crying, "I love you, too, Lizzie," he said and he hugged her. When he heard those words from her, he felt like he was walking on Cloud Nine.
Lizzie broke off the hug, though and looked into his eyes, "You were the first guy I ever made love to, weren't you?"
Gordo nodded and kissed her on the nose, "and hopefully the last."
Lizzie smiled as she blushed and pulled him into a kiss. It looked like she didn't want to take it slowly anymore as Lizzie and Gordo continued to exchange a series of kisses and Gordo guided her to the bed, Lizzie said, "Gordo, please make love to me."
That's when Gordo stopped everything.
He got off of Lizzie and sat up, "Lizzie, you don't really want to make love to me right now."
"Why not?" Lizzie asked, confused, "I thought you loved me."
"I know," he said, "and I do, but right now, it isn't fair."
"What," she said, getting ready to cry again, "What are you talking about?"
Gordo got off the bed and straightened himself up. As hard as it was to restrain his beautiful Lizzie, he knew that he was doing the right thing, "Lizzie," he sighed, "You have to trust me on this one. I love you with all my heart and it is always hard for me to say no to anything you ask, but right now, I can't do this. It can't be like this. You have to give it time."
"But I'm ready," she said.
"I know," Gordo said, it was killing him to see her cry, "But I'm not sure you really are."
Lizzie looked at him, still lying there on the bed. Gordo couldn't stand to look at her any longer, "Lizzie, I have to go."
"Are you coming back?" Lizzie asked.
"Of course," he said and he took his hotel key and left the room.
Once the door was closed, he leaned against it and sighed heavily. That had to be the toughest thing he had to do, but he knew that he was doing the right thing.
After a few seconds of just standing there, he decided to go for a walk and decide what to do.
At first, he thought he wanted to keep the truth away from her because he didn't want to lose her, but the more time he spent with her, the more he was tempted to tell her the truth because then he could tell her what he thought now about it. The truth the old Lizzie knew was ugly, but the truth Gordo knew had changed.
He didn't know when, but at some point that afternoon, he lost track of time, as he got lost in his thoughts. He walked through most of the city of Rome and finally decided in order for something to happen, he had to make it happen. While he wasn't ready to tell her what was going on before she fainted, he knew it was time to start proving he had changed, because she wasn't going to figure it out by herself and when she finally did figure out what was going on, this could only help him.
One of the places he walked to that afternoon in Rome was a store. It wasn't a drug store, grocery story, clothing store, luggage store, candy story, or just any store. It was a store he had never set foot into his whole life. It was a store that sold great things and it was a store that could very possibly change his whole life. He went into that store a confused man and came out with everything clear, and a ring to prove it all.
He placed the ring in his pocket and headed back. Maybe he wouldn't give the ring to Lizzie that night, or in the next week, but he knew he was going to give it to her. If not for marriage, he would give it to her for the child. That way, the child, whether it was a boy or girl, would know that it had a father that offered his mother a ring at one time.
A few hours after he left his hotel, he returned, and it looked as if Lizzie hadn't moved since he last saw her. She was still on the bed, wearing what she was wearing before, but only this time, she had fallen asleep.
Gordo placed the ring in his suitcase and took a shower. After he took a shower and got dressed, he gently woke Lizzie up, "Lizzie are you hungry?"
Lizzie opened her eyes, and as soon as she saw who it was, turned her body away, "No, I'm not hungry."
"Lizzie, baby," Gordo said, stroking her hair, "You have to eat something."
"I ate breakfast this morning at the hospital," she mumbled.
"I know, but you have to remember that you are eating for two now," he said, and he had to admit, it felt weird saying that to her.
After a few moments of silence, he thought he heard her crying, "Lizzie, are you okay?"
"Yeah," she said, "Never felt better. I mean why wouldn't I be?"
"Please eat," Gordo pleaded.
"I feel awful," she said.
"You'll feel better if you eat something."
"I feel fat," she protested.
"You're beautiful," he said, "and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Come on, let's go eat and we can talk."
"Talk about what?" she said, turning around to face him.
"Talk about. . .us," he said simply, smiling at the love of his life, "Come on."
Lizzie reluctantly agreed to do this and Gordo helped her up from the bed and she excused herself to take a shower and wash her face. While Lizzie was in the bathroom, Gordo noticed there was a blinking red light on the telephone, indicating that there was a message.
Gordo went to check the machine, thinking it was either Lizzie's parents or Miranda, but to his surprise it was his mother.
"David, this is your mom. How are you? Listen, I just got off the phone with Jo McGuire and she has decided to fly to Rome with Sam because of Lizzie's health, and I know this may be a little strange, but your father and I were talking, and since this concerns the health of our future daughter-in-law as well as the mother of our future grandchildren, we have decided that we are coming, too. All four of us are coming together on a flight that should land on Friday. I told the McGuires that you would be happy to pick us up from the airport. I love you David and I can't wait to see you. Bye."
After Gordo finished listening to the message, he had to listen to it again, just to make sure he wasn't in some nightmare. He had to call his parents and tell them that was a bad idea. He had to talk them out of coming and convince the McGuires that Lizzie is fine. He decided to start with the McGuires. He completely forgot to keep them notified about the situation and he left them in the dark. He called them up.
"Hello?" Jo answered.
"Mrs. McGuire? This is Gordo."
"Gordo!" she said, and in the background, he could hear Jo yelling for Sam. He rolled his eyes as he heard someone pick a phone up.
"Gordo? How is she? Is she alright?" he asked.
"She's fine. She's out of the hospital and her memory is almost completely back," he said.
"Good," Jo said.
"Does that mean we don't have to fly all the way to Rome?" Sam asked.
Before Gordo could say anything, Jo blurted, "Sam! This is your daughter we are talking about! Of course we are coming over to see her!"
"Actually, you don't have to go. I can take care of her by myself. I promise I'll take care of her."
"Nonsense, Gordo! We wouldn't hear of it. You've done enough already! We can't get a flight until Thursday night, but we'll be there on Friday morning. Your parents are coming too."
"I know, I heard," he said, "But really, she's fine. You'll be wasting your money if you come here."
"No we won't! Even if she has her memory back, any time with Lizzie is the complete opposite of a waste of time."
Gordo gave up. It looked as if he had no other choice. The parents had made up their minds and he couldn't talk them out of it, "Well, I can't wait to see you," he said, lying.
"We're looking forward to seeing you, too, son," Sam said and they all hung up the phone and as Gordo was dialing the number to his parent's house, (he figured he might be able to talk his parents out of coming at least) he heard the shower turn off and the curtain open. He knew he had to be quick. Finally, after around four rings, his mom picked up.
"David, it's so nice to hear from you," she said.
"Hey, mom," he said, "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'm looking forward to seeing you in a few days, though. We figured we would book rooms at the same hotel as you and you and Lizzie could have your own room, your father and I could share a room and the McGuires could share a room."
"Mom," Gordo said, "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you coming all the way to Rome?"
"Because we want to help in any way we can with Lizzie. The poor girl needs all the support we can give her. Besides, we can spend time with our only son in Rome. . .a place where your father and I haven't been since our honeymoon."
Gordo rolled his eyes. He knew there was some other motivation or excuse to come there. At least, he thought, they might be out of his hair and do their own thing.
Gordo didn't have time to say anymore, as he saw Lizzie come out of the bathroom. He didn't want her to know anything about this yet, "Mom, I have to go. I love you."
He hung up the phone before his mom could say anything. He felt a little guilty because he knew she would lecture him on hanging up, but he figured he could blame it on long distance charges or something.
Lizzie stood there. She was fully clothed, in jeans and a t-shirt, with wet hair pulled back in a bun. Nonetheless, in Gordo's eyes, she looked stunning.
"How's you're mom?" she asked, with little enthusiasm.
"She's great. She asked about you."
"Oh," Lizzie said, examining herself in the full length mirror, "Do you think these jeans make me look fat?" She touched her stomach with her hands as she looked at Gordo.
"Nope," he said, "They make you look great."
"Whatever," she said, in a disbelieving tone, "Ready to go?"
"Sure," he said, grabbing his keys and wallet. He opened the door and Lizzie and Gordo were out of the hotel.
That night, Gordo took Lizzie to a casual Italian restaurant. People in Italy don't usually eat until after ten o'clock, so the restaurant wasn't very crowded. It was only eight o'clock. After pulling Lizzie's chair out for her and sitting across from her, he could tell that there was a little tension. He also felt tension because he had to tell her about their parents. He felt bad for the event that happened earlier that day, but it made him feel a little better about himself knowing that he did the right thing.
Slowly, he took her hand, "Lizzie, are you okay?"
Lizzie looked at him and then down, "Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just. . .I mean," and her voice lowered a little, "after I thought about it, I completely understand you saying no, but at the same time, it made me fell, well, you know, it made me feel a little uncomfortable in a way. Like, maybe I wasn't doing something right or you don't want me anymore."
"Lizzie," he said, squeezing her hand a little tighter, "Are you crazy? I love you so much, Lizzie. Don't ever think I don't want you. I didn't want to do anything because I thought it would be so soon."
"I know that now," she said, "But I don't know. I guess I just feel so self-conscious lately because I know I'm going to gain weight and it makes me feel ugly and fat."
"Lizzie, you are a lot of things, but you are neither fat nor ugly."
"I know, I know!" she said, "But it's weird. I feel so alone in a way. I can't believe I'm telling this to you, but I'm scared."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," she said, taking a deep breath, "Sometimes I wonder if I am ready to have a baby. I'm twenty-three years old. Have I lived enough life to where I am ready to settle down and have a child?"
~~~
A/N: Well, kiddies. What do you think?