Part IV: Fathers, Daughters, and Sons

The next morning Eli was greeted by an empty house, save his father on the couch reading. "Morning. Where's everybody at?"

"Lily took the girls and Will out shopping. We didn't think you'd want to go along."

He sat down beside his father. "Right in one." Eli sat there for a moment, pondering what to say next. He needed to talk to someone about this situation with Grace…and his dad was just as good as anyone. "Do you know if Grace is still planning on being here through New Years?"

Rick folded the newspaper and sat it on the coffee table. "I'm not sure. She might go home for a night or two." He studied him carefully before asking, "E, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

The older man glanced at his watch. "It's almost eleven. You want to get some breakfast?"

Eli looked up. "Is there a place serving this late?"

"Yeah, I know a place that serves breakfast all day."

When they arrived at The Breakfast Nook, Rick wasn't surprised it was filled mostly with men. He'd brought Lily here a few times, but the clientele leaned towards construction workers and the sort. "They make really good omelets," Rick told Eli.

His son slid in across from his dad and took the menu. He scanned it, already knowing what he wanted. Rick ordered coffee to go along with his omelet and Eli wanted a Coke with his French toast.

After the waitress took their order, they fell into silence. Rick studied his son carefully, wanting to talk to him, but unsure how to start. Finally, Eli looked up and said, "Dad, how were you sure you loved Mom and Lily?"

"What?"

"There's a girl… and I think I'm serious about her. I've told her I loved her, but she walked out on me. She told me I didn't know her, so I couldn't love her. How were you sure?"

Rick looked at Eli carefully, wondering if she should ask about the identity of this mystery girl. "When I met your mom, we were both in college. We were young and carefree. We got married after dating for a year, and things were good for a long time. Eventually, as you know, it stopped working. I never stopped loving her, but that love changed. It wasn't the way a man was supposed to love a woman.

"And Lily… you were there during my relationship with Lily, E. There was this connection between the both of us. Electricity. I knew by our third date I wanted to marry her."

Eli looked up from his hands. "How did you prove to Lily you loved her?"

"I didn't have to. She just knew." Rick stopped talking when the waitress arrived with their food. She arranged everything in front of them and topped off their drinks before disappearing. "This seems so sudden, Eli. You think you're in love with someone?"

"I'm pretty sure I love her, Dad." Eli sighed heavily. "I can't get her out of my head. I just want to be with her. I'd walk away from everything to be with her."

"Have you tried telling her?"

"I called a few days before Christmas, but couldn't find the courage to leave it on her machine. I tried twice – the first time it was just a blank message, and the second I finally screwed up the courage and the machine cut me off. When I talked to her last night, she told me I didn't know her anymore."

The older man studied his son carefully. He hadn't seen Eli on the phone with anyone while he'd been in town. No, mostly he'd just been out with Grace…Oh.

Eli saw the light bulb turn on inside his father's head. When Rick looked up at him, Eli nodded once. "Yeah."

"Grace?" Rick whispered. "You're talking about Grace?"

"Dad—"

"She's your sister Eli," Rick told him, making sure to keep his voice low.

"Step-sister, Dad. I…I can't explain it. It's something that's been going on for so long, I don't have any control over it anymore."

"How long?"

"Long enough."

"How long?" his father repeated. "I need to know if you were sneaking around with her…"

"When?" Eli questioned. "Before you married Lily? Would that have changed anything, Dad? If you knew I had feelings for Grace, would that have changed anything?"

Rick shook his head. "You know it wouldn't."

"I almost kissed her the day you got married. But never again while she was in school."

"This is coming from somewhere, E. You don't almost kiss someone over five years ago and then announce out of the blue that you think you love her." Rick knew what his son looked like when he was guilty, and he looked like that now. "What happened?"

"The Christmas after I moved to New York, when I came home. Something happened…"

"What? Did you kiss her?" The older man stared at his son, frowning. "E, did you…?"

Ashamed, Eli nodded. "She wasn't feeling well, so we left your party early. There wasn't anyone home, so I took her to the garage until someone got back. One thing led to another, and we, uh, you know."

"Yes, I know."

Eli put his head in his hands and sighed. "Dad, I didn't mean for this to happen. If you believe nothing else, believe that. It happened so slowly, so casually… I was in the middle of it before I could do anything."

"Eli, I'm going to ask you something. I don't want an answer immediately – take a few seconds, think about the implications. You have to answer me honestly." Rick paused, studying his son's face. The man in him knew already how Eli would answer the question, but the father in him hoped. "Do you love her?"

His son exhaled slowly, turning the question over in his mind. He'd told Grace he did last night, and she'd said he didn't know her. Was she right? Was she really that different from the girl she'd been? "Since I was seventeen years old, Dad."

Rick nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"The happiness of my children is the most important thing in the world to me and that includes you and Grace. You should talk to her and I'll speak with Lily. If Grace refuses to even listen to you, then you need to go back to New York and forget this. I know it will be painful for you, but if you love her you'll want her to be happy. If she listens… if she thinks she might return your feelings, then we'll decide where to go from there."


After breakfast, Rick and Eli went off in search of Grace. A quick call to Lily told them they were still at the mall, and she asked them if they wanted to join them for lunch. Despite the fact they'd just eaten, the men agreed. Though he wasn't completely convinced about how this was going to work, Rick knew if the sooner he got Eli and Grace in front of each other, it would help.

He loved his son and he was proud of him. When Eli was in high school, Rick was sure his life was going nowhere fast. Then, suddenly he seemed to pull himself from the stupor. Eli started making the right decisions and started really living his life. A professional songwriter wasn't Rick's dream, but it was Eli's. Rick couldn't help but wonder if Grace had something to do with that.

They were already eating when Rick and Eli arrived. Neither of them ordered, though Eli stole a few french fries off of Jessie's plate. He was encouraged when Grace looked over and smiled at him. Rick saw the exchange as well and wondered if this could end happily.

When they finished eating, each of the family members set off on a different route. Eli and Rick were both surprised when Grace asked him to accompany her to the Apple store. She needed help picking out accessories for the iPod Eli had bought her. Because he wasn't entirely comfortable with that situation, Rick sent Will along with them as a buffer. Zoë convinced Jessie to go somewhere with her and Lily dragged Rick into Pottery Barn.

Will held onto both of their hands as they walked along, swinging his arms in both directions. He happily chatted with both of them – thrilled to be along with his older sister and brother. Though, Will would have preferred to just spend time with Eli. Since his brother lived so far away, Will rarely saw him.

Eli broke the silence between them by asking Grace, "What're you looking for?"

"I went out running last night and nearly lost it. Maybe a case?" He nodded, and she continued, "I'll know exactly what I want when I get there. I haven't decided yet."

He raised an eyebrow at his words, wondering if she was still talking about the iPod. From the sounds of it…

They reached the store and Eli showed her around. All of the sales representatives were busy, so he showed her some of the accessories he'd bought for himself.

He was showing her a battery pack when someone asked, "Has anyone helped you yet?" When Eli turned around, the sales girl smiled. "You came back."

Eli nodded. "Yes, this one," he nodded towards Grace, "needs some accessories." Eli tightened his grip on Will, taking on a 'fatherly' stance. He'd flirted with the girl previously, hoping she would reduce the price of the gift. She'd allowed him to use her employee discount of fifteen percent at checkout. Now, however, she wasn't a complication he needed.

Elise, the sales assistant, let her gaze slide over to Grace. "I see." She turned back to Eli. "You bought the Mini, right?"

"Yeah. I was just explaining to Grace why she needed a dock."

It was evident Eli wasn't the customer here, so Elise smiled warmly at Grace. "Well, that depends. What do you do?"

"I'm a research assistant at Northwestern."

"Are you at school a lot? And while you're there, do you listen to music?"

Grace shrugged. "I guess."

"Do you keep a CD player or anything like that at school?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, I have one at the office."

"Then, he's right. I would recommend the dock. You'll have all of your favorite music right there with you. Just connect it to your computer speakers and it turns into a small stereo," she smiled. "Pre-loaded with all of your favorite songs."

Grace turned around, taking one. "Then I'll get it. Anything else?"

Elise looked at Eli. "What're you thinking?"

"A battery pack and maybe an arm band?"

The assistant nodded, leading them to what he wanted. In the end, Grace decided to buy all three of the accessories. Elise led them to the register and Grace frowned when Eli removed a credit card from his wallet. "What're you doing?"

"I bought the gift, I'll buy the accessories."

"Eli—"

"Please? Let me do this."

Grace shifted uncomfortable, aware that Elise's eyes were on them. "I don't feel right about this. It was a gift and you don't need to buy me anything else."

He handed his card to Elise and smiled, "I want to."

After a few more arguments, Grace relented and allowed him to pay for the purchase. Eli looked smug as he walked away with Will in his arms. Elise leaned forward and smiled. "He's cute. If only I could be so lucky."

Grace rolled her eyes at the girls' melodramatic sigh. "If you want him, you can have him."

Elise looked up. "He's your boyfriend, right?"

"Not exactly." The brunette grabbed the bag and followed Eli out of the store. When she got to him, his hazel eyes were shiny in victory. "I don't like you."

"What'd I do?" he asked, defensively.

Grace turned on him. "I asked you to come with me so you could help. You didn't have to pay for them."

"Hey, it was my gift to you. There's no reason why you should have to drop an extra hundred bucks on something I gave you."

"E, you're not going to use the accessories."

"I'm not using the iPod either," he told her. "Look, Grace, I wanted to do this. I didn't feel guilty because I'm the one who bought it for you either." Eli pinched his nose in frustration. "You know, I wouldn't have bought the damn thing if I thought it'd cause these problems."

She watched him walking away for a moment. Grace looked down at the bag she was holding and sighed. "Eli, wait." He stopped walking and she hurried to catch up with him. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It's just—"

"You decided this was about us, Grace. I told you how I felt and you shot me down, end of story." Eli looked down at Will who was beginning to squirm. "You and I need to talk. There's a McDonalds with one of those playgrounds up that way. Let's get Will some ice cream and let him play."

Grace reluctantly agreed. She fell behind as Eli walked with Will towards the restaurant. She'd been so sure Eli was trying to impress her when he bought the stuff for her – maybe she was wrong. Maybe he really felt responsible for the gift and didn't want to cost her any money. They were waiting for her at the door when she finally caught up with them. She looked up at Eli and said, "I'm paying for this."

He only grinned and held the door open for her. Eli picked Will up when they got to the counter. "Want some ice cream, buddy?"

The child nodded. "Chocolate!"

Eli laughed. "Do you want anything on it?"

Will thought for a moment before saying, "Syrup and sprinkles."

Grace took out her wallet and Eli took Will to the play area. She looked up to find the cashier smiling at her. "You have a really beautiful family." Grace smiled, accepting the compliment. "Your son is adorable and your husband is…" The girl let her eyes slide over Eli's backside and sighed. "Very, very handsome."

She was too embarrassed to reply. Sure, Will was a cute kid and Eli… there was never any doubt about Eli. Grace paid quietly and took the ice cream. She took a deep breath before following them outside. They were waiting at a table in the back corner and Will already had his shoes off. Grace was grateful the play area was enclosed and heated – no need to worry about her brother getting sick. "One chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and syrup," she announced.

The boy grinned. "Thanks, Gracie!"

The brunette smiled. "No problem, kiddo."

Neither Eli nor Grace said anything as Will happily ate his ice cream. He would occasionally glance over to the other children playing and it was obvious he was ready to get in there himself. Finally, when he was about half-finished he pushed the cup towards Grace. "I want to play. You finish this."

His sister took the ice cream from. "Go have fun." She looked on as he ran straight to the pool of plastic balls. "I love that kid," she said to no one. Grace looked up to find Eli staring at her. "What?"

Eli shook his head. "I was just… nothing."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Eli," she whined.

"Last night you made it pretty clear how you felt about certain things. What I was just thinking involved those things, so let's drop it."

Grace nodded, accepting his answer. "You bought that iPod on Christmas Eve, didn't you?"

"I did."

"That's why you wouldn't tell me. It was my gift." When he nodded in affirmation, she continued, "So you didn't get me anything until Christmas Eve?"

"I didn't know what you wanted," he said in explanation. "We see each other once a year and I thought it might be a little awkward calling you up out of nowhere asking what you wanted for Christmas. I used the only opportunity I had."

"You shouldn't have. You didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to," he said. "What? You don't like it."

"No, no. I love it," Grace assured him. "I just… I know how much those cost and then with the accessories today. You spent a lot of money on one gift."

He shrugged, the money not really mattering to him. "If I hadn't spent it on you, it's likely I might have thrown a kegger when I got back to New York. So really, you're saving me from throwing up a lot."

"Well, when you put it that way." She sat there, absently swirling the spoon in the ice cream. It was beginning to melt and Grace thought about asking Will if he wanted it. She looked over and he was still happily playing in the ball. He and another little boy were throwing balls at each other and diving around. "What'd you do this morning?"

"I slept until eleven, since I had my heart so cruelly broken last night. Then Dad took me out to breakfast."

"And then you met us here?" She eyed him carefully. "Who's idea was that?"

"Dad's. Guess he wanted to see Lily." It felt strange not telling her the entire truth. Especially since what he discussed with his father affected her so much.

"Did I really break your heart?" Grace asked suddenly. She looked down, not sure what she wanted his answer to be. If he said no, she'd be happy because it meant he was okay. And if he said yes… well, she didn't know what that meant.

"It's a little bit crushed right now," he admitted. "You should know I don't give up easily, though."

"What's that mean?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not going to change my mind."

Eli looked at her, trying to determine what his next move was. He knew she wasn't entirely comfortable with their situation and he shouldn't press her into something she didn't want. But he could remember the way she'd looked at him before, how they'd talked so openly at dinner and then later in his room. She felt something for him and he was determined to find out what. "New Years," he said finally.

"New Years?" Grace repeated. "What about it?"

"Give me until New Years to change your mind. If you don't, then I'll fly back to New York and never mention this again. If I convince you, then you have to at least give it a shot."

"Why is this so important to you?"

He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. "Because you're important to me. Don't you see that?"

Grace wasn't sure how she would have replied. She was still thinking about his proposition when she heard Will scream. Pushing all thoughts of Eli aside, Grace jumped into motion and went to him. He'd just come down the slide and it looked like his knee was bleeding. When he was wrapped safely in her arms, Grace turned to find Eli on his cell phone. She could tell he was talking to Rick, telling them what happened. "It's not a problem, Dad," she heard him say.

When Eli finished his conversation, he turned to Grace and said, "They're on their way. But Jessie and Zoë just went into a movie about half an hour ago. Dad wanted me to stay and take them home. They're going to take Will in Lily's car."

"Sounds good," Grace told him. She continued to hold Will against her chest, whispering comforting words to him. Finally his tears started to dry up and Grace saw he wasn't really hurt. He started to fall asleep when their parents arrived. "Look, Will. Mommy's here."

The little boy looked up and smiled. When his mother got to them, he went immediately for her arms. She looked down at his knee and was relieved it was only a scratch, but still decided to take him home. Lily waited patiently for Rick to hand over his car keys to Eli. After a moment she turned to Grace and asked, "Are you coming with us or staying here?"

Grace glanced at Eli, unsure how to answer. She didn't want to leave him by himself, but… "I'll stay," she answered. Maybe it was time to put some faith in Eli again.