Chapter Four

"It just takes practice. Take that music home and work on it. I'll see you next week." Colin smiled as he watched the group of kids file out. He loved teaching at the youth center. And these kids really seemed to take to him. It was amazing. He bent down and went about putting his guitar away. As he did Colin didn't notice someone else walking in.

"They sound fantastic." Rafe said softly.

Colin's turned towards the sound of his father-in-law's voice. "They are fantastic." He said with a huge grin. "I can't believe how much they've improved. I'm going to have some competition soon I think." He walked around the room and gathered the music stands. "I take it you're here to bring me to dinner. I'll be ready in a second."

It had taken a while but Colin and his father-in-law had finally reached a kind of unspoken agreement. It was an odd state of affairs. How things had even come to this boggled Rafe's mind when he really stopped to think about it. But there was one thing that was perfectly clear. Colin loved Katrina with all his heart and that's all he needed to do to be in Rafe's good graces indefinitely.

"Take your time. I'm glad to see you back." He said then as he moved to sit down on a nearby chair. "How was your trip?"

Colin and Katrina had finally gone back to Romania to visit Caleb and Livvie. After all the craziness that surrounded Alexander's birth, they thought it was a good idea to spend some time with them alone.

"It was great." Colin's eyes lit up just thinking about his son. "You should have seen Rachel with Alex. She was so cute. Kind of like Ella – but different – you know?"

"I can imagine." Rafe sighed and wondered how he could get to the real reason he'd volunteered to pick Colin up. He tried to act nonchalant as he added. "What about your parents?"

Colin stared at him openmouthed. "Did you just ask me how my parents are?"

Rafe's faced reddened a bit, suddenly embarrassed. "Yeah."

"They're OK." Colin replied, still taken aback. "Thanks for asking."

"Don't mention it." Rafe sighed. He was still curious. He knew Colin would see right through him but he needed to know. "They seem fine to you? Nothing weird or out of the ordinary?"

Colin laughed. "Well other than the fact that they snack on each other – and that my wife is almost physically ill when in their presence it was fine."

Still without answers Rafe stood and sighed once more. "OK. Well…"

Colin stared at him quizzically. "Do you think there's something wrong?"

Rafe shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just have a strange feeling." He moved towards the door again. "Maybe it's nothing. Come on. Let's go to dinner."

"It's never "nothing" with you." Colin replied, his voice full of concern. "I'll see what I can find out."

Rafe nodded. "I'd appreciate it. I'd call your father myself but that never works out the way I plan."

"Well. Amazing. That only took about 30 years." Colin said, chuckling a bit.

"What?"

Colin laughed louder. "You – figuring out that confronting my father usually backfires. Your wife will be so happy to hear it."

"You know I was just thinking I was getting used to you – but I can still change my mind." Rafe threatened as he moved towards the door.

Sure that he'd leave without him if he didn't hurry, Colin ran after him, still laughing.

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Lynnie stood by the sink in the kitchen, dreaming of a dishwasher. As she made her way through the pile of dishes her mind wandered. Suddenly, without warning her vision clouded and scenes began to fly in front of her eyes.

She couldn't believe what she saw. It was her, and Ethan. And there was something incredibly wrong.

"He's so mad at me." She gasped as she watched him throw something against the fireplace. Glass shattered as it made contact.

She began to shake – the scenario so unfamiliar she couldn't believe it could actually be happening. Something is wrong. Ethan and she had never fought – not once since they'd been together.

The soapy dish slipped from her grasp and sank to the bottom of the sink. She stood frozen, still stunned as the images kept coming.

She saw Ethan sitting here in the house alone, and he looked like it had been that way for weeks. She saw her closet virtually empty. She saw her family and friends looking desolate and inconsolable.

"What's happening? Why am I gone? Oh my God. Am I going to die?" Lynnie whispered to herself. "Why else wouldn't I be here? I don't understand. This is crazy. I can't leave him…" She began to sob as her knees gave out and she slid to the floor, the dishes abandoned.

Ethan walked back inside, having run out on a whim to get her someice cream. He could hear the sound of her weeping and dropped the bag in his hand, desperate to find her. "Lynnie!" He called her name frantically. "Lynn!"

He sank beside her and tried to hold her. It took three tries before she focused enough to realize he was there. And still, even with that she twisted and turned and tried to get away.

"Don't yell at me." She pleaded. "Ethan I'm sorry. Whatever I did – I'm so sorry…"

"Lynnie. Lynnie. Shh. I'm right here. It's OK." His arms closed around her and held her tight. "It's alright. I'm not going to yell at you. Lynnie please."

She blinked and stared straight into his eyes. "Oh God. Ethan…"

"Shh. I'm here." He whispered as he pulled her close.

"You were so mad with me." She said softly as she ran a hand through his hair. "You were here all alone."

"Shh. That's silly. I've never been mad at you a day in my life." He replied as he held her tighter.

"You will be…" Lynnie replied, still fighting to find her voice. "I saw it."

"I think you're getting rusty." Ethan tried to joke as he willed his heartbeat back to normal. "Honey listen to me. I think you've got it wrong. We've gone this long without a fight. I don't ever see it happening."

"I wish I could believe that." Lynnie whispered as she clung to him. "You threw things…"

"Impossible, Lynnie." He vowed to her. "Shh." He kissed her softly and made her focus and hear him. "Don't you worry. What you saw – it must be a fluke because I promise you that will NEVER happen."

Lynnie hoped that what he said was true. She couldn't go on if she didn't take his word and believe it. The alternative was just too scary. She nodded and whispered "OK" as she held him closer.

But deep in her heart she knew she was fooling herself. She knew because every other vision she'd ever had in her life had come true.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm starving." Chloe grumbled as she paced the length of the dining room. "And just my luck – I'm so fat I can't even sit at the table."

Alison laughed as she threw her arm around her shoulders. "That happened to me, when I was carrying Katie. The last few weeks are the toughest, sweetie."

Upon hearing her name, Kate walked in, desperately trying to comfort Alex who was sobbing loudly. "I don't know what's wrong with him today. He's been so cranky."

"Let me try." Alison offered, her eyes lighting up like stars as she took her grandson in her arms. "Shh. Sweetie. Shh." She whispered as she rocked him gently back and forth. Within moments he had quieted down.

"WOW." Chloe stared at her, in awe. "You're really good at that."

Alison chuckled softly as she gently handed Alex back to Kate. "I've had a ton of practice." She smiled as she asked. "Have you seen your sister?"

"Which one?" Kate asked as she pulled a chair out and sat down.

"Either." Alison replied.

"Last time I saw Ella she was online talking to her 'boyfriend'." Kate said with a laugh.

"Katrina." Alison gasped. "DO NOT let your father hear you say that. He's going nuts already. I swear to you it's driving me crazy. I don't think I can take it."

"OK." She laughed louder. "But it's true. She was chatting a mile a minute with Ty earlier."

"And what about Becky?" Alison asked then.

"Check the garage." Both Chloe and Kate replied at once. As they did their eyes caught and they burst into a fit of hushed giggles.

Alison looked from one girl to the other, completely confused. "What's so funny?"

"I can't believe we're going to tell her this." Kate said with a sigh.

"We can tell her." Chloe replied with a sly smile. "It's not like you'd be telling your father…"

Kate shifted her son so that his head rested on her shoulder, praying all the while that he'd stay asleep. She faced Alison and tried to keep her voice steady. "OK. It's just that – well. When we were dating and were here for some party or another – whenever we wanted some time alone – Colin and I - we'd sneak into the garage."

"And nine times out of ten, when they did - Grant and I were already in there." Chloe laughed as she pressed a hand to her back. "Oh God. Between all the laughing and this kid – I'll be back in a second. I've got to pee for like the thousandth time today."

As Chloe waddled off Alison faced Kate her mouth curved into a grin. "The garage huh?"

"Yeah." Kate blushed. "No one ever even thought to look. At least in the winter that's where we'd go. Summer gives you a lot more options." She said with a wink.

Alison's head spun, wondering what other secrets her children had been keeping from her. Suddenly she remembered a very important detail."OH MY GOD!" Her eyes flew open wide.

"What?" Kate asked, her voice full of worry.

Her mother was frantic. Hereyes were wild as she explained. "Your father – he's parking the car in there tonight. It's supposed to snow and he wants the car out of the driveway."

Kate chuckled as she rubbed a hand over Alex's back. He was starting to fuss again. "Well – somebody better go and warn those two because if they're doing what I think they're doing and dad finds out…"

Two words let Alison and Kate know they were already too late.

"GET INSIDE." Rafe's voice boomed so loudly that the walls of the house nearly shook.

They peeked out into the kitchen where poor Kyle was scrambling for his life. Rafe lunged for him and Kyle just barely escaped. He dashed off, desperate to find someplace safer. Like Antartica. That would probably be a good start.

Becky's hair was spilling from the pins that held it up. Her face was flushed a bright pink and her lip gloss was smeared across one cheek. "Daddy, please…" She begged as she clutched at the sleeve of Rafe's jacket.

"Yeah - you'd better run." He yelled out to Kyle as he tried to free himself from her hold.

Colin finally came inside, laughing uncontrollably. He smiled as he went over to his wife, bending down to whisper in Kate's ear. "Kyle's a dead man. Boy am I glad that never happened to us." He said as he shifted to press his lips to hers.

"Yeah – we were lucky." Kate laughed as she kissed him back. "But you know - there were days we came pretty close."