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Mark and Sidney were beyond grateful for having paid maternity and paternity leave. It also didn't hurt that Angie was becoming more independent and could do certain things for herself, albeit with parental supervision. Raising a newborn baby and a toddler was exhausting as much as it was rewarding and exciting. They couldn't imagine how single parents or parents with fewer resources and lower incomes managed to do it. It made more them thankful for their successful careers and their solid support system of friends and family.
Giving birth twice broaden Sidney's perspective on her late mother. The deep and unconditional love she had for daughters wasn't anything she had ever experienced. She imagined the intensity of those emotions being negative when it came to her mother giving birth to Roman. The private shame and turmoil Maureen lived with and never healed from caused Sidney's heart to ache. Despite being deceased for almost twenty years, she couldn't help but miss her mom. The sorrow Sidney had for her would arise during holidays, birthdays, the births of Angie and Elle and on the many firsts that Angie experienced so far.
Maureen's absence and the void it left in her daughter could never be fixed. However, the empathy and grief Sidney had for her mom gave her a deep appreciation for Mark's mother. Whenever she needed help, Elizabeth always answered her calls and seemed delighted to provide guidance and support for her daughter-in-law. The matriarch loved Sidney as if she were her blood and adored her grandchildren. Elizabeth's generosity, warmth and calm demeanor reminded her of Mark. All of those qualities came through when she revealed that Jack and her had planned a big holiday trip for their loved ones.
July 4th, 2014
The lakefront chalet took everyone's breath away with its three stories, massive picture windows, dramatic pitched roof and overhanging eaves. Pine and grey quartzite in the home's sturdy structure made the abode seamlessly blend into its rustic surroundings. All three generations of Kincaids along with Wallace, Lila, Jae, Navi, their two children and a total of five dogs turned the stunning home into a full house. There was still plenty of room inside and on the sprawling property for everyone to freely roam.
By the time everyone arrived, the kids (save for 13-year-old Chloe and 7-year-old Neil) were ready for their early afternoon naps. Elizabeth and her sister-in-law, Ros, volunteered to look after the children and encouraged everyone else to explore the grounds and town.
After putting their daughters down for a nap, Mark and Sidney gently kissed their foreheads. Not a word was said between the devoted parents as they admired their sleeping angels before reluctantly stepping away. With their hands clasped, they left the gorgeous home through the backyard and went on a leisurely walk.
Several beautiful varieties of flowers were on the hiking trail but it was the Casablanca lilies that stopped Sidney in her tracks. Mark reached into his navy-colored short's pocket pulling out a Swiss army knife. He carefully cut off three lilies for her.
Touched by his kind gesture, she planted a small kiss on his cheek then brought the lilies to her face. Breathing in their sweet aroma soothed Sidney, it had been decades since she had last held this specific flower. The plant's unique fragrance also evoked a fond childhood memory.
The dazzling smile that spread across her flawless face filled with him with joy. Seeing her in a blissful state was infectious, he lifted her hand to kiss her palm and wrist. Her happiness always made world seem brighter to him. And her smile also served as a reminder of how far she came from being a guarded victim to the compassionate survivor who stole his heart.
They came upon a cliff with a perfect view of the lush green mountains against the blue sky as the sun glowed; she slowly took in their picturesque surroundings with all of her senses. Her attention returned to the trio of lilies in her grasp before she heard a content sigh come from Mark.
"Sid, this view it's-it's incredible!" The pad of his thumb brushed her palm. "Seeing it with you, makes it a million times better."
His compliment compelled her to cover his mouth with a soft kiss, "I feel the same way. This place and these," she held up the flowers, "remind me of the first Mother's Day I celebrated with my parents. Well, the first one that I can clearly remember…."
Whenever she spoke of her mother, he felt privileged since it was a sensitive subject for her. And he knew that none of her previous lovers made her feel at ease enough to be so candid about her mom. With his free hand, he hooked his fingers into the belt loop of her black shorts and gently pulled her body against his. After placing his hand on the small of her back, he asked, "What was it like?"
Her eyes met his supportive gaze as she savored feeling his firm body on hers, "I was six and my dad rented a cabin. We went fishing, it was my first time. And I was horrible at it, I caught an old shoe." She scoffed and shook her head.
An amused chuckle came from him, "Did you do catch and release or were you trying to get lunch?"
Shaking her head, she explained, "The former. Both my parents knew that I couldn't handle seeing them gut the fish.
My favorite part of that trip, was on the morning of Mother's Day. My mom slept in while my dad and I picked flowers, poppies, then we drove into town to get her Casablanca lilies and added them to the bouquet. When we came back, she was still sleeping. So, we made her breakfast in bed." Her perfect lips broke into a wide smile as she felt her eyes welling up, "My mom's face just lit up when we came in. It felt good to make her feel that happy. I'll never forget the way she looked at me…it made me feel so wanted, needed, valued…and loved."
Mark was moved by her story and caressed her face, "Just like how Angie, Elle and I look at you."
She closed her eyes and leaned into his loving touch before speaking, "Yeah and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Uh, the anniversary of her death is coming up and my dad, a few days before it, he'd ask me if I wanted to do something to celebrate her life. That first year, he had a business trip, a conference. But um, he offered to cancel it if I wanted him home with me…I told him to go and that I would be fine. You already how that turned out…but on the years followed, we'd have a dinner and he'd tell me stories about her. He told me who she was before they got married, after and when she had me. We'd also watch home movies and look at old photos. It made me feel closer to her." The memory of the love in her father's eyes and voice as he spoke fondly of her mom brought a wistful smile to her lips.
Ever since her father's passing and the anniversary of her mother's death coinciding with Billy and Stu's massacre, she had treated the anniversary as if it were a regular day. Mark decided not to question her during those times but since she opened the door, "Do you have something in mind for this year?"
She placed her chin on his shoulder, "Not yet…but I wanna do something, even though it'll just be us. Everyone who knew her, they're either dead or they're no longer in Woodsboro. Still, it'll be nice to honor her memory."
"Whatever you come up with, I know that it will be heartfelt and beautiful. I'll be by your side the entire time." He gently leaned his forehead against hers.
Running her fingers through his silky thick hair, her lips curled up, "You always are. It's one of the many reasons why I love you so much."
A gentle breeze passed through causing the trees to rustle as they shared a warm and deep kiss.
About two hours of daylight remained by the time everyone arrived at the bustling park. To celebrate the patriotic festivities, several family-friendly activities, game and food booths and a dining area were set up. On the south side, local bands were performing on a large stage. Jack, Elizabeth, Ros and her husband Keith went to the dining area saving tables for their family and friends. Elizabeth pushed Elle in her stroller while Mark, Jae and Trip took Chloe and Neil to the game booths.
By the enormous multi-tiered garden water fountain, a big bounce house stood. Sidney, Melanie and Navi brought Angie, Ayla and Mikin to the colorful and inflatable abode. As their children laughed and hopped around, Wallace walked over with a paper plate full of churros.
"Hey Mel, I know how much you love these" He handed her the plate, "And, this is the least I can do since you're not charging me an arm, leg and my right ball for Greta's wedding dress."
With a big laugh, she accepted his offering and touched his shoulder, "Aww, thanks Wallace! Come on, I was always gonna give you the 'Friends and Family discount'! And you also know how to bust Mark's balls, that special skill earned you another discount!"
A dry chuckle came from the veteran cop, "It's one of my favorite hobbies and now that I know that it comes with benefits? I'm gonna hone my craft because I got two more daughters who wanna get married one day. And shit, it's a way better hobby than golf!"
After sunset, everybody moved to the north side of park for the main event. In lieu of fireworks, the crowd was gathered in front massive white screens and speakers where a laser light show was set to take place. Each person was seated in foldable camping chairs and began clapping when energetic music began sounding from the speakers.
Angie was perched on Mark's lap while Sidney held a curious looking Elle. Poppy and Koa were resting at their feet. Both parents watched Angie's mouth drop open as her blue eyes stared at the vibrant colorful lights in absolutely awe. Her little hands clapped and pointed at the image of lasers forming into a butterfly, one of her favorite creatures. She laughed, cheered and bounced at the lasers turning into different images in tandem with the cheery music. Their eyes went to Elle; a toothless smile spread across her face as her dark eyes lit up. He reached across and grasped Sidney's hand then kissed her knuckles. With a sweet curve of her lips, she leaned over and pecked his cheek. They quietly cherished the beautiful picture of their children enjoying the moment.
Note: This website/app has been having issues lately. The recent one is not being able to directly connect to this website on mobile and desktop mode. I have to use google (the actual search engine not google chrome), type in fanfiction(do)net, hit enter and click on the top result which is a link to this website. This issue has been going on almost two weeks now. Other people have been experiencing the same issue so it's not just affecting me. So, I'm afraid this site might stop working soon since this issue and the one with email alerts not working for Outlook/Hotmail users have been going on for some time now and the staffers here haven't given the members any updates on whether they plan to resolve them any time soon. Remember, I'm also posting this story on archiveofourown so if it feels like I've gone too long without posting a new chapter, check there if you can't connect to this website.