Latch Key
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
Chris and Maureen Johnson's Home
Queens
4:40 PM Saturday
Chris wanted to have a barbecue for the family since they hadn't gotten together in a while. Fin was back from his vacation.
Casey came over and sat on John's lap with a plate of fruit. They were the highlight of the day, since no one knew that they had been dating for over a year now. Olivia and Elliot were just as surprised as Fin was.
"Thank you so much for giving me a heads up on your vacation," John said, a little bitterly. "Isn't it great that we share that kind of honesty in our partnership?"
"Look, whatever man," Fin said. "You didn't tell us about you dating Casey until today. How honest does that make you?"
"Give it a rest, you two, sheesh," Maureen said as she came out of the house with a bowl of salad.
"Stop," Casey said before she silenced John with a kiss before getting up and joining the other women in the house. "Anything I can help you with, Maureen?"
"Um, nah, everything is pretty much ready," Maureen said as she went over to Olivia. "Hey," she said quietly. "Is dad still uh, having nightmares about when he walked in on me and Chris?"
"No, I think he's gotten over it," Olivia chuckled. "Why, is he still glaring at Chris?"
"Not that I've seen but I'm sure he is," Maureen said, looking out at the men. "I wish daddy would lighten up. Chris is still scared to death and now he's less…spontaneous."
Olivia grinned. "I'll talk to him."
Casey took a small sample of icing from the cake Maureen made. "Mm, wow, you're such a good cook Maureen."
"Thank you," Maureen said proudly. "Chris isn't a bad cook either."
"Hey Case, how's Jennifer doing?" Olivia asked.
"She's okay," Casey sighed. "She's still so traumatized, but she wants to move forward. John talked to her yesterday morning. She said that the Pembrooks were nice people, and that she was liking her new school. The baby's okay, but her doctor said that she would have to go on bed rest soon, because of her age. I dropped the charges against her mother and as a condition, her mother had to let Jennifer be adopted by the Pembrooks. She agreed and Jennifer was so happy."
"Good," Olivia said, inspecting Casey. "You look pretty happy yourself."
"I am," she smiled. "A bittersweet ending for once."
Kathleen came walking past them with a strawberry in her hand, talking on the cell phone as usual. Olivia frowned and grabbed the phone from her in one smooth move.
"Olivia!" Kathleen screeched.
"Your mom grounded you from the phone because it's costing a fortune," Olivia reminded the nineteen year old.
"Oh my God!" She said in frustration. "I forget to pay my half of one cell phone bill, and I'm grounded, but Maureen and Chris get caught in a conjugal visit in her virginal bed and no one says anything!"
"Whoa, actually, your dad almost had a heart attack," Olivia said indignantly. "And I'm not going behind your parents' backs to make sure you can talk to…Lucas? Who the hell is that?"
"My boyfriend from Siena," Kathleen explained. "But please don't tell daddy, okay? Keep the phone."
Kathleen bit angrily into her strawberry before walking outside.
Casey, Maureen, and Olivia cracked up.
"Excuse me," John said from the porch. "If you ladies are finished cackling, the men folk are hungry."
"Shut up, John," Casey snipped. "Fix me a plate."
"As you wish dear," he said and she puckered her plump lips into a kiss.
"Thank you," Casey said.
Olivia laughed. "You brat."
"Always," Casey said and the women laughed as they went outside.
"Elliot, stop glaring at your son in law!" Olivia called as she came over to him.
"And stop hyperventilating, you know you're guilty!" Maureen added.
Olivia kissed Elliot softly on the lips and Chris ducked away and went over to Maureen
"Sweetheart, when is your dad going to lighten up?" He asked her.
"Honey, just tell him how you feel," Maureen reasoned.
"Are you crazy?" He hissed. "The man lives three streets over from us! You saw how fast he got here when we had that little disagreement."
"Elliot, Chris is a nice guy," Olivia said as she took a turn about the yard with the suspicious father. "And Maureen will never forgive you for ruining her relationship."
He looked stubbornly at her. "She's my daughter."
"She's also a married woman," she said, standing in front of him. "Listen, she's in a loving, committed relationship now. You have to respect that. She'll always be your daughter, but give her the chance to be a wife."
She kissed his cheek. "You should really see a doctor about your bloodpressure."
Lizzie and Dickie ran up to the couple.
"C'mon dad," Lizzie said as she took his hand. "Dinner's ready. After you replenish your engery, me and Dopo will beat you in a game of soccer."
Elliot put a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "Ouch. My own daughter."
Olivia smiled.
Casey sighed and gave John a kiss, noticing that he was lost in his thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he sighed, caressing over her lower back, and she smiled.
The family gathered around for dinner and had a good time, like always, and John hoped that God was generous to Jennifer Zimmerman and keeping the souls of her siblings.
