Chapter 13: Revelation
A/N: Kaitlyn is now 3 years old. Maureen is 21 and a junior at Columbia University. Kathleen is 18 and a senior in high school. Dickie and Elizabeth are now 11.
Stabler Residence – Saturday, April 8th – 12:30pm
"Mama, let's go," Kaitlyn said excitedly as she pulled her mother's arm, beckoning her to come.
"Hold on, sweetheart," Olivia told her. She, Elliot, Kaitlyn, and the twins were planning to meet Maureen and Kathleen at the park and Olivia was packing up sandwiches, chips, and drinks in a basket for a picnic.
"I wanna go see Mauween and Kathleen," she said impatiently.
"We'll be going in a second, baby." Olivia finished packing and looked at her daughter. She had dark brown hair and those chocolate brown eyes that everyone thought were so beautiful. Kaitlyn was the spitting image of her mother, but she had her father's smile.
Bryant Park – 1:30pm
Kaitlyn was walking in between Elliot and Olivia clutching both of their hands. Dickie and Lizzie were walking behind them on the sidewalk.
"Swing me," she called out to her parents. Elliot and Olivia counted to three, lifted up her arms and swung her feet in the air as the little girl giggled in excitement.
Finally, they saw Maureen and Kathleen under a tree in a shady spot of the park sitting on a blanket. They both stood up when the rest of the family approached them. Maureen greeted her dad, Olivia, and the twins with hugs. Out of nowhere, Kaitlyn came over behind her and wrapped her little arms around Maureen.
"Hey you," said Maureen, turning around and lifting up her baby sister in a bear hug. "What have you been doing?"
"Playin' wif Dickie and Lizzie and coloring pictures," she answered proudly. "I missed you and Kafween."
"I know you have, sweetie," said Maureen. "I did get to come and visit with you guys today and Kathleen will come home with you later."
Meanwhile, everyone ate lunch and visited with each other. Elliot asked Maureen how school was going for her this semester. She asked her father and Olivia how they were adjusting to their new partners at work and also asked the twins how they were enjoying school.
After a little while, Kathleen and the twins left to go play basketball, leaving Elliot, Olivia, Maureen and Kaitlyn behind. Maureen thought that this might be a good time to tell her dad about Kathy visiting her from Florida.
"Mom came to visit me at school the other day," she said.
"She did what?" asked Elliot, trying his hardest to stay calm.
"Mommy, I wanna go swing," Kaitlyn said.
"OK. Come on, baby girl." Olivia took her daugher's hand and they left Elliot and his eldest daughter alone so they could talk.
"What is your mom doing back in town?" questioned Elliot, still shocked at the news.
"She said that she wanted to see me, Kathleen, and the twins. She wants to have a relationship with us."
Elliot thought about it for a moment. Kathy was his ex-wife who left him for another man and went off to Florida. She was the kids' mother, after all, and she had every right to see them, but did Kathleen, Dickie, and Lizzie want to see her after almost four years?
"I'll talk to Kathleen and the twins first," he told Maureen. "Then, I'd like to talk with your mother."
"She's planning to come visit me again next month."
"Is she coming with her boyfriend, Brad?"
"No, he has to work," Maureen looked at her watch and stood up. "Well I better go get Kathleen's things out of my car and go back to school so I can study for my chemistry test." She gave her father a hug and a kiss. "I love you, Dad. I'll call you guys next week."
"Love you too, honey."
Maureen walked over to the swings where Olivia and Kaitlyn were and hugged them good-bye. She then waved over to the basketball court at Kathleen, Dickie, and Lizzie.
"Push me in the swing, Mama," pleaded Kaitlyn.
Olivia pushed her gently in the swing while Kaitlyn kicked her feet in the air. She watched Maureen going toward her car, giving them one last good-bye wave as she got in and left the park.
"Wee!" cried Kaitlyn.
After Maureen left, Elliot came over to the swing and chatted with his daughter.
"Hi Daddy!" exclaimed Kaitlyn. "Look at me."
"I see that, sweetheart."
"Push me, please."
Elliot got in front of the swing and pushed Kaitlyn gently while Olivia pushed from behind her. As they were swinging her, Elliot looked at Olivia with a worried expression on his face and Olivia could sense that something was wrong.
"Elliot, are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he said.
In fact, he was not fine. Kathy wanted to see the kids, a thought that worried Elliot greatly. Life was moving along so smoothly, something he had never thought could happen when Kathy had uprooted so suddenly from New York. It was a turn of events that was puzzling to him."
TBC
