A Love Story
34)
Adam had gone out of his way to make Stuart and his wife understand that he had yet to forgive his brother for helping Liza run off with Colby. However, the blood ties between the brothers had once again connected them on Christmas Eve and her husband had spent a good day and half at the mansion, trying to console and do what he could for his brother and nephew.
JR, for his part, refused to let anyone in and it was only after Kendall Hart had arrived, the joy of having her niece back dimmed by the knowledge of what it had cost her friend that Adam had managed to get food into the nursery, which had been at least a start, right? Adam, according to Stuart, was in his own spiral and, after accepting those few moments of comfort, he had rejected any other consoling.
Therefore, Stuart had come home and done the one thing he knew he could do without hesitation or confusion… he baked.
Now, smelling strongly of banana nut muffins and her husband's infamous coffee cake, a bit of which decorated the edge of her sleeve and proved, along with the lipstick that decorated her empty mug at home, her own affection for the latter, Marian Colby Chandler stood at the front of the Chandler mansion. Peering in with sharp eyes, she searched for any sign of Dixie Cooney or that adorable little girl of hers.
Of course, she would not mind finding her nephew either…
With a hum-like sigh, filling her lungs with the crisp morning air, the sky above still slightly dark with night, Marian plucked the mansion key from her handbag and, with a flick of a wrist and a quick step, moved into the mansion, stowing the key away and locking the door behind her.
Very quickly, she noticed signs of the small child, finding several of the paintings tilted and one of Adam's elegant neckties looped around a stone dog, tied in an impressively neat bow. Frowning, stepping forward, she realized that it was an actual dog, sitting there, looking horribly depressed and embarrassed, and letting out a morose sigh as she flicked a finger at the tie.
It was indeed Tad's child, of that she had no doubt.
Giving the dog a consoling pat on the head, she moved forward, deeper into the house, heading towards where she could make out the quiet sounds of a voice, apparently talking to thin air. But it was feminine and familiar and Marian zeroed in on it like a dog after a steak, quickly moving forward and stopping, staring into Adam's large den.
In one corner, in a nest of a quilts and surrounded by ties of every color imaginable lay the child and she studied her for a few minutes, taking in messy blonde hair and a pixie-face, the tiny build and the fingers that were wrapped tightly around a Faberge egg. Sitting on her knees in front of the girl, attempting to pry the child's fist open, was Dixie, phone held between shoulder and ear, sounding angry and frustrated as she kept her conversation going in a quiet whisper.
Finally succeeding, she had stood and was looking around desperately for a place to put the collectable when she noticed Marian and indicating that she was slightly busy with the call, handed over the egg, quickly darting out of the room. Marian, checking that the egg was in an okay condition considering, finally found the stand, wrapped in a bowtie in yet another tie, and set it back up on the mantle, dropping her gaze back down to the child.
Oh, yes… Tad's child…
Picking up Dixie's shape slipping back in, she watched as the younger woman set the phone down, slamming it slightly, brow furrowed in clear irritation. "I'm sorry I didn't let you in, I was trying to save one of Adam's… egg thingies…" Moving to the couch, she shifted a few of the heavy photo albums that decorated it, indicating that the other woman take a seat. "I'm so happy you came."
"Well, of course, dear." Brushing off any remnants of the coffee cake she had just noticed, Marian took her seat, setting her bag to her side and, leaning forward, she gave in and wrapped arms around the other woman, laughing softly at the warmth and the realness there, not letting go until she picked up a tenseness in the other body. "Although I have to wonder what you're doing up right now."
"Oh, um… couldn't sleep," Dixie finally answered, looking distinctly uneasy as she played with the edges of the albums, fingering them with pursed lips and eyes that had darkened with some strong emotion. "Plus, she woke up about one in the morning and couldn't get to sleep for another two hours or so."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
Marian was aware that she was being studied, much like a subject in a laboratory and, if anything, she preened herself the smallest bit, tugging her clothes in slight movements and adjusting her earrings and necklace, checking that her wedding ring was catching the light just right. "Mrs. Chandler."
"Oh, call me Marian dear… Marian, Marian, Marian."
Leaning back in her own seat, Dixie, still watching the older woman, suddenly nodded quietly to herself, as if she had just come to some very important decision about Marian Colby Chandler. "I've been up all night waiting for JR to get home and I found these books." Marian knew full well that you didn't just 'find' Adam's photo albums… he kept them up, except for a select few he left out for close family and, she knew, that most of the ones spread around them were from Adam's own personal album collection. "And I've decided to get a good hold on the family again."
Curious… "So, then, Stuart was right… you don't remember?"
"No!" Marian jumped the smallest bit, surprised at the heat and slight panic apparent in Dixie's voice but she quickly went on, in quieter tones, "I just, mean, that things are hazy. Things are cloudy and a little bit hazy and I'm missing some— some chunks of time but, other than that, I… I have my memories, Marian… I'm still Dixie."
"Yes, of course you are," she agreed immediately, reaching out to pat the hand slightly, a bit unnerved by all of the things she was seeing in her… well, what were she and Dixie, actually? They had both been married to Chandler men but, couldn't quite be called in-laws, right? And then… of course, the whole… Tad… thing… "Of course, you're Dixie."
There it was again, something just barely perceptible at the back of the Cooney's eyes, something that flittered and fluttered and remained beyond Marian's understanding, only knowing that she didn't like it being there. Finally, with a bright chirp that was belied by that something, she answered, "I was Diana for a while there!"
"Was that JR on the phone?"
"What?" She glanced at the phone that Marian was focusing on now and shook her head furiously, flicking her wrist in that direction absently. "No, not JR… that was just one of my doctors from Switzerland. Um, she was just worried about my stress over here, she wanted me to go back until, um… until I was ready."
"Oh. Well, Dixie, if you need some more time, I'm sure you can just go back for a few weeks—"
"No."
The sharpness behind the words startled her and she raised her eyebrows, causing Dixie to clear her throat nervously, rubbing her neck with one slender hand, the bags under her eyes seeming to darken in those few heartbeats, staring down at her lap, before she finally spoke again. "I'm ready now, Marian… Janine's just worried about nothing."
"Ah."
"Marian?"
Really, was she being filmed on some reality show or something? Marian, now edging towards a frustration driving on her simple confusion regarding the last several minutes of strange conversation, asked, "Is there anything you need to talk about, Dixie? I mean, I came here, I assume, for a reason, right?"
"Yes."
Had Dixie always suffered from this inability to speak?
"Then what, may I ask, is it?"
Dixie opened her mouth, leaned forward and they heard the front door crash open. "Damn it." Dixie was out of the room before Marion had even gotten to her feet and she quickly followed, stopping just inside the threshold behind Dixie. "Where were you?" Moving past JR quickly, she shut the door, locking it before turning back to her son, stopping as she took in his appearance. "JR?"
"I fell asleep in my car."
"But—"
He had already started up the stairs, trudging upwards almost at a shuffle, gripping the banister as he did so. Staring after him for a few moments, Marion shook her head sadly, turning back to his mother. "Darling?"
She got no answer, the other woman simply continuing to stare up at where JR had vanished. With her arms wrapped around herself and with shoulders hunched, she looked for all the world like a lost child, scrambling for some place to get her feet down, to just find her balance before the world tipped and danced again.
When Marion cautiously set a hand on her, very lightly, she jerked, casting her a look with weary eyes. "I don't understand any of this," she finally whispered brokenly and Marion swallowed, suddenly wanting to slap herself silly. Of course, of course… a lot of things had changed, hadn't they?
"I can't find any answers, Marion, and nobody wants to give me any real answers." She rubbed at her eyes, shook her head exhaustedly, swallowing roughly. "Adam wants to vent his frustrations on whoever he can find and, well, I don't trust anything I read in the papers regarding my son."
"There are other people in our tangled family, Dixie."
The naked look she received was answer enough and Marion snapped her mouth shut, studying her silently for a few minutes, thoughtfully. Okay, fine, she could handle this. "Go get a coat on." When Dixie opened her mouth, Marion lightly shook her head, hooking her arm and guiding her towards the coat rack, prodding it with one finger.
"Get your coat on and I will go track down Winnie, she must be here somewhere, and we will leave your daughter in her care. Stuart is leaving early this morning to check in one something at the House with Brooke so we'll have the gatehouse to ourselves. We can talk, just us girls, without any Chandlers or Martins nosing in where they're not welcome."
There was another lingering glance up the stairs before, with a broken nod, Dixie began to slip into her coat and, heading off to track down Winnie, knowing full well that the woman never slept or went home, she was unspeakably grateful for both their sakes.
Zach hadn't gotten back from the casino.
Standing in front of her front window, watching the other condo, Kendall gnawed her thumbnail, a silent look of worry on her fine features, something that nagged at her like some kid wanting a lollipop. Sighing, thoughts of Miranda flitting through her mind, she dropped her eyes, settling her gaze on the diamond that decorated her finger.
It felt right and it wasn't supposed to feel right, right?
Everything was getting all confusing now, more confusing than before and that was saying something. Trudging away from the window, knowing innately that he wouldn't be coming back to the condo today, Kendall slipped into the kitchen area, prodding her cold coffee with a spoon thoughtfully, her lips pursed with something she couldn't quite name.
It was all supposed to get better now that Miranda was back in Bianca's arms, where she was supposed to be, as it should be and yet, it wasn't. If anything, things were becoming more twisted to Kendall's vision and Bianca, she knew, was going through something that made her eyes hollow and her voice empty, something that Kendall couldn't understand.
Nothing made sense.
Unhappily, Kendall set the mug back down on the kitchen counter, stalking back to the large windows and peering out, searching for any hint of him. with a sudden sense of irritation, she strode out of her place and crossed the courtyard, only faltering a heartbeat before her hand came down on his door.
Maybe he was in there, hiding?
Yeah, maybe…
Pounding once, she took a nervous step back, half-expecting something to jump out at her and devour her. When she got no answer, she went back to the door and brought her palm down several times more, furiously. Still, there was nothing and she dropped her hand unhappily, looking around bleakly.
No one around, not at these hours but still…
Darting back into her place, she locked the door behind her and, like some drone, went back to the coffee mug in the kitchen, returning to the spoon-poking, glaring in the direction of her husband's condo with sharp eyes and pursed lips, angry at him for making her worried about him.
Kendall didn't want to be worried about him, too.
She was sick of worrying. Worrying about Bianca after Miranda's death, worrying about JR after 'Bess's' and his son's death, worrying about Bianca now, worrying about JR, worrying about the ozone layer and the Global Warming, worrying about the rain of toads… glancing to the left, she froze, gaze settling on the phone.
Damn it.
AN: I want my reviews. I just finished two exams and got back from a weekend trip so I am in desperate need to be praised, even if its half-assed or fake, I need it... please... I need my fix, okay? In desperate of that, ahem... fix...come on, fix me!
I'll give you a cookie if you fix me... see? Cookie... want one, leave a review...