June 1st, 2005

Angel Grove, CA

After some frantic phone calls to both Aisha and Trini, Trini was able to locate Marci at the cafe she had said she was going to. She was still upset but accepted the offer of staying with Trini and Jason when she asked. It made me feel better that she wasn't just going to be fending for herself on the street but I was still upset that she had decided to leave. I knew I only had myself to blame though but I still cried for an hour or so in my office before I decided to just pack up and head home.

I drove home that night, passing Trini and Jason's as I did. I didn't see any sign of Marci outside or in the window of the house but I knew she was safe there. I also thought about the fact that Marci had stated Jason knew the truth about Lily and Tommy. If that were the case, why hasn't he said anything? Or has he but just not to me? Did he say something to Tommy about his suspicions? Clearly, something was said in front of Marci since she knew about it. Who else in the group had an idea of what was really happening? The thought made me sick to my stomach. If Tommy was the only one who didn't know, that would make things just that much worse if he does find out. Now I was going to have to do some damage control to stop Tommy from finding out if he didn't have any clue already.

I was lucky enough that when I got home, I talked to Tommy and knew he had no clue. The following day, I talked to Trini and I got the sense she had no idea either. I talked to everyone else directly except for Jason. It was pretty clear that none of them suspected anything either. I didn't want to talk to Jason about it. I knew if I did that he would tell me I was doing such an evil thing and that I needed to tell Tommy. I had already heard that lecture from Marci. I didn't need it from him either. Trini told me that Marci had settled in at their house very well and was making herself right at home. I've called a couple times and spoke to Marci. She was still talking to me which was good but it wasn't like we were before. It felt forced and like she didn't want to talk to me very much. I knew it was going to take time for her to not be pissed at me but I had to just wait it out. It was better having her there. I had told Tommy that her and I had a fight about her seeing Joshua without telling me where she was going. He accepted it and was supportive of me. He helped her pack up some of her things one day while I was at work. I don't know what they talked about but I was just glad she was still speaking to him.

The house was quiet as I opened the front door. It had been a long day at the office. I had to listen to auditions all morning of everyone who wanted to be Dorothy and the Tin Man. We had opted to do the Wizard of Oz, launching our summer series. We were going to attempt to do two shows this summer in hopes of bringing in more people. So far, the plan was going as we had hoped. It would be the Wizard of Oz in the beginning of the season and then the King and I at the end. I could hear soft music playing and the television was flashing on the wall of the living room as I walked through the house. Walking in, I saw that Tommy was laying on the couch. He was asleep and Lily was laying on his chest, also asleep. She rose with each deep breath he took, his arms around her to keep her in place and safe. The house was a little messy and cluttered, no doubt from having to keep her amused all day. Both of them were sleeping so soundlessly that they didn't stir when I entered. I set my bag down on the floor between the couch and the chair, shedding my coat. I walked over to the desk in the corner and grabbed my camera. Quickly, I snapped a picture or two of them sleeping. It would be a cute memory of the two of them for when she was older.

Leaning against the door frame, I smiled. Tommy was such a good Dad to Lily and she adored him. It was hard to believe she was already over a month old. In that time, we've watched her get bigger and be more alert. She was gaining weight, becoming a healthy squishy baby that had more of an attitude than I could have imagined. She's been sleeping so much better now and was beginning to build up her muscles. She was almost able to hold her head up on her own though she hated being on her tummy to learn those skills. We pushed through, giving her time on her belly every few hours. Tommy was still sitting with her during the day since I was working. He was still waiting to hear about the dojo and when it would be ready. I think he enjoyed being with her more than he would actually working. The two were quite the pair and it made me happy to see them together like this. So happy that maybe Marci had been right. Maybe if we were meant to be together, we could survive the truth being told.

Tommy stirred, his eyes opening slowly. Squinting one eye, he shifted his head until he saw me standing there. "Sorry." I whispered. "I didn't want to wake you."

"It's fine." He said, trying to sit up without waking her. I bent over and took her from him, carefully setting her down in her pack and play that was set up in the corner of the room. He stood up, stretching as he did. "I feel like a pretzel now." He yawned, walking towards the kitchen. I followed behind him, making sure she was still asleep.

"I bet. How was your nap?" I asked, smirking at him as I walked over to the fridge. I pulled it open, grabbing the pre prepared pasta dish I had tossed together this morning. I pressed some buttons on the stove, turning the oven on.

"Fine. How were the auditions?" He asked, sitting at the table.

"Ugh. I never want to hear 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' again." I replied, tossing the pasta in the oven.

"You still have six more weeks to go." He reminded me. I nodded, washing my hands.

"Yeah. I know. It'll be okay though. I just hate this part of the process." I flipped the coffee pot on and it began to brew. "How was your day? Did Little Miss give you a run for your money?"

"She sure did. We were going strong with no nap for a little bit but she finally crashed when we laid on the couch. I wasn't expecting us both to sleep though." He ran a hand down his face and scratched at the little fuzz he had growing on his face. Tommy had the start of a short goatee on his face. It wasn't much but just enough to make him look older. It was a good look for him, something that I think he knew I thought since he often caught me staring at it when we were close.

"I'm sure she will sleep horribly tonight then." I said, smiling. "Sorry she was cranky. Thankfully, I am off tomorrow so you can get out of the house for a little bit if you want."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. I got a call from the contractors. The building was approved for everything today. The dojo isn't quite ready yet but the apartment space above it is. I'm free to move in tomorrow if I want to."

"You're moving out?" I asked, surprised. He shrugged.

"That was the plan all along, right?" Reaching across, he grabbed my hand. "I will be forever grateful to you for letting me live here while everything was being rebuilt. I love living here with you and the girls. But I think it's time for me to get out of your hair. I think having all of us under one roof is stressing us all out. After everything that's happened with Marci, I think it's best. That way she can come back here and feel more comfortable."

"Tommy, you're not the reason why she left." I said. Well, not entirely.

"It's okay. I'll still be here every day like I am now. I can't go long without seeing Lily now. Plus you'll still need someone to watch her while you're at work."

"Right." I said, giving him a small smile.

"Kim, I want things between us to work this time. I think it would be best if we had our own space while we are working towards that place to try us again. Having my own place while you have yours might be the best thing to move us along in that direction." He stroked the top of my hand with his thumb. "Unless you want me to stay." He said softly, leaning forward to lean on the table. "If you don't want me to go, I won't." Did I want Tommy to stay? Of course I did. I was so used to having him here with me every day. I was living in my fantasy of being this happy little family in my childhood home. If he left, it meant that it wouldn't be true anymore.

He was right though. If we were ever going to be together, we needed to learn who we were apart. I had tried that before and took it too far. Now would be different and I was still going to see him every day. It just wouldn't be him up the hallway in the middle of the night when Lily won't settle. I would need to learn how to do this on my own while discovering the type of person I wanted to be for myself and Tommy.

"I think if you want to have your bachelor pad, you should have it." I replied, squeezing his hand. "You're right. Space is good when trying to figure things out. I know you'll still be here a lot. The door is always open for you."

"Thanks, Kim." He said, standing. Walking over to me, he gave me a tight hug. I felt tears brim my eyes as he hugged me. Marci was gone. Now Tommy was leaving. Did no one really want to be around me right now? He rubbed my back with his hands. "I think I'll wait until after the end of the month. We've got the wedding coming up and there's still some stuff I should do before I actually move in. Is that alright with you?" He asked, pulling away slightly so he could look down at me.

"You take all the time you need." I replied. Cupping his face in my hands, I gave him a kiss on the cheek.


As the days passed, the excitement for the wedding began to grow. Adam was becoming a regular staple at my house on my days off, him toting around a bin with wedding items. Aisha had assigned us with various tasks. When I opened the door on Friday, I saw that he was holding a box of glass vases. I raised an eyebrow at him. "There's three more in the car. We're doing centerpieces today." He said flatly.

"Terrific. Come on in." I stepped to the side, allowing him to set the box on the floor. He ran to get the other two while I hauled this one to the coffee table. Lily was in her swing, her eyes fixed on Sesame Street that was playing on the television. Elmo was becoming her favorite character, his eyes growing wide each time she sees or hears him. He was like a magic being, silencing her when she would cry. I owed a lot to Jim Henson for the red muppet.

"There's the last of them." Adam said, carrying the boxes in. He shut the door behind him with his foot before setting them down. "I swear, I do more manual labor for this than I do for my job."

"That's what you get for hiring Aisha as your wedding planner." I teased, sitting on the floor. "What are we doing with these exactly?" I asked, picking up one of the vases. I could see flower petals and fake tea light candles at the bottom of the box.

"She said we had creative liberty to do what we wanted with them but we have to make at least thirty of them each. I guess they are going three a table." He sat on the floor next to me. "Where's Tommy?"

"He had to meet with the contractors at the dojo this morning. He'll be back shortly." I replied, unpacking the boxes.

"Billy told me that he was getting ready to move into the dojo. How are you doing with that?" He asked, stacking bags of flower petals on the table. I shrugged.

"Fine. If we want to be together, we gotta make it work, right?" I replied. Adam gave me a small smile, making me sigh. "It sucks and I want him to stay."

"So tell him that."

"I can't! He's spent the last few months building it and was planning on moving in this whole time. I can't just demand him to stay cause I'm clingy."

"I wouldn't say clingy. I would say affectionate." He said, nudging my arm. I snorted.

"Yeah, well whatever you wanna call it, it's not a good enough reason. He's right anyway. Besides, he'll still be here all the time to see Lily." I pushed her swing with my foot, starting the automatic setting as it swayed.

"I don't blame him there but I don't think it's the only reason he'll be stopping over." Grabbing a handful of petals, Adam shoved them in a vase and dropped a light inside. "Well?"

"Perfect." I said, nodding. "And I know."

"How are things going with Marci? She still mad?"

"Of course." I said, following his model. "But she's starting to come around. I think staying with Trini and Jason was the best thing she could have done. No one can live with Jason very long without realizing how much bathroom time you have to give up. Marci is not about that life in the slightest."

"What was she so mad about in the first place?" He asked, setting the completed pieces in the box.

"Silly stuff really. Boy troubles. But it's not a big deal now. She knows she can always come back home and she just might once Tommy moves into his apartment."

"Maybe she just needs that girl time only you can give, Kim."

"Something like that." I replied. "Where's Billy?"

"Him and Aisha had to run to the country club today to complete some of the paperwork. They should be stopping here afterwards. I'm sure she's found another task for us to do while she has us as slaves."

"At least she means well." I said. I was surprised to hear my front door open and saw that Aisha and Billy were coming through the front door, Trini in tow. "Oh! Hi, everyone." I said, standing up.

"This is terrible!" Aisha said as Billy closed the door.

"I mean they are cheesy but I don't think they are that bad." Adam said, looking at the vase in his hand. She shook her head.

"It's not the vases!" She exclaimed. "We just came from the country club. We were meeting with the event coordinator. Everything was going fine until he asked what the names were going to be for the bride and groom. When I told him it was Adam and Billy, he went off! He said that since the state doesn't recognize gay marriage, he refuses to have any ceremony involving it on their property."

"What? How did he not know this whole time?" I asked. Aisha shrugged.

"He was under the assumption I was to wed Aisha." Billy replied.

"It was always the two of us that went there for the meeting." Aisha said. "But once he knew the truth, he cancelled the whole thing."

"He can't do that! Can he?" I questioned. Trini frowned, nodding.

"Unfortunately, he can. It's a private property so their rules. Besides, if you try to go to the authorities, it'll be his words against ours. There's no point in it."

"That's ridiculous." I scoffed, shaking my head. Adam stood up, putting his vase in the box.

"Now what? There's only twenty five days until the wedding. What are we supposed to do?" Adam asked. Billy shrugged.

"Perhaps we could hold the nuptials in the backyard until a new venue can be secured." Billy offered, fixing his glasses.

"That's not fair! We've planned so much and put so much hard work into it." Aisha whined, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Wait a minute." I said, coming around the table. I looked over at Trini. "Do you think your parents would allow you to have the wedding up at the ski cabin?"

"The ski cabin?" She asked. I nodded.

"Why not? That's where you got engaged! It's private, quiet, and gorgeous! We can spend the weekend and have everyone drive out there for the day."

"She has a point." Adam said, smiling. Trini nodded, grinning.

"I don't even have to ask. I know my parents will say yes! I can get the details for the hotel in town for your guests." Trini opened her purse and pulled out a small notebook. She jotted something down. "Here's the number of the groundskeepers and the maid. They can help set up whatever we need that day."

"This is going to be gorgeous!" Aisha exclaimed, taking the paper. Behind me, I heard the phone in the kitchen ring.

"I'll be right back." I said. I heard more chattering as they talked about where everything would be set up. I came into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" I asked, bringing the phone to my ear.

"Kimberly Anderson?" A voice asked.

"No. Kimberly Hart. That was my married name." I corrected.

"I apologize. You have a collect call from Nicholas Anderson at the Grove County State Penitentiary. Do you accept the charges?" The voice asked. I gasped, taking a step back. "Ma'am?" The voice asked in my ear.

"N-n-n-no." I stammered out. "I don't. And don't call here ever again." I slammed the phone down on the receiver and stepped away from it like it was going to bite me. Nick was calling me? Why? What on Earth did he want? And what part of the order of protection did he not get?

"Kim?" Trini asked, poking her head in the kitchen. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I said, nodding. I didn't want to worry her or the others right now while spirits were high. "Everything is okay."