The Gift

Chapter 18

After that night, things went so much better. Andrea and Mike talked a lot and there were times he stayed over at her house, with her. It felt good to have him in the bed next to her. One night, after a long night at work; he climbed into bed next to her and gave her a kiss.

"Sorry for getting here so late. Eli is sound asleep and I didn't want to bother him. Work was hellish today." Mike said.

"Everything okay?" Andrea asked.

"We are trying to commission a new destroyer but so far its not faired well in its tests. I dealt with the ship builders today and toured the destroyer tonight. Talk about substandard. The bunks for the enlisted are five foot four inches long." Mike explained.

"They are supposed to be a foot longer?" Andrea remarked.

"Yeah. Tomorrow will be another full day of meetings on how to deal with it. Hence me not wanting to wake Eli up and then have to settle him back down at my place. I also really didn't want to be alone tonight." Mike said as he nuzzled her neck.

"You can stay whenever but why tonight as opposed to other nights?" Andrea asked.

"It would be Kaitlyn's twenty-third birthday today. I've been so busy that I barely noticed, but on the drive here, I remembered. I was going to pick Eli up and head home, but he was sleeping so soundly and I just couldn't face it." Mike admitted and Andrea wrapped her arms around Mike. She understood all too well what Mike was going through. Other then, she knew Lily was gone. Mike had never gotten confirmation of Kaitlyn's death.

"Anything I can do?" Andrea asked.

"Nah. Just a day I had to get through and I'm nearly there." Mike answered.

"I never realized that Kaitlyn and Ally shared a birthday. I just don't know how old Ally is." Andrea said. She gave the young woman money to pay into her retirement and taxes.

"I'd say probably older then Kaitlyn. She has a degree, doesn't she?" Mike asked.

"She told me she did. She seems young, though. Sometimes…I really wonder about her story but she is so good with Molly and Eli. Even if it is all a lie, I would keep her on." Andrea admitted.

"Sometimes, she seems familiar to me. I don't know how to explain it, but its like I knew her before." Mike said.

"Maybe you did. Maybe we should ask her sometime about her life before. I know everyone is dead. She only occasionally talks about her mom, brother and sister. Never anything about her father and she has no pictures." Andrea remarked.

"If is her, why has she lied about everything all these years? Her name, her age, degrees?" Mike asked.

"Mike; what was Kaitlyn's middle name?" Andrea asked.

"Allison." Mike told her.

"Allison, Ally? Kind of close. Was there an argument or something that might have scared her from telling you who she was? She's always been protective of you and even when you were gone, she defended you and missed you. She was the one that kept Molly talking about you. I always thought maybe she saw you and I as substitute parents. Maybe, I was more correct then I thought." Andrea said. Mike turned to lay down on his back and rubbed his face. Suddenly, he stood up and got his wallet out of his pants.

"I have a picture of Kaitlyn with me. I want you to take it and see what you come up with. I don't want to think about it, because if I think about it, I will dwell on it, and if she isn't my daughter, then it will rip the wound open all over again. I can't do that." Mike said as he handed her the picture. Andrea put it on her nightstand and patted the bed.

"Understood. Why don't you try to sleep? I'll take care of Ally." Andrea said. She knew Mike wouldn't really sleep, but it didn't matter; he needed to try. He climbed into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. It didn't take him too long to fall asleep. Andrea took a bit longer because of how worried she was about Mike.

The next morning, Mike was out of the door long before Ally and the kids woke up. About eight, Eli woke up and Ally got up with him. Andrea listened to her softly singing to the baby boy and wondered if the love she had for Molly and Eli went beyond that of a nanny. Finally, Ally carried Eli out for his breakfast.

"Eli slept really good. I never heard him once." Ally remarked as she settled Eli into his highchair and fixed his breakfast. Andrea watched her for a moment. She was tall like Mike, slender like Christine, wavy blonde hair and big brown eyes.

"Yeah, he slept through. Mike said that he was still working on that. About every third night he sleeps through." Andrea remarked as she drank her coffee.

"Molly was a year old before she did." Ally said.

"Right. Ally, I have a question for you and I don't know how to ask this, so I'm just going to say it. Are you Kaitlyn Slattery?" Andrea asked. She heard Ally sigh deeply and then turn around and sit down in the kitchen chair.

"How did you figure it out?" Ally asked.

"I wasn't sure. Why?" Andrea asked.

"Before my dad left for the Arctic, he and I had this huge argument…or rather I did. I accused him of being a terrible father, said that he loved the Navy more. Said I hated him. He never said a word. I remember…I'll never forget; seeing the tears in his eyes. My mom, Lucas and Hannah…they died and I was so mad at my dad but as time went by; I…wanted to be near him. I just knew, he could never forgive me. I hurt him so bad. Somehow, I saw your ad for a nanny and it was exactly what I needed. A home. So, I applied, and I lied. I knew you and my dad were friends. I didn't realize at first that he was Molly's dad. Am I going to have to leave now?" Ally asked.

"No. So, you are younger than we thought? No college degrees or certifications?" Andrea asked.

"I don't even have a high school diploma." Ally admitted before breaking down. Andrea moved to the chair next to her and pulled her into a hug. She could be mad, but it would do no good. She had to help Mike and Ally redevelop a relationship.

So, kind of a surprise. I actually knew I was going to do this from the time I introduced 'Ally' into the story.