"Happiness isn't everything! Responsibility, being smart about how your choices effect your future and the people around you! Those matter just as much as momentary…" My father once said this to me, a lecture actually, the day that Robert and I had confessed to him over a luncheon that we had fallen in love, and had every intension of being together and staying together no matter what the cost, we were hopelessly in love; and of course he was none too pleased with us, mainly me. THAT DAMN HYPOCRITE! Was all I could think and feel about my father now or better yet again!
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" SIR WALTER SCOTT 1808. You knowfor someone like my father who considered himself and educated well learn it and read man, I guess he must have skipped this one quote! How convenient!
ROBERT SULLIVAN'S POV – IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STATION'S HALLOWEEN PARTY
All I wanted to do was to surprise and give my wife, the love of my life the best and most pleasureful sex filled fantasy night of her life, was that too much to ask? Evidently it was; I had been topped not once, not twice but three times! You have no idea how much I wished in that moment that I could've been able to read minds, the whole drive home after the nightmare of the Halloween party was miserable, first there was the return of Kyle Lang my old pal slash kidnapper of our daughter resurfacing and then the revelation that Andy's father the late Captain Pruitt Herrera had actually fathered another child, a SON named ERIC ALONSO, and as it turned out he was not more than three and a half years younger than Andy too, if it was almost damn near too much for me to process myself, I couldn't even begin to imagine or begin to know what the hell Andy must have been thinking or feeling, as she just stared out the passenger side window the entire ride home.
I had pulled into the driveway, we just sat in the car for a long awkward moment before Andy finally reached down and with her uninjured hand unbuckled her seat belt and turned to me, "Babe will you get Christina and put her to bed?" She said in an almost too calm and casual way, it totally caught me off guard I didn't know what to make of her laid back relaxed behavior, I guess you'd call it that, "Uh yeah sure, but uh, do you want too…" she interrupted me, "Thanks babe," she said leaning over and gently kissing me before popping open the passenger side door and getting out and going into the house, I sat there at a complete loss I'm not gonna lie, "What just happened?" I said out loud to myself.
Once in the house and a few moments later I had walked up the stairs and put my sweet little Tina into her crib as she continued to sleep peacefully, I turned the baby monitor on and quietly tip-toed out cracking her nursery room door, I crossed over and down the hallway into the master bedroom, Andy was already in bed wearing one of my old crew shirts one of her favorites in fact, she laid there motionless just staring up at the ceiling, yep okay I thought, now I know what she's thinking and even more heartbreaking feeling, my heart just bled for my wife, it wasn't bad enough about all the terrible things that she had learned about both of her parents now this? Yep if Pruitt Herrera were still alive having died heroically or not I still would've kicked his ass for this, I thought, as I crossed over into our master suite bathroom, I turned on the faucet in the tub and filled it with Andy's favorite honey and milk bath salts and matching bubble bath soaps, I lit the few candles that were scattered around the bathroom and turned off the lights allowing for the candles to be the only true source of lighting, once the tub was filled at the length of the water that I wanted, I turned the faucet back off and crossed back over into our bedroom, I stepped over to Andy and towered over her, she refused to make eye contact with me, I knew she was focused on doing everything she could in her power to not cry, I could tell I knew my wife well enough by this point, "Andy come on lets go," I said warmly in a soft tone, "No babe I'm good honest," she said still refusing to acknowledge me for fear of falling apart into a puddle of tears, "Okay then babe have it your way," I said and with that I effortlessly scooped Andy up into my arms and carried her into the bathroom, "Robert Kristoff Sullivan you put me down this instant!" She shouted at me trying to wiggle free but couldn't, "Fine have it your way," I said setting her down and before she could run back into the bedroom I grabbed her shirt from behind pulling her back over to me, "Robert let go of me I mean it!" She said as her voice cracked she was on the verge of tears I could see it and hear it in her voice.
"Not so fast," I sweetly whispered, I leaned down and kissed her lips gently, she shivered as a solitary tear ran down her cheek she was quick to wipe it away but not quick enough I had seen it, I genteelly lifted up both her arms above her head as to not hurt her right hand any further than it already had been hurt, I reached down and slowly pulled off my crew shirt up and over her head carefully, leaving her standing there completely naked, she didn't move, I gently lifted her up back into my arms and kissed her gently and slowly again, before placing her gently down into the tub, the water was perfectly even-tempered, I kneeled down and sat on the floor beside the bathtub, reaching my hand into the tub I grabbed the exfoliating bath sponge and I began washing her back, all I had to say next was, "Baby?" And with that she let it all go, Andy finally fell apart crying uncontrollably, "Awe baby," I said softly, I didn't even bother to remove my civilian clothes, I just removed my shoes and socks, I leaned her forward gently and climbed into the tub with her, I sat behind her as she laid her head back onto my chest, as I held onto her tightly and she just cried and cried and cried, "That's it sweetheart, let it all out, just let it all come out," I whispered into her ear, "I've got you, I'll always have you," I said softly, my heart was breaking but I would be damned if I didn't remain strong for my wife right now in this moment.
ANDY HERRERA-SULLIVAN'S POV – THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LATER
I hadn't realized the early hour; I think I was still in a state of shock even now weeks later since the Halloween party debacle that all of us the A-crew had agreed to never again in life discuss it; but that was beside the point, the fact still remained… I HAVE A KID HALF-BROTHER!
My father the late Captain Pruitt Herrera cheated on my mother, and conceived a love child with my now apparent kid half-brother named ERIC ALONSO, and here's the real kicker part I actually had even met his mother once or twice when I was a kid about six or seven I think, I remembered her, SALMA-MARIE her name was, she once was the Director of Nurses back in the day at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital formally known as Seattle Grace. She would make these amazing iced gingerbread Christmas cookies for the first responders, and obviously that wasn't all she made in the way of one lying, cheating, manipulating, and extremely controlling Pruitt Herrera, good grief! So now because of those two adulterers I HAVE A KID HALF-BROTHER! No matter what I did I just couldn't get those words out of my head. I, ANDY HERRERA-SULLIVAN, FIREFIGHTER, WIFE AND MOTHER HAVE A KID BROTHER!
I was making quite the racket in the kitchen as I was prepping for the big Thanksgiving dinner that Robert and I would be hosting this year at our home, this would be Robert's and my first Thanksgiving together and with our daughter Christina, well technically this was our second, but our first was spent in intensive marriage counseling and therapy and we were also separated at the time, so that year doesn't count, but this one was going to be one for the books and the ages, I was determined or my name wasn't Andrea Herrera-Sullivan.
ROBERT SULLIVAN'S POV –
Andy's spirits had seemed to have been lifted up a bit, but I knew her better than that, enough to know that she still was deeply hurt by her father and at a loss for what to make of it all too. I could hear all the commotion coming from down stairs in the kitchen, as I stood at our bedroom cracked door listening and watching out for Andy while on my cellphone trying desperately hard to repeatedly get a hold of Andy's mother Elena on the phone, I had the unfortunate brilliant idea of thinking that Thanksgiving dinner would be the perfect time and opportunity for Elena to come to our home and for her and Andy to finally have a real and genuine face-to-face woman-to-woman and mother-to-mother conversation, after all Thanksgiving is the perfect time and occasion for one to reflect, and a time for family and friends to gather around and say what they were thankful for, but most importantly for forgiveness, unfortunately I hadn't counted on more of Pruitt's ill-fated decisions and past to come and bite Andy and I in the ass once more, yet here we were again, I knew that Andy would not have an open mind or heart toward Elena not what with the newest revelations revealed that she has a half kid brother now! I just had to get a hold of Elena and reschedule, and pray that she'd understand and NOT show up! For her sake and mine. "Elena? Elena please pick up your phone, this is Robert, Robert Sullivan again, this is the tenth message that I've left you, listen, I know that I'm the one that invited you over to Thanksgiving dinner and all but there has been a bit of a hiccup and trust me when I say now would definitely not be the best time, it's nothing you've done, it's Pruitt actually, please just call me back asap when you…" damn it! I thought, her voicemail box once again cut me off; just then I heard a loud crash of something most likely glass having been broken, I was quick to grab our daughter Tina and rush down the stairs to see what Andy was up to and at this early hour no less.
I entered the kitchen with Tina in hand, "Andy what's…" Andy was quick to stop me in my tracks, "Nope don't move you're not wearing any shoes you might get glass caught in your feet," she said, quick to grab a broom and dust pan from out of the pantry closet and almost frantically clean up the massive shattered punch bowl glass mess, "Well what happened babe?" I asked, "Oh I was trying to reach the big salad bowl and I knocked over the punch bowl by accident, I'm sorry, I promise I'll get a new one by tonight," she said, having just finished sweeping up the glass she crossed over to Tina and I and kissed Tina on the forehead and planted a quick peck onto my lips, before resuming with the strangely even larger side dishes for tonight's dinner, "Oh you know what babe do you think that maybe you could go out and get the punch bowl instead? I've just gotta get started on the rest of the appetizers and I haven't even started on the pies yet, but the turkey should be done on time so that's good," Andy happily said, I fully entered the kitchen even more baffled than I was a moment ago, I had already prepped all the sides the night before so why was my wife making even more food now? There was more than enough now to feed an army.
"Babe what is all this, why are you making so much more food? It's just gonna be the three of us you know," I said feeling slightly worried and growing even more increasingly concerned, as I watched her ripping through the kitchen back and forth like a woman on a crazed mission, "Oh didn't I tell you?" Andy stopped and turned to me, "Tell me what?" I asked, as she thought about it for a second, "Oh that's right you were still sleeping, yeah, no, this morning I got up and went for a run, you know how running always helps me clear my head," she said, "Yeah," I said feeling even more so concerned, "Well anyway, I decided to send out an E-vite to the crew and they all accept it, isn't that great?" She said happily resuming with her cooking, leaving me puzzled and confused, "Accepted? Accepted what?" I asked puzzled, "Oh right I'm sorry the invitation to come over tonight for Thanksgiving dinner," she said in a matter of fact tone, and with that yep my heart sake into my stomach and my head began to spin at 90 miles per minute, "You did what?" I asked trying not to sound as panicked as I was now.
"Oh don't worry babe everyone's gonna pitch in and they're all bringing side dishes too, I'm just making more of what we've already made that's all," she said crossing over to me and kissing me deeply, I couldn't breathe I thought, the knot in my throat had blocked off all my air, "Whose everyone?" I tried to remain calm, "You know, Dean, Pru, Vic, Maya, Jack and his new girlfriend Inara and her son Marcus, oh and Marsha, then Ben's coming cause Miranda has to work this year so the boys will be at her mother's house, so Ben would have ended up being alone and that wouldn't have been right," she said, "Yeah, no, not right," I said panicked, I could just feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead, "Oh and I think Maya said Carina might stop by for a bit too before her shift at the hospital, so then that just leaves Travis who apparently has rekindled an old flame with an ex that he's bringing too and he has a son Simon I think he said his name was," she said, Andy was so busy prepping and cooking that she never even noticed my panic thank God for that small miracle, "Simon is the boyfriend?" I asked but didn't really care as I had more pressing matters to be concerned with like the fact that I still had NOT gotten ahold of Elena Herrera, "What? Oh no babe Simon is the little boy, Paul Davis is the boyfriend," she said chuckling, "Uh huh, I see, listen Andy I think we need to talk," I said feeling my guilt having taken over my entire body as I sat Tina down in her high chair.
"You know this is our first Thanksgiving together, I mean that is, as a family, and with Tina and also not separated, I thought that just for this year it could and should just be the three of us, or rather family members only," I said, "Well the crew are our family Robert, they're like extended family," she said as she chopped away at the vegetables for the salad, "Right yes, I know they are, but what I meant was like blood related," I said panting from worry, just then Andy finally noticed my strange behavior, "Robert what are you talking about? And are you ok you're behaving very strangely in fact you've been kind of weird this last pass week, what's going on talk to me?" She said, now she was the one concerned, I took a deep breath and stepped over to Andy and took her by the hands, "Andy I just wanted it to be us ALONE this year and well I also sort of had something planned for later that I thought…" Andy smiled and cut me off planting a kiss onto me passionately.
"Oh don't worry Mr. Sullivan they'll be plenty of time for dessert and after dinner treats to be had I promise," she said kissing me again, I knew that she just knew I was talking about sex, and admittedly it had been a few weeks since the whole Eric Alonso thing that, Andy and I had, had sex, but that was not the surprise for which I was referring to unfortunately, but Lord knew I wished it was, "No babe I meant, that I have done something that I thought at the time was…" the DOOR BELL rang, cutting me off, "Oh it must be the girls, I'll get it," Andy said, "The girls?" I said feeling defeated, "Yeah, Maya and Vic they've brought more booze and side dishes, oh and did I tell you?" Andy said in an almost hush tone, "No what now?" I said, "I think that there's something definitely going on between Vic and Dean, but I haven't quite figured out what it is just yet, maybe I'll find out tonight," she said crossing over to answer the front door, "Yeah but Andy listen!" I almost shouted at her, "Yeah?" She asked, I couldn't do it I just couldn't tell her what I had done, not now especially now, I froze, as the door bell kept ringing repeatedly, "What? What is it Robert? Come on I gotta go let the girls in," she said annoyed with me, "Nothing I'll just tell you later," I said as she disappeared into the living room to answer the front door and letting Vic and Maya in.
I turned and stared down at our daughter, "Tina bear, your papa is gonna be in very big trouble tonight, yep, very big trouble with mommy," I said picking her back up and crossing out of the kitchen, feeling doomed like a man about to be sent to the electric chair for failure to tell his wife that he had invited her unbeknownst and unwanted mother to dinner and without telling his wife about it, yep I could hear DR. ANDREWS voice in my head now, "Robert what's rule number one? It's the letter T for talk and communicate, and my dear young man you've failed," I thought, oh brother it was going to be a long night and that's assuming my wife would let me live after she'd learn what I had done and behind her back, good grief, I thought.
ANDY'S POV -
It was now nearing 10:30AM as one by one each member of the crew were beginning to arrive with their plus one's or two's and side dishes and plenty of alcoholic beverages too yummy, I thought; now that Christina was nearly one years old, I had begun to slow down her breastfeeding gradually introducing her to appropriate family foods and baby foods, so far bananas, pears, peaches and crushed and mashed mac and cheese were her true only favorites. Ben Warren's wife Dr. Miranda Bailey had told me that I could occasionally now start to have an alcoholic beverage or two once I started weaning Christina off breastfeeding, which was fantastic news too cause for tonight I had planned to have a glass of wine or two, and Lord knew I needed it after the pass several weeks of having since learned that I had a kid brother and my father was also now apparently a cheater too, on top of everything else that he had already done and put me through and now this new development, well at least I was of sound mind enough to know that I needed to and had to talk it out in therapy and since my own personal therapist who had been my therapist at the clinic where I had gone to deal with the life altering facts and truths that both my father and mother were terrible people or rather parents and that they both chose to traumatize me as a child unnecessarily was out of town and unavailable during the holiday season DR. AARON ANDREWS had been kind enough to step in and help me through my pain and frustrations a great deal and whenever or wherever I needed him, and boy had I needed him these last pass weeks.
Maya and Vic followed behind me into the kitchen to help me out with all the extra cooking that still needed to be done, Dean was quick to grab Vic by the arm and pull her aside for a quick chat so I had noticed as they whispered, "Vic I mean it we really need to talk; it's been weeks now why won't you talk to me?" Dean whispered to her, Vic was unusually nervous in her body language, "Yeah okay, sure, fine, but later, I promised Herrera that I'd help with the cooking so later okay, okay bye," Vic said quick to get away from Dean as fast as humanly possible as Dean shook his head and went into the living room to rejoin the guys, Travis, Ben and Jack. Robert had just returned from the store with the new punch bowl and was now playing host to the guys as they watched the annual football game on TV. The rest of the guest hadn't arrived quite yet, which was perfect it gave me plenty of time to have everything just about set up by then. Maya, Vic and I had music going in the kitchen as we caught up talking, laughing and cooking, gosh it felt great to have just one normal drama free filled day if only for one evening I thought, just then Dr. Miranda Bailey had surprisingly arrived and with pies no less, through the kitchen's backdoor which led out onto our gated backyard area.
"Miranda? Hi what are you doing here? Ben said you wouldn't be able to join us cause you had to work tonight," I said pleasantly surprise to see her, "Yes I do, I'm on my way to the hospital right now, well in a bit anyway I just wanted to stop by and bring over two of my mother's famous sweet potato pies as a thank you for hosting my husband tonight," she said handing them over to me, it was strange though suddenly I had the feeling that, that wasn't all that Miranda had on her mind to tell me, but I shrugged it off, "Oh well you didn't have to do that, it's a pleasure to…" she was quick to cut me off, as she entered, "Yes well I also wanted to see how your hand was doing and I really need to talk to you too Andy," she said very sternly under her breath as to not alert the ears of Maya and Vic who were busy drinking beers and cooking anyway to care less.
"Oh yeah, I had an appointment with your chief of ortho Dr. Atticus Lincoln last week and he said my fingers are healing nicely and that I should be fully cleared to be taken off light duty in the next week or so, although I must admit I am a little butterfinger-ish still though but he said that was to be expected so," I said setting down the pies onto the counter, "And that's all he said?" She asked, "Yeah why?" I asked, "No reason. Nope that's not true I said I'd tell you so that's what I'm going to do, Andy…" Miranda was interrupted by Maya who just then cut her finger, "Ouch!" Maya shouted, "Maya what happened?" I asked, "Oh it's nothing I just sliced my finger is all," She said holding her finger which was bleeding quite a bit by that point, "Well it doesn't look like nothing Bishop," Miranda was quick to check her finger out, "Come on, let's clean it up and I'll bandage it for yea," Miranda said before she could ask me I beat her to it, "First aid kit is in that top drawer beside you and the guest bathroom is through the living room at the bottom of the stairs," I said, "Okay thanks, come on Bishop lets go and keep that arm elevated," Miranda ordered as she and Maya exited leaving Vic and I alone.
Now finally I had Vic all alone and to myself to find out if my suspicions about she and Dean were founded or not, "So Vic, talk to me what's up?" I asked ever so casually, for which clearly she knew exactly what I was really asking, as she nervously took another sip of her beer, "What? What do you mean?" She asked, "Well I just mean that I've noticed that you seem to be avoiding Dean like the plague lately is everything ok? I mean did he do something to upset you? Cause if you want I could talk to him or I could have Robert speak with him," I said, which caused Vic to nearly choke on her beer, "No! I'm fine, we're fine, he's fine! I mean you know he's not fine, but uh, everyone's fine here no talks need to be had, you know!" Vic said practically shouting at me in fact, "Yeah sure ok, sorry I asked," I replied, but yep something was definitely going on with those two I just knew it, but what?!
ROBERT'S POV –
"Oh, shoot I left something out in the car, can I trust you guys to keep and ear out for the kids?" I asked, "Yeah, sure we got it," the guys all said while glued to the football game, I shook my head somewhat amused as I was quick to grab the baby monitor just in case and take it outside with me as I grabbed my car keys and made a quick break for it getting into my car and once again trying to reach Elena on her phone and again it went to voicemail, "Elena please pick up! Call me back, please!" I said annoyed as I hung up my cellphone slamming my hand down against the steering wheel frustrated and terrified knowing my brilliant idea to fix my wife's family was going to blow up in my face in a big bad way, I gripped the steering wheel tightly laying my head against it feeling the immense sense of dread and doom washing over me helpless to do anything about it, just then our neighbor MR. TOM BRADFORD came over and knocked on my driver's side door window concerned, "Hey Sullivan are you okay?" He asked, I was quick to turn my attention to him, popping open the door and stepping out of my car, "Oh hey Tom, yeah, hi I'm fine," I said unconvincingly apparently, "Well what is it? is it your car? Can't get it to start, because you're welcome to use mine if you'd like?" He said warmly.
"Oh no Tom it's fine, my car is running fine, it's just I have or may have done something that my wife doesn't know about and now I have no choice but to brace myself for the worse," I said on a dreary tone, "Oh I see, yep we've all been there my friend, so is the life of a husband," Tom said sympathetically putting a hand on my shoulder, "Well is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, "Not unless you can turn back the hands of time," I said in all seriousness, "No I can't do that, but I can offer a couch for the night just in case your wife puts you out into the dog house or perhaps a deep fried turkey leg," he said lifting up his grocery bag with the turkey inside it, despite my dreadful emotions I managed to laugh at the thought, "No thanks Tom but I appreciate it though, thanks," I said, "Well your always welcome Sullivan, whelp I better get going this turkey won't deep fry itself," he said crossing back over across the lawn into his own front lawn, "Thanks again Tom, and be careful deep frying that thing, I see more fires happen this time of the year because of a turkey," I shouted over to him, "No worries I'm a master at this by now I've been deep frying for years, Happy Thanksgiving to you and the Mrs.!" He shouted back before exiting into his house, "Same to you," I muttered under my breath, before taking a deep breath deciding to accept my fate and re-enter the house and wait for the inevitable fireworks, and just so you know I've always hated fireworks another unnecessary fire hazard.
ANDY'S POV -
I realized that I might have accidently created a panicky nervous wreck out of one Victoria Hughes as she was now doing nothing but pacing back and forth guzzling down one beer after the next instead of helping me cook the Thanksgiving feast, I tried not to notice but it was damn near impossible not to, Miranda re-entered, "How is Maya's finger?" I asked so happy to no longer be alone with Vic, "Oh she'll be fine," Miranda said now having taken notice of Vic's strange behavior too, "But uh, it looks like you need a little help there Herrera," Miranda said quick to step over and remove a pot from off the stovetop keeping it from boiling over, "I KISSED DEAN!" Vic confessed, "What!?" Both Miranda and I replied turning and staring at her stunned wide-eyed, "I said I kissed Dean," she repeated taking another sip of her beer, "Oh boy," Miranda uttered, just then Maya re-entered, "Okay I'm back put me to work Chief," she said to me, "What? What's the matter? What's wrong why is everyone just standing around staring at Vic? Would somebody please say something?!" Maya demanded. "I kissed him," Vic said again, "Kissed him? Kissed who?" Maya asked baffled, "Dean she kissed Dean," I replied, Maya seemed to not understand what she had just been told, "Dean?" She said puzzled and then it hit her like a ton of bricks, "MILLER!?" She shouted as we all hushed her down, "Do you know another Dean!?" I asked her.
"But when? Why? How?" Maya asked stunned, "Oh come on Bishop I think you know how," Miranda replied as she attended to the cooking of and watching over the food on the stovetop, "Okay when, then?" Maya asked, Vic took a deep breath and answered, "It was on Halloween," she said while a waiting for our reactions, "Halloween!" Maya and I both shouted, "There's no way!" Maya said, "Wow, you know you really miss a lot when the psychopath that was your husband's ex-boss and best friend kidnaps your daughter, and then returns making you break two of your fingers, and then the guy who you thought was your stalker but actually turns out to be your long-lost half kid brother who came out of the woodwork suddenly appears! But you know I digress; you were saying Vic?" I said feeling overheated suddenly, as the three women stared at me concerned, "Okay Andy I know we all agreed to not discuss it, but you sure you don't wanna talk about your brother, I mean Eric?" Vic said worried, "Nope, I'm fine that's what my therapist is for, and we don't need to call him my brother just yet," I said nervously, "But if you wanted to talk," Maya said for which I was quick to interrupt her, "Nope it's not about me right now, so you and Dean huh?" I said changing the conversation back.
I shot a look over toward Miranda who looked like she had just been bowled over by what was just revealed, "Wait just a doggone minute! Brother!? What brother who has a brother?! What the hell?!" She practically shouted, "Wait Warren didn't tell you?" Vic asked surprised, "Wow of all the times to not gossip he chose now," Maya chuckled, "Oh, would someone just tell me what the hell's going on?!" Miranda demanded, I sighed "Apparently I have a half-kid… 'PERSON'…" Vic was quick to correct me, "BROTHER! She has a brother," Vic said with a smile before I shot her a hateful look, for which she then was quick to remove her smirk, "Right! Yeah! Whatever! Anyway, it would appear that my father cheated on my mother when I was 5 right around the time she went all certifiable! Oh, but wait I haven't even told you the best part yet," I said sarcastically, "There's more!?" Miranda asked annoyed for me, "I've actually even met his mother a few times before, Eric Alonso is my… 'PERSON'S' name," no sooner had I made my statement that the three women stared at me stunned, totally floored, "YOU HAVE?!" They replied in unison, "Yep, she use to make Christmas cookies for the first responders Station 19 being one of them; but Bailey you might find this amusing turns out you knew her too," I said, "Me? How the hell would I have known her?!" Miranda replied baffled, "Well as it turns out she use to be the Director of Nurses back in the day when Grey-Sloan was Seattle Grace," I said while awaiting her response, Miranda pondered her thoughts for a moment and then she remembered as her eyes practically bugged out of her head, "NO! Selma-Marie Garcia, ooh child your father didn't stand a chance then, that woman basically looked like the Latina version of Angelina Jolie," Miranda said, suddenly realizing that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say to me.
"I mean but you know, that's no excuse for Pruitt to have cheated on your mother, and what not," she replied clearing her throat before resuming to tending to the cooking. "Right so! You and Dean kissed? So, what are you gonna do about it?" Maya said, "I don't know! Yes, okay we kissed so what big deal, right?" Vic declared, "I don't know was it?" I asked, "I don't know, I kissed him and now it's all messed up everything's all topsy turvy, I can't stop thinking about it! And now he wants to talk," She says, "Well thinking doesn't have to be a bad thing though," Maya replied, "Neither is talking about it," I added, "Yeah it's just talk, I mean you don't have to marry him," Miranda added, "Yeah you don't have to pull an Andy Sullivan," Maya said with a smirk, for which I shot her a hateful look, "Ok watch it there, pal of mine," I said playfully shoving her; but it was of no use as Vic didn't hear our advice, as she ran down her list of concerns; "I can't be near him or around him cause then I feel funny," she shouts, "Funny can be a good thing," Maya says, "My heart races my blood races! I can't think straight," she continues on with her thoughts, "Yep, been there, married to it now," Miranda says still attending to the food on the stovetop, as Vic continues on pacing the floor, "Except for the fact that all I know is that I want more or less! And by more or less I mean more of his lips and less of him in his clothes if you know what I mean," Vic says panting breathlessly; "Oh my!" Maya chuckles, "Hello!" Miranda says wide-eyed, "Yep you're in trouble," I said, "I remember in the beginning when I first felt that about Robert, and then I got him in his birthday suit, which resulted in my daughter upstairs, little thing, Christina, you've all met her," I said amused by this whole thing resuming with my chopping.
"I don't know what I was thinking, well that's not true I know what I was thinking I wanted to stick it to that horrible JJ, yep that's it, this is all her fault," Vic muttered, "Wait what? Backup what does JJ have to do with anything?" I asked baffled, "Well she's the reason why I kissed Dean in the first place!" Vic stated, "I don't get it," Maya says, "Neither do I," I said, "She was here in town, that night, she was the distress call, and then she came to the station, and get this dressed as the wicked witch of the west…" I cut Vic off, "Well now if that isn't hysterically ironic I don't know what is," I said pissed off at the thought of JJ having shown up after abandoning Dean and little Pru after all this time, it just reminded me of my mother regardless if the situation was different; "Anyway she served him with papers and that's when I kissed him and said that I was his fiancé to even sweeten the pot, or whatever!" Vic said finally plopping down into a seat exhausted, "So wait she want's custody of Pru too?!" Maya asked pissed off, "No it's the opposite actually she's engaged to the guy that every year puts on all those holiday themed fair's downtown, the guys got a butt load of money and she doesn't want Dean to ever request child support cause she heard that his parents cut him off so she filed to have herself stripped of all financial and legal rights of Pru," Vic said sadly, Maya and I stood there in place for a loss of words but not Miranda she knew exactly what to say, "What a BITCH!" Miranda declared, "Well, damn Bailey tell us how you really feel," I said, "What? Like you weren't thinking the same thing?" Miranda asked with her hands on her hips, "No I was thinking it but I wasn't gonna say it out loud but since you did I concur, that little bitch!" I said.
"Wow poor Dean," Maya said, "Yep it is a bitch," Vic said taking a sip of her beer, "So how do you feel about him though?" I asked, "I don't know! I mean it's Dean! He's my friend, my pal, my buddy, my…Dean! I'm mean this is all crazy right? I mean I'm practically his kid sister!" Vic declared, it was then I shot Maya a look for which did not go unnoticed by Vic, "Wait what was that?!" Vic asked standing back up and crossing over to us, "What was what?" I said playing coy, "You know what, you just shot her a look!" Vic shouted, "What look? There was no look!" I said, "Andy you shot Maya a look, I saw you!" She shouted again, "There was no look that's just my face!" I shouted back, "Andy!?" Vic said crossing her arms a waiting for the true explanation, "Okay fine, don't get mad and yell at me if you do, but like Dean has been crazy about you forever," I said nervously, "WHAT!" Vic shouted stunned, "I said don't yell!" I replied, "I can't believe this! He has?!" Vic asked wide-eyed.
"Wow really you didn't know, we all just assumed you did and just didn't want to hurt his feelings so you were playing dumb about the whole thing," Maya said now chowing down on my appetizers, "Yeah and then there was the whole thing with Ripley and then Jackson Avery, we all just thought…." She was quick to cut me off, "I can't believe neither one of you ever bothered to tell me any of this I mean what kind of friends are you anyway?!" Vic shouted, "The kind that only want your happiness, and will not tell you again to stop yelling, dammit! You'll wake up Christina," I said shouting back at her as I turned off the baby monitor, unaware that in the living room the guys where practically holding Dean back as they had heard our ENTIRE conversation through the other end of the baby monitor which Robert still had on his end.
"Yeah don't get mad at us, because you couldn't open your eyes to the obvious," Maya said having eaten half a plate of my appetizers by then, "Maya is absolutely…" it was then that I noticed how much she had actually eaten, "Maya! Quit eating all my appetizers you'll spoil your appetite!" I shouted at her snatching the plate away from her, "Okay sorry for being hungry; MOM!" She said, "Wow really?" I said annoyed, "Well I'm hungry!" She snapped at me, "That's no excuse to eat me out of house and home and before dinner too," I said sounding like the momma bear that I am, "Wow aren't we acting a little extra HORMONAL today," Maya said in a smart-ass tone, for which Miranda raised an eyebrow too, turning and shooting a look in my direction for which I gave no thought to in that moment, "It's my daughter's first Thanksgiving, so sue me! So, you just better watch it God Mother of my child!" I shouted at her annoyed, "Hey I thought I was Chris's god mother?" Vic said annoyed, "You said I was!" Miranda chimed in, "You all are, except Miranda is honorary God mother," I said, "Why her?" Maya asked, "Uh excuse me!" Miranda said with her arms crossed, "I mean you know Miranda," Maya said nervously knowing she just messed up, "No I don't know, Bishop enlighten me!" Miranda demanded, "Okay Miranda is the only one in the room not a firefighter that's why, plus she may be small but she's mighty," I said, "Damn straight!" Miranda said returning her attention to the cooking, while glaring at Maya and Vic almost hatefully but more annoyed if anything.
"Come on Vic, what's say we let these two Betty Crocker's tend to the cooking while we go outside and get some fresh air, and I'll help you figure out what to do and say to Dean," Maya says stepping over and putting an arm around Vic's shoulders, "Right sounds like a plan, grab the beers," Vic says, as Maya does as Vic request and the two dash off out the backdoor and outside; "Yeah y'all two better run," Miranda said as the two left out leaving she and I alone in the kitchen.
"Gees can you believe those two?" I said chuckling, "Yeah they're a real riot those two, almost as funny as you and Robert are, cause neither one of you seem to listen no way no how!" Miranda snapped like a momma bear about to give me a long hard lecture. "Okay. I'm sensing you'd like to discuss something with me Miranda. Is there something wrong with you?" I asked unsure of what all the attitude was that she was shooting my way, "Wrong with me? Nothing. I'm not the hard headed one you are! You and that husband of yours," She said now standing only a few steps away from me, "Miranda, I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Now I was understandably pissed with her tone toward me, "Andy you remember when Robert had his car accident and almost died?" She asked with her arms crossed, "Yes, what is that a trick question or something? As I recall I turned blue after holding my breath for the next three days until he finally woke up from out of his coma," I replied.
"Mm hmm, and do you remember me telling the two of you pacifically that you were to refrain from any and all sexual activity for at least the next sixteen weeks or until I gave you two the okay?!" Miranda says, suddenly I felt like a disobedient child that was about to be grounded, "Yes, I remember," I said coyly, "Tell me something Herrera-Sullivan did you do it? Did you both refrain?!" She demanded an immediate answer, "Yes! For the most part," I replied looking anywhere else but straight in her eyes, "Andrea!?" She said with her arms crossed looking up at me sternly, I couldn't lie she had caught me and we both knew it, "We did… up until the last three weeks," I replied ashamed with my head down, "Damn it Andy!" Miranda shouted at me, "Oh come on Miranda what's the big deal we made it until nearly the end, and he didn't hurt himself, although he damn near hurt me," I said laughing for which she did not, glaring at me, I was quick to stop laughing, "No you're right it's not funny, you're right," I said once again feeling like a naughty child.
Miranda just stood there for a moment shaking her head and staring at me before finally breaking the awkward silence between us, "Andy I've made you an appointment for first thing tomorrow morning at 9AM in my office, be there and bring your husband," She said turning to leave I was quick to stop her suddenly terrified, "But why?" I asked nervously, "Alright since you asked; Andy there was a discrepancy in your blood work for which Dr. Lincoln had brought to my attention," she said far to calmly, "What? But Dr. Lincoln told me that my hand was just find and was healing nicely!" I said, now I was panicking, "It was and it is, but that's not the discrepancy," She again replied too calmly, "Well what does that mean DISCREPANCY am I sick or something?!" I said, I was on the verge of tears now, "No it's nothing that 9 MONTHS won't cure I'm sure," She replied and awaited my reaction, "9 MONTHS? Well what's in…" I froze in my spot, a chill washed over me, "9 months?" I whispered stunned…
"No! No, it can't be! No! No way," I said, I don't even remember how or when but I managed to at least lean against the countertop so that I wouldn't faint, "Andy it can and it is, where there's a will, there is most certainly a way," she replied casually, "But how I don't understand," I was in a head spin now, "Andy when I told you two knuckleheads to refrain from having sex it wasn't for the benefit of Robert as much as it was for you; you see for some men who suffer a trauma or survive an accident one of two things can happen to his reproductive organs either his sperm count can decrease or increase exponentially, guess which way it went for your husband?" She replied and without even so much as showing me and ounce of sympathy. Now I was pissed at her, "And you didn't think to tell us that before?!" I snapped at her, "Well excuse me I thought I was dealing with two ADULTS capable of following a simple direction, my mistake, whoops," She snapped back equally annoyed with me and Robert too for that matter; "Oh no, oh God! It can't be," I uttered stunned.
"Oh yes, indeed. ANDY YOU ARE PREGNANT. Plain and simple, congratulations mom, be in my office at 9AM sharp tomorrow and please be on time I can't stand tardiness," She said just before leaving me standing their shocked, "Oh and Andy?" She said, for which I turned my attention to her, "Until I know for 100 percent certain if I were you I would refrain from drinking, and by the way Maya was right you are extra hormonal. Happy Thanksgiving," She said and with that she exited out the backdoor, as if she hadn't just knocked the wind straight out of me, I WAS PREGNANT? No, I AM pregnant! HOLY SHIT! Oh, I need a drink, I thought, NO DAMMIT!
ROBERT'S POV –
Little by little the guest had begun to arrive and perfect timing too, the dining table had been set and the food all cooked, now it was time for the best part the feasting or at least normally it would've been if I had been able to get ahold of Elena, but I didn't and couldn't and now I knew that it was only a matter of time before all hell would erupt and in my very own face and home.
But then again there was the awkwardly silent dinner to be had, everyone was quiet for different reasons, as I recalled, never had there ever been a more uncomfortable dinner in the history of mankind and the night was still young the worse was still yet to come. As we all set down to eat at the long dining room table, I looked around at the many faces around the table, yep this was gonna be a long night; for various reasons, all the guys had agreed for Dean's sake to pretend that we hadn't heard the girls conversation through the baby monitor earlier, so that the women wouldn't be embarrassed or pissed that we ease dropped on them although technically we didn't, but then again I could have turned the monitor off sooner but didn't. So now Dean and Vic avoided each other sitting as far apart as humanly possible, Inara and her son Marcus had arrived with Marsha who was Inara's and Jack's friend and had been very nice to meet, Paul Davis and his son Simon had joined us too as Travis's guest for the evening, and as I looked over across the table at Andy she seemed as though something was troubling her, I couldn't quite put my finger on it but I was worried she seemed to have gone off into her own little world and that bothered me, if only it could've been just the two of us and Tina I thought, this day and this night was turning out to be a real disaster and the surprised guest hadn't even arrived yet to get the real fireworks of the evening started, oh boy I could hardly wait I thought, as we all began to eat in awkward painful silence passing the dishes around the table making our own plates…
When suddenly the doorbell rang, I sprung up like a slice of bread out of a toaster, "I'll get it!" I shouted practically scaring the living daylights out of everyone, as my heart raced a mile a minute, maybe there was still time to cock block the inevitable I thought, if I could keep Andy away from the front door, "I've got it Robert I'm closer," Andy said starting to stand to her feet, I practically launched toward her shoving her down back into her seat, kissing her on her forehead, "Nope that's fine baby I've got it, you've been cooking all day, allow me you just rest that hand of yours, okay," I said again kissing her tilting her head back planting a deep kiss on her as if my life depended on it or as if it would be my last, and if Elena was on the other side of that front door it could very well be I thought, I took a deep breath and crossed over to the door and instead of simply opening it, I cracked it just enough and squeezed myself outside of it gently reclosing the door behind myself, keeping a firm grip on the doorknob behind me, yep I was now face-to-face with Elena and her older sister SANDRA ALVAREZ, now I was really sweating up a storm, "Robert what's wrong?" Sandra asked.
"Yeah, Hi, Sandra just a second, Elena why haven't you been picking up your phone! I've been trying to reach you all day?!" I was frantic, "It died, why what's wrong is it Andy?" Elena asked suddenly more nervous than she already was, "What are you talking about I've been trying to call you for days now!" I was trying not to yell at them both out of my own terror but was clearly failing at it, "Well we've been traveling and what not, what's wrong, didn't you tell her that we were coming?" Sandra asked, "No I didn't, because I was hoping that you'd gotten one of the dozen messages that I sent and wouldn't come! Look bottom line is you can't be here, neither one of you, we're gonna have to reschedule, you see Andy was just given some really bad or rather shocking news about Pruitt and uh, trust me now is just not a good time for this…" in my panic I had stupidly let go of the doorknob, and that's when…
"Babe what's going on…" Andy had swung open the door and stood there in the doorframe, she looked like a dear caught in the headlights as her eyes began to fill with both rage and tears, as she glared at her Aunt and Mother and then up at me, yep there was no turning back now, "Now Andy, sweetheart I just…" Andy raised her hand gesturing me to stop speaking, "What the hell is this? What are they doing here?!" She asked, I could hear the rage in her tone as she wouldn't even make eye contact with me, "Andrea mi hija, please Roberto was just trying to…" Andy furiously cut Elena off, "I'm not speaking to you I'm addressing my husband!" Andy shouted and with that simple action everyone turned their attention to us puzzled as to what was happening, I gulped hard, "Oh Roberto now is it? Well Roberto, care to explain yourself!?" Andy now glared at me with an expression I thought I'd never see in her eyes again it was a combination of betrayal, heartache and pain all rolled into one, I sighed knowing that I had done the unexplainable in her mind and eyes.
"Andy I just wanted to help, they're your family, our daughter's Grandmother and Great Aunt, it's Thanksgiving sweetheart," I tried to take Andy by the hands, but it was no use I had crossed a line, and I knew it and she knew that I knew it too, as she snatched her hands away from me just as quickly as I touched her, "I can't believe you, I just don't believe you!" She yelled darting into the kitchen, "Andy!" I shouted before having Sandra and Elena enter and having them come in the living room, as everyone stared at them confused, I was quick to cross over and try to join my wife in the kitchen, "Is everything ok Robert? Who are they?" Ben asked, I cleared my throat "Oh right sorry, everyone this is Sandra Alvarez and Elena Herrera. Andy's Aunt and Mother," no sooner had I gotten the words out, that everyone slowly turned and stared at the two women in shock unsure of what to do or say, "Oh boy," Jack whispered, "You can say that again," Dean whispered back, "Excuse me," I mumbled before entering the kitchen leaving everyone in the awkward position of being left alone with Andy's relatives, it was Travis who broke the ice, "Well Mrs. Herrera it's a pleasure to finally be meeting you, we've all heard so much about you, even if you were supposed to have been dead for 20 years now," he said trying to be cleverly funny, it didn't work as no one made a move, Travis turned to Vic, "Too soon?" He whispered to Vic, who was still in a state of shock herself, "Too soon," she replied, "Yep that's what I thought," he mumbled.
ANDY'S POV -
I had to force myself to just remember to breathe and to not kill the father of my child no matter how much I wanted to and he deserved it, I paced back and forth trying to shake the rage off of me but couldn't, as Robert entered, "Andy please, let me explain I…" I stopped him from coming any closer to me, "Stop right there Robert Kristoff Sullivan before I'll be forced to hurt you!" I yelled, I could feel my face on fire with rage, "All I want to know is why and how did you do this? And what the hell were you thinking!" I was beyond pissed I was livid, "Okay well I first met with Elena about twelve weeks or so after my second surgery…" I cut him off, "What?! Wait what?! That was months ago, are you actually gonna stand there and tell me that you've been going behind my back for months meeting with that woman without asking me or telling me! You who got on your moral high horse about not telling you that your crazy ass friend hit on me or that I thought I may have had a stalker who turned out to be my father's love child and my brother and now this! That's what you're saying?!" I was yelling at the top of my lungs now, "I'm not telling you that you're guessing," he said, I knew he was attempting to calm me down but it was far too little too late for that, "Andy if you'd only listen and try to understand why I did this," he pleaded, "I don't care what your reasonings are Robert! What happened to NO MORE SECRETS? OR WE PROMISED TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER ALWAYS? That bullshit you're always so quick to preach to me about huh!?" I yelled.
"Look I know this looks bad right now but I promise you Andy it's not!" Robert was now yelling back at me, "Oh no don't do that! Don't you dare act like you're the injured party here Robert, I AM, because you did this! Look I know that you've been on this family trip, all about how family is everything or some shit like that ever since your near-death experience; but seriously?! This was not your call to make! And without even consulting me first, you're wrong and I know that you know this!" I screamed at him, "Damn it Andy if you'd just listen to me!" He said moving in closer toward me, "Robert I said back the hell up I mean it! Or Turkey will not be the only thing being served on the menu tonight!" I shouted, "Wow you are really something else, I'm trying to mend your family for you, for our daughter, for us; and you won't even meet me half way!?" He shouted, "You know what I can't do this right now, I won't do this, I'm out of here!" I yelled, "Andy wait please babe, just try too…" he said reaching out for me trying to stop me from leaving, I pulled away from him with my car keys in my hands I turned to him trying so hard not to let one tear fall on my face but failed, "Get them out of here now! In fact, I want everyone to get the hell out of my house!" I said before exiting, I slammed the kitchen's backdoor so hard behind me that the thin glass window pane shattered. I got into my car and drove off like a bat out of hell crying uncontrollably like a newborn child.
How could my husband, the love of my life do this to me, to us? I thought, and on the very same holiday that this time last year we were fighting to figure out if we even wanted to stay together or were even worth fighting for, I just couldn't believe it as I drove off to I didn't even know where, I just drove.
ROBERT'S POV –
FUCK! FUCK ME! Was all I could think how could I have been so stupid?! Why didn't I just tell Andy from the start what I had been up to? Why didn't I ask her or tell her or warn her? Why Robert?! Why?! I shouted to myself in my head; God how I just wanted to stop Andy, to go running after her and make her understand and stay but I knew that it would've been pointless, the best thing for me to do and the only thing I could do was to let her leave, and clear her head and let her come back to me when she was ready and on her own terms, assuming that she even would come back; Oh dear God, I thought, what happens if she doesn't come back? No what was I saying of course she'll come back after all she wouldn't do to our daughter what was done to her, and that's just, up and disappear without a trace for 20 years or more, or could she? SHIT! I really messed up and I had no way of fixing this mess, how could I? where would I even begin? I really wanted to break something or trash our kitchen anything to make myself feel better but what good would that do? How could this day possibly get any worse? I thought…I was about to cross over and re-enter the living/dining room, because I knew I had some explaining to do, to and with our guest and apologize before politely asking them to leave, when suddenly…
I heard a loud booming blast similar to that of an explosion, and just as I turned my direction toward the commotion of the sound, a blackened deep fried turkey from our next-door neighbor Tom Bradford came hurling in and smashing through our kitchen window, before landing in the kitchen sink still partially on fire, I was quick to duck down, jumping into action I grabbed the spare fire extinguisher from beneath the kitchen sink and extinguished the engulfed in flames turkey, just as all of the A-crew ran into the kitchen to see what had happened. "Are you okay Chief?" Dean asked, "Yeah I'm fine, I just…" my thoughts were cut short by a blood curling scream, I turned and looked threw my freshly broken window and saw Tom Bradford running around in his backyard on fire from the propane grease that had splattered all over him, as his wife and teenaged son screamed at the horrifying sight, once again I was quick to jump into action, I turned to my crew, "Quick someone call 9-1-1, and get my aid kit out of the hall closet!" I shouted before taking off like a shot out the kitchen back door, I ran over and leaped over the wooden fence, Travis, Jack and Dean were quick to follow suit behind me, Ben had grabbed the aid kit and was just two seconds behind us, the guys worked to put the fire out that had burned quite a great deal of the Bradford's backyard lawn; I had grabbed a blanket that Mrs. Bradford had hung out on the clothesline to dry and launched toward Tom, wrapping him in the blanket I tackled him onto the ground and was successful in putting the fire on him out; Ben was quick to then attend to his brutal bloody second and third-degree burns, as Maya and Vic stayed in the house with our guest, just as the ambulance sirens could be heard blaring down the street, the guys had successfully vanquished the fire, and even helped calm down Mrs. Bradford and her son. Yep this was undoubtedly the worst Thanksgiving ever! I thought.
4PM THAT SAME NIGHT
I had been driving for hours by this point I didn't even know where I was going, until I was there, it was as if instinctively my car just drove its self it knew what I needed and where I need to go, not a moment later I found myself a crying wreck, with tissues in hand and my hair a now disheveled mess, as I knocked on HIS at home address door, thinking please be home, please be willing to talk to me, please? Not a moment later the door swung open and there standing in the doorframe was the only person I could think of that could talk me off a ledge…DR. AARON ANDREWS, Robert and my marriage therapist and now dear friend. Judging by the wide-eyed expression on his face, I must have looked worse than I thought as I stood there on his front door stoop feeling so helpless, small and betrayed by my husband. Dr. Andrews broke my train of thought, "Andy? What's…"
ANDY'S POV –
"Hello Dr. Andrews, I'm sorry to bother you especially at a time like this and on a day like this, being that its Thanksgiving and all, but you did say that I could always call you or talk to you anytime day or night, and well I called your office and they said that I'd find you here if it was a serious emergency and well it's an emergency," I practically shouted at him, I was talking so fast that I never even came up for air, "Andy! Andy! Breathe, just breathe," Dr. Andrews said stepping out onto the stoop putting his hands on my shoulders and with that I did as he instructed as best as I could before resuming with my crying, "Okay, there, there now, come on in, let's get some food in you and have a nice long chat hmm," he said warmly leading me up and into his home.
A few moments later we were sitting in his upstairs spacious attic which had long since been converted into his at home psychologist office, it was actually quite lovely considering the situation at hand, Mrs. Andrews had brought up a dinner tray of food for me a nice big Thanksgiving meal plate and ice tea for me to consume, "Oh no thank you I couldn't, not after imposing on your Thanksgiving like this unannounced," I said to her, "Oh Mrs. Sullivan please, I've been married to my husband the doctor for 35 years and I myself am a doctor, trust me I understand and I'm used to it, now eat; if you don't mind me saying you look famished and you'll feel a whole lot better on a full stomach," she replied warmly winking at me before placing the tray of food in my lap, she kissed her husband and left us alone to get down to business, "Well now don't let it get cold, eat!" He said, and with that I devoured the entire dish she was right I was hungry starving in fact, and why shouldn't I have been after all, apparently I was now eating for TWO, "I like your wife she's very nice," I said as he handed me a box of tissues to wipe away the remainder of my tears, "Yes I think so, I think I'll keep her around a few more years," he said playfully with a smile, "Feeling any better now?" He asked, "Yes thank you," I said softly suddenly feeling embarrassed for I don't know why, when suddenly I had remembered an old memory which made me chuckle. "What's so funny?" He asked curiously, "Oh I was just remembering how we first met, as I recall it I was crying then too," I resumed chuckling.
"Oh yes that's right you had been crying, and you and Robert were recommended to me by my older brother Dr. Meredith Grey's therapist no less," he replied in a matter of fact tone, "Oh really, I didn't realize," I replied, "Mm hmm, that's the running joke in our family, my older brother, myself and our kid brother are all head doctors," he said smiling, "Well what are all the women?" I asked, "Actual doctors, surgeons, and show off's," he said, and with that we both had a good laugh at his remark, "So now, talk to me, what happened?" Dr. Andrews ask now having switched into his doctor mode, "Well it would seem that my husband forgot about the first tool that you ever taught us, 'THANK YOU' or more importantly, the letter 'T'," I said sniffling, "Oh I see, alrighty then go on…"
NEARLY 2 YEARS & ONE MONTH EARLIER – THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
Robert and I sat nervously and silently in Dr. Andrews office awaiting the doctor or rather our marriage counselor or couples therapist, which ever you'd like to call it, either way the fact that we were both here spoke volumes to the fact that we were failing in what was left of our marriage in the short time that we had even been married, here we were newlyweds still and on the verge of divorce, we had been married a total of 8 MONTHS and out of that time 5 MONTHS separated, yep we were the champs alright the champs of failure, I thought, we sat on the sofa keeping our distance from each other, as he sat on one end and I on the other, neither making eye contact with the other, yep it was hopeless, absolutely hopeless, just then Dr. Andrews entered with our files in one hand and a canned fog horn in the other, we didn't know it then but Robert and I would soon come to both equally hate that damn fog horn can, he pulled up a seat and sat across from us, "So now Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, is it?" He asked politely, "Yes, but you can call me Andy," I said coolly, "And me Robert," he replied, "No I don't think I shall just yet not until I know you better, and before you two realize that no matter how much you may think it's over between you, whether you like it or not you're still a team, husband and wife," he said and then he sounded the fog horn at us, for which Robert and I sat straight up in our seats giving him our undivided attention, "Oh good you're both with me then, I was afraid I lost you there, okay let's get started than shall we," he said with a ear-to-ear smile, Robert and I shot each other a look, it was the first time in months that we had even made eye contact, yep MISSION 1 accomplished on Dr. Andrews part and Robert and I didn't even know it.
DR. AARON ANDREWS POV – FLASHBACK SEQUENCE – THE SULLIVAN'S FIRST SESSION
The Sullivan's, yep I could tell that these two were going to be an interesting challenge for which I loved cause well who doesn't love a good challenge, I thought, they were broke that much I could tell, but they weren't BROKEN and that was the key, I could see that there was most definitely still a lot of love there between Robert and Andrea Sullivan, and yet strangely enough neither one of them knew how to own it and worse admit that they wanted each other but clearly didn't have the tools to express it, yep this was gonna be fun, well for me anyway…
TWO & A HALF HOURS LATER INTO THE SESSION…
I had made Andy and Robert first address when they thought the breakdown of their marriage had begun, it wasn't long before they started ripping into one another, with the classic "she said, he said" routine. "Well if that's how you felt why didn't you just say something!?" Robert demanded, "I tried but you just wouldn't listen you never listen to me Robert!" Andy snapped back, "Andy what are you talking about I have always listened to you!" He disagreed firmly, "No you only listen to me when I'm saying something that you wanna hear, but you don't listen to me not ever! You hear me but you don't listen to me and one and the same are not the same thing! And it's been that way since day one, long before we were ever in love," Andy yells, "Okay fine, give me one example! Go ahead name one time that I didn't listen to you or hear you?!" Robert said furiously, "What? Oh, so now it's a S-A-T test?" She replies sarcastically, "See you can't do it can you?!" Robert fusses, it was then I blew my canned fog horn at the two, they both jumped startled and annoyed, "Gees are you gonna do that every time?!" Robert snapped annoyed, "Yes, my office my rules, sorry-not-sorry. Now Andy I'd like you to actually answer his question, when was the last time that you felt that your husband hadn't really listened to you? Go on," I said, "When my father died I told him…" I cut her off right there.
"Stop right there, don't tell me address him, okay now go on," I said, she took a deep breath and she turned nervously and looked him straight in the eyes, "I told you that my gut was screaming at me that he was not the man that he claimed to be and as it turned out I was right; he was one hell of a good firefighter, but he was also a habitual liar and a control freak, that lied to me for 20 years about my mother being dead while all the while knowing where she was and that she was very much alive, and instead of hearing me out you chose to take his side a dead guy, over your wife's instincts, and told me to take a sedative, I mean who does that?" Her voice cracked at the end, "Don't stop there keep going," I said encouraging her to get it all off her chest once and for all, for which she obliged, "Or how about when you decided all by your lonesome to announce to our entire crew and a room full of strangers no less that we had gotten married, and when I tried to get you to wait, you told me not to be scared, but I was scared, I was, and you did it anyway, I mean did you even think about Vic or Jack in that moment? Did you even see Vic's face? Because I did and she was not happy, that was supposed to be Vic and Ripley not us, which she was sure to inform me of for the next three days straight angrily, and Jack don't even get me started on Jack!" She declared, "Wait whose Jack again?" I asked.
Robert answered clearly feeling guilty about all the examples that she was now calling him out on of his lack of listening to her, "He's my second lieutenant at 19 and her ex-fiancé," he replied annoyed, "He's my ex-boyfriend not fiancé we were never engaged," she corrected him, "Yeah, right," Robert uttered not-so under his breath, "We weren't! Jack did ask me years ago to marry him, but I said no, never, because I didn't think that I ever wanted to be married to anybody, which is what I told him to his face, and I broke his heart, but then you came along and that thought, that idea changed in a moment, the very same moment that I laid eyes on you, and I knew it, and I still have never felt anything even close to the way I feel about you, not for Jack, not with Ryan, no one! And he now knows that, Jack now knows that because you didn't just take a second to hear me, when I was trying to ask you to wait," Andy said with tears in her eyes, "Okay, I think we'll just leave this here for now until our next session," I said sensing that neither one of them could handle anymore hard truths for the day.
ROBERT'S POV – PRESENT DAY - THE NEXT DAY
It had been a long 24 hours since the nightmare that was Thanksgiving, between Tom Bradford's fried turkey accident and me letting my wife get blindsided by her Aunt and Mother, it was all a real mess, and Andy still hadn't returned home, I had left her a dozen messages I just wanted to make sure that she was alright, after the night's terrible events I had asked everyone to go home including Andy's Aunt and Mother, not without sending them all home with a doggy bag I wasn't completely heartless, just a stupid man and an even worse husband I thought, I was still cleaning the kitchen when the front door bell rang non-stop, I crossed into the living room and over to the front door and opened it, I was surprised to see who it was standing there before me, and not looking too happy with me at the moment it was Dr. Miranda Bailey, "Oh Miranda, what are you doing here at my house at this hour…" she was quick to cut me off pushing her way in right pass me, "Save the formalities Robert, where's your wife?" She asked annoyed with me, "Oh no please, do come in," I said reclosing the door and turning to her, a very angry Miranda as she glared at me with her arms crossed.
"Uh how can I help you Miranda?" I asked, "Boy please, weren't you just listening I just told you I'm here to see your wife, now where is she?" She declared, I cleared my throat, "She's not here at the moment Miranda, so now is there anything I can do for you?" I asked trying not to sound annoyed by her pushiness, "Look Robert can I be frank with you?" She asked, suddenly I felt nervous, "Sure," I said hoping not to regret this, "Ben told me about your little surprise that you sprung on Andy yesterday," she said again annoyed with me, as I hung my head, "Oh yeah that, yeah it didn't go over very well," I said feeling defeated, "Well what did you expect, Andy has made it very clear with everyone that she wants nothing to do with her mother or her people," Miranda declared in a stern tone, "I know but…" she cut me off, "No there are no buts Robert! Look the bottom line is what does or doesn't happen between you and your wife is none of my business, but it becomes my business under these circumstances," she says casually for which I was confused.
"Circumstances? What circumstances?" I asked feeling butterflies in my stomach, "I had made an appointment for Andy and you this morning at 9AM and when neither one of you showed up I decided to come to you," she said, not making any sense to me at this very moment, "An appointment? What for?" I asked, now I was really concerned, "Miranda please what's going on with my wife?" I shouted at her, "First of all you need to lower your voice Robert Sullivan I ain't your wife," she snapped at me, "You want me to lower my voice in my house?" I asked irritated, "Not right now it isn't cause from what I gather you are in the dog house, now what's it gonna be Mr. Sullivan?" She said sternly, "Alright I apologize Dr. Bailey now can you please tell me what's going on with my wife, please!?" I pleaded, "Well normally I wouldn't do this but since you two are unconventional I will make the exception, Robert at this time it is imperative that your wife not be stressed out, and for good reason. Robert, Andy is pregnant and from what I gather from her H-C-G levels in her bloodwork she's about three possibly four weeks along, I need not remind you that women in her condition and in their first trimester are at their highest risk of miscarriage, I know," she says, I stood there for a moment stunned.
"Pregnant? My wife's pregnant, again?" I said in a happy daze, "Yes she is, and here give her these they're prenatal vitamins," Miranda repeated again handing me the bag of meds; pregnant? Andy's pregnant? We're gonna have another baby, holy shit, this was the third happiest day of my life until I realized that she was gone, "Miranda have you heard from Andy at all today?" I asked in a panic, "No that's why I'm here," she said baffled by my now strange behavior, "Miranda, I'd love to stay here and chat but I got to go and find my wife, okay bye," I said practically shoving her out the front door and slamming the door on her, I was quick to grab Tina, her diaper bag and my car keys before locking the house up and driving through town like a wild man to Dean's house, where I dropped off Tina for him to watch for me, as I then raced around town in search of my wife, but where could she be was the question.
By noon I was still no closer to finding her, when suddenly a text message came through on my phone that read: ROBERT PLEASE COME TO MY HOME OFFICE DR. ANDREWS, along with his address. Of course, I thought, therapy, Andy had gone to have therapy, at last I knew she was safe and sound and I'd hope willing to talk to me I could only hope and pray. Not more than twenty minutes later I was standing outside of Dr. Andrews' home on the front stoop nervously awaiting him to answer the door, finally it swung open he stood there in the doorframe with his arms crossed, oh boy this couldn't have been good, I thought, "Hello Robert, it would seem the whole Sullivan clan has descended onto my humble abode in the last past 24 hours," he said, "Hello Dr. Andrews is she here? Andy my wife that is," I asked nervously, "No; but she was last night before she left," he said, "Left? Gone where?" I asked, he just stood there looking me over like a disapproving father would, and that's when it dawned on me, "You're not gonna tell me where she went are you?" I asked saddened, "No. not until you and I have a little chat first, come on, come on in," he said and with that he widened the door and stepped aside, I entered nervously and prepared for the worse.
ANDY'S POV – DR. ANDREWS'S CABIN UPSTATE
Normally I would've been happy to have returned to the place where Robert and I had rekindled our love for one another and healed our marriage and conceived our daughter Christina, but now the four walls of this place didn't quite feel the same, where there was once an intimate feel, it now felt hollow and cold, where there was once the sounds of glorious love making throughout, it was now silent and still and I hated it, I hated it all, don't get me wrong I was grateful that Dr. Andrews had allowed me the getaway escape from my marital troubles it just didn't feel the same without my Robert, and dammit if that didn't piss me off too, I thought, as I stood under the running shower head water still crying, dear God I thought why can't I stop crying? Oh, right I had almost forgotten I was pregnant my hormones were a wreck, on the way upstate I had stopped off at the store to pick up a few things including a pregnancy test and had taken it and wouldn't you know it; just as Miranda had predicted I was indeed pregnant, 3 to 4 weeks along, we must have gotten pregnant right around the nightmare that was our house guest Sergeant Major Kyle Lang or a few nights after I kept kicking Robert's ass at strip poker, oh and did he suck at poker too, I thought with a smile, I was quick to remove it when I remembered what he had done, invited my Mother and Aunt into our home and around our child and without so much as a warning so I could've at least prepared myself, but nope that wasn't Robert's style apparently.
Apparently we were back to keeping secrets from one another well that was fine by me, cause I too now had a whopper of a secret myself, baby Sullivan number 2 was on the way, as I got out of the shower I was still so deep in my train of thought, I never even heard the front door of the cabin being unlocked nor someone having entered the cabin downstairs, I slipped into my newly purchased tank top and booty short pajamas and was about to blow dry my hair when…
I heard commotion coming from downstairs in the kitchen, at first I shrugged it off but then there it was again, OH MY GOD someone was in the cabin, I was quick to dart back into the master bedroom and scour around the room for anything that I could use as a weapon as I already recalled that I had left my cellphone downstairs on the kitchen butcher block island, I searched in the closet and found a wooden baseball bat, perfect I thought, I took a deep breath and exited out of the room and slowly made my way down the stairs and headed for the kitchen, and there standing behind the freezer size large open refrigerator door was the intruder I lifted the baseball bat prepared to swing when…Robert reclosed the door and jumped startled, in fact we both did screaming, "Robert! What the hell are you doing here you almost gave me a heart attack!" I shouted at him, relieved and yet pissed all rolled into one, "You?! What about my heart?" He said with his voice elevated trying to catch his breath, "How did you even know where I was?" I asked annoyed, "Dr. Andrews had texted me earlier and I…" I cut him off, "Oh, great! That's just fine, remind me to kill Dr. Andrews when I get the chance," I said panting trying to slow down my rapid heart rate, "Well are you ok? And the baby?" He asked softly taking steps toward me, "Yes I'm fine, we're fine…" I stopped mid-sentence stunned.
"Wait how'd you know about that?" I asked, "Miranda stopped by the house this morning and incidentally you might want to start taking her calls, when she calls you, she was none too happy with you missing your doctor's appointment this morning," he said now towering over me with his hand genteelly on my not quite visible yet baby bump, and for a moment I even almost forgotten that I was supposed to be mad at him, "Oh fine, whatever happened to doctor patient confidentiality? What's wrong with these doctor's?" I threw up my hands irritated, "Oh come on babe don't be like that Miranda is our friend and so is Aaron they only want what's best and good for us," he said in the low deep sexy tone of voice which he knew was my weakness, as he kneeled over to kiss me, his lips lingered over mine tantalizingly out of reach, "What's best for us?" I whispered having become seduced by his charms, "Yeah what's best for us," he whispered now brushing his lips against mine ever so softly teasing my lips with his tongue, God how I loved it when he did that, it always turned me on in a big bad way, but unfortunately for him that's when I remembered how pissed I was with him in the first place.
"Oh no you don't Robert Sullivan, you can't fix this with a low sexy voice and a few kisses! Dammit! How could you do this to us? To me?! How!?" I shouted once again feeling the urge to cry, "Andy if you'd only listen, I didn't do this to you! I did this for you for us! Why can't you see that?!" He shouted, "Because it doesn't make any sense, you knew I didn't want my mother in my life, or in our lives! It's because of her that I wasn't even there that night when you woke up after your leg surgery, and you know that!" I shouted, "Okay let's be fair now about that, you weren't there because you chose not to be, you could have told your Aunt to come to us, but YOU DIDN'T! The least you could do is own your part in that!" He declared, "Wow, are you ever gonna take my side over anyone else's just once Robert I mean shit!" I shouted, "Andy you're acting like a child about this! Why can't you just try? Try and hear your mother out? Find out why she wasn't there for the past 20 years? Why do you insist on staying angry at her when you've long since chosen to forgive your father, who was more to blame than she if anything, I mean just look at what he's done now, I mean he cheated on her on top of everything else and as a result you have a brother, for whom you also knew nothing about! What are you so afraid of baby!?" He shouted, "ME! I'M AFRAID OF ME ALRIGHT! And her! I'm afraid of turning out like her, of becoming her! And you forcing her down my throat isn't helping any Robert," I said with tears running down my face, "Andy? Baby, sweetheart," he said trying to take me by the hands and comfort me, but I pulled away from him…
"No! You want to know the truth well here it is! I already know the truth, the whole story! They had no idea that Pruitt told me that she was dead all these years! He played both sides, this whole time they assumed that he had told me that she was mentally unstable and they figured that I had decided for myself to not have anything to do with Elena or that side of my family, that's one side of the coin! The other side of it, they've already told me or rather my Tia Sandra explained it to me very well that night, that horrible night in that crummy dump of a motel room, that she has been my mother's legal guardian for over 20 years and that my mother has been living in a MENTAL RESIDENTIAL FACILITY COMMUNITY for the last 22 years for the mentally disturbed! And that when I was 5 years old my mother had been diagnosed with full-blown P-P-D, 'PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER' which as I've since have learned is basically the younger sibling of bipolar disorder and of course just my luck its HEREDITARY no less, so now not only as it turns out that I have the genetic disposition for it; but I could very well pass this along to our children and their children's children and so forth!" I was shaking like a leaf from rage recounting all the terrible heartbreaking details of my truly messed up family but I forced myself to continue on.
"But the real icing on the cake was that instead of taking her meds and getting help she chose not to! She chose to throw her husband and child away and without a second thought! Which resulted in 2 decades worth of lies, which resulted in my father leaving her! Cheating on her, and lying to me! My whole life was a lie! And now on top of all of that you want to bring her back into my life! So that what?! Her disorder can rub off onto me?! Because if she so much as misses one dosage of her meds that's it game over she'll go full blown manic and I don't want to see that! I don't want it around our kids or family or home! Don't you see? Don't you get it? I have everything to lose here not you! You're not the one with the strand I am! So sure, you can stand there and stay in full judgement of me all you want, but I am not going to risk my family for that woman for whom I was told was dead for the past 20-plus years, and in a way she was because her mind is not right, and that scares me! So please stop pushing! I can't lose another family I can't and I won't, and you have no right to ask me!" I yelled, by this point I no longer cared if Robert saw my tears I was far to pissed and hurt to care what he thought anymore.
Robert stepped over to me and took me by the hands and kissed each hand, before I finally let him hold me as I cried onto his chest, "Awe baby, it's okay, I've got you. Babe you're not gonna lose me or Tina or this little life growing inside of you, I'll be right there by your side when you face her, all you have to do is try, that's all I'm asking of you. If not for you then do it for our family then," he said softly, I couldn't believe it, I was floored as my jaw hung open, it was like he hadn't heard a word I had just said, "Wow you are really trying to guilt me into this aren't you?" I said glaring at him as I backed away from him disgusted, "Do it for our children? Wow you are truly unbelievable Robert, wow you are, you are really something!" I said irritated and pissed, "Andy…" I didn't want to hear it, "No you know what Robert THANK YOU! 'T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U' why don't you try remembering that lesson! That little gem that Dr. Andrews taught us! And then you can come talk to me, unbelievable!" I shouted and with that I stormed up the stairs and into the master suite slamming the door behind me leaving him standing there alone in the kitchen.
DR. AARON ANDREWS POV – FLASHBACK SEQUENCE – SIX WEEKS INTO THERAPY
Believe it or not the Sullivan's had actually come a long way in their therapy sessions with in the past month and a half, but now it was time for me to turn up the heat, and why not? I thought, they're both firefighters they can take it. Robert and Andy were in the middle of a full blown argument, apparently Robert had just learned for the first time, that Andy had told Jack Gibson on the very same day that she had returned to work after her father's death that they had gotten married, for which he responded in asking if she wanted help getting an annulment, for which she chastised him for saying, but then later while the two were trapped inside of a bowling alley with a group of kids, she admitted that her marriage might have been a mistake like Jack had claimed and that she only married Robert for the sake of her father having a happy memory before he died, OUCH! This did not sit well with Robert, but then what husband would it sit well with?
"So, do you? Do you think it was a mistake? Marrying me?!" Robert asked her, as you could hear the pain in his voice, "Robert that's not what I said!" Andy shouted, "What do you mean that's not what you said, that's exactly what you just told me you told Gibson and why are you involving that man in our marriage anyway given your history with him, that's just plain stupid!" He shouted, "Don't call me stupid Robert Sullivan!" She shouted back, "I didn't call you stupid! I said what you did was stupid not thinking!" He replied, "Well it takes a stupid person to say or do a stupid thing! And I did NOT say it was a mistake to marry you! I said it was a mistake to get married at the speed for which we did! And that's the difference!" She yelled, "Barely! And that's not what you said, you're just trying to twist your words to fit! You said and I quote marrying me was a MISTAKE…" Andy was quick to shut Robert down, "You know what OKAY!" She replied plopping back in her seat. I blew my canned fog horn at them for which neither of them liked still as they both frowned at me for it. "Well don't look at me like that you two you should both be use to this by now," I said with a smile.
"Well we're not!" She snapped, "And we hate it!" He agreed with her, "Well at last something you both can see eye-to-eye on, and that's called progress. Okay so now Andy let's start with you and what you're doing wrong here, tell me something what does 'OKAY' mean?" I asked, "Huh?" She asked confused, "The word OKAY what does it mean?" I replied, "Are you serious?" She asked amused, "Not a difficult question, answer it please what does OKAY mean?" I asked again, "OKAY means agreed, fine, accepted, satisfying," She replied in a matter of fact tone, for which I was quick to shut her down, "NO!" I said, "Are you saying that I've been using it wrong my whole life then?" She asked baffled, "No normally you would be correct but OKAY does not mean that when you are using it. When you use it what you're really saying to your husband is: I'm done talking, I don't care what you think, I don't care what you have to say, I'm not interested in fixing our problems or how you feel, GAME OVER," I said, for which Andy did not like as she sat straight up in her seat frowning confused, "No that's not what I meant!" She replied now on the defensive, "Then why do you keep saying it? And in that context Andy!? Come on now Mrs. Sullivan I wasn't born yesterday! Every time you and Robert argue, and right here in front of me for which I witness, that is literally the first thing that falls out of your face, followed by a classic tantrum of throwing your arms up and then you shut down, now why is that!?" I had stunned her she didn't know what to say for once which was a good thing believe it or not.
"Hold that thought," I said to the baffled and speechless Andy as I now turned my sights onto her husband, "Robert! Why do you let her get away with that!? Why don't you call her out on it! Why don't you say 'NO ANDY IT'S NOT OKAY' and we're going to finish this discussion even if it kills us!" I asked him, for which he too had nothing to say. They both sat silently and stunned, I'm sure they felt as though I had just attacked them both and in a way I had, I needed to get down to the nitty-gritty of their problem which was staring me right in the face. I broke the awkward silence, "You know I can see why you two love each other so damn much, it's in part because you're one in the same in a lot of ways, both stubborn and hardheaded, but interestingly enough you also happen to be afraid of the same thing, you just express it differently. Would you two like to know what it is?" I asked, now having regained their full attention, "You're both afraid of losing the other, that the other will throw in the towel and walk away. Well I've got news for you kids, you're NOT boyfriend and girlfriend, you are however husband and wife and walking away requires expensive lawyer fees and a butt load of paperwork; so get it through your thick heads now, whether you like it or not, you are still a team, now for how long that's up to you!" I said sternly, no more playing Mr. Nice Guy with these two.
"Now here's what we're going to do, I want you both to stand up right now and face each other, come on lets go times wasting," I ordered them for which they obliged hesitantly at first, "Now I want you two to take each other by the hands and look each other in the eyes," I ordered and again they were hesitant but they both did as they were told, I could see that each was very nervous, "Alright now for the next 16 weeks we are going to try and do a little exercise that I call 'THANK YOU', each letter will have a 2 week trial period for which at the end if you choose it, you'll both be rewarded; now each letter means a different thing, 'T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U'; 'T' stands for Talk and Communicate, for which you both sorely lack this skill, 'H' is for Honesty and Humility, which goes along way, 'A' is Attentiveness, 'N' is for Navigating patience for the other and one's self, 'K' is for Knowledge of your own faults, which clearly neither one of you likes to do, 'Y' and this is a tough one, Yield to forgiveness, 'O' another tough one, Own your own mistakes, and finally 'U' this is by far the most important lesson that you will learn, it stands for, Union the point being to unite in sexual healing and sexual intimacy," and with that they both turned and stared at me surprised, "Now then let the lessons begin," I said with a confident smile.
ROBERT'S POV – PRESENT DAY – BACK AT THE CABIN
The night had drawn near, as I made my way up the stairs and into the master suite, I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door and entered, Andy was laying in the middle of the bed staring up at the ceiling cradling her belly, a small fire crackled in the fireplace across from the bed, slowly I crossed over toward her with the full intension of getting into bed with her, "What do you think you are doing?" She asked, "I'm going to bed it's late Andy," I replied, "Not with me you're not," she snapped, in a tone that rubbed me the wrong way, "Andy I've been driving for more than 3 hours to get here, and I'm tired now and I'm going to lay in bed with my wife and unborn child whether you like it or not!" I said firmly, "Well I don't like it and no you are not!" She replied sternly through gritted teeth, "Andy I swear to God don't make me lose my temper," I said having become equally as pissed with her as she was with me, "You know what fine!" She shouted she hopped up out of the bed and ripped off the comforter and a pillow and tossed it down onto the floor before the fireplace, before climbing back into bed herself, "There, you can sleep down there! As I recall it you like the floor anyway," She angrily declared, now my blood was boiling, but just then I had remembered what Dr. Bailey had said 'don't stress out your wife', so I had no other choice I allowed myself to take the floor i.e. the dog house, but not before throwing a clap-back her way, "So do you!" I said with a cocky grin before plopping down onto the floor and trying to make myself comfortable, Andy sat up and glared at me pissed off, "I'm gonna kill Dr. Andrews," she mumbled beneath her breath, but I didn't care, I had, had enough too, I knew how I had handled things was the wrong way to go about it but dammit I loved my wife and I just wanted to fix things and bring her peace and true closure, my mistake, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.
I don't know how much time had passed later when I was awoken by Andy softly crying in her sleep, I sat up and looked over toward her, yep she was crying in her sleep and all because of me, dammit, why didn't I just tell her from the start what I wanted to do to help her with her non-existent relationship with her mother? I got up and stepped over to the bed, I climbed up into the bed from behind her and genteelly put a hand on her shoulder trying to wake her carefully, "Andy? Andy? Babe?" I whispered, she popped open her eyes and turned to me slightly startled, "Whoa it's just me Robert, baby please, I'm sorry, I am so-so very sorry I should have never gone behind your back like that and talked to your mother without asking you first, you were right, I didn't listen and I forgot about letter 'T', Andy please don't cry baby," I whispered, she sniffled staring at me not saying a word, and then she spoke, "I can't help it, I'm hormonal I guess," she whispered.
I chuckled at that remark my wife was carrying life inside her again, our second child, I slowly leaned down and gently wiped her tears away and softly kissed her, it had dawned on me then that we hadn't really even touched since Halloween night, as I began to kiss her more deeply my hands began to wander toward her breast, it wasn't long before Andy assisted me in massaging her breast, before I slowly pulled down her loose tank top exposing her bare breast to me, I took off my shirt and tossed it who knows where, taking in the sight of my wife's beautiful bare chest before me, God how I loved this woman so deeply so madly, I could tell by her body language she was slightly hesitant, "Andy please it's been weeks since you let me touch you, I need this, I need you," I pleaded in a whisper, she kissed me in return and reached down and feeling how hard I was she slowly cocked open her legs and pulled down her booty shorts, within moments I was straddling between her legs pulling off my pants and slowly I was now inside of my wife, we both moaned upon my entry of her, slowly I thrusted in and out, and in and out, it had been a long time since we had made love quite like this, which resulted in the makings of our daughter Tina, normally we both liked it wild and rough but not now in this moment not tonight.
Tonight was all about reconnecting, my flesh with her flesh and hers with mine, I can't remember how but somehow in the evening we managed to make it onto the blanketed bed on the floor, while Andy was now on top slowly and deeply she rode me as I caressed her breast, we were both panting and moaning well into the next days early morning hours, the slow love making was insane and both of our bodies needed this as we both climaxed at the same time, falling into each other's arms as we both fell happily asleep. Just Andy and I and our little bundle of joy inside her made 3.
ANDY'S POV –
Robert and I had rode in silence hand-in-hand in his car and hitched my car to the back of his so that we could ride together, but the whole ride home or rather back into the city I noticed that the closer we got Robert seemed to become more nervous, "Robert are you alright?" I asked, "Yep, I'm just thinking we're about to become the parents of two kids," he said happily, "Yep Irish twins," I replied, "Huh?" He said, "Irish twins, that's what their called, that's when to babies are born within 12 to 18 months apart from one another, Irish twins," I said chuckling, "Oh, are you ready for this?" He asked, "I guess I'll have to be, why do you ask? Are you?" I asked nervous for his response, "I'm ready for any adventure with you Andy Herrera-Sullivan," he replied kissing my hand again, before I realized where he had taken us to; Station 19, "Hey what are we doing at work? I thought we were going to pick up Christina?" I asked confused, "Oh we are I just need to pick something up first, you coming?" He asked far to casually, "Yeah okay," I replied shrugging my suspicions off, and walking arm in arm inside the station with him.
Once we got inside the station it was pitch black dark, which was highly unusual, where was everybody? I thought, suddenly feeling funny about all of this as Robert led me into the equally dark Vehicle Bay, "Robert what's going on?" I asked nervously, "You'll see. Okay guys now!" He shouted, and with that little by little twinkle lights that had been strung up overhead came on, red rose petals were scattered throughout the floor, and CHRISTINA PERRY'S song "A THOUSAND YEARS" played softly from out of nowhere in the background; as all of the members of the B-crew and A-crew of: Jack, Maya, Vic, Ben, Travis and Dean with little Pru and Christina in his arms entered, they all surrounded Robert and I standing in a wide circle, "Robert what is all this…" by the time I turned back around to Robert he was down on one knee holding up a velvet red ring box to me, he took me by the hand…
"This is the proposal that you should have gotten the first time but didn't; I'm correcting that mishap now. Andrea Patricia Herrera, I know that this year has been challenging since the moment we were married we've been hit with crap one thing after the other, and by some miracle we managed to find our way back to one another, and I know now what I knew back then, and that's that you're well worth it all, so Andrea Patricia Herrera will you make me the happiest man on earth and do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife? You know again?" He asked and with that he popped open the ring box to reveal a stunning simple and classic solitaire OVAL 2 and a half carat diamond engagement ring set in a gold band, it had belonged to his mother and her mother's mother too, it was absolutely stunning, and so me, not too big and not to small, just perfect, I cried before I screamed, "YES!" I said, before I kneeled down and kissed him, Robert slipped the ring onto my finger as everyone cheered and congratulated us. This is what I wanted all along and didn't know it, "I love you Robert Sullivan," I whispered into his ear, "I love you too Mrs. Sullivan," he said taking Christina out of Dean's arms and the three of us hugged and Christina cheered and said, "Yay, Dadda!" She said, we all screamed in delight, what a great day!
ELENA HERRERA'S POV –
I sat in the diner that Robert and I had been meeting in secret from my daughter Andy for the past several months, he had called me earlier that morning and I knew what he was coming to tell me now, he was going to tell me that it was a no-go, Andy wanted nothing to do with me and that was that, as I sat at our usual table nervously sipping my cup of coffee, the bell above the diner door chimed, I could hear his footsteps approaching me, I closed my eyes and held my breath and then I felt him sit down in the booth across from me as usual, "Okay let's have it, she never wants to see my face again in life right?" I said heartbrokenly, "Actually…" the voice said, stunned I popped open my eyes I couldn't believe it; it was Andy my little girl sitting across from me, I couldn't help myself tears formed in my eyes. I couldn't speak I was too shocked. "Robert's not coming. There's not gonna be any more meeting in secret behind my back either, that's over with," She said firmly, as my heart sank into my stomach, "Okay, yes I understand," I said in a low heartbroken voice, but then she cut me off, "I think it's time you and I had a real talk… Mama." Andy said in all seriousness, and it was then that I felt my heart skip a; what I could only refer to as a hopeful beat.
THE END.
I hope you all enjoyed this gripping story, but what's in store for Andy and Robert next? And will Andy really let her estranged mother back into her life? And what about her half-brother too? Find out in my FINALE EPISODE STORY
on December 1, 2020 entitled…
"LOVE OF MY LIFE."