On Friday night Tris stayed at home with Natalie and Caleb. She kept Ava for the night so Eric and Caleb could get started on the gym floor right away in the morning. It was obvious that Eric was lonely without Tris and Ava. Although he stayed at the Priors' well after his daughter was put to bed for the night, and in spite of the early morning he and Caleb had planned, Eric and Tris still texted late into the night.
E: Just got home. It's too quiet here.
T: You miss us?
E: You know I do. I always miss you when you're not here. What are you doing?
T: Laying in bed. I was reading, but now I'm texting with you.
E: Send me a pic.
T: Eric Coulter! Behave.
E: I said a pic, not a nude. Although I wouldn't object…
T: (pic of Tris under the covers with only her eyes and the top of her head peeking out)
E: Still sexy. You know I love your eyes.
T: And for all you know, I might be naked under the covers.
E: Duchess…
T: I'm kidding. I'm in the same PJ's I wore last night.
E: When you were in my bed with me
T: They smell like you.
E: Is that a good thing?
T: The best
E: This bed is too big without you.
T: Send me a pic.
E: (pic of the empty side of Eric's bed)
T: That picture has the same problem as my bed - YOU'RE NOT IN IT!
E: (pic of shirtless Eric reclining in bed)
T: Damn. My man is HOT!
E: And yet you're sleeping over there.
T: Sounds like somebody is jealous of my teddy bears
E: Insanely
T: (pic of Tris in her PJs with every teddy bear she could find in her closet and under the bed)
E: My woman is GORGEOUS. I love your legs in shorts.
T: I think you need a cold shower, Warrior
E: I love when you call me that. I think I need a warm shower while I think about yoga.
T: Flexibility and balance are important.
E: Sounds like you had a good teacher.
T: Dauntless only hires the best.
E: School won't be the same without you this year, Duchess
T: I hope not.
E: I'll miss seeing you every afternoon.
T: What if you came home to me after school every day?
E: Are you serious? Are we talking about you moving in?
T: Not yet
T: I've been looking at classes for fall. If I get in to the ones I want, I would only be on campus Monday - Thursday mornings.
T: In the afternoons and on Fridays I could pick up Ava from daycare and do my homework and online classes from your place.
T: It will save you a lot of money on daycare if you can find a place with a half day opening.
E: You're amazing. That would be awesome.
T: I try
E: You succeed
T: I love you, Warrior, but I need to get to sleep. Your daughter wakes up early.
E: Apparently so does your brother. He's going to be here at 7 to start installing the floor
T: He's used to getting up early to mow the golf course. His redeeming quality is that he usually brings food.
E: What are you and Ava doing tomorrow?
T: Shopping trip with Christina.
E: Don't pinch my daughter to get out of it early!
T: I would never! I might pinch Chris, though.
E: LOL
T: Goodnight Warrior, enjoy your shower
E: Oh, I will
.
Andrew came home on Saturday, and the house buzzed with the campaign chaos that seemed to follow him everywhere. Ava was obviously happy to see her "Papa," and finally did her army crawl-wiggle to get to him.
Tris took the baby to the mall, meeting Christina and Marlene as soon as the stores opened. Both girls clambered to wear Ava in her carrier sling, so they ended up using the stroller for their purses and purchases. Over shopping and lunch the girls got caught up on their jobs, relationships, how Lynn was doing in the Marines, and all the chaos that had been following Tris. When Ava fell asleep in Tris' arms after lunch, Christina insisted on pedicures at the mall's nail salon. Tris took a selfie and sent it to Eric.
T: (pic) Girls day at the mall. Ava shopped until she dropped, so we're getting pedicures while she sleeps.
E: I love my girls
T: How's the floor?
E: Almost done. We're just putting the baseboard trim back, then we have to hang the new light fixture/fan and move all the stuff back into the room.
T: Pic?
E: (pic of Caleb squatted on the floor with his crack sticking out above his pants)
T: Eww! Brother butt!
E: That was earlier. I just didn't want to suffer with that memory alone.
T: So you took a picture. Thanks for sharing.
E: (pic of empty gym with new floor done but trim missing)
T: That looks awesome!
E: Did you doubt us?
T: No, Caleb has a crack like a professional contractor…
E: (wacky tongue-out face emoji)
T: And you have enough muscle for both of you.
E: (kissy face emoji)
"What are you doing over there, Miss Tris?" Marlene asked.
"Sexting her man, probably," Christina said.
"I am not," Tris huffed. "Although this one pic he sent does show off a bit much...:"
"Ooh, let's see!" Marlene said excitedly.
Tris made the picture of Caleb with his butt sticking out of his pants full-screen and showed it to the girls.
"Ewww!" Christina squealed, and Marlene laughed.
"I see enough of Uri's crack," she joked. "That boy hates belts, but he needs one!"
.
When Tris and Ava made it back to Eric's house, Caleb was already gone for the day. Eric showed off the newly finished home gym, and Tris complimented the work that her boyfriend and brother had completed.
"I ordered some wall art, too," Eric said sheepishly.
"Why do you seem nervous?" Tris teased. "Did you find a centerfold big enough to fill that blank wall?"
"You know you're the only woman I want to look at," Eric said. "And you refused to pose, so no girls."
He swiped at his phone screen for a few minutes, then showed it to Tris. "I ordered this TV and the wall mount for it," he began. "It goes over there, by the treadmill. We got the big wall mirror at the hardware store, and after the paint has a few days to cure, that will go here, by the free weights. And this," he said, swiping to a picture of a big orange and navy Chicago Bears wall hanging that looked like a stylized American flag, "is for the blank wall behind us. What do you think? Is it dumb? Do you hate it?"
"Why would I hate it?" Tris asked. "It's very 'man cave - home gym'. If you wanted to hang it above the bed I might object, but that will look cool in here."
She thought about Eric's upcoming birthday and decided to find some more fan decor for the other small blank wall. Although they half-heartedly joked about Tris' preference for the White Sox while Eric cheered for the Cubs, they both loved the Chicago Bears football team and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. And seeing as how Eric was a hockey coach, Tris decided to find something Blackhawks related for the last blank wall.
"Earth to Tris," Eric said.
"Sorry," Tris said. "I got distracted. What were you saying?"
"Just asking about dinner," Eric said. "Did you have something in mind, or should I order a pizza?"
.
After dinner and Ava's bedtime ritual, Eric and Tris decided to relax with a movie. Both were tired from the emotional week and their busy day, so they kept it simple and cuddled up on the couch. When the movie got slow they did a little making out, but Eric was careful not to let himself take it further than Tris was leading. She let her hands wander under Eric's shirt to his abs and strong back, so he did the same, gently stroking the skin of her back under her tank top, but stopping there.
Much to Eric's disappointment, Tris insisted on going home for the night. Sunday was Father's Day, and Eric and Ava would be with the Priors for church, a barbecue, and a full day of family time, so they wouldn't be apart for long.
.
The Prior family had breakfast together in their kitchen, just like they had for most of Tris and Caleb's lives. Regardless, as they looked around the table, all four of them felt like something was missing.
"The only thing certain is change," Andrew said to his family. "First it was just your mom and I, and we felt complete. Then we were complete with Caleb. When Beatrice was born we felt like that was our complete family. Now Eric and Ava are a part of us, and I have to admit that it feels incomplete without them."
Tris smiled. She loved the way her family loved and accepted Eric and Ava. From Natalie providing free childcare, to Caleb helping with the home gym, and Andrew giving advice and support, the whole family had rallied around them and welcomed them with open arms.
The family was reunited with its baby and baby-daddy at church. Their many friends there always enjoyed the way Ava reacted when she saw Tris. The baby squealed and wiggled, nearly jumping out of Eric's arms as she reached for her surrogate mother. Tris took Ava into her arms and greeted Eric with a chaste kiss before the family went into the sanctuary.
Everyone liked to chat with Andrew when he made it to church. Friends, well-wishers, and locals with problems and concerns stopped their state representative and Senate candidate to talk. Before service and after, Andrew was busy.
Tris, Eric, and Ava got a lot of attention that week, too. Church ladies who had known Tris her whole life stopped to hug her and pat Ava. Eric was hugged as well. Several people commented on what a beautiful family the three of them were. One older lady even asked them to autograph her copy of Chicagoland Magazine.
The Pedrads were there. Hana wished Eric a happy Fathers Day, then tried to get Ava to come to her, but the baby was overwhelmed by all the attention and clung to Tris. Zeke greeted Tris, then thumped Eric on the back.
"I'm glad to see the two of you get the spotlight off me!" Zeke said.
"Oh shut it," Eric said, elbowing his friend. "You love the cameras and the attention."
Zeke shrugged. "Guilty," he said.
Tris rode home with Eric and Ava in his truck, then she fed Ava her baby food while Eric started the grill. Ava was still eating when the rest of the family got home. Natalie took over the lunch preparations while the men gathered around the grill.
Ava was fussy from her overstimulating morning, so Tris took her upstairs for her nap as soon as she finished eating. It took longer than usual to get the baby settled.
.
Out by the grill, the men talked about the work Eric and Caleb had done to Eric's home. They talked about the soon-ending legislative session, then about the Senate campaign.
"Your magazine article and news interview have made quite the stir," Andrew said to Eric. "My campaign team is thrilled with how they turned out."
"That reminds me," Eric said. "Tris is quite eager to show you the other photos Bud gave us."
"Oh yeah," Caleb said. "They're really good. And that photographer was hilarious. Even Ava loved him."
"I met him at the shoot," Andrew said. "Bud was great. I'm glad everything turned out so well. In fact, I saw Governor Eaton on Friday. He commented on the article and suggested a little photo op get-together."
Eric stiffened. "We'll, um, we'll have to talk about it, I guess," he said.
Andrew eyed Eric shrewdly but didn't say anything. He just flipped the steaks on the grill.
When the food was ready and Ava was asleep, the five adults sat down to their dinner. Andrew offered Eric a glass of wine. When he turned it down, Tris beamed at him. One glass of wine would not have caused a problem, but Eric knew that he was still rebuilding with Tris, and he knew he made the right choice when he saw her reaction. He would do anything to see her face light up like that.
The family talked and laughed over dinner. Tris and Caleb teased one another in their sibling way. Andrew and Natalie watched their family with love and pride.
After dinner, Eric and Andrew were ordered to relax while the others cleaned up. After all, they insisted, it was Father's Day. Andrew invited Eric back to his study.
"Sorry to be blunt," Andrew said when they arrived in the home office, "but what was that when I was talking about you meeting the governor?"
"I, uh, well," Eric stammered. "I don't know how close you are with him, but, um, I think you should be careful."
"That's rather cryptic," Andrew replied.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "I brought you both some iced tea," Tris said after Andrew invited her in. "Is everything okay in here?"
"We were just talking about Governor Eaton," Andrew said, watching their reactions. "He wants to sit down with the three of you to honor you for your bravery and have a little photo op."
Tris rolled her eyes. "Daddy," she said as she dropped onto the little loveseat beside Eric. "You know I'm not a big fan of Marcus. I really don't want to drive all the way to Springfield just to have my picture taken with a guy who lives like two miles away."
"It seems Eric also has some concerns," Andrew said. "I was hoping he would elaborate."
"Yeah," Eric said. "So, um, here's the thing, I'm not sure how much I can say, because this isn't really my story to tell."
"Nothing leaves this room," Andrew said. Tris nodded in agreement as she took Eric's hand.
"Do you guys know Marcus' son, Tobias?" Tris shook her head, then paused. She briefly remembered the boy from when they were very young.
"We haven't seen Tobias since he was a young boy," Andrew said sadly. "He really struggled after his mother died. He blamed his father for her death since it was caused by an ectopic pregnancy and he wasn't there to save her. Very tragic."
Eric snorted. "That's Marcus' version of the story," he said. "Tobias tells that very differently."
"You know him?" Tris asked.
"We met in college," Eric said. "He was my roommate freshman year. I knew who he was because it was on all the university paperwork when they introduced roommates and stuff like that. On campus, he used a nickname. He didn't want to be associated with his father."
Eric took a sip of his tea. "He never talked about his family," Eric continued. "Not a word. Not ever. He was a complete mystery and I kept his true identity to myself. He was a good student, a great athlete, and we became good friends.
"One day he was really agitated, and when I asked him what was bothering him, he told me that he had been 'summoned' to see his father. When he returned just before curfew, he was limping and bruised. He claimed that he had fallen, but I knew something was off.
"I offered him a drink. I, uh, I had a fake ID and a bad partying habit, so I had liquor hidden in the dorm room. One drink became two, then three, and soon Tobias was wasted and talking.
"He confessed that he was limping and bruised because his father, whom he referred to by first name only, had hit and kicked him. He told me that his father had been beating him since he was nine years old, and that before that he had spent many nights locked in a small closet while his father beat his mom. He even claimed that Marcus had killed his wife by beating her to death, and that Marcus had associates helping with his involvement in illegal activities like selling pardons and keeping the governor supplied with prostitutes."
"That's horrible!" Tris exclaimed, instinctively curling into herself and drawing closer to Eric.
"I've heard the abuse rumors," Andrew said. "I had no idea Tobias started them. It's sad that things would deteriorate so much between a father and son that he would make up stories like that."
"I've seen the scars that criss-cross Tobias' back," Eric interjected. "After he told me about his father, he finally started changing clothes in our dorm room. Before that he never took his shirt off anywhere but a locked bathroom stall. I introduced him to my tattoo artist, and she did a full back tattoo on him to cover the scars."
"You think he was telling the truth?" Andrew asked, still skeptical that the man he had worked with for years could have been a sadistic monster behind closed doors.
"I do," Eric confirmed. "Tobias wasn't out starting rumors. He never told anyone but me, and I've never told anyone but the two of you. If he wanted to cause trouble for Marcus, why would he hide his identity? Why would he hide his scars? Why wouldn't he say something? How did he allegedly start these rumors by keeping quiet?"
"He told you," Andrew pointed out. "Maybe he had a few drinks at a party and told a similar story to someone else."
Eric shook his head. "We've been friends for over three years now, and I've never seen him take a drop of alcohol before that night or since. I'm not asking you to do anything, Andrew. I'm not even asking you to believe me. I'm telling you this because I want you to be careful. If he gets caught for whatever is going on behind closed doors, I don't want you getting sucked down by the whirlpool. And you and Tris can make your own decisions, but I won't bring Ava anywhere near him."
Andrew sat in stunned silence. Tris drew herself closer to Eric and he wrapped his arms around her.
"I won't go either," Tris said. "If I see him at an event, I'll be nice, but I won't go to Springfield, and I won't bring Ava anywhere near him."
Eric heard the venom in Tris' voice. She was a crusader when she got worked up, and Eric knew that she would do anything to keep Ava safe. He kissed the top of her head.
"I don't know what to say," Andrew finally said. "Marcus and I are in the same political party. We've worked together for years. I respect your decision to not meet with him, but I'm going to reserve judgment until I look into this some more."
"That's fair," Eric said. "I'm sure this is a shock."
Andrew nodded. "Where is Tobias now?" he asked. "Is he still in school?"
"No," Eric replied. "He graduated early, when I did. He moved out of the state after graduation."
"I don't remember seeing him at graduation," Andrew mused. "I'm sure I would have noticed that name, even in the sea of graduates."
"He didn't participate in the ceremony," Eric explained. "He told our friends that he had a family conflict. Only I knew that his family was the conflict."
Tris gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She remembered Eric saying those words to her on the day of his graduation. He had a family conflict. Is Four Tobias Eaton? she wondered.
She looked up at Eric, and he nodded in confirmation.