POWER OF LOVE 14
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius
"I guess I should cancel those flowers," Dave said, looking at Mudgie. He slid his feet off the ottoman. A fresh bouquet wouldn't fix Erin's problem nor would it earn him any favors. She wasn't a bad parent, in fact: she was an exceptional mother. Considering everything Mark had put their family through. He had at least four affairs before the divorce was filed. That was just what Dave knew about. With Erin carrying most of the load it was only natural for her to find solace in something apart from work. Clearly, her kid didn't see it that way.
With an aggravated huff, he grabbed his phone from the table and dialed the florist.
Erin sighed, the plate of eggs in front of her had gone nearly frigid and the decaf in her cup tasted like sludge instead of the usually smooth bitter brew. It was official, she hated Saturdays. The house was too quiet without Paige and Paul's casual bickering. At least then the house felt alive. McKenzie had ventured downstairs just long enough to feed the cat: without a glance towards her mother. While Paul stayed in his room, brooding. Both had turned down breakfast and the silent treatment was getting old...fast.
Scraping her untouched meal into the garbage disposal, Erin caught sight of the orchids on the windowsill. New shoots flowered down the pot. Fingering the sun kissed leaves lightly, she couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips.
"Where did that come from?" McKenzie asked timidly. Staring at Erin as if she would explode at any moment.
Erin couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her lips, "did you just notice it? It's only sat there for a month, McKenzie." She admonished gently.
McKenzie offered a slight grin and snapped her bubblegum between her teeth. "Oops. I guess I didn't see it."
"Do you think there's room for it in the flower bed?" Erin asked, studying the plant thoughtfully.
"Probably, but I haven't been out there in awhile." McKenzie said.
"You haven't been out there since before your vacation," Erin corrected.
"Yeah, but that whole thing was Paige's idea anyway." McKenzie said offhand.
Erin sighed, of course. McKenzie had very few friends, despite living in the same social circle her whole ten years of life. Paige was McKenzie's closest friend.
Erin gave herself a mental shake and opened the window. "It's pretty outside," the warm summer breeze filled the room, proving her point. "Come outside and help me plant this."
McKenzie's face automatically brightened, "Okay."
"Alright, what's up?" Erin asked, pulling weeds from the bed of tulips. A sit down conversation, wasn't happening. It was so much easier to talk when your hands were busy.
"What do you mean?" McKenzie asked, wiping her dirty hands on her jeans.
"This whole..." Erin thought for a moment... "when in doubt, stay quiet routine. If something's bothering you, come out and say it." She pulled a few more weeds and cast a sideways glance at her youngest. She was the perfect mix of Mark and Erin. With his dark hair and long straight nose. and Erin's porcelain skin and matching eyes.
McKenzie shrugged, "It's just...I'm not mad, Mom. Honest."
"You're not?" Erin asked, needing to clarify things. If anyone seemed mad, it was McKenzie.
"I just don't know what to do with myself. Paige isn't here and all Paul does is sit in his room."
"Do you like it at your father's?" The words slipped past her lips before she had a chance to catch them. She needed to know if, once her news came out: all of her children would take refuge there.
"It's alright. His girlfriend is there sometimes." McKenzie focused on the mulch in her hand, breaking the wood into splinters. "But we do fun stuff, we went to the batting cages last weekend." McKenzie grinned with pride, "I hit a home run!"
"All of you?" Erin couldn't stop the bitterness that pierced her heart.
"Yeah." McKenzie said tracing patterns in the dirt with her trowel. It's kind of nice but I wish it was with you instead of Jamie."
Erin felt her mouth go dry, she hadn't expected that. "Sorry, Sweetheart. Congrats on the hit. I wish I could have seen it." She offered, in a half attempt at an apology.
"Mom!" Erin's head jerked up at the sound of Paul's voice.
"What is it?" She called, struggling to her feet. Her knees protested and popped at the movement. Halfway off the ground, her breath left her. "McKenzie?" She huffed, "little help?"
"Are you okay?" Concern etched the young girl's face as she helped her mom to her feet.
"I'm fine," Erin took a deep breath, and offered a half hearted smile. "My knees got stiff. She swiped her hand across her forehead. The cool breeze from the morning was gone. Leaving humidity and sweat in it's wake. "Let's go inside." McKenzie said "it is way too hot out here."
Erin stifled a yawn, the promise of air conditioning and a cat nap, was too good to pass up. "Agreed."
"Special delivery." Paul called, from the back porch.
"Look who decided to join us." McKenzie joked, "did you get tired of the Bat- Cave?"
"Shut up." Paul said, moodily. Moving aside so the pair could step inside.
"That's enough." Erin interjected, before the pair could escalate.
"Your...whatever it is...is on the counter." Paul said, "the guy wanted a signature."
"You signed for it?" Erin asked, surprised. The simple white box was tied with a purple ribbon. As beautiful as the package was, it would have to wait. The last thing she needed was a barrage of questions she wasn't prepared to answer.
"Yeah. He didn't ask for I.D." Paul said shortly. He cut past his mother and towards the stairs.
"Hold it." Erin called sternly.
Paul's shoulders dropped in a world- weary slump, "I have a test on Monday. Can I go study?" He asked, there was an edge to his voice, like he was holding something back. Scratch that, there was a lot he needed to say.
"Did you have lunch?" Erin turned towards the fridge and pulled out sandwich fixings.
"I'm not hungry," he said flatly.
"Too bad, plant it." Erin ordered, pointing to the seat at the island with a butter knife. Reluctantly, with his head down; Paul slumped into the seat.
"McKenzie cast a suspicious glance at her brother, "Mom, can I eat in the living room?"
Erin passed her a sandwich, and took another look at Paul. "Go ahead."
When she knew McKenzie was out of ear shot, Erin said, "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," he grumbled, still staring at the counter.
She pulled another slice of bread from the bag, "Do you want mustard?"
He nodded, "I can make my own sandwich."
"So," She shrugged, passing him the bread. "Do it. Just talk to me while you do."
He glanced up, just long enough to take a piece of turkey from the package. Unscrewing the jar of Miracle Whip, he stuck the knife inside. Chewing on his words he finally asked, "what does Paige know that we don't?" He took a frustrated bite. "Why did she leave?"
"We had a fight." Erin answered flatly, she leaned across the counter and met her son's face. "I'm not drinking, I promise." She assured him, when his gaze began to heat. Too many secrets had been harbored over the past year. Not to mention, not that she would ever admit it, but her baby bump was getting harder to hide.
"I know your dad is seeing someone..." for a reason she couldn't place, the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. She turned to the sink and filled a glass. Taking a long drink to flush it away.
"Yeah, he is." Paul returned, "and she's as shady as an oak tree."
Erin shook her head, "you don't like her?"
"It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't try to act like you. She's not even old enough to be my mother! So why is Paige there when she fights with Jamie more than you?"
That's comforting Erin scoffed silently. At least she wasn't her daughter's only enemy.
Paul took a long pull off the milk Erin sat in front of him and polished off his sandwich.
"She can come home anytime she wants, but she's still angry that I'm moving on with my life. I'm sorry, Paul but there's nothing that can make me go back to your father," she said vehemently.
" I just want to go talk to my sister. Dad's with Jamie and you're with..."He glanced at the box still resting on the counter. "Whomever-but can I go talk to her?" Paul was already donning his backpack. "I'll be back before dinner."
"What the Hell are you doing here?" Paige hissed, glaring at her brother's imposing frame in the doorway. She tried to block his way inside but he pushed past her. "Dad's going to be here in 15 minutes, pack your crap or it stays."
"You're not my father, you're 15 Goddamned years old!" Paige shrieked.
"You're coming home, Paige and you're coming home now. I've already talked to Dad and Jamie's tired of fighting with you. What's your problem anyway?" Paul leaned against the kitchen chair with his backpack dangling off his arm.
"Mom didn't tell you did she?" Paige cast a frigid glare towards her little brother. "Once again, I get to do her dirty work!"
"Somebody needs to do some work around here," Paul quipped. Surveying the mess.
"Fuck you! " Paige snapped, Jamie lets her nephews destroy the place and then I get to clean it up. I'm not a fucking nanny. Come try it sometime Paul and see how you like it!"
"You could have come home at anytime! You psychotic bitch, why are you yelling at me? Mom's not even upset. You're the one who took off for no reason."
"I'm not coming back, I don't give a rat's ass what happens to Mom," Paige hissed out of Mom and that baby, too!"
"Paige Marie Strauss!"
The teenagers froze as their father entered the kitchen. With Jamie skidding in behind him.
"You will not talk about your mother that way!" Mark stormed, his brown eyes honed on his daughter.
"But Dad-" Paige tried to plead. "You don't know what she's done."
Mark cut her off, "then I'll hear it from her. Now get upstairs."
Erin took the phone from its cradle, she knew from the moment Paul left that any contact with his sister wouldn't end well. As expected, both Paige and Paul were staying with Mark. According to the voicemail he left when she dodged his call, Paul was coming home in the morning. Paige was on her father's version of house arrest and Erin knew her daughter would've prefered the ankle monitor.
But the key sentence, the words that caused her heart to race and her head to spin, "you can't run forever."
She held the phone to her ear and played it again.
''Listen, Erin...I overheard something from Paige...' she could almost see the way his hand raked through his hair. When he was uncomfortable it was the main cause of his receding hairline. ''What you do on your own time is none of my business. We've moved on...but we need to talk...about Paige. Stop keeping secrets...you can't run forever. Call me."
She hung up, he would call again before the night was over.
From her seat on the sofa, the kitchen counter was visible. The ivory package had migrated from the counter to the table and suddenly, Erin wanted to open it. Maybe it was the desire for a distraction, maybe it was the thrill of surprises. But suddenly, she was on her feet: crossing the room. The box was heavier than she expected and cooler too. She noticed the unusual condensation on the bottom. As she carried it back to her seat.
Slowly, she pulled the silky ribbon until it slipped away from the box. Her fingers eagerly worked the tape from the side of the lid, she caught sight of the card stuck inside and slid it into her hand. What flowers won't fix it, chocolate might help.
-Dave
Erin laughed, before she could stop herself. Perhaps it was the shear amount of gourmet chocolate in one package that set her off. It could have been the frankness of the card, for all she knew it was stress induced hysteria that caused her to laugh until her chest caught and she could barely breathe and still, she laughed until her stomach ached. She could see the headlines of the New York Times in her mind. They finally broke her, the Section Chief of the BAU slash Mom, slash David Rossi's occasional girlfriend: was sent over the edge. By a box full of chocolate.
"Mom?" McKenzie ventured into the living room, "what's so funny?"
Erin shook her head, catching her breath she said, "Have some chocolate! There's four boxes!"
McKenzie caught sight of the card that had fallen to the floor, she skimmed it. Her curiosity getting the best of her. She hadn't heard her mom laughing like that in a long time, it wasn't the fake, polite laugh she used at parties and whomever Dave was, McKenzie knew she liked him immediately.