A new Power of three Part 24:
The book 5 – growing old
2037, Saturday
2017
"sooo what did you want to talk to me about?"
"it's three things you won't like... and each of it belong to one..."
"okay... start with Anna... she can't be big trouble..."
"she stole Mags' make up..."
"noooo! Not make up! Not boys..."
"I'm afraid so... aaand I promised her we'd get some make up for her tomorrow"
"why did you do that?"
"cause she's almost 15... She needs her own make up..."
"no she doesn't... she's ... my girl... you know?"
"so was Mags..."
"I hate you saying such things" Prue smiled at him and watched him getting soaped and all
"okay... I guess I know... what's with Mags... she caused a car accident..."
"no she didn't... way worse... for you..."
"it gets worse than Anna wanting make up?"
"yes... and I need you to promise me, that you'll not kill someone... after you heard it"
"okay..."
"she... as she says 'maybe'... wants to have sex with Robbie." Andy starred at her "Andy?"
"I'm gonna kill him... and her"he said still starring at Prue...
"you promised me you'd not"
"please tell me I heard wrong when you said... sex and Mags in the same sentence..."
"nope..."
"what did you tell her?"
"that she's not allowed to see Robbie anymore..."
"Oooh I love you…" Prue smirked
"... in the evening... till she saw a doctor and got herself birth control pills..."
"I... do think... I'm having a heart attack right now..."
"no you aren't, stupid" Prue said laughing
The family day. Meghan's pregnancy followed.
2017
Prue laid in the bathtub after a long day at the agency as a knock sounded through the bathroom. Prue sighed. Her girls were big already, but they still needed her and she knew it
"come in" she said, looking up at the door which was coming from the hall, not her and Andy's bedroom.
"Mom? Can I talk to you?" Mags asked lowly, not really looking at Prue.
"Sure..." Prue said and sat up more "what's wrong?" Prue asked immediately. She saw Mags did something. She could see it in only her behavior.
Mags slowly went over to the bathtub and sat down on the edge. Sitting there Meghan immediately started picking her cuticles. Prue narrowed her eyes and placed her hand on her daughter's
"what did you do, huh?"
"you'll be disappointed in me..." Mags whispered
"I never could be, princess" Prue told Meghan seriously
"I... you know... how..." Meghan stopped her voice shuddering with fear. Prue gave the hand a little squeeze to give her some strength and support "everyone always... compares me... with... with you and... I... I guess... I'm more... more like you... than... I ever... wan... wanted to admit..."
Prue narrowed her eyes at Mags. She had a weird feeling racing in her guts, that she knew what Meghan was talking about, but waited till she had finished before speaking out, what she thought, was the worst that could happen.
"I... I was... we used protection... I swear... but the last one... it leaked..." Meghan sighted deeply closing her eyes, a few tears sparkling on her lashes
"you sure?" Prue asked carefully. Meghan nodded
Also Anna's whole drama with college and her men there. Plus quality time with lily as her oldest daughters already had moved out by then.
2020
"Look who's home, Miss Juliette" Andy smirked, when Prue entered with Lily
"daaad" Lily whined
"don't mind him... he never even read it..." Prue retorted
"hey! You said you'd not tell anyone!"
"oopsie" Prue smirked
"Lily, go get changed, okay?"
"sure, mom" Lily said, taking a few big steps up the stairs
"stop making fun of her. she really likes this whole theater thing and she finally comes out of her reserve… and if it's only on stage while she can be someone else."
"I'm not making fun of her…"
"you're sounding like it"
"I am not making fun of our daughter… I'm making compliments… I'm trying to make her happy with showing interest in something I really… rather never would have heard of"
"you're not helping" Prue said seriously
"she starts to think you don't like her acting and even thinks about retracting"
"did she tell you that?"
"no she didn't… but she doesn't have to…" Andy sighed
[...]
"I'm sorry. What am I supposed to do?"
"read it…"
"Prue" Andy whined "why?" he continued
"because she loves that piece… and it'd mean much to her if you maybe… could practice with her"
"what do you mean… practice?"
"well… you could offer her to read the parts which don't belong to her… you finally did something for your cultural treasure and she'd be thrilled."
"bu… Prue… isn't there another way?"
"it won't kill you to read Romeo and Juliette. You were supposed to read it already almost 30 years ago anyway."
"and I had a reason why I didn't read It."
"read what?" Anna piped in
"nothing!" Andy grumbled. Prue smiled warmly at her daughter
"could you set the table… dad and I kinda lead a private conversation right now"
"can't you go upstairs in such cases"
"Brianna" Andy sang through gritted teeth
"fine… god I'm so glad when I'm finally out of this mad house…"she mumbled leaving the kitchen
"what did she just say?"
"she's gonna go to college in a few months, Andy and don't change the damn subject now"
"I don't get what is babbled in there… I don't get what's standing in there… it's only just stupid romance bla bla… women aww about"
"you haven't read it…"
"so?!"
"so how do you know?"
"I… I… just do, okay!"
"no, not okay, Andy. You're going to do that for your daughter, you understand me? And if you don't wanna practice with her, fine. But then you're at least gonna read it! I didn't make you in high school and I don't get how you came through school without reading it. But you're gonna read it now! And you know I mean it, Andrew" Andy flinched at his full name and realized Prue was pretty pissed at him right now. He sighed deeply, watching her go through to the kitchen, and with that to the dining, heels clicking on the floor.
Minutes later two girls and their parents sat at the dining table, silently eating away. The girls never dared to say a word, when their parents had been in a fight. Not if the mood afterwards was this tight. Andy glanced at Prue, who never put one single look on him again and then at Lily. He cleared his throat
"umm. Lily, I… umm…" he stopped for a second, recollecting his thoughts "I actually don't know Romeo and Juliette, but… I'd love to help you practice, if you allow me to" he said lowly. A smile automatically burst on Lily's face as she once more gave her nickname all fame. Sunshine.
"Really?" she asked thrilled, excited.
"Really" Andy answered
:-:-:-:
Prue sat in the office and looked out on the terrace. Today the weather was perfectly fine. A beautiful ocean blue sky had marked this day, but an hour ago it started raining badly. She sighed, hoping Andy and Lily would come home safe again. They had left a little ago to pick up some Mexican food.
It was Friday: family day in the Trudeau house. Meghan had been living on her for own for the last few years with her boyfriend and two children. With their daughter, Anna away at college, the house had gotten really quiet. It always had been filled with children's laughter but nowadays it was more and more dieing out.
a car parked outside the house and the light of it subsided. Prue smiled a little, thinking at first it was Andy, who returned, but looking closer, she noticed the car was a bright yellow instead of Andy's black car and beside the color, it was also way smaller than their car.
She looked closer and recognized; it was Anna's yellow twingo standing there in the driveway. She looked confused out of the window and then down to her calendar. Did she miss something? Did she confuse dates?
She heard the door open and looked up to look over to the office door, no one knocked or came bursting in and so she got up and made her way to the door. She opened the door and saw a soaking Anna walk up the stairs
"Brianna?" Prue called
"mom!" Anna exclaimed surprised. She had thought the house was empty
"didn't you say, you'd be coming home next week?"
"Ya… but… I… I kinda missed you guys… I couldn't wait… and… and so I decided to take a week off" Anna told her mother, a fake smile on her face. Prue smiled a little
"your dad and Lily are just getting some Mexican food… they should be back any second…"
"I'm not exactly hungry, mom… and to be honest… I right now… just wanna shower and sleep a little… it's a hell to drive out there and being out on the street for an hour in that weather isn't exactly fun"
"I understand… but… you're gonna join us later, right? Lily wanted to play board games…"
"Umm… I don't know, mom… I'm really exhausted…" Prue's smile disappeared. There was something wrong. very wrong.
"Alright… I'll see ya tomorrow then" Prue tried to smile again
"I love you, mom" suddenly came from the stairs, which pulled Prue out of her thoughts. It, to her, sounded more like an 'I need you, mom'. Prue smiled again
"I love you too" Prue answered and continued to look up the stairs
"night" she answered back and then disappeared upstairs.
"Night, sweetie" Prue mumbled and looked down. A second later the front door opened again and a cheering Lily entered
"where's Anna?" She asked excited, a smiling Andy followed
"she's upstairs… taking a bath and then going to sleep. She's tired from the drive." Prue told them
"but she's gonna be downstairs later, right?"
"I don't know, she looked really tired, honey"
"can I go upstairs to see her…"
"Lily, you can see her all day tomorrow… leave her some time alone now…" Andy told Lily
"Ya, especially because she's going to stay till next weekend" Andy locked eyes with his wife. He, too felt there was a touch of weirdness to all of this
"that's so cool" Lily smiled brightly
"ya, it is" Prue smiled at her youngest, breaking the stare from Andy. "How about you go set the table already… I need dad's opinion on something"
"mom, I'm not five anymore… I know when you want to get rid of me…" Prue smiled and pecked Lily's temple, before she left to set the table
"you think there's something wrong, too?"
"Very wrong…" Prue confirmed
Prue strolled to the kitchen, getting the leftovers of dinner and started to go upstairs. She knocked gently on the door but got no response. She entered and saw the light still turned on on the desk, where some pictures laid. She ignored it for the second and then went over to the bed.
Anna was laying on the bed, turned away from the door. She right away noticed, how irregular her daughter breathed. She sat down on the bed and saw the tears soaked pillow. She had seen this so often, not only with her kids, but also with her sisters.
"I know you're not sleeping" Prue whispered and pulled a lock of hair out of Anna's face, after placing the dish she brought on the nightstand. Anna's eyes opened slowly
"what's wrong" she asked tenderly
"Taylor broke up with me" Anna whispered, new tears right away sprung to her eyes. Prue sighed
"come here" she told her and Anna turned around, crawling around her mom's body, till finally her head found rest in her mother's lap. Prue stroke her face and hair gently
"it's okay… it's okay… shshshs… he's an idiot, considering what treasure he's giving up…"
"I couldn't stand staying at college, mommy… I couldn't stand seeing his face every day" she sobbed
"shshshs… you're okay… everything's gonna be okay" Prue told her, while Anna just cried into her lap. Her body still resting like a belt around her mother's waist.
Slowly Anna started to calm down and so did the rain outside. Slowly the room brightened a little due to the clearing sky and slowly, the moon shone into the windows of Anna's room. Prue looked up and smiled a little. Anna controlled the weather. It was weird; she only noticed now, that the rain was following her daughter's moods from time to time as well. Prue kissed her forehead gently
"what do you think about… me going downstairs and sending your exhausted dad to bed, so you and me can have some woman quality time with tons of junk and music… or slide show ooor movies… whatever you wanna…"
"Slide show?"
"If you wanna…"
"With vanilla ice cream?"
"If you wanna…"
"Hot raspberry jam?" Prue laughed
"if you wanna".
From the small laugh which came from Anna as well, some more tears spilled from her eyes, which she quickly pulled away
"hey, was that a laugh or a yes or what?" Prue asked, smiling brightly
"both" Anna answered, a small smile on her face as well.
"I'll see you in the living in 10 minutes, okay?" Anna nodded and released her hold around her mother to let her go downstairs
:-:-:-:
2030
It's the 24th December and just a little before mid-night. Prue and Andy had gotten themselves comfortable in the living. A cracking fire in the oven, lots of candles were lit, especially the ones on their Christmas tree. Under the Christmas tree lay a billion of little packages each with a name scribble on them. They had opened a bottle of whine. Now, that it was almost twelve, they got entangled with each other and started dancing to the low sound of silent night coming from the stereo. Prue leaned onto Andy's chest. This was just so amazing and she loved doing this every year. Andy smiled as he heard the clock chiming twelve. He leaned down, kissed the top of her head and whispered a soft 'merry Christmas' into her ear. Prue's smile grew bigger as she pulled slightly away to look him into the eyes
"you too" she beamed and kissed him.
"Mom? Dad?" a voice from the entrance sounded and Prue immediately pulled away. Lily was standing there, looking a little confused at her parents
"Lily! What are you doing up?" Andy asked
"umm... I couldn't sleep and I... umm... didn't want to wake... Kev... so I thought... I'd get myself something to drink and then I saw light and heard music... and laughing..."
"great" Andy mumbled
"sorry... did I interrupt something?" she asked uncertain
"Nononono... come here…" Prue said smiling and waved for her. Andy glanced at her "stop it!"Prue told him
"stop what? What's going on?"
"Umm... you see... me and dad have a little tradition going on here…" Prue said, remembering the first night they did this and smiled
[…]
"We never did it before twelve... so it practically is Christmas morning…" Prue explained their daughter. Lily smiled
"and I screwed your secret... that's why dad looked so grumpy"
"it's okay... we realized we'd get caught one day…" Prue said smiling
"well... I better go... leave you two to YOUR Christmas…" she said as suddenly rocking around Christmas tree played from the stereo. Prue smiled, knowing it was Lily's favourite. She looked at Andy. Who sighted
"come on…" he said getting up... reaching his hand out to his youngest
"no... I don't wanna interrupt you any longer"
"come on" Andy insisted, Prue helping to push Lily up
"you heard your father" she added, smiling, watching her husband and daughter dance
she smiled a little, seemed like they'd have a great time with their youngest once the other two left the nest already. She now understood how Lily could write all of this. They really seemed close. She read about Kevin and Lily meeting. About how Kevin planned on proposing.
2031
"hey honey! I'm home… sorry I'm this late" Andy now called through the house. After he put his work stuff by side he went to the living and stopped abruptly when he saw Kevin there
"Kevin, hey. you're home? I thought you'd only be here by Friday?" he asked and passed the poor guy without a look to softly kiss Prue
"well, that's all Lily knows. I told your wife already, that I needed to talk to you two about something, sir"
"you do, huh?" Andy asked
"we were just waiting for you" Prue told him and squeezed his hand. Andy looked back at her and saw her warning view. Andy sighed. He didn't want to be nice to the guy. He knew Lily liked him and that should be enough reason to do so as well, but he just didn't like someone hurting one of his daughters. And in his opinion Kevin did exactly that. He was a nice guy. A good man. Andy had to admit that. But whenever he was off to some warzone, his little sunshine was running loose. And he just couldn't bare the sight.
"well I'm here now" Andy said and finally looked at Kevin, who now cleared his throat
"umm, okay… could we sit down then and talk?" he asked. Andy just wanted to say something but Prue was faster
"of course… c'mon" she said, sat down on the couch again and pulled Andy with her, then turned off the TV. She looked at Kevin. She never saw him like this. He was sweating and seemed more than nervous. Something clearly was bugging him. It kinda got her worried. He almost looked as bad as when he first met them. Kevin sat down in one of the arm chairs there and then looked at his hands for a second in search for the right words
"well?" Andy asked impatiently. He wanted to eat something and then just relax.
"umm… I took a few days off because I wanted to talk to you about me and Lily. I really love your daughter and I'd… I'd like to take it to the next step" he said and paused for a second to look at them "i wanna marry her and I'm here to ask for your blessing" he finally spoke it out loud and it seemed like a huge weight fell off him by just saying out those words. Prue and Andy both for a second looked kinda shocked. They hadn't expected anything like that. But then Prue cracked into a smile
"of cou..." she was interrupted by Andy letting out a laugh and getting up again
"what kind of joke is this? You aren't seriously thinking I'd give an allowance to this? This is… not happening. Not over my dead body! You may be a good man, Kevin, but I won't ever allow Lily to do this..."
"Andy!"
"no Prue. Forget it. I'm… no… this is not going to happen. I can't believe you even asked. isn't it enough already you're living in my house? Making my daughter unhappy in three of four weeks? But you can't know how she is when you're gone. You don't have to find new ways to cheer her again every time you're gone.. you just leave..."
"do you seriously think I like to leave her? See her tears at every goodbye? But this is my job, mister Trudeau! Just like you leave the house every day… I leave it once per month. I'm sorry if you have a problem with what I'm doing." Kevin told him, now too kinda upset "i really love your daughter. And I think she really loves me as well. I'd like nothing more than to call her my wife..."
"Kevin, noone doubts you guys love each other here..." Prue started in try to calm them both down a little. But instead as she started to talk, Andy left the room
"Andy!"
"i said what I needed to this topic. This conversation is over for me!" he yelled back, as he went to the kitchen, there he searched the fridge for some leftovers and started heating them. Prue sighed heavily and looked helpless back at Kevin
"I'm sorry Kevin" she said lowly "he just… he's a dad. it's hard for him to let them go. Robbie always had a hard time with him as well. I know he acts impossible. But it's just his try to protect his girls. Let me talk to him for a second" she told him and now as well going to the kitchen
"don't even try it, Prue! This is ridiculous! Say what you want. I'm not agreeing to this"
"she loves him."
"I'm not saying she doesn't"
"you know, if someone wanted to protect me from this, we wouldn't be married either. I have to be scared you won't come home anymore every day as well..."
"this is not about us… this is about our daughter. Did you ever see her when he's gone?"
"yes. Probably even more than you do. But seeing her worrying, even more shows me, how much she likes him. What do you think changes with you being against this? Do you really think they will split, just because of you? And if you don't give them your blessing they might do it without your blessing. If they really love each other, are meant for each other, they sooner or later are gonna get married anyway and then maybe even without you. Without us. If you deny them your blessing, you might never walk her down the aisle. Do you really want that?" she asked him and they starred each other in the eyes for a few seconds
"I'm not discussing this. Think about it. And then tell me. Tell him." she told him and went back to the living "give him some time to adjust to the thought. he'll get around" she told Kevin softly and put a hand on his arm. She then was surprised Andy again walked into the room and placed a little velvet box on the couch table
"that's my mother's engagement ring. it's yours…" Prue couldn't help but smile. She just wanted to approach him to kiss him and tell him she was proud on him, as he continued to speak "but there's a condition tied to this ring. you're getting yourself another job. I'm not watching my daughter cry herself to sleep for the rest of her life." he again looked at Kevin and the men started a starring competition
"Andy… this..." Prue stuttered, speechless now herself.
"I'm gonna go upstairs" Kevin told them, ignoring Andy's offer completely and still starring into Andy's eyes, until he was out of their view
"are you insane?" Prue asked him "he did that his whole life. You can't ask him to skip his job!"
"well he says he loves her… then he should think about it..."
"right… like you ever thought about being an inspector because of me, after your return… does that mean you don't love me?!"
"of course I love you… but I'm there. I come home every night, don't I?"
"your job is just as dangerous as his… and I don't think I have to remind you on the countless times I've been to the hospital to get you out… not to speak about the Hollister disaster! I worry about you just as much as Lily worries about him. Every time you're not home on time… I start to freak! You can't ask that of him. Not you!" she told him and left the living room now as well
"where are you going?" Andy asked following a few steps
"to bed." Prue told him and went up the stairs
About their wedding day. Well, actually her own wedding day. They had gotten married on her and Andy's 30 year anniversary. Andy and her that day also had renewed their vows, making it something like a double wedding. And last but not least, she read about the day Lily told her and Andy about being pregnant. There again was a family picture. Andy and her gray and wrinkled. Lily's stomach was swollen. Justin as a teen, deffinately not much younger than he was now. Jenny was more beautiful than she had imagined. Her eyes scanned the men of her daughters and she nodded slightly. They matched. Then the last chapter of the whole book... It really got to her.
2035
This story had been reality and it's not just any story. It's the story of my mother's life. It's white, red and black. White for all the good that has been done and created. for all the new lives which were made. Red for all the love which was spend over the years, but also for all the blood which was spilled for the greater good. It stands for all the sacrifices and passions. Black for death, for the end and for the evil, no mater if the newest ultimate evil or a little demon, just trying to get to the book. And it stands for many transformations we all went through. But to say it very short: It's about life. About love. And about death. That's what all lives are about, to get born, to love and then die. And it was written because a beloved woman was pulled out of our middle. Mom died a week ago...
This book is dedicated to my mother, the most amazing woman I have ever met. The most adorable and strong woman every existing. She sacrificed everything she was over and over again for the people she loved.
I don't wanna hear... anything anymore… all I seriously wanna hear is my mom knocking on the door, calling me, to come down for dinner. I want my mom to kiss me goodnight. I want my mom to pamper me and the baby. I want her to make me rest whole day. I want her to feed me all day. I want her to buy a billion things for the baby. I don't care what she does, as long as she's just there. But my mom's gone. She won't do any of these anymore, and I wished a few times already this week, she had taken me along. I now know, what mom meant, when she once told us, that it was the end of the world for her, when her mom died. It's seriously for me.
I expected her... to be there for me... especially with the baby. And she was. She was fussing all over me for the past month. I actually hated it. And I hated her for buying toys and planning the baby room, when I was only 4 months pregnant.
"I miss her so much daddy" I whispered, my eyes never leaving his, even though my vision had started to cloud with all the tears which left my eyes. He looked back at me and I saw how his eyes softened and then they slowly started to tear up as well. I could clearly see that I broke him completely down with those words, but instead of saying anything, he just wrapped his arms around me. At first I was trying to fight the hug back. I wasn't ready for this yet. I was too scared of all the emotions which would cook up, but only after a few seconds I allowed him to hug me and I hugged him back.
"Me too" he answered me a few minutes later, with a voice, which told me, he was feeling just like me. He couldn't hear those false and slimy words, which never had helped at all. He didn't want to tell anyone he was doing okay, when he really wasn't. He was sick of putting on this stone mask, when he just had lost the most precious thing to him ever. I knew, dad wasn't there to get me out. He was there to get into with me. To hide form the world with me. He locked the door after him and then just hugged me intensely again. Eventually I pulled away. I looked at him again and saw not my father standing in front of me, but this completely broken man, which had lost just about everything.
But almost at the same time I realized, I could give him a little of that everything back. Turn this, almost stranger, back into my father. I retreated a step and grabbed for the printed pages, which were neatly bound into a book alike shape, laying on my desk. Without another word I handed the script to him. I watched dad take it, open it. I saw him reading the first Page and slowly saw him sitting down on my bed. I sat down on the floor right next to him and watched the stranger slowly, word by word, sentence by sentence, page per page, becoming my father again. I watched his every shrug. His every tear. His every smirk. His every smile. Every stifled laugh. My dad didn't take any break.
We sat for hours there, barely moving, and I just watched my dad taking in, what I wrote. He never looked at me or spoke a single word to me. If he spoke at all... then to himself or to my mom, who he seemed to believe, was being in the room as well. Chapter per chapter I started to get more and more tired. To give my dad, a little of my mother, of the love of my mother back, finally made me able to feel again something else than sadness and loss. When dawn again was taking over the world for a new day, dad closed the book and turned it around in his hands and looked at the first Page. His hands running over the title 'more than just a woman'.
She was more than crying. By then. The way Lily talked about herself there. How she talked about her. She almost felt the immense grief which hung to every word. When she had finished, she knew she couldn't go back down to the girls right away. She couldn't let her girls see her this way. She just sat there in silence for a while. Meghan's CD was over for a while as well. She just starred out of the window.
Her thoughts. Her emotions. It all ran on overload. She wasn't sure if she could handle this input of information. All these memories which were stirred up by reading about them. She couldn't even imagine how Andy had dealt with this, when he read it all. It was definitely too much for her at the moment. She would have loved to run. Just erase her memory and go back 'home'.
But she knew she couldn't do that to her girls. it was already hard for her to hear some things from her daughters, but reading it all in detail. Her concrete reactions. Some letters were pinned to special pages. The pictures. Meghan's voice in the back of her mind. She didn't know where to start on working this out. It seemed like an impossible task to her to sort this at all.
