Friends and Lovers
Chapter Nine
"SURPRISE!!!!!" As Fran switched the lights on, the children jumped up and down and screamed, and the adults blew horns. Max stood staring at the group with his mouth open.
"I guess we surprised him, huh, kids?"
"I'll say you did. I can't believe no one gave it away. So I take it we're not going out to dinner?"
"No, Niles prepared a wonderful meal. I thought we'd have a nice little family party. Oy, there's the doorbell again, that must be Ma and Daddy. Boys, could you go let them in, please?"
As the boys ran up the stairs to let their grandparents in, Max took Fran in his arms and kissed her softly. "You are just full of surprises lately, aren't you?"
"Please tell me you're not upset. I know you haven't celebrated birthdays since the accident, but you DID say it was time for us to make some new, happy memories."
"I'm not upset at all, Darling." He pulled back and looked at her. "Are those the earrings I gave you?" He looked her over again. "And the locket."
She smiled brightly. "I wasn't sure if you'd remember. It WAS almost four years ago."
He pulled her close and put his lips to her ear. "I remember EVERYTHING about London, My Love." He kissed her cheek gently. He looked up and smiled as the boys came running back down the stairs. "Boys, slow down. What have we told you about running on the stairs?"
"Sorry, Dad. Bubby and Grandpa are here."
"So did you leave 'em upstairs?"
"No, we're just not as fast as these two. Happy Birthday, Max!"
"Thanks so much for coming." He shook Morty's hand and hugged Sylvia. "This was quite a surprise."
Sylvia smiled at her daughter. "The girls have been busy trying to get all this done without you finding out. I'm surprised the little ones didn't give it away. Would you look at them, they look so sweet, like twins!"
Max noticed the girls for the first time, sitting quietly on the sofa with C.C.. "My God, Fran, they really DO look like twins. When did they get those outfits?"
"The other day, when Denise, C.C. and I went to the mall. Maggie's dress matches their twin outfits."
Sylvia walked over to the sofa and picked up her youngest grandchild. "Look at this little one; I could just eat her up. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was Max's daughter instead of that schmuck you married."
"Ma! Not in front of the kids!"
Anthony took her hand. "It's OK, Mom, we know he was a schmuck. Why do you think I don't want to be named after him?"
"Not now, Sweetie, please? This is Max's birthday; it's supposed to be a happy day, all right?"
"Then can we give him his present?"
She turned and looked back at Max. "Are you ready for your presents, Sweetie?"
"All this, and presents, too?"
"Of course! Now, come and sit on the sofa, and I'll get your presents." She grabbed the remote and clicked off the television as she reached behind the bar for the first gift. When she handed him the envelope, he turned it over several times, looking at the crayon drawings on both sides. Irene and Grace had taken it upon themselves to decorate the entire envelope. He carefully broke the seal, pulled the card out and read the cover. "To Our Daddy with Love". He opened the card and saw the five signatures inside. He looked at each of his children with tears forming in his eyes.
"Thank you, children, this is a beautiful card."
Fran slipped the small box to Maggie, who presented it to her father. "This is from all of us, Daddy.
"Thank you, Sweetheart." He pulled off the wrapping paper and slowly opened the velvet box, revealing the gold signet ring nestled inside. He pulled it out and slipped it on the ring finger of his right hand. "It fits perfectly, thank you so much, children." He reached out and hugged each child. Irene had wiggled from her grandmother's arms and found her way into his lap.
"Daddy ring?"
"Yes, Baby, Daddy loves the ring."
"Mommy present."
"Yes, Miss Yenta, Mommy has a present for Daddy, and he'd better open it before you blab." She smiled and handed the box to Max. "Happy Birthday."
He tore the wrapping paper and caught his breath when he saw the leather box. He opened the box and pulled out the watch. "Fran, Darling, this is…"
"Exactly what you deserve. I love you." She took the watch from him and put it on his wrist.
"Fran..." He looked up and saw the love she had in her eyes for him. He glanced over at C.C., who had tears in her eyes as she held tightly to his butler's arm. "Thank you, My Darling. I love you, too."
Niles reached over for a tray and started passing appetizers around, as C.C. popped open a bottle of champagne. Irene jumped from Max's lap to grab a snack, giving Fran a chance to take her place.
"Darling, this is a very extravagant gift."
"Maxwell, I have never loved anyone enough to buy something like this before. I can afford to be extravagant every once in a while if I feel like it."
"I should be buying YOU expensive gifts."
"Have you forgotten these earrings? A little Mother's Day gift from Anthony. Max, I know diamonds, and these were not cheap."
"I just wanted to make you happy."
"Right, and I bought that watch to make YOU happy. Max, what you've given me since we've been back together, I can never repay. I've never been this happy in my life. If you really don't want the watch, I'll return it…"
"I never said I didn't want it. I just hope this isn't the start of a pattern with you."
"No, no pattern. I just wanted to buy the man I love something special for his birthday, that's all. You'll be lucky if you get a stuffed animal for Valentine's Day." She grinned and poked his ribs playfully.
"As long as I have YOU, I don't need anything else."
"How about dinner? Could you use that?"
"So that's what I've been smelling. You've been working overtime, I see."
"Not me, I was the shopping and decorating committee. Niles did the cooking. Come on, my darling children, let's go upstairs and get ready for dinner." She stroked Maggie's hair softly as she walked by with the boys. Sylvia stayed back and watched Fran interact with the children and their father, then pulled Fran aside before going upstairs.
"So just how serious ARE you about this guy?"
"Ma! Not tonight, please? This is the first time he's celebrated his birthday since the accident, and I want it to be perfect."
"Fran, your kids are calling him Daddy, that sweet little girl of his is calling you Mommy."
Fran watched the children climb the stairs, and then turned to her parents. "You can't say a word in front of the children about this. Grace IS my daughter. It turns out that Tony had an affair with Max's wife. Grace is Tony's daughter. Now, according to my lawyer, due to the wording of Tony's will, and no custody agreement between Sarah and Tony, I am Grace's legal mother."
"My God, Fran, when did you find out about this?"
"A few days ago. I got some pictures of Tony's from a gallery; they had pictures of Sarah and Grace in them. I called Tony's parents and they confirmed everything. They had Grace's birth certificate, and the results of the blood test showing Tony as her biological father."
"So what are you going to do? You can't just take her from the only father she's ever known."
"No, I have no intention of disrupting her life. I've already filed the paperwork to change her name from Grace Meredith Bergman to Grace Mary Sheffield, and filed a joint custody agreement, giving Maxwell the same legal rights that I have."
"Oy, what a mess."
"It really is. One thing we're asking all the grandparents is to treat all five children the same. Can you both do that? Can you accept Max's children as if they were mine?"
Her parents exchanged glances and nodded. "Of course, Sweetheart, if that's how you and Max want it."
"We've agreed that no matter what happens between us, we're going to share the raising of the children. I've been practically raising his kids for two years, and my two kids have been over for a million play dates at his place. He's the only father Irene knows. Then there's Anthony, oy, Anthony doesn't want to be associated with Tony at ALL. He wants his name changed. He wants to be Michael James Sheffield."
"What?"
"I can do the Michael James, but I haven't mentioned the Sheffield thing to Max. That needs to be Max's idea."
Maggie popped her head into the basement. "Dad wants to know if you're coming to dinner."
"I'll be right there, Sweetie, tell him I'm sorry, I was talking to my parents for a minute."
"The girls are getting restless."
"Thanks, Honey, I'm on my way. She's so good with the girls."
"They're lucky to have such a wonderful big sister."
"Yeah, they are, and I'm lucky to have all of them. Let's go eat before the girls tear up the dining room." She laughed and led her parents up to the dining room.
After dinner, C.C. and Denise helped Niles get the children to the limo. "Sir, I'll be back in a few minutes to clean up, just as soon as I help the ladies get the children settled."
"Thank you, Niles."
"Max, we didn't even kiss them goodbye."
"Sweetheart, they're quiet, do you really want to get Irene started crying for us?"
She laughed. "She cries for YOU. If you notice, she never cries for me. She never has nightmares about me."
"Is she still having those nightmares?" Sylvia put her coffee cup down and walked over to her daughter.
"Yeah, but we've been able to figure out that she has them here, when Max isn't here, and at Max's when he isn't there. Basically, if he's around, she's just fine. She just loves her daddy."
"But do you think that's good? What if something happens between the two of you?"
Max slipped his arm around Fran's waist. "We don't think that's going to happen, but if it DOES, we'll do what's best for the children. Fran's become like a mother to them, the only mother Grace remembers."
"I told them, Honey. Ma, Maxwell is the only father Ree knows and the only one Anthony wants."
"Michael, Darling. He wants to be called Michael."
"And he will, AFTER I legally change his name, but not before. That's a big decision for him to make, and he's only seven."
"Can we discuss it some more later?"
"Absolutely. It's getting late; don't you and Ma need to get home, Daddy?"
"Ah, I get it, sorry, Sweetheart. Let's go, Morty. Happy birthday, Max. Goodnight, Frannie. Sweet dreams. Love you."
"I love you more, Ma."
They walked Fran's parents to the door and watched them go down the stairs to their car. No sooner had they pulled away, Niles returned with the limo.
"How are the girls, Niles?"
"Well, Irene is screaming for her daddy, and Grace is screaming because Irene is screaming. Miss Spencer is having a terrible time."
"C.C. went home?"
"Oh, no, she's actually sitting in the rocking chair with Irene, singing to her. It seemed to be working; the poor child was calming down a bit."
"She's just so attached to Max; she can't stand to be away from him. Maybe I should call her."
"Fran, that will just upset her further. Let the nanny handle the children, that's what we PAY her for. Thank you, Niles. Come on, Darling, let's go upstairs."
"But Max…"
"But nothing, you look exhausted; you're going upstairs to bed. Have you got things under control down here, Niles?"
"Yes, Sir. I'm just going to clean up, and then go back home."
"Thanks, Old Man, goodnight."
"Good night, Sir. Good night, Miss Fine."
"Good night, Niles, thanks for everything."
"My pleasure, Ma'am. I'll set the alarm when I leave." He smiled as he watched his employer put his arm around her and escort her up the stairs. He hadn't seen him this happy in years, and it was all due to her. She'd even managed to breathe some happiness into HIS life, by encouraging C.C. to consider a relationship. He began humming a happy tune as he headed downstairs to clean up from the party. An hour later, he climbed the stairs to the living room and set the alarm before quietly slipping out the front door.
Upstairs the couple had been quietly talking and snuggling. Once Max saw the alarm light shining on the bedroom panel, he knew they were finally alone. He rolled over on top of Fran, and the couple spent most of the night re affirming their love for each other. They finally fell into an exhausted sleep around three in the morning.
The phone jarred them out of their peaceful slumber. "Don't answer it."
"Max, it could be about one of the kids."
"Fran, let it ring."
"I can't, Honey. Hello? Wha? Yeah, just a minute." She covered the mouthpiece. "It's for you, it's Nigel, and I don't think he knows it's me." She giggled.
"Nigel? What in blazes can he want at this hour?"
"It's after ten, Sweetie." She handed him the phone. "I'm going to take a shower." She blew him a kiss and headed into the bathroom. Max sat up in bed and lifted the phone to his ear.
"Nigel? How did you get this number?"
"Good morning, Brother. Niles said you wouldn't mind me calling you over there. Mother is hell bent on coming over to see you; I thought you'd like a heads up. You know how she likes to show up unannounced."
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. "So when is this visit supposed to take place?"
"I'm not sure; she's been making phone calls to the airlines. She'll probably take the Concorde, though, she usually does."
"Well, see if you can hold her off until next month. The boys are producing a pageant at their school; it's going to be a pretty big event. I'm sure Brighton would love to have his grandmother attend."
"The boys? Maxwell, you have one boy and two GIRLS."
"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, Nigel. Fran's son is in Brighton's class, they're best friends."
"Fran? The one you almost married?"
"We didn't almost get married. We discussed getting married."
"Didn't she leave you and go back to her husband?"
"No, we found out Sarah was pregnant with Grace, and I went back to Sarah. That's the only reason she went back to her husband. Turns out, Sarah was having an affair, and Grace isn't my daughter."
"You suspected her of the affair when you were here, but never found proof."
"I have the proof. I have blood tests proving who her biological father is, along with her original birth certificate. The irony is that while Fran and I were struggling to stay faithful to our spouses, it was Fran's husband that was having the affair with Sarah. HE is Grace's father."
"You're not serious. How long have you known this?"
"Only a week or so. Fran found out, and called me right away."
"So is that where you are now? At Fran's house?"
"Yes, I am. Fran and I are together, I plan on asking her to marry me, but that's a surprise, so you keep this to yourself."
"Not a word. You're going to ask her on Valentine's Day?"
"No, not then. That was her wedding anniversary. I'm going to do it right after the presentations at the pageant. We'll be on stage, our family will be there, and it will be the perfect time."
"You think Mother will approve?"
"I don't give a damn whether she approves or not. Sarah's lies cost me four years with the woman I love, and I'm going to marry her and adopt her children as soon as possible."
"Her children? How many does she have?"
"Well, there's Anthony, he's a few days younger than Brighton. Irene will be three in July, and there's Grace. With Sarah and Tony both deceased, legal custody went to Fran. Tony had specified all his children went to Fran in his will."
"Her husband died, too?"
"He was in the accident with Sarah, Nigel. He was in the Jeep that rolled over into the crosswalk."
"Grace is her child, how's that working?"
"Not many people know. Grace doesn't really remember Sarah, so she calls Fran, "Mommy". Irene was only six months old when her father died, so she calls me, "Daddy". Anthony wants nothing to do with his father's memory, so he's been lobbying for us to change his name to his middle names, Michael James."
"Michael James Sheffield, that has a nice ring to it. Father will be pleased, it'll drive mother crazy. I like it."
"Fran just got out of the shower; I'll call you later with the details on the pageant. I'd like it if you'd come, too. I'll talk to Fran; see if we can put you up in her place. She has the guest room at the house. She's such a good mother; she won't sleep in my room until we're married. She wants to be a good role model for the children."
"She was always like that, Brother. I remember how she was always worried about how your relationship would affect your marriage. If you only hadn't been drinking that night, she'd have been with me." He laughed into the phone.
"That's not even funny, Nigel. I think Fran and I were meant to be together. We were in London at the same time, no matter how we try to avoid each other, our paths keep crossing. This pageant was what pushed us together this time, the pageant and the children. We've been acting like a divorced couple since the accident. It's been like we've shared custody of the children; they've had sleepovers at her house, at my house. When I'm between nannies, Fran has stepped in and taken care of them. She never stopped loving me, and I don't think I ever stopped loving her."
"You're a lucky man, Maxwell. I'll talk to Mother and get back to you. I think coming for the pageant is just what we need to pull this family of ours together. I'll call you in a few days."
"Thanks, Nigel; if I don't hear from you, I'll call you. Good bye." He hung the phone up as Fran returned to the bedroom.
"How's your brother?"
"He's in shock that we're together again." He smiled. "Did you leave me any hot water?"
"I left you plenty of hot water. I was trying to give you time to talk in private."
"Darling, there's nothing I discuss that you can't hear." He climbed out of bed and donned his robe.
"Do you feel like some breakfast? I can boil you some eggs, make some toast, and pour some juice."
"That sounds wonderful, you're sure you don't want to join me in the shower?"
"That sounds heavenly, Darling, but it's getting late. Why don't you shower, I'll make breakfast, then we can get over to the house to see the girls before they take their naps?"
"All right, I'll give you a rain check on the shower, but only because I want to see our children, too." He kissed her before heading into the shower. Fran danced down the stairs into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. She looked around at how clean and shiny everything looked.
"I gotta get me a butler." She grinned as she dropped two eggs in to the water and put the pot on the stove. She was singing softly when Max appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later. He stood in the doorway and listened before stepping into the room and swinging her around into a dance. "What are you doing?" He took her hand and spun her around.
"Dancing with the woman I love. Do you mind?"
She giggled as he turned her around several times. "No, not at all, except that I'm getting dizzy."
"No one could ever accuse you of being dizzy."
"No, that's Val. Oh, that was bad; did I really say that out loud?"
"Yes, Sweetheart, you really did. You're really in a good mood today. I thought after the little sleep you got last night, you'd be a bit cranky this morning."
"I am NEVER cranky." She looked over at him and smiled. "Maybe a bit kvetchy, but never cranky. Besides, it's what happened BEFORE I went to sleep that put me in such a good mood."
"Oh, really?" He pulled her close to him. "Then maybe we should do that more often."
She put her arms around him and inhaled the fresh scent of his soap and cologne. "Maybe we should."
"Maybe you should consider moving in full time."
"Max, we've already beaten that one to death. Honey, I just can't sleep down the hall from you."
"But you can sleep a mile away."
"Yeah, I can't wander into your room and get caught by the kids from here. Anyway, who said I sleep? I toss and turn all night when you're not with me; even Irene knows when you're not around. I just hope she didn't have any nightmares last night. Poor Denise won't be able to handle that."
"Well, no one called us."
"Max, if you were Niles, would YOU have called us?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Not if I wanted to keep my job."
"Let's eat, and get home to our babies."
"You won't move in, but you refer to it as home."
"Max, home is where ever you are." She took his hand and let him into the dining room where she had breakfast laid out on the table.
"You keep this up and Niles will be out of a job."
"Oh, like THAT'LL happen; did you get a good look at my kitchen this morning?" She grinned as she sat down to eat. They ate quickly, and then hurried upstairs to dress. They arrived at the mansion just as the children were being herded into the dining room for lunch.
"What happened in here? C.C.? What the devil are you doing here on a Sunday? I won't be working today."
"Oh, I'm not here for work, Maxwell. I stayed in Fran's room last night, just in case Irene had one of her nightmares."
"I was worried about that; thanks for thinking of her, C.C.. How'd she do?"
"I'm glad I stayed. A little after midnight I heard her screaming. By the time I got up and went for her, she was running down the hall for your room. When she saw you weren't there, she just sat down and sobbed and asked where you were, then she asked for her mommy. I took her back to bed with me, and she spent the night in my arms. This kid can kick, let me tell ya!"
"You don't have to tell me." Fran hugged her friend. "Thanks so much for taking care of her. You should've called us."
Yeah, right. I had a good idea what you two were doing about that time, and no way was I interrupting. She was fine, Fran, really. I rocked her for a while; got her some warm milk…Niles said that usually helps."
"She woke Niles up, too? Oy, I feel terrible!"
"Fran, you need to have a life, too. We were all fine. Everyone got back to sleep."
"I'm so glad you were here."
"It was nice. Niles sat up with me while I rocked her, then sat on the bed and rubbed her back while I held her."
"So things are going well with the two of you?"
"Very well." She looked over at Maxwell, who quietly excused himself, and headed into the dining room. "He wants to take me to the Rainbow Room on Thursday. Valentine's Day, Fran! What do I do? Should I get him something?"
"I told Max I was getting him a stuffed animal." She laughed. "He was upset at the price of his birthday present, so I told him not to get used to expensive gifts."
"A stuffed animal! What a cute idea! Maybe with a pair of cufflinks or something."
"Just nothing expensive, Sweetie, remember, he doesn't make a lot of money, you don't want to outdo him."
"Right. How about monogrammed silver cufflinks?"
"I think he'd love those. I still have no idea what I'm getting Maxwell. How do you top a Blancpain watch? Oh, don't look at me like that; I'm not even going to try. I promised not to spend a lot of money. Wait, the Rainbow Room? That's where Maxwell and I are going."
"Niles said something about a double date, but I don't know if he's talked to Maxwell yet."
"Maybe they're in the dining room discussing it right now. We ought to give them a few minutes. Nah, they can talk later, I miss my babies!" They hurried into the dining room, where the children were eating quietly. "Where's Daddy?"
"He's in the kitchen with Niles. It's some secret we're not supposed to hear. Dad said we're a bunch of yentas and that if we knew, we'd tell you."
"Well, he sure had the yenta part right." She laughed as she sat down in her seat. "So, how's your morning been? I've missed you guys so much."
"We really hate it that we live in two different houses all the time. Can't we just pick one? When are you and Daddy getting married?"
"Maggie, we haven't talked about that yet. Well, we've talked about the one house thing, but I can't live here if we aren't married."
"So get married. You love Dad, right?"
"Of course I do, Sweetheart."
"It's obvious that Dad loves you, so why don't you get married? Is it us?"
"Oh, Honey, that is SO not it. You know I love you kids as if you were my very own. Maybe this is something you should discuss with your father."
"We have discussed it with him. HE says it's between you and him and that it's none of our business. In a way, it IS our business though, right? I mean, you're already like our mom; we want you here with us all the time. Did you know that Ree had a really bad nightmare last night? She was screaming for you and Daddy, and you guys weren't here. We know you were together, we're not babies. So what's the difference if we know you spend the night together here or at your house?"
Fran looked at her friend for help. "Don't drag me into THIS one, this one is all for you and Maxwell."
"What's for her and Maxwell?" Max came back in from the kitchen with a smile on his face. His smile faded quickly when he saw the solemn faces of his older children. "All right, who wants to tell me what's going on in here? Fran?" He looked at his oldest daughter. "Margaret?"
"Go ahead, Honey, tell your father what's on your mind." Fran smiled encouragingly at her. "It's all right, go ahead."
"Something tells me I'm not going to like this." Max leaned over and spoke quietly to Fran. She rested her hand on his knee reassuringly and smiled.
"Daddy, I asked Fran when you two were getting married. We're tired of schlepping back and forth between houses. We know you spend the night at her house when we're over here, so what's the difference if you sleep there or here? If you were here, Ree wouldn't have such bad nightmares. You should have heard her screaming for you last night."
"Yes, we heard about the nightmare, Sweetheart, but there isn't much we can do about it right now."
"You could get married. You love each other, right? We want Fran as our REAL mother, and Mike and Ree want you as their dad."
Max's hand moved to his temple. "Fran, could you give me and the children a few minutes alone?"
"Sure, Honey. Come on, Anthony, let's go upstairs."
"No, ALL the children, what I have to say concerns them all."
"Oh, all right, Honey. I'll be up in my room." She looked at C.C. and shrugged her shoulders. Wasn't this the same man that just this morning said there was nothing he had to say that she couldn't hear? Oh, well, maybe it was just about her Valentine's Day present. She slowly climbed the stairs to her room and lay down on her bed. She sighed softly and closed her eyes.
Downstairs in the dining room, Maxwell had his children's full attention. "Now, children, I don't want any more talk about getting married. Is that understood? I fully intend to marry Fran, but I want to surprise her when I ask her."
"But WHEN, Dad?"
"I was actually thinking about doing it at the pageant, after we sing the finale. You boys will do the presentations, then you can say that there's one more, and I'll propose. You children cannot breathe a word, is that clear? If Fran finds out, I'll ground you all for the rest of the year."
"Yes, Sir." All the children answered at once.
Brighton looked up from his breakfast, and glanced over at his best friend. "What about Mike and Ree, Dad? When you marry their mom, will they be Sheffields too?"
"That's my plan, Son. If Fran says it's all right, I want to adopt both of them."
Anthony jumped up and ran to Maxwell, hugging him tightly. "She WILL say it's all right, I KNOW she will. I want YOU to be my dad. Will you change my name to Michael when you adopt me?"
"I'll talk to your mother, Son. That's a big decision; you're named for your father, grandfather and great grandfather."
"But I don't WANT to be named after them. I want to be Michael James Sheffield the FIRST."
"I know you do. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Dad." He hugged him again and went back to his breakfast.
Max wiped his mouth and placed his napkin on the table. "Miss Spencer, will you see that the children finish their breakfast? I'm going upstairs to check on Fran, and then I'll be in my office for a while."
"You're working today, Dad?"
"I just have to make a couple of phone calls, Son."
"So you don't have any plans?"
"What's on your mind, Brighton?"
"I was thinkin'…could we go to the movies?"
"That's a good idea. I'll check with Fran, but I don't think she'll have a problem with it."
"Yeah, Mom's always saying we need more family time."
Max smiled at his children. He knew that he and Fran would be outnumbered in this decision. "I'll be upstairs for a few minutes." He ran his hands over the boys' heads on his way out the door, and then bounded up the stairs looking for Fran. He checked his room first, and found it empty. He moved down the hall to what once was his guest room, but had recently become Fran's room when she stayed over. The door was closed, so he tapped on it gently. There was no answer, so he opened the door slowly and saw her lying in the middle of the bed. She was on her back, her dark curls fanned out behind her head. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing deep and regular. She'd fallen asleep. He sat on the edge of her bed and played with her hair for several minutes, just watching her sleep. She smiled and sighed in her sleep as he moved his fingers over her face. He wished he could just marry her today, but he wanted to make the proposal something she'd never forget. He wanted a bit more time to romance her. He moved his legs up on the bed and lay down next to her, then kissed her cheek gently. She sighed softly and rolled over on her side, facing him, her hair falling down over her face. He carefully moved her hair out of her eyes and kissed her nose. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, then, after she'd focused, she smiled.
"Hi, did I fall asleep?"
"It sure looks like it. Do you want to nap for a while?"
"No, I'm fine. Where are the kids?"
"They're still finishing their lunch. They want to know if we can all go to the movies today."
"Do you have time for that?"
"I need to make a couple of calls, but that should only take a half an hour or so. I just need to check on things at the theater. That should give you and Miss Spencer time to get the children ready."
"Does Denise really have to go? Can't we just go as a family?"
"I suppose we can give her the day off."
"Thanks, Honey. I really like Denise and all, but the two of us are more than capable of taking care of five children."
"You're sure about that? You DO remember that two of those children are Brighton and Irene, don't you?"
"We've got Maggie to keep the girls in line, and Anthony will keep Brighton in line."
"Sweetheart, Anthony really wants us to start calling him Michael. He asked me to talk to you about it."
"Max, that's such a big decision. He's not only named for his father, but his grandfather and great grandfather."
"I know, Darling, I reminded him of that. He does not want to be the fourth. He wants his name to be original."
"Michael James Bergman the first, huh?"
"Actually, Sweetheart, he told me he wants it to be Michael James SHEFFIELD the first."
"Max, I…"
"Don't worry, I talked to him. I assured him that when you and I are married that it was my firm intention of adopting him and his sister."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm positive. As far as I'm concerned, they're already mine. I've had Irene for over 2 years now; Tony only had her for six months. She's MY daughter, and MICHAEL is my son. Don't you feel the same way about the other three?"
"You know I do, Max. Even more so when I found out that Grace is MY daughter. When I signed those papers making her ours, I felt as though Brighton and Maggie were ours, too. As for Ree and Anth…Michael, yes, they ARE yours. I should have the same papers drawn up for them as I do for Grace, in case you need to make any decisions for them."
"You know, that really isn't a bad idea. One of us always has the children, and if you're shopping or something and one of the kids gets hurt, I can't authorize treatment, legally. Let's do that tomorrow, we'll call our lawyers and get the forms signed."
"Good idea. It only takes about an hour; it basically gives you the same legal rights as a parent." She laughed. "We've actually been co-parenting for two years. Now, we'll be doing it legally. I can just hear those yentas in the school office now."
"They'll be talking enough after the pageant, once we sing to each other."
"Well, let them talk. We aren't doing a damned thing wrong. All we're doing is providing a stable home environment for our kids."
"I know, Darling. So how about I go make those phone calls and we take our kids out for the day?"
"That sounds wonderful." She rolled onto her back and stretched. "I'll be right down."
He sat up and watched her stretch. "You still wake up like a cat, don't you?"
"Wha?"
"The stretching. You've done that for as long as I've known you. Maybe I should ask your mother about it."
"Don't you DARE. You'll have her pushing Rabbis in front of you if you start talking about how I wake up."
He chuckled as he climbed off the bed. "I suppose you're right. You didn't tell them about London, did you?"
"No, I didn't. I only told them about Tony and Grace. They've agreed to treat all five children the same, though. I told them we're trying to make things as easy on the kids as possible. With four sets of grandparents, this is the best thing for all of them." She threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up slowly. "Go make your phone calls, I'll go down and get the kids ready. Do they know what they want to see?"
"They have no idea. All they know is that they want family time."
"Pretty smart kids we have, Maxwell."
He kissed her before he headed out the door. "We certainly do. I'll see you in a few minutes. If you're ready before I'm done, stick your head into the office and pull me out."
"You betta believe it, mista!" She picked up her brush and ran it through her long curls, then fluffed them with her fingers. After checking her lipstick, she bounced down the stairs to find her children in the dining room.
"So, I hear we're going to the movies today!" She looked over at Denise. "I talked to Max, and we're giving you the day off. We'll have the kids with us all day, so you get a free day."
"That's great! Maybe I'll catch up on my reading!" She heard Niles clear his throat and glance at C.C.. "Or maybe I'll take a long walk and go shopping." She grinned broadly at him. Was that butler adorable or what? She caught the glaring look from C.C. out of the corner of her eye. Why were all the cute ones always taken?
C.C. stood up and started collecting the dishes from the table. "If you kids are done, give Aunt C your plates." She kissed the top of each child's head as she picked up their plates, and then smiled at Fran. She really did love these kids. The downside to this love was that it had started her biological clock again. She was starting to long for a child of her own, and she had no idea of how to be a good mother. She could watch Fran. If you looked up mother in the dictionary, Fran's picture would be there. She could balance a career, a relationship and not let her kids suffer. Maybe Fran would let her borrow the little ones for practice. They could go to the park, to the mall, to lunch at, oh, what was that place the kids were always yammering about…that pizza place? She could learn to do this.
"Earth to C.C., are you all right?" Niles' voice startled her back to the dining room.
"Where did everyone go?"
Niles laughed. "Where did YOU go? Fran took the children upstairs to get ready for the movies."
"I was just thinking about how my ideas on motherhood have changed since I met Fran. Do you think I'd make a good mother, Niles?"
"I think you have the makings for a good mother. I've seen how patient you are with these children. The question is, can you do it twenty four hours a day for eighteen years?"
"I thought I might ask Fran to borrow the girls. I could take them to the park, or that cheese place with the rides."
"You'd take the girls out to play by yourself?"
"Well, unless you'd like to come with me. I'm sure Maxwell would let you get away if he knew you were keeping an eye on his children."
He chuckled. He'd pay good money to see her with the girls all day. "You're on, Babcock. I'd be happy to go watch you with the girls."
"You don't think I can handle it, do you?"
"I think you can do anything you put your mind to." Niles suddenly knew exactly what he was going to give C.C. for Valentine's Day. He was going to give her a childhood. A couple of tickets to Coney Island would be a good start. He'd love to see her on the Ferris Wheel and Merry Go Round, wipe the mustard from her hot dog off her mouth, whoops, there went his mind again, right into the gutter.
"All right, now where did YOU go?"
"You just gave me a wonderful idea." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Do me a favor, put those dishes in the sink, I'll be down in a few minutes. I have a couple of phone calls to make." He left a very bewildered C.C. to clear the table. She hummed a little tune as she rinsed the dishes and filled the dishwasher. This couldn't be the same man she'd traded barbs with all these years. Here she was loading the dishwasher for HIM. She smiled as she remembered his compliment and the kiss.
"Gee, Niles, I love that lighter blonde you're using." Fran giggled. "What are you doing, C.C.?"
"Uh, Niles ran upstairs to make some phone calls, so I thought I'd rinse these and load the dishwasher for him."
"What's goin' on?"
"Well, I was thinking about motherhood. You make it look so easy."
"Uh, oh, did you forget to hit the snooze alarm on your biological clock again?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I really don't think I'm ready, though. I was thinking, maybe I could, sort of, borrow the girls? I could take them to that cheese pizza place, or the park, and see if I can really handle mothering a child."
"Cheese pizza place? You mean Chuck E. Cheese?"
"Yeah, the one with all the rides. Niles actually said he'd go with me. He told me I could do anything I put my mind to, kissed my cheek, and went upstairs to make phone calls."
"He kissed you again, huh?
She giggled. "Yeah, he did."
"Ya know, I'd watch that giggling at the theater, you've got a reputation to protect." She laughed. "Uh, oh, now what?" The sound of the children's screams came from the living room. "You're sure you want them?" The two women hurried into the living room where the younger girls were screaming, Brighton and Maggie were fighting over the remote, and their brother was trying to pull them apart.
"Everybody FREEZE!" Fran stood with her hands on her hips. "This is NOT the behavior of five kids who expect to go to the movies."
Max walked in the room from his office. "What's going on?"
"Well, Brighton changed the channel and it made Ree cry, and that made Grace cry, so Maggie tried to take the remote away from B., and I tried to stop them from fighting. That's when Mom came in and yelled at us."
"All right, turn OFF the television; I want everyone sitting quietly with NO talking for two full minutes. If you can't do that, you can't sit at the movies, and we'll spend the day doing chores around here.
"But…."
"Not ONE word, Michael!" She winked at her son, who looked at his dad and smiled. He sat back on the sofa and folded his hands in his lap. Irene followed her brother's lead, pulling Grace back with her. Once all five children were in place, Fran looked at her watch. "All right, two minutes from now. C.C. can you watch them and make sure they don't move?"
"No problem, Fran."
She gave the children one last stern look, then walked over to Max and pulled him into his office, closing the door behind them. "Are we ready to go?"
"You're still going to let them see a movie?"
"If they hold up their end of this time out, you betcha. Besides, I think Niles wants some time alone with C.C.."
"Oh, that reminds me, he talked to me before breakfast, and asked me if we'd mind if they joined us on Thursday for dinner."
"Sure, why not?"
"It's Valentine's Day, Sweetheart."
"I know. I think it'll be fun. I'm dying to see what he gets her. He's been asking me all kinds of questions, but I think he knows her very well."
"All these years I thought they hated each other, and now they're dating." He shook his head.
"C.C. just had to get past the class issues. All her life, she's been taught that classes don't mix, that upper classes don't even associate with the middle and lower classes. I pointed out that money doesn't necessarily make you upper class. I mean, look at me. I'm just a poor schlub from Queens, who got lucky enough to make tons of money."
"You're far from poor, Darling, and you're hardly a schlub."
She grinned at him. "You're just too sweet. Uh-oh, time to let our angels out of time out." She opened the office door and peered into the living room. None of the children had moved. "I guess they really wanted to go today, huh?" She took Max by the hand as they walked into the living room. "All right, no more fighting today, right? We're supposed to be a family, and work together. Any fighting today, we're coming right home, I don't care if we're halfway through the movie. Is that clear?" Five heads bobbed up and down. "Irene Catherine, suck in that lip. I'll have NO temper tantrums from you today, do you understand?"
"Want Daddy." She reached out her arms to her father. Fran rolled her eyes and looked at Max.
"Irene, Mommy asked you a question. Are you going to be a good girl today, no screaming?"
"Kay, Daddy."
"Fine, then let's go find a movie." He scooped up Irene and helped Grace off the sofa. "Shall we take the limo?"
"No, Honey, let's take the Rover. This is family only day, let's take the family car."
"You heard her, everyone to the Rover." Everyone jumped up and headed for the front door.
Fran leaned over and whispered to C.C. "Should we call before we come home?" She giggled quietly.
"Call me on my cell phone when you're on your way. I wouldn't want the kids to walk in on anything…if anything's going to happen." She grinned. "Have a good time."
"Tell Niles we'll probably be out for dinner. Max doesn't know that yet, but if all goes well, we'll stay out the rest of the day. Now, if things DON'T go well, I'll call you and we'll head home. I'm not sure how Ree will do without a nap."
"Fran, Darling, you'll see your friend later, the children are ready to go."
Fran hugged her friend and headed for the door. "Behave yourself."