Chapter 66: Breakfast at Sydney's

"The real test of friendship is: can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple?" – Eugene Kennedy

"The people with whom you choose to spend your time can easily determine how far ahead you get in life." – Brian Koslow


Wednesday morning of Week 3 on the Road to Recovery was a rather languid yet joyous time. Sydney and Vaughn woke at virtually the same time, locked in each other's embrace and still happily joined.

"Morning," Vaughn said throatily.

"Mmm…" Sydney replied as Vaughn chuckled, "what time is it?" she finally asked after a few more contented moments in Vaughn's warm embrace.

"Uh…like 8:30…"

"Wow…we slept in," Sydney said raising her head and resting it gently on Vaughn's chest so she could look at him.

"Yeah…"

"How are you feeling today?"

"Right now, I'm feeling fine…" he said smiling and bucking his hips gently.

She smiled too, "Uh…I don't think so Vaughn. Remember the other occupant of the house at the moment?"

"That didn't stop us last night…"

"Well, no…but the morning is a little worse than that…" she said with her eyebrow raised, "she might not have heard us last night, but I'm sure she would this morning."

"Oh, ok…" he said sighing unhappily.

She moved off of him reluctantly and grabbed her robe from the closet.

"So…you want breakfast? I'm sure that Will and Francie have left by now…"

"Sure…"

"I'll go see if your mom is awake…"

"I'm sure she is," Vaughn said smiling.

She kissed him and went out into the hall. Francie's door was wide open, so she was correct, they must have left and Amélie was sitting at the kitchen counter, reading the newspaper.

"Morning," Sydney said yawning, "Excuse me as well," she said sheepishly.

"Good morning Sydney…"

"Will and Francie left already?"

"Yes, they left earlier…"

"I'm sorry, how long have you been up? You could have woken us…"

"No…I'm sure Michael needs all the rest he can get…I've been up about an hour or so…I'm an early riser."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"No, but there's coffee…"

"Oh, good…well…let's see what we have and I'll whip something up."

"Why don't you let me do that?"

"No…you're our guest, I'm not going to put you to work!"

"Nonsense, I haven't cooked Michael a meal in ages, let me…you can get ready and help him as well…"

"Well…if you're sure…"

"I am…"

"Well, ok…just fish around for whatever you need, pans or whatever," Sydney said smiling as she returned to the bedroom.

"Hey…mom up?"

"Yeah, she said she's been up for a while…she's making breakfast…I was shooed out of the kitchen…"

"Really?"

"Yup…I was told I could go get ready and then help you…"

"We're screwed…"

"What do you mean?"

"She totally knows…"

"Why do you say that?" Sydney asked as she started to dress.

"You can get ready and then help me? She's totally on to us!"

"No, she's not…she probably just wants to be of some use…help you in some way…"

"Oh, I am so dead…"

She smiled, "Relax, she doesn't know…come on, we've got to change your bandages and such…"

Vaughn nodded his head and Sydney moved to help him.

They did the deep breathing exercises and then Sydney changed the bandages.

"Ok…you wanna try the other exercises?"

"Uh…well…ok…"

"If you don't feel well enough, we can wait…"

"No, I don't want to wait…"

"Tom said you need to know your limits…is this something you can do?" she asked completely seriously.

"Yes," he said forcefully.

"Ok…" She moved to sit on his legs and pulled him up. She didn't see any noticeable change in the way he was doing the crunches, but he didn't seem to wince as much today as other days.

There was a knock on the door and Sydney attempted to scramble off of Vaughn's lap before the door opened, but it didn't work.

Amélie walked in to see the sight of Sydney sitting on a half-naked version of her son. At least the correct half was covered, Sydney thought, thanking herself for getting him halfway dressed before starting the exercises.

Amélie looked at the couple strangely, and Sydney thought it probably warranted an explanation.

"He has exercises he has to do…they're these crunches…sit-up crunch things…" Sydney trailed off; more embarrassed now than she had been when Amélie first entered.

Amélie smiled and set down the tray of food. She handed Sydney a plate and then Vaughn one too. Sydney moved off to sit on the bed next to Vaughn and Amélie sat on a chair next to the bed.

She glanced at the bed itself and raised on eyebrow in total Vaughn fashion before looking to her plate and eating.

Vaughn looked sideways to Sydney who had her face buried in the plate.

He smiled when he saw what his mother had made, "Pancakes? Is this Mickey Mouse I see?"

Amélie smiled at her son, looking up, "Yes, it would be…you remembered?"

"How could I forget?" He turned to Sydney; "Whenever I was sick, mom would whip out the special pan – the mouse pan she called it, and make me Mickey Mouse pancakes…I swear it could cure anything…" he smiled wistfully.

Sydney smiled and the three ate in relative silence for a few minutes.

Amélie broke the silence with, "Did we have fun last night Michel?" she asked innocently, looking at her son.

Sydney blushed and when she looked at Vaughn, he was turning a variety of different hues of crimson as well.

"Uh…yeah…I slept quite well. And you?" he asked, trying not to burst out laughing.

"Wonderful…like a baby…which you are not…" she added; making Sydney almost choke on the juice she just drank. "Are you alright Sydney?" she asked concerned.

"Never better," Sydney said smiling at Vaughn's mother.

After breakfast was done, Amélie insisted on cleaning up. "I'm a mother, it's what I do…" she stated.

Sydney was sure she would have washed them all by hand too, but she pointed out she could just put them in the dishwasher. She left, giving Sydney and Vaughn a few moments alone.

"Didn't I tell you? I told you she knew!"

Sydney blushed again, "That was really embarrassing…"

"We're adults Sydney…what we do is not my mother's concern…thankfully…" he added seconds later.

He then went on, "Besides, she totally adores you anyway…I'm surprised she didn't congratulate me or something."

"What do you mean?"

Vaughn turned his head to her, "She told me…she likes you…a lot…even though I don't need her approval, you have hers…"

Sydney smiled, "That's nice…I'm very happy now," she said bouncing slightly like a little girl.

He reached out for her and she eagerly devoured his mouth until they heard his mother's footsteps coming down the hall.

"Well…what do you two have planned today?" Amélie asked as she reappeared in the room to fine Sydney and Vaughn sitting innocently on the bed.

Vaughn smiled and looked over to Sydney. If Amélie noticed, she didn't reply.

"Well…we should get back on track with Vau–, Michael's exercises today, if he feels up to it…other than that…not much…what did you have planned?" Sydney asked.

Amélie smiled, "Well, I thought I might spend some more quality time with you two…what do you do when there isn't anyone else here?"

Vaughn cleared his throat and Sydney just about choked again…

Amélie clicked her tongue, "Oh for heaven sakes! OTHER than that! Please, you are still my son, Michael!"

Vaughn chuckled, "Well…I don't know…we talk, I sleep, we watch TV or movies, do exercises, take baths…yeah…that's pretty much all I'm good for right now…"

Sydney smacked him on the arm, "That's so not true…for one thing, it's week TWO Vaughn, and for another – you're supposed to be sleeping a lot!"

Amélie smiled, "I told you I liked her Michael."

Sydney beamed, "Thank you…"

Vaughn looked to him mother, "How strong are you mom?"

She looked at him strangely, "Why do you ask?"

Vaughn looked at Sydney, "Can we go outside?"

"Uh…last time we attempted moving without help, it didn't go so well…"

"Mom can help," he said, then turned to his mother, "Mom…you'll help, won't you?"

Amélie shrugged, "I can try…I'm not as strong as Sydney, but between the two of us, I'm sure we can get you out there…"

Sydney looked unsurely at mother and son, "Well…ok…but I don't want a repeat of last time. If at ANY moment, you feel sick, we're going back. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Sydney unhooked the oxygen and she moved to help him sit up. Amélie watched interested at how the two worked together to get Michael where he needed to go. Once he was sitting, Sydney supported his left side and his mother moved to support his right.

"Ok…on three…" Sydney said, "One…two…three…"

They lifted Vaughn up and stopped, just waiting, standing for a minute.

"You ok?" she asked looking to his face for any signs of distress.

"I'm good…let's move…"

Sydney nodded and the two women helped Vaughn out onto the patio, into the chair he had resided in days ago. "Well…that worked quite well," his mother said, sitting across from him.

Sydney smiled, "Your ankle is better…"

"Yeah…I think it is…" he said smiling back at her.

Amélie looked over to Sydney, "You know dear…if there was some place you needed to go, I can stay with Michael for awhile…if you needed anything from the store…Just hang on for a minute, I'll just be right back…" she left the patio, going into the house.

Sydney smiled looking at Vaughn, "You want me to leave you alone with her?"

He smiled, "If you wanna go somewhere, I'll be fine…it is my mother after all – I didn't die in her care through my childhood…"

"I don't really have anywhere to go specifically…"

"Well, go shopping, get away for a while…get a facial, I don't care…you can just get away from me and all my trouble…" he smiled though, letting her know that he was kidding.

"You know I don't feel that way – you aren't any trouble…I guess I could go to the store…or a run…maybe I'll go to the gym…"

"Sure…whatever…have fun…" he smiled, pulling her hand and her down until she was sitting on the chair.

"Love you…"

"I love you too…I feel bad leaving you here…"

"Why?"

"Well, you never get to go out anywhere…"

"Well, I'm the invalid, I'm not supposed to go anywhere…"

"I want you to come with me…"

"Maybe later…you go by yourself, have some time to yourself…"

"I don't need any time by myself Vaughn."

"Sure you do…go…I'll be fine…"

She smiled as Amélie walked back out to the patio, "I brought you something…"

"Me?" Sydney asked taken aback.

"Yes…it belonged to Michael's grandmother, my mother…" she held out a silver chain with an angel charm on it. Emeralds dotted the outline of the angel's halo.

"It's beautiful…" Sydney said in wonder, "but I couldn't possibly…" she said shaking her head.

"No, I want you to have it. Michael does too, don't you Michael?"

"Absolutely," he said in agreement.

"Have Michael put it on you," she said handing it to Sydney.

She took it carefully and delicately handed it to Vaughn.

Amélie smiled, "Do you want to tell the story, or should I Michel?"

"You tell it so much better…" Vaughn said settling into the chair after putting the silver chain around Sydney's neck with success despite his shoulder injury. She leaned back into him to hear the story.

"I was born and raised in France. I moved here shortly before I married Michael's father. My mother was a typical French woman. She was born and raised and lived and died in France," Amélie said chuckling. "My father wasn't a wealthy man, but he was successful. He gave my mother that necklace as an anniversary present, for their fifth wedding anniversary, and it rarely left her neck. She passed it to me when I married William, hoping that I'd have the same love that she shared with my father. I never had a daughter, but I knew one day that Michael would find a woman suitable to be the owner of this…" she smiled.

Vaughn tightened his grip, "I think it's rather fitting too…"

Amélie looked to him, "What is dear?"

"Well, she is an angel, she should have one…"

"Indeed," Amélie said.

The tears that had been threatening to spill gave way then, as Vaughn kissed the top of Sydney's head. He and his mother waited patiently for her to compose herself.

"I should also point out…" Amélie started after Sydney had somewhat composed herself, "that I really didn't realize at the time, but later, after Michael was born, the stones in the angel's halo are the exact color of his eyes…" she smiled.

Sydney turned to look at Vaughn and sure enough, the stones matched his eyes.

"Well…see…there…that makes perfect sense then. If I'm wearing it, he's guarding…" she smiled kissing him.

She got up then and hugged Amélie fiercely.

"Thank you," she said, not having the words to add more.

"You're welcome…and thank you…for saving my son…in more ways than you can imagine," she winked.