Liz's Mistake Part 2

Stevie leaned against the window and stared out into the rain. Where was he? She clenched a fist and pressed it against the glass. A warm hand rested on her shoulder and she reached up to grasp it.

"Stevie, we'll find him," Russ said. "Everyone's out looking for him."

"I'm not," Stevie whispered. "What kind of mother doesn't look for her child?"

Russ turned her around and tipped up her face. "Listen, Stevie, the people looking for him are the ones who know how. Running around in the rain on your horse is only going to scare more people. They will find him. Phil has the whole fire crew out looking."

Stevie closed her eyes and leaned against Russ. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She pressed against his chest, letting the sound of his beating heart steady hers. She couldn't wrap her mind around all that had happened.

The day had started out fine. She had found a horse for Olivia, spent time with Russ and had fun for the first time in a long time. But then the beauty of the day had crashed when she arrived home to find the house empty.

"Mom?"

Stevie lifted her head and found Rose standing by the counter, Gabe behind her. "Yes?"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I should have stayed here and watched Xander. I didn't think Liz would do this."

"Why not?" Stevie asked. "You've heard what we told you about her."

Rose swallowed but nodded. "But you told us we had to treat her nice because she was trying to make up for it."

"I said be nice to her, not leave her alone with my son." Stevie turned away from her daughter and walked into the next room.

"Stevie!" Russ said. "Don't say things like that. Rose had no choice."

Stevie turned on him and poked him in the chest. "She had a choice. She could have stayed here and watched her brother like I told her too."

"And let the sheep drown? Drover's needs all the sheep it can hold on to. You know that."

Stevie clenched her teeth and went out onto the veranda. She knew what he said was right but she couldn't be rid of the angry inside of her. She needed to direct it somewhere and the one whom she was angry at wasn't here.

"Alex, why did you leave me?" she whispered leaning against an upright. "I can't do this."

"Mom, please, I'm sorry."

Stevie closed her eyes and held down her terror. "I know, Rose. But he's all I have left of Alex and I can't lose Xander."

"I know, Mom. He's my brother and I feel horrible about this."

"Oh, Rose," Stevie turned and held out her arms. "I know, I know."

Rose fell against her chest and Stevie held her close. They stood together as the rain continued to fall, drawing strength from each other's nearness.

It was late and the house at Drovers was crowded with friends and family. Stevie sat at the table in the dining room, Jodi on one side and Russ on the other. Gabe sat on the floor against the wall, Rose between his legs. He leaned down to whisper in her ear and Rose smiled.

Stevie sighed. What she wouldn't give to hear the voice of her beloved.

The phone rang, shattering the stillness that had fallen over the place.

Marcus jumped and grabbed the ringing handset. "Hello?"

He closed his eyes and Stevie saw the tension drain from his shoulders. "Thank the Lord." He nodded and then hung up. "That was Phil. They found Liz and Xander at her house. He's bringing Xander back now."

Stevie covered her mouth and leaned against Russ. Her baby was safe. She heard the sounds of relief from around the room. Xander would be back in her arms soon.

The next thirty minutes dragged. It seemed to Stevie that each tick of the clock was slower than the one before. But finally lights floated into the yard and they heard the slamming of a car door.

Stevie stood up and rushed from the room. "Xander!"

"Mommy," Xander called from Phil's arms. "Mommy."

Phil walked to the veranda and handed Stevie her baby boy. She wrapped her arms around her child and held him close.

"Hi, baby, your safe," she whispered.

"Xander," Rose cried. "Hey, baby brother, your back."

"Rosie, Gabe." Xander wriggled in Stevie's arms and she reluctantly let her son down.

He ran to Rose and she gathered him to herself. Xander giggled and tugged a strand of her hair.

"Rosie, Gramma take me to see horsies and doggies," Xander said. "I hungry."

"Well, we can fix that," Moira laughed. "Come on, young man. We'll see what we can find in the kitchen."

Xander happily followed Moira into the house, chattering a dozen to one.

Stevie turned to Phil. "What was she thinking?"

Phil shrugged. "She said someone called her and told her that her dogs where loose and she went to go bring them back home. She couldn't leave Xander so she took him with."

"And she didn't think of leaving a note?" The anger Stevie had almost let go off came rushing back. "She had children. Didn't she know that I would worry?"

"It's Liz," Phil said. "She doesn't always think."

"Thank you for bringing him back," Stevie said, leading the way back into the house.

"Hey, that little boy means the world to me too. I wasn't about to let a woman like Liz make off with him."

"Do you really think she was going to take off with him?" Russ asked.

"With Liz you never know," Moira said from the table.

Xander sat in his chair, chewing on a drumstick. Stevie sat beside Xander and tousled his hair.

"Hey, little man. How are you?"

Xander shrugged and grabbed a piece of bannock off the plate. "Hungry. Gramma had no food."

Stevie frowned. Something about this whole thing didn't sit right. Why would Liz take Xander to her place and then not feed him or leave? They had been looking for hours. She could have been half way across the territory by now.

"I don't get it," she said. "Why go to her place for so long if she didn't mean to take him away from us."

Jodi shook her head. "Who knows? Liz never made much sense."

They left the conversation alone and turned to more joyful things. Stevie pulled Xander into her lap and held him tight. Soon his eyes drooped and he nodded off. Still she held him on her lap, unwilling to let him go until her heart stopped racing and her mind accepted the fact that he was back.

The next morning Stevie sat on the veranda eating breakfast with her children. Xander galloped a toy horse across his plate and Rose was deep in 'The Gift'.

"Rose, put the book down," Stevie said. "Your foods getting cold."

"Hmmm?" Rose reached out blindly and snagged an apple. "Apples are supposed to be cold."

Stevie rolled her eyes and turned in time to rescue the horse from a syrupy death. "Xander, eat. Stop playing with your food."

Turbo barked from his spot on the porch. Stevie glanced over her shoulder and frowned. Liz stepped out of her car and headed to the house.

"Rose, take Xander inside." Stevie rose from her seat and walked towards her mother-in-law.

"Liz, stop there," she said.

"Stevie, I came to tell you what happened." Liz twisted her purse strap between her fingers. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Didn't mean to scare me?" Stevie laughed drily. "What did you expect me to think when I get home and find my son missing and my daughter nowhere to be found?"

"I only meant to be gone for a few minutes. An hour at the most. I didn't think it was long enough to leave you a note. Paige and Alexis were running around on the road and I had to go get them," Liz said, the words rolling out of her mouth with no stop. "Then the lights went out and I had to check on the horses and the rain kept coming down harder and harder. I didn't want to risk him."

"Whatever, Liz," Stevie snorted. "Look, from now on you are not ever to be alone with my son."

"For how long?" Liz bit her lip and a tear gathered in the corner of her eye.

Stevie steeled herself against Liz's anguish. "Until I can trust you again."

"Can I come in and see him?"

Stevie shook her head. "Not today, Liz. Try again next week when I'm in a better mood."

Liz nodded and walked back to her car. Once there she turned to Stevie. "Alex was my son before he was your husband."

"Xander is my son before he's your grandchild," Stevie replied. "He's more mine than anyone else's."

Liz climbed into her car and drove off in a cloud of dust. Stevie went back into the house and found Rose sitting on the floor by Xander who was back at his toy farm. She had one hand on his leg and in the other she held her book, still fascinated by the story.

Stevie sat down beside her children and smiled. This was the happiest sight in the world to her. Her two darlings both in one house, under her roof, ready to carry on the legacy of their parents.

Alex, I wish you could see your boy. He's so like you. Thank you for him.

"Mommy, we go ride Banjo?" Xander said.

"Alright. Coming, Rose?" Stevie stood up and held out her hand to Xander.

Rose put down her book and joined them as they walked out to the horse yards.