AN: Sorry for the wait again! I have a little bit of writer's block. Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter: CopperIslander, x17SkmBrdchiczxx, AlexandraGrace-x, 4-eyedDragon, BOLLING, coolio1206, Lady Zarobiti, dreamer 3097, and DomLover. I appreciate each and every review!
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Strength
Chapter Nine
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Elizabeth's palms were sweaty as she picked up her cell phone.
This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. You've called boys before.
Yeah, to give them their basketball schedule, she fought back. It was like she had shoulder-angels. One was shy and said she should leave Danny alone; the other wanted to be forward and call him immediately.
Just do it. Sprawling across her bed, Elizabeth highlighted Danny's name in her contact list and pressed the send button. Yes! It rang once, then twice.
"Yello," Danny's voice called from the other end of the connection.
"Hi, Danny. This is Elizabeth," she said uncertainly.
"Oh,hi! How did your mom's party go last night?" he asked enthusiastically.
"It was great. A lot of mom's friends were here and she got to catch up. It was really cool to see a whole different generation of Wildcat family," Elizabeth said. She heard a child crying Danny's name from the other end of the line.
"Oh-could you hold on a second Beth," he asked. Elizabeth murmured a response. She vaguely heard Danny on the other end of the line. He asked the child what was wrong, then offered some ice cream to calm her. As Beth waited, Bradley jumped up onto her bed. He sat beside her, cleaning his face with one big black paw.
"Sorry," Danny said to Elizabeth at last. "I have to baby-sit my sisters while my mom is at work."
"I think it's great that you help your mom out," Elizabeth told him. "How many sisters do you have?"
"Two," he answered. "There's Amy, she's a seven-year-old art fanatic. And the one you heard was Gracie. She's two."
"She sounded awfully upset," Elizabeth noted. Bradley seemed annoyed that he had failed to capture his mistress' full attention. He stood and rubbed his entire body on Elizabeth's shoulder.
"You know, there are a lot of perks we take for granted in early childhood. Macaroni and cheese for lunch, naps every day, finger-painting, and you can cry when you don't get the last peanut butter sandwich without anyone thinking you the worse for it."
"Now that you mention it I do miss those days," Elizabeth said with a chuckle.
"Yeah me too. That's why I cut the girls' sandwiches into dinosaur shapes, like Mom used to make. Good times. But I'm sure you didn't call me to talk about my sisters," Danny said.
"Actually, I called about my birthday party tomorrow. "
"Right- at the Rolling Springs country club? I couldn't find it in the phone book," Danny said.
"Well, it's at Lava Springs…" Elizabeth corrected.
"That explains a lot," Danny said with a quiet laugh. "So, where is Lava Springs so I can drive out?"
Elizabeth gave him directions to the club. "So, I'll see you there?" she asked.
"Yep. My mom is off tomorrow. She will stay with the girls, leaving me free to party…What do kids in Albuquerque wear to parties? Up in Bear Creek it was cool to wear plaid shirts like Paul Bunyan."
"Ew. Just wear your regular school clothes. I promise you'll fit in," Elizabeth said simply. Another explosion erupted from Danny's sister.
"Okay. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow," Danny said quickly.
"Bye!" Elizabeth said. She thought about calling Brooke, but she didn't want to prove her friend's point. She did not have a crush on Danny.
At least, not a big one.
Sighing, Elizabeth rolled over onto her back. Bradley walked across her, his pokey feet digging into her ribcage. She giggled.
"You silly old thing," she said, petting the cat. Bradley settled down on her belly, purring as loud as he could. Even about her cat's noise, Elizabeth heard the sound of her mother's wheelchair rolling into the room.
"Hi," Gabriella said with a smile. Troy parked the chair beside Elizabeth's bed and sat down.
"Good morning Mom," Beth said. Her mother looked around her bedroom. There was a definite theme to the room. Though the walls were plain and white, they were accented by red draperies, including East High pennants and banners. The border around the top of the room was red text, with phrases such as "Go Wildcats!" and "What team?" Between each set of words the Wildcat emblem was painted. There was a shelf above Elizabeth's desk that housed her basketball trophies. Centered over all of it was a picture of Elizabeth, Troy, and his father, Jack, all dressed in their Wildcat fanfare.
"Dad decorated when I was little," Elizabeth said, flushing lightly. She sat up, letting Bradley slide off of her lap.
"I can tell," Gabriella said, taking her husband's hand. She looked at the wall opposite the trophies and saw that it was covered with posters, most of which featuring one of three dark-haired young men. Two of the posters were autographed, and a shadow box held an autographed CD and t-shirt, and a stamped concert ticket. "Who's that?"
Elizabeth smiled up at her posters.
"Connect 3. They're like the best band ever. Last year Aunt Sharpay got me concert tickets for my birthday. She arranged it so that Brooke and I got to go backstage and meet Nate, Shane, and Jason," the girl sighed happily. "It was so cool."
"It sounds like fun," Gabriella said. Troy shook his head.
"I'm just I didn't have to go," he quipped. Elizabeth made a face at him.
"It's okay, Beth," Gabriella said. "Your dad once confessed to me that when he was in fifth grade "My Heart Will Go On" was his theme song."
"That was cold, Gabriella," Troy said, but he chuckled with them nonetheless. Their first "happy-family" moment was cut short by the chime of the doorbell.
"I'll get it," Elizabeth said softly. As she passed her parents, she kissed each of their cheeks softly. Once on the stairs, she shed the shy disposition she seemed to pick up whenever her mother was around. Taking the steps two at a time, she clunked down the staircase, sliding down the last few. She took a spinning leap off the bottom step, landing just in front of the door. She unfastened the locks and pulled the door open.
"Grandpa Jack! Grandma Lucy!" she cried excitedly, even though she and Troy had eaten supper at their house less than a week before. She took their coats eagerly, giving them each a hug as they came inside.
"Where's your mother?" Lucille asked her granddaughter. Elizabeth smiled.
"Upstairs with Dad. He has to bring her wheelchair down," she said. As she spoke she heard her parents moving around. "Dad! It's your folks!" she called up the stairs. "We're in the kitchen."
"Alright, Young Wildcat. Is the team ready to defend the championship?" Jack asked when she turned around.
"Of course we are. Dad makes sure of that," Beth said. "Come in the kitchen. There's coffee." Both grandparents followed her into the kitchen and took seats at the counter.
"So your Mom is doing well?" Lucille asked. Elizabeth nodded, setting five mugs on the countertop. "Are you excited to have her back?"
"Absolutely," Elizabeth said. "It's a little awkward, but we're muddling along."
"Good. I brought her some of the baby pictures that were at our house," the grandmother replied.
"She will love that," Elizabeth said. "Dad can't find any of them around here." Her back was turned, so Beth missed the uncomfortable look that her grandparents shared.
"Your dad never was very good at keeping track of those kinds of things," Jack said. Elizabeth turned back, a glass coffee pot in one hand, and a bottle of half-and-half in the other. She gave them a smile as she filled two of the cups with the dark liquid. The creamer was set on the counter next to a sugar bowl.
Elizabeth filled another coffee cup. It was bright red, with the words "World's Best Dad" inscribed on the side in blue letters. The fourth mug was plain and pink, and it held a brewing tea-bag. The last mug, Beth had left empty. She bit her lip, looking at the coffee pot.
"Does my mom drink coffee?" she asked at last. Lucille reached across the counter and patted Beth's shoulder comfortingly.
"She always preferred tea with sugar," she said gently. Elizabeth grinned.
"That must be where I get it from," she said, fixing another tea. As dropped the stirring-spoon into the sink, Troy pushed Gabriella's chair into the kitchen. Both of his parents jumped up from the counter.
"Oh Gabriella! It's so great to see you!" Lucille cried. When his wife took a brief break, Jack offered a fatherly hug. Elizabeth quickly prepared Bradley's breakfast, and ran it upstairs in a effort to avoid the sappy scene that was sure to follow. When she deemed it safe, Elizabeth returned. The family had moved to the living room.
"Why is there a puzzle glued to my coffee table?" Gabriella was asking when Elizabeth sat down. She snorted, trying to hide the laughter.
"Dad did it," she said at last. Her grandparents laughed with them. Fortunately for Troy, this was one mishap that he felt was funny as well.
"So what are your plans for today?" Jack asked at last.
"At some point I have to got get my car, but other than that I think we're just going to hang out here today," Troy said. "Beth's party is tomorrow, and that's sure to be exciting."
"That sounds perfect," Lucille said. "Jack and I though it might be nice to have a family party for Elizabeth tonight. All her friends will be around, and I'm sure she'll have better things to do that hang out with us old folks."
"You're still coming, right?" Elizabeth asked.
"Of course," Lucille said. "But we thought a cake and your present would be good tonight. Especially since its your mother's first birthday with you."
"That sounds beautiful, Mom," Gabriella said, hugging her daughter. Troy had settled her on the couch, and Elizabeth sat between her parents.
"Oh, Jack. We forgot to stop and get a cake!" Lucille said suddenly. "And my camera is in the car."
"Troy and I will take care of it," Jack replied. He heaved a groan as he climbed from his chair. "Son, let's go get your car, and we can pick up a cake while we're out."
"Drive safe," Gabriella whispered after Troy kissed her soundly. He promised her.
When he kissed Elizabeth's head, she felt the need to whisper as well. "When I get in the car, you know I can- Buckle up, Buckle Up, Buckle Up!" she sang.
Troy left, mumbling about troublemaking teenagers. Lucille crossed the room and sat with Gabriella and Elizabeth on the couch.
"I brought you some pictures," she said, handing over a photo album. It may not have been a fancy, hand-made scrapbook, but each picture was organized in its own protective sheath, three to a page.
"This is more like it," Gabby said. "Troy couldn't find his copies of the pictures." Her mother-in-law sighed sadly.
"That's because he doesn't have any, Dear," she said.
"Why not?" Elizabeth said unsteadily. "Dad has always loved to take pictures of me."
"What is it, Mom?" Gabriella asked.
"Jack and I had custody of Elizabeth after your accident."
"What?" Beth asked. "He told me that I was what got him through it. It's always been just me and him. Why would he keep something like that from me?"
"I'll start at the beginning. For the first few days after the accident, Troy seemed like he was going to be able to hold it together. It wasn't until he got home alone with the baby that he started getting depressed. He wasn't shaving, barely eating. Two weeks later, he was banging on our door at 3 a.m…."
The door bell rang twice. Less than three seconds later, someone started pounding on the door. "What is going on?" Lucille asked, sitting up in bed. Jack, standing by the window, pulled aside the curtains just enough to see the street outside.
"It's Troy's car," he said. Lucille jumped up and pulled a robe over her nightgown. When she opened the door, she realized how pitiful troy looked. He was unshaven, and his eyes were rimmed with red and purple rings. The baby was in his arms, and a diaper bag was hanging over his shoulder.
"Oh Honey," she started, but Troy cut her off.
"I can't do it, Mom," he said stiffly. In an abrupt motion, he pushed Elizabeth into her arms. "I've got to get away for awhile. I need some time and some space. Take care of my baby. I promise I'll be back." As fast as he had appeared, Troy was running down the driveway.
"Troy- where are you going?" she cried. "Come back!"
"But he didn't. For a few weeks we worried. Then we got a call from that Ryan Evans boy. He told us that Troy was in New York. He had found work in a musical- imagine that. Ryan said that Troy's utter despair had earned him the lead in a revival of Sweeney Todd.
"We followed him in the paper. He was all set to be a prince in a revival of Into the Woods. Jack and I flew out for opening night. The Evanses had gotten us front row seats. Troy was spectacular."
As the cast came out for a company bow, Troy heard the crowd cheering. He looked down at the faces. There- in the front row- his parents. And in his mother's arms was the prettiest little girl he'd ever seen. His mother leaned over to whisper something to the girl.
"Daddy!" she cried. Troy's heart melted. For the first time in a very long time, his face broke out with a genuine grin. That was his daughter!
Troy ran to the edge of the stage and jumped to the ground. His feet controlled the movement of his body, and in seconds he had engulfed his little girl in his arms and was covering her face with kisses. "Oh Beth!" he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I love you so much!"
"He came home with us that weekend, and took Beth back home. He's been the perfect father ever since. Troy just had to learn how to function without you, Gabriella," Lucille finished. Gabby and Elizabeth sat, shoulders touching and faces matching in perplexity.
"I don't remember any of that," Elizabeth said at last.
"It's no wonder; you were so little," Lucille said. She turned to Gabriella. The younger woman's eyes were overfull with tears, and she looked down at her lap. "Are you alright?"
"I just- this is all my fault. I'm so sorry- for my mom's death, and what Troy went through. And for Elizabeth growing up without a mother, and for her getting forced on you and Dad-"
"Mom!" Beth said, turning in her seat. "Don't ever say that again! None of that stuff was your fault. It was that truck driver. What's important is that we all found the strength to make it through."
"She's right, you know," Lucille said, rubbing Gabriella's back. "What happened has happened; we can't change that. Don't be afraid to live now. Get to know your daughter. She's a pretty fantastic young woman." Gabriella looked at her daughter.
"You really are beautiful," she said softly. Elizabeth crawled into her mother's arms. Tears flowed freely for both of them.
"I don't know what's wrong with me today," Beth said, wiping her eyes. "One second I'm happy, the next I'm bawling my eyes out."
"I feel the same way. It's such a big change," Gabriella said. While Gabby and Elizabeth sat together on the couch, looking through the pictures, Lucille quietly disappeared into the kitchen to start making lunch.
..…
"This was when I was six," Elizabeth said, showing Gabriella a picture. She was sitting around the living room with her parents and grandparents. Troy had retrieved some boxes of photographs from the closet, and they were spread out around the couch and coffee table, amid forks and plates from cake.
The picture Elizabeth was referring to showed her in a brown uniform, hair in pigtails. "Dad had me in Girl Scouts, and he was our 'Cookie Mom'. He had to supervise the entire sale."
"What about this one?" Gabriella asked. The shot was taken from above. Chad stood in a grassy pit, holding a small, red-headed little girl. An angry-looking tiger posed only a few feet away. Elizabeth giggled.
"Oh- that's a classic," she said. "It was only a couple of years ago. We took Jack to the zoo, and while we were there, a little girl fell into the tiger pit. Uncle Chad didn't even think about it; he just jumped in and scooped up the little girl. Then the tiger chased him around, while Aunt Taylor screamed. The zookeeper had to tranquilize the tiger before they could get out. It wasn't very funny at the time, but now I can't help but laugh."
"I didn't realize that the zoo could be so dangerous," Gabriella said.
"Only if you're a Danforth," Troy returned with a smile.