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Chapter 35

Monica put aside the last of her paperwork for the morning before looking at the clock. She was expecting a guest shortly. While as Chief of Staff she often played host and showed off the hospital, today's visitor was personal. She had clearly heard the worry in her daughter's voice when talking about Milo's mother, and Monica wanted to get a feel for that situation. So she took the bull by the horns and invited Margareta over. And if she didn't like the way the other woman treated Emily this weekend they could discuss that before the Giambettis returned to Palermo.

"Monica, your guest is here." Evelyn said as she stuck her head in the office.

"Show her in." Monica replied coming around from behind her desk. She stopped to hang up her lab coat. "Hello."

"Dr. Quartermaine, it's a pleasure to meet you." Margareta smiled and extended her hand.

"Please, call me Monica. Have a seat." She pointed to the sofa. "Would you like a beverage?"

"You may call me Margareta, and I am fine thank you." Margareta looked around the office taking in the personal and professional touches. "This is a lovely office."

Monica nodded and Evelyn stepped out. "Thank you. Since I spend so much time here I thought I should be comfortable."

"I was surprised at the invitation to have a tour, but I was pleased as well. I am looking forward to Jason's wedding, and meeting his future wife. However I was also looking forward to this trip because I would get to meet you. Milo speaks very highly of you. I was also looking forward to spending time with Emily again. Their visit over the holidays was short. I didn't complain because I understood that I got more time than you did, still I barely got to speak to your daughter. We had a very full house." Margareta explained. "Milo said Emily was working today." He had picked them up at the airport.

"She is. I'm sure we can arrange to surprise her during our tour." Monica was beginning to suspect that Emily was worrying for no reason. "Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to start your visit?"

"I would like to see what it is you do, when you are not trapped by paperwork." Margareta said laughing. "I run a business so I understand the demands it places on you." They left the office and walked down the hall.

"Emily hasn't said much about your life in Palermo. She did say you had a lovely home, and were very welcoming." Monica said as she called for the elevator.

"Again, I hardly got to visit with your daughter. I am hoping the kids will find time to visit again so I can correct that. One of my daughter in-laws was in full meltdown mode, which is normal for her. She likes to be the center of attention, I think if she had something in her life other than my son she wouldn't be such a drama queen." Margareta said rolling her eyes. "Milo has so far made the smartest choice when it comes to the woman in his life. Your Emily has a sense of self and doesn't need Milo to constantly prop her up. I liked seeing that."

Monica couldn't help but think of the women AJ had gravitated to when he was younger, and some of the women Jason had been involved with. That statement would have been true of them. At the same time both she and Robin had careers and still managed to court their share of drama. So it probably depended on the woman. "What is it that you do in Palermo? Emily was under the impression you didn't work."

"I inherited a property from my grandmother. On the land was a lovely home and a grove. Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons. When I was a little girl we used to make sweets and I decided to see if maybe I could sell them. I turned the home into a shop, and contracted with local artists to showcase their work as well. Weavers, quilters, those who make hand painted stationery, and others. I needed something to keep myself busy while Maximus was at work and the boys were in school. Just after Milo was born I opened my store. After the candy was selling successfully I started learning about making essential oils from the peels of the fruit. I launched that line when he was in kindergarten. Then I added candles and soaps as well. I am trying to not waste a bit of my product." Margareta was proud of herself. "If I had more time with your daughter I could have shown her the store."

"Are any of those candies sour?" Monica wanted to know. "I love sour hard candies." There was a jar on her desk.

"I make a whole line of sour candies. I will send some to you, I would love another opinion. My products are not sold here." However Aliotta Confections were popular throughout Europe. She had hoped to leave the business to one of her son's wives but so far that wasn't working. Maybe Max would bring home someone who could take up the reins at some point.

"I would be happy to give it." Monica said as the elevator doors open.

"Um, hi." A surprised Emily said greeting her mother and Margareta. Milo has left a voicemail on Emily's office line saying his parents were here. She had been worrying about their reaction to her not being at the airport to greet them.

"Fancy meeting you here, I was giving Margareta a tour." Monica said brightly.

"I had a consult." Emily said trying not to fidget. "Welcome to Port Charles Mrs. Giambetti."

"Now Emily, we talked about that." Margareta chided gently. "She has exquisite manners." Milo's mother told Monica.

"Thank you. She was always much better at that than her brothers." Monica replied trying not to laugh.

"Have you settled into the hotel okay?" Emily wanted to know.

"It is a lovely space. I understand your grandmother decorated the room. I am looking forward to meeting Lila. Milo adores her." Margareta was happy her son had found family here.

"Everyone adores Lila." Monica said smiling. "You and Maximus are welcome to stay at the mansion. That way you will be closer to Milo." Now that it was clear Margareta did approve of Emily the invitation could be extended.

Margareta just chuckled. "We are staying at the hotel so we are not too close to Milo. The boy accused me of smothering him. Can you believe that? A few hugs and I'm suffocating him." She asked shaking her head but the grin on her face gave away that she knew it was true.

"It's amazing the things your children will say about you." Monica said grinning. She had heard the same thing a time or two. "Emily we'd love to stay and chat, but I have more of the hospital to show Margareta. Maybe after we can go for coffee. I will be off the clock once we are done." She suggested to her guest.

"That would be lovely." Margareta nodded. "Maybe you can show me where to do some shopping while I am here." The two ladies walked off leaving Emily standing there.

"We don't have to worry about them not getting along." Emily said to herself. Milo would be relieved about that.

"Knock knock." Nadine said as she tapped on the slightly open door.

"Come in." Liz yelled from her seat in front of her vanity. "What do you think?" She turned so her friend could see.

"I think you need to come to my house and show me how to do that." Nadine commented. "I never mastered the whole smoky eye look. Purple is not a color I would even attempt it with." Although Liz was crushing it. The purple was not very bright, more of a deep tone that worked well with her dark blue eyes. "I end up looking like I have two black eyes. Not at all sexy."

"I'd be happy to come over and play with your extremely limited make up collection." Liz poked fun at her friend. Nadine was very much a minimalist when it came to cosmetics, which was fine because she really didn't need much. "Thanks for watching the boys tonight." Their part time nanny was on vacation. "How come you didn't want to come to dinner?"

"Cody said he wasn't a guest tonight, but that he was working." Nadine knew that having the Giambettis in town meant more security. Now that he was Marco's partner, this would be a busy week for her guy. "And I would feel funny going if he wasn't with me."

"Cody is a guest at the wedding so you won't have to worry about that." Liz said swiping gloss over her lips.

Nadine just snorted. "He warned me that he might disappear from time to time." She knew that meant he would be checking in with the guys who were working. He would also be checking in with the crew that Maximus brought.

"Our menfolk have trouble with the concept of downtime." Liz was guessing that all the guys would be security obsessed this weekend. That was why she had opted to go with an indoor ceremony and reception instead of using Lila's garden. The Metro Court could have both with no problem, and it was somewhere the security crew knew well. They didn't even have to suggest it. Lila completely understood when Liz explained why she was moving everything. The Quartermaines were now hosting the brunch. "If you have trouble pinning him down tomorrow let me know." Elizabeth said before heading into the closet to get dressed. "Have the monsters seen you?"

Nadine just laughed at her friend. "I got hugged on when I first came in. Cameron is downstairs commiserating with Jason about the evils of neckties. I think your oldest son is trying to figure out how to get out of wearing one tomorrow."

"I promised they could take them off after pictures." Elizabeth said walking back into the bedroom. "What do you think?"

"Little black dress with an edge." Nadine said giving the outfit her approval.

"Classic with a twist." Liz liked her clothes to reflect her personality. This dress was sophisticated, but it was sexy too. Just because she was meeting the Don and his wife didn't mean she had to be predictable. The fitted cocktail dress had asymmetrical cut outs and origami type folds across one shoulder and along the hemline making it fashion forward. Her heels were also attention getters, black stilettos covered with Swarovski and black crystals.

She kept her earrings simple, matte black pearls with a smaller white pearl backing. The only other thing she was wearing was her engagement ring. She was going to wear the necklace that Jason gave her, but that was just too much. "I'm all set." She was also really impatient because tomorrow she was getting married.

"How come you guys skipped the traditional parties?" Nadine asked as they headed downstairs.

"They just aren't us." Liz shrugged. She had told Jason to feel free to do something. He had declined. "I'm all set so we can head downstairs."

"You look pretty mommy." Cameron said standing up when his dad did.

"Pwetty." Jake said looking at his mom.

"Thanks guys." Liz leaned over and kissed them both. "Be good for Aunt Nadine."

"We will. Right Jake?" Cameron still mostly talked for them both.

Jake just nodded.

"You look lovely." Jason said smiling. His girl was going to turn heads. He liked the flashes of skin her dress showed off.

"You are very handsome in your suit." She said smoothing the fabric. "A burgundy tie is most unexpected."

"I have to keep you on your toes. I don't want you getting bored." He said holding out his arms. "Night guys. Thanks Nadine."

"You're welcome. Have fun, because we are going to have an awesome time. Right?" She looked at the boys.

"Yeah!" Cameron said, while Jake grinned.

"We can compare stories later." Elizabeth said as they headed for the door.

"Maximus, Margareta I'd like for you to meet my fiancée Elizabeth Webber." Jason made the introductions. Emily, Milo, and Monica would also be at this dinner. They would arrive shortly, but Jason wanted it to just be them for this first meeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Elizabeth said shaking hands with the older couple.

"We have been looking forward to this meeting." Maximus let her know. "Milo and Max both speak very highly of you." The Don had asked a lot of questions about the woman on Jason's arm. The young man in front of him had not always made the best choices in his personal life. That wasn't surprising with Sonny as a mentor. Corinthos could always pick the worst woman for him. His multiple marriages to Carly had caused all kinds of business problems. Neither one of them would be missed.

Both his boys told him that Elizabeth was not going to be an issue. She was exactly what Jason needed. Not only as a man, but as a mob boss. They both said that she would be an asset. They also both said that the couple had been together for a while now, but were keeping things private. Something Maximus approved of. In their line of business a low profile was smart. Something else Sonny never got the gist of.

"Have you had an opportunity to sightsee today?" Liz got that she was the hostess in this situation. Tomorrow Diane would be taking over hostess duties because Liz would be occupied being a bride.

"I spent the day with Jason." Maximus guessed that Elizabeth knew that. "My lovely wife spent the day with your future mother in-law."

"Monica was kind enough to give me a tour of the hospital. It was very fascinating. We also ran into Emily briefly." Margareta shared. "I understand you used to work there."

"I'm taking time off to raise our boys." Liz explained. Emily had mentioned that Margareta was in the medical center. "I'm also going to concentrate on my art, maybe try to sell a few pieces."

"The painting in Monica's office is lovely. I am sure you will have no problem making a name for yourself in the art world. It is ashamed our visit will be so short. I would love to see more of your work." Margareta had taken a moment to enjoy the piece of art while Monica gathered her things after the tour. "Maybe the next time we come."

"Absolutely the next time you come." Liz extending the invitation. The door opened and Emily along with Milo walked in. "You look stunning." She said giving her best friend a hug. Emily was in a vibrant blue fitted sheath dress.

"Thanks. Hello again. Maximus." Emily greeted Milo's parents.

"Emily you look lovely." Margareta paid the younger woman a compliment. "That ring is suited to you. Milo knows you well, I was pleased when he asked if he could have a piece from my collection." Her other boys has also made that request and Margareta had said no. She convinced them that their girlfriends would like something new. In all honesty she wasn't sure how long they would be around. Family heirlooms should be treasured, in each instance she had been correct.

"I wasn't aware this was one of your rings." Emily remarked surprised.

"The way Milo talks about you let me know, it was the right way to go." Margareta was going to patiently wait for Milo to call home and say he was getting married.

Liz just beamed. Emily's fears of not being liked were not going to be an issue going forward. "So what did you and Monica do after leaving the hospital?" The guys had moved off to talk.

"First lunch, then a driving tour of Port Charles, followed by a walk through Lila's rose garden. That is a place I would like to see again before leaving." Margareta had felt such peace walking among the blooms.

"That can certainly be arranged." Liz knew Lila would be pleased to hear that. The door opened again and Monica entered.

"Hello." The surgeon got a kiss from her son before joining the ladies.

"Mom, you are killing it." Emily said taking in her mother's outfit.

"I know." The surgeon said laughing. The black and beige sequined embellished print dress was a head turner. Several men had watched her walk across the room. Monica worked hard to stay in shape, and she enjoyed dressing up. She wasn't just a mother and a doctor, she was a woman too. Something she had no problem reminding others of.

Liz had to laugh. "I said the same thing when we went shopping earlier this year and she tried it on." Liz was noting that several gentlemen were looking at Monica. Then Liz noticed that her guy had noticed as well. She had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing harder.

"I like your ring. I noted it earlier today." Margareta pointed out the wide emerald and diamond band.

"I no longer wear my wedding set, but I like to have a ring on this finger. Elizabeth designed this for me. Both my grandsons have May birthdays and my late husband's birthday was in April. I cried for about an hour after I opened the box." Monica never took the ring off.

"Our table is ready." Jason came over to get the ladies. He was trying not to glare at the table of men who kept looking at his mother. Their party was eating in the private dining room so pretty soon the guys wouldn't be an issue.

Liz had to clear her throat, Jason was too funny. "Maximus may I escort you to the table?" Her fiance would escort Margareta.

"Absolutely. Later I'd like to talk about acquiring a piece you painted, as a gift for my wife. Milo saw it in your studio and he assures me it will be perfect." Maximus said once they started walking. He wanted the piece of art to be a surprise.

"If not this weekend, then when I return from our honeymoon." Liz said as they reached the dining room. Maximus nodded as he moved to hold out his wife's chair.

Jason pulled out Liz's chair. "Tomorrow." He whispered.

"Tomorrow." Liz responded quietly. Their wedding was less than twenty-four hours away. She could hardly wait.

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