Here is chapter 13, I'll admit I was just kind of having a little fun with parts of this, so I hope you enjoy it, as always I love to here what you think. I'll update as soon as I can. As usual I own nothing.
I woke up early the next morning to get ready before the kids, because I was predicting a struggle to get them to church this morning. I couldn't blame them I had hated going as a kid to, especially after my mom's funeral the church seemed like such a sad place. I was looking for clothes for them to wear, and in the end I had to choose two of the dresses we had gotten from Jane's storage unit, they weren't dressy but they were adorable. I felt bad for Liam he hadn't gotten any new clothes that would be something I would get with the casino money.
It was surprisingly easy to get the kids up and ready. They protested only slightly to the idea of going to church, but the reminder of a visit to the playground afterwards seemed to help. All four children remained silent all through mass, Alyssa and Emily sat and frowned, William played with some toy cars and Cass was a surprisingly quiet baby all the time, I didn't know if that was normal or not. After mass I took them out to lunch and then as promised we went on the hunt for the perfect picture frame. We had just agreed on a golden colored frame when we first heard the thunder, well there went the playground plans. Now what were we supposed to do.
"Teresa can you paint our nails?" Alyssa asked looking down an isle full of different colors of nail polish. Well I guess that was an easy answer.
"Go ahead and pick out a couple different colors." I smiled, I had never gotten to do this with little brothers.
"I want this one, and this one, and this one." Alyssa started down the isle, "Oh and that one."
"How about the first three and put the last one back," I frowned. "Nail polish is expensive."
"But I like the last color." Alyssa pouted.
"Well stick to the first three." I instructed, "Come on Emily you can pick out some to." They were actually staying in the cheap nail polish, which I was grateful for, but it made a good reason as to why we didn't need a whole cabinet full. In the end, Alyssa got pink, purple, and blue. While Emily got a darker pink, green, and yellow, I knew that there was a very good chance I was never putting a couple of those colors on my finger nails.
"Teresa we got to put the picture in the frame." Alyssa announced the minute we walked through the door.
"No we have to show it to Patrick first." Emily argued.
"We can wait until Patrick gets back to hang it up." I agreed, "It'll be easier to show him before we hang it up."
I had gone into the kid's bedroom to grab one of their toys, when I heard the doorknob rattling. By time I got to the door the children had beat me, and all three of them were jumping into Jane's arms. "Did you guys have a good time with out me?" He asked, spinning them around and then setting them down on the couch.
"Teresa painted our nails see." Alyssa grinned sticking her hand out in his face.
"That's so pretty," he smiled admiring both girls hands, "What about you William did Teresa paint your nails to?"
"No." He giggled.
"Did you survive all weekend with all these ladies?" He lifted the boy onto his lap.
"She wanted my Legos in timeout." He frowned.
"Uh oh, what did they do?" Jane questioned.
"No nap." William pouted.
"And Teresa wouldn't let us get red nail polish." Alyssa added to the list of complaints.
"Well remind me to thank her for that." Jane looked over to where I was standing in the door.
"You don't like red?" Alyssa questioned.
"I can't stand it." Jane answered, offering no further explanation.
Seeing Emily about to ask another question I figured I should cut in, "Girls why don't you show Patrick the drawing we're going to hang up?" Of course after I said it maybe a drawing with his wife and daughter in it wasn't the best way to interrupt a conversation about his hatred for the color red.
"Yes let me see this beautiful drawing Teresa was bragging about over the phone." He smiled, setting William down so the girls could climb up on his lap.
"Look see, that's us, and that's you and Teresa and you're holding Cass, and William is in between us." Alyssa started holding up the photo.
"And then that is our mommy and daddy, and that's Teresa's mommy and then that is your family." Emily finished.
"That's so beautiful." Jane smiled, taking the picture in his hands.
"They all have wings and halo's." Alyssa pointed to the drawing.
"We didn't know what your family looked like so we asked Teresa." Emily added, and then to all of our surprise he set the girls down and laid the drawing on the table and pulled his wallet out of his vest pocket.
"I think you guys did a great job." Jane set a photo of him and his family at the beach down next to the drawing, "It's absolutely perfect. "
"She looked like you." Emily smiled.
"I'm going to go get some tea," He nodded, leaving the photo on the table.
"Is he okay?" Emily frowned.
"He's just tired." I reassured, "I'm going to go see if he needs help, watch your sister." I instructed following Jane into the kitchen. "You don't have a key." I stated, watching him pour his cup of tea.
"And." He looked up.
"The door was locked." I continued.
"And." He smiled.
"You are impossible." I shrugged, and before I knew it he had pulled me into a hug.
"I'll knock next time." He offered.
"No you won't." I looked up at him.
"Your right." He chuckled.
"You smell like whiskey and cigars." I stepped away, I couldn't let myself get caught up in his hug.
"I drank minimally, and didn't touch a cigar." He shrugged, "But I have a surprise for you and the kids."
"Jane." I warned.
"You'll love it." He smiled sipping his tea. "Give me some time to jump in the shower, and then we have somewhere to be."
"Wait Jane are you okay, I mean with hanging up their drawing?" I frowned.
"Of course, it's a beautiful drawing." He smiled his sad smile.
"They called it our family portrait." I explained.
"I think it deserves to be hung up." He nodded, hurrying to finish his tea so he could take a shower. Great now I was worrying about whatever his surprise might be.
"Come on lets hang this up right over the couch in the middle of the room." I was going to use hanging the picture as something to keep me distracted. "And then we're going to put our shoes on because Patrick has a surprise for us."
Twenty minutes later Jane came out, "We all ready to go?" He questioned lifting Cass from her rocker, and grabbing my car keys.
"What are you doing?" I asked watching him get into the drivers seat after buckling up the kids.
"Driving." He smiled.
"You are a terrible driver, why would I want to driving my car with four children in the back seat?" I wondered.
"Because you won't let the kids anywhere near my car." He answered, starting the car and I didn't really have a choice but to get in, he was leaving with or without me.
"Your car is a deathtrap." I retorted, "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." He answered, pulling out of the driveway and onto the main road.
"What type of surprise?" I worried.
"The good kind." He smirked.
"Over the years I think it's been established that you and I have a very different idea of good." I responded as he drove to a part of the city I wasn't as familiar with.
"Relax Lisbon." He rolled his eyes, "You'll love it." We were now in a strictly residential area.
"What is it?" Alyssa questioned.
"Something for you guys." He smiled, oh no I think I know where this is going.
"Jane." I warned, as he turned the car into the driveway of a massive house with a huge yard, oh God. "No, no I said you weren't buying us expensive things, especially a house!"
"And I'm not, you agreed to seventy-five percent and this house cost just under that." He answered, helping the kids out of the car.
"But you bought it." I argued.
"Of course not, the realtor should be here soon for you to sign the papers. The money's in the trunk." He smiled leading the kids through the garage and into the house. I hate him this was a beautiful house.
"Jane what do I need with a three car garage for?" I shouted following him and the kids.
"If you don't like this house I picked out two others, I could call the realtor and have him meet us there." He responded.
"I don't want to look at any other houses." I hissed.
"I thought you'd like this one." He grinned leading me around the downstairs.
"Damn it Jane, that's your money I can't afford the house." I yelled while he dragged me up the stairs. "And why would I need six bedrooms?"
"It's your money we had a deal." He answered leading me to the room at the end of the hall. Oh my God it was a giant master bedroom and it was absolutely gorgeous, with a huge private bathroom and a walk in closet. Personally I didn't have enough clothes to fill a giant closet like that, but the room was amazing.
"You're sleeping on the couch." I declared looking out the giant window at the view of the backyard.
"In the house?" He grinned.
"In my apartment." I snapped walking out of the room, "Until we can get it moved in."
"Your welcome Lisbon." He chuckled following me back down the stairs to where the kids had been running around.
"Shut up." I returned, "And if you ever try to trick me like this again I will shoot you."
"Understood." He laughed walking out to the car and coming back in with a briefcase and a very well dressed man.
"Your husband says you like the house." The man smiled, and Jane grinned.
"The house is beautiful, my 'husband' is an ass." I frowned.
"Now come on Teresa I just wanted to give you what you really wanted." He just chuckled.
"Um I understand that you are interested in buying the house." The man looked from Jane to me.
"Yes, yes she's very interested." Jane nodded directing us to a table, which appeared to be the soul piece of furniture in the house.
"It's a very nice house." I sighed, watching the man pull out a pen.
"Well then lets talk payment plans." The man smiled, handing Jane the pen who proceeded to hand it to me.
"My wife was hoping to pay it in a single installment right up front." Jane stopped him. "We have the cash here with us."
"Cash up front." The realtor repeated.
"Is that a problem?" Jane just kept smiling, God I wanted to slap him.
"Um no I guess not." The man frowned.
"My husbands a con man, sticking to cash is easier for him, harder to trace." If Jane was going to have fun with this so could I.
"My wife likes to over simplify things." Jane shrugged, "but it's true." He grinned, "A man's got to support his family somehow. Especially with a fifth child on the way." God I hate him, I really hate him.
"You know what this house doesn't look as good anymore." I shook my head.
"You're absolutely right we should go look at the other two." Jane nodded.
"Just give me the damn papers." I turned to the realtor, who immediately handed them over.
After a minute of silence the realtor spoke up, "Your not really married are you?" I shook my head, "And you're not pregnant."
"Not a chance." I answered flipping to the last page of papers.
"And you're not a con man." He turned to Jane.
"I suppose not." Jane shrugged, "Anymore." He smirked and the man frowned. I hurried and finished then handed him his pen and all of the paperwork and Jane handed him the briefcase. In return the realtor pulled two sets of keys from his pocket.
"She's all yours." He smiled and I think he was as happy to leave as I was to watch him go. "Ass." I snapped at Jane.
"I thought that was fun." He chuckled.
"You are a giant pain in the ass." I answered.
"Hey guys come here, guess what?" Jane called and the kids came running pushing Cass in the stroller.
"What?" Alyssa was the first to speak.
"This is your new home." He smiled leading the way, back out to the car.
"Can we get a bunk bed?" Emily wondered as I lifted her into the car.
"That's up to you." I answered, "You can have a bunk bed and share a room or you can have your own rooms."
"Bunk beds." They cheered at the same time.
"Me to." Liam whined as Jane lifted him into his car seat.
"You want a bunk bed to?" I wondered.
"No." William frowned.
"Do you want to share a room with your sisters?" Jane folded Cass's stroller and placed it into the back of the car.
"So I was right I don't need a six bedroom house." I stated, backing the car out of the driveway. "When three will do."
"They won't want to share a room forever." Jane just chuckled.
"You're cooking dinner and then I'm ignoring you for the rest of the night." I answered, and I stuck to it I was silent the whole drive, I played with the kids in the living room while he worked in the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready," Jane peaked his head through the door, "That is if anybody is talking to me yet." The kids went running, and I lifted Cass out of her rocker to join the rest of them.
"We need to repaint some of the rooms." I sighed setting Cass in the high chair, "And they need better carpets."
"I agree." Jane nodded, placing the plates in front of us.
"What is this?" I questioned looking at my plate.
"Chicken strips." Jane smiled placing ketchup on the table. "Fried in a homemade batter."
"This doesn't look like chicken strips." Alyssa argued, smothering her plate in ketchup.
"It kind of does." Emily held it up.
"It tastes like chicken." Jane teased, cutting William's chicken strips for him. "I promise."
"Everything tastes like chicken." Alyssa laughed.
"Well please try it, if you don't like it I'll never make it again ever." Jane offered. As it turned the kids thought his chicken strips were delicious and Jane was given permission to make them again in the future. With dinner done Jane did the dishes while I started getting the kids ready for bed. Jane read them a story before tucking them in and then the two of us sat on the couch together, how was I supposed to do this I was mad at him really mad at him, but the house was nice, dinner was great, and I was internally hitting myself for not realizing that there was some hitch to taking the money from him. "What do you want to do about paint and flooring?"
"I figured you'd have some grand master plan that you devised days ago." I answered, keeping my focus on the evening news.
"Well it's your house." Jane shrugged, "And I figured you wouldn't want to hear from me after today."
"So what's your idea?" I sighed.
"It's your house." He wasn't answering me, which may be just as infuriating as him revealing some grand plan.
"So what do we do go back to the house tomorrow pick out paint color and carpeting, then what?" I was to tired to play his games, the only thing was he didn't look like he was trying anything.
"Then we spend the next couple weeks painting, getting the flooring installed, and packing before moving in." He smiled, "But not until tomorrow you look exhausted, you should be going to bed."
"Your right." I yawned, starting to get up, "You just want me to get up so you can go to bed."
"You caught me." He chuckled lying out across the couch. I had been lying in bed for a whole twenty minute before I realized I wasn't punishing anyone but myself by making Jane sleep on the couch. He was used to sleeping on a couch, and I was lying alone in this big bed. I never used to have this problem, damn him.