AUTHOR'S NOTE – I'm back! As promised this is the first of many Alison centric chapters. This chapter may seem terrible but remember everything is not like it seems. I am an Emison shipper and can't bear the thought of either of them with other people.
Again, thank your for your continuing support. Your reviews, favs and follows mean more than you can imagine. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.
YOU KEPT YOUR PROMISE
It was a Sunday and Alison was feeding little Malcolm mashed bananas for breakfast. The radio was playing in the background but she wasn't really listening. The toddler seated on his high chair and his flailing arms had all her attention.
Finally on his millionth attempt his chubby arm made contact with the bowl and it noisily crashed to the floor spilling all its contents. The kid gurgled with laughter at the sound and looked at Alison flashing his little two teeth. His cherubic face was too adorable to really hold a grudge against, so Alison just let out a loud sigh and bent to clean up the mess.
"You hate me buddy, don't you?" she cooed to him. Tickling him under his chin she went on, "Don't you? You little monster." His gurgling filled the room and Alison smiled broadly at the innocent baby who gave her a million reasons to smile each day. As she mopped the floor she caught fragments of the song playing on the radio and hummed along.
Alison was content. She didn't have everything she desired but she had all she needed. After having taken a year off in between, she finally completed her graduation about four months back and had landed a great job as a copywriter for a lifestyle magazine. She went into the office once a week and handled all her submissions through emails. She had a home and a few friends that truly cared. And then she had the little fellow, who was currently trying to push his entire fist into his mouth.
She looked at his drool covered hands and chin and frowned. Pulling out a baby wipe from the box on the table she cleaned him up before picking him up and placing him on her hip. "How about we go for a walk with Daddy? Let's go find your Daddy first." She smoothed his brown curls with her fingers, making a mental note to give them a trim soon.
She walked out of the spacious pool house and made her way around the pool to the main house. Malcolm tugged at her chin and turned Alison's head around with his tiny hands, while his other hand pointed to the huge dolphin float in the middle of the pool. He squealed in delight and kicked enthusiastically urging her to come play in the pool. Alison held on to him tighter to ensure that his enthusiasm didn't result in the two of them being toppled into the pool.
"Yeah baby. We'll play with the fishy later," she calmed him. "We were going to find Daddy remember? Where's Daddy? There's Daddy." Malcolm looked at her with his big brown eyes and then turned towards the deep voice from the full-length windows facing the pool. "Hey Mal. How about we go for a stroll in the park?"
As Alison reached the house she smiled widely at the tall handsome owner of the deep baritone. He looked like a 30 year old, less chubby version of Malcolm with the same dark hair, sparkling brown eyes and chiseled features. Malcolm happily went into his father's extended arms and proceeded to push the collar of his shirt into his mouth.
"Did you get any work done today?" Alison inquired. "Quite a lot. Thanks for taking him into the pool house all morning," he replied. "He is a distraction, even if a very delightful one. Are you coming along?"
"No. You boys spend some father-son time together. I need a bath. I need to get all the baby food and drool off of me," she tickled Malcolm's feet as she spoke and he kicked hard. "Ezra, are you okay?" Alison asked, almost laughing when she saw him wince. "Never been better," he responded, his face red. "I think we better get going. Come on Mal, let's go get your stroller." Ezra walked into the house and Alison looked on dotingly as Malcolm looked back at her over his father's shoulder.
She looked around the room and found three coffee mugs on various tables in the room and two empty plates, one of which was surprisingly on the third shelf of a bookshelf. She frowned as she collected them all and tidied around the room until the office looked immaculate. She looked around, please with herself and proceeded to head upstairs for a bath.
She got a pale yellow skirt and a white floral shirt from the closet and laid them on the bed deciding if the ensemble was fine. After twenty seconds of second guessing herself she decided her choice was perfect, it always was. She smiled to herself and headed for the bathroom. She got off her comfortable flannel 'baby proof' clothes as she liked to call them and got into the warm bathtub, she had let run a few minutes back, immediately pleased that she had decided to pamper herself with a bath instead of the quick shower like most days.
As she settled herself in the bathtub and closed her eyes, she allowed herself to escape for a minute. She thought of herself lying in the sun in her grandmother's stately estate in Georgia many years back, carefree and innocent. She thought of riding Belle on weekends all through her teenage years, feeling one with the mare as she galloped. She thought of a pair of warm almond eyes that looked at her like she was everything and a smile that you could never get tired of staring at. She wondered what If …
"We're home," came a voice from downstairs, along with the sound of the main door closing. Alison's eyes flew open. How long had it been? The water in the bathtub was almost cold. She stumbled out of the bathtub and got herself into a bathrobe. "I'll be right down boys," she shouted out and paddled into her bedroom in her bath slippers to get dressed.
Half an hour later the toddler was asleep in his crib and Alison was helping Ezra throw together a stir-fry. She wasn't the best cook or a good cook. In fact she couldn't cook at all but she was happy helping around the kitchen. Ezra on the other hand could have been a chef, if he wasn't a writer.
"Have you even glanced at those travel brochures I got you last week? You do deserve a proper vacation. You haven't been anywhere since I've known you." Ezra was busy throwing in some hoisin sauce into the pan as he spoke.
"I can't," Alison responded. "Not right now. It has only been a couple of months at 'Living the Life'. Taking a leave of absence so soon would look really bad. Besides I am not so sure travelling with Malcolm is such a good idea."
Ezra turned around, taking off his apron, with his eyebrows raised. "Who said anything about traveling with Malcolm? I want you to have time away from everything for yourself. I can look after the baby just fine."
Alison giggled and replied cheekily, "Sure you can. I'm not so sure the baby would agree though."
Ezra's face fell. "That's not funny you know. I can manage. I'm his Dad. I should be able to." Alison almost felt bad for teasing. "I know you can. But I just don't want to right now. I don't need time away from my favorite people, that's all."
Her words of assurance brought a smile back on the crestfallen handsome face. But Ezra liked his idea too much to completely give it up. "How about a weekend in Big Bear? The resort there is supposedly beautiful and it is an hour's drive at the most. You can come back on Sunday night. Does that sound better?"
"Ezra, I'm not leaving the baby. So forget about it," was her very stern reply. "Maybe in a few months, when things go back to normal," she added to soften the tone of her earlier statements.
Ezra said nothing and busied himself with serving two plates. He handed one to Alison and finally gave in, "As you wish. Now can we eat?" Alison smiled and headed off towards the dining room plate in hand. "This looks delicious by the way. You are almost my favorite cook," she stated as she settled herself into the huge chair.
"Almost? Did you say almost? Now I feel plain insulted!" Ezra held his heart and almost pouted. "Who is my competition?" he went on. "I have to meet this cook who holds the key to your heart. Ehh… stomach? You know what I mean." Both of them were laughing now and Alison couldn't help saying a silent prayer of thanks for 'her' people.
No one she had befriended and allowed into her life in the past two years had let her down. They were good people; kind people and she appreciated it. Though no one knew it they had helped her bandage the wounds of her soul and grow in strength and courage. She was no longer the girl who ran — afraid and broken. She had learnt to trust and love again and that she valued more than anything. She thought of the little head of brown curls she had kissed a half hour back, before she put him into his crib. Yes, she was definitely thankful she could feel love.
But Alison couldn't help feeling guilty every time she thought of how much of her life she had not let anyone in on. These people who trusted her and loved her, knew nothing of how life had scarred her. They knew nothing of the night she fled and hoped to die and was instead gifted a new life by an angel. No one knew of her angel. No one ever would.
Alison had stayed silent through the rest of the meal, lost in her thoughts. Ezra was comfortable in their silences. If he ever wondered where she escaped to, in these moments when her eyes misted over and her face looked like she was dreaming of floating over the clouds, he never mentioned it. Every one deserved to lose themselves in dreams and thoughts that made the world slip away; the writer in Ezra understood this.
Their quiet was interrupted by the sound of Malcolm fussing, coming through the baby monitor. Alison was jolted back to reality and she stuffed the last broccoli floret into her mouth and quickly rushed upstairs to the nursery. The little tear stained face looked up at her and two plump arms immediately wrapped themselves around her neck as she bent to pick the baby up.
"It's okay, baby. I'm here," Alison cooed softly as she kissed the side of Malcolm's head, walking up and down the length of the room. A few minutes later the long breaths on her shoulder told her he was asleep again. She sat down on the rocking chair by the window and laid the baby against her chest. She looked towards the curtained windows and slowly her breathing synchronized with the little body on her chest. She had slipped into a light slumber.
An hour later Alison felt the baby squirm in her arms and Alison opened her eyes. Her gaze lingered on a picture on the wall among other photographs of Malcolm and the family — a teary Alison holding Malcolm in her arms for the first time. She stood up careful to not wake the baby and gently laid him into the crib before tiptoeing out of the room.
She followed the sounds coming from the den to find Ezra asleep on the couch with a book on his chest and his glasses still on. The television was playing in the background but Alison wasn't really paying attention as she picked up the coffee cups from around the room; a clear indication that Ezra had spent a few hours in the room. As she juggled the 3 cups in her hands and headed towards the door she picked up on the news playing on the television.
'… operating chiefly out of small towns outside Philadelphia these youngsters who called themselves the N.A.T. club recorded and sold teen pornography to a select clientele, since 2011. After a year long investigation Detective Spencer Hastings of the FBI, along with her team, found and apprehended the members, who will now be facing trial and most definitely serving a very long term in prison.'
'It is however believed that not all of the members of this club were arrested today. Our sources are yet to confirm this information but Ian Thomas, a close friend of the three members arrested, is thought to be part of the operations but was not arrested with the rest. He is currently said to be vacationing in the French Riviera. When questioned Detective Hastings said, "We at the FBI are going to ensure that every last member of this group is behind bars and no other young girl is unknowingly victimized." '
'We will be back with the profiles of the three young members of the N.A.T. club currently in police custody, after this short break.'
Alison hadn't moved a muscle. Her eyes stared at the colourful images on the screen but what she really saw was that night two years back, play before her eyes in vivid detail.
She had cut off ties from every reminder of that night, every person and place. She had escaped to the other end of the country. Most importantly Alison had left behind her biggest hope for true happiness and contentment. But life seemed to have sought her out of her cave, adamant that she faces her demons.
Alison left the room and headed downstairs. Leaving the cups in the kitchen sink, she picked up a baby monitor from the kitchen counter and headed out, towards the pool house. Once there, she closed the door behind her and walked straight to her phone, on the little table by the couch.
She scrolled though her contacts till she found the one she was looking for. She contemplated if this was a good idea. Was it? Was she sure that she wanted to open those doors she had kept shut this long? She was protecting herself but she had been more importantly protecting the one person who she couldn't bear to see hurt because of her.
Before she had thought it through Alison hit the call button. She was almost surprised when the call went through. The number was still active.
"Hello. Who is this?" a slightly hoarse, tired voice answered the phone.
"You kept your promise."
"Alison? Is that you?"
"Could we meet?"
No Emison, I know. But I'm getting there. I promise. Leave me a line, even if its all hate. Criticism makes us better. Or you can talk to me on twitter (shaylovesjustme)
