Reliving The Past
Chapter 12
Elizabeth sends Franco home at 10pm. She makes sure the four guards have decent places to sleep. Two slept on the couches down stairs. And two slept upstairs on cots. One in the end of the hallway out of the way and one in Aidan's bedroom. She learns of the security system. At first she threw a fit, but then the rational Liz popped in for a reality check. So she reluctantly accepts it. Although it doesn't stop her from jumping at any nose coming from the outside. Before she goes to sleep she makes a list of all the people coming.
FAMILY:
Laura, Lulu, Roco, Dante, Audrey, Bobby, Lucas, Brad, Her boys, Spencer, Valerie, Monica
FRIENDS:
Franco, Kiki, Morgan, Sonny, Carly, Michael, Sabrina, Eddie, Felix, His current love, Epiphany, Milo, Kevin, Justin, Jace, Max, Joss, Avery, Nathan, Maxie, Mac, Felicia, Ric, Lori, Molly, Christina, Aaron
Elizabeth wants to surprise everyone tomorrow by telling them that by the end of July she will have a pool. That was one of the things that they had included in the price of the house. But something kept coming up as to why they had to push the date back. She's so excited to tell them. But she also has a fool proof plan as to keep the kids from accidently falling in. When the fence is closed and locked, if anyone gets on the fence to climb over or attempt to, a loud screaming alarm blares. After the scare with Jake, she wasn't taking any chances. She wants her kids to have something special. But also be safe while having it.
As Elizabeth shuts the light off and lays down to sleep, she thinks of the fun that they will all have. She imagines seeing the boys running around and laughing. This makes her happy as she drifts off to sleep. Only waking once from a dream. But quickly goes back to sleep.
The next morning Elizabeth wakes up early. She takes a shower and gets ready to head downstairs. She tries to be very quiet. Not wanting to wake anyone else up. She goes to the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee. And starts to get the food started. Laying out the plates, silverwares, bowls, napkins and cups. As she's getting the water in the pot to get the corn in, she casually looks out her window to make sure the decorations are in the same places that they were put yesterday. She sees movement in the woods. This take her breath away for a second. Then she quickly goes and wakes the closest guard. Which happened to be Kevin.
"Kevin, there is someone in the back yard. In the woods." She whispers. He gets up and slips his shoes on. Deactivate the alarm. And goes out. She stands in the door. She points over to the right of where he was walking. He disappears into the woods. He's gone for just a few moments. Reappears shrugging his shoulders. He comes back.
"Maybe it was a wild animal."
"Yes, and that was why I woke you to check it out. This stalker is wilder than any animal. I apologize for waking you up like that. I guess I'm just pretty jumpy. I made some coffee if you would like some." She goes to the coffee pot. She pours a cups of coffee. Would you like something to eat? I can make some eggs and bacon." She turns around to see him sitting at the island counter.
"Coffee is fine for now. We can wait for the others to wake. Don't need to trouble yourself over me." He puts the mixings in his coffee and drinks. Not saying another word.
"You know, you remind me of someone." She smiles.
"Who would that be?" He asks in a quiet voice.
"Jason Morgan. Before he disappeared, he was so quiet and just watched me move. He could tell how I was feeling by my movements. I could have a smile plastered to my face, but he could still tell I was upset or agitated. Are you like that too?" She takes a sip of her coffee while waiting for him to answer.
"I don't know this Jason Morgan. But I am sure we have many things in common. You would be surprised how many things people really have in common. It really shocks people when they find someone they think couldn't be similar. We are all human. We all have hurts, concerns and desires." He takes a drink from his mug.
"Ok this is officially creepy. You avoided the question the same way Jason does." She chuckles.
"I'm sorry if that bothers you. I can no talk unless necessary. If that would help." He looks so serious.
"No. You are free to talk as little or as much as you want here. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I should never have said that. I guess when I get scared, my first reaction is to want to call Jason. I need to get out of the habit. I should have a long time ago. I really need to take a class on self-defense. I need to learn to fight myself. Not rely on others to fight for me. You would have thought I would have after Manny."
"Who's Manny? If you don't mind me asking."
"Manny was another crazy man that held me at knife point and kidnapped me. I should have taken classes before then. I then could have saved myself and my husband at the time wouldn't have been hurt so bad. I wish I wasn't a scared person who freezes. But I guess we live and learn." Elizabeth wipes a tear away that had escaped. But turns around so Kevin can't see it.
"What else happened to you? You just thought of something else. Your body tensed up." She turns back around to face him.
"When I was 15. I was raped. I don't think about it much. But when Manny grabbed me the way he did, it threw me back into that moment I was grabbed. But I am ok. I am stronger. So it's all good." She puts the pot of water on the stove. She goes to the fridge and grabs the four sacks of corn that needs to be shucked.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Someone as sweet as you didn't deserve that. That's pretty young. Not saying that other people deserve it. It must have been devastating." Kevin blushes as he stumbles over his words.
"Thank you Kevin. I know what you are saying. Before that happened though I was a brat. I lied. I smoked. Stole my Grams car keys. I was a really bad person. So I guess that turned my life around. I would never say I'm glad it happened. But it changed my life. Some good and some bad. It took me a long time to feel safe and feel ok about myself. But I also looked at the world differently. I think because the guy wore a mask, made it all the more scary. I didn't know who he was. Some people think that stranger rape is easier to deal with. Rather than someone you know. But if it's someone you know, you don't have to be afraid of everyone. Just that one person. But I guess it all depends on the people and circumstance. Any rape is devastating. I pray every night that rape will eventually become non-existent." She continues to shuck the corn. When out of nowhere they hear a loud clap. Kevin rushes around the counter and pushes Elizabeth down and covers her body with his. They don't hear it again. They slowly get up and look around.
"I think that was a fire cracker. There are kids a few houses down. It is 4th of July. But thank you." She puts a hand on his shoulder. She kind of laughs off the scare. "I guess I can start washing the fruit for the fruit salad. Could you reach that bowl on the top shelf? The red one." She opens the cupboard and points to the bowl on the high shelf.
"Sure." He doesn't it likes it's nothing. "Would you like some help washing and cutting the fruit?"
"I would love some help. We can actually go over to the table and sit to do this. Last night I washed all the fruit. But I do need to get the cool whip out of the freezer. Here is your knife and cutting board. Go sit and I will bring the bowls over as well as the big red bowl." Kevin goes and sits down. Elizabeth gets three bowls of cool whip out of the freezer and then starts to bring the bowls. Once all the bowls of fruit are on the table, she grabs her cutting board and knife. Then sits. "I used to draw fruit like this." She smiles as she remembers her time in the studio.
"Oh really? So where you any good?"
"Well, I never thought so. Lucky made me believe. I applied to an art school in New York. I got in. But I was so upset over Lucky's 'death' that I decided not to go. I thought after he 'died' I would never paint again. But my first husband, Ric had set up a gallery showing of my stuff. Yet again, it never came to pass. Although you will meet him today. He's coming. He's bringing his new girlfriend. This should be fun." Elizabeth laughs. Kevin even breaks a smile. "About time I got you to smile."
"You have a pretty smile and laugh. It's hard not to at least smile when you do." Kevin blushes.
"Aww, thanks Kevin. Just for that, you can eat one of the grapes." She gets ready to try to throw one into his mouth from across the table. He opens his mouth. She throws and he catches it in his mouth. "Ahh, yes! You are very good at that. Let me guess. Learned it at college." Elizabeth watches. He smiles. "Yes! Nailed that too. I'm getting better or you are just too easy to read." She giggles.
"Or both." Kevin continues to cut the fruit.
"Thank you Kevin. I will admit when I first met you I got a weird vibe from you. But I guess maybe you were a little nervous too."
"I was. I was nervous about the boys. Kids make me nervous. Give me adults any time. Kids are so tiny. Bones break easy. I never really have been around kids. Well except when I was a kid. I don't have any siblings. No nieces or nephews. No cousins."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I have a sister and brother. I was the baby of the family. I was always compared to my sister. Why I couldn't get good grades like her. Why I couldn't be polite like her. Why I had to be heard and not seen. Why I couldn't be a doctor like my sister. Both my brother and sister are doctors. As well as my dad. I just don't seem to measure up to my families ideas. But I have my three beautiful boys and a wonderful job. I help people every day. So I guess it doesn't matter. But I don't know what I would have done without my sister. I always had someone to play with. It must have been very lonely for you."
"No. When you don't have something, how can you really truly miss it?" Kevin looks that the cutting board.
"I guess that makes sense. So where did you grow up?" Elizabeth continues to cut.
"Denver, CO. Very cold in the winter."
"Yeah. What part of Denver?" Elizabeth's arm hairs stand up on end.
"South east side. I went to Jackson High."
"No way! I went there until I moved here. What years?" Elizabeth's heart races.
"I went 1995 to 1998." Kevin looks at her a little more closely.
"I went there until 1997." Elizabeth looks at him closely too.
"What was your sister's name?"
"Sarah Webber. She was in a grade ahead of me. She was blonde." Elizabeth hates talking about Sarah.
"Hmm, she doesn't sound familiar. But maybe that's why you seem so familiar. You smoked then, didn't you?"
"Yeah. I used to go behind the gym and smoke between classes. And at lunch time." She waits to see that light bulb moment.
"Didn't Jackson Monroe go there too? He was my football friend. But he had to stop smoking."
"Because his mom found out and cracked him upside the head!" Elizabeth finishes for him and then laughs.
"Yeah. It took him a semester to get the hearing back fully in that right ear." Kevin laughs.
"Yeah, I left just before that would have happened. When I left, I told him to stay strong. But I don't think he heard me." Elizabeth smiles. Part of her wishes she would have stayed there. But the family she was staying with was too uptight for her. More than her own family.
"He remembered you fondly. I think if you would have stayed around he would have asked you to the homecoming dance. But I thought you name was Lizzie. Or Liz." Kevin looks confused.
"Well here they made me go by Elizabeth. Only my family still calls me Lizzie. Some people will call me Liz. I don't know why Jackson would have had any feeling for me. I was so moody and mean then." She blushes.
"He liked that fire you had. The kick butts and take names attitude. It took him until the next school year to get over you. If you wanted to know." Kevin smiles.
"Really? Does it make me a jerk to feel kind of proud?" Elizabeth asks.
"No. But he is friends with me on Facebook. You could friend him too. I'm sure he would love to see you again. Oh, but he's gay now."
"Oh. Well, good for him." Elizabeth thinks that it's par for the course. But can't help but smile. Just then Aidan comes in.
"Mommy, milk." Aidan rubs his eyes.
"Sure baby." She gets up and gets a glass of milk for Aidan and makes him some toast.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts.
