My sincerest of apologies. This has taken a ridiculously long time to write and my only excuse is life and some confusion in my own mind about how much you all want to see the day to day vs. the big events. I seem to be having a very hard time jumping time...if you know what I mean. My son was making fun of me for this story - sigh, life with a 17yo can be full of criticism if you let it. His teasing at least prompted me to post when I realized it had been soon long! I hope that some of you are happy for that at least :)
Lizzy had been to the MFA on school trips but never had she been a guest at a formal reception and private viewing. The lights were bright, the attendees dressed to impressed and the champagne was flowing. She was as curious about the atmosphere as she was the exhibit. There was something about a group of mostly old white people milling about, sipping champagne and discussing the evils of slavery in the context of post-civil war art that struck her as the peak of absurdity. These thoughts were swirling around when Senator Fitzwilliam approached. "So what do you think of the exhibit?"
"The exhibit? I've never seen anything like it." Searching for a positive comment Lizzy continued. "I, uh, appreciate the story the curator's trying to tell."
"But you don't think she was successful?"
"I never said that."
The Senator had perfected the art of prevarication and he wasn't about to be fooled by a member of his own family. "Elizabeth, I thought we'd broken through your reserve around me. I'm truly interested in your opinions."
Lizzy maintained her demeanor of sweetness as she returned, "Senator, the nuns were very effective in their teachings. If you don't have something nice to say it's better to say nothing at all."
His smile broadened as he spotted one of his favorite colleagues, a senator from a state a bit south of Massachusetts and an avid advocate for underrepresented segments of society. He was newer to the Senate but Mr. Fitzwilliam looked forward to partnering with him in the future. "Senator Cooker, have you met my niece Elizabeth Darcy? She's a recent addition to the family but from the time we've spent together, I think the two of you would get along famously."
Approaching the Senator and Elizabeth, Mr. Cooker reached out to shake their hands. "A pleasure Mrs. Darcy. So I take it you don't appreciate the exhibit either. I assume that is the not-so-subtle message your uncle is sending?"
Lizzy recognized she was in unfamiliar territory and was trying to figure out the best way to navigate this new conversation without giving offense. "May I ask what bothers you about the exhibit?"
"Of course. Many of the paintings and sculptures from the decades immediately following the Civil War aren't actually by people who are black. As a result I'm not sure they're representative of the black perspective. And yet, what else are we supposed to learn from attending such an exhibit?"
Hearing such a close approximation of her own thoughts Lizzy's own opinions burst through her reticence. "Exactly! The pieces evoke a sense of complacency and acceptance of post-Civil War life, as if all is well, and yet I struggle to believe this represents the reality of their experience. It's unfortunate there wasn't more literature from the time. At least music seems to carry more reality and depth to the story post the Civil War over images or other forms of print."
"So I guess you do agree with me."
Lizzy was chagrined. She hadn't intended to let her opinions have free reign over her mouth and yet, when encouraged, that is exactly what she did. A light blush bloomed over her face. She was about to excuse herself, worried she might offend the sponsors of the exhibit, when Senator Cooker placed his hand on her am.
"I didn't intend to embarrass you. It's just that if the young people and people in positions of responsibility can't call it like it is, what hope do we have for the rest of society to actually recognize the mistakes of the past? To say this exhibit tells a representative story of the post-slavery struggle is to potentially lie to ourselves. Shouldn't we question it a little?"
Lizzy smiled. "I think so, but this is someone's story and we're meant to try to understand it before we question it. That's what I'm trying to force myself to do before I judge. It's not easy for me. I'm certainly prone to jumping to conclusions. My initial impressions match your analysis however."
"What do you think might make it better?"
"I'm into literature, really fiction. But who talks about books at an art exhibit?" Lizzy laughed.
"I would. But do you really think fiction is any better at relating the true state of things?"
"I think fiction has a way of dealing with very difficult issues with an honesty that can be truer than non-fiction. Music also has tremendous honesty. The lyrics often contain insights into what's most difficult or most aspirational for a person or people. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It certainly is but it can have real limitations. Its not as easily preserved as words or music and the accessibility of the medium has been reserved to the privileged for ages. Just look around this room."
Bernard Cooker's evening had just gone from dull to engaging and he was relieved that his mentor introduced him to the thoughtful young woman. Their discussion of the exhibit led to a deeper conversation about literature spanning Austen, Dickens, Balzac, Hugo, and Sinclair. They shared a love of many of the same authors and their commentary on the society of the day. He'd have to thank the Senator for rescuing him from another evening as the token black leader on display.
William entered the gallery scanning the room for Elizabeth. He'd abandoned her almost thirty minutes ago and was worried she was bored or annoyed. Spotting her engaged in a lively discussion with a person he didn't recognize, William directed his steps towards her. "Sorry to leave you for so long. It looks like you're doing ok though." William wrapped a protective arm around his wife. It was clear the man chatting her up was entranced by their conversation.
Lizzy smiled up at him. "I'm doing just fine. Is everything ok with Georgie? You were gone for awhile."
"She's fine. Just has a Geometry mid-term tomorrow and was freaking out. We talked through it and I think she's more prepared than she's giving herself credit for. Can you introduce me to your new friend."
"Oh, of course. How rude of me. William, allow me to introduce you to Senator Cooker. Senator, please meet my husband William Darcy."
"Ah so you're the famous nephew. Your Uncle often speaks of you with pride. I'm impressed you remember Geometry. I'll be hard pressed to help my kids when they get to that stage."
William laughed, "Well the key is to not even attempt. Simply ask them to restate what they know and have a smart phone handy so you can Google anything you don't know."
"Very wise advice. I should thank you for leaving your delightful wife behind to entertain me this evening. I'm going to head out soon. I've got an early morning meeting with your Uncle and some prep work to do in advance. He knows how to keep a colleague on his toes." Senator Cooker quipped.
"Thank you for keeping me so engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation." Lizzy's smile was genuine. The conversation was far more interesting than the prior hour she'd spent feigning deep interest in a collection of art that seemed too sparse and disconnected to tell a story.
Turning to William she whispered in his ear, "Do you think we can go too? I'm done here and I'd like to cuddle up with you."
"You read my mind. Let's say goodbye to my aunt and uncle and we can be on our way."
The pair made their farewells and were out in front of the museum waiting for their cab to arrive ten minutes later.
"I'm sorry I abandoned you in there for awhile. This is the first time in months Georgie's called spontaneously on something normal like homework. Our relationship has been so strained these past few months and I need her to know that I'm still here for her if she needs me."
"You don't owe me an apology and I'm glad things are beginning to feel a bit more normal. I think things will be better this summer when we're all in New York together. I really want the three of us to all be comfortable with one another."
William seemed relieved. His whole body relaxed with her words. "Thanks. It's what I really want too. Georgie and I have been so close for years and this past year has been difficult. I want that old relationship back. But enough about that. Tell me about this conversation you had with Senator Cooker."
Lizzy snuggled into William's arms in the backseat of the cab as they made their way back home. She told him all about their shared dislike of the exhibit and the subsequent conversation. Having exhausted the topic, they discussed plans for the weekend: another triple date with Charlotte, Jane and their men on Saturday night being the highlight. The girls would cook in Charlie's gourmet kitchen while the men were on clean up duty.
Settling in at home, the pair curled up in bed and continued to discuss the weekend. "How long do you think the meeting with Maria will take on Sunday?"
William attempted to mask the look of distaste at the thought of spending hours with the restaurant manager/potential owner of the Benetez family restaurant. Lizzy caught the look however. "That better not be a look directed at spending time with my sister."
"No. No! Not at all. I really like Maria. It's the potential buyer. It wouldn't be so bad if he either had the ability to purchase the restaurant outright, or if he wasn't so long winded. To be both however is really a bit much. Are you sure it's best to sell the restaurant to Billy Lopez?"
Lizzy shrugged. "It's not really mine to have an opinion on. The restaurant is in Maria's name and as it seems our family isn't coming back, she doesn't need the burden and does need the money. That said, as annoying as Billy is, at least it kind of feels like we're keeping it in the family. It's like he's that distant cousin who, you're not sure how you're actually related, but he's been around for so long you feel like he's family. It's kind of nice to know Maria's selling it to someone who will maintain it, not turn it into some fancy bistro plus condos. I know he can be a pain but I really appreciate you handling this for my sister. I can't imagine her trying to negotiate this with Billy. I hate to say it but he's a bit of a chauvinist and he'll take the negotiation seriously with you doing the talking."
"I'm happy to do it. Really. Matthew's going to meet up with us at the restaurant around 1:00 and if we can get right down to it, we should be done in about two hours."
"Um, I wouldn't count on getting 'right down to it.' We'll be expected to have lunch and discuss the local news of the neighborhood first. You might want to set expectations with Matthew that it'll be closer to three or four hours. And you know we'll be attending church first. Maria expects us to join her. She's got a new boyfriend she met there and I'm dying to meet him. I expect we'll be tied up the better part of the day."
Pulling her close, he kissed her, "I'd rather be tied up with you the better part of the day."
Giggling she swatted at his chest. "Oh really. I guess we're done talking about my sister then."
Nuzzling her ear, William whispered, "No more talk of sisters. We've spent too much time thinking and talking about our sisters and not enough time focused on each other. When do we get time for that this weekend." Settling into his arms, Lizzy rested her check on his chest as William's hands stroked her back. "What time do you finish up tomorrow?"
"2:30, why?"
"Because when you get home, we're going to lock the doors and turn off our phones. Let's block out everyone and spend twenty-four hours just the two of us. We can make dinner and make love and spend the time just the two of us before we spend the weekend with friends and family. Deal?"
"Deal. I love you."
William pulled Lizzy a little closer before placing a kiss on her lips. "Love you too. Now get to sleep because you won't be getting a lot of rest tomorrow night."
Senator Cooker ensured he was prompt, arriving at Henry Fitzwilliam's office ten minutes prior to their stated meeting time. He shouldn't have been surprised to see his mentor already in the office working. The people of Massachusetts were well served by continuing to reelect the long tenured man. There were few in the Senate chambers who were as knowledgable, articulate and skilled in moving the creaking body of government to focused action. Mr. Cooker knew how grateful he should be that this senior Senator was willing to take him under his wing. Coffee served, the men sat down in a pair of chairs facing one another, a knee high table between them stacked with papers related to the upcoming budget negotiations. "Thank you for inviting me to the exhibit last night. I had a great time."
Henry laughed. "Seriously? No you didn't. You don't have to lie to me or butter me up. You've already got my support."
"I am serious. I didn't especially love the exhibit but the conversation was engaging. I love meeting intelligent, thoughtful young people. It gives me hope for this country's future."
A smile crossed his face. "Oh you're speaking of Elizabeth. Yes, she's quite the young lady. My nephew did well. She's had quite the difficult path that one and it's not over yet. Not in the least."
"What are you talking about? Married to a young, wealthy man and a junior at Harvard college? Sounds like a good path to me."
Waiving his hands around as if trying to wipe the images in his mind away, Henry's smile turned into a grimace. "Surely you've seen all the press about Lizzy and my nephew. All that stuff about her parents leaving without a trace, her immigration status and the rest of it. You'd think having me as an uncle would be an asset but it's actually a liability from my way of thinking."
Senator Cooker was surprised. He hadn't paid much attention to the gossip and perhaps he should have. The Senator filled in his colleague on Lizzy's story, sharing the frustration he felt at actually not being able to assist her. "If she were simply a resident of the state I could easily have my office advocate for her with immigration. Because she's my niece I can't do anything to help her. In fact, I'm sure she's getting extra scrutiny because she's my niece. It's ironic isn't it?"
"It's a shame is what it is. I know I've only just met her but your niece is an asset to this country. The fact that we haven't straightened out a path for women like her, outside of the marriage state, is the real issue. Once we get through this next round of budget negotiations we should figure out how we might fix the immigration problem."
Senator Fitzwilliam laughed, "I love the enthusiasm of newly elected Senators. You make it sound so easy. Well if we're going to solve the country's problems we better get focused." The two men got down to work, discussing possible strategies to move a budget deal forward. The morning passed quickly and after agreeing to a core strategy, along with some possible alternatives or fall back options, they wrapped up.
Senator Cooker departed: his mind swirling. He wasn't focused on budget deals however. His thoughts kept returning to the conversation about immigration and the state of affairs related to Elizabeth Darcy. As a junior Senator he didn't have the clout his mentor had but he was a Senator after all and this was a federal issue. He could make some calls. Fixing his resolve he scrounged around his briefcase for his phone. A call to his legal affairs assistant would be a good place to start.
Lizzy pulled on her favorite dress pants. Or, they had been. She pulled and tugged but couldn't make any progress on buttoning them. Reality was setting in and more shopping was likely on the horizon. Pulling off the now offensive pants Lizzy scanned her closet. A stretchy skirt looked appealing and would match the sweater she had pulled out. Examining her figure in the mirror she was glad to see the small bump was barely visible beneath the layers of her outfit.
"Are you ready to go?" William called out.
Lizzy peaked out of the bedroom to see William waiting for her, looking handsome in his wool pants and blazer. "Just about. I'll be there in less than five minutes." William and Lizzy had both been up relatively early, anxious for the meeting with Immigration to be over and done with. Their morning had been subdued as neither wanted to speculate on the upcoming appointment.
"Are you worried?
William took her hand and kissed it, "No. I refuse to worry although I can own to being a bit tired of all of this. I'm not used to being in a position where I have so little control and it's wearing on me."
They rode in relative silence. The roads had been freshly covered with snow so it could be assumed that William's quiet was due to the slippery roads and not the greater worries of their upcoming appointment. Even with his cautious driving they arrived with twenty minutes to spare. Approaching the federal building they saw Matthew Fitzwilliam also making his way from Causeway.
"Long time no see."
"No doubt. I have to thank you for inviting us to your family's restaurant Lizzy. Who knew my daughter had such a taste for Mexican food? She kept asking for ladas last night. We finally figured out she was talking about the enchiladas she'd eaten."
"I'm happy to make them for her anytime. It was the first thing my papa ever taught me to make." Lizzy smiled, grateful for the distraction. As much as she told herself everything would be fine, the stress continued to eat at her.
"You may very well become our favorite cousin. To get our daughter to eat beans, rice, and cheese all in one meal is a coup. She's such a picky eater."
"I don't know about that but in our household, cheese always made everything better." The group of three approached the door. "Any sense of what's in store for us today?"
"I have ideas but nothing definitive."
Straightening her shoulders, Lizzy pulled at the door, "Let the fun begin." Lizzy pulled a number and the three took their usual seats. It was a sad statement of affairs that they had 'usual seats' at the immigration office. No one complained at this fact however. They'd only sat about fifteen minutes when Lizzy's number was called.
Approaching the window, Lizzy slid the summons across the counter. The agent took the letter, and after quickly perusing it approached a series of files neatly slotted in rows looking for hers. The agent seemed to be having some difficulty because he kept returning to the letter and then scanning the files. "Excuse me Ms. Darcy but it seems your file wasn't pulled this morning. If you can have a seat I'll call you once I've located it."
Darcy and Matthew looked expectantly at her as she returned back towards their seats. "They forgot to pull my file. They need to retrieve it and will call me once they locate it." Darcy's eyebrows shot up while Matthew furrowed his brow, each expressing their confusion and frustration by the delay. Lizzy pulled out one of her required reading books and continued her schoolwork while Darcy and Matthew spent their time scanning emails.
Another hour passed and still Lizzy hadn't been called. Scanning the front desk, the original agent who had called her up was no where to be seen. Turning towards William and Matthew she asked, "Do you think I should be worried that the agent I spoke with hasn't returned yet?"
"It's a bit odd. I wonder if you shouldn't ask to speak with a supervisor. Why don't we get in line together to see where things stand," Matthew suggested. While he wasn't explicitly invited, William joined them. Lizzy could tell by the determined look on his face that she was better off allowing him in line rather than trying to encourage him to stay in his seat. Their wait was only a few minutes before they approached the counter.
"Are you #20?" The agent asked.
"No, I'm number 11 and I've been waiting for over an hour for the agent who originally called me to return with my file. Can I speak with a supervisor?"
The disorder this caused was more than the agent seemed prepared to deal with but after examining the stern looks delivered by the men, decided The easiest way to make them go away was to call a supervisor to the front. Having been assured that the supervisor had been called, they stepped aside to let the real #20 be served. The trio waited for several minutes before a supervisor called for them.
As they approached a middle aged woman dressed neatly in a dark blue suit, the attorney took center stage. "Hello there. Thank you so very much for coming out. I'm Mr. Matthew Fitzwilliam." Extending his hand across the counter, Matthew asked, "And your name?"
"Ms. Wilson."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Wilson. My client, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy was sent a letter requesting she present herself here for a 10:30 appointment. She checked in early, waited for her number to be called, and was told by the agent that her file couldn't be found. The agent has not returned and we were wondering as to when we might expect to be called."
Ms. Wilson looked at them and at the letter which had been slid across the counter during his preamble. The name seemed familiar to her and as she scanned the group before her, images from her favorite magazines, the ones she only permitted herself to read while on the treadmill, refreshed her memory. "I see. I think I need to investigate this matter a bit. I will return within the next thirty minutes. Please sit for a bit longer and I'll call you when I get back." With this statement, Lizzy and Matthew said words of thanks while Darcy gave a stern look in the direction of Ms. Wilson's back. Lizzy could see that William was not pleased to be put off.
Thinking quickly, Lizzy decided she needed to send him off on an errand. "William? I'm really getting hungry. I think the baby is demanding more food and quickly. Can you get me a cup of soup in the cafeteria we spotted downstairs."
William was torn. He didn't want to leave Lizzy but also felt a strong pull to take care of her. Eyeing her with concern she did seem a bit pale. "Are you ill? Do you need to go home?"
"Honestly William, my sugar is just running a bit low. Some soup would set me up perfectly. Do you mind?"
Leaning down to kiss her lips. "Of course not. I'll be back in the blink of an eye."
Matthew was restraining a laugh as he watched William exit. The look of mischief on Lizzy's face forced the laugh out of him however. "You handled him quite well."
She groaned. "He can be quite a worrywart. It stresses me out a bit. What do you think is going on? Why aren't they calling me?"
Matthew shrugged, "I'm not sure. The others who arrived when we did have all been processed. It's a bit strange but I'm not sure what to do aside from wait another half hour to see what Ms. Wilson has to say."
True to his word, William quickly returned, with a towering selection of soup and a bread rolls for the three of them. They set up a small picnic pulling three plastic chairs into a small circle around a small knee high table. William watched Lizzy as she greedily consumed the soup. He was happy to see her eat and yet distressed she seemed so desperate for the food. He would need to ensure she was keeping up her energy stores.
"Elizabeth Darcy?" A voice rang out. Lizzy's head spun round to find Ms. Wilson waiting for her beside the agent who'd originally called her number. "Our apologies for keeping you waiting. My colleague had been searching for your file but we've just learned that your file was pulled by the office director on Friday. Unfortunately he is out of the office today and we won't be able to help you. We apologize for the inconvenience we've caused you and your counsel. If you leave your best number, the Boston Director will contact you on his return."
Lizzy turned white, and William squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her while worrying what this could mean himself. "Is it standard practice for the director to involve himself in cases?"
Ms. Wilson shrugged, "I couldn't say. Unfortunately I don't have any additional information for you at this time. My suggestion remains. Please leave your best contact number and we will call you when we have additional information."
Matthew extracted a business card from his wallet and gave one to each of Ms. Wilson and the agent who had originally sought the file. "My cell phone number is the best number on which to reach me, day or night. If we don't hear from you by the end of tomorrow we will return on Wednesday."
Matthew, William and Lizzy made their way from the office, confused, annoyed and anxious. William was the first to speak, his agitation evident in his voice. "I'm going to call my uncle. We've played this game long enough."
"No!" A slight panic in her voice. Taking a deep breath, Lizzy calmed herself. "Will, I don't want to drag your uncle into this. We've discussed this before and we agreed. Only if they are about to deport me will we ask for his assistance. Let's see what they say to Matthew before reacting."
Before William could speak Matthew jumped in. "Will, I think Lizzy's right here. We'll know more in a day or two and can call on Henry at that point if we need to. We don't want him squawking on the phone attracting even more attention to Lizzy when it might be something simple."
William rolled his eyes. "Are you really that naive? Something doesn't feel right here and I think we've played the game long enough. This stress isn't healthy for Lizzy right now and we can't take the risk that Lizzy gets swept up in the chaos of current political rhetoric."
"Exactly. Which is why we can't get Henry involved. Not yet. Sit tight for the next 48 hours. We'll get additional information soon and can figure out a plan of attack. In the meantime, I'll speak to a couple of colleagues who deal with immigration issues more frequently and see what they have to say about today's non-appointment."
Will shrugged. "I don't like it."
"I know but I really think it's best. Let's head back to campus. We've both got classes this afternoon that we can still make and I'd like a snack before class. Hopefully we'll hear something tomorrow." Lizzy knew she'd have a very hard time focusing in her classes but she needed to do something with the nervous energy pumping through her and being around a stressed out Will was not going to help her stay calm.
"I'll call you tonight and we can talk more. Let me do some research, talk to a few people, and see what I can learn. What time does your class end?"
The men agreed to speak at 8:30 while Lizzy fiddled with her phone in an attempt to find some music to distract her. Wildly speculative ideas were pushing their way into her mind and they were doing her no good. William and Lizzy finally said their goodbyes to Matthew and began to find their way back to campus. The rode in silence for several minutes before William recalled himself.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?" Lizzy asked. Wrinkling her brow, she'd been lost in thought, staring out the window and was genuinely confused by his comment.
"I'm sitting here fuming and I realize I've no right to be upset but you do. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine I guess. Confused, but there's nothing I can do about it. Disappointed too. I keep trying to keep myself in check but I can't help to get my hopes up that with each appointment this will all get resolved. I'll just show up and they'll hand me a temporary green card and I won't have to worry anymore. I know better than to set myself up for disappointment but I can't seem to help myself. This visit, well, I guess I am worried and yet, I'm powerless to do anything about it." Lizzy sighed, "Does that make any sense?"
"Yes. I understand your feelings perfectly. If you ask me, I'm angry...no frustrated is probably a better word. I want this to be all fixed and I don't know what to do to fix it. I don't deal well with situations like these...where I can't control the outcome. I hope Matthew hears something soon. If he doesn't I will call my uncle."
"Alright. We're both very frustrated. Let's turn our minds to something positive that we can control. What's the plan with the restaurant? We got home so late last night that I never heard the outcome of your discussions with Billy."
William groaned. "Can you promise me that we'll never call a child of ours Billy? Even if we name him after me? I swear I've spent too much time with grown men who go by Billy this weekend. How your friend Charlotte dates that man is beyond me. And to then have to spend Sunday with Billy Lopez? All I can say is that there are too many ridiculous men with that name."
Lizzy laughed, grateful for the distraction. She had to agree that both Billy's - Collins and Lopez - presented themselves almost as caricatures. But really, Billy Collins was simply tremendously insecure around Charlie and William and that insecurity manifested itself with superfluous compliments and attempts to impress with an amazing volume of words and commentary on every subject discussed. Even Charlotte, one of the most thick-skinned people Lizzy knew, blushed a few times when her boyfriend ran on a bit too long. Billy Lopez was a different sort. A bit too familiar, a bit too proud of his cooking prowess and very condescending to the women around him. He took Latin machismo to a whole new level. Even though Maria attended their discussions, Lizzy knew Billy spent the entire time attempting to impress William and Matthew barely acknowledging her sister's presence. Lizzy was shaken from her reflections when she heard William was continuing to share his thoughts on the negotiations. "I think we made some good progress yesterday. But if he's going to be successful with the loan he needs, he'll require a better business plan then the one scribbled into that spiral bound notebook. The best thing going for him are the records of the existing business. Maria's done an excellent job continuing to maintain the business records in your father's absence. It's a smart, logical system that's been set up, and the detailed records of the restaurant's longstanding profitability should go a long way towards getting the bank to underwrite the loan for Billy."
Lizzy was smiling but didn't share her thoughts. It was nice to hear William praise her work, even more so when she knew William had no sense that she'd managed the books for the business ever since her father's heart attack when she was 12. Prior to that event, the restaurant's records had been a mess. She'd gotten a book, Bookkeeping for Dummies, from the Connelly branch of the BPL and quickly straightened things out. Over the years she'd refined the basic accounting system to one tailored to the needs of the restaurant. Teaching Maria had been an easy task as her sister proved to have a head for numbers. "I'm glad that part of it is straightforward. Do you think Billy will get the rest of it organized?"
"He just needed a little direction. I've asked him to email me the business plan once it's typed up and he's addressed a few more issues. I suspect it will take him a few days of hunt and peck typing but no one could read his notes." Shaking his head to rid his negative thoughts, William continued with a resigned air. "I know you and Maria would prefer to sell the restaurant and building to someone you know so we'll help him as much as we need to. At least his food is pretty good, even if I can't appreciate his personality or business acumen."
Lizzy nestled deeper into William's arms. "You know, good food will go a long way. It certainly helped papa. Thank you again for helping Maria and I think we've spent more than enough time on that topic. I've missed two classes complete today and think I have time to rest before the third. Want to join me for a nap?"
"I'm happy to watch you rest. C'mon little mama. Let's get you some rest." William pulled Lizzy to stand and tucked her carefully into their bed. Life was good...he just needed to keep it that way.
I didn't get as far as I'd hoped - all the way to Aunt C - but hopefully that will be in the next installment. I'm flying to Cali tomorrow so I will have a long stretch on which to write :)
Comments, constructive criticism, signs of life from readers are all welcomed :) They keep me going...