A/N: Hey everyone! A nice, quick update :-) A good changeup from last few chapters, too. Thank you all for continuing to support this story and my writing, I really appreciate you all! I love reading through what you have to say about the story, too. I know I've said it before, but it makes my day.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
September 2, 1988 | Elizabeth
She folds the last shirt up and places it down in her suitcase, then moves back to the pile of clothing on the bed that was still warm from the dryer. In the middle of folding her pants up, she hears the phone ringing in the kitchen. Throwing the pants down into the suitcase, she rushes to the phone, "Hello?" She answers, leaning against the wall.
"Miss Adams?"
The voice is unfamiliar, and she frowns as she thinks for a moment to try to wrack her brain and figure out who it could be. "Who's asking?" She finally says, the suspicion obvious in her tone.
"This is Miss Kathleen from the bank," the voice replies, "Am I speaking with Elizabeth Adams?"
"Oh, yes," Elizabeth says, straightening up and looking over at Henry who was just walking through the front door from class. "This is Elizabeth."
Kathleen clears her throat, "Miss Adams, I have some saddening news." She says, and Elizabeth shifts her weight and frowns once more, looking at Henry and gesturing for him to come over. She puts the speaker up to both of their ears the best she can before Kathleen continues, "I am overseeing the account of your late parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Adams," she says, "I believe you are aware that Mr. and Mrs. Donald Rogers was left in charge of it until you and your brother were able to have the funds transferred in your names. We were working to get those released; however, Mrs. Rogers has suddenly passed."
"What?" Elizabeth breathes, and she feels Henry's hands around her waist suddenly before she ever even realizes she can't stand on her own. Her legs feel like they suddenly turned into water. "My…she…what?"
"I am so sorry to inform you of this, Miss Adams," Kathleen says, and Elizabeth's hand is pressed up against her eyebrow, her elbow leaned against the wall, "I was afraid that you hadn't been informed yet."
"I had not been." Elizabeth manages to spit out. She looks desperately at Henry and clenches her eyes shut, scrunching her nose up. "Thank you for letting me know."
"That's not all, Miss Adams," Kathleen says, "The reason I am calling is to inform you that your funds have been released from Mr. and Mrs. Adams' account, but also to inform you that there is a large sum of inheritance left to you and the young Mr. Adams from the Rogers." She says.
Elizabeth leans her shoulder against the wall, absolutely stunned, "Their kids…"
"Are also in the will, Miss Adams, but they name you as the main beneficiary." She explains softly. "This requires you to come down to the bank and sign for the funds to be transferred into your name, as well as Mr. Adams."
She rubs her temple again and shakes her head, "But Will is only seventeen." She murmurs.
"He's old enough to sign, he just won't receive the funds officially until he's eighteen next year."
"Oh." She says, looking at Henry and grimacing, "We'll be down Mond—" She stops herself, remembering that this is obviously not the plan that will work since Labor Day is this Monday, "Well, Tuesday. I'll make sure Will can come."
"Thank you, Miss Adams. Again, I am so sorry to have to inform you this way," Kathleen replies.
"Thank you," Elizabeth says, running her hand through her hair and swallowing hard, "Oh, and Miss Kathleen," she manages, "Can I ask how much was left to me?"
"From the Adams account or the Rogers account?"
"Either—both—I—both, I guess." She stutters.
Kathleen clears her throat and Elizabeth can hear her rustle some papers in the background, "The Adams account left $200,000 to you, and the Rogers account left $200,000 as well."
Elizabeth's legs give out, but Henry is right there to catch her completely, holding her in his arms until he can reach the lawn chair and pull it up to her. She sits down and takes a shaky breath, "Oh—wow." She mumbles, looking up at Henry whose eyes were as wide as quarters. She thinks back to when her aunt told her how much she was supposed to get from her parents, and it was only $50,000, according to her. She frowns and asks, "I was told it would be $50,000 from the Adams account. Did I miss something?"
"No, Miss Adams. It says in your parents' will that their assets were to be split in half."
Elizabeth swallows hard, "I—I'll be there Tuesday."
Once they say their goodbyes, she hangs the phone up and looks at Henry after rubbing her eyes and letting her hands scrape down her face to her neck, "Oh my God." She finally says, "Did that just…happen? For real?" She asks, shaking her head.
He laughs and rubs his hand through his own hair before sitting down on the floor beside her feet, leaning back against the wall. "Four-hundred thousand dollars…" he mumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What the hell are you going to do with $400,000?"
She shakes her head and closes her eyes frantically, "I can't even think about that much money right now." She murmurs. "It's not possible. If they left me that much, I wonder how much they left Will?"
"I'm guessing half?" Henry says.
"I didn't think my parents had any money." She says. "And Aunt Patty? She's…" she shakes her head, trying to wrap her mind around it all. "How did she even die?"
"Maybe you should call her kids?"
Elizabeth huffs, almost sounding like a laugh, "Well," she says, "Melissa is in jail the last I knew for heroin, and Thomas has been teaching in Japan ever since he graduated college." She explains, "So I have no idea how to even contact them, and Thomas would be the only one who I'd really be able to talk to about it all anyway."
Henry sighs and shakes his head, "This is crazy."
Elizabeth closes her eyes, thinking back to when she was first shipped off to her aunt and uncle's house after her parents had died. Melissa was a year younger than her, but Thomas was in his senior year of high school when Elizabeth arrived there. He didn't want much to do with her, but he'd take her under his wing every so often. Thomas was a really great guy—the closest thing to a big brother Elizabeth ever had, even if he wasn't all that involved in her life. Melissa, on the other hand, was always getting in trouble the whole time Elizabeth lived there. Many times Elizabeth had stopped her from dragging Will into the trouble with her, but Elizabeth doesn't even want to know what trouble Will did manage to get into with Melissa. She knows they both caused too much trouble over the summers when Will was home from boarding school.
She sighs and puts her forehead down into her palms, her elbows resting on her thighs, "I just can't believe all of this, Henry," She whispers, "I can't believe she's gone."
He reaches up and puts his hand on her knee, his fingers gently rubbing her elbow, "I'm sorry, babe, I really am." He says softly.
She looks at him and swallows thick, "We weren't close, really. But she was Mom's last living relative other than…well, me and Will." She states, "And she took me in. That was something."
Henry nods, "She did."
"But," Elizabeth starts again, looking up at Henry and folding her hands together, her elbows still on her thighs, "Did she do it out of the goodness of her heart? Or did she just feel obligated? Because she just shipped us right off to boarding school." She says, then squints her eyes, "And how the hell did my parents have that much money? And why did Aunt Patty tell me it was $50,000 instead of the full amount?" She asks, trying to understand the whole situation.
"What did your dad do?" Henry asks, frowning a little.
Elizabeth laughs sadly, shaking her head and looking down. "Honestly? I don't know." She answers, "Which is ridiculous, right? I knew he went to conferences on the weekends and stuff like that, but I never knew for sure what he did." She explains, "I was fifteen years old. How did I not know what my dad did for a living?"
Henry takes her hand and squeezes her fingers a little, "Don't beat yourself up about it, that's the last thing you need to do." He leans over and kisses her knee, the best he can do with the position he's in, "Did your mom work?"
"She went to work when Will started kindergarten." Elizabeth replies, "She was a bank teller."
"Which bank?"
"Virginia Trust." She replies, then frowns a little and looks at Henry, "If she was a teller at Virginia Trust, why is Commonwealth Commerce handling their finances?" She asks.
Henry's attention is obviously piqued as he looks at her wildly, "You're right." He answers, "Do you know anyone she worked with there?"
She shakes her head, "She never really talked about work at all." She answers, "Surely…" her voice trails as she shrugs and stands up, "I can't talk myself into this hole again."
"Again?" He asks as he makes his way to his feet, trying to catch up with her as she's quickly making her way to the bedroom and throwing items in her suitcase sloppily.
"Again." She replies. "I had a lot of theories about their deaths whenever they died. It's just my mind's way of…handling it." She says and shakes her head, stuffing her underwear into the sides of her suitcase wherever they'll fit, "And I wasn't handling it by putting myself in that hole over and over again so I can't do it again." She says, shoving some socks down into the ends aggressively enough to shake the bed.
"Babe, babe." Henry says, leaning over the bed and gently putting his hand over hers, "Elizabeth, breathe," he whispers, looking up at her before taking her hand and putting it in both of his, giving it a little squeeze, "We don't have to talk about it anymore, okay? Let's just…let's get this weekend over with and get back and get back to our schedules and our normal life."
"Will life be normal after this, Henry?" She asks, leaning tiredly against the bed and looking at him, "I mean…$400,000? What am I going to do with that?"
He crawls up to his knees and over to her, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pushing her suitcase to the side. She feels his arms wrap around her waist before he pulls her in, and he sets his chin on her chest and looks up at her, "I'm sure you'll figure it out," he says.
She looks down at him, her face drooping, "Henry…" she whispers before sighing, "I want us to figure it out."
"It's your money." Henry answers.
She shakes her head, "I don't want it to all be mine." She admits, "I want to use it…maybe we can pay Mark finally or…" she shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know…maybe we can…" she laughs a little, biting her lip. "I have no idea."
He pulls her down on top of him as he leans back on the bed, kissing her on the forehead, "I love you, and I'm willing to help you if you want help with it. But it's yours. I don't want to…take it."
"We'll figure it out together."
"Together." Henry answers, kissing her on the nose, "Now, let's finish packing and get this weekend going."
She smiles a little at him, looking back and forth between his eyes and his lips a few times before finally settling on his eyes, "Are you excited to go home?" She asks, "It's been so long since you've been there. Amanda must miss you."
He gives her a little smile, and it makes her chest ache just slightly. She can see how much that hurt him to mention Amanda—the only person he truly didn't want to hurt in the very least, aside from Elaine. "I am." He says and swallows thick. She notices him doing the same thing, looking between her lips and her eyes, "I've missed home. I'm not sure I'm ready to face Maureen and Dad, but…" he shakes his head, "Mom doesn't deserve me giving all of them the cold shoulder just because of something two people in that house did."
"And Maureen isn't even in the house." Elizabeth adds, "Maybe she won't be there?"
"Oh, you know that won't be the case," he says and laughs, "You know she'll drop everything to be there."
She gives him the same little smile he gave her earlier, "I know, I was just trying to make it better." She says and bites her lip, leaning down to kiss his. "I'll be happy to go to Duquesne."
He raises his brow, "Oh yeah?"
"That incline has a special place in my heart, McCord." She says, putting her hand on his chest before pushing herself off him and standing up.
She hadn't been intimate at all with him since their fight. Since…whatever that was. She'd not even really wanted to kiss him until a few days after at least, but she didn't deny him whenever he leaned in. She didn't want to feel that mad at him. Not after he apologized, at least. Over the last few days, though, he's become the same Henry she'd always loved. He's not that scary version of himself that she'd never wanted to meet, but he was the adoring nerd of a man who asked her on a date on that soccer field on a chilly February night. That was the Henry McCord she always loved. And that's who he's become once more.
"I gotta admit," Henry says, sitting up and zipping his own suitcase, "That incline has a pretty special place in my heart, too." He says, giving her a gentle smile from across the bed. "Remember the last night we stayed there?"
She smirks as she finishes putting her things in, zipping her suitcase up and leaning against is, "How could I forget?" She asks and bites her lip, walking over to him and kissing him again, "Let's get going before it gets a little too exciting." She whispers, patting him on the butt before turning and exiting the bedroom.
September 2, 1988 | Henry
"There's my babies!" Elaine says as she's running down the steps outside, rubbing her hands down her apron and leaving flour streaks behind, "Oh, what a sight you two are!"
She hugs Elizabeth first and Henry groans, "Oh, she's the favorite now?" He teases.
Elaine looks at him and smirks, "Of course she is." She answers matter-of-factly, "Come here," she says, gesturing to Henry before he walks over to her, hugging him tight. "I just finished rolling out cookies for you two. I hope you're hungry because there's a roast in the oven right now."
"A roast?" Elizabeth says, her eyes wide. "Mrs. Elaine, you didn't have to do all that for us." She says.
"Oh, pish posh." She says and shakes her head while Henry gets the bags out of the back of the Bronco, "You kids need good food—I saw what was in Henry's fridge, I can only imagine what they feed you on the campus." She says while walking up the front steps.
Henry just looks over at Elizabeth and they both are wearing a Cheshire grin, both looking incredibly guilty. "It's not great food, that's for sure," Elizabeth murmurs, trying to not sound as guilty as she feels.
"There they are," Maureen says, sitting in the living room when they walk in. She doesn't get up or even really look at them, but instead just nods to the playpen that was set up in the dining room, "Amanda's over there."
Henry feels his heart leap when she tells him that, even though it wasn't a friendly greeting. He sets their bags down right where he'd walked in at and heads right for the playpen, scooping Amanda into his arms. "There's my sweet niece," he coos, immediately bouncing her and making her laugh.
She looks around at the people looking at her, "She's gotten so much more observant." Elizabeth says.
"She has, she's really grown fast," Elaine says.
Henry smiles and kisses Amanda's forehead, "Uncle Henry missed you," he says, then gasps dramatically when Amanda reaches out for Elizabeth who's standing next to him. "Oh, I see how it is. You little traitor." He teases as he passes her over to Elizabeth.
He smiles as he watches Elizabeth bounce her, so much more comfortable than the last time he'd given Amanda to her. Obviously newborns weren't her thing, but apparently nine-month-olds are better for her. "Hi sweet girl," she's cooing as Henry stands back and watches the scene unfold, "Did you miss me?" She asks before Amanda slams her body into Elizabeth's chest, tucking her head in her neck.
Elizabeth's eyes shoot up to meet Henry's, and when he meets hers, he sees tears in her eyes.
"Look at that," Elizabeth whispers, putting her hand on Amanda's back and laying her head on top of hers.
Henry walks over and kisses Elizabeth's cheek, "She knows who her Aunt Elizabeth is," he whispers, kissing her lips before kissing Amanda's head.
Elizabeth looks at him with furrowed brows, "Aunt Elizabeth?" She asks.
He smiles, "Don't you plan on being part of this insane family for the rest of our lives?"
She bites her lip and looks down at Amanda, resting her head on hers again.
September 3, 1988 | Elizabeth
She walks downstairs sleepily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she attempts to make herself look alive. How is this family full of morning people and full of night owls at the same time? She wonders to herself, reaching the bottom step before seeing Henry and Maureen on the front steps, sitting next to each other. She tip toes over to the front window, noticing that it's open. Her ethical side is telling her not to eavesdrop. But…
"Remember when we used to come out here and hide while Mom and Dad were into it?" Henry asks, nudging Maureen's shoulder with his.
She looks over at him, "I know you're trying to start a conversation with me," she says, "And I don't get why. Amanda and I were just out here enjoying a late summer morning." She says, rocking her baby side to side.
Henry sighs, and Elizabeth shifts and folds her arms while watching them, "I made a promise to Elizabeth to not start a fight," he says, looking down in his lap as he clears his throat, "And I love her enough to not break that promise. But that's what I came to talk to you about, Maureen." He says.
Elizabeth shifts uncomfortably, hoping that it wouldn't cause a fight between them no matter what he says. She didn't need that to happen again—having to leave yet another holiday weekend early.
"I love Elizabeth." Henry says, and Elizabeth's eyes widen as she watches the back of the siblings. He looks over at his sister, "Unless something terrible happens, she's going to be part of this family, and I want you to treat her like she's part of this family. Maybe a little nicer than the rest of us, actually. She's going to be my wife." He says it so surely that Elizabeth feels her stomach drop a little before she sits down on the couch beside the window.
By the time she's regaining her breath, he's already starting again, "And if we have kids—and God, I want kids with that woman—you'll treat them like good family. I have been nothing but nice to you in our adult ages, Maureen, and I want the same respect paid to Elizabeth and whatever other family we bring into this world together. She's going to be a part of me, and I need you to be good to her. She doesn't deserve…" his voice trails off, and Elizabeth is glad because she realizes he's almost let it slip that he knows what Maureen called her.
It was so quiet that Elizabeth peeked around the window to make sure that she hadn't been busted. Just as she was peeking, Maureen clears her throat, "I guess Mom must've told you what I called her." She says.
Henry just shakes his head and shrugs, not revealing one way or another.
"Fine," She says and sighs, "I'll try to be nicer to her."
He looks over at her and smiles a little, "Try hard, Maureen." He says, "We spent our whole childhood being little. Being small." He corrects, "Let's not grow up to be like dad and be small adults who are just trying to make ourselves big in this world."
She looks over at him and furrows her brows, "Who are you and what did you do with my kid brother?" She asks.
Elizabeth smiles to herself, thinking how much Maureen sounds like when she talks to Will sometimes. That little exchange especially. When Elizabeth sees Will, he's always grown so much each time, becoming older and wiser too quickly.
"I've had time to reflect on things," Henry answers softly, "And I don't want to end up like Dad. I love him, and I know you do too, but he's not a good man. I want to love you, and I want you to love my family, too." He says, "And Elizabeth is my family."
Maureen sighs, "Fine, fine," she says, "Amanda seems to like her."
Henry laughs quietly, "Yeah, she does. She traded me in yesterday."
She smiles and looks down at Amanda, then over to her brother and raises her brow suspiciously, "Well, I guess this is as good and tender time as ever to tell you another one's on the way."
Elizabeth almost jumps off the couch, but she restrains herself and just listens closely. "Another…another baby?" Henry asks, sounding shocked.
"No, another dog." She says dryly, "Yes, dimwit." She states after Elizabeth hears a soft smack on what sounds like his arm, "Gene and I are expecting again."
When Elizabeth looks out the window, Henry is just leaning over to hug his sister and kiss her cheek, "Congrats, Sis." He says.
September 3, 1988 | Henry
"I have something to tell you," Elizabeth whispers, laying in his arms.
He's been rubbing her back for the last five minutes in total silence, listening to the faint sounds of traffic from somewhere off the incline. It's cool enough outside to not make them sweat too much, but still warm enough to make their bodies a little sticky. When he hears her say that, his stomach drops and his breath hitches, "Yeah?" He asks, trying to not sound scared out of his mind.
She looks up at him and blinks a few times, and the suspense is starting to eat at him. He's just about to ask her again before she finally starts talking, "I eavesdropped on you and Maureen."
"Oh God," Henry lets his breath out that he'd been holding, closing his eyes, "You were scaring me." He says, "What'd you hear?"
"The whole conversation," Elizabeth admits sheepishly.
"The part about me wanting you to be my wife?" Henry prompts.
She nods, closing her eyes and snuggling down deeper into his body. Her legs wrap around his and tangle up with his feet, "Did you mean it?" She whispers.
"I meant it." Henry scoots her closer, kissing her forehead, "I'm dead serious about you being my wife."
She smiles a little and bites her lip, looking up at him and rolling on top of his body, taking the sheet and putting it on top of her before lying her head down on his chest, "Good. I'm tired of answering the phone at home and saying 'Hello?' like an idiot instead of saying 'McCord House' or whatever." She murmurs, snuggling him close.
He laughs, "That's why you want to be my wife?"
She smirks and picks her head up to look at him, "That. This." She shrugs, biting her lip as she moves her hips a little. He wraps his arms around the small of her back, his hands rubbing up and down on the skin just above her tailbone. "The thought of you being my husband isn't all so bad, either." She coos.
"When?" He blurts out.
It takes her by surprise judging by the look on her face, and he laughs as she tries to figure out what to say. "When what?" She asks, clearly stalling.
"When can I marry you?"
She widens her eyes and looks at him, tilting her head and pursing her lips, "Henry McCord," she says, "I know this isn't a proposal."
"No," he says quickly, "It isn't. I plan on proposing to you in a way better way than this." He coos.
She smirks, "I knew you couldn't be so sleazy as to propose to me in the back of your Bronco after we just had sex." She says with a laugh, then lays her head back on his chest, "I want to finish school before I get married."
He nods, "Okay." He says and swallows thick, thinking about how she's only a sophomore. How he, still, has this year and one more to go before he's finished even. "But…when can I propose?"
"Oh, now that you can do any time." She coos, and he can tell she's grinning when she says it. "Any time you want, McCord, any time you want."