Sully tossed and turned violently in his sleep. His body couldn't stay still as his unconscious mind took control. It wasn't a full-blown dream or vision of the future that he'd seen before, instead he saw flashes of muddled darkness.
It was as if he was walking through a storm cloud; cold and gloomy. He saw the world around him in shades of gray instead of in color.
The first thing he saw on his trek was Hanna. She was lying on the ground, wailing in pain. Sully rushed to her and tried to pick her up so he could soothe whatever ailment she had. However, once he put his hands on her, she was suddenly gone. She disappeared into the darkness and all that remained was smeared bright red blood in the palms of his hands. Although she was gone from his sight, he could still hear her shrill and heartbreaking screams.
"HANNA!" he yelled. He looked all around, his eyes searching for her in the foggy darkness, but she wasn't there.
Sully continued to toss back and forth in his bed. His hands involuntarily grabbed the sides of his pillow and pulled it up, so it covered his ears. The sounds of Hanna's screams were drumming in his head and were grating his nerves.
Next, the scene in front of him suddenly flashed to something else and he saw Zachary. The boy stared blankly at Sully with a dazed and hollow look in his eyes.
"Zac," Sully called, reaching out his hand.
Zachary said nothing, instead the boy robotically got on the back of Hank's motorcycle. Sully watched in horror as the motorcycle's engine revved up and started moving away, carrying Zachary away with it.
"ZACHARY!" Sully shouted, and started to run after him, but he couldn't catch up.
Sully stopped to catch his breath, and then looked up and stared in the distance, "What is that?" He questioned to himself. Zachary was too far away from Sully, at that point, to be able to take hold of his son's hand, but Zachary was close enough that Sully could see that there was something or someone else out there with the boy too. It was hard to see, with all of the gray cloudiness around him but Sully squinted his eyes and could make out the figure of a small child. Her curly red hair was what stood out to him the most, it was very vibrant compared to everything else. He knew it was Mia, but she wasn't on the bike with Zachary, instead she was attached to Hank's motorcycle by a chain around her wrist. She was being dragged away, as well, but on the rough ground; her limp body bounced with every bump on the road.
Sully still hadn't woken up, but he'd switched directions on his bed. His head was now facing the foot of the bed as he continued to toss and turn.
"You promised me!" Sully heard a female voice say as his nightmare continued, "All I asked you to do was take care of the kids, and you couldn't even do that."
"Abagail?" Sully whispered, recognizing her voice. He turned and found himself face to face with her ghost. She was as gray as everything else in his dream, with the exception of her bright red lips and tongue. He tried to reach for her hand, but he couldn't touch her. His hand went right through hers, and if felt like he was touching mist. Her entire body appeared holographic to him.
"You're a failure!" The ghost screeched, "You're a horrible father! You were a worthless husband!"
Sully was on all fours in the middle of his bed now, but still hadn't come back to the conscious world. His head hung down, touching his hands which were out in front of him.
As luck would have it, Loren had asked to take the kids for the night and agreed to take Mia too. It was a very good thing, because if they were at home, he would have probably woken them up.
He began grunting, whimpering and shouting out the word, "No!"
"Sully," a sweet ethereal voice called his name, "Calm down, Sweetheart."
Everything in his line of sight froze. His surroundings turned from cool gray tones to warm beige tones.
"Michaela?" Sully whispered in question. He was walking out of the storm cloud now, and into a beautiful meadow. He suddenly found himself surrounded by tall grass, wildflowers, and sunshine.
"It's just a dream," her voice said soothingly, "It's just a dream."
He made his way toward her. It was difficult to see her face because she was mostly blocked from his sight by a small burst of sunlight. Nevertheless, he could make out her basic form. He could see her shape, her hair, and her hands. On her left hand was that diamond engagement ring that he couldn't seem to find in the conscious world.
"It's just a dream," Michaela's voice said once more, and Sully felt his nerves relax.
Sully opened his eyes slowly, awaking from his cruel nightmare that had just ended in an unusual way especially for a nightmare; pleasantly and peacefully. After he'd awoken, he found that he was curled up into a ball. He sat up and reached for the closest thing he could find, which was his cell phone that was sitting on his nightstand. He found the torch feature, turned it on, and used it to light the way. He walked to the light switch that was near the doorway of his bedroom, and then he switched on the light.
"What the..." Sully commented aloud. When he turned around and looked at his bed, he found that he had tossed so much in his sleep, that he'd completely stripped his bed. His pillows were on the floor, and his sheets and blankets were like a wadded-up messy cinnamon roll in the middle of his bed.
Taking a deep breath, he returned to his nightstand. He turned off the flashlight on his phone and set it down on the table; then he remade his bed. Once he was finished, he used his phone as a torch again, so he could turn off his main bedroom light. Finally, he was able to lay back down in his bed again and relax.
Opting to look through his phone, instead of immediately going back to sleep, he made two discoveries. The first thing he learned was that it was about 5:00 in the morning. That meant he could try to make himself get at least one more hour of sleep. Secondly, he found that he'd received a text message from Michaela. It looked like she'd sent the message about a half-an-hour prior.
She was up early. Even though it was two hours ahead in Boston, it was still rather early for being on vacation. He tapped his phone and grinned slightly.
Michaela: Good morning, Sweetheart. I know you won't be up for another couple of hours, but I wanted my message to be your first greeting of the day. I miss you terribly, and I love you.
He decided he better wait another hour, and then text her back. She may worry if he texted her too soon. Boy, he thought to himself. She certainly did make him feel good that morning in more ways than one.
What was that dream all about? It didn't feel like a vision, but yet he saw the engagement ring that she'd been wearing in the visions that he had before. Perhaps it was just his subconscious playing out his insecurities about the future, but goodness, what a nightmare!
Michaela and her three children had now been in Boston for two days. So far, the visit had been… okay.
Her children were having a great time, especially Matthew. He said he missed his friends at school and hanging around with Zac; nevertheless, his cousins were around his age, mostly, so he was certainly enjoying his social time with them. Colleen and Brian were loving being back in Boston for a visit also. Being younger than everyone else, they had both taken very well to being spoiled rotten by their aunts and older cousins.
Michaela found that she was getting along the best with Rebecca's children, Jamie, Gardner, and Eliza, during this visit. They were so close to her in age that they were more like her cousins than her niece and nephews.
Her mother and sister, Rebecca, were behaving in their usual manners. Her sister was in her classic cheerful mood, but she was naturally very much preoccupied with Gardner's wedding. He was her son after all. Elizabeth was happy to see her and the children, but like Rebecca, she was busy with Gardner's wedding as well.
When she wasn't in the company of her nieces and nephews, her children, her mother, or Rebecca, she found herself in the company of her three other sisters, Marjorie, Claudette and Maureen. Socializing with them could be a little more difficult…
That morning, she and those three sisters sat at the dining room table in their mother's house to enjoy a small continental breakfast.
"When the children return from their fittings, would you please try not to consume all of their attention?" Claudette demanded of Marjorie, "Especially when it comes to Brian. We all want a chance to be with the baby, Marjorie."
Marjorie scoffed, and then opted to twist the knife, "Perhaps he prefers warmth. The only thing one feels when looking into your eyes, Claudette, is subzero temperatures. That can be frightening for a small child."
"Interesting comment for a childless woman to make," Claudette let out her own zinger, "You don't know the first thing about child rearing."
"I don't have to know anything about child rearing to be Brian's favorite aunt," Marjorie clapped back, "Forgive me, I must amend my statement," Marjorie laughed slightly, "I believe that all of Mother's grandchildren prefer my company to yours. Even when it comes to your own children."
Michaela stifled a sigh, and nibbled on her pastry, while Marjorie and Claudette continued to bicker. They'd been fighting non-stop, and it was growing tiresome. She didn't remember them fighting like that before she'd left.
As they were sitting at the table, Michaela's cell phone dinged a few times. She tapped it and then read her text messages.
Sully: Good morning! Got your message. Loved that it was the first thing I read this morning. Right now, I'm having a sweet treat for breakfast.
Sully: I miss you of course, and tasting this much sugar in the morning could only make me think of how much I miss your lips. They're sweeter than pure sugar.
Michaela: Flirt!
Sully: Always.
Sully: Text you later, love you.
Michaela: You better! Love you right back!
Michaela must have been smiling widely, because when she looked up, her sisters were staring at her and waiting to hear what her message was about. She placed her phone face down on the table, "What?" she asked the table, not wanting to give them details about her private message.
"I thought for a moment that Rebecca had sent you pictures of the children dressed up," Marjorie commented, "I guess not."
"I wasn't texting with Rebecca," Michaela informed them, "It was my boyfriend...um... Sully."
The reaction to her announcement was mixed to say the least. Marjorie perked up wanting to know all about the new man in her sister's life, Claudette was indifferent, and Maureen groaned, making it known that she didn't approve.
Claudette held up her hands, signaling to Maureen that it may not be as bad as she thinks, "Perhaps you can tell us about Sully. Mother's description of him was somewhat ambivalent."
Michaela stopped herself from sighing aloud. Her mother's opinion was often vastly different from hers, and she wondered how much damage control she needed to do. Then again, her sisters, particularly Maureen and Claudette, often saw eye-to-eye with Elizabeth about what makes an appropriate partner, and Michaela wasn't sure if it was even possible to get them to see Sully in a positive light, "What do you want to know?"
"Mother described him as polite and handsome," Marjorie spoke first, her eyes sparkling, "She also said he has a certain ruggedness about him. It sounded rather exciting, as far as I'm concerned. Do you have a picture?"
Michaela's eyes brightened. She had never expected her mother to complement Sully in that way. Pleased about it, she immediately picked up her phone and found the picture that she had taken with him a few months prior at the Church Christmas party. She showed Marjorie first.
Marjorie's face lit up, "Rugged indeed. Do you think that he would ever consider posing nude?"
"WHAT!" Michaela practically shrieked as Claudette and Maureen groaned. She pulled her phone back and held it to her chest as if she was protecting Sully.
"Hear me out," Marjorie attempted to placate them, "It's my latest business venture."
"She means it's her latest venture in pornography," Maureen mumbled.
"Ignore her," Claudette remarked with a roll of her eyes.
"Michaela!" Marjorie spoke above her other two sisters, "Do you remember the sexy man calendar that I sent everyone when my divorce was finalized?"
"How could I forget?" Michaela replied.
"A friend of mine and I are designing our own calendar filled with artful nudes," Marjorie explained to Michaela.
"Artful nudes," Claudette scoffed.
"We have several models already," Marjorie said, "We don't have a rugged cowboy type, yet, and your Sully would be perfect."
"I suppose he should take that as a compliment," Michaela replied, "I will thank you on his behalf, but he will not be posing for that."
"Says who?" Marjorie questioned.
"Says me!" Michaela stood her ground.
"Maureen and I didn't get to see the rugged cowboy," Claudette intervened, "So if you wouldn't mind getting off the topic of artful nudes..."
"Just ask him, Michaela," Marjorie insisted, "I wouldn't ask him to pose for free."
"His body isn't for sale, Marjorie," Michaela replied as she showed the picture of herself and Sully to Claudette first and then Maureen.
"I agree with Marjorie and Mother that he's handsome," Claudette commented, "but I have questions."
"Oh?" Marjorie interjected, "Did you hear that? She agrees with me about something."
"What kind of questions?" Michaela asked as she closed the photo app on her phone and placed it back down on the table.
"Mother said he doesn't have very much in the way of an education," Claudette commented.
"Who cares?" Marjorie cut in, "She was already married to a CPA with a bachelor's in finance. What did that get her?"
"Three beautiful children for one," Claudette snapped, "I think your point also illustrates my point. Michaela is highly educated. It was hard enough for her to make a marriage work with a man who is also highly educated, but not as educated as she is. How can one plan to make a marriage work with a man who isn't educated at all?" Claudette turned her attention to Michaela and said, "Looks fade. Then what? What do you possibly have in common with someone like him?"
"Who says their getting married?" Marjorie scoffed, Michaela had yet to say anything about marriage.
"We have a lot in common," Michaela told Claudette, speaking over Marjorie.
"Such as?" Claudette asked.
"We're both parents with natural and adopted children," Michaela explained, "We see eye-to-eye on child rearing for sure."
"What else?" Claudette inquired.
"We're starting to develop hobbies together," Michaela continued, "Horseback riding is one of our latest hobbies. We enjoy having family nights, we go to church on Sunday, and we're going away together when I return home."
"HE'S A HICK, MICHAELA!" Maureen shouted, causing the three other women at the table to get quiet and look in her direction, "He's an uneducated farm boy! As far as I can see, you like him because he's handsome and he's giving you what you weren't getting from your ex-husband. Better than Ethan can't be your only standard for selecting a suitable mate!"
Michaela couldn't reply. She was in too much shock upon hearing her sister's outburst. She knew deep down that Maureen would feel that way, but she hadn't expected Maureen to abruptly shout it at her.
"Do you hear yourself, Michaela? Do you even care about yourself anymore?" Maureen questioned.
"I'm with a warm-hearted, loving, family-oriented man, who wants to build a life with me," Michaela rebutted, finally finding the words, "I don't care about his education. He makes me happy. What's wrong with that?"
"Michaela," Maureen said with a sigh, "So far I've heard that your plan is to live on a farm, in the middle of nowhere. What are you going to do all day? Gaze thoughtlessly at that handsome country-bumpkin, hick? Raise your children to be plow-horses?"
"He's not a hick! Stop calling him that," Michaela snapped at her sister, "Other than spending time with the man that I love, who is not a farmer, and our children, I do run my own practice too. I AM a doctor, or did you forget that?"
"What exactly does he do for a living?" Claudette inquired but Michaela didn't hear her question.
"No, I didn't forget, Michaela!" Maureen replied angrily, "The question is, did you forget to look in the mirror this morning?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Michaela inquired.
"You look like a farmer!" Maureen yelled, "You haven't bothered to flat iron your hair since you've been here, you just have it tied up in that side braid, you're wearing flannel and blue jeans. We are supposed to meet Mother and Rebecca at the Star Isle for lunch, please tell me that you brought something suitable to wear."
"I think you're being harsh, Maureen," Marjorie interjected.
"I know how to dress for the Star Isle, Maureen," Michaela countered, "As for my current attire, I'm wearing it because it's comfortable. This is our childhood home. We've been known to sit around in our pajamas here. Is there a dress code now? Do you expect me to go upstairs and put on a Chanel suit?"
"What if someone was coming over?" Maureen asked.
"Who's coming over that would care how I look?" Michaela asked back.
"No one," Claudette interrupted, shooting an angry look in Maureen's direction.
"Well, then if you don't mind, I'm going upstairs to my room," Michaela said, getting up to leave, "I need to make sure my attire is up to your standards for the Star Isle." Then she left the table to be alone.
"Michaela," Marjorie said, and got up to follow her.
Once Marjorie and Michaela were out of earshot, Claudette asked, "Have you lost your mind?"
"I was just speaking honestly," Maureen answered.
"I thought the plan was to try to get her to move home," Claudette scolded, "Not to get her on the next plane out of here."
"I'll fix it," Maureen insisted.
"I certainly hope so," Claudette said sternly, "She isn't angry at me, so I will see if I can smooth things over before we go to lunch."
"That wasn't a vision, Sully. It was just a bad dream," Snowbird insisted as she was whisking a few eggs in a clear blue bowl, "Get the bacon out."
"It didn't feel like the visions of the future that I've had before," Sully admitted. He got up from his spot at his mother's kitchen table and traveled to her refrigerator to retrieve a packet of thick sliced applewood bacon. He opened the plastic pouch and then handed it to Snowbird. Then he walked to the breadbox that was on her counter. He retrieved a few slices of multigrain bread and threw them in the toaster, "If what I've dreamt before were truly visions."
Sully hadn't planned on seeing Snowbird that day, but after that crazy dream he'd had, he didn't feel like he had any choice. He had to see her and talk about it, so he went to her home for breakfast.
Fortunately for him, Loren had taken Zachary and Hanna to school. Loren brought Mia to the store with him, and then Snowbird got Grey Eyes to go to the store to pick her up. Mia was currently in Grey Eyes' home completing her schoolwork.
Snowbird had to take the day off for a few appointments, but still was able to make time for breakfast with her son.
"Because they weren't visions," Snowbird continued, wanting to drive the point home, "You are nervous about something, probably several things. The new business model for the ranch, the sale of your cattle, Michaela being out of town, take your pick. Your nerves are manifesting themselves into pretty dramatic nightmares. Shades of gray with flashes of red sounds like it came out of Schindler's List."
Sully laughed to himself. He'd seen Schindler's List only once, and that was when he was in high school. He could see the point that Snowbird was making. What he saw in his unconscious mind during the previous night was just a very elaborate nightmare.
"I just know that it was scary…" he explained, still wanting his mother's advice, "... until the end."
As they were talking, Sully retrieved a bottle of orange juice and a tub of Kerrygold butter from the refrigerator and placed both items on the already set table. He and Snowbird had half-drunk mugs of coffee on the table as well and Sully took the initiative to grab the coffee pot and refill both of their mugs.
As her son was getting the table ready, Snowbird dumped the freshly cooked bacon out of her frying pan and onto a plate that was covered with a paper towel. Then she poured her whisked egg mixture into the pan so she could make scrambled eggs.
"Sully, nobody knows what ghosts look like," his mother pointed out as an example of why the dream wasn't real, "What you saw in your mind is what is often shown in popular culture. Your mind is trying to make sense of stress. Losing the children, the children being hurt, disappointing Abagail or anyone that you love, is a fear for you. Your mind turned the stressors that you are experiencing right now, into those images. That's all it was."
Sully nodded; he knew she was right.
"Michaela showing up at the end, making everything better means…well… she is a very soothing presence for you. She has the ability to keep you calm and make you think straight." Snowbird added, also thinking to herself that she wouldn't mind if Michaela became her daughter-in-law sooner rather than later. She didn't know of Sully's plans to propose. She simply wished he would get a move on and ask Michaela to be his.
"That's for sure," Sully agreed. Gosh, he missed Michaela. Hopefully, the next time she goes to Boston, they will be engaged or married, and then they could all go together as a family, and he wouldn't have to miss her.
Six Quinn women sat around a solid mahogany table that was adorned with a lovely lace tablecloth. Each of the women sipped on a cup of tea. Elizabeth opted for the Queen Victoria Afternoon Tea and Lunch for herself and her five daughters and was pleased when everyone agreed without a hint of protest from any of them.
Elizabeth was happy to be at the glamorous restaurant located inside the Star Isle Hotel of Beacon Hill, but as she looked around the table, she found this moment to be a little bittersweet. It was a wonderful thing that she was on a family outing with all of her daughters. They all appeared to be content with their own lives and were thankfully blessed with good health. On the other hand, it was a little disconcerting to her that she was sitting at a table with five women that were brought up in the same house, but the table was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Did they really have nothing to say to one another?
Michaela, who made sure to present herself as if she had just walked out of a Vogue cover shoot, was still hurt because of Maureen's outburst earlier that morning. She sat quietly preparing herself for more verbal attacks that she was sure were headed her way. She would stand-up for herself, and for Sully, if she felt that she had to, but she was hoping she didn't have to. Other than her nephew's wedding taking place, she came on this trip because she wanted to visit with her family, create some memories with her children and to have fun. She did not want to fight with anyone.
Maureen sat in silence as well. Instead of thinking of more verbal attacks to unleash on Michaela, she was trying to figure out ways to display her concerns that weren't outright insulting.
Marjorie sat quietly too, but she wasn't upset about anything, she was simply smiling because she knew she was getting on her sister's nerves. She had a cup of tea on her table but was currently sipping a mixed drink. She couldn't help but be pleased with herself because of Claudette's obvious disapproval. It served her right, Marjorie thought. Who did Claudette think she was to constantly try to tell her what to do?
As for Claudette, she knew exactly what Marjorie was doing and didn't want to give Marjorie the satisfaction of knowing that she was, in fact, getting on her nerves.
Poor Rebecca was just tired. She had been so tied up with wedding preparations that she couldn't think straight anymore. Always being the most lighthearted of the group, Rebecca was the first to break the silence.
"Michaela, I didn't realize that I missed your little ones so much," Rebecca informed her youngest sister. Brian was so cute in his little suit, and I just know that Colleen will be the bell of the ball as a flower girl."
"Thank you, Rebecca," Michaela replied, glad that Rebecca was her normal self, "The children are having such a great time since we've been back."
"Because this is where they belong," Maureen whispered under her breath.
"When I dropped the children off with my daughter," Rebecca continued, "Colleen said something about having a junior girls' night tonight?"
Michaela was about to respond that she didn't know anything about that, but Marjorie responded first.
"That was my idea," Marjorie informed the group, "Since Mandy and Eliza are having a girls' night with Cornelia and the other bridesmaids, I told Whitney and Colleen that we could have a junior girls' night at my house."
"Oh," Maureen responded after hearing that her daughter was also going to be part of the so-called junior girls' night, "Were you going to tell the rest of us?" Maureen didn't mind Marjorie spending time with her daughter, she just wanted to know about it first.
"I invited Colleen and Whitney over to my place tonight," Marjorie answered sarcastically. Then she looked in Claudette's direction, "The kids want to spend time with me."
Claudette's eyes darkened and she replied, "I will have the boys at my house tonight. I'm sure that they would like to have a small party just as the girls do. Given that my son is around their age, I'm sure they'd like to come over."
"Matthew can certainly go," Michaela responded, silently wishing that this silliness between Marjorie and Claudette would stop, "but I think I will keep Brian with me." She didn't want Brian to get in the way if the older boys got rambunctious.
"Now that that's all settled, perhaps you'd like to know more about the wedding," Elizabeth announced to her daughters, very eager to keep the conversation going.
Elizabeth was very pleased to see her daughters perk up and engage in conversation with one another. As the party of six enjoyed their lunch, Rebecca and Elizabeth explained the latest updates, as Michaela and her other three sisters asked questions and gave their honest opinions.
After a while, the large group conversation changed into small side conversations.
All seemed to be going well, until…
"So, Michaela…" Marjorie began, "Have you given any more thought to loosening Sully's leash enough for him to pose for my calendar?"
Michaela smiled and shook her head. She knew Marjorie was kidding but felt the need to reply, "He isn't on a leash. He just isn't doing it."
"Why not?" Marjorie asked, and then went on, "I am not asking you to share him with other women, but I don't think it would do any harm to let other women admire and appreciate him."
As Marjorie laughed at her own comment, Maureen turned slightly to pay attention to what Michaela's reply would be.
"It's not about other women," Michaela said. She knew even if he did pose for Marjorie's calendar, Sully would always be faithful. Michaela had experience with cheaters, and she could tell that Sully wasn't one, "Not that I want them appreciating him in that sense. He's a father. I don't think that's how he wants his children to see him."
"I'm not going to mail them a copy," Marjorie rebutted.
"Marjorie," Michaela replied, "You know as well as I do that once pictures like that are taken and sold, they are always out there."
"What would happen if that calendar somehow made it to the children's school in the years to come?" Maureen interrupted, "What would the leaders of the FFA have to say?"
"What?" Michaela questioned, not quite catching Maureen's meaning.
"One can only assume that a man like him is sending his children to an FFA school," Maureen explained, "Tell me, are you also planning on allowing your children to be part of the Future Farmers of America when they come of age?"
Marjorie scoffed at Maureen's passive aggressive remark.
Michaela's eyes darkened, she should have known that Maureen wasn't done making snide comments about Sully.
"Have you thought of their future at all?" Maureen questioned, now attempting to suppress her sarcasm. The goal was not to alienate Michaela. Maureen just wanted to make her see reason.
"Just stop," Marjorie warned.
"I just think she should consider what is best for the children," she continued.
"I think about their future all the time," Michaela said firmly. Then she got up from the table and made her way to the nearest restroom.
After what felt like a long and treacherous day, Michaela found her phone and practically collapsed on her mother's expensive designer couch. Brian was sound asleep upstairs, and Matthew and Colleen were no doubt having the time of their lives with their aunts and cousins.
What Michaela desired to do most that night was snuggle with Sully. She wanted to be close to him just as she was on the Saturday before she left Colorado Springs. A text message wasn't exactly the best substitute for being encapsulated in his arms, but it would have to do.
It wasn't terribly late in Colorado Springs, she thought to herself, he should be up.
Michaela: I miss you, my love.
His children were home and asleep now in the bungalow, so Sully took advantage of the quiet time and worked on the sketches of the house that he wanted to build. He hadn't sketched in a while, but the nightmare that he'd had on the previous night made him want to focus on something that he had positive feelings about before he went to bed. As he was drawing the downstairs fireplace, Sully heard his phone ding.
"Michaela," he whispered to himself, and then read her message. He smiled and typed out his response.
Sully: I miss you too, but why are you still up? It's close to midnight there.
Michaela: Couldn't sleep.
Sully: Are you missing my face?
Sully: ?
Sully: You're hesitating. I knew it! You only want me for my body! Admit it!
When Michaela looked at Sully's latest messages, she shook her head and laughed to herself. She loved how lighthearted he could be. If he only knew about the conversation that she had with Marjorie about his body that day. The thought of telling him about the calendar when she returned home made her laugh a little more.
Michaela: You have to give me more than five seconds to reply.
Michaela: For your information, I do miss your face, your body, and your sense of humor.
Sully: Now that's more like it. Tell me, why can't you sleep?
Michaela: I'm not used to Eastern Time anymore, I guess.
Sully: Kids asleep?
Michaela: Brian is. He's asleep in his old crib, in my old bedroom. I don't know if Matthew and Colleen are asleep or not. Matthew is spending the night at Claudette's house with my nephews, Dylan and Camden.
Michaela: Marjorie is hosting what she is calling a junior girls' night at her condo. She has Colleen and my niece, Whitney.
Sully: Sounds fun.
Michaela: How is it going over there?
Sully: I'm missing you like crazy. I'm counting down the days.
Michaela: So am I.
Michaela: How are the children?
Michaela: Did you close your deal?
Sully: The deal is tomorrow. Kids are good. Mia's a little distant, but what else is new?
Michaela felt terrible about that piece of information and blamed herself for Mia's latest bad mood. She should have held in her feelings about those pictures, and she wished she wouldn't have reacted the way that she did when she found out who Mia's mother is, but it was such a big shock. She didn't think she would tell Sully or anyone about this, until it was over and done with, but she was making plans to visit her ex-husband while she was in Boston. She wanted some questions answered, she just hoped she wasn't opening up a huge can of worms.
Sully: Are you okay there? I kinda thought you'd be bubbling over with stories about your family.
Michaela: My mother's been good. Marjorie and Rebecca have been great. My nieces and nephews have been wonderful.
Michaela: Claudette's been fine. Her usual self.
Sully: Ma, nieces and nephews, and three sisters.
Sully: You're missing a sister. What's wrong with the fourth sister?
Michaela let out a sigh and then answered Sully's text.
Michaela: I feel whole-heartedly that if I don't focus on keeping my cool, I will end up ripping Maureen's hair out. Other than that, she's been fantastic.
Michaela covered her mouth to try to avoid laughing loudly. Sully had just sent her a GIF image of a Conehead woman.
Sully: What's she doing?
Michaela: She's just being overly critical. I've been here two days, and, in that time, she has criticized my every move, my general appearance to include my clothing, my hair, you name it. The way I'm raising my children is wrong too.
Michaela: The list goes on and on.
Michaela opted to leave out how Maureen had also criticized him. She didn't want to get into that with Sully over a text message when they were 2000 miles apart.
Sully: Don't let her get to you. You're a great mother. You know I appreciate your general appearance very much.
Sully: If she has a problem with your every move, then she needs to get a life.
"Michaela?" Elizabeth called out from another room.
"In the living room, Mother," Michaela said back.
Michaela: My mother's coming. I think she wants to talk.
Sully: In your bedroom?
Michaela: No, I'm sitting in the living room.
Sully: Goodnight darling, I love you.
Sully: Six more days.
Michaela: Six more days. Goodnight. I love you too.
Elizabeth entered the living room with two cups of tea in her hands. Michaela quickly got into action and found a couple of coasters. She put them out on the coffee table, and Elizabeth set each cup of tea down on a coaster. Then she took a seat next to her daughter on the couch.
"Since you're still up, I thought you'd like to have a cup of chamomile tea," Elizabeth said, "That's what I drink when I can't sleep."
"Thank you, Mother," Michaela said, and took the cup of tea in her hands.
"I'm glad you're home," Elizabeth began, taking a sip of her tea, "But I'd be much happier if you would at least pretend to be happy to be here."
"I am happy to be here," Michaela countered.
"No, you're not," Elizabeth argued.
"I guess I would be happier if Maureen would stop," Michaela told her mother, "Or at the very least, you could correct her."
"Like the rest of us, Maureen was not exactly thrilled with your choice to move away," Elizabeth replied, "I believe she is just expressing that, but in the wrong way."
"Perhaps you agree with her too?" Michaela questioned, looking her mother in the eye.
Believing that her youngest child was referring to the spat that she and Maureen had gotten into during breakfast that morning, Elizabeth replied, "You know very well the standards that we must uphold in our circle," Elizabeth reminded her, "That includes your hair, make-up, and style of dress."
Elizabeth's answer made Michaela believe that her sisters must have discussed her appearance with their mother. She supposed she knew that the moment she decided to put on a pair of blue jeans, her family would evaluate it. "I suppose I'm not used to that anymore," Michaela explained her point-of-view, "Sully just wants me to be comfortable."
"That's fine for when you're with Sully, but not when we're having lunch at the Star Isle," Elizabeth said with a shake of her head, "You know that already, Michaela."
"I do know that already, and I believe I styled myself well at lunch today." Michaela remarked with a snip, "Since you and Maureen have obviously been gossiping about me, I would like to point out that sitting at the dining room table with my sisters and no outside guests present is not the same as having lunch at the Star Isle."
"You're right," Elizabeth conceded, her tone of voice suggesting that she wanted to ease her youngest's obvious distress. Elizabeth certainly didn't want Michaela to believe that the family had taken to gossiping about her behind her back, "We weren't gossiping about you. Marjorie, who was not criticizing you at all, told me about you and Maureen getting into a quarrel this morning. You're still a part of our family, Michaela, and we all love you deeply. Maureen didn't handle herself properly this morning, but I did notice that she didn't say a word about your appearance at lunch."
"No, she didn't, and I don't believe you were maliciously talking about me behind my back. I know that's not your style, Mother. I'm not upset just because she attacked my appearance, something that is none of her business. I am not terribly upset that she attacked Sully, someone that she's never met. What is really off putting and making me angry is her nasty passive aggressive remarks about the way I am raising my children. That hurts me the most, Mother," Michaela informed Elizabeth, "She did it right in front of everyone at the Star Isle and the only person who came to my defense was Marjorie."
"Oh dear," Elizabeth said, with a shake of her head. Now that she thought about it, she did recall Maureen asking if Michaela planned to get the children involved in the FFA and that was likely one of the passive aggressive comments that Michaela was talking about. However, the focus of lunch was discussion about the wedding. Elizabeth didn't pay much attention to every side conversation and remark. Now it was clear to her. Michaela had just come home, and Maureen was making her never want to visit again. Elizabeth couldn't have that. Besides, from what she could see, the children were doing well. Elizabeth had to admit that, even though she hated that they weren't living in Boston, "I'll have a talk with her."
"Thank you, Mother," Michaela replied.
"You're very welcome," Elizabeth returned. No longer wanting to focus on the negative, she asked, "Tell me, how are you? This has been the first time since you've been home that you and I have had a chance to talk."
Michaela smiled warmly at her mother and told her all about what had gone on in Colorado Springs since the woman had left just after Thanksgiving.
To be continued. Please review. =)
Sometimes when sisters get together it goes well, and sometimes... lol
Note: My Marjorie is based on the wilder Marjorie from the later seasons.