Tuesday morning

Lucas woke up and looked down to see if Ace was in his normal spot. He was laying there looking up.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, bud. How did you sleep?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Did you have a bad dream again?"

"Yeah."

"Wanna tell me about it? I'll listen."

"No. Its too scary."

"Maybe if you talk about it, you might feel better."

"I don't want to."

"Okay, I understand. What if you talked to someone else? Not me."

"Like Grandpa?"

"Sure, or a doctor?"

"I'm not sick."

"Not a doctor that you go to when you are sick. A doctor that you just talk to about what you are scared or worried about."

He frowned and turned away, looking at the wall.

"Its okay, Ace. Just think about it."

Lucas got up and grabbed some clean clothes to go take a shower.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you promise that if I talk about it, nothing bad will happen?"

"I promise."

"But..I want you to be my dad. For always. I don't want to tell anything if that means you'll go away."

"I'm not going away. I'll love you forever and you are safe."

"I want you to be safe, Dad."

"Ace, let's sit down. Tell me what's happening, okay? Why are you worried about me?" Ace sat down on the bed about a foot away and stared at his hands.

"They killed you, Dad."

"Who did?"

"The guys. The bad guys that were with my first dad. They found me and they killed you."

"Well, good news is, it was just a dream. Your mind is just playing tricks on you. I'm just fine and we even have an alarm on the house, remember? I set it every night to make sure we are safe and I set it whenever we go somewhere."

"But what if you are out driving somewhere and they find you?"

"Those guys are all in jail now, with your dad and they are not getting out."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

He got up and threw his arms around Lucas' neck and cried. "I love you, Dad," he said very quietly but Lucas still heard it and it made his heart so full.

"I love you too, Ace."

"I don't like being scared to go to sleep or to leave our house."

"Do you think that you want to talk to a doctor? Because I can make that happen."

"I don't know, Dad."

"Okay, well, think about it. If you have stuff to get off your chest, just remember you can always talk to me or Grandpa too."

"Can we go visit Grandpa and Nana?"

"Of course. I'll give them a call later and see if we can set something up."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, bud."

"Daddy!" Amie yelled, running in and bouncing on the bed, a huge smile on her face.

"Well, babydoll. You are happy this morning."

"Yep! Can you ask Miss Elizabeth if she can come over for dinner and bring Nora? Please?"

"Dinner, huh?"

"Mmhm. Please?"

"I will text her, sure."

"Cool! Can you make us pancakes?"

"Okay, but only if you help."

"And Ace too?"

"And Ace too."

……

"Dinner," she muttered as she watched Nora eating her cereal. "What do you think, punkin? Want to go to dinner at Mr. Lucas and Amie and Ace's house?"

"Yeah."

"I do too." She texted him back yes and asked him to let her know what to bring for dessert.

"Brownies are Amie's request."

"Brownies it is."

"Do you want to come tonight or is that too soon?'

"Tonight is fine."

"Great. See you at 5pm?"

"See you then."

"Well, boo, wanna help Mama make brownies?"

"Yay!!!!" Nora yelled, pumping her fists.

She picked up her phone and texted Vi. "Going to Lucas' house for dinner tonight."

"You go girl."

"You do know that expression stopped being cool like twenty years ago?"

"Yep."

"And thank you. I'm going to wear my skinny jeans and my sleeveless swingy top. Sound good?"

"Oh yeah. If I hadn't had four boys, I'd still be able to pull off skinny jeans too."

"Maybe one day I'll have a baby the old fashioned way," she mused.

"You will. My prediction is that the daddy will be tall, handsome and wears a beard very well."

"Vi! We are just friends."

"We'll see. I'll be up late so don't forget I want an update tonight."

"Bye, Vi."

"Bye!"

Elizabeth smiled as she changed later that evening. She could look good and catch Lucas' eye even if he wasn't ready to move forward yet.

"Mama?" Nora said, sitting on her training potty.

"Yeah, buggy. Did you go?"

"No."

"Okay, that's alright. We will put a diaper on you and head over to see Mr. Lucas and Ace and Amie."

"Kay, Mama."

Soon they were headed to the gated subdivision where Lucas and kids lived.

She sighed and took a few deep breaths before getting out, helping Nora out of her car seat and walking up to the door.

She lifted Nora up so she could push the doorbell. "Push right here, Nora."

Lucas opened the door a moment later. "Welcome, come in."

"Daddy!" Nora yelled, reaching for him.

"Hi, sweet pea!" he said, not bothering to correct her. He lifted her into his arms and she hugged his neck.

"Potty!" she yelled. Lucas looked at Elizabeth, a smirk on his face.

"That's Mommy's expertise. The bathroom is just past the kitchen."

"I remember." Elizabeth took Nora and headed that direction, despite her calling for "Daddy" as they walked away.

"Nora, shhh, sweetie," Elizabeth told her.

"Where's Miss Elizabeth?" Amie asked Lucas in the other room.

"She's in the bathroom with Nora. They'll be out soon."

As soon as they walked out, Nora ran to Lucas and Amie headed to Elizabeth.

"Hi! Daddy said we can make pasketti!" Amie told her.

"Spaghetti? That sounds yummy."

"Will you make it for me?"

"I'll make it, Ames…Miss Elizabeth is a guest."

"I don't mind making dinner," she assured him.

"I know but we asked you over to spend time with you, not to put you to work."

She blushed and smiled. "We can spend time during and after dinner. Do you mind me cooking? Your kitchen is amazing."

He laughed. "I don't mind if you don't. I'll even keep Nora busy while you cook."

"Dad?" Ace yelled from upstairs.

"Yeah, bud."

"Dad! I'm scared!" Lucas quickly handed Nora to Elizabeth and ran up the stairs.

"Ace?"

"Dad! I had another dream! Why can't they stop?"

Lucas sat down on Ace's bed and held him, rubbing his head and rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry, bud. I wish I knew."

"I want to go to a doctor. Can they help me?"

Lucas hurt when he thought about the fear his son had.

"Daddy?"

"Can you say, Luke?" she asked Nora.

"No. Daddy."

"Why does she call my Daddy that? He's mine and Ace's." Amie had a valid point.

"She's still little. She heard you call him Daddy and so she thinks that's his name."

"Oh."

"Does she have a daddy?"

"Nope. She has me but no daddy."

"What happened to him?"

"Well, you know how Lucas adopted you and Ace and became your new daddy?"

"Yep."

"Well, I adopted Nora and became her new mommy."

"Oh."

Lucas came down a while later as she was putting the noodles in the water.

"Is Ace alright?"

Lucas leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "He's still having nightmares and they scare him a lot. He asked me to take him to a doctor. So I'm going to try to find him a therapist that won't make us wait six months for an appointment."

"I bet if you ask Molly, she'll know someone."

"Good idea."

She stared into his eyes for a moment, seeing that same lost and overwhelmed look he had at the park.

"Daddy?" Nora said, reaching.

He took her and she immediately hugged him again, laying her head on his shoulder.

He hugged her back, closing his eyes. There was nothing like the love of an innocent child. She knew he needed a hug and he wouldn't turn her away.

"Sad?" she asked, patting his face.

"Yeah, but I'll be just fine."

"Daddy?" Amie asked, pulling on his arm.

"Hi, baby."

"Daddy? What's….a therapist?"

"Its a doctor that will help your brother not have bad dreams."

"Oh. That's good."

"I agree. I hope it helps him."

Elizabeth enjoyed being at Lucas' house very much. But with the difficulties that Ace was having, she felt like an intruder as well. So she helped clear the table and then decided she and Nora should go.

"Would you stay? I mean, you don't have to, but I was looking forward to talking a bit once the kids were settled."

"Are you sure? I don't want to pull you from your kids when they need you."

"I'm sure. I…I'm not ashamed to admit that I have come to rely on you as a friend. Even just texting…it helps me through the day sometimes."

She saw sincerity in his eyes, so she agreed. "All right. I'll stay."

"Great."

Around 8pm, Nora was watching a kids movie on Elizabeth's phone while Lucas got his kids settled in their room. Nora's eyelids were drooping so Elizabeth rocked her as she watched her video, knowing she'd be out very soon.

Lucas came down and sat next to her. "Would you like a brownie with some ice cream?"

"Sure. That sounds great."

Nora was asleep so Elizabeth took her phone out of her hands and then laid her down on the couch next to her, covering her with a blanket.

Lucas walked back in with two bowls of dessert and two wine glasses and a bottle of wine.

"I don't even know if you drink or if you want some wine, but just in case, I brought it with me."

"I'll take half a glass and I will make sure to stay at least an hour or so."

"So if you take a whole glass, does that mean you can stay for two hours?" he teased.

"Technically yes but I'll just do half a glass."

"I'll take what I can get."

He poured them both a half a glass and then handed her a bowl.

"Kids get to sleep okay?"

"Ace stares at the stars on his ceiling for a while before he sleeps. He tries to put it off as long as possible."

"Poor kid."

"Yeah. I'm so lost, Elizabeth. I don't know how to really help him."

"You are helping. You are giving him a safe place with lots of love and you are going to take him to a therapist. That's so important. He will be feeling so much better very soon."

Lucas nodded and ate his ice cream.

"Daddy?" Nora said, sitting up and reaching.

Lucas still couldn't say no. Nora was inserting herself into his heart quickly.

"Hi, sweet pea. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Hold?" She crawled over Elizabeth and onto Lucas' lap.

"Only if you close your eyes. Mommy and I are having a chat."

She nodded, put her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes. What an angel.

"If only life were as easy for adults as it is through the eyes of a two year old," he mused, running his fingers through her curls.

"Right? In her world, she lives for food, cuddles with me or you, and watching videos."

"If only she could stay that innocent for maybe another 20 years?"

Elizabeth chuckled and set her bowl down, opting for her wine. "Yeah."

"Do you believe there's one person out there for everyone, Elizabeth?"

"Like a soulmate?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, what if we never find that one person?"

"I thought I had with Trevor but…boy was I wrong."

"Ditto with Crystal. But what if she was my one person and I screwed it up somehow?"

"You didn't. She cheated. You didn't push her into the arms of someone else the same as I didn't push Trevor."

"Yeah."

"Well, if you or I don't find that one person, we at least will always have our friendship. We can help each other raise our kids and be that sounding board that we both need."

Neither of them said that they were actually feeling as if the one person for both of them was sitting right next to them on the couch. Maybe one day they would have the courage.