They hadn't put up a tree.
They couldn't have Christmas without a tree, she had told her father in the cheeky candor of one who had only that autumn turned five years of age.
Christmas was not to be at Grammy's that year, he had told her in reply. They were merely staying at Grammy's. Christmas would instead be held at her aunt Donna's.
"Why is it not at Grammy's?" she had asked with the same wide-eyed curiosity she had set upon her mother's newly forming abdomen.
She had not wanted to be a big sister, but her parents said she didn't have a choice.
They didn't often deny her of her choices.
"Grammy's mum is sick," he had said, "and she isn't up to hosting Christmas this year."
"Aiden's mum is sick and she's having Christmas," said Adrianna.
"It's a different kind of sick, love," said her mother.
"We should put up a tree," said Adrianna. "A tree would make Grammy feel better."
"We'll have a tree at Donna's," said Dylan. "We'll go over to your uncle Brandon's and they'll have one, too. But we aren't going to force a tree on Grammy when she has expressed that isn't what she wants this year. Got it?"
"I didn't want a baby, but you said I didn't get a say," said Adrianna.
"It isn't the same thing," said Dylan.
"How is it not the same thing?" asked Adrianna.
"Bren, help me out here," said Dylan.
"Grammy can have a tree next year," said Brenda. "And once the baby's here, you'll grow to love him or her."
"No I won't," said Adrianna. "I'll have to share everyone."
"Share everyone?" Brenda and Dylan shared a knowing nod between them. "You're talking about Naomi, Kai, and Ruby."
"I don't want to share Naomi, Kai, or Ruby with a dumb baby," said Adrianna. "They're my friends. Dumb baby can get different ones."
"What we're not gonna do is call the baby in Mummy's belly dumb," said Dylan.
"But it is dumb. I'll have to share Grammy, Aunt Val, Unca Brandon, Aunt Donna. I don't want to share them."
"You share them with the other kids," said Brenda.
"But not a dumb baby," said Adrianna.
"Adrianna," Dylan admonished.
"You call stuff dumb," said Adrianna. "On the plane. You said that man who was mean to the flight lady was dumb."
"That man was dumb," said Dylan.
Brenda lightly hit her husband's arm.
"We don't call people dumb, Adrianna," said Dylan. "Especially not babies."
Kai's father must not have given him the same memo, as he was happy to label their older cousin Sammy with the derogatory label.
"He said I don't have a mommy," said Kai. "He's dumb. I do have a mommy."
"Over there," said Adrianna, waving to Valerie, who waved back.
"That's not my mommy," said Kai. "That's daddy's friend."
"But I've seen pictures," said Adrianna. "You were in my aunt's belly."
"Daddy said she isn't my Mommy," said Kai. "My mommy's up in the sky. Naomi, did you know my mommy?"
Naomi said she had not, but that her parents had.
"They liked her," said Naomi. "She was nice. She was friends with Mommy."
"What happened to Kai's mummy?" asked Adrianna.
"Big Bear," said Ruby, who was often more informed about such topics than were her younger cousins. "She slid off the freeway."
"What's a freeway?" asked Adrianna.
"It's the big road you took to get here," said Naomi.
"Highway?" asked Adrianna.
"We call them freeways," said Naomi.
"'Cause they're free," said Kai. "Which is why Daddy complains about New York every time we visit. It isn't free. He says that a lot."
"What's complains?" asked Naomi.
"Dunno, but Val said Daddy complains," said Kai.
"How many times have you been to New York?" asked Adrianna, who had been twice on layover from London.
"A few," said Kai. "We go when Val goes."
"But she isn't your mummy?" asked Adrianna. "How is she not your mummy if you were in her belly?"
"It's called surrogacy," said Ruby.
Adrianna had asked her parents about it during her bathtime.
"What's surrogacy?" she asked.
They had both been taken aback and chose to approach with caution.
"Some couples choose it when they have trouble getting babies in their bellies," said Dylan. "Your mummy and I obviously didn't need to go that route."
"That's what Unca Steve did?" asked Adrianna. "Surrogacy?"
"He asked Aunt Val if she would be a surrogate for him," said Brenda. "He and his wife Janet had been trying for a second kid and Steve found a way to make that happen after Janet died."
"So Aunt Val isn't a mummy," said Adrianna.
"Oh, I don't know about that," said Dylan. "She tells us all the time she's like another mum to you."
"But she doesn't have kids of her own?" asked Adrianna.
"Some people don't want kids," said Dylan. "Some people think they don't want kids and then they get older and change their minds."
"Which one is Aunt Val?"
"Only time will tell," said Dylan.
Time had told, thought Adrianna as she helped her aunt with Bryant's bathtime.
"You didn't have to help," said Valerie.
"I like taking care of him," said Adrianna. "Are you getting a tree?"
"I was thinking about it," said Val.
"Mum would have ours up by now," said Adrianna. "Dad hasn't wanted to put one up."
"Your mum loves decorating for Christmas," said Val as she rinsed Bryant's hair.
"So do I," said Adrianna. "Dad brings home the tree, which is always real; Mum puts on Christmas music and bakes cookies and makes a whole thing of it. Then Dad always, always gets Mum to dance with him before he puts on the tree-topper and Mum always falls down to the sofa laughing afterwards. Usually we finish up with a Christmas movie, like my favorite, Miracle on 34th Street – the 1994 version, that is. Callie asked when we're doing it and I don't know what to tell her. But Mum's supposed to come home on Christmas, isn't she? She can't come home to an undecorated house, but we've asked Dad and he doesn't want to decorate without her."
"Do what Steve does," said Valerie. "Invite your friends over and have them help you decorate. You can put on that new rhythmless stuff you kids call music and then Dylan won't feel as sentimental."
"Do you think Grandma would be able to help us?" asked Adrianna.
"I was going to stop in and check on her today," said Valerie. "I thought bringing Bryant by might be good for her. Your grandma loves babies. She used to ask me when I would have one of my own and then would try to pretend she could accept it when I told her I never would."
"You have a baby now."
"I do have a baby now." Valerie raised Bryant up into the towel Adrianna held.
"And you're getting married." Adrianna bundled Bryant into the towel.
"Yeah," said Val, "I'm getting married."
"Uncle David doesn't seem too happy about your wedding."
"Did your father send you over to talk to me about this?"
"No," said Adrianna.
It had been Naomi who had sent her over.
"I don't think I've ever seen Uncle David this depressed in my life," Naomi had said. "We have to do something. Ruby's nervous he's going to go off his meds, and I think my parents are nervous about it, too."
"He shouldn't have been so dumb with Aunt Val," said Adrianna.
"Aunt Val shouldn't be marrying Uncle Steve," said Naomi.
"And that makes it okay to fight her for custody of Bryant?" Adrianna had asked.
"Why are we fighting?" asked Naomi.
"We aren't," said Adrianna. "I'm just frustrated on my aunt's behalf."
"And I'm frustrated on my uncle's."
"You two can be really dumb sometimes, you know that?" said Sammy.
"Nobody asked you," said Naomi.
"Look," said Sammy, "Uncle David's miserable because Aunt Val's marrying Uncle Steve and Aunt Val's upset because Uncle David's decided to go against her in court. So all you have to do is get Uncle Steve to change his mind about marrying Aunt Val and then she and Uncle David can work it out from there."
"How can we do that?" asked Adrianna.
By getting Kai involved, said Naomi.
"Tell me why I should stop this wedding?" Kai had asked.
"Because Aunt Val isn't your mom," Naomi had said.
"She's the closest I have to one," said Kai. "Maybe she'll be good for Dad. Maddie isn't upset about this, so I don't see why I should be."
"Because Ruby's upset about it," said Naomi, "and you don't like when Ruby gets upset."
"That's low, Naomes," said Kai.
"So upset that she might not even go to winter formal," said Naomi.
"Winter formal!" Kai snapped his fingers. "Naomi, you're a genius."
"I am," said Naomi, "though I'm not sure why that applies here."
"This is what we'll do," said Kai, huddling with the girls as a team huddles in a sports match.
It had required a bit of manipulation on Adrianna's part, manipulation more Naomi's style than hers.
"Dad?" Adrianna had asked, entering the room her grandmother was staying in during recovery from her severe transient ischemic attack. It had rendered Cindy unable to speak, which the doctors had told the family should be a temporary setback.
Suggestions for where Cindy could stay had been batted around, with Casa Walsh and Casa McKay coming out on top.
Casa McKay had been selected, due to Dylan's easier ability to care for Cindy throughout the day than was afforded to Brandon and Kelly in their respective careers.
There had been the added bonus of Jim being unlikely to know of the McKays' residence, which Cindy's children had thought better for her recovery.
"Yeah?" Dylan had asked, peeking at Adrianna from where he sat spoon-feeding her grandmother.
Adrianna didn't like seeing her grandmother that way.
"I've thought about it and you really shouldn't be chaperoning the dance," said Adrianna.
"I didn't volunteer," said Dylan. "I was voluntold."
"It's in the gym," said Adrianna. "Were any of your dances held in the gym?"
"The dances I went to with your mum," Dylan had said, his spirit visibly crashing.
Guilt seeping in, Adrianna had almost been unable to complete Naomi's plan.
Almost.
"See, you can't go," she said. "You'll think about Mum the entire time and be downright sodding miserable. And then I'll be miserable because you're miserable."
"Yeah." Dylan's voice, lacking in luster, had become aimless. "You could be right about that."
"Unless you want to think about Mum the entire time," Adrianna had driven her point forward.
"I'd think about your mum whether I'm in the old gym or not," said Dylan, "but I didn't consider that when Ms. Teasly sent out the letter to the parents telling them whose turn it was to chaperone. What do you think, Cin?" He dabbed a napkin at Cindy's chin. "Think I can get through one night in the old gym without breaking down?"
"I don't think you'd break down," said Adrianna. "I just think there are more productive ways you can spend your time."
"Dunno if she'll let me back out," said Dylan.
"Tell her something came up with your job," said Adrianna. "And that you have a replacement already in place."
"I do?" asked Dylan.
"You will once you ask her," said Adrianna.
Dylan asking Valerie had been the reason for Adrianna to come over and assist in bathtime.
"Why did you tell Dad you couldn't chaperone?" she asked her aunt. "Don't you like us?"
"Of course I like you," said Valerie. "I told your dad I can't chaperone because someone's got to watch Bryant."
"Maddie and Hannah are home then," said Adrianna. "They can sit for you. Unless you want Dad to be all alone and miserable, thinking about Mum all night." She stretched out the second-to-last word.
"You can't manipulate a manipulator," said Valerie. "Tell me why you're using your mom's absence to manipulate your dad into getting me to chaperone?"
Naomi had prepared for that, too - the prospect of Valerie catching onto their plan.
"It's Kai," said Adrianna. "All our mums have chaperoned dances, but he doesn't have a mum to chaperone any of his. And he says you're the closest person he has to a mum, so we wanted to cheer him up by getting you to chaperone." Imagining she was giving the performance of a lifetime, Adrianna slipped into her best impression of Naomi. "Unless you also want Kai to be miserable at his dance, thinking all night about how he doesn't have a mum like the rest of us."
"We can't have Kai being miserable." Valerie tickled Bryant's stomach, much to the baby's delight. "What do you think?" she asked Bryant. "Should Mommy chaperone Kai's dance and leave Brybear in the hands of Maddie and Hannah?"
"They've sat me and Callie before," said Adrianna. "We like when they sit for us."
"I don't doubt their ability to sit for him," said Valerie. "It's more my ability of being away from him for a night that I doubt."
Adrianna had an answer for Naomi when they met at their lockers the following morning.
"You manipulated a manipulator," said Adrianna. "Aunt Val will do it."
"Perfect," said Naomi. "Rubes? Status report?"
"I told Dad that Mom always attends my dances," said Ruby. "It was easy to get Dad onboard once I basically told him all the good parents chaperone dances and he hadn't chaperoned any."
"And I got the advisor to suggest to the principal that the dance have a contest for the Cutest Chaperones," said Navid. "The winners have to dance together."
"Aunt Val and Uncle David have that in the bag," said Naomi.
"Or we'll rig it so they'll win," said Ruby.
"Dad has to go out of town for a sports thing," said Kai, "which means he's out for chaperoning, too."
"I didn't like manipulating my dad," said Adrianna, "even if it did get the job done."
"I didn't have any trouble manipulating Mom," said Naomi. "I asked her why she never went to Sammy's dances but she insists on going to mine and then got Dad to suggest she not go this time so they can have a date night. All Dad had to say was 'date night' and Mom melted. Thank God Mom can't have more kids or I'd probably have a hundred siblings by now."
Kai asked if they had secured dates for the dance.
"Besides Ruby," said Kai.
"I have been advised to avoid dating whilst I'm in recovery," said Adrianna. "Ben says dating takes up too much of your energy and I have to focus that energy on keeping sober."
"I'm too busy with covering the event to have a date for it," said Navid.
"Same here, except I'm DJ'ing," said Dixon.
"I've been asked by seven different guys and turned them all down," said Naomi.
"Seven different guys?" asked Ruby. "Why would you turn down seven different guys?"
"Because the guy she wants to ask isn't conscious," said Kai.
"Shut up, Kai," said Naomi.
"Oh, real tough girl," said Kai.
"Behave," said Adrianna.
"Because they're all high school boys," said Naomi. "And I'm –"
"Into college boys now," chorused the group.
"Yes, we all know," said Ruby.
"You've got the first four letters right," said Kai.
"Kai, I swear if you don't stop that," Naomi began.
"Okay," said Kai, "if you don't like Ty Collins, then answer me this: why have you dropped into his room every day after school?"
It was part of her volunteering, said Naomi, before telling Kai a second time to silence himself; except this time, in poor French which explained why Naomi was failing at a language that Adrianna had gained a fluency in from a young age.
Dylan had ensured both of his daughters had learnt passable French, as he and Brenda had taken their daughters throughout France on several occasions.
Almost as often as they had taken them to Mexico, which had made Adrianna triply fluent.
Inspired by Naomi, Adrianna had become interested in volunteering.
It had been suggested to her that she could take the hours she would have spent with Jeffie and put them to a good cause if she volunteered.
Her father had thought Ben's idea a great one and had signed her up to volunteer in the hospital where Donna and Naomi did.
"I'd rather volunteer with you," said Adrianna. "In the mental hospital."
"Psychiatric hospital," said Dylan. "You want to volunteer at the psychiatric hospital?"
"I want to meet Analiese," said Adrianna. "You've told me about her enough times."
"You could volunteer with Callie's team," said Dylan.
It had been one of several suggestions he had given to Adrianna for her volunteering, yet he had still permitted her to join him to meet Analiese.
Adrianna had noticed her father make a sly exit during one of Analiese's detailed stories.
"Where were you?" she asked when he returned.
"Toilets," he said.
"Where were you really?" she asked.
"Looking for answers," said Dylan.
He had told that to Cindy, that tests had been run on Gina's son and they were awaiting answers.
"I'm confident Bren's coming home," he told Cindy. "It's just a matter of when."
Dylan had read off the laptop Cindy used to speak for her.
"You're not really supposed to be out of bed," he told Cindy. "You'll have to wait a little longer to see her until we get the approval from your doctor, but if you want, you can watch the video Andrea sends over with us."
He read off Cindy's response.
"Yeah, Bren's set on the divorce," said Dylan, "but I'm not letting her shove me away that easy, Mom."
Adrianna acted as if she hadn't heard their conversation when she walked in to join her father for their weekly viewing.
"No, Bren isn't normally like this," Dylan replied to Cindy, "and I'm glad you also see that she isn't herself lately. No, I don't think it's because of where she is. It's deeper than that and it's driving me bonkers that I can't figure it out. Brandon's trying too, but so far, it's a no-go for either of us. Bren's locking up tight and it's getting harder to break through that when we can't see her as much as we need to to keep her afloat. Yeah. Yeah, we're thirty weeks. Ten weeks to go and less than that 'til she's home. I'll give her a few days to settle back into routine and then if she still hasn't opened up by then, I've got a few ways to get her to."
Adrianna had concluded that in the time it would take for Cindy to regain her voice, her typing speed would increase significantly.
Perhaps her grandmother could apply for a clerical job, once she had recovered.
Adrianna had done as Valerie had suggested, which had needed to be explained when Dylan had come home to see several teenagers decorating his house without permission.
"You said Mum's supposed to be home for Christmas," said Adrianna. "We can't welcome her to a dark and dreary house."
"Bit of an exaggeration," said Dylan.
"You know what I mean," said Adrianna. "We have to get it decorated for Mum, especially after all those weeks she's spent in that dingy cell. We need to brighten up this place as much as possible."
That had put Dylan in slightly higher spirits, to the point that he had continued his annual tradition of topping the tree and had even danced a little with Adrianna when her mother's favorite Christmas song had come on over the old radio brought out once a year, strictly for Christmas decorating.
They both arrived in a festive mood to visit Analiese, which Adrianna carried throughout her shift until it was jarred by an unwanted visitor.
"Are you volunteering here now?" she was asked. "How quaint."
"My dad is visiting with a friend down the hall," said Adrianna, "and if I need to, I can scream really loud for him to come out here."
"I was just saying hi," said Gina.
"My dad thinks my brother isn't yours," said Adrianna. "Unless you are willing to help fix my parents' marriage that you have broken, or inform me of how you got my father's sperm inside you when he can hardly tolerate looking at you, I would really rather not speak to you."
"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot," said Gina. "We'll have to find a way to get along, since I'm going to be your new aunt."
"My new aunt?" asked Adrianna. "Uncle David isn't engaged."
"He isn't yet," said Gina, "but with Valerie marrying Steve, I expect David will be asking me any day now. I'll be helping him raise his son, until we have one of our own."
"Aunt Val will never let you raise her son," said Adrianna.
"Your aunt may find that the people who oppose me often get taken care of," said Gina. "Like your mom. If you don't watch the way you speak to me, your sister might be next, little twerp."
"I don't care about my sister."
"Then why is there fear in your eyes as you think of what I could have done to her?" asked Gina.
"Nothing," said Adrianna. "You can't have anything done to Callie because Dad will come after you and he'll enlist my uncles to help."
"Your parents cost me my child," said Gina. "I'd be careful if I were you, or they might find out what it's like to have your child snatched away."
"Mum did not push you and the fall did not kill my brother."
"Keep on telling yourself that."
"He wasn't snatched away. He died and they took him away for burial."
"He was killed. Your mother killed him and she should spend the rest of her life paying for her crime."
Gina had drawn much too close for comfort.
"I will never see my son grow up," said Gina, "and I will never stop blaming your mom for that."
"Mum didn't kill him," said Adrianna. "She didn't push you. I –"
"Gina, if you want to leave this building in one piece, step the hell away from my daughter."
Shoving Adrianna behind him, Dylan stepped forward between her and Gina.
"Dylan," said Gina sweetly, "what a coincidence, for us all to volunteer at the same place!"
"Dad," said Adrianna, "she threatened Callie."
"Isn't the first time," said Dylan. "What have I told you about approaching my children, Gina?"
"I didn't seek her out," said Gina. "We were walking down the same hallway in the place where I volunteer. But you knew that, didn't you, Dylan? It's why you decided to start volunteering here. So you could see me."
"Just when I think you can't get more deranged," said Dylan.
Gina tsked.
"Horrible choice of words to use in a place where several people are truly," she said.
"My shift's over," said Dylan. "I will be taking my daughter home, the home I share with my wife."
"Except you don't share it, do you?" asked Gina. "Hard to share a home with Brenda when she's made jail her home. I think she fits in quite nicely there, with the other gutter trash."
"Don't, Dad." Placing a hand on Dylan's chest, Adrianna stamped out her father's intended lunge at Gina. "She isn't worth it. Mum's coming home, remember?"
"Bren." Dylan took several breaths. "Coming home. Yeah. She's coming home."
"My mom was trash, too," said Gina sympathetically. "It's okay to admit yours is," she told Adrianna. "Our mothers being trash doesn't make us trash."
"She isn't," said Adrianna, "but my brother's mum would have been. Which is probably why he's gone now. The higher-ups were saving him from having you for a mum."
"Why you snivelling little bitch!" Gina jerked out her hand.
Dylan caught Gina's hand by her wrist.
"Never call my daughter that word again," he said, throwing back Gina's arm.
"Your daughter insults me, your wife kills our child, attempts to kill me in the process, and I'm not allowed to defend myself from them?" asked Gina.
"Did you or did you not just call my wife trash?" asked Dylan.
"She is trash," said Gina. "Murderous trash."
"From here on out," said Dylan, "I will ensure our volunteer schedules do not align. If I ever see you near Adrianna or Calista again, you will be sorry. If I ever hear you make derogatory remarks towards Brenda again, I will not be so level-headed. Do you understand, Gina?"
"If you're threatening me –"
"It isn't a threat," said Dylan. "It's a promise. I may not like being my father's son, but I am not opposed to taking a page out of his book if the occasion calls for it. And Gina, with what you have done to my family, with what you have done to my wife and the threats you keep making towards my girls, you might find that the occasion is calling for it. You might find that my inability to hold my wife, to pamper her in our bedroom instead of being cockblocked by glass every fucking time I see her, to only be included in her appointments through a fucking video, to have a fucking limit on how much I can speak with her is doing my head in and you might find that you've yet to see the extent of my rage that I am currently doing my very best to contain to maintain some semblance of stability for my girls. My advice? Trust no one." Dylan swiped his hand over Adrianna's hair. "Ade? Baby? Where'd you go?"
To another time that word had been flung at her.
During a drug-induced stupor.
In a soiled motel room.
"Could she really hurt Callie?" asked Adrianna when she and her father were alone in the truck.
"I would like to say no," said Dylan, "but three months ago, I didn't think you could be hurt either, and you have now been drugged twice and attacked. Three months ago, I would have cackled at anyone if they had told me Brenda would be spending her birthday in jail. Too much has happened to this family for me to not take her threats seriously."
"She was threatening Bryant, too," said Adrianna, "not in so many words, but I know she was."
"She won't be getting near that baby," said Dylan. "I think it's time I hired bodyguards for both of you girls, at least until your uncles and I track down this LL."
"They weren't related," said Adrianna. "The drugging at homecoming and the…the motel room. They weren't related. I was just drawn to the wrong guy, twice."
"We're supposed to think the situations aren't related," said Dylan, "which is why I think they are. I think the whole damn thing is connected and one of these days, I'm going to know how."
"LL didn't introduce me to Jeffie," said Adrianna. "Neither of them forced me to ram drugs down my throat."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Dylan.
She was no longer sure about that.
The bathroom counter was covered in cosmetics ranging from one end of the shade spectrum to the other.
"We should not have invited Annie," said Naomi, painting her lips in a glossy holiday red. "She and Sammy keep ogling each other. I'm about to slap them if they don't quit it."
"I didn't think Sammy would want to go to a secondary school dance," said Adrianna.
"He won't admit it, but I'm like ninety-eight percent sure he was coerced into it by either or both of our dads," said Naomi. "Though if he can keep you clear of Jeffie, then my brother won't be entirely useless for a change. I still say you should take out a restraining order on him."
"He's gone out of his way to avoid me since his run-in with Aunt Donna," said Adrianna.
"As he should," said Naomi.
"I won't be mad," said Adrianna.
"What?" asked Naomi.
"If you're attracted to Ty," said Adrianna. "I won't be mad."
"Ty Collins is not a college boy," said Naomi, "and I –"
"Only like college boys," Adrianna finished. "Or is it the bad boys you like?"
"Excuse me," said Naomi, "only one of us has been with a bad boy, and it wasn't me."
"I wasn't with him. Isn't Ethan a bad boy?"
"Ethan's a pathetic boy," said Naomi. "There's a massive difference. I want to know when you're going to give either of those two good boys that drool after you a chance."
"I told you," said Adrianna, "Ben –"
"That didn't stop your dad."
"Yeah and then my dad made some really dumb decisions in school, so maybe it would have been better if it had stopped him."
"Maybe, but then he wouldn't have dated your mom."
A holler rose over the bungalow to ask whether the girls were ready.
"Thanks for doing this, Val," they heard as they left Adrianna's bedroom.
"The girls were thrilled to spend time with Bryant," said Valerie.
"I never went back, you know," said Dylan. "Once we graduated. I never went back to the gym…"
"Until?" Valerie prompted.
Until it had been his fifth anniversary with Brenda, said Dylan.
"You recreated your winter dance with her," said Valerie.
"Had to twist Teasly's arm a bit," said Dylan, "offer a bit of dough for the English department, but it was worth it. My surprise gave Brenda the idea to surprise me for our tenth, with recreating our spring dance." Dylan's lighthearted air of memory was quelled. "Ade tells me the dance is in the gym," he said. "She thought it might help if I didn't get the memories there, but I've got them anyway. I carry them with me everywhere. They're part of me. Bren's part of me. It's like you, with Silver."
"What about me and David?" asked Valerie.
"He's part of you. You're part of him," said Dylan.
"I'm happy to spend time with my nieces," said Val, "but I will back out of chaperoning if you bring up David again."
Dylan looked Valerie over.
"I can see you're dying to ask whatever it is you're thinking," said Val. "Don't let me stop you."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Val, but, uh," Dylan tickled at his shoulder blade, "Bren would ask and since she isn't here to, I'm –"
"Oh, just spit it out," said Val.
"Have you maybe been putting on a little weight?" asked Dylan.
"It's the bloat," said Val. "It's incessant. Bryant better get a good deal of milk out of this. He's started suckling, but I've been told it'll take longer for it to have any effect."
"The bloat," said Dylan. "Yeah. Makes sense."
"What?" asked Val.
"Nothing," said Dylan. "It's just…Bren, with Cal - yeah, nothing."
"How are those girls not ready yet?" asked Val.
Adrianna and Naomi emerged from their hiding spot.
"Is that your mom's old dress?" Valerie asked Naomi.
"No, why?" asked Naomi, checking over her ruby red dress.
"Looks like one your mom wore once," said Val.
Sat beside Valerie, Adrianna examined her aunt's frame.
"Is there a reason people keep looking at me?" asked Val.
"Sorry?" asked Adrianna.
"It's bloating," said Val. "I'm bloating."
"Mum put on the weight with Cal super fast," said Adrianna. "So fast that the doctor thought Mum was further along than she was. They say that happens, you know, in second pregnancies. The women put on the weight faster."
"Fascinating," said Val. "You girls hungry? I could crush a megaburger."
She did crush a megaburger.
Along with several other items on the Peach Pit menu.
"Valerie?" asked Nat. "Is everything alright with you, doll? I haven't seen you put away this much food in one sitting since – since you were –"
"It's the bloat," said Val. "I need the extra nutrients to build up the milk for Bryant."
"If you say so," said Nat, "though if you needed nutrients, you chose the wrong meal. You know if you're upset over this situation with the young Silver, you can talk to me about it."
"I'm not upset," said Val. "He's just dumb. And he isn't young. Wasn't Sammy supposed to meet us?" she asked the girls.
"Ruby asked Annie to meet her early," said Naomi. "Last-minute decorating woes."
As the co-heads of the decorating committee, Ruby along with Annie had transformed the musty gym into a sparkling, ethereal winter fairyland that eclipsed the winter lands of storybooks.
"Rubes really outdid herself this year," said Naomi. "And I guess Annie helped."
Adrianna had spent more time focused on her aunt than she had socializing with her peers.
"She can't have kids," said Naomi.
"I'm sorry?" asked Adrianna.
"Aunt Val," said Naomi. "I heard my dad and your dad talking, on Thanksgiving. Aunt Val can't have any more kids. She has meriamenopause."
"Meriamenopause?" asked Adrianna.
"That's what they said," said Naomi. "Meriamenopause. And Val told Dad not to tell Mom, 'cause otherwise Mom would probably tell Uncle David."
"Should we tell Uncle David?" asked Adrianna.
"We can't," said Naomi, "or Aunt Val will think Dad told Mom and if Dad did tell Mom, he'll think she told Uncle David."
"Do you think Uncle Steve knows that Aunt Val can't have kids?"
"Does he need to?"
"If he's marrying her, I would think he needs to."
"Then she probably told him."
Ruby whispered into Dixon's ear, who tapped on Navid's shoulder.
The three hurried over to Adrianna and Naomi.
"Dance with me," said Navid.
"Sorry?" asked Adrianna.
"Jeffie's in the building," said Ruby.
"You can dance with me," said Navid, "or you can dance with him," he jerked his chin in Dixon's direction, "but you're dancing with one of us."
"Can I dance with both of you?" asked Adrianna.
She could dance with Navid, said Dixon, as the latter had been called back to the DJ table.
"I caught a few of your rehearsals, for the paper," said Navid.
Adrianna wondered if holding her was as awkward for Navid as it was for her to hold him.
"You're really talented," he said.
Adrianna thanked him.
"Did you mean what you said?" he asked. "About dating interfering with your recovery?"
"That's what Ben said," said Adrianna. "Dad says I should listen to Ben because Dad got in the most trouble whenever he didn't. Why do you ask?"
"No reason," said Navid.
"Oh, will he just bugger off and leave me alone?" asked Adrianna.
"Jeffie's in the gym?" asked Navid.
"Jeffie's in the gym," said Adrianna. "And it's a good thing neither Aunt Val or Uncle David have met him, because he's standing right near them."
"Leave it to me," said Navid.
He clapped his hand on Jeffie's back, requesting that he interview Jeffie for the school paper.
Jeffie both rejected the request and slunk away.
"We've got your back," said Navid. "He'll either graduate at the end of the year, or flunk out. We can keep distance between you until either of those things happen."
Adrianna thanked him a second time, this time with a kiss to his cheek.
"You're a really good mate," she told Navid.
"Ben didn't say you couldn't have friends, did he?" asked Navid.
"He did not," said Adrianna.
"Then I'll stay your good mate," said Navid.
"I've not seen Sammy in a while," said Adrianna.
"Now that you mention it, Annie hasn't been around either," said Navid.
The music was paused for winners to be announced in various popularity contests.
"I won?" asked Naomi.
"You won!" said Adrianna.
"Our Naomes is the Frost Queen," said Ruby.
"I will wear that title proudly," said Naomi.
She went up to the stage to accept her crown and a dance with the crowned Frostmeister; a dull, lanky boy who rumor had it had rigged the competition in order to achieve a dance with Naomi.
"I won last year," said Ruby. "Naomes wins this year. Next year could be you, Ade."
"I don't need to be the Frost Queen," said Adrianna. "I don't mind being the Frost Queen's best friend."
"Next up," said the emcee, "we have the award for Cutest Chaperones. Is there a David Silver in the house?"
Momentarily stunned, David went whooping through the gym. He flew up the gym stairs.
"Mr. David Silver," said the emcee, "your dance moves are infamous in this school. Are you going to pull out a few of them tonight?"
"With a back as unforgiving as mine?" asked David. "I'm going to say that's a negative, Sarge. Is this a new contest?"
"Brand-new," said the emcee. "That makes you the first winner."
"I don't think I've ever been first at something," said David. "You said Cutest Chaperones?"
"We've put all the prospective names from the votes in this hat," said the emcee, handing David a bowler hat. "Whoever you draw from it is your dance partner."
David excitedly reached into the hat. Unfolding the piece of paper, he deflated.
"Can I draw again?" he asked.
"You only get one shot," said the emcee. He took the paper from David. "Valerie Malone?"
Adrianna exchanged congratulatory gestures with her friends.
"Valerie Malone?" the emcee repeated.
"She's there," said David. "Over there, the one skulking by the door."
"I am not skulking," said Valerie. "I am also not dancing with you in the place you danced with Donna."
"Let's forget all about the reunion, shall we, and all that charitable work we did in Japan," said David.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I think what we have here is a lovers' tiff," said the emcee.
"We are not lovers," said Val.
"What we have here," David corrected, "is my ex-girlfriend who's decided that's all she wants to be."
"You have to dance when you're chosen," said the emcee. "It's the rule."
"I break the rules," said Val, "and these contests should be for the kids."
"You have to dance with him," said Naomi.
"It's the rule," said Adrianna. "What happened the last time you broke the rules?"
"Girls, I am not dancing with your uncle," said Val.
"You'll have to explain to our parents why Ade and I won't follow any rule you set ever," said Naomi.
"Since when do I set rules?" asked Val.
"You have a kid," said Naomi. "Parents set rules."
"Unless you aren't planning to set any rules for Bryant, ever," said Adrianna.
Valerie acquiesced a dance with David.
"I'm not going to bite you," said David. "You can get closer."
"You want to do this even less than I do," said Valerie.
"You have to get closer," said Adrianna.
"It's the rule," said Naomi and the emcee.
"This is why I ignore rules," said Val.
"It's the rule." David brought her in until their bodies meshed.
Adrianna ensured to dance where she could strain her ears to listen in without either adult noticing.
"We can still salvage this, Val," said David.
"I am not discussing this in your high school gym," said Valerie.
"Don't marry him," said David.
"Did I tell you not to marry Donna?"
"Maybe you should have," said David. "I wouldn't be divorced."
"You also wouldn't have Ruby, who you've told me is the one thing you got right. Adopting Bryant will be the one thing I get right, too, and I have to marry Steve to make it happen. You're acting like my marriage is going to be permanent. It's not going to be permanent."
"You think you won't get checked in on from time to time?" said David. "That you can get the adoption, divorce Steve, and magically all your problems go away? It doesn't work like that, babe. Don't marry the guy if you don't love him."
"I do love Steve."
"Not the way you love me. The way you're fucking terrified to love me."
"What would you suggest instead, David?" asked Val. "And don't say anything that has you breaking up with Gina. We need you to stay with her if we're ever gonna find out who the fuck LL is."
"We'll explain it to Gina," said David. "That we're marrying to adopt Bryant together."
"That might be one of the worst ideas you have ever had."
"Then we hold off. We keep fostering him. Once everything's done with Gina, then we can go for adoption. Why does it have to be now?"
"You tell me. You also filed."
"Because I found out you did!"
"I wasn't filing against you!"
"Yes, you were. Because of the blonde. I didn't do anything with her, Val."
"You were passed out on her."
"Yeah, I was passed out, but nothing else happened. It doesn't affect my ability to parent Bryant."
"You going off your meds, even for one day, does," said Val. "My son needs stability and what we have – or don't have – has never been stable."
"We can make it stable," said David. "I was young. I was dumb. I hurt you. You hurt me. We don't have to repeat the cycle."
"You can't handle me at my worst."
"I have handled you at your worst. I've seen your worst of the worst and I still love you. Why can't you accept that?"
"That's enough dancing." Valerie pulled away from him. "We will let the court decide which of us is fit enough to parent Bryant. Give up on this fantasy of us raising him together, David. It's not gonna happen, and you aren't breaking up with Gina. I need my sister out of jail. I need her stalker to get a life. You have to squeeze every bit of information out of Gina that you can to make that happen, even if you have to fuck it out of her."
"We're back to that?" asked David. "After all of these years, everything that's happened between us, we're back to that?"
"We've never left that, have we?" said Val. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have assumed I'm Steve's hooker and we wouldn't be fighting each other in court for my son."
She sashayed back to the refreshment table.
The longing, aggrieved gaze permanently etched upon David's face followed.
Adrianna told her friends everything she had heard.
"Dad really fucked this up," said Ruby. "It's too bad. I like Val. I like her more than Samara, and I liked Samara a lot."
"Why did your dad and Samara break up?" asked Adrianna.
"Samara told him he was still in love with Val," said Ruby. "Dad tried to deny it. But I guess with everyone he dated telling him the same, including Mom, he came around to accepting it. Too little, too late. I would've had the world's coolest stepmom, but at least I have a cool stepdad."
"There's still time," said Naomi. "Kai, work on your dad."
"Maybe Val is better off with Dad, too," said Kai.
"She's not," said Naomi.
"Maybe I'd be better off convincing Dad to make their marriage permanent," said Kai.
"If you do, I'll never talk to you again," said Ruby. "Get your dad a new girlfriend and stop letting him steal my stepmom."
"She isn't your stepmom," said Kai.
"She isn't yours, either," said Ruby.
Adrianna looked to Naomi for help.
"I'm bored," said Naomi.
"But you won Frost Queen," said Dixon.
"I did," said Naomi. "I danced, it was fun, and now I'm bored."
"I'm bored, too," said Ruby. "And also tired of Kai's face."
"I'm tired of your face," said Kai.
That was the end of the dance for the gang's children.
Naomi had not persuaded Kai, which had greatly frustrated her.
She told Adrianna as much several times in their sleepover.
"It has to be hard," said Adrianna, "not knowing your mum."
"Uncle Steve can always find Kai another mom," said Naomi. "There's probably hundreds of women willing to date him. There aren't hundreds willing to date Uncle David when he's noticeably hung up on his ex…or in general. Uncle David belongs with Aunt Val. Her marrying Uncle Steve is all kinds of wrong."
"Gina says she'll be marrying Uncle David soon," said Adrianna.
"Mom says Ms. Kincaid has always wanted whatever Aunt Donna had," said Naomi. "Mom also admitted that she used to always want what your mom had."
"She doesn't want it now," said Adrianna. "All I want for Christmas is my family back under one roof, Naomes. Is that too much to ask?"
Naomi did not answer, for she had fallen into slumber.
Cleaning the bathroom as part of her bi-weekend chores, Adrianna spotted a receipt on the floor.
Picking up the receipt to add it to the pile of litter she had gathered for the rubbish, Adrianna did a double-take.
"Naomi!" she called. "Get in here!"
Naomi charged in.
"Is this yours?" Adrianna showed her the receipt.
"You think I'd shop in a drugstore?" asked Naomi.
"Naomi!" said Adrianna. "Is this yours?"
"It's not mine," said Naomi. "It's yours."
"It is most definitely not mine," said Adrianna. "I found this lipstick with it." She rolled the lipstick across the counter. "They must have fallen out of a purse and you've constantly got your purse on you."
"Adrianna, I did not buy a fucking pregnancy test," said Naomi, "and if I did, I would have one hundred percent told you about it."
"Well I definitely didn't buy it," said Adrianna.
"Callie?" asked Naomi.
Adrianna and Naomi looked at each other to both say, "Nah."
"It could be your mom's," said Naomi.
"Mum knew about the twins before she bought this house," said Adrianna, "and she doesn't buy this brand of lipstick."
"Can't be my mom," said Naomi. "Aunt Donna? She's been in here."
"Annie was in here, too," said Adrianna.
"If it's Annie, I'm killing Sammy. After I tell Dad. And he kills Sammy. Sammy will be double-killed."
"Ruby?"
"Possible."
There was one person Adrianna considered, though she thought it could not possibly be the pregnancy test purchaser.
"Aunt Erica?" she asked. "Can I ask you something really personal?"
"Sure, Ade," said Erica. "You can ask me anything."
"I know you like women," said Adrianna, "but have you ever been with men?"
"I've been with men," said Erica. "I like both."
"Have you slept with a man?" asked Adrianna. "Recently?"
Not recently, said Erica.
"That's where my lipstick went!" she said, swiping it off of the bathroom counter. "I've been looking everywhere for this."
Adrianna scrutinized her aunt.
"Do I have something on my face?" asked Erica.
"No," said Adrianna.
She and Naomi had been certain that the lipstick owner had been the owner of the receipt.
If Aunt Erica doesn't need the test, but it's her lipstick, then we were wrong, Adrianna thought.
She put the test out of her head and went about enjoying the rest of her weekend.
Tasked with watching her grandmother until her father got home, Adrianna seated herself beside Cindy.
Cindy's laptop was out and ready to go.
She typed furiously.
"You heard a conversation?" asked Adrianna. "Between Aunt Erica and…Aunt Val?"
Erica had thought Cindy asleep during her conversation with Valerie.
She had been half-correct, typed Cindy, as Cindy had awoken during the conversation.
"I'm here," Cindy typed out Valerie saying. "What did you want me to come over for?"
"I was talking to Nat," Erica had said. "He mentioned you may have done some stress eating the night of Ade's dance?"
"I was hungry," said Val. "People get hungry. Then they go to the Pit and pay Nat to eat. I don't see the problem. I did pay him. If you want to get onto someone, get onto your brother and his ginormous tab."
"Nat said he hasn't seen you eat like that since you were pregnant with Kai," said Erica. "And then I was talking to Steve and he mentioned that you told him that your tits have been sore lately."
"It's from Bryant's suckling."
"So then I was talking to Kelly and she told me about how you barely touched your food at Thanksgiving. Then I was talking to Bren and she said that you said that you'd been dealing with congestion and ongoing headaches? So then I talked to Dylan and he mentioned – are you getting the picture, Val? I was in the store and thought I'd pick this up for you."
"I'm not taking that," Val had said.
"I think you should."
"Every test I have ever taken has been negative and now there is no way that test is going to be positive. Taking it would be a huge waste of my time."
"Bren would make you take it," said Erica. "So I'm making you take it, for Bren."
"I'll take it," said Val, "but I'm not looking at it. And neither are you."
"Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?" asked Erica.
"If you want me to take that fu – " Cindy censored Valerie's language in her story, "fudging test, neither of us are looking at it. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."
Cindy stopped typing.
Adrianna stopped reading.
Cindy closed her laptop.
"So it was Aunt Erica's test!" said Adrianna. "She bought it for Aunt Val! Do you know the results, Grandma?"
Cindy opened the drawer of the bedside table and gave Adrianna a box.
Opening it, Adrianna tried to see the result of the test without pulling it out.
Cindy pulled it out for her.
"Thanks, Grandma," said Adrianna.
"Ade, I've got another video here of your mum that Andrea just dropped off. Are you interested in watch…"
"Dad," said Adrianna, "you're home early. We weren't expecting you for another few hours."
She had attempted to conceal the test underneath her Grandma's blanket.
She hadn't been quick enough.
Dylan yanked it out of her hands.
"We finished our campaign sooner than expected, so I gave the team the rest of the day off for them to get their shopping done," he said. "Thought I could take you to get yours done. Instead, you will enlighten me as to why the fuck you have a pregnancy test in your possession and furthermore Adrianna, you better start explaining why the fuck this test is positive before I get arrested for slaughtering the abusive little lip-ringed shite who knocked up my sixteen-year-old daughter and ruined our entire fucking Christmas in the process!"
-x
Did not plan this for Val initially, but the story went there so I went with it.
Sources: Google, the websites for Cleveland Clinic and Environment America.
(Shout-out to KJ to express my continued gratitude and appreciation, as well as those of you whose review I could respond to directly. Well-done, KJ, and thank you!)
Thanks a million!