Closing Time

by E. L. Todd

  Diane stood close to Andrew, the stress and fear etched onto her face.

  “Darling, you’re going to be okay,” Andrew whispered.

  She nodded but didn’t speak.

  We gathered around the sitting area and kept to ourselves. Diane’s knee kept shaking in anxiety. Andrew put his hand on it but that couldn’t stop her tremors. Her hands were squeezed together tightly.

  “We appreciate all of you coming out,” Andrew said quietly.

  “Of course,” Ryan said. “We wouldn’t miss it.”

  “We’re very blessed to have so many children,” Diane whispered. She stared at Trinity for a moment. “Can I hold my grandbabies?”

  “Of course.” Mike came over her and handed Trinity to her.

  Diane held her firmly then smiled down at her. The emotion was still in her eyes, but she felt a little better having a beautiful child in her arms. She rocked Trinity slightly then grabbed one of her hands, rubbing her fingers across each digit. “You did such a wonderful job making her.”

  “Please,” Mike said. “She’s all Cassandra. I just got to have a great time making her.”

  Diane chuckled lightly. “Can I have Skye as well?”

  Sean sat beside her and handed Skye to her. He stayed in place and kept his hand out just in case Diane wasn’t as strong as she thought. When they were both tucked in her arms, she stared back and forth at them.

  “I see Andrew in both of you.” She smiled then rocked them gently.

  “That’s why they are so cute,” Andrew teased. “They have my undeniably good looks.”

  “You’re a little full of yourself, aren’t you?” Sean asked.

  “But I have every right to be,” Andrew said.

  “Whatever happened to not treating everyone like they are your inferiors?” Mike questioned.

  “I’m not treating anyone as inferior,” Andrew said calmly. “I’m just making it clear that the reason why two beautiful women married you was because of my obvious charm and dashing good looks.”

  “And the length of our huge cocks,” Mike said.

  Cassandra hit his shoulder hard. “Mike!”

  Andrew laughed. “So inappropriate but so funny.”

  Even I was a little red in the cheeks.

  “Is that true, baby?” Sean asked me.

  I elbowed his stomach. “Knock it off.”

  Diane laughed a long with Andrew, her joy shining through. “Thank you so much for giving me this.”

  Andrew didn’t understand her meaning. “What, dear?”

  “For such a beautiful family.” She looked back down at her children and swayed them back and forth. “I love all of you very much.”

  “We love you too,” Cortland said.

  “We do,” Janice said.

  Andrew rubbed her back and looked at her fondly. “And you know how much I adore you.”

  “You remind me every day,” Diane said.

  The nurse approached our group. “Mrs. Preston, it’s time.”

  She took a deep breath then kissed each child on the brow. “If I don’t see you again, please know that I love you very much.”

  “Diane, you’re coming back,” Andrew said firmly. “You know I’m a man who never takes risks.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  Sean took Skye away and Mike grabbed Trinity.

  We stood up and walked with Diane as far as we were allowed. Even Andrew wasn’t allowed to go in.

  Diane gave Andrew a weak smile then hugged him. “I love you so much, Andrew.”

  “I love you too, darling. And that love will continue when this is over.” He pulled away and gave her a kiss. For the first time, Sean and Mike didn’t make a face. Then she hugged everyone and squeezed them tightly before she let go.

  I was the last person she came to. “Scarlet, I want you to know how much I regret the way I treated you in the past.”

  “Mom, it’s forgotten. I forgave you a long time ago.”

  “I just want to make sure you understand that before I go.”

  I hugged her tightly. “Of course. But I don’t even think of it anymore. I love you very much and Sean does too.”

  She kissed my cheek before she pulled away. “Thank you for marrying my son. He’s a much better person with you, and he’s made me proud. It was a blessing that Penelope never lasted. You were a dream come true.”

  It was the first time I heard her genuine approval of me over Penelope, and I didn’t realize how much I wanted to hear it until she said those words. “Thank you…”

  “I know my son is in good hands.” She touched my shoulder and turned away.

  Andrew hugged her again. “Stop talking like you aren’t coming back.”

  She kissed his forehead then sighed. “You never know, Andrew. I just want to say my goodbyes if this is the time to say them.”

  “It’ll never be goodbye,” Andrew said, his eyes teary. “Because my soul will find yours in the next life. And the next.”

  She kissed him again before she gave him a long look. Once she started to walk down the hall with the nurse, she didn’t look back. Together, we watched her take every step as she headed to the large doors. Once she passed through and couldn’t see her, we stepped away and headed to the chairs. Only Andrew remained, standing vigil like she might come back.

  The intensity of the surgery made it long. It was scheduled for eight hours, so we had to anxiously wait for eight hours. Andrew appeared calm and crossed his ankle with his knee. He stared straight ahead and kept a face of indifference. If he was worried, he didn’t show it. But we all knew he was suffering.

  “Mom will be okay,” Mike said to cheer him up.

  “I know she will,” Andrew said quietly.

  Sean sat beside his dad then patted his shoulder, reminding him that he was there. Mike sat on the other side of him, being supportive. I took care of Skye and fed her and changed her. When she cried, I knew she wanted Sean, but now wasn’t the time. Cassandra took care of Trinity, but since Trinity never cried, I knew Cassandra was already a pro with her baby. Hopefully, I’d get there eventually.

  Hours later, Sean looked at his watch. “Baby, go to the hotel and get some sleep.”

  It was five in the evening. “I’m okay.”

  “Even when she’s out of surgery, we won’t be able to see her for a while,” Sean explained.

  “I’m not leaving,” I said firmly.

  “And don’t bother to tell me to leave either,” Cassandra said to Mike.

  Cortland held Monnique close, and Janice was snuggled into Ryan. Flynn and Hazel were playing a game on his phone, staying entertained. Food and coffee were brought, but Andrew never ate anything. He didn’t even sip water.

  “No thank you,” was all he ever said.

  I knew how scared Diane was, but I knew she would be okay. Andrew would never let her go through with something if he wasn’t sure about it. Luckily, I had my daughter there to comfort me. She was the best thing I could ever need.

  The hours were passed in an unusual slowness. I couldn’t remember anything ever taking this long. Every time I looked at the clock, it was almost in the same position as it was before. I just wanted to know my mother-in-law was okay so we could be happy. I wanted Andrew to feel better, to release the rigidness taking over his body.

  “It’s been nine hours,” Andrew said with a sigh. “Why haven’t they spoken to us yet?”

  “I’m sure they are busy doing paperwork,” Sean said. “Nothing to worry about.”

  Honestly, I was nervous. We hadn’t gotten an update in a while.

  Dr. Youseff finally appeared out of the doors, heading right for Andrew.

  Andrew jumped up then approached him, keeping calm and professional. He kept his silence and waited for the doctor to speak.

  “She’s in recovery now. We’ll need to monitor her for a few days, but the surgery went well. We don’t expect any side effects, and the entire tumor was removed.”

  Andrew took a de
ep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them. “That’s wonderful.”

  Dr. Youseff nodded. “There were no complications. Everything went smoothly.”

  He took another deep breath. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  Andrew shook his hand and held it for a moment. “Thank you.”

  He nodded then walked back into the doors.

  Sean walked to his father then hugged him tightly. “She’s okay.”

  Andrew patted his back. “She is.”

  Mike came behind his father and rubbed his back. “I’m so relieved.”

  Andrew pulled away from Sean then hugged Mike. “I am too, kid.” He kissed Mike on the brow. “I’m so blessed to have my family.”

  Sean clapped his shoulder. “Everything worked out like you said it would.”

  “I’m glad I wasn’t wrong,” Andrew said. “Thank you so much for being here, boys. It means the world to me.”

  “You got our backs, and we always got yours,” Mike said.

  The rest of us joined them then gave Andrew a hug. He hugged each one of us fiercely then stepped back. “God, I don’t even know what to say…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I was scared. I admit it.”

  “It’s okay to be scared, Dad,” Sean said gently.

  “Yeah,” Mike added. “I was scared too.”

  “We all were,” I added. “But everything worked out. It’s time to be happy.”

  “It is,” Andrew said. “It is.”

  Andrew was allowed to see Diane before us, but we were forbidden due to contamination issues. She still had open wounds and they didn’t want to risk an infection. We had to wait a few days before we were allowed inside.

  “My boys,” Diane said when she saw Mike and Sean enter.

  “Hey, Mom.” Sean hugged her. “You look great.”

  She rolled her eyes. “They shaved my head.”

  “But now you can get a Mohawk,” Mike said. “That’d be awesome.”

  Diane laughed. “Oh, you two are so weird, but I love you so much.”

  “We love you too, Mom.” Sean sat at the edge of the bed.

  “I want my grandchildren,” she demanded.

  “Coming right up,” I said. I handed her Skye and she immediately smiled at the sight of her.

  “I was so scared I’d never see this pretty face again,” she said with a sigh.

  Andrew placed his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

  Cassandra brought Trinity and placed her in the other arm.

  “They are going to be such beautiful girls someday,” Diane said fondly. “I can’t wait to buy them dresses and shoes.”

  “Long dresses,” Sean said.

  “Like, really long,” Mike said. “I’m talking nunnery status.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes and chuckled.

  Ryan came to her then rubbed her shoulder. “I heard you were quite the fighter.”

  She continued to look at her grandchildren. “I guess I had too much to live for.”

  Cortland brought her a cup of coffee. “Are you allowed to have any?”

  She took a deep breath and sniffed the aroma. “I would love some, but no, I’m not allowed.”

  “Can I bring you something else?” Cortland asked.

  “Yes, a hug.” She handed the girls back to me and Cassandra then hugged Cortland. Then she hugged everyone else, the joy evident on her face. “It’s good to be alive.”

  We stuffed into the room and kept her company. She was a completely different person after the surgery. While she’d always been lively, it seemed like a burden had been taken from her shoulders. Her eyes shined with a new light and her youth returned to her features. It was a wonderful thing to see.

  When the nurse informed us visiting hours were over, we were all sad to go. Only Andrew remained behind.

  “I sleep where my wife sleeps.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. The ICU doesn’t allow that.”

  “Then call security,” he said simply. “Because I’m not leaving.”

  “Dad is an alpha,” Mike whispered to Sean.

  The nurse sighed. “Fine. Don’t cause any trouble.”

  “I won’t,” Andrew said with a smile.

  We all hugged her goodbye.

  “How long are you staying?” I asked.

  “Just a few more days and then we’ll fly home,” Diane said. “You guys don’t need to stay. The boys should get back to work, and I know everyone else has busy schedules to attend to.” She grabbed Andrew’s hand. “Besides, I have my husband if I need anything.”

  He kissed her hand. “You do.”

  “Okay,” Sean said. “We’ll see you at home.”

  “When are you leaving?” Andrew asked.

  “Probably tomorrow,” Sean answered. “We just have to make one more stop.”

  “Where?” he asked.

  Sean smirked at me. “Somewhere special.”

  23

  Scarlet

  We arrived at Mega-Shake, but I stopped before we went inside. We moved from Seattle a year ago, but nothing had changed. The building was still painted with the faded red color, and the florescent lights looked ancient and cheap. It was a diner in all aspects, but it was also a place to call home.

  I’d come here to do my homework when I was too scared to go home. Whenever I was hungry, this was my first choice. Ryan and I had so many fond memories of this place before I left for college, and even better ones after I returned. It wasn’t just a restaurant to me. It was where the second half of my life had begun. I ate with Cortland here so many times, starting a friendship that would last a lifetime. It was the place where Sean and I finally got together, right outside the door. It was filled with more memories than a museum.

  “Ready?” Sean asked.

  “Dude, I’ve been craving a Mega-Shake for so long,” Cortland said.

  “A mega what?” Hazel asked, confused.

  “They are the best milkshakes in the world,” Ryan said.

  Flynn rolled his eyes. “They can’t be the best. The fact you say they are automatically makes them not the best.”

  “We’ll see,” Ryan said arrogantly.

  “You wanna bet?” Flynn challenged.

  “A hundred bucks.” Ryan stuck out his hand.

  Flynn shook it. “You’re on.”

  Janice moved next to Ryan. “They are pretty damn good. I gained a few pounds living here but it was totally worth it.”

  “Totally,” I said.

  We walked inside then looked at the menu. I held Skye in the car seat while Sean took out his wallet.

  “The usual, baby?” he asked.

  “You know me so well,” I said with a smile.

  “I’ll get a strawberry milkshake since you don’t share,” he jabbed.

  “But she’ll eat it off the floor,” Ryan snapped. “Makes no fucking sense.”

  “No cussing,” Cassandra hissed.

  “Oh whatever,” Ryan said irritably. “They are going to do it eventually.”

  “Just be mindful about it,” Cassandra insisted.

  Hazel looked at the menu next to me. “What’s good here?”

  “Burgers and fries,” I said. “Actually, that’s all they have.”

  “Well, that made it easy,” Hazels said with a laugh.

  Sean ordered our food then carried our trays to a table. We pushed a few table together so we could all fit. The diner was empty except for us, so at least we were bringing the place business.

  When Sean put the food in front of me, my mouth immediately watered.

  “God, this looks so fucking good,” I said.

  “So Scar can cuss but I can’t?” Ryan asked incredulously.

  “It was a special occasion,” Sean said.

  Everyone grabbed their food and joined us at the table.

  Ryan looked at Flynn. “Now try it.”

  “I haven’t even eaten yet,” Flynn said.

  “Just do it.�
� Ryan stared him down.

  Flynn sighed then sucked on the straw of his chocolate milkshake. He took a long drink before he put the cup down, savoring the taste.

  We all patiently waited for his declaration, sitting at the edge of our seats.

  He pulled his wallet out then handed Ryan the cash. “You win.”

  Ryan snatched it away. “That’s what I thought.”

  Hazel grabbed his milkshake then sipped it. “It is good.”

  “They aren’t even married and she shares with him,” Sean said, looking at me.

  I rolled my eyes then grabbed his strawberry shake and took a drink. Then I put it back. “There. You happy?”

  “But doesn’t that gross you out?” Cortland mocked. “Because it’s been pasteurized or some crap like that.”

  “Did one of you build a time machine I don’t know about?” I asked. “Because I feel like I’m living a year in the past.”

  “No, you just haven’t changed much.” Mike shoved the fries into his mouth.

  We all laughed while we shared our meal. When Mike put two fries in his nose to make Trinity laugh, Skye giggled with merriment at the sight. He looked completely ridiculous but we couldn’t stop laughing.

  “You look so hot right now,” Cassandra said sarcastically.

  “Don’t I look like a walrus?” Mike asked.

  “No, you look like an idiot,” Ryan said.

  “You’re an idiot,” Mike argued.

  “What a good comeback,” Ryan said sarcastically.

  I sighed, watching my family bicker and argue like they did every day. I used to come to this place because it was my savior, a place to go to hide from the difficult times. But now it was a safe haven, a place filled with love and joy. I could live every day of my life like this, full of happiness and joy.

  When I looked across the table, Sean was staring at me. Judging the seriousness on his face, I knew he could read my thoughts. He and I had a hard time getting to where we are now. It came with work and sacrifice, but now we were a team, partners. He was my best friend and greatest ally. All the pain and heartbreak was worth reaching this moment. Every single second was worth it.

  Skye squirmed in my arms then her arm knocked my fries onto the floor. Everyone stopped while they stared at me, wondering what I would do. Sean had an amused expression on his face, his eyes saying everything he was thinking. Ryan stared at me hard, waiting for me to make my move. A smile stretched on my face and I did what everyone was waiting for. I reached down and scooped up the fries then returned them to the plate.