"Oh hell no! I know you've lost your mind, let me go!" Charlie blasted trying to shove him away from her and take her arm from his tight squeezing grip.
He wasn't moving, he wasn't letting go and in fact, as she knew, he was the one person that her tough persona didn't phase one bit and with his face boldly in hers he ground out, "You are going to push me too far one day!"
"Let - me - go!" She bit out in her most intimidating voice, breathing hard.
"Make me - let you go!" He bit back equally intimidating.
As much as Charlie knew she would like too, she couldn't. Breathing hard, trying to calm down, she adjusted her tone, "Okay, you got me, all right - big man, feel better? Dominated the woman, proud of yourself?" Even when she tried to humble down a bit, it was grudgingly.
"When are you gonna give in to me? How long you gonna keep this up?" His grip loosened, he moved in to try and kiss her, she ducked to the side and then pushed past him.
She stopped at the door, before opening it to exist she reminded him, "You had your chance, you chose her ... over me. You broke my heart, and you know it. Let's just put it out there, okay? Now ... you can kiss my ass."
"Come on Charlie, that was another time, in the past, I was a different man then."
"And I was a different woman. Young, dumb and all I ever wanted, was you. You knew it ... you knew it. Don't touch me, ever again ... I mean it." She left him standing there feeling small and alone.
Meanwhile, in the foyer, "If its okay with you, I'm going to leave you all to do introductions, where's my wife?" Shawn asked looking at Deidre.
"I saw her head up those stairs." She returned, a bit thankful that he would be making himself scarce, that way she could relax, speak with her daughter, get to know the others and introduce everyone to Jeremiah. Following the introductions, she invited all to relax in her favorite room. With preliminaries out of the way along with her surprise at meeting Benjamin; she left Jeremiah speaking with them and turned her attention to her daughter.
"Well, what do you think?" She asked, taking her by the hand.
Angela felt uncomfortable, weary, "It's okay."
"Wait until I show you around, you're going to love it, especially your room."
"My room?" She returned, a bit startled about that.
"Well yes, when you come home to visit - you'll have your own room of course." Deidre tweaked her daughter's cheek, "I've missed you so much, have you missed me, at least some?"
"Yeah." Angela returned, even though the one word lacked what it took to convince her mother of that.
Deidre sighed, realizing the battle that stood before her. "Angela, I just wanna say, that I know that our time before was not fair for you, and I've been doing nothing but thinking of all the ways I'd like it to be different. While you're here, I thought you might want to phone all your friends if you haven't all ready and invite them here for a sleepover, wouldn't that be fun?"
"Yeah." Again, that same reluctant tone.
"Oh Angela, please give me a chance, please?"
"Long as you understand its just a visit, I live with my dad and Sylvia." She informed her softly.
Deidre didn't know what to say, and realized right then, just how tough the next coming week was going to be. "Let's just have a good time right now, we won't worry about anything else, okay? What do you think about Jeremiah?"
Angela shrugged.
Shawn walked down the long hallway looking from one room to the next, calling out as he went, "All right Mrs McPherson, where are you? Sylvia?" He kept searching, waiting for a reply and then came to a very brightly lit room, looking within, he came to the end of his search. She was standing across the room peering out of a huge picture window.
"This is such a lovely room, this view over the gardens, breathtaking - she's lucky." She spoke softly aware of his presence coming up behind her. Shawn sucked in a long and deep breath and let it out. "Will our entire marriage be rife with you disappearing on me?"
"I didn't disappear, I went for a walk." She defended.
"You didn't tell anyone where you were going."
"I didn't feel like telling anyone. I'm a grown woman, I can come and go as I please."
"Oookaaay, here we go again." He murmured resigned.
"Yeah, here we go again." She parroted feeling a bit snappy.
Shawn moved to stand in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her, "Let's come to an agreement in that, due to this not being the place for it, we're not gonna get into a long one, okay?"
"Suits me fine, I'm not in the mood for either, a long or a short one."
"Emmm, even so, know this, grown woman or not, you cannot, come and go as you please. Whether it appeals to you right now or not, you're attached, not - unattached. To make the picture bigger, you're attached to me. Therefore, by all means, come and go as you please, however, before you go, let me know where you're going, let someone know. Is that fair?"
Sylvia's lip rolled out petulantly, refusing to answer him. "Honey, listen..." He softened and pulled her into his arms, "...you are surrounded by people who love you - me - our children. While no one wishes to crowd you, I am at no time willing to let you just go and not know where, for safety reasons. You know me by now, my stunning, spoiled little wife and so whether you comment or not, you know this time, in this case, you're the one in the wrong - and I'm such a nice guy, I'm not gonna insist you admit it."
One dirty look hit him full force, making him laugh and brace himself.
"Don't talk down to me Shawn and don't talk to me like I'm one of your children." She griped.
"Then - wife, don't act like one of my children. You're not going to turn this around and make me the bad guy here, plain and simple, you left and told no one. I can't even do that and I'm the man in this family. The few times I did so, drove you crazy, true or false?"
"So much for this not going to be a long one."
Growling with irritation, Shawn leaned down scowling into her face, "Ugggh, there are times when you are sooo wanting me to smack you right on the ass!"
"Look! I needed to go for a walk! I didn't do it to irritate, or scare anyone, I'm sorry okay? I just - I just did it. So next time I'm feeling like shit, I'll make sure to let you know before I take off, okay papah-Shawn? I have been duly chastised, feel better now?"
Exhaling, Shawn stood straight, pulled her to his chest hugging her, thinking. He knew what was wrong, Crystal had explained what she thought sent her mother off, now he knew that was exactly it. "I'm sorry." He murmured kissing her brow, "Put your arms around me, even if you don't think I deserve it, do it anyway."
Slowly at first, Sylvia complied, and then once she felt him solid against her, she wrapped her arms around the powerful trunk of him and squeezed, so needing him to restore her back to sanity.
"I can't help the way I love you, all I know, is that - you are my life. I lose my life and I die." He murmured leaning down angling her head back with his own, searching out her mouth, finding it and latching on. Right away his heart took off, beating fast and furious in his chest to have her returning his amorous devouring of every breath she took, her tongue entered his mouth and the kiss grew in heat. "I love you so much - so much Shawn, I do, I didn't mean to upset you, I just-..." His mouth cut her off, preferring that to what he felt was over and done with. Another moment went by before he reluctantly pulled away. "Let's just, pause this until later, go back downstairs - as the happy couple that we are and enjoy ourselves, okay?"
"Okay."
He hugged her again for good measure.
Downstairs when they arrived everyone was laughing and talking at once. The boys, Darren and Isaac were asking a ton of questions to anyone paying attention enough to answer them. Because Ben had grown so close to them, he watched them and paid attention to how others responded to their questions, feeling a bit ruffled if someone spoke over them, inadvertently ignoring them. While he knew it wasn't purposely done, it still bothered him. He called them
to him and asked Deidre if she would mind him talking them out into her garden to walk the grounds.
"No, go right ahead." She smiled brightly.
Lifting Darren to his hip, he took Isaac by the hand and made his way towards the next room, stopping in the large wide arched doorway to turn back and find Crystal. She was watching him, he did a head gesture equal to saying, 'You coming?' - Crystal came instantly to her feet and followed them into the breakfast room which had French doors leading to a long and bright conservatory and then onto the grounds. They both disappeared from sight, Crystal refused to take notice of Shawn, Sylvia or Mundo and the look they gave each other and then her.
Shawn sucked in a deep breath, turned to look at Sylvia, staring at him, she lipped, "They're grown." - he didn't care if they were, he still worried about this development, however there was little he could do about it for the moment, turning away from his wife, he caught sight of his daughter. Angela had a monstrous size smile on her face caused by the sight of Ben and Crystal going off together with the boys. His brows drew in perplexed, making a mental note to ask her about that later. For the time being, he was watching Jeremiah try to engage his daughter in conversation and also, trying to decide if he liked the idea. While he knew that Deidre was no longer his wife or his responsibility, his daughter was another story. She had a father and was in no need of another one, period.
Deidre tried not to look at Shawn, but having lived with a man like him for so long she knew what he was thinking, her peripheral was clear on him and she could see him giving Jeremiah close inspection.
"So tell me Angela, if you don't mind my asking, how are you enjoying living in Wisconsin?" Jeremiah asked.
"I love it, I have friends there now too."
"Don't forget the ones you have here, I know they can't wait to hear from you." Deidre reminded her.
"We've been busy so I haven't had time to call them." She informed them.
"Who knows, maybe you'd like to stay here tonight, call them while you're here?" Deidre hinted, unable to resist looking to Shawn. "What do you think Shawn?"
"I think that's up to Angela."
"I didn't bring anything with me to stay the night." Angela returned.
"Honey when I sent you your things, I did keep some things back, so that when you visited, like now, you'd have what you needed. Why don't we go up and look at your room?"
"Take my word for it, you'll love it." Jeremiah added, feeling for the look on Deidre's face. She was trying so hard and hoping.
"Maybe we can look at it later." She answered.
Sylvia stood, walking to Angela, "Come on, I'll go with you - let's see your room."
Angela wilted, afraid but stood anyway since Sylvia asked her to, leaning down Sylvia whispered in her ear, "Don't hurt her feelings Angela, she loves you."
"I know."
"Well come on, let's make the best of this visit."
With all her might, Deidre fought back bursting into tears. She knew that her daughter had always preferred her father over her because they'd been close from birth. It's as if he'd given birth to her instead of the other way around. He'd always been a natural from the moment she came into the world, he couldn't wait to hold her. Whereas she'd been scared to death to and now, Sylvia. She swallowed back her feelings, put forth a smile and led the way up the stairs.
Outside, walking the grounds, "Wow - it must be nice, lifestyle of the rich and famous." Crystal murmured smiling.
"Tell me about it. My folks live on a lot of land no bigger than that corner of this section of her grounds, in the woods."
"It must have been nice even so." Crystal added softly keeping in gentle step next to him as the boys ran in circles loving it.
"Quincy made it nice. No matter what he was feeling at the end of the day, he made time for us. Man, he would come home from work, pull us, kicking and screaming from in front of the TV and take us out into the woods to explore. We would always fight it, didn't see what could be so interesting out in the woods. But I guarantee you, within 15 minutes of us being out there, he'd have our attention and interest deep into it."
"Ohhh, I would have loved such a life. We weren't allowed to go outside where I grew up. Most of my young life was spent with my mother, at school and then in the house at home. From time to time we'd go to my grandparents, the Payne's - we could go outside then, but as soon as my mother was off of work, she'd come to pick us up. She didn't trust us anywhere but at Sheila's."
"I like her, she's cool."
"Oh man, now at her house, we always had a blast. Vivian would come over, and she would always come outside jumping rope with us, playing hop scotch, hide and go seek. She would walk us to the corner store so we could buy junk food - laughing and talking to us like the best big sister ever."
"Wow, you guys go way back then."
"Oh yeah, my mom, Sheila and Vivian, the best of friends, even though Vivian is quite a bit younger than them; she was always around at Sheila's. I loved going to Sheila's but I loved it even more when we arrived to see Vivian there, because she always played with us. Mundo had Robert to play with, and I had Vivian."
"Can you believe it, she's marrying my father."
"I know, it just blows me away, the one named Jake." She amended and they both laughed.
"What can I say, your typical red neck tale - a chapter from, I am my own grandpa."
Crystal guffawed until her stomach hurt.
"For real man, is that crazy or what?"
"Just means us misfits fit."
Ben looked at her, winked and agreed, "Yeah, we do, like a glove."
"That's why we're such good friends, we click." She simpered adding.
"Friends huh? Yeah, okay ... friends." He grumbled with reluctant acceptance.
"Ah come on Ben, I like having you for a friend, I don't want that to ever end."
"Me either. So tell me my friend, think we'll ever be this rich, famous?"
"I don't know if I'd ever wanna be, I mean - don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind being self-sufficient you know, but, to be rich? What kind of challenges would life hold if you already had everything you ever wanted?" She offered in thought.
"I suppose I'm with you on that, takes away the adventure doesn't it?"
"I think so, of course not everyone feels that way, but I do."
"Well, on the other side of that, I happen to know for me, there will always be something I'll want and ... can't have." He glanced at her, his meaning clear. "Yet, there's something in knowing that, that makes you want it all that much more."
"That's a man thing." She responded trying to wiggle out of it subtly.
"And I'm a man Crystal..." He turned before her walking slowly backwards, "... I'm not perfect, I make mistakes - but - I'm a man, what more can I say?" He was gazing straight into her eyes. "Let's have an adventure together Crystal, let's do something that we'll always remember together."
"What?" She stopped to ask in a tone that warned him to be careful.
"Come on, what's up with that tone? I'm not asking what you think, I already know you're not that way, I was considering something else."
"Okay, what?" She posed the question again, this time with a smile.
"I've been told from a reliable source, that you've been offered tickets to a ball, is that so?"
Crystal smiled, "As a matter of fact, I was."
"I see, so ah, what do you think? May I be so bold madam, to ask, if you would be so generous, as to allow me the privilege, of escorting you to the ball? Just so you know, I would be honored, if you would."
Crystal smiled, touched, and before she could say another word, Isaac came barrelling up behind Ben, charging right into the back of his knees, buckling them and down he went rolling off to the side not to fall on Isaac. "Whoa!" He bellowed laughing, taken by surprise, he grabbed him, lifting him into the air. "What a tackle! We've got a football player in the making, defensive tackle, coming up for sure!" He crowed with praise tickling the squirming child, who
wiggled with uncontrollable laughter. Darren caught up to his brother and dived onto Ben's stomach yelling, "My Ben!" Making him shout in laughter as he wrestled with them on the ground. "Tackle me will you! You set me up Darren - didn't you, had it planned all along! Get'em outside, run off, mom is in position to distract him, then we get'em!"
The sounds of their laughter was all that could be heard as Darren squealed with tears in his eyes, "Uh emmm, nooo, no!" He cried out so weak he rolled on the ground trying to escape Ben's tickling him.
"Ben - tackle my mama!"
"No!" Crystal yelled leaning down with her hands out to ward off Ben as he rolled forward coming to his feet in one athletic move, eyes on Crystal, both boys beside him in the crouched position, hands up like claws, making growling noises at their mother.
"Now Ben! Stop it! Isaac - Darren, cut it out!" She squealed with nervous laughter, wanting to turn and run but was too scared to turn her back on him.
"Better talk to the boys." Ben warned.
"Isaac! Call'em off!"
"Tackle'er now Ben!" Isaac roared with a growling face.
"Nooo!" Crystal screamed just as Ben launched himself at her, lifting her off of her feet to fold over his shoulder, hanging down his back, laughing and begging to be let down. Ben ignored her, "Now what Isaac?" He asked instead.
"Ya'did it wrong Ben, you s'pose to tackl'er to the ground like I did you."
"Benjamin Caesar McPherson! Put me down!" She insisted over them.
"But she's a girl Isaac, you can't tackle a girl like that, it'll make her cry. Girls are all delicate and stuff - their not made like us men."
"Well then, what'cha gonna do with'er?"
"Hang on a minute little man, she's making an awful racket ain't she?" And then to Crystal, "Hey you, you want down?"
"Yes." She laughed.
"If I remember correctly, I posed a particular question to you, something to do with a ball, me escorting you."
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