Chapter Four-Hundred-Ten
Later on that morning around seven thirty, Nick and Ashley went downstairs hand in hand to see that the diner is now open and customers are sitting at the tables eating breakfast. They went behind the bar where they found Bella lying in Spencer’s old playpen that Kori kept handy and Isabel serving people behind the counter but keeping a close watch on her at the same time.
“Hey Isabel, I’m sorry I sort of threw her at you earlier…”
“It’s fine,” Isabel reassured gently. “Is Kota alright?”
“For now,” Ashley sighed. “She’s gone back to sleep. How’s Bells been?”
“A perfect angel,” Isabel answered as she multi-tasked.
“Yeah?” Ashley asked and she couldn’t help but smile some as Nick leaned over the playpen instantly causing the infant inside it to smile hugely and squeal. Isabel and a couple of customers laughed.
“She’s just been as happy as can be. She’s really entertaining our guests.” Ashley went over to Nick then who had gathered Bella into his arms and kissed her forehead softly. Ashley gently ruffled her fingers through brown hair.
“She is such a doll…how old is she?” a woman in her 40’s asked as she sat there behind the counter enjoying pancakes, scrambled eggs, and some bacon.
“Three months,” Ashley answered happily. “She’s our little Christmas Baby.” The woman eyed Ashley curiously for a long moment before responding.
“You look really good for someone who had a child in December. What’s your secret?”
“Adoption,” Ashley answered amusedly. “I adopted her from the Orphanage that Nick and I work in back in Florida. She was my little charge and, well, I grew attached. Her birth mother was a teenage mom and didn’t think she could handle the responsibility but wanted the best for her. And…well I make sure to give her just that.”
“Oh boy does she ever,” Kori chimed in as she joined them behind the counter. “Bella is very loved anyone who watches Ashley with her for a day can see that,” She added while handing her order pad to the chef and then sliding an arm around Ashley for a hug before kissing her cheek affectionately. “Janis this is my baby sister Ashley, Ashley the nice lady you are talking to here is Janis. She’s one of our favorite customers. She comes and orders pancakes from us every single day.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ashley insisted as she leaned into Kori and became slightly shy all of the sudden at having been formally introduced.
“Well its about time I get to meet someone in your family! I’ve been your customer since Eddie opened the diner and every day since he took you in we were wondering if you would ever open up and tell us what your story was.” Kori gave Janis a small warm smile.
“I wish I had told him. Eddie was so kind to me, he told me everything about him, I only wish that I trusted him enough to do the same. If I had known that my days with him were numbered…well I just don’t take anything for granted anymore, plain and simple,” Kori explained while hugging Ashley closer. “This is my sister Janis…and I ran away leaving her behind in Florida when she was only twelve years old. I got involved with some bad people, did some stupid things, and came here looking to hide out and start a better life. That’s my story in a nutshell…”
“And your parents?” Janis asked curiously.
“Died not too long after I left. Those bad people that I ran from killed them,” Kori answered softly and she felt Ashley tighten her arms around her. “Now they’re after Ashley and we’re doing everything in our power to protect her.”
“Is that why Isabel has been running your diner? Is that why you’ve been gone?” Kori nodded quietly before looking down at Ashley.
“I heard she was in trouble and went home to be with her immediately. I’ve been in Florida all this time.”
“Well I’m glad I’m finally able to get to know you better…I enjoy coming here every morning to talk to you, I’ve just been waiting on you to trust me.”
“Yeah…” Kori replied while rubbing at her watery eyes. “I guess you can say I’m working really hard to face my demons…I’m not as good at it as Ashley is though. She looks her fears right in the face and I still have yet to figure out where she finds her strength.”
“Kori,” Elton the chef spoke up and Kori turned her head to look at him as she continued to hold Ashley close.
“Yeah?”
“Here’s table five’s order,” Elton announced while setting a tray of food on the counter.
“Thanks,” Kori replied before kissing Ashley’s forehead and pulling away from her. She took the tray and set off to continue working. Ashley looked at Bella to see she was content in Nick’s arms as he sat on the floor leaning up against the wall out of everybody’s way and then at Isabel.
“So what can I do to help? Put me to work.”
“No way,” Isabel insisted. “You’re Kori’s guest, you’re on vacation. I’m not letting you trouble yourself like that.”
“But I really don’t—“
“—You heard the lady, no work for you” Elton insisted and Ashley couldn’t help but smile at him some. She was introduced to him a long with all of the other employees the other day and they’ve all been nothing but extra nice to her. “You may have some breakfast though. What would you like? I’ll make you anything.”
“Well…French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon sounds really good.”
“Coming right up,” Elton insisted and then he looked over at Nick.
“How about you Nick?”
“Pancakes, eggs, and bacon please.”
“Yes sir,” Elton replied and then went right to work. Ashley went over and joined Nick then and she gently took Bella from him after sitting on the floor beside him. She shifted so that her legs were slightly bent as she leaned back against the wall and she gently placed Bella so that she was lying back against them. She leaned forward and planted an affectionate kiss on her nose before resting her forehead against hers and gazing into her content-filled eyes as she held her protectively. Nick is right, she is her pride and joy. There isn’t anyone in the whole world that she loves more then the baby in her arms and she’ll be damned before Sean forces her to have the same fate as she did. She’ll be damned before she lets him force Bella to live alone and learn to fend for herself and suffer the years of pain he had put her through. Not Bella…not her baby. She is the very definition of all that is pure and innocent in the world and there is nothing that she won’t do to make sure she stays that way. Bella who still lay there contentedly knowing full well that she is in the arms of her mother and wants to stay there tangled her fingers in Ashley’s hair gently. Ashley lightly rubbed her nose over hers giving her an Eskimo’s kiss before once again glancing into her eyes.
“I love you Bella Rose McLean,” She whispered quietly, completely unaware that Nick was sitting there watching her and listening to her. “Mommy loves you very much and no matter what happens, I always will. Forever Bella Rose…no matter what mommy will make sure you always know this.” Nick gently placed his hand to her back and rubbed his hand over it and Ashley glanced at him in the corner of her eye, remembering he is there. She scooted close to him, nestling herself comfortably into him as he wrapped a protective arm around her and kissed her forehead affectionately.
“Of course she’ll know that,” Nick insisted quietly so only she can hear him. “Because you are going to always be around to tell her so.”
“Can we go shopping today Nick?” Ashley asked ignoring his comment. She won’t express her fears to him this time she doesn’t feel like having the same old argument with him. If he wants to hold onto that, fine. But she would rather be cautious and prepared for anything.
“Of course,” Nick answered softly. “We’ll eat our breakfast, wait until the kids wake up, and then take them to AJ to baby sit and I will take you out for the day.”
“Kay…”
“Any particular place you wanted to go to?” he asked hoping to get a sense of what’s on her mind.
“The jewelry store,” Ashley insisted as she idly twirled her finger around the curls that rest at the nape of Bella’s neck. She’s had a head full of hair since the day she was born, and Ashley is thrilled at the fact that it’s beginning to curl. Nick sat there in silence as he watched the mother and daughter bonding time that was happening before his eyes. He loves watching the two of them together.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, back in Florida, Kevin awoke to the delicious smell of breakfast being made downstairs and smiled to himself. He has to admit that he misses waking up every morning to the familiar smell of breakfast being made by his mother. He lay in bed for a long moment, and then rolled out of it, pulled on some pants so he no longer only wore his boxers and he trudged bleary eyed out into the hall and down to Ellie’s room. Its pretty early, she should still be sleeping. He peered inside the opened door only to find both her and her TMNT comforter missing. He stared at her bed confused for couple of moments, before turning and heading across the way to the guestroom. He poked his head in there and instantly had to grab onto the doorway to keep himself from falling over in shock. There in the bed lay Ryan with his head on the pillow still sleeping soundly and Ellie lay sideways on the bed curled up next to him. She has her head rested comfortably against his legs and she has her Donald Duck hugged close to her and her own blankets covering her up while he too used his own. He stood there staring at the two of them hardly believing his eyes for a couple of moments, and then turned and made a mad dash toward his room for his camera. This is definitely Kodak worthy, especially since it may never happen again. After returning with his camera and taking a few good pictures he walked out of the room quietly and headed downstairs.
Once down there, he walked into the kitchen and spotted his mother and Jerald in there as per usual, and his mom is making pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Jerald caught sight of the camera in his brother’s hand and smirked amusedly.
“Been up there taking pictures of the kids too have you?” he asked as he saw his brother was about to open his mouth to announce what he saw.
“I had to grab onto the doorway in my shock just to keep myself from falling over.”
“I know, its crazy right?” Ann asked joining in on the conversation. “It feels like it was only just yesterday when they were at my house in Kentucky fighting with each other.”
“I’m completely surprised that he even allowed her to sleep in his bed. The Ryan that we all know and love wouldn’t have.”
“I honestly believe he’s not the same kid that he was around Thanksgiving,” Jerald insisted after a long moment. “Sure he is still the same know it all that he’s always been, but if you think about it, what nine year old isn’t like that? I haven’t met a nine year old yet who didn’t think he knew everything.”
“That may be true but he still has a lot to work on. I know he still feels like he has to be the grownup. I would like to see him lighten up and start being a little boy again,” Kevin pointed out.
“I’m sure he will now that his mom is out of the hospital and back in his life again. With her, Howie, and AJ all working together to create a stable home for him he should start to relax a little more. I know Howie and definitely AJ are working very hard at teaching him how to be a child again. It’s their goal and you have to admit there’s been a lot of improvement in him. He’s not the complete brat that he used to be,” Jerald defended.
“Yeah I know,” Kevin replied and he walked over and set his camera down on the microwave. “But I just don’t know what I am going to do about this crush that Ellie clearly has on him.”
“I think it’s adorable,” Ann insisted with a smug grin.
“He’s a tad bit too old for her ma.”
“It’ll be fine when she gets older,” Ann insisted. “It’s just a silly little girl’s crush don’t make such a fuss over it honey.”
“Yeah and it’s not like he’s returning the feelings or anything,” Jerald added. “He’s just tolerating her because she’s figured him out and won’t leave him alone now no matter how much he begs.
“Doesn’t mean he won’t grow on her,” Kevin insisted. “It’s not hard to fall in love with Ellie, believe me. Once she sticks herself to you, you’re hooked. She’ll soften Ryan up in no time with her cute little antics.”
“Oh believe me, I know quite well how easy it is to love her,” Jerald replied. “She’s had me since the very moment you brought her to Kentucky and introduced her to me.”
~*~*~*~*~
Later on that afternoon as Kori stood behind the counter taking orders, Isabel was now walking around serving tables. Nick had gotten the girls dressed when they woke up and took them to Aj to baby sit so that he and Ashley could run around town alone together while Kori worked. As Kori stood there silently thinking about Wiley and Scott and their situation, she heard the bells on the door chime and glanced over at it. She felt her heart do somersaults upon seeing who walked in and inwardly cursed at it calling it a traitor. She watched as Scott walked, crossed the diner, and went straight upstairs to Spencer’s room not paying her any mind. Kori arched her eyebrow at this. She had fully expected him and his persistent self to come bug her the second he got the chance now that she screwed up and let her guard down last night. And…a small part of her was kind of hoping he would too. She cursed her heart once more for being a traitor and begun stressfully hitting buttons on the cash register.
Scott stayed upstairs for nearly ten minutes until she noticed him come downstairs with Spencer rested on his hip and dressed in play clothes. He carried him across the diner and into the kitchen until he was standing beside her.
“What?” she asked and she felt Isabel and Janis’ curious gaze on her. The kind woman had left for work after breakfast but had dutifully come back for lunch too.
“I thought I would take Spencer to the mall, is that okay with you?”
“Yeah, fine” Kori shrugged while playing the indifference card. “He’s your son too after all, right? Do what you want.”
“Would you like him back at a certain time?” Scott asked, following her lead and speaking to her in a very formal tone.
“Whatever you feel is best. Just so long as it’s before bedtime and you are well aware of when that is.” Scott grew silent as he stood there beside her and Kori grew silent too waiting for him to do something. To respond, to walk away from her and leave…anything! He is making her heart do crazy things just by being near her and wearing that cologne she loves so much – the same kind he’s worn for years.
“Why don’t you come with us?” he asked after a long while.
“I’m working.”
“You’ve been working all day – take a break.”
“I’m not in the mood Scott.” He stared at her in silence for a long moment, and then kissed her cheek affectionately, gently rubbed his hand over her arm, and then turned and walked away. She watched him through the curtain of her hair as he walked out of the kitchen, made his way across the diner, and walked outside with his son. She stared after him waiting for a long moment for the emotional wave she was experiencing to go away and when it finally had, she glanced at Janis briefly before turning and busying herself with things behind her. Just as she knew would happen, Janis spoke up.
“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” She asked gently.
“I love you and all Jan, but as you can see I’m not really in the talking mood.”
“Nonsense,” Janis insisted. “You know you can talk to me about anything and besides…I promised Eddie I would look out for you – are you really going to keep me from full-filling a dying old man’s last wish?” Kori once again glanced back at her to see Janis sitting there gazing at her in return with those sweet caring eyes of hers and looking very much like a concerned aunt. The sight of it warmed Kori’s heart.
“I’m working,” Kori insisted softly.
“No you are not, there aren’t any customers needing your attention at the moment. You are just trying to keep yourself busy. Pull up a chair – right now and tell Janis all about it.” Kori sighed heavily, and then reluctantly giving in, she pulled up her stool so she was sitting in front of Janis.
“That was Scott…my ex-boyfriend, Spencer’s father.”
“I gathered that much by listening in on your conversation dear. What’s he doing here?” Janis asked gently, and she reached out and took Kori’s hand gingerly into hers. Kori gazed once more into the woman’s eyes and suddenly it felt so good to have ‘Auntie Janis’ here to talk to and she dove right in on the story telling.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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