Liz couldn’t help it. She cried. She really cried. She cried for her little girl that came home, the little girl that she didn’t know. Would Shelby ever see her as her mother? Everything was so hazy and scary. Was she going to be able to handle this?
“Do you want a drink?” Manny asked, kissing the top of her head.
“Normally I would say no, but yeah, I think maybe I do.”
“Let’s go out back,” Manny offered after mixing them both a mixed drink.
Liz felt better about her ex-husband after the hour long conversation without arguing than she had in years. They shared their fears about their daughter, and talked until after midnight about what to do and where to go from there. Manny promised to be more involved and to cut back on some of his hours. He needed to do that. He knew that. He hadn’t been there for Reese as much as he should have, and he knew it. He was going to try. It wasn’t like he couldn’t be there in less than two hours. He needed to be there, not only for his daughters, but for Liz as well.
“Are you seeing anyone back in New York?” Liz asked before saying goodnight.
“No. Why?” He asked. They didn’t really talk about things like that. He would have never known about Connor had he not been there. They argued enough without adding to it.
“Just curious, I’m not an idiot, I see the way you look at Sarah, Seri, whatever the hell her name is.”
Manny snorted. “Yeah, well, she is kind of beautiful.”
“Thanks. That just shot my self-esteem right out the roof.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. You know you’re hot. I just don’t see you that way anymore. It’s been too long, and you make me madder than anyone on earth sometimes. I’d probably hurt you,” he teased.
Liz laughed. “I doubt that.”
“Are you jealous? Is that why you’re asking?’
“Don’t flatter yourself. No. I’m not jealous. I was just asking. She was giving you the eye too, you know. I can’t believe she came down here in a towel.”
“Well, we were being pretty stupid.”
“Yes, we were. I probably would have beat the shit out of you had she took the time to dress first.”
“I’m glad she stopped you,” he teased, bumping her shoulder with his.
“She shouldn’t look like that. It’s not fair that she gets it all in one package. I mean come on, the hair, the eyes, the lips, the breasts, the ass, and the legs. I bet that girl has men crawling all over her. I wonder if she’s in a relationship.”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” he lied. He wasn’t about to relay the information that she didn’t do relationships. She fucked. Nope, Liz didn’t need to hear that. “You don’t like her, do you?” he asked instead.
“I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t like her. I don’t like Shelby liking her as much as she does. I want her to want to be with me like she does her.”
“She will, Liz. Seri will leave, and things will fall into place. Try not to expect so much so fast.”
“That’s exactly what Connor just told me.”
“How long have you been seeing Connor?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure you would call what Connor and I do seeing each other.”
“He doesn’t want to be in a relationship?”
“No. It’s not him. He does. I don’t want it to be more than what it is.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, Manny. I’m just not ready for that. I like the way things are.”
“Do you want my opinion?”
“Probably not, am I going to start screaming at you?”
“I hope the hell not. I think that you have spent so many years trying to conceal happiness that you’ve forgotten how to be happy. I think that you have tried everything in your power to keep anything happy out of your life for fear of betraying Shelby. You have felt this great sense of guiltiness over your own happiness that you forgot that you still had other people in your life that need you to be happy.”
“I’m a very good faker, but you’re right. I have always felt like I lost that right when I lost Shelby.”
“You didn’t lose that right, Liz. Are you in love with Connor?”
“Really, Manny? We’re going to talk about this?”
“Why not?”
“You’re my ex-husband. I doubt that it’s appropriate for ex-spouses to discuss their sex lives.”
“I’m your friend, and I didn’t ask about your sex life. I asked if you were in love with him.”
Humph. “I don’t know. I think a lot of him. I love being with him. He makes me smile. Would I call it love? I’m not sure. I need to focus on Shelby right now. I don’t have the time or the endurance to do that right now.”
“I think that’s a dodge. You rationalize things that you are afraid of by withdrawing from anything that will stir feelings or emotions in you. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“Yeah, thanks for the reminder. It’s late. Let’s go to bed,” Liz suggested. That was enough serious talk with her ex. She needed to process what he was saying. Did she evade Connor because she was terrified of her own feelings? Maybe she was the one that needed to talk to this Monica girl.
Aquilla was acting like a three year old, waiting for Monica to arrive. She didn’t want to talk to a shrink. She wasn’t going to talk to a shrink. She was wasting her time.
“Quill, stop it. You’re acting like a spoiled little brat,” Seri scolded at breakfast.
“I’m not the one with the problem. It’s everyone else,” she was sure.
“You’re not getting out of it, so you may as well embrace it.”
“Embrace this,” Aquilla pouted.
Reese laughed. She couldn’t help it. She had never met anyone like Quill. She was so outspoken, and seemed to always speak her mind. She was confused about her manners though. Quill was the politest person she had ever met, and yet she could turn on a dime and spit out the most incongruous, funny things ever. She was sure she wasn’t trying to be funny, nonetheless, she was.
“Reese,” Manny cautioned.
“Sorry,” she snickered. Quill smiled at her. Reese felt that they had just shared something between them. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt like it was something.
“Shouldn’t you be packing?” Manny asked.
“I’m going. Mom, you said you would let me know this morning whether or not Lil could come with us.”
“I really wished she didn’t, Reese. She can come the next time.”
“She can go. I don’t mind,” Aquilla offered. She didn’t mind. It wasn’t like she was going to be the cool big sister anyway. She didn’t want to be the sister period. She was going to try her best to read and find out where the hell Julius was so she could get out of the Cleaver house.
“Mom?” Reese questioned with pleading eyes. She would be bored out of her mind if Lil didn’t get to go to the lake with them.
“I suppose,” she replied, giving in.
“Yes!!! Thank you. What time are we picking her up?”
“Quill has an appointment at one. As soon as she is done, we’ll head out.”
“We could just head out now,” Aquilla offered, although she really had no desire whatsoever to go to this lake house. She wanted to read what Julius had written to her. That was the only thing she cared about.
“Quill!” Seri warned. Geesh, this girl just wasn’t going to let it go.
“How far away is this lake, and am I going to be able to go outside? I’m going to go crazy if the press don’t leave me alone soon so that I can walk outside.”
“Yes. You will be able to walk outside. Our house is on the west end. It’s very secluded, other than your grandparent’s house. Your grandmother is beside herself, waiting to see you.”
SHIT. Quill forgot about the “REST” of the family that she had to meet yet. Let’s see. There was Grandma Joyce, Grandpa Lee, Aunt Kerri, Uncle Jake, or was that Uncle Jim? Oh, who cares?