Secret Smiles and Three Little Words Pt. 27

"I'm not ending anything with Alex," Gavin said with a smile and shake of his head.

"Alex?" Madelyn questioned.

"She is my sub I can call her any fucking thing I want!" Gavin growled having the name pointed out to him

"I'm not saying you can't," she smiled softly with a relieved sigh.

"I'm not looking at her like just a sub anymore," Gavin admitted. Madelyn smiled. "I love her."

Madelyn let more tears fall from her eyes as he said it.

"Don't get all blubbery on me," Gavin said with a shake of his head.

"That's a big, big step," Madelyn told him with a proud smile. He shrugged. "Don't disrespect how big of a step that was for you with a shrug!"

"I'm not," Gavin chuckled. "It's a big deal, I know it is."

"But?" Madelyn asked him reading him easily.

"But it scares the holy living shit out of me! Alright?" Gavin painfully admitted. "I'm so scared it's hard to breathe when I stop and think about it!"

"Why?" Madelyn asked him softly.

"What if," he paused as he closed his eyes. "What if, she wants more later? More than I can give her?"

"Then you find a way to give her more," Madelyn said firmly. "You will have to go outside your comfort zone, Sweetheart. You will have to move into things that make you shudder. That's what being in love is! To trust the other to venture on the ice you were afraid to tread on before...alone."

"What if I can't?" Gavin asked her.

"Can't, isn't in love's vocabulary," Madelyn smiled. "Any more than I 'can't' keep you from coming here today!" She kissed his cheek. "When you think you 'can't', close your eyes and jump, then let Alex do the rest!"

***

Alex sat in the driver's seat, looking into the rearview mirror at Nora as she looked out the window. Nora wanted the top down on the convertible, despite the fact it was in the low teens. Livy chewed on her nail as she peered out the window. A nervous habit she had not been able to shake since childhood. Something it seemed the whole family did.

"I can't believe I'm going with you to Chicago," Livy finally smiled. "Did you see mom's face when dad barked?"

"I know!" Alex laughed. "I thought she was going to flip out when dad told her that the bible said she was to obey him! That he wanted you to go, and if she interfered it would be taken up at church!"

"She is such a hypocrite, isn't she?" Livy asked her.

"She just has her beliefs, they are wrong, but they are her beliefs," Alex shrugged.

"Aunt Alex," Nora asked from the back. "Are we almost there?"

"Baby," Alex laughed. "We have only been in the car for about an hour! We have eight more hours to go!"

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Livy asked her. "Then when you wake up we may almost be there!"

"I don't want to miss it!" Nora argued.

"We will wake you when we get close," Alex assured her.

"Are you sure Gavin is going to be ok with this?" Livy asked. She was still paranoid she was intruding on the man.

Everything about him screamed privacy. He was a 'private' physician. His mannerisms were soft and subtle. His eyes were gentle. The way he was with Livy endeared him to her heart but even that was quiet and gentle. Did this man have any idea what he was in for? Inviting a six year old into a quiet life? If peace was what the man desired, he was out of luck!

"Yes," Alex said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "He is the one that suggested it!"

That was the first fight that she had to win. Convincing everybody that it was ok with Gavin. Even though she had told them all repeatedly that it was his suggestion. None wanted to believe that. When that failed, her mother launched into a tirade that a child shouldn't be removed so far from her father.

Livy countered with, he didn't want her around with the new woman. They were afraid with her rambunctiousness she would hurt her and the unborn baby on accident.

Marylyn then countered that Nora shouldn't be exposed to two adults living in sin the way Alex and Gavin were living. Alex countered, was their sin worse than her father's sin of betraying Livy and getting another woman pregnant?

Al ended it with his statement. That caused the entire house to look to him as he stared his wife down. There was a few moments of awkward silence as it appeared that Marylyn was thinking of a counter before Al ended the debate by walking away, gently rubbing his sore shoulder.

***

Pulling her Mercedes in front of the condo entrance Mike beamed a smile at her.

"Ms. Lasko!" he said coming outside from around the desk. He nodded a hello to Livy while smiling at Nora.

"Hey Mike!" Alex said as she pulled the bags from the back.

"Do you want me to get one of the guys to carry that stuff up?" Mike offered taking a bag from her.

"Nah!" Alex said with a shake of her head. "We can get it!" He nodded as Alex took the bag from him.

"Is Gavin home?" Alex asked him as the car hop took her car to put in the garage.

"I thought he was with you?" Mike told her with a mixture of confusion and concern on his face.

"No," Alex frowned. "He came home two nights ago, a patient needed his attention."

"Well," Mike shrugged holding the door open for her. "Maybe he is coming in late and leaving before I come on." Alex nodded but she doubted it. It meant he was staying at the hospital or at Madelyn's.

"Oh, my gosh!" Nora squealed as she ran to the window. "You have a pool!" She spun to run back to Alex.

"Can we go swimming?" she begged.

"Can we put our stuff up? Get our bathing suits on? Or should we just jump in like we are? Mike, are there rules of what we wear in the pool?" Alex teased.

"I believe suits are mandatory," Mike said with a firm brow looking at Nora.

"Oh man!" Nora growled as she pressed her face to the window to the pool.

"Mike," Alex laughed. "This is my sister Livy, and her daughter Nora, they will be staying with us for a while."

"Yes, Ma'am," Mike nodded in hello.

"Would you pass the word?" Alex asked him.

"I will," Mike agreed. "Will she need a key?"

"No, I will give her the one Lena was using...speaking of which...how did your date go?" Alex asked him with a flick of her eyebrows.

"Um, I thought it went well," Mike smiled an embarrassed smile as he rubbed his jaw in an 'aw shucks' look. "I mean she let me take her out again and all."

"Reaaaallly," Alex smiled diabolically.

"Any other information should probably come from her," Mike said firmly with a polite embarrassed smile.

"No problem," Alex laughed as they made for the elevator. "Lena will give me all the dirty details!"

"Ms. Lasko!" Mike chided, causing the two ladies to laugh at his discomfort.

Opening the door to the condo Nora squeezed by them and sprinted into the condo. She ran to the balcony window and looked out into the city. The lights coming on as the sun started to set.

"I can see the big building!" Nora yelled.

"Willis Tower," Alex smiled at her, reminding her.

"Yeah!" Nora beamed.

"We will go to the top one day this week," Alex promised her. "They have this deck where you can walk on air and stand at the very top with nothing but a piece of Plexiglas beneath you!"

"Really?" Nora beamed. "Which room is ours?" Nora ran to one.

"That is Gavin's office!" Alex called out. Nora came back out and ran to the next room excitedly. "That's my room!" Alex laughed. Nora ran to the next room. "That! Is your room!"

"This place is huge!" Livy pointed out. She went over to some work of Alex's on the wall. "This yours?" Alex nodded with a smile.

"Oh my gosh!" Livy raved looking at a newspaper picture of Alex in front of her creation. "Is this your wall?"

"That's the first part of it," Alex nodded. "It was forty-eight feet long, so getting it all in one picture is next to impossible."

"I wish I could have seen it!" Livy frowned.

"You still can," Alex shrugged. "They moved it to the Museum of Art."

"Really?" Livy gasped. "The Museum of Art?" When Alex and Gavin talked about her success she hoped it was true, but Krista, Brandy and her mother doubted all of the success. They believed some of it was a ploy to build Alex up in their eyes. But the Chicago Museum of Art does not take in those who are not worthy.

"Takes up one entire side of the hallway leading to modern artists of Chicago exhibit," Alex shrugged embarrassedly.

"I want to see it," Livy said firmly.

"We will," Alex smiled.

Just then the door opened to the condo and Gavin walked in.

"Uncle Gavin!" Nora yelled as she made a mad dash for him.

"Ahhhh!" he yelled in surprise at the attack. "It's a munchkin attack!"

The girls smiled at him as he scooped her up carefully and put her on his shoulder.

"Hello ladies," he smiled kissing Alex on the lips. "Trip home ok?"

"Yes," Alex smiled. "How is Madelyn?"

"Being quite the pain in my gluteus maximus!" Gavin growled. "Nora, can you tell me why women are such a pain in the behind?"

Nora shrugged as he looked to her.

"You don't know, or won't tell?" Gavin laughed. He spun her off his shoulder and took her hand to look at it.

"See? All better!" Nora smiled.

"Well," Gavin disagreed. "It's better, but not all better."

"Can we go to the pool?" Nora asked him hopping up and down.

"Not for at least a week with that hand," Gavin smiled loving her eagerness.

"A week?" Nora pouted, her jaw dropping.

"Should keep it out of the water, sharks are attracted by blood," Gavin teased carrying his and Alex's bag to the bedroom.

"You have sharks in your pool?" Nora asked him following him in.

As soon as she disappeared with him, Alex and Livy began laughing. They then heard her screaming in laughter as Gavin tossed her on the bed and began tickling her.

"Mom! Aunt Alex! Save me!" Nora begged from within the bedroom.

"Coffee?" Alex asked with grin disregarding her pleas.

"Coffee," Livy agreed.

***

"How did you sleep?" Gavin asked her when he walked into the kitchen. Livy was there staring into her coffee cup. Peering into it like it was going to predict the future. She wished it would give her the future so she knew what the right decision was. She lifted her head and smiled at him.

"Very well," she smiled at him. "Thank you for the invitation to stay with you. It's beyond generous."

"You're Alex's family," Gavin said pouring hot water into a cup for tea. "It makes her happy to have you here. What else could I have done?"

"Not invite her psycho family to stay with you! I mean, wow, you don't even know me or my daughter!" Livy pointed out as he sat next to her.

"I don't need to," Gavin shrugged. "If it makes Alex happy, that's all I need to know."

"You like her that much?" Lily smiled looking at her cup with a burgeoning jealousy. She only heard of this type of feelings in movies and in books. Here was a living breathing proof that the type of love she yearned for was out there.

"No," Gavin frowned. Livy lifted her head. "I love her that much. More than anything else."

Livy looked to him with soft tears in her eyes. He took her hand.

"Everybody deserves to find that," Gavin told her gently. "To find that one person that they can't live without. That one person who makes them smile when they enter a room. Then to know, that person thinks the same about you," Gavin shook his head.

"I find myself going through my day, and when I hear my phone ring, or alert me of a text, I find myself hoping that when I look, that it's Alex," Gavin shrugged. "And when it is, my day gets a tick brighter. If I'm down, whether it be a patient or whatever, she makes me smile."

Gavin let out a soft huff of a laugh.

"And she can make me smile and not even be in the room," Gavin told her picking up his cup. "Just knowing I was coming home last night and she was going to be here, made coming home a priority."

"She was concerned when you didn't come home at all when you came back," Livy told him.

"There was no reason to come home," Gavin shrugged. "So I just stayed with Madelyn."

"Alex was the reason you came home?" Livy asked with a jealous smile.

"She was the only reason to come home," Gavin said firmly.

"That's what I want," Livy smiled. "To find a man that wants to come home because I'm there."

Gavin looked to his watch and then stood. He touched her cheek and tilted her head up.

"He's out there Livy," Gavin assured her. "Waiting for you to rescue him, like Alex did me."

Livy held his hand to her face for a second.

"Thank you so much!" Livy whispered as a tear escaped.

"Take as long as you need," Gavin said. "Get yourself in the right frame of mind."

"What frame of mind is that?"

"The frame of mind that the only thing you need in life to be happy, is sleeping in her princess dress," Gavin smiled. "Once you realize your happiness is dependent only on her, then you will find that man that will compliment you, not fulfill you."

Alex came in a short time later her hair still wet from her shower. She also noticed that Gavin was freshly showered. She wondered if there was some early morning romance in the shower going on to keep the noises down from the guests that were now there.

"Hey," Livy smiled as she watched her sister move about to get her coffee.

"Hey," Alex said over her shoulder.

"You have a certain glow this morning," Livy teased.

"Do I?" Alex giggled. "Did Gavin leave already?"

"He did," Livy said with a shake of her head. "After he knocked me off my feet with the sweetest words I had ever heard."

"What?" Alex asked her sitting down.

"The man adores you," Livy said with a jealous smile.

"The feeling is definitely mutual," Alex said with a nod and a wink.

"I know it's a bit early," Livy said slowly, cautiously. "Do you think you will get married?"

"Yes," Alex said without a second of hesitation.

"Wow," Livy said surprised at the quick response.

She was expecting some hesitation, or a speech that danced around the subject, but to have it settled in a single word had her gasping.

"You have discussed it?" Livy asked. "Has he asked?"

"No, he hasn't asked," Alex frowned. "But we have discussed where we want to be."

"Where you want to be?" Livy asked. "How does that work?"

"We both agree, we like where we are going, we both believe it will wind up at the altar, and we both are prepared to do just that," Alex told her.

"So if he asked?" Livy smiled.

"I would beat his Aston Martin there on foot," Alex laughed.

***

"Where are you kidnapping my daughter to?" Livy asked as she came out and Alex was bundling her up in her bright pink jacket.

"I have an errand to run," Alex told her standing up. "Thought you could use some quiet time!"

"That's not necessary," Livy argued. "If you have things to do, then do them. You guys don't have to put your life on hold for us! Or feel the need to take Nora with you."

"We aren't," Alex assured her. "I need a tempting treat for the wolves, so I thought Nora would be the perfect bait!" Alex winked at Nora who widened her eyes at the thought of being wolf bait.

"Well, I feel sorry for the wolves already!" Livy smiled shaking her head.

***

"Whose place is this?" Nora asked looking up at her as she held her Aunt's hand.

"This is Madelyn's place," Alex said down to her.

"Is she a queen?" Nora asked. "This place is as big as a castle!" Her voice raising with excitement.

"It is," Alex agreed looking around at the grounds with Nora. "I guess Madelyn is a queen."

"Should I bow?" Nora asked her.

"Yes," Alex laughed. "We both will!"

Charles opened the door and smiled broadly at her. His eyes shifted to Nora and the confusion washed through his eyes.

"This is my niece, Charles," Alex introduced them. Chuckling internally that Charles may be thinking Nora was her daughter, and it was unknown to them. "Nora, this is Sir Charles, he takes care of Queen Madelyn."

"Hello Sir Charles," Nora bowed to him. Charles, without missing a beat, played along, seeing the game being played for Nora. He bowed formally.

"Princess Nora," Charles bowed graciously. "Please enter the castle and I will alert the Queen she has guests!"

The two girls entered the hallway and as he started to walk away Alex stopped him.

"Charles," she said softly. "Has she taken her medicine today?" Charles tilted his head at her and smiled.

***

"Not one beautiful princess, but two!" Madelyn beamed as she entered the parlor. Nora and Alex stood and both bowed to her, which caused her to laugh.

"Rise my pretties!" Madelyn smiled as she came over. She hugged Alex warmly and then turned her attention to Nora.

"My, my, my!" Madelyn raved. "You look like Princess Alexandria!"

"Yes, ma'am," Nora beamed looking at Alex. "That's what everybody says!"

"So," Madelyn smiled as she ran her hands through Nora's hair, as she smiled at the small child and thought of the possibilities of Gavin and Alex with children. "Come to yell at me as well?"

"Of course not," Alex smiled holding her hand out. Madelyn looked to it confused then held hers out to take whatever Alex had in her hand.

Alex dropped the medicine into Madelyn's palm and this caused her to laugh.

"I warned you," Alex said handing her a glass of water. "Now I get to show you my Switch."

"You can't spank a Queen!" Nora gasped, missing the meaning.

"Watch me," Alex said firmly not taking her eyes off Madelyn.

"Oh my!" Madelyn laughed as she popped the pills in her mouth and took the water from Alex. "Better?"

"For today," Alex nodded taking her into a hug and holding her.

"You scared us," Alex whispered. "We love you, don't do something to deprive us of you!"

"No chance," Madelyn smiled from within the embrace. "I have something to stick around for now!"

Alex released her and tilted her head.

"A wedding!" Madelyn smiled.

"Whose?" Alex asked.

"Yours," Madelyn told her with a wink. "Not yet, but I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!"

***

"Madelyn said she was visited by two beautiful princesses," Gavin pointed out over dinner later that evening.

"We went to see her today!" Nora blurted excitedly.

"I know," Gavin smiled. "She said you were the prettiest thing she had ever seen!"

"I know," Nora nodded. "I don't think I'm as pretty as mommy or Aunt Alex, but I promise to take my vitamins and grow up big and strong! Then I can wear pretty dresses like Aunt Alex and drive a car like Aunt Alex and visit Queens!"

"Well," Gavin agreed with a nod. "That would do it." He winked at her then turned his eyes to Alex.

"She said to tell you not to come up there just to make sure she is taking her pills," Gavin informed her.

"She did, did she?" Alex asked carefully watching him. She didn't know if he would be mad at her for exerting her Switch on Madelyn. "Do you not want me to?"

"No...I absolutely want you to go," Gavin shrugged. "She won't listen to me, she won't listen to Anzi. Perhaps you two can break through that thick skull of hers!"

***

"Perhaps he didn't understand me," Madelyn frowned as she entered the parlor where Alex and Nora stood the next day.

"No," Alex shook her head. "He understood perfectly, then he said I should continue, as you wish to be stubborn!"

"Alexandria," Madelyn said as patiently as she could.

"You don't own me," Alex warned her firmly, again using the subtle innuendos from their life, like the Disney movies of today with their references that children wouldn't get but the parents being drug to theater would. "Gavin told me to, so I have to do what he commands. You know this."

Alex looked to Madelyn as Nora held out her medicine to her. Madelyn took it with a deep breath and a scowl at Alex.