Three Sisters of Delta Gamma Ch. 06

"That's amazing. She was not into relationships from what you said but that changed all of a sudden."

"Julia and I were talking about that yesterday. We both think there has been an empty spot in her that she never allowed a guy to get near. It was like that with me for a long time. I didn't let a man into that part of my mind because I was afraid of being hurt."

"I think that her alluring beauty attracted too many of the wrong kind of guys and she knew that," Eric said. "She had fun with them but never let it get serious."

Layla replied, "Then Charles showed up again and knocked down the barriers. She told us that she used to dream about him in high school and really did want to date him. His shyness was terrible and she couldn't break through it. But that has changed now."

"Do you think they will fall in love?"

"Oh yes. She's hooked and I think he is too."

Amy asked, "Mommy, what does fall in love mean?"

"Eric, help me here." He smiled as Layla responded, "Amy, I think it means that two people have realized that they are perfect for each other and want to spend their lives together. They want only the very best for the other person and want to share and give each other the best life possible."

Eric added, "You know you're in love when the room lights up when Layla walks in. When she speaks, your entire focus is on what she is saying. When she smiles, my burdens seem to be lifted." Layla smiled and reached for his hand.

Amy asked, "Are you two in love yet?"

Layla responded, "I think we are."

"I also think we are," Eric added.

"So, are you going to be my new mommy now?"

Eric looked at Layla and they both rolled their eyes. They had been trapped by a four year old with their own words. Layla replied, "Amy, I am going to be your new mommy."

Amy crawled out of her chair and came around to hug Layla and her dad. Tears were running down her cheeks as he picked her up and kissed her. "I love you, mommy and daddy."

"We love you, sweetheart. We have to make a lot of plans for the wedding. Will you help us?"

"Okay. Can Miss Annie help?"

"Of course. We need all the help we can get."

****

As they walked back to the house, Amy ran ahead and went bursting through the back door and upstairs to her grandma. "Layla is going to be my new mommy!" she screamed. Kathy picked her up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, they're going to plan a wedding and Miss Annie and I will help. Let me down, grandma, I need to tell Miss Annie." She ran upstairs.

Kathy smiled and decided to wait for the full story. Layla and Eric walked in about a minute later and Kathy met them in the kitchen. "Amy came roaring through here and screamed that she's got a new mommy."

Eric and Layla about doubled over in laughter. "Where is she now?"

"She said she had to go tell Miss Annie something about planning a wedding."

"Oh my goodness," Layla giggled.

"Mom, Layla and I have decided to get married and Amy was the first to be told."

"Praise the Lord!" Kathy exclaimed. She pulled them both into a three-way hug and began crying. "You have no idea how often Steve and I prayed for this the last two months. We knew the first day you were here, Layla, that you were the one. I'm so thrilled that you two have made that commitment. Amy needs you and we all need you to be part of this family."

"Thank you, Mrs. Belton."

"Let me stop you right there. From now on, you call me mom and you call Steve dad."

Layla smiled and replied, "Thanks, mom. We need to tell my parents and they're going to be shocked. They haven't met Eric so tomorrow will be his grand debut. Please pray for us. My family is Italian Catholic and it's going to stretch them a bit to accept Eric. They will, for me, but it's going to a sensitive subject."

"I understand. Parents always have the ideal mate in mind for their children. But we are not in the old days of the parents doing the matchmaking, thank heavens, so it will work out."

"Please don't tell anyone of our plans until we announce it. It may be a while. I'd like to get you two together with my parents and let us officially tell everyone at the same time."

"That's perfect, Layla. When you give me the word, we'll invite your folks over for dinner and you can make the announcement. I'm not even going to tell Steve, but I think he will figure it out when Amy starts talking. And none of us will keep her quiet."

"I know," Layla said as Amy came running back downstairs with Miss Annie.

"Mommy, Miss Annie is very happy for me. Can you also be her mommy?"

"Of course I can. She'll be a perfect daughter I'm sure, exactly like you."

"Okay."

Kathy asked, "What would you like for dinner? I've kept my options open."

Eric replied, "I was thinking about buying trout or flounder filets and grilling them tonight." Layla smiled and nodded. She loved grilled fish.

"I think that'd be fantastic. Amy likes fish and we don't have it very often. Steve will be home in about an hour so we have plenty of time to prepare side dishes."

Layla asked, "Mom, can I make a linguini dish for us? My mother always serves it with grilled fish."

"That'd be lovely. I'll bet your mom is a marvelous cook."

"She is, and she insisted my sister and I learn all her secrets. Eric hasn't had my real cooking yet so it's time."

"Then let's do it. I'll watch and learn."

****

Steve arrived home and Amy met him at the door. "Granddaddy, I've got a new mommy."

"I know. You've been calling Layla that for a long time."

"No! She is going to be my mommy."

"What?"

"They want me and Miss Annie to help plan the wedding."

"What wedding?"

"Mommy and daddy's wedding."

He picked Amy up and hugged her; he was positive this was her active imagination again. At the very least, he could play along.

"Can I also help plan it?"

"I'll ask mommy." He carried her into the family room and saw Kathy, Layla and Eric waiting for him. They had heard everything in the foyer, of course. All were smiling at the conversation.

"Mommy, can granddaddy help plan the wedding?"

Layla replied, "He's more than welcome to help."

Steve's mouth flew open when he realized this might be for real. "Would someone tell me what's really happening?"

"Dad," Eric said. "Layla and I are going to be married, sometime next fall after our graduation."

Steve was speechless for a few moments as tears welled and he struggled with his response. He sniffed them back and walked into a wonderful five-person hug. After maybe 15 seconds, they stepped back and Steve reached for his handkerchief.

"Welcome to our family, Layla. You have made us the happiest family anywhere. I couldn't ask for a better person to be Eric's partner and Amy's mom."

"Thank you, dad. Eric is the man I've wished for my entire life. Amy, you have a very special dad and I'm so happy you're going to share him with me."

"Okay."

****

Dinner was very nice. The grilled trout was wonderful with the linguini and veggies. Steve opened a citrusy sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. After Layla read Amy to sleep, the four adults gathered around the crackling fireplace in the family room.

Eric said, "We do have some bad news to tell you. Melissa has come home."

Kathy and Steve looked at each other and tears began rolling down her cheeks. They both sat there, stunned, with their heads down. Eric continued, "She came home to her parents last Saturday. Bernie and I talked and I called her; she wants to see me and Amy."

Steve asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I told her that I'll go see her Friday afternoon but Amy is not going. Layla thinks she is going to play to my sympathies to let her at least share custody with Amy, but I'm not going there."

Kathy asked, "Has she said anything about her absence and what she's planning to do?"

"Not yet. She said she wants to explain what happened."

"Amy can't know about her at this point," Kathy replied. "That would be totally unfair to her."

"I know. We decided I'd give Melissa a copy of the birthday video Layla made. We brought a copy for her and a copy for you. We watched it at Layla's house and it's very good."

Steve replied, "That would probably help. Do you know if she's still a dope addict?"

"Bernie told me that she appears to have overcome the addiction and actually looked good."

"I wonder where she was all this time," Kathy said.

"I guess I'll know Friday."

"Does she know about Layla?" Steve asked.

"Not yet. I'll tell her Friday."

"Layla, what are you thinking about all of this?" asked Kathy.

"I think it's a challenge we have to face head on. Melissa burned a lot of bridges but seems to want to rebuild them, to some degree. I told Eric that I think she will want Amy back and, if she really is sober, she may want Eric also. She will believe that all her troubles are behind her and will not accept the fact that Eric can raise Amy better than she can."

Kathy replied, "I think you're probably right. Melissa was always self-confident and outgoing. If that old Melissa is back, she's going to be trouble. Does she know that you divorced her?"

"Yes. Her parents told her. Bernie said she wasn't surprised."

Steve responded, "I'd hope not. She walked off the face of the earth and never looked back for more than two years. The police and the private investigator I hired couldn't find her anywhere. She must have changed her name or was very remote or they would have found her. Well, we can't worry about this until she gives us something to worry about. Maybe she'll surprise us."

****

Layla and Eric showered and climbed into bed, without Amy this time. Neither was in the mood for sex. They decided that Melissa needed to be handled carefully and that at some point in the future, Amy will need to be told about her birth mother. That time was well down the road, however, when Amy could understand and make wise decisions about what kind of contact she'd like with her birth mom. It was too much to ask a child at this point to understand and accept the facts of what really happened.

Layla and Eric were up early and wished each other a happy Thanksgiving. Both dressed and walked to the kitchen to prepare the appetizers and cranberry relish that Layla traditionally took to her parents' house. Kathy was already there with hot coffee and a breakfast Danish roll that she'd made. By common unspoken consent it seemed, Melissa was not mentioned. The discussion focused instead on Thanksgiving family traditions. Steve joined the discussion and talked about watching the parades in Philly when he was a child and how much fun his mom and dad made the holidays for he and his two brothers.

Layla asked about his parents and brothers. "My parents are getting on in years. They live down in Chester County and are both in their early eighties. They're in good health, thank heavens, and enjoy life on a small farm they have."

Eric added, "I want to take you to meet them, Layla. Their farm is along the White Clay Creek which is designated a Wild and Scenic River. It's a beautiful place."

"My two brothers are married with grown children. Tom and Sheila live near Chattanooga. Jack and Arlene live in upstate New York. We try to get together at least once a year at mom and dad's place."

"What about your family, mom?"

Kathy replied, "My parents were older than Steve's and they've both passed away. I have one sister who lives down in Philly but she never married. My family is very small compared to Steve's. What about yours, Layla?"

"We're Italian Catholics so our family is large. I have three brothers, Paulo, Antonio and Leonardo. They're all married with children. I also have an older sister Janice who is married with four children. They all live within a 30-mile radius of my parents in Radnor Township. Altogether, there are thirteen grandchildren so Amy is going to have lots of playmates this afternoon."

"She will love that," Kathy replied. Eric and Steve nodded.

They all turned to look as Amy came running down the stairs in her pajamas and into Layla's arms for a big hug and kiss. "You smell good. Did you use my fragrance again?"

"Yes mommy."

"You should ask for my permission before using it."

Amy dropped her eyes and quietly said, "Okay. I'm sorry."

"That's fine this time."

"Good morning, sweetheart." Eric leaned over and kissed Amy on the cheek.

"Good morning. Can I watch the turkey parade?"

Eric responded, "It's not on TV yet. You'll need to wait a while. You want to watch Sesame Street?"

"Yes please. Can I have a glass of milk and a cookie?"

"Yes to milk, no to the cookie."

"Awww daddy, please."

"No. You must have a good breakfast first. How about cereal?"

"Mommy, can I have a cookie?"

"Amy, you are not going to play that game. If daddy says 'no' the answer is 'no.' Understand?"

"Awww, okay." She pouted and walked over to the fridge for the milk.

Eric turned to his mom and asked, "Wonder where she learned to do that?"

"Don't look at me." She then turned to look at Steve who dropped his eyes and pretended to be reading the newspaper.

The morning was busy. Layla and Eric prepared the food for her parents' feast, Steve and Amy watched the 'turkey parade,' and Kathy began the preparation for their Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house in New Hope. Layla did find time to call Julia and Susanna to wish them a happy holiday. They ended up talking nearly 45 minutes on a conference call.

After returning to the kitchen, she said, "Eric, I just talked to Julia and Susanna. Their visits are going great. Both are helping prepare dinner, like we are. Susanna says she has fallen in love with Charles parents and her parents welcomed Charles like he was their son. She said they were glad she finally brought home a guy she wanted them to meet."

"I'm glad it's going so well."

Kathy asked, "Are Julia and Susanna both seniors?"

"Yes, we all graduate in May. Unfortunately, we'll then go our separate ways, which I dread. Even though we aren't related, we're like blood sisters and are very close. They have serious boyfriends and I hope we'll have three weddings in a year or two. The guys they're dating are almost as nice as Eric."

Eric replied, "They are great guys. Julia and Susanna are both beautiful women, but not quite as beautiful as Layla." Everyone smiled.

As noon approached, Eric and Layla loaded the car with their luggage, Amy's bag (which Layla helped pack this time) and the food she was taking. They hugged and kissed Steve and Kathy with Amy in Eric's arms and wished them a wonderful holiday.

****

Arrival at Layla's parents was a riot. The house already had 16 people in various stages of playing games, watching TV, cooking, drinking beer and children chasing each other around in the backyard and house. It took fifteen minutes to make introductions. All the men gave him enthusiastic welcomes, as Italians love to do, and the women couldn't wait to give Eric and Amy a kiss. Janice whispered to Layla, "He's the sexiest man I've ever seen. You did good, girl." Layla grinned.

When Eric was introduced to Angelo and Anna Russo, Layla's parents, everyone smiled as if they were already old friends. Eric was invited by Angelo to join Paulo, Leonardo and Enrico, Janice's husband, outside in the garage, a man cave that was relatively quiet from all the grandchildren running through the house. Janice's oldest daughter Maria, who was nine, took Amy's hand and led her to the game room where several cousins had gathered to play electronic and board games. Amy's eyes immediately locked onto the Jenga game one of them was setting up. In a few minutes, everyone in the room knew Amy's name and Amy knew theirs. It was like the cousins instantly adopted her and she became one of them.

Layla and the ladies all gathered in the large kitchen to work on dinner and gossip about everything that came to mind. Everyone wanted to hear the story of how they met. The subject of him not being Italian or Catholic never came up. All were impressed by his life's story but Melissa was not mentioned at this point.

In the garage, the talk was Army war stories and Eric being a medic. Angelo's life had been saved by a medic during the Vietnam War; for that, he had a warm spot in his heart for people like Eric. The fact that he was in pre-med and planning to become a physician impressed all the guys. Paulo and Angelo told him about their auto repair shops, laundries and ATM repair businesses. The talk then turned to auto racing, Philadelphia Eagles football and local politics. All the guys were impressed by Eric's outgoing personality, obvious intelligence and his military career.

Paulo jokingly asked, "What exactly are your intentions toward my baby sister?" All the guys hooted and one of them slapped Eric's back.

"We met a couple of months ago and, to be totally honest, she swept me off my feet. I have fallen for your little sister, Paulo."

Angelo replied, "She's a good girl. Layla's our baby and all the boys think of her as their daughter, I think, because they are much older than she. They are very protective of her and our family is very close."

"I'd expect that. I was an only child due to my mom's health issues. She tells me you named her after Eric Clapton's song title."

"Yeah, we did. Anna and I went to several of his concerts and loved the song."

"So did my parents. They named me after Clapton."

Angelo replied, "I'll be damned. Is that right? What a small world." All the guys laughed.

Leonardo asked, "What happened to your wife?"

Eric took a deep breath and a long draw on his beer while deciding what to say. "While I was in the Army, she started hanging out with the wrong crowd and got hooked on drugs. She was involved in a terrible auto accident and never really recovered from her drug addiction following her treatment. One day, she disappeared. The police and a guy we hired couldn't find her. After more than two years, I assumed she was dead and got a divorce and full custody of Amy. We heard this week that she has come back and is at her parent's house since last Saturday."

"Man, that's a tough one. How old was Amy when she left?" Enrico asked.

"Only a year old. My parents kept her while I finished my tour and got a discharge. They still keep her when I'm in school or working."

Angelo said, "Drugs kill more people than guns but it's much slower." Everyone agreed.

Anna came to the garage door. "Guys, come in the house and help with your kids. The women are all working on dinner and the kids need some adult supervision."

Everyone moaned but stood and walked into the house. Enrico and Paulo headed to the game room while the others headed for the back yard. When they found a seat on the floor, Amy came to them. "Hi, I'm Amy."

"Amy, I'm Layla's oldest brother Paulo. Very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Paulo." She gave him a hug.

"And I'm Enrico, Layla's brother-in-law. You sure are a pretty little girl."

"Thank you." Amy hugged him.

"Amy, come here. It's your turn," yelled Maria. Amy turned and walked over to the Jenga stack.

Paulo asked Maria, "Isn't she too young for that?"

"Dad! She's won every game. I think I have her this time, though." Paulo and Enrico laughed and watched Amy do her thing. She slowly worked one out of the stack but, as the last corner was about to escape, the stack teetered and slowly crashed to the table.

Most kids would have pouted and been angry but Amy congratulated Maria and gave her a hug. Paulo and Enrico looked at each other and smiled. It was a first for them. No kid does that, especially a four-year old.

"Can we play?" asked Paulo.

Paulo and Enrico scooted over around the table. Maria said, "Dad. Amy and I are partners. You two are partners." The two men grinned. They thought this was going to be easy... two intelligent grown men against two tiny kids. Thirty minutes later, the two guys decided to find another game to play. Amy and Maria had kicked their butts.