The Monroe Legacy - G.3. Chapter 11 - Second Chance at First Love

A year passed uneventfully. Gray's nieces and nephews grew, he met Rachel's mother and the two of them fell harder for one another. There was no news of Eva until shortly after the six year anniversary of her disappearance, when a sighting of a woman who looked a lot like Aisha lead to another dead end.

 Gray sat quietly, musing on the last 24 hours, the panic, the hope and the disappointment. His one constant through it all had been Rachel, she had been calm, supportive and let him be a little bit crazy. Now she was tidying up the coffee cups and the papers and he could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen.

Gray flicked the radio from the news channel they'd been watching to classical music and as Rachel came back through to collect more mess he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

'Thank you' he said, feeling her smile into his chest at they began to sway to the music.

They danced for a while, the calming motion and the peaceful music soothing Gray's nerves. A new certainty in what he wanted from life hit Gray as they swayed and he made a decision as fast as their first kiss and as right as everything which had happened since.

'Rachel,' he hesitated, wanting the words to come out right, to properly represent everything he was feeling in this moment.

'Rachel, I want nothing more than to stay here, like this, with you forever. But we both know that perfect moments don't last forever.  The next best thing I can think of is knowing that I have you forever, knowing that wherever I go and whatever happens you are with me'

They had stopped moving, Rachel's eyes glittering with tears as she began to understand what he was asking her. Gray took her hand, drinking her in, unwashed hair, sweatpants and all. She was perfect.

'Rachel please marry me. I don't have a ring but I can't wait to know. I'm sure of this, but I have to know if you're in it with me.' He waited, breath held.

'Always Gray. I'm always in this with you and my answer is yes', Rachel .,choked out, as happy tears began to stain her cheeks.

He barely heard the end of her answer as he leaped to his feet and pulled her in to a bear hug, kissing her face and her hair and feeling the happiest he had since the day that Eva had been born.

That consuming happiness carried them through the three months it took to organise a backyard wedding, a simple service for friends and family. They didn't have any bridesmaids or too much fuss as it seemed wrong when their first choice for bridesmaid couldn't be there. Rachel also steeled herself and sat Gray down to talk about children.

Their circumstances had made this a topic of avoidance as long as they had known one another but Rachel knew she wanted to be a mother and she needed to know that Gray wasn't closed to the idea of having another child. It was a painful conversation, uncovering the dashed dreams of a father who never got to see his baby grow, who imagined how she might look and what she might be doing. But Gray was determined not to deny himself another chance, Eva would always have her place and he would never give up on finding her. Until then, when the time was right, he would love for her to have a sibling.

Gray and Rachel exchanged rings at sunset on a September evening, Saffron cheering them on and Violet in floods of tears. Jet arrived on his newest horse and Sienna flew in with her new boyfriend, an English photographer who took some beautiful pictures to commemorate the day.

Gray could feel his parents there with them. Though he was still missing Eva, they had made the place a family home once more, a place where happiness could be found.

After a joyful but uneventful first year of marriage with no news of Eva, it was Gray who reopened the baby debate. Gray and Rachel were now co-running The Lonely Cactus, they had the financial stability to support a child and it was a good time for Rachel to take time off with no risk to her career, Gray would cover her absence. Rachel's face lit up when Gray said he was ready, she had been trying to find a sensitive way to raise the issue, she had just had her thirtieth birthday and her body clock was starting to tick a little louder.

It took three months of reckless passion and a home pregnancy test to confirm that they were expecting. Rachel was ecstatic and Gray was thrilled though he secretly hoped it would be a boy, to ease the slight guilt he felt at starting again. Rachel wanted the gender to be a surprise and given how rough her first trimester was, Gray let her have her way.

Rachel had morning sickness, lunchtime sickness and even evening sickness any time she was around poultry. When this phase passed, their new little one proved to be incredibly active and have sharp elbows, regularly keeping its mother up with its energetic kicking. When the baby. wasn't keeping her up, Rachel worried herself out of sleep. She worried that her termination might have done something to her insides, that she wasn't eating right or taking the right supplements. She read every pregnancy book she could get her hands on and often woke Gray up to make sure she didn't have the latest rare condition she'd read about.

By her third trimester poor Rachel was enormous and exhausted, Gray did everything he could to make her comfortable, cooking for her weird cravings, watching endless Hell's Kitchen reruns at horror o'clock in the morning when she couldn't sleep and massaging her poor aching feet.

By the time the due date arrived, Gray's fear had been replaced by excitement. Their unknown bump had already wormed it's way into his heart, nestling up against the place he reserved for Eva. When Rachel's contractions started, Gray had a slight panic attack when he couldn't find the suitcase before rushing them all to the hospital.

Rachel delivered a healthy baby girl that night, just as the first stars appeared and they named her for their mothers.

Lillia Hallie Monroe was as beautiful as a flower, big clear eyes, blondish curls and a peachy complexion. Gray could see Eva in her, see his mom in her, but she was her own perfect self.

Gray stood back and watched as Rachel gave Lillia her first feed, marvelling that he had been blessed to have them both in his life. He prayed again that Eva would come home and complete the picture but mostly in that moment, he was thankful for his second chance.

-------------------------------------

Read Chapter 12 - Heart of Darkness

The Monroe Legacy - G.3. Chapter 4 - Keep On Trying

Gray slept in the spare room again that night, and for the weeks that followed he tried everything he could to be at peace with the choice his girlfriend had made, to see it as the beginning of his legacy chapter.

As Aisha began to show they told the family, Gray stretching out a smile that seemed to convince them that this had been a pleasant surprise.  They presented a united front to the house, with Sienna acting out and Cai undergoing chemo for the now confirmed bladder cancer, it wasn't fair to inflict their personal drama on the household.

Aisha tried everything to draw Gray back to her, in the privacy of their room there were tears and tantrums, guilt trips, lap dances and even attempts to make him jealous by sending flirty texts to other guys. Gray almost wished her attempts made him angry or excited in any way. Instead He just felt betrayed and indifferent to the girl he had loved, he hoped that maybe time would bring back the old safety he had felt with her so they could pass that on to their child.

Gray took the morning off work to attend Aisha's OBGYN appointment with her. They had decided to find out the sex of their baby, Aisha because she wanted to go shopping and Gray because he didn't have it in him to disagree with her.  As the doctor moved the wand over Aisha's small bump a grainy little figure appeared on the screen curled up and with it's little heart beating steadily through the speakers.

The fast thump-thump of the baby's heart cut through Gray's shroud of numbness and he stared completely mesmerised at the little person he and Aisha had created. Before, all the baby had been was Aisha's selfish attempt to get what she wanted but now he could see it, see that it was it's own precious self and he couldn't wait to meet it.

As they emerged from the clinic, Gray couldn't stop staring at the sonogram picture. Aisha burst his bubble by asking if they could go to the DIY store. When Gray asked why, Aisha looked at him strangely and said,

'I want to get some pink paint for our daughter's room. I told you inside?'

Gray had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't even heard the doctor tell them they were having a little girl.

The months of Aisha's pregnancy galloped by. Cai was once again in remission and the triplets graduated high school. Jet made the grades needed to follow the path he wanted with the army, whilst Sienna, despite all of her drama, was top of the class. Saffron had finished with a solid GPA but wasn't planning to go to college, she'd finally managed to convince Violet to get her a job at the studio and she'd be starting straight away as the coffee girl!

Two nights after graduation Hallie found Sienna's bed empty and a note waiting. Their daughter had done what she'd been forbidden to do, rushed off in an old van with Ethan's band and deferred college for a year. Gray tried to comfort his mother, all they could do was trust that she was a smart girl and pray that she came home safely, chasing her and forcing her back would only make her want to rebel twice as much.

Gray hoped that his daughter would never put him through the kind of worry he could see in his parent's eyes. He had recently felt her kicking for the first time, another moment where he fell even more in love with his baby. Gray had been so excited he'd crushed Aisha in a hug and kissed her impulsively. Even as she kissed him back with enthusiasm he felt the emptiness of the gesture. It was like kissing a memory, he knew how it had used to feel and that feeling was gone.

But he had made a promise. A promise he intended to keep, he might not be in love with Aisha any more but he needed to protect her, just as she was protecting the child she was carrying, maybe the love would creep back in.

As the third trimester progressed he wondered if Aisha was beginning to feel the same because she had stopped throwing herself at him, content to try to build a trusting friendship when she wasn't sleeping or out relaxing at the spa. She had even stopped hinting at marriage, a subject Gray had been studiously avoiding. It was one thing to support the mother of his child within a loving and respectful friendship, it was another to stand in the eyes of God and family and promise things he wasn't sure he could ever feel for her again.

Eva Leonie Monroe was born the day after her due date weighing a healthy 7 pounds and screaming her lungs out. After a forty hour labour, Aisha was too exhausted to do more than kiss her downy head and fall asleep but Gray rocked her for hours, tracing the perfect lines of her face with the tip of his finger.

Violet had been right. Eva might have been a surprise but he would never think of her as a mistake now he could hold her in his arms.

Those first few months were magical. Exhausting, but magical. Every babble and coo from Eva wrapped Gray more firmly around her little finger. She was definitely daddy's girl.

To Gray's surprise Aisha insisted on going back to work and this meant they spent very little time together. Aisha would do the early morning feeds before work and watch Eva in the afternoons once she got home. Gray would do the mornings before his shift and do the night feeds when he got back late in the evening.

This routine allowed both parents to rest, bond with their daughter and also to avoid one another. Gray slept on the spare room, ostensibly so as not to disturb Aisha and vice versa. When Eva started sleeping through the night, the arrangement became more complex, they might be able to pretend with each other but the rest of the family would notice if they maintained separate bedrooms without any good reason.

Gray approached the subject with trepidation, the months of avoidance had been peaceful and as much as he sometimes missed the fun he and Aisha had had together, he had not missed the fighting.

As he tapped on their bedroom door, inwardly laughing at the ridiculousness of needing permission to enter his own room, he thought he heard giggling, a man's voice and then shushing. Aisha answered the door a minute later, casually dressed but made up. A quick glance around the room confirmed she was alone and when Gray spotted the laptop he guessed she had been watching TV.

Bracing for an outburst, he got straight to the point.

'Aisha, I can't stay in the spare room forever. I know the arrangement has been working but Eva is sleeping now and I don't really want to have to explain the whole situation to my parents.'

Aisha nodded, surprisingly calm as Gray continued,

'I know we haven't been... Well intimate for a while and I don't want to lie to you and say that I can go back to how things were, but I promised not to give up on you and I think that may be if we try being around each other more, as friends, perhaps we might be able to hold things together for Eva and find our way back together.'

Aisha shrugged, 'Let's just see what happens shall we? It's a king size and I promise not to jump you!'

With that she left the room, leaving Gray to wonder if he'd missed something, she had fought so hard, and so dirty to get her way before. Could it really be this easy? Was she really letting him win without any resistance?

In the months that followed Gray continued to be be surprised by Aisha and how easy-going she had become. She was working a lot but when she was home she was relaxed and pleasant company. She didn't have as much time for little Eva as she used to but she was a good mom, Hallie and Cai were more than happy to step in and fill the gaps when both Gray and Aisha were working.

Gray had been promoted to line cook and was enjoying his work even more now that he had something meaningful to do with his wages. He had already started a college find for Eva with Aisha paying in too, determined that his little girl would have every opportunity.

Things were swimming along nicely and despite his relationship being totally dysfunctional, Gray could almost say he was happy. The triplet's birthday was the first sign anything might be going to change. It was already a tense occasion as it marked Sienna's return to Lucky Palms, both Hallie and Cai were biting their tongues, she was planning to live in a tiny apartment with Ethan and they didn't want to push her away.

 With emotions already running high, Aisha's strange behaviour really didn't help.

As the family gathered around the cake, Eva began screaming upstairs and Aisha, rolling her eyes, went upstairs, they assumed she was to see to the baby.

Jet blew out his candles, then Sienna and finally Saffron. 

They were cutting the cakes and trying to ignore the scream in still coming down the stairs when Aisha reappeared, dressed to go out and rushed out the front door.

Gray called after her but she was chattering on her liken spas she hoped in a waiting cab and rushed off. Heading upstairs he found Eva tangled in her blanket with a wet diaper and her little foot caught in the bars if her crib. Calling for his parents help he got her free, the only damage a bruise on her ankle.

Hallie waited until the baby was settled before pulling Gray aside and demanding to know what was wrong. Apparently their little display of happy families hadn't been as convincing as Gray had thought.

With a little bit of encouragement from his parents the whole take came pouting out, their jaws dropping as they found out how baby Eva had come into the world.

As he told his story Gray began to realise how ridiculous the life he was faking really was. He knew, whatever he tried to do, he would never truly trust Aisha again, never love her like he used to. He could pretend until the day he died, he might even be content with this half life, but he sure as hell wasn't happy. It wasn't fair on him, wasn't fair on Aisha and wasn't fair on the baby.

Promising his mother that he would find a way forward, that he would work something out with Aisha he went to say good-night to Eva. She was sleeping so peacefully, her perfectly formed hand   pressed to her chubby little cheek. His eyes drifted down to the purple mark on her foot and his promise hardened to unshakable resolve.

With him and Aisha locked in a stupid game, with no rules and no stability, Eva was bound to get hurt emotionally or, worse yet, physically, as they weren't looking after her as well as they should. But that was not going to happen.

Gray was choosing his daughter and happiness, Aisha and him were history, he just hoped it wouldn't get ugly. 

--------------------------------------

Find out how Aisha takes the news in Chapter 5 - Gone Girl

The Monroe Legacy - G.2. Chapter Three - Black Sheep and White Weddings

Hallie's first semester rushed by in a blur of excitement, stress and chaos. Hallie was happy that she'd managed to patch things up with Cai, they shared a love of art as well as a major so it made sense that they be good friends.

It helped that Hanna turned out to be kind of a terrible person, they pretty quickly drifted apart when Hallie caught her telling one of her roommates that she was in to threesomes.

With the ugliness behind them Hallie made it clear to Cai that it had just been the juice talking, besides which she soon discovered he had a girlfriend back home which made all the gossip pretty irrelevant.

Hallie and Cai became quite the double act, they were the life and soul of every party, the biggest daredevils in their class and they soon had a reputation as ringleaders of the rebel clique.

They probably should have been failing their classes but they were both such talented artists that their lecturers tended to turn a blind eye. Hallie did put in the occasional hour of study....

But partying and street art were so much more fun!

Hallie might have cruised all the way through her degree without a care if it hadn't been for Professor Brian Petersen. New to the University and fighting for a tenure he soon caught on to Hallie's attendance and performance not exactly matching and called her in.

Hallie approached the administrative office with a swagger in her step, she didn't know who she was meeting but she was pretty sure her sway with the student population made her immune to whatever little punishment they might devise.

As she stepped into the room and into the steely gaze of Professor Petersen a thrill ran through her.

He was so young! As he introduced himself and held out his hand Hallie found herself transfixed by his piercing green stare. It was like he was staring straight into her mind...

'Miss Monroe?' Professor Petersen  repeated. 'Are you listening Miss Monroe?'

'Huh?' was all Hallie could manage.

'Miss Monroe I don't want to keep you, I'm a busy man but I just wanted to be clear that if things don't improve with your attendance and academics you will not pass this year. I'll be watching you carefully, don't throw away all that talent.'

Hallie left the Union building in a daze. She'd never felt such a strong reaction to anyone before. Rummaging in her bag for her phone she tried to explain to Cai what had happened but he seemed unimpressed saying only that this professor sounded like an ass. Hallie huffed that he couldn't understand being a boy and resolved to find some girlfriends!

As term wound on Hallie found herself looking out for Professor Petersen around the campus. She paid a little more attention to school work and managed to keep her GPA up.

Cai had also had to meet with him and came away fuming about the "ass-hat professor" as he insisted on calling him. Cai had somehow landed community service as well as a lecture - Hallie wondered why she had been let off.

As Christmas and the holidays approached Hallie began to miss the rolling hills and open skies of Appaloosa Plains. She felt as if she'd seen all that University had to offer....

The good (Cai was hilarious and studying with him made Hallie's day)

The bad - (That time she realised she'd thrown her project in the garbage!)

The mad (because megaphone pranks are ALWAYS funny)


And the downright unpleasant! (I mean if you cook for someone they could at least put on clothes!)

Hallie was so ready to go home that she was barely paying attention to her surroundings as she grabbed a coffee to take in the cab to the airport.

'A much better effort Miss Monroe,' came the voice which had fueled a few not entirely innocent dreams.

'Um... Hi Professor' Marlie managed. 'Are you on your way home for the holidays?'

'Yes,' he replied, 'My parents just moved to Utah so I'm headed out to visit them.'

'What a coincidence! I'm from Utah too, Appaloosa Plains. Where do they live!' Hallie enthused before blushing and realising that that was kind of a personal question to ask a professor.

But he didn't look offended, grinning and saying, 'Logan, so not too far. I saw your maginificent painting of the Salt Lake landscape and wondered if you were from there. I'll see you soon, Merry Christmas Hallie!' and left her standing frozen in the snow.

He'd called her Hallie and said  he'd see her soon. Hallie smiled picturing his expression of surprise and pleasure when they'd discovered their Utah connection. Maybe next semester would be interesting after all!

Any thoughts of handsome professors was wiped from Hallie's mind as she arrived home to a chaos of wedding preparations. Marlie had just been elected town Mayor after a bi-election and no longer had time to plan everything - there was a grit-salt shortage to handle.

Belle was away on tour, Brody didn't have the first idea about florists and Lola was melting down! Hallie and Georgia became the unofficial bride-calmers and wedding planners. Georgia handled the dresses and the catering, Hallie managed the venue and decorations. When the big day arrived everything was in order despite a heavy snowfall and Marlie hugged her daughters gratefully.

As their mom went to welcome guests, Hallie and Georgia high-fived and posed for Oscar who was taking the photographs, everything was perfect and Lola was due to arrive any minute.

When Hallie saw Lola arrive at the doors, glowing and nervous on Brody's arm she shivered with anticipation.

One day it would be her turn. She tried to picture the man standing at the altar and waiting but he was just out of sight. Her thoughts flickered briefly to Professor Petersen and the inexplicably to Cai before the wedding march began and all she could see was her beautiful sister walking down the aisle.

As Lola and Jeffery murmured promises to one another Hallie felt tears prickle in her eyes. Hallie prayed that she would find a man who would look at her like that.

As Lola began her vows Hallie looked around at her family, all of whom were now openly crying and knew that this was the legacy she would do anything to protect and continue.

The words were simple, taken from their favourite book from childhood. They represented not only the love between the bride and groom, but the love shared by every Monroe in the room, the love that made them a family.

'Today begins my walk with you. Where you go, I go. Where you stay, I stay. When you sleep, I will sleep. When you rise, I will rise. I will pass my days within the sound of your voice, and my nights within the reach of your hand. And none shall come between us. '

-William Nicholson - Slaves of the Mastery

------------------------------------------

Sorry there are so many pictures in this chapter! I got camera happy with my new EP!

Next time on the Monroe legacy, firsts and finals. First year exams are upon Hallie and she chooses a risky moment to finally test drive her great kisser trait.

Read it now - The Monroe Legacy - Gen. 2 Chapter 4 - Red is the Colour of....