The Ten Year Affair (20 page)

Julia was sitting in the rocking chair gently burping Lauren when Ian
walked in.

“Hello Julia. How’s my little girl?”

“Shhhhh. I’m afraid she’s very close to sleep. You picked a bad time to
come for a visit.”

“Julia, please don’t be cross with me. I’m in a good mood today and I’d
like to stay that way. May I hold her?”

Reluctantly Julia rose from the rocker and handed Lauren to Ian.

“Like I said. She’s very close to sleep. Once she falls asleep put her
down in her crib. We don’t want her getting use to sleeping in someone’s arms
or she’ll never want to sleep in her crib.”

“Whatever you say Julia. Thank you. I won’t stay too long.”

“I’m sure you won’t. Lots to do today I’m sure with preparing for your
fundraiser tonight. Surprised you even had the time to stop in.”

Ian ignored Julia’s little jibe and sat in the rocker with his little
sweetheart and gently rocked her as she smiled up at him fighting to keep her
eyes open. He’d always have time for his little girl. She was so beautiful and
she was his. Now he needed to make her mother his.

“Please Julia. You’re not going to get a rise out of me today. I just
want some time with my lovely daughter.”

With a humph Julia left the room.

“Hi, little one. How’s my little sweetheart today? Hmmm you smell good. I
think about how you smell all the time and it always brings a smile to my
face.”

Ian continued to talk to her forever. Even after she had long gone to
sleep. He remembered what Julia had said to him about putting her to bed but he
didn’t care. He wanted to be close to her and was finding it hard to tear
himself away. If she got spoiled so what?

Julia knew Lauren had to be sleeping and went to chastise her father for
not putting her to bed. She paused outside the door when she heard Ian talking.

“I have a little surprise for you and your mother Lauren. I bought us a
house today where we’re going to live happily ever after and you’ll have lots
of brothers and sisters. We’re going to be so happy the three of us. I’ve been
such a fool with your mother. I’ve treated her so badly and been such an idiot
but I’ve loved her my whole life and I hope it’s not too late for her to
forgive me. I’m going to spend my whole life loving her and making up to her
for all the pain I’ve put her through. I was a fool to think I could ever live
without her. And now she’s given me the greatest joy of my life and because I’m
a fool you don’t even have my name. I hope you’ll forgive me when you’re older
Lauren. Regardless of what’s happened I’ve always wanted you and loved you. I
hope you’ll believe that. Now if I’m going to get to work on winning your
mother back I better get going.” Ian rose to lay Lauren in her crib. “I promise
I’ll make this happen for us Lauren. I want to be a family more than anything
in my life right now. And I promise I’ll never hurt your mother ever again.” He
kissed Lauren and laid her on her back and continued to gaze down on her. “I
love you baby. Goodnight.”

Julia quickly walked down the hall to her room wiping away the tears.
That moron really did love Alex. She knew it. The day she saw him cry like a
baby in Alex’s arms and now this. But what about dear Peter? Alex would never
be truly happy with Peter if she loved Ian half as much as he loved her. She
regretted having pushed the relationship with Peter on Alexandra. She knew
whatever she did she was not going to interfere in Alex’s life any longer.
Whatever will be, will be.

***

Alexandra was reeling with excitement as she prepared for the fundraiser.
If what Peter had told her today was true, what would happen when Ian found out
her engagement was off? She had been rejected so many times by Ian that she was
afraid to hope any more. Not only did she love and need Ian so badly but so did
Lauren. Her little girl’s bright blue eyes lit up and she flapped her arms
excitedly every time she saw her Daddy walk into the room. Lauren gets just as
excited as me at the site of her father Alex thought. Her heart ached
remembering how it felt to be with Ian before their falling out. How wonderful
it was to lie in bed cuddling and talking. Watching old movies in bed on
Sundays and loving each other between commercials. She was willing to forgive
him all the heartache he’d caused her if they could be a family and share those
kinds of moments again.
“Alex you fool!”
she thought.
“Don’t get your
hopes up just to be disappointed all over again.”

Alex studied herself in the mirror. If Ian Foster didn’t want her as his
wife than she was going to make him regret his decision tonight. Alex intended
to turn on the charm and have Ian drooling like a baby.

Alex had lost all the baby weight she had gained and thanks to 200
sit-ups and thirty minute jogs on the treadmill every day her tummy was flat
and taunt. She had even started a light weight program and she had notice how
sculpted and lean her body had become. Alex had also included swimming in her
workout regime and sported a deep tan thanks to spending every afternoon in her
grandparents’ pool. The afternoon sun had also brought natural highlights out
in her soft, blonde hair. For a long time now Alex had lacked the self-esteem
she needed to think of herself as attractive. But tonight she did feel
beautiful and confident.

Alex had gone shopping and chosen a light blue strapless dress that fell
an inch or two above her knees. Because of her tan she had no need for
confining panty hose. She slathered lotion that was the scent of Ian’s favorite
lilac scented perfume on her entire body. She was pulling out all the stops tonight.
She would wear the diamond stud earrings and pendant necklace that her parents
had sent her when Lauren was born.

Alex missed her parents terribly. Her father had been unable to get away
when Lauren was born and her mother was afraid to travel so far without him.
Business had kept them in Australia several months longer than they had
thought. They still had not seen Lauren except in pictures that Alex sent to
them via e-mail almost weekly. She knew it was breaking their heart not to see
their first grandchild and it had been rough on Alex not having her mother to
lean on during her pregnancy and estrangement from Ian.

Ian’s parents, Louise and Grant, on the other hand were spoiling their
granddaughter. Whenever Ian would bring Lauren home from a visit with his
parents he would deliver the newest little toy or outfit Grandma Foster had
felt compelled to buy. When Alex protested that it was getting to be too much
Ian shrugged and said there was no use trying to stop his mother. Louise felt
horrible that she was limited to seeing Lauren only every other weekend and
this was how she compensated. Alex had told Ian that his parents could come by
whenever they wanted to visit with Lauren as long as they called ahead. Ian
said his parents didn’t feel right about intruding, especially since she and
Ian weren’t, as his mother put it, ‘a real couple’.

Alex was jolted from her thoughts by the doorbell ringing. She threw on
her fluffy terry cloth robe and went to the window of her second floor bedroom
to find out who had arrived. Alex couldn’t believe it. She was elated to see
Thomas unloading suitcases from a taxi and her grandparents were greeting her
parents with hugs and kisses. Alex quickly threw on a nightie and tightened the
sash of her robe and ran downstairs. It was as if her thoughts summoned them
there. It had been nearly a year and a half since she had seen her parents.
Maybe this was an omen. Maybe things were going to go her way tonight.

Alex burst through the front door and ran outside straight into her
father’s arms.

“Oh, daddy. You’re here. You’re really here.” Alex’s mother quickly
joined in the hug and tears were flowing from the whole lot of Morgans.

“Yes baby we’re home and we’re here to stay,” said her father. “My
business in Australia is done and if you don’t take us to that grandbaby right
away your mother and I will just burst!”

Alexander Morgan was the happiest man Alex knew. He was not only a tall,
attractive, slightly balding man but he was always jolly and reveled in his
family’s love. Small patches of gray accented the sides of her father’s soft
brown hair making him look very distinguished. She was very proud to be named
after such a wonderful, endearing man. Her father always treated her mother so
tenderly and Alex remembered telling her father when she was little that she
was going to marry him when she grew up.

 Claire Morgan was a slender five foot seven, which was a startling
contrast to her six foot two father. Her blonde hair was styled in a short bob
and Alex remembered fondly that it had no longer been its natural color now for
the last five years when her mother decided that the gray had started to take
over and she wasn’t ready to look like a grandmother yet. Well, ready or not
Alex had made her a grandmother and she couldn’t wait to show off her little
gem to her parents.

Alex led her parents into Lauren’s room and Lauren was standing in her
crib laughing and bouncing up and down. Lauren often awoke and cheerfully
played like that in her crib for a while before yelling for attention.

Claire found it hard to speak when she caught site of the little angel.
She could hardly see through her tears. She went right to Lauren and picked her
up from her crib.

“Oh, Alexandra. What a precious little thing. She is the spitting image
of you at this age. Isn’t she Alex?”

Alexander wrapped his arm around Claire and wiped tears from her cheeks
with his handkerchief. He kissed Lauren and smiled over at Alex extending his
hand for her to come to him. He wrapped his other arm around Alex kissed her forehead
and enfolded her to his side.

“You did good kid. Real good. I’m so proud of you,” he said choking back
tears.

Alex couldn’t take it any more and she burst into tears and sobbed
uncontrollably in her father’s arms causing Lauren to do the same.

“There, there now Lauren,” Claire cooed at her granddaughter. “Mommy’s
okay. She’s just happy to see her daddy. I bet you’re hungry. Let’s go see what
Grandma can find for her hungry girl.”

Claire placed a kiss on Alex’s cheek as she turned to go. “It’ll be okay
sweetheart. Have you ever known a time when your father couldn’t make things
all better? Talk to your father.”

Once her mother had left the room and Alex’s tears had subsided her
father grabbed Alex’s hands in his and gently prodded Alex to tell him her
troubles.

“What’s wrong dear? Last time we heard from you things were going well
for you. Is it Peter? Are you having problems?”

“No daddy. It’s not Peter although we did call off our engagement today.
I’m not that upset about breaking things off with Peter. I’ve known all along
that marrying Peter would be a mistake when I could never love him as he
deserved to be loved. Peter has a chance to really be happy with someone who
truly cares for him in a way I never could and I was being terribly selfish in
asking him to settle for less than the real thing.”

“So, am I right in guessing that Ian is the reason for your tears?”

Alex nodded and wiped away more tears.

“Alex come here.” Alexander led her by the hand over to the window seat
and sat down next to her.

“Alex I’ve known Ian for a long time and you know I admire him and think
he’s a wonderful young man.  I know he’s broken your heart Alex but I know that
in the end he will do the right thing and do you know why? Because I’ve seen
how he looks at you. I’ve seen how he touches you and I’ve never seen so much
passion in a man for a woman other than myself for your mother.” Her father
smiled at Alex’s shocked expression.

“It’s a little embarrassing to know your father sees such things isn’t
it?” he chuckled. “Believe me Alex. That man loves you. I’ve seen it. He’s just
confused because you’ve come along and shaken up his perfect little life plan.
I know because that’s exactly what your mother did to me. I know it’s been hard
on you Alexandra and I wouldn’t expect you to wait another ten years for him to
make up his mind. But you need to be patient and trust him. Trust him to
eventually open his heart and let you and Lauren in to stay for good.”

“Daddy…I…”

“Don’t say a word honey. I want you to just think about what I said for a
while. Now, there’s some big political party tonight in Ian’s honor your
grandmother said? I take it you have no escort now that you and Peter broke up?
How about letting your father escort his beautiful daughter to this bash? I
understand I’d better take my check book with me as well.”

Alex smiled, hugged her father hard and then jumped to her feet.

“Daddy I’m so glad you and Mom are home. How did I ever get along without
you here? I would love you by my side tonight. I’ll need your strength to get
through the evening watching Ian with the gorgeous Jennifer.”

“So, what was your plan to get through the evening before I showed up?”

Alex bashfully lowered her gaze to the floor to avoid her father’s stare.
Her father knew her so well but she certainly couldn’t tell her
father
her
plan.

“Don’t look so surprised sweetheart. Remember, you’re your mother’s
daughter and I know she’s taught you a thing or two about attracting a man. If
she’s taught you half of what she knows Ian Foster doesn’t stand a chance. I
know I never did.”

At that moment Claire appeared at the door carrying Alexandra’s dress.

“I won’t ask what that comment was all about sweetheart…just yet. Look at
your daughter’s dress for tonight if you can even see it. It’s blue by the
way.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow as he eyed the scrap of material his wife
held and tried to hold back the smirk.

He looked at Alex with his bright blue eyes sparkling.

“So, that was the plan, huh? I think it just might work.”

“Oh, Daddy!” Alex tried to hide her blush.