The Legacy series: The Love series, the Wrapped series, and the Burning Souls series.

by Mj Fields

  ���You���re kidding right?��� Brody asked in an angry tone. Emma didn���t respond she was too busy trying not to cry. ���Fine Emma, maybe in three weeks we can discuss this, have a good fucking time with prince fucking charming tonight,��� he yelled and hung up.

  Emma sat and cried. All she wanted was to get through the next few weeks and be strong for her child. Maybe this is exactly what was supposed to happen, she thought trying to calm herself down when her phone rang again. It was Brody, and she pushed decline and walked away. She received a text minutes later.

  - Emma, please call me back I���m sorry, please don���t do this. I can come back now and walk away from all this, I love you���MM

  - I���m trying to get things done around here. Don���t come back, your work is important, and so is my sanity. I need to be strong for her Brody, please understand that���Em

  - Your sanity and your daughter are important to me Emma, and BTW two weeks was enough for me to realize that���MM

  - I���m having a seriously rough day Brody, very emotional. Please understand that I���m going through some things. You need to focus on your album, and I need to focus on her. Please call me tonight and please excuse my extremely jealous nature…Em

  - Whatever you need, but as previously determined you don���t need to control everything. You don���t like being the one to always make the big choices. I however, love every part of taking care of you and making choices for you, all of which have your best interest at heart. If I remember correctly, twenty four hours ago, you quite enjoyed it as well. Stop being difficult Emma���MM

  - How is it you made me go from angry and jealous enjoying my miserable existence to hot and damp in two seconds? By the way you���re going to have to stop being so bossy, I���m someone���s mother���Em

  Emma���s phone rang and she answered.

  ���Much better, Emma,��� Brody said seductively.

  ���No, not actually,��� Emma breathed out.

  ���Hmm, I did buy you a gift to take care of that for now,��� Brody said in a deep voice that made her hair stand on end.

  ���Brody I���m truly busy…I can���t be…stop, please this is too much,��� Emma said exasperated.

  ���I love you,��� Brody said softly, ���I need to hear you Emma I want you to make yourself������

  ���Brody I won���t and you need to stop,��� Emma said in a whinny tone.

  ���You will before three weeks is up or I���m going to torment you when I see you again,��� Brody laughed. ���Are we all better now?���

  ���Yes, I love you,��� Emma said tenderly, ���I do trust you. I just wish you were like the UPS man or something. I also want to know how she knew.���

  ���Delivering you a package,��� he moaned.

  ���Brody!��� Emma snapped.

  ���Sorry Em, I don���t know how she knew, and I don���t care. She did ask me about you and I ignored her. I���ll never give you a reason to not believe my package is yours, and yours alone. This is going to get easier, I promise,��� Brody assured her.

  ���Before you called I was thinking about Elizabeth, my sister I told you about. Is your ex sane Brody, I mean I don���t have to worry about London���s safety do I?��� Emma asked anxiously.

  ���She isn���t crazy, or never gave me the impression she was anything but a gold digging whore. But I���ll look into it if it makes you feel better Em,��� Brody said calmly.

  ���How did she know you were on that flight?��� Emma questioned.

  ���I don���t think she did Em, I think it was coincidence.��� Brody told her even though he questioned it too. He didn���t want her to worry.

  ���Okay, please be safe Brody. I have a feeling that I can���t shake,��� Emma���s tone was tense.

  ���When do you move Em?���

  ���Next weekend, why?���

  ���Do you have a security system?���

  ���No, Brody you���re scaring me.���

  ���No, you���re fine Emma; I just think you would feel better, less on edge. I���m going to get one installed while you���re at the hotel. London won���t know, and you���ll feel better,��� Brody said in his bossy voice.

  ���Okay���but that���s not necessary��� Emma scowled.

  ���Not up for discussion. I love you, see you soon,��� Brody said with a cheerful tone in his voice.

  ���I love you, see you soon,��� Emma said and waited for him to hang up.

  ���Emma, Skype tonight, bring that gift,��� his voice was hot and steamy as he hung up.

  * * *

  London and Emma walked into the Hilton, and Troy met them at the front desk.

  ���Daddy,��� London smiled and ran up and hugged him.

  Troy looked shocked; this wasn���t the normal greeting he received from his daughter.

  ���Hello London,��� he said stiffly, ���Hello Emma,��� he said and quickly looked away.

  ���Hello Troy,��� Emma smiled politely to him, and he looked confused. ���Hey London, would you check out the window? Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon.���

  London turned and looked at her and rolled her eyes and nodded back to Troy. Emma smiled and laughed.

  ���What is going on with her? She seems, I don���t know different,��� Troy asked flustered.

  ���She is happy Troy. And she loves you and probably missed you, it���s been almost two weeks since she���s seen you,��� Emma said with a soft smile.

  ���I expected her to be pissed,��� Troy snorted.

  ���Well she wouldn���t be pissed, she would be hurt,��� Emma said correcting him.

  ���Of course she would be, especially if that���s what you told her to be,��� he said rolling his eyes.

  ���Let���s not do that, please. Have fun with her, Troy,��� Emma said sadly.

  ���Mom ��� they are pulling in,��� London beamed.

  ���Cool. Wait for them and then help Grandpa grab the bags,��� Emma said smiling, ���Dad and I are going to talk for a minute.���

  ���About what Emma?��� Troy asked sarcastically.

  ���Well for starters, we���ll be moving next weekend������ Emma began.

  ���With Brody Hines,��� Troy said angrily through his teeth.

  ���No, Troy, with my parents,��� which seemed to relax him a bit, ���I got a great job and start the following Monday. I only have to be in the office three days a week, the rest I���ll work from home. London���s excited to be going to the same school that Mom works at. Do you have any questions or concerns yet, or shall I go on?���

  ���What kind of job did you get that���s so excellent you���re going to move to Tarrytown and uproot London that you only have to be in the office three days a week Emma? Sounds like a crock of shit to me,��� Troy laughed.

  ���Well it���s a junior editor���s job and the starting pay is excellent. There will also be commissions and bonuses. Honestly it���s a dream job,��� Emma smiled.

  ���Really, well that���s great, how much is great money Emma? Do you plan to live with your parents forever?��� Troy laughed.

  ���Well Troy, I���ll be starting at a little less than you make. I assume that I can afford my own place at some point. Living with them is absolutely fine with me for as long as it���s necessary,��� Emma smiled.


  ���Sounds perfect Emma, everything you deserve ��� right? So how���s your love life? How���s your rock star?��� Troy said flippantly.

  ���Brody���s in England finishing an album for three weeks, Troy. He has nothing to do with what happened with us. Nothing at all,��� Emma said looking sadly at him.

  ���No, but you���ve let him into London���s life haven���t you?��� Troy said in a bitter tone.

  ���Well London saw him when her weekend with you ended abruptly, and she had a lot of fun with him. Troy, she���s so much fun I wish you would just enjoy her. You���re her daddy, always. She���s one person in your whole life who will never hate you regardless of how much you screw up,��� Emma laughed and elbowed him gently, ���Do the same for her, love her, have fun with her Find yourself again Troy. Please.���

  Troy looked at her like he was lost, ���But never us again Emma? We were good together.���

  ���Troy, I wish nothing but happiness for you, always. You hurt me, I can get past all of it for London, but never for us as a couple, only us as parents to the most amazing little human being on the planet,��� Emma smiled, ���That���s what I wish for anyway.���

  Troy watched her and shook his head, ���I fucked up. I loved you Emma, I truly did.���

  ���Okay so what now Troy? What will you choose for London?��� Emma asked feeling her eyes fill up.

  Troy reached over and wiped her tear away, ���Emma I want to be the man I was, I don���t know what happened I truly don���t. Please forgive me,��� he pulled her towards him and hugged her.

  ���I can���t be anymore but������ Emma cried.

  ���I know Emma. I see that. Just help me get better for her, please. She is the best part of us she truly is,��� Troy said and held her tighter.

  ���Daddy, please don���t cry,��� London said and sobbed, ���Please.���

  Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath and pulled her into the hug he shared with Emma.

  ���Hey, what do you say we head up the suite? This is kind of embarrassing,��� Troy laughed and held her hand and held Emma���s hand with the other.

  ���Emma? Your father and I are going to grab some dinner, call us if you need us,��� Caroline smiled.

  Emma, Troy, and London ate dinner in the suite and talked about the move. Troy seemed happier than he had been in years. ���Daddy, you know everything that went on the other weekend?���

  ���Yes London, I���m so sorry,��� Troy said and leaned forward like he wanted to hug her but stopped himself.

  ���Well it was bad, really bad and scared me. I didn���t feel safe. Please don���t do that to me ever again,��� her voice cracked and she started to cry, ���Please!���

  Emma gasped and looked at Troy who looked horrified. Emma gently pushed his back so that he moved towards her, and they hugged and both cried.

  ���I���m going to get better at being your Dad London, I promise you that. Mommy and I aren���t going to fight anymore. And I���m choosing you right now London. Over anything else, I choose you.���

  ���Oh Daddy, thank you!��� London continued to cry.

  Emma cried and closed her eyes. Why now you asshole, why now, she thought.

  Troy looked over at Emma, ���London my hope is to be half as good a parent as your Mom. And our marriage failing was all me, not her. I want you to know that she has been nothing less than what I knew she would be when I married her.���

  ���Daddy, Brody loves her,��� London said looking him straight in the eyes, ���And he���s very nice to her.���

  ���Wow London,��� Troy laughed uncomfortable and looked at Emma, who looked down. ���Well she deserves to be loved; I kind of sucked at it.���

  ���Yes you did,��� London said. ���Mom, are you mad that I said that?���

  ���No, London, I want you to be honest with both of us but always considerate,��� Emma said, ���And sorry Troy, but something���s even adults can���t emotionally handle, so just be kind alright?���

  ���Your mom thinks I can���t tell she���s in love with him. She seems to forget I know how easy she is to love, but I get it. I won���t interfere. I know she deserves to be happy,��� Troy laughed, ���So how about we hit the pool?���

  ���Sounds good, can Mom come?��� London asked.

  ���Whatever you need until I���ve earned your trust London,��� Troy smiled.

  They swam and laughed and had a great time. Caroline took pictures and talked with Emma about the move. After Emma and Troy tucked London in, he apologized to her parents and promised to get the help he needed.

  Emma went to her adjoining room and showered and threw on the sweatshirt Brody had left and a pair of shorts. She decided to lay down and rest her eyes while she waited for Brody to call. Emma woke to a knock on the door, she opened it.

  ���Emma you left your phone out here,��� Troy said and handed it to her.

  ���Oh, oh God Troy ��� I���m sorry,��� Emma said shocked.

  ���Nice picture by the way,��� he laughed and shut the door.

  ���Brody?��� Emma laughed.

  ���Em,��� he said and laughed too, ���Wow ��� that���s kind of like getting busted by your parents doing it in the car.���

  Emma laughed as she covered her mouth, ���Okay it���s not funny,��� she chuckled, ���He has been wonderful today.���

  ���Oh well thank God your ex who���s sleeping in the next room has been wonderful and we���ve been found out?��� Brody laughed a belly laugh and Emma couldn���t help but follow suite.

  ���God I love you,��� Emma said laughing.

  ���Emma, do you realize how loud you just said that?��� Brody gasped jokingly.

  ���Well it���s been one heck of a night. After we talked and hugged and cried and London hugged and cried with us, which by the way is the first since our separation, we actually talked. He told her she would be first in his life. He also told her how perfect I was. Do you know what she told him? She told him that you loved me and said it looking him right in the eye. She also told him that you were nice to me, like warning him. And he said that he could tell I loved you too and deserved to be happy. So Brody, I think me being loud is a moot point,��� Emma laughed again.

  ���London said that to him?��� Brody asked with a smile in his voice.

  ���Yep, she sure did,��� Emma laughed, ���Do you know how exhausted I am?���

  ���I���m sorry Em. Does that mean no Skype tonight?��� he chuckled.

  ���Brody that���s not going to happen, sorry but I want the real thing,��� Emma said softly.

  ���Emma you���ll have it soon,��� he whispered.

  ���Tell me about your day,��� Emma said as she laid back in her bed.

  ���Compared to yours, mine has been pretty dull,��� Brody answered.

  ���No raunchy photos that I may come across that you need to warn me about?��� Emma asked.

  ���None, I stayed locked in my room writing. Two more songs to finish up and then to the studio for a week if I���m lucky; and then onto interviews for another week. Followed by a flight home and directly into you,��� Brody said and Emma moaned, ���Emma don���t do that.���

  ���Sorry,��� Emma giggled.

  ���So I finished a song today, I would like your opinion on it, or approval I guess.
May I e- mail it to you?��� Brody asked taking a deep breath.

  ���Yes, please, I���ll boot up my new iPad now,��� Emma said cheerfully.

  Emma opened her email, and it was there, she giggled, ���Can I open it now?���

  ���Please do,��� Brody answered jovially.

  DATE: 9/23/12

  Honest opinion expected. If it���s too much let me know.

  Love,

  MM

  London

  Once cold and broken not knowing where to go. Pain unbearable when I let you go.

  Dulled the memories where did it all start,

  Where it all began when she broke my heart.

  Falling down sitting broken for years and years

  Waiting to begin still waiting for the tears.

  I return to you, hoping you can give me strength to do what is right

  Stop this painful bitter internal fight.

  Chorus

  In your rain, I fall to my knees

  In your light, I beg you oh please, oh London oh, oh, London

  The sky lights up from your light the clouds break and I know it’s finally right.

  The fog it’s lifting could it be oh could it be

  That light from London’s eyes is shining for me.

  The brilliant light you come from is where I need to be.

  Opening, oh opening up the ground beneath my feet,

  The warmth of her smile it’s my hearts heat.

  Memories not so dulled by the pain anymore,

  Through her eyes I see what I left behind, now I ache to explore.

  Standing, watching, learning, feeling what was buried deep inside.

  The love that I shoved so far away burns so bright it can no longer hide.

  I return to breathe you in again to make it up to you.

  To remember what once was peaceful when I first felt love.

  Pain felt for years never came from I fall again looking above

  Chorus