by Mj Fields
Emma smiled, ���Dad, are we having the sex talk?���
���There���s nothing funny about this young lady!��� Henry corrected her.
���My husband is on his way home and alive Daddy. I���m going to finally breathe for the first time in forever, I don���t care how he comes home. As long as he���s breathing, I have something to work with,��� Emma smiled at Lexi, ���Your daddy���s going to be alright and you get to meet him, finally.���
���London���s with Troy this weekend, in the garage apartment, correct?��� Henry asked.
���Yes.���
���Good, you can get a feel for what you are dealing with then before she knows,��� Henry instructed, ���I���ll call Lila and let her in on the events.���
CHAPTER TWO
Lila stormed into the house at ten thirty that night, ���Emma,��� she hugged her tightly.
Emma cried and so did Lila. Each time they tried to start a conversation, Emma would cry harder.
���How are you going to do this Emma?��� Lila asked finally able to speak.
���I have no idea.���
���I���m staying,��� Lila said in her drill sergeant like voice.
���Thank you,��� Emma smiled.
���Hey, at least you���re all waxed.���
Emma���s eyes widened and she felt her stomach flip. ���Lila I can���t even imagine���and I also can���t imagine not.���
���Well I think you���ll know when it���s right,��� Lila hugged her again.
Emma���s phone rang at three o���clock in the afternoon, ���Emma it���s Clive, we���ve landed. Brody would like to stay in a hotel tonight, he���s pretty drunk,��� he said agitated.
���Oh,��� Emma���s heart sank.
���Emma, I���m sorry,��� Clive whispered.
���No that���s fine, but Lila probably needs to talk to him, especially if he���s going to be in a public place. This has been kept quiet, but if he insists on doing that he needs to at least get together with her,��� Emma���s voice broke, ���I have to go, I���m glad you���re both home safely.���
Emma hung up the phone, ���Lila, Clive should be contacting you soon, and they���re staying at a hotel this evening. I need to go for a run, could you watch Lexi for a bit?���
���Emma I���m so sorry, of course, go,��� Lila said and took deep breaths until Emma was changed and out the door.
* * *
Emma was gone two hours, she kissed Lexi as she walked past them and up the stairs to shower. She cried some more in the shower and stood numb. Snap out of it, you have two girls who need you she told herself.
Emma was toweling off her hair and she heard the door open, ���Thank you Lila for allowing me a moment, I���ll be out in a minute,��� Emma brushed her teeth and wrapped in a towel and opened the door.
Emma looked up and Brody was standing there, ���Honey, I���m home,��� he laughed.
Emma���s jaw dropped and she couldn���t move or breathe. ���You���re beautiful, I married well,��� he smiled and raised his eyebrow as he walked towards her and whispered in her ear, ���Breathe Emma.���
Her body began to shake and she widened her eyes to try and stop the tears she knew were coming. ���Am I making you uncomfortable?��� He smiled down on her.
She shook her head no and immediately wrapped her arms around him and held tightly to him, he giggled. ���Wife ��� I���m drunk and you are…I���m assuming naked under that towel, if you don���t step back I won���t be held accountable for my actions.���
���Hi,��� she finally said, ���You came home.���
���Well apparently Lila���s grounded me,��� Brody laughed ���I can think of much worse places to be than here, damn you smell good,��� he wrapped his arms around her, ���real good.���
Lila walked in the room, ���I told you to keep your ass downstairs!���
He laughed in a deep husky voice and stroked her back, ���I think I like it right here. Emma, can I stay here?���
���Yes,��� she let out in a whisper.
���See Lila, my wife says I can stay and unless you plan on joining this party you may want to leave,��� he laughed and Emma stiffened, ���Oh, you don���t like that huh?���
���No,��� Emma stepped back and looked up at him with hurt eyes. He cocked his head to the side and searched her eyes.
���You���re pissed now Wife, wait till you hear what I���ve been up to,��� he laughed.
Emma turned around and walked into her closet and grabbed a t- shirt and threw it on. She grabbed silky black pajama bottoms and put them on. ���Brody, this is your closet, all of your things are exactly where they were when you left. I���ll get you a new toothbrush ��� I threw yours out today. The bedding���s clean so if you���re tired and need to rest,��� she walked into his closet, ���Here���s your pajamas.���
���I don���t wear pajamas, Wife,��� he laughed, ���will that be a problem?���
���No, this is your room,��� Emma looked down. ���Have you met your daughter yet?���
���No I was hoping my wife would be a bit more welcoming,��� he smirked and looked her up and down.
���She may have been, but she doesn���t share. Neither did you. You���ll remember Brody, and we���ll figure it out,��� Emma reached up to rub his face and he pulled back quickly.
���How many people have you fucked since I���ve been gone?!���
���None.��� Emma started to walk out the door.
���I don���t believe you,��� he called after her.
Emma stopped and turned around, ���You will when you remember us.���
���Why are those sheets cleaned? The dirty ones in the basket?��� He demanded.
Emma reached down and grabbed the basket, ���I changed the sheets Brody,��� she grabbed the pillow case out of the basket, ���This is where you laid your head to sleep the night before you left. I didn���t wash them. I kept them on���it made me feel like you were still here. I haven���t slept in here since you …I couldn���t sleep in here. If you need anything I���ll be downstairs. Oh ��� here,��� she handed him his phone, ���This I collected from the London authorities, it���s your phone and it���s charged. If you need me call me or text if you can���t find me, I���ll be downstairs feeding our daughter.���
���Emma I���m sorry,��� Lila hugged her when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
���It���s going to be alright, it���s just going to take time,��� Emma forced a smile and walked into the kitchen and made a bottle. She turned and saw Clive and Rupert standing with their heads down. ���Thank you Clive.���
* * *
Emma sat in the living room with Lexington rocking and smiling at her, ���Your Daddy���s here and I���m sure you���ll see him soon. He���s been through some very rough times. Things you, my sweet little gift, will never know about or have to worry about. I think we should talk more about this later, Mommy���s super exhausted and you should be as well,��� Lexi giggled and stuck her fingers in Emma���s mouth, ���Yum, yum, yum,��� Emma laughed and kissed her face. ���Are your teeth bugging you? Let���s get you something cold for your mouth, then its music and sleep
y bedtime okay?���
They sat and rocked and listened to Brody softly sing on the Bose. ���Dada,��� Lexi yawned.
���Yes, Dada,��� Emma smiled and held her tighter and rocked as she cuddled her daughter. Lexi was almost asleep when Emma heard a loud crash and jumped up and scaring Lexi who started to cry.
���SHIT,��� Brody yelled.
Emma walked out and peeked in the kitchen and saw he had dropped a glass, she giggled and Brody looked up. ���Did I wake you?��� He asked.
���No I was awake. Do you need help?���
���No, is that…��� Brody stopped.
���Yes and you did wake her,��� Emma smiled.
���Sorry,��� Brody started to clean up the glass.
���Dada,��� Lexi babbled.
Emma laughed, ���Yep, can you say noisy?���
Brody turned slowly and looked at them as they walked by and Emma grabbed a broom and dust pan out of the closet. Lexington laughed, ���Dada.���
���That���s my daughter?��� He asked and swallowed hard.
���Yep and Lexi this is…��� Emma started.
���Dada,��� she babbled and smiled, reaching her hands towards him.
���Brody,��� Emma smiled, ���Breathe.���
���She knows me?���
���Yes. Could you take her for a minute so I can clean this up?��� Emma didn���t wait for an answer and handed Lexi to her father for the first time.
Lexi babbled Dada and grabbed both sides of his face and started to teethe on his chin, ���Emma you should take her, she���s trying to eat me,��� Brody said nervously.
���She���s teething and that feels good to her, besides ��� she only has two teeth on the bottom, so she won���t eat much,��� Emma joked.
���I don���t feel comfortable right now,��� Brody said anxiously.
���Okay, sorry,��� Emma dumped the glass in the trash, ���Just let me wash my hands please.���
Emma walked over and smiled, ���You���re in need of sleep little one. You too,��� she said and looked at Brody with a smile, ���Let���s get you a teething ring and Daddy a drink.���
Emma handed him a glass of water, ���Try not to throw this one on the floor.���
Emma got herself a drink as Lexi went to town on the teething ring.
Brody stood staring at them and looked scared. ���Brody would you come sit with us in the living room?���
���Sure, I���m still on London time, sorry I interrupted,��� he scowled down.
Emma laughed, ���You know when you talked me into doing this again, you also promised to do nighttime feedings and change dirty diapers. You have eight months of catch- up, Brody.���
���This was my idea?��� Brody asked shocked.
���It was,��� Emma laughed ���Okay so you really remember nothing about me, so this must feel like the first day at a new school, except everyone knows you. Would you like to watch some home videos? Look at pictures, something to see if������
���Yes, and I do remember some things, I asked who Emma was when I saw Clive,��� Brody said looking serious.
���I would love to think you remember my name but it may also have to do with this��� Emma grabbed his hand and he looked nervous. She took his ring finger and held it up, ���Emma and Always���
He took her hand and looked at it, ���How did you get me to do this and you didn���t?���
���Well I didn���t, your idea,��� she smiled and he looked at her in disbelief. ���Alright then first video we should watch…no we���ll start at the beginning. I made a video scrapbook for the girls in case you didn���t come back.��� Emma said sadly, ���We can start there.���
Emma sat on the couch and grabbed the remote, ���Shall I put it in?��� Brody asked confused.
���No it���s in, sit please,��� Emma blushed.
Brody took a deep breath and sat across from them, ���Dada dada��� Lexi clapped when the video began.
���Yep,��� Emma laughed and kissed her as she climbed around on her lap and grabbed her cheeks and mouthed her chin.
Brody watched the video, Emma had put captions on each slide and before each video. The video started with the press pictures in New York. At the park where he ran into her, the picture at the club of them dancing and him handing her a tissue, to the carriage ride with London.
���That���s London, your daughter?���
Emma closed her eyes and whispered, ���Yes.���
Emma sat on the floor and swaddled Lexi who wasn���t a bit tired. She crawled over and pulled herself up on the chair Brody was sitting at and babbled dada. He smiled.
���So I hear,��� he chuckled, ���I wish I remembered, Lexington.���
She started to cry and he looked terrified.
���I know you���re uncomfortable holding her but if you could maybe sit down here and let her crawl around you it would make her happy,��� Emma said softly, ���But if you don���t, I can take her in her room and try������
���No, I can do this,��� Brody sat on the floor.
Lexi climbed on his lap and grabbed her blanket. Emma handed her the pacifier and she just laid looking up at him sucking her pacifier and rubbing the silky part of her blanket against her face, ���She likes silk?��� Brody whispered when she started to doze.
Emma bit her cheek, ���Yeah, she does.���
���Why is that funny?��� Brody asked curiously.
���Would you like me to take her to bed?��� Emma asked changing the subject.
���No she may wake up and try to eat me,��� he smiled down at her.
Emma stared at him as he watched her sleep, he looked fascinated by her. Thank God, Emma thought and breathed out deeply. Brody looked at her, ���She shook��� is she alright?���
���Yes, that���s what London and Lexi do when they finally fall asleep and apparently I do as well.���
The Today Show video was playing and he smiled when he talked about M&M���s, ���Did that bother you?��� He asked. Emma���s face turned red and she shook her head no. The next was the picture he took after the first time he tied her with scarves, she was asleep. ���What was this?��� He asked amused.
���The day you left for London before we got married,��� Emma said softly, ���I���m going to put her down, do you want to see her room?���
���Can you pause this?��� He stood up with her in his arms.
���Yes, may I take a picture Brody? Of you two?��� Emma asked teary eyed.
���Sure.���
Brody followed her up the stairs into Lexi���s room. It was decorated with all things music and poster sized pictures of him. He laid her down and stroked her little cheek and stood and stared at her for a minute. Brody finally turned to walk out. ���I like her room.���
���You picked it all out.���
���And her name?���
���You picked it,��� Emma answered.
���Do you do everything I say?��� He asked with a smile.
Emma smiled, ���Would you like a tour of your house?��� She said and made a face and shook her head, ���That sounds so wrong.���
Brody laughed, ���Where���s London���s room?���
���This is her room,��� Emma opened the door and turned on the ligh
t.
���Where is she?��� he asked looking around.
���She has a visit with her father this weekend,��� Emma said sadly.
���And you���re not okay with that?
���That���s a very long story, but he���s in a much better place now and you helped me with all of that. Plus he���s staying at the apartment above my parents garage, so Mom and Dad are close by,��� Emma smiled.
He looked at her, ���That smile isn���t sincere.���
Emma laughed, ���So you tell me.���
They returned to the living room and Emma sat on the couch, ���May I?��� Brody asked and Emma smiled and nodded her head yes. She pushed play and they watched the interview from when he was in England.
���Does that all mean what I think?��� He asked with wide eyes.
���I don���t know, I wasn���t there, as a matter a fact I was telling you to leave me alone at that point,��� Emma laughed and looked up at him.
He looked pissed, ���Why is that funny?���
���I can���t give you everything, then we won���t know when you are actually remembering something or it���s just something I fed to you,��� Emma smiled gently
The next was pictures from Halloween and then the wedding video, ���So you didn���t know at all?���
���Well you���d proposed already, and we���d discussed it. We hadn���t set a date, and no I had no idea, it was very sweet,��� Emma pushed play and they watched the part where they had lost themselves in the moment, when she jumped on him and wrapped her legs around him. Emma stood up, ���Can I get you a drink or something to eat?���
