by Sadie Grubor
Once we were close, he moved quickly to us. He seemed to be breathing heavily. I bit my lip and furrowed my brow at him. He paused about a foot from me.
"I-I...damn it, I couldn't not be here." He said, sad but firm.
I simply nodded without expression. Then I headed toward the baggage claim. Aidan quickly kept up with me and, once we reached baggage, Livy reached out to him.
"Ded." She smiled with outstretched arms. I smiled down on her. Aidan's face lit up and he immediately took her into his arms, holding onto her as if she weren't real.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. He froze and looked at me confused. "For keeping you from them, it wasn't fair." I swallowed the lump of sobs that wanted to explode from me.
He simply nodded as I turned to look at the turnstile, waiting for our luggage. Once we were in the car, both kids on his lap, Aiden broke the silence.
"Are you..." He closed his eyes, "leaving again?" He breathed heavily.
"I'm not sure." I was still using a flat tone.
He nodded and blinked his eyes a few times. Looking out the window, I spoke one last thing.
"We need to talk."
Nothing else was said.
Kimberly, Jay, Rachel, Mrs. White, Peter and Alex were all in the foyer when we arrived to the house. Warm, but uneasy smiles were plastered across their faces. Hugs and tears were shared by everyone.
"Look how big you guys are." Kimberly cooed to the twins as she took Livy from my arms and then Walsh from Aidan’s. "I bet you guys would like to see your room." She looked at me and I nodded.
Mrs. White pulled me into a large hug and whispered into my ear. "It hasn't been the same without you." She kissed my cheek before pulling away.
"I've missed you so much." Rachel cried out as she hugged me.
"Where have you been?" Alex asked and Rachel blushed while pulling him away with her.
"Jay." I smiled. He winked and pulled me into a large hug. Surprisingly, he whispered into my ear as well.
"He has been lost without you." I pulled back with tears in my eyes. He nodded, smiled and then walked away with the luggage. I cleared my throat and turned around to look at Aidan. He did look lost, but he also looked torn.
"We should talk, but perhaps tomorrow would be better since I just got home." He nodded and I walked away, heading upstairs.
Once in our bedroom, I looked around. A sickening feeling immediately settled into my stomach. I went to the closet, grabbed some pajamas, and changed quickly. In my flannel pants and t-shirt, I headed to the twins room.
They were both on their large play carpet crawling around with their toys. Kimberly was sitting in the chair going through their bags.
"I can do that." I walked toward her.
"No, no, you just got home. Let me do my job." She smiled warmly at me. I sat on the floor with the twins, playing, tickling and laughing.
I soon felt a presence behind me and turned. Aidan was standing in the doorway, disheveled and sullen, staring at us as we played on the floor. I was holding Livy in a standing position as she tried to take a step.
"Ded." She smiled and took a step toward Aidan. I was about to shift myself to stand, but she let go and took four solid steps toward Aidan. He knelt down and she stumbled to him.
I felt the tear slip down my cheek. She was the last to walk. Walsh had started walking a few weeks ago.
"W-when did she...?"
"That was her first time." His face was lit up at my answer and I couldn't bear to tell him that he had missed Walsh's first steps.
"Good girl, Livy." Aidan cooed to her as he hugged her tightly. "You are such a big girl. I've missed you so much, baby girl." I had to blink away the tears, the guilt bubbling up again.
Aidan edged into the room further and started to play with the twins. I found myself drifting further away from them, letting him catch up his time with them. I could see how badly being away from the twins had affected him. It had been killing him slowly. The sullen look of his face seemed to already improve with his interaction with them.
"Hey there, big man, have you been taking care of your mom and sister?" Aidan ruffled Walsh's hair.
"Mumma." Walsh smiled with his blurt.
Aidan looked at him and smiled. "I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled and then laid down onto the floor, both kids climbing on him. Kimberly broke up play time to give them a bottle and get them into bed.
"We need to get your routine back, don't we?" She playfully lectured them. I kissed them both and then left the room.
I headed to the guest room that I had Jay take some of my things to. I couldn't look back at him. It would kill me to see him walk into our room alone or to see his broken face.
Once inside, I closed the door behind me and let the tears flow. I was trying to stop them as I walked to the bed. Sitting on the large, downy comforter were my wedding rings with a large envelop underneath.
Picking up the rings, I held them in my fist as I opened the envelope and pulled out the papers. Inside were medical papers with Aidan's name on them. The papers stated that Aidan had been drugged.
'After an extensive testing of blood, urine and saliva; conclusions are that the following were found in Mr. Aidan Walsh Iverson III's system: Alcohol level of .06, sildenafil citrate, and flunitrazepam.’ I looked at the date of test and the lab where it was conducted.
He had the tests done after I found....them. I swallowed the lump that had found permanent placement in my throat.
I took the papers and sat down on the bed with my laptop. First, I looked up sildenafil citrate. Viagra. I gasped and felt my heart rate increase. Second, I looked up flunitrazepam. Rohypnol, also known as the date rape drug.
"Christ!" I cried out. "Is that all this family is about?" I felt the tears pour down my face.
Seriously, I had been drugged and now someone had drugged Aidan. Was I going to have to have some else taste my food for me? Do I need to worry about what is being given to my children? I feel so violated, so paranoid, so...fuck! So burnt out with this. I really don't think that I can take anymore.
Another night of restless sleep passed. I woke and decided that I would take the kids swimming today.
I figured that Aidan had already left for work, so I went to the bedroom to get my swimsuit. I opened the door and found that the bed was made.
Maybe they already came in and made it.
I quickly changed and went down to the kitchen to eat breakfast with the twins. Once they finished, we got them changed and I took them to the pool.
Splashing seemed to be Walsh's favorite thing and Livy preferred to float and stick her face in the water. Of course she came up choking on the water and I had to laugh as I kept telling her not to do that.
Grabbing the strings on their little boat floating devices, I started to pull them around making engine noises. They were giggling and Walsh was splashing like a mad man. I heard a chuckling and turned quickly. Aidan was standing a few feet from the pool watching us with a smile.
"I've missed you." He said.
I opened my mouth and then closed it again.
"You don't have to say anything." He said with a furrowed brow. "I just wanted you to know how much I've missed you. All of you."
"I-I thought you had left for work." Clearly he hadn't, he was still in the clothes he had on yesterday. "The bed was made and..."
"I don't sleep in there." He cut me off.
I swallowed. "Oh." It almost came out breathlessly.
"I can't and I haven't." He ran his hand through his hair. "Not without you."
"Aidan—."
"Don't say anything." He turned and left the room.
Livy sneezed from all of her water intake and then Walsh yawned. We got out of the pool, dried off, and I took the twins to get changed.
Once dressed, Kimberly and I gave them each a bottle and tucked them in for a nap.
I walked to Aidan's study and stood in front of the closed door, my hand hesitating above the doorknob. As my inter
nal battle raged on, I started to pull my hand away.
"He’s waiting for you." I jumped and turned to see Jay smirk. He put his arm on my shoulder. "He has been waiting on you to take the first step toward him for the past month, not wanting to rush you." He patted my shoulder and then lightly knocked on the door, before walking away.
"Come in." Aidan yelled, his voice muffled from the large oak door.
I closed my eyes and found my inner strength. I can do this! I opened the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aidan
When my contacts alerted me that Lilli made arrangements to fly back to New York, I couldn't just sit around. I knew it seemed stalker-like but I had to be there when they got back. I missed my wife, my children, my Lilli. Seeing them, after so long, really made my heart beat for the first time in weeks.
I spent the past weeks sleeping on the couch in my study. I could barely step into our room to get clothes. The twin's door had to be closed at all times; I didn't want to be reminded that they weren't there either.
Seeing her playing with them in their room, in our house, and my daughter walking to me, filled me with familiar feelings that had been missing for what felt like forever.
Already aware that she had things taken to another room, I simply stared after her as she retreated into the guest room. I could only hope that she would look at the information I left for her, pray that she would put her rings back on. The thought of her leaving again scared me, especially since she was still so unsure of what she was going to do. This feeling loomed over me now. I really didn't think that I could live without her.
When I found her in the pool with the twins, there was no stopping myself from watching. After she saw that I was there, I couldn't help but tell her exactly what I felt at that moment. I wanted her to run into my arms and hold me, but I knew that it was too soon.
Now, she stood before me in my study. She looked nervous, sad, frustrated and confused.
"I..." She put her hand up to stop me.
"I don't know what happened that night, but...I realize that you, more than likely, weren't at fault." She swallowed and closed her eyes. "I know that you provided me this." She tossed the papers that I had left on my desk in front of me, "but...Jesus, Aidan." I watched the tears pour over her cheeks and I wanted to reach out to her. "First I'm drugged, now you. Do I need to fear for our children's lives?" She was letting her anger take over.
"I doubt that..."
"How do you know? How do I know that you didn't just have your doctor's write up this little report for you? Huh?" She narrowed her eyes on me.
She was right, she couldn't be sure of anything and she had every right to be scared.
"I don't know what the hell it is with you and your life, but this is completely insane. I don't know what to think or who to trust. I just need time."
I only nodded. "You can have all the time you need." I knew it sounded pathetic and defeated, but that was exactly what I was right now.
The next two weeks went by and it was like having the shadow of Lilli in my life. She was here, but she wasn't with me. I wasn't entirely sure what hurt worse, her being gone or her being here but not with me.
Having dragged my ass into the office today, just to get away from the tension in the house, I sat distracted and distraught over my life. I couldn't determine whether I was looking forward to going home or not. It was a tough call, all because I wanted Lilli but she wasn't really there. She was just functioning in the outskirts of my life.
When I arrived home, I was surprised to find Jay telling me that Lilli was waiting for me in the library. Upon entering, I saw her in her normal reading position on the leather lounge chair. She looked up at me.
"Um...Jay said you wanted to see me."
She nodded with a very severe look on her face. After sucking in a large breath and exhaling, she started.
"Before I say what I need to say, I want you to promise that you won't fly off the handle and go ballistic."
I shrugged.
"That depends on what you are going to say...are you leaving me?" I sucked in a breath and waited for an answer that I wish I didn't have to hear.
She shook her head.
"This isn't about that, not really." I exhaled and she continued. "James came to see me today."
I furrowed my brow at her.
"Why would he...?"
"He found out who it was. The person behind my birth control pills."
"Was it Loreley?" I spit out and she grimaced at the sound of her name.
She shook her head.
"Stay calm..."
"Why would he tell you and not me?" I eyed her and became frustrated. "Did he do it?!"
Shaking her head again, I could tell she was getting irritated with me.
"No, but it was someone close to you." Lilli put her hand up to stop me from speaking again. "He came to me because he thinks that I am the only one that can keep you calm enough to think clearly about...this."
"Okay...and...?" I braced myself.
"Aidan, it was your Uncle." My head shot up and I looked at her, completely confused. "Henry." Then confusion turned to anger, anger to fury, fury to full throttle rage.
"That bastard!" I jumped up and screamed, pulling on my hair.
Before I could even realize, Lilli had her hands on my arm.
"Calm down, please? Don't go running off and doing something stupid toward your family."
"Are you sure about this?"
She shrugged.
"I don't think that James would offer up his father if he weren't sure, but I think that you should talk to James, rationally."
I nodded. I felt the fury still boiling under my skin, fists still clenched.
When she removed her hands from my arm, I felt the loneliness seep back into my body. I missed her touch so much.
The first person on my list to deal with the next morning was James. I immediately had him in my office. I could see the nervousness all over his face and body.
"James, why didn't you come to me?"
"Aidan, Lilli is the only one that could tell you about this without you going on a lynching project."
I nodded. "Tell me what you know."
He cleared his throat. "Aidan, my father, though he is a complete dick who I still can't believe did something like this, was only acting on fear. He was afraid for our family and for AIS..."
"I didn't ask for you to plea for your father, James." I growled out. "Tell. Me. What. You. Know."
He nodded. "I overheard my father talking to Becca about a week ago." I looked at him furiously. "I needed to be sure, Aidan. I couldn't just put my father out there like that without being sure!"
I nodded in agreement. "Continue."
"After I overheard the conversation, I had the call traced and followed the trail from there. When I located Becca, she was in England. I forced her to talk to me, threatening to go to the authorities if she refused. That was when she told me about my father's involvement." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Apparently, my father held that incident of Becca breaking into your home over her head. He has surveillance footage of her breaking in. He threatened her with prison time and destruction of her career with the felony, unless she assisted him with his plan."
"His plan?"
"He had false birth control pills created to replace Lilli's prescription." His head was dropped low. "I am so, so sorry. I was hoping that I was wrong about it and I am ashamed..."
"You didn't do it." I put my hand on his shoulder.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure yet." I sighed out, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I am going to talk with Liam as well as Lilli. After that, I will be confronting your father." I growled out.
James left my office soon after and I sat at my desk. Lilli was right, how could she trust anything in this life with me. I reached for my desk phone.
"Amy, I will be leaving this afternoon. Please rearrange my schedule and have Liam’s schedule r
earranged."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Iverson." Amy replied studiously before I hung up.
Next, I called Liam. "Liam Iverson’s office."
"Ginny, I need Liam."
"I’m sorry, Mr. Iverson, I wasn’t aware that you were calling. Please hold for one moment."
"Aidan?" Liam’s voice was immediately on the other end of the line.
"I need you to come with me this afternoon." My words sounded gravely eerie.
"What’s the matter?" Liam’s voice was dripping with concern.
"We have answers to the birth control pill situation."
"Oh, I’ll clear my…"
"I already have Amy on it. Meet me in the lobby around noon. I have a car prepared to take us to Lilli."
"Okay."
For the rest of the morning I attempted to do some work but failed miserably. I was barely participating in the many business calls and couldn’t focus on the documents spread haphazardly on my desk.
Liam met me in the lobby at noon, right on the dot. A few seconds later, we were in the car, heading toward the house as quickly as the afternoon traffic would allow us. Walking into the sitting room, I saw Lilli sitting with Viola. I looked at Liam who simply gave me a look that confirmed that he had called Viola to meet us.
Everyone sat while I paced the room, explaining the details of everything that James had told me.
"James should be here too." Lilli said quietly, "and your uncle."
"I’ll deal with him soon enough." I growled.
"I’ve already called them." She snapped.
I turned to look at her. The fierceness in her face was new. I wouldn’t dare test her fury at the moment.
"What are you going to do, Aidan?" Liam questioned.
"Keep in mind that he is family." Viola added.
"Family? HA! Family doesn’t drug each other! Apparently he missed that memo!" I sat roughly onto an antique chair, causing it to creak under the pressure.
"Aidan, he is still your Uncle and…" I looked up as Lilli sighed loudly and put her hands over her face. "And I can understand his fears, even if he had a distorted way of securing the safety of his family and the family business."
She was trying to be rational but I could tell that she wanted blood.
