“Morning sweetheart.” Mary smiled as her Mother pressed a soft kiss against her cheek as she took a seat next to her daughter at the breakfast table. “You got in late last night.”
Mary’s eating halted for a split second before she slowly pulled the spoon from her mouth. Chewing carefully, she responded with precision. “I was at Spoon Island with Dominic.”
“I know, I got the message you left on my voice mail. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Dominic Cassadine,” Keesha remarked neutrally as she grabbed the marmalade and began to spoon some onto her warm toast. Mary nodded, feeling the familiar flutter in her stomach when thoughts of Dominic came up. “He’s really nice, he’s a good listener.”
Keesha’s ears pricked up at the last part of Mary’s remark. “Oh? Is he now?” she replied, a hint of teasing in her tone. Mary smiled, “Mother!” she groaned but still couldn’t prevent the flush that invaded her cheeks. Catching her Mother’s eye, Mary smiled. “We talked about Michael.”
“Really?”
Mary nodded, knowing this was something her Mother would pay close attention to. “He’s decided to live with Uncle Lucky and Aunt Emily for the time being. The four us of are getting together after school.” Keesha arched her brow with interest, “four of you?”
“Yeah. Me, Michael, Andrea and Dominic,” Mary listed, her voice growing softer with the last name. Keesha bit back a knowing smile as she listened to her daughter rattle off their afternoon plans. “We’re going to Wonderland off route 12, Dominic’s never been there and it’ll be a nice way to just forget about the chaos going on and have fun for awhile. Michael deserves it. Can you tell Cook I won’t be here for supper?”
Keesha sat back and beamed at Mary. Who was this amazing, beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, selfless girl in front of her? Had it only been yesterday where she’d taught her child simple things like riding a bike or attended a Christmas concert at her school? For the first time it seemed, she was seeing the young woman Mary was becoming. Poised, full of charm and grace, she was the spitting image of her namesake. Not surprisingly, tears welled up, blurring Keesha’s vision.
“I gotta go, I’ll see you tonight!” Mary called as she grabbed a piece of toast and her backpack before rushing out the door. Silence filled the room before Keesha let out a gentle laugh and dabbed her eyes just as A.J. entered the room. “Morning beautiful, what’s new?” he asked as he poured himself a cup of steaming coffee. “Our daughter is the most wonderful creature in the world,” she announced.
“You’re just finding that out?” he teased as he took the seat Mary vacated. His brown eyes twinkled as Keesha swatted him playfully. “That’s not all. Michael is living with Emily and Lucky and it sounds like a permanent thing.”
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Port Charles Shopping Center
“This better be a life or death matter,” Alexis grumbled as she and Raphael entered the Science and Nature store. “Your Father won’t be pleased about you missing your morning run with Providence.” Raphael scanned the room carefully, “Ivan said we’re building the solar system today and I haven’t gotten the supplies yet. Father would be more angry if he found out I’ve been lazy with my schooling.”
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Lovely, now I’m party to a cover-up.” Raphael ignored the remark as he grabbed the enormous box off the shelf and took it over to the register. “Can you ensure that all the materials listed on the side are present before we purchase the item please?” he requested pleasantly.
The young man with the name tag “Dizzy” gave Raphael a blank stare. “What?” Alexis gave a sigh. “Is everything there?” she said. Dizzy looked at the box for a few moments before nodding. “Yeah, we checked these last night. They’re good. Will that be everything?” Alexis nodded quickly, checking her watch impatiently. “That’ll be $166.23,” Dizzy announced happily. Alexis did a double take. “Pardon me?”
“$166.23, ma’am,” Dizzy repeated more uncertainly as he averted his eyes from Alexis’s hard stare. Alexis said nothing as she numbly handed over her credit card. Behind on her schedule, spending outrageous amounts of money on a solar system model and she’d still not had one cup of steaming coffee so far. The morning couldn’t get any worst.
“Yoo hoo!” Alexis groaned inwardly as she heard Lucy Coe-Collins’ distinct call from the entrance. “Alexis, how are you?!” she rushed over, hugging the woman warmly. Alexis smiled in response. “Fine Lucy, how are things with you?” Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Raphael and Lucy’s son Darric strike up an excited conversation over a computer game.
“We’ve been pretty unscathed since the unfortunate mess with Michael.” Alexis’s ears pricked. “Oh, yes,” she said, playing along. “Dominic has been very concerned about the whole thing.” This was true, Dominic had been preoccupied with Mary Quartermaine in recent times. Lucy nodded, her eyes bright. “Just terrible for that poor boy, having his life ripped apart. Andrea has been trying to be supportive but there’s only so much a person can do.” Clutching her bags in front of her, her expression grew emotional as she thought of the devastating turmoil Michael must be going through. Alexis bit her lower lip uncomfortably.
“I’m sure things will improve,” she encouraged. Lucy gave a relieved smile, glad that someone else was more optimistic than she. “Kevin said the same thing last night and I know Michael’s a smart boy, he’s always been so mature and level headed…”
“But you worry, nonetheless,” Alexis concluded. Lucy nodded. “They’re still our babies, after all, aren’t they?”
“Absolutely,” Alexis replied softly, knowing exactly what Lucy meant. The two women stared at each other for a quiet moment before the excited chatter of Raphael and Darric broke the moment. Pleasantries were exchanged as Alexis and Raphael headed out the store and while Raphael talked happily about Darric coming over on the weekend, Alexis’s thoughts drifted to her own son and the level of his involvement in Michael Morgan’s world.
A talk was in order.
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Morgan Penthouse
Hannah opened the door to Michael’s room quietly and poked her head inside. The room was large in size, the walls colored a light plum tone that Michael had agreed to after Mr. and Mrs. Morgan had flatly turned down the first choice, black, last summer. A large mahogany bed stood against one wall, flanked by two bedside tables and opposite the room stood his matching desk. The room itself was in its usual disarray as books, dirty and rumpled clothes littered the general area. She sighed as she opened the windows to let some air in and set about gathering his laundry, placing old magazines and candy wrappers into the garbage. She worked in silence, as she always did and with a precision that demonstrated the years she’d been with the family and the devotion she showed them.
She was well aware of the troubles in the family, but it had never occurred to her how far back the nightmare started. As she placed a pair of faded jeans into the basket, she came across a framed photograph that normally stood on Michael’s bookshelf. Hannah gave it a gentle wipe with a tissue before placing it back in its home. The four were so happy in the picture taken just a few short weeks before things had gone so terribly wrong. Hannah bit back the tears as she thought of all that had transpired in such a short period of time and with a quick shake of her head, she set back to work knowing that Michael would need clean clothes once he returned home. Her work was interrupted by the shrill ring of his private line. Hannah bit her lower lip uncertaintly, she was the only one in the house, should she answer the phone? She finally picked up on the fourth ring.
“Hello?”
“Hannah! I knew you’d be doing laundry now!” came Michael’s thrilled voice.
Feeling a sudden wave of unsteadiness overwhelm her, Hannah found herself sitting on the edge of his unmade bed. “Michael?” she queried, her voice small and shaky.
“I need to see you Hannah.”
It was so good to hear his voice. He sounded healthy. “Of course, child!” she exclaimed excitedly. It was as though her own child had returned to her.
“Just one thing Hannah, you can’t tell anyone that you’re meeting me.”