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| Chapter Two | |
| Generations: Binding Ties | |
| Belle Brady was in the studio at Basic Black, her father's fashion company. She had been working on the new designs for the summer for a while. But since she was still on maternity leave everything had been pushed back a little. However, today was no different than any other day except, it was Saturday and she had brought her daughter with her. As she stared down at the sketch she got fed up and ripped it off; enough was enough and she wasn't going to finish that sketch today. It was obviously time for a break. She put her pencil down and got her purse from the desk drawer where she kept it. ~ Where on earth is Serena? ~ She wondered as she got up and started looking for her. But Serena wasn't anywhere to be found. She turned down the hallway and looked for her daughter. "Serena," she called out. Belle continued to walk down the hallway heading towards her father's office. As she moved into the inner sanctum of the office she heard the giggling of a young child. Turning into the office Belle came to a pause at the doorway she smiled at the sight before her. There sitting on the desk was Serena laughing at something her father (John) had said. John was playing with her. He still looked the same way he had when she was a teenager except now his hair was streaked gray, making him look more distinguished and attractive. "Serena, I thought I told you not to bother your grandfather when he's working." John looked up and his face automatically expanded into an even bigger smile. | |
| "Hey, my granddaughter is not a bother," he leaned up and kissed his daughter on the cheek before pinching Serena's cheek to send her giggling again. "Hi sweetie, I didn't know that you were coming in today." | |
| "Well, I wasn't going to. But, I've been at home trying to finish this sketch all week. And I decided that since I wasn't getting it at home that a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered." She smoothed an errant strand of Serena's chocolate colored hair as she spoke. "Serena asked to come with me and of course I let her come. Besides, Shawn volunteered to watch Iris and Ian. So what are you doing here, Dad?" | |
| "Well, I'd thought I could get some work done today before I leave on Monday." As John finished his statement, the office door was opened again as Shawn walked in carrying ten-month old Ian; JT entered behind him holding two year old Iris' hand. "Well, look at this, it must be my lucky day." He moved from behind his desk to pick up his youngest granddaughter as she ran to him. | |
| "What are you guys doing here?" Belle asked as she took her son from Shawn's arms and kissed him on the cheek. "Not that I mind this surprise visit." She looked at JT who stood behind his brother. | |
| "Mom and Dad wanted some alone time and I'd thought that I would visit my favorite brother and see what he is up to." | |
| "Hey ... I'm your only brother." Shawn responded as he lightly punched JT's arm, Belle laughed. | |
| "Well, that explains you. But what about you, Mr. Brady? As I recall this morning you told me that you wanted to stay home with our beautiful babies. What, were our darling children too much?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously. | |
| "Too much to handle, never." He feigned shockingly. "I just thought that I'd invite you to come to lunch with us. Besides, Iris and Ian were missing you." He pointed to Ian who was happily playing with Belle hair in her arms. He was the only child of this Brady Bunch that had Belle's golden hair and Shawn's brown eyes. Both of his sisters resembled their mother, Serena held the strongest resemblance but Iris was a close second. Serena's brown hair and deep blue eyes already had made her popular with the boys. However, Iris was sure to grow to be a beauty because she too had her mother's smiling blue eyes and a lighten shade of brown hair. | |
| "I bet Daddy missed you too, Mommy." Serena said jumping off of John's desk to greet her father. "Didn't he JT?" Serena never called JT her uncle because he was so close to her age. She treated him more like an older brother or a cousin. | |
| "Yeah, he sure did." JT beamed down at his niece who had walked over to him. | |
| "Hey, JT," Shawn gave him a playful warning look. "Anyways, what do you say Ian, Iris and I treat you lovely ladies to lunch?" Shawn asked holding his only son's hand as he looked at Belle and nodded towards their youngest daughter in John's arms. | |
| "Mmm, I don't know Brady, what do you think Serena? Should we let your Dad take us to lunch?" | |
| Serena played along with her mother and tapped her chin as if she was thinking about it. "Well could we go to the pub?" | |
| "But of course Miss Brady." Shawn answered in a horrid French accent. | |
| "Okay then I think that we should go Mommy." Serena answered giggling. | |
| "Alright then we'll go." Belle and her family started to walk out office. JT had taken little Iris into his arms and as he got to the door, he turned around. | |
| "Uncle John, you coming?" John looked as if he were about to say no so JT pleaded. "Come on, Uncle John we haven't talked in a while. It would be fun if you would come." | |
| John looked at the son he had given up years ago and could never tell that he was his real father and smiled. "Of course, I'll come." John glanced back at his desk deciding that his work could wait as he followed JT to the door and left his office to spend some time with his son. | |
| ~*~*~*~*~*@*~*~*~*~*~ | |
| Meanwhile at the Black House... | |
| Mimi was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on her notes for an article she was writing while making a light lunch for the children. As she concluded the article she returned to making the lunches at the isle in the middle of the kitchen. Not a few moments later she walked out to the hallway and went to the staircase. "Conrad, Racquel, Spencer lunch is ready." She walked back into the kitchen and waited for the children's footsteps on the stairs. She only had to wait a few minutes because sure enough they tumbled down the stairs and came into the kitchen. | |
| Her youngest child walked in first. Spencer was five years old and the baby of the family. He had her brown hair and green eyes. But, other than that he was like his father, he worshiped both his father and older brother and at times he could be seen shadowing his father's every footstep and copying his brother's every move. "Hey Momma!" | |
| "Hi Mom," Racquel said as she entered the kitchen on the heels of her brother. She was the only girl in the family at eight years old and she had dark blonde hair and her father piercing blue eyes. She was like both of her parents shy at times with the people outside her family but very vocal with her family members when staunchly defending them. | |
| "Where's your brother?" Mimi asked as her two youngest children sat down at the table. | |
| "He was sitting down at his computer playing some games the last time I saw him." Racquel answered before she drank her juice. | |
| Mimi nodded in response and then left the kitchen to go collect her son from his room. But, as she headed up the stairs he was coming down. Conrad had grown to look like a little replica of Brady. He was almost as tall as his mother at thirteen years old and in a few years he would probably be as tall as Brady's own 6'2. | |
| "I was just coming up to get you." Mimi said turning and walking back to the kitchen. | |
| "I was coming down, Mom. I just had to finish my game I almost made the top new score." | |
| "Well, you can go back to playing your game after lunch." Conrad sat down and Mimi started gathering the dirty dishes and placing them in the sink to do later. The door opened in the living room. And then shut. | |
| Brady walked into the kitchen. "Hi Dad," the Black children all chorused together. | |
| "Hey Conrad, Rocky," Brady said as he dropped his briefcase on the table. | |
| "Daddy, you didn't say Hi to me." Spencer said looking up his Dad sadden slightly. | |
| "Well, I can't forget to say Hi to my little mini me." He bent down and lifted his youngest son up in the air. Spencer laughed. | |
| "Brady, put Spencer down so that he can finish eating." Mimi said to her husband of fourteen years. He was a lot more mature now than he had when they first got together. Plus with the added facial hair, a goatee, he was even sexier than before. | |
| Brady looked from his youngest son to his wife and placed him back on the floor. "I better do what your mom says or I will be forever in trouble." Spencer ran back to his chair and went back to eating his lunch. After his son had gone back to the table he walked over to Mimi and barricaded her between his arms. "We wouldn't want that now would we." He leaned down and kissed her passionately as if he were a man dying of thirst and she were water. | |
| "Oh great, here they go." Conrad sighed. | |
| "Yeah, Dad must you do that right in front of us. We are trying to eat here." Racquel said as she turned and looked at her parents feigning disgust. | |
| Brady removed his lips from Mimi's. "Such is the problem with having children." He started to pull back away from Mimi only to have her pull him back for one small kiss on the lips. Then, she released him and walked away. He turned and took her place against the counter. "So what are you doing today?" | |
| "I'm meeting a friend for coffee." | |
| "This friend wouldn't happen to be of the opposite sex would he?" Brady clearly had an idea of who the guy was. | |
| "Yes, I told you earlier that I was having coffee with Jason today." Mimi looked at Brady as she began to put things into her purse. "Why?" | |
| "No reason. I was just wondering. You've been seeing a lot of him that's all." He smoothly evaded her gaze. | |
| "Well, Jason is my friend. Besides, he's ... wait a minute, you're jealous aren't you?" Mimi looked at her husband surprised. He turned away from her and looked toward their children. "Brady Black, you have no reason to be jealous, I love you with all my heart and soul. Besides that I am a happily married woman and no one can take me away from you ever. You have absolutely nothing to worry about." She walked over to him placed her arms around her neck and kissed him. "I have to go or I'll be late." She stepped back from him and went to grab her purse. "You guys be good for your Dad." She kissed each child on the cheek and Brady one more time. "Trust me you have nothing to worry about." She left the kitchen and walked out the front door. | |
| "It's not you I don't trust, it's him." Brady said under his breath to himself before he turned to his children. | |
| On to Chapter Three | |
| Back to Secrets of the Heart | |