Picture Perfect
Part 5
By LNJ
Sunday was becoming Michelle's favorite day of the week. She, Taylor, Lauren and Danny usually had breakfast alternately between his house and hers. They either saw a movie or went sight seeing or sometimes just stayed in playing board games.
As Michelle got ready to go downstairs and start breakfast, she thought about her relationship and future with Danny.
They hadn't been intimate at all since his first night in Springfield at her house. They were friends. And although she longed to feel him inside her again, Michelle refused to cross that line.
There was still the matter of the divorce from Bill. Michelle wanted to be truly free before becoming sexually involved with Danny again. She had talked to Bill briefly about wanting a divorce and he had been shocked at first, then furious. But he eventually told her to have Ross send him the papers to sign.
That was four weeks ago. He hadn't contacted her or Ross. Taylor hadn't even heard from him. Michelle just hoped he would keep his word. As much as she hated changing the current arrangement, she couldn't stay away from Danny too much longer.
Danny was patiently waiting for her, she knew. Michelle would reward him with her own marriage proposal complete with dinner, music and dancing. She had already begun working on a custom home plan with Matt Reardon. That would be another surprise. Instead of an engagement ring, she would give Danny an engagement house.
She had asked Taylor if she would like to move to a bigger house. Taylor had shrugged it off saying a bigger house meant more cleaning. Little did Michelle know that Taylor was giving Lauren and Danny reports on Michelle and her behavior.
Which is what Taylor was doing when she heard a vehicle pull up into the driveway. She knew it wasn't Danny and Lauren because she was on the phone with Lauren.
Taylor was just saying she couldn't be sure if her mother was pregnant. That was one thing Danny had asked about more than anything else. He promised the girls that they would be a family soon and that there would be more siblings to come. But no one could push Michelle. She had do things in her own time.
She asked Lauren to hold on and went to her bedroom door, cracking it to hear. Her mother had gone downstairs to answer the door.
It was her dad.
She quietly shut the door and went to sit on her bed.
"Lauren, it's my dad!"
"What? Did you know he was coming home?"
"No. I haven't talked to him in a while. I've got a bad feeling about this. What should I do?"
Lauren hesitated then said, "I could send my dad over."
"Um…that won't be a good idea. They're starting to argue. They must have gone to the family room. I can't hear them anymore."
"So what are we going to do? You do still want your mom to marry my dad? Right?"
Taylor hurriedly answered, "Of course I do! I love my dad, but he's not right for mom. Besides, they've been separated forever. Uh oh. Here they come. Gotta go!"
She hung up the phone and ran to her closet to pretend she was looking for something. Bill knocked once.
"Taylor, honey. It's daddy. Can I come in?"
Taylor winced. "Daddy?" She mumbled to herself wondering why he thought she would call him daddy at her age. She went to the door and opened it.
"Hey Dad. This is a surprise. You didn't tell me you were coming," she said as he gave her a bear hug.
"Wow, you're beautiful kid. Just like your mom."
"I'm also short just like mom. So, what's going on? Something must have happened to bring you back."
Bill studied his daughter. He realized that he didn't know her. His baby girl was a young woman now. And he'd missed the transformation.
"I can't come home to see my favorite girls?"
"Dad, you and mom are separated. So who's your other favorite girl? Besides me." She tried to smile, but her gut wouldn't allow it to seem genuine. Her dad was back for good and he was playing for keeps. Damn it.
"I love your mom. And she loves me. I decided to move back permanently."
Taylor was trying not to panic. "Where will you live?"
"Here, of course. Your mother and I are still married. We can be one happy family."
"I don't think so!"
Bill jumped back. His daughter was attacking him verbally. Michelle had warned that Taylor would resist.
"You can't just waltz back in here expecting to be 'one big happy family'! I know mom asked for a divorce so just give it to her and go back to-"
Everything happened so fast. Bill had slapped Taylor so hard, she fell to the floor. At first grinning ear to ear, Michelle was standing in the doorway listening to her daughter give her father hell when she saw the hand go up. She ran to Taylor, comforting her and looking horrified at Bill.
"Get out. Get out!"
He had changed into a monster that quickly. Bill Lewis was still the same. "Obviously I should have been here to keep her in line. But don't worry, I'm here now. We are not getting divorced. You have one week to end things with Danny Santos…yes, I know all about him," he said when he saw the surprised look on Michelle's face.
"We'll get marriage counseling to make it look 'nice and tidy' and I want another baby." He strode to the door and then turned back, "One week. I told you before you belonged to me. Don't make me have to teach you all over again. And don't make me have to teach Taylor at all."
He had been gone for ten minutes before either of them moved.
"Mom what was that about? He is not going to get away with this. I'm calling Danny."
"No!" Michelle shouted. "No." Softer this time.
Taylor hugged her mom. She had to be strong for her now. "Mom, why did you and dad break up?"
"Honey, I never wanted you to think bad about your dad."
"Mom, I'm not a baby. He just flipped on me. It's like he was a different man."
Michelle drew Taylor up and guided them to the bed. "Listen. I can't divorce him. He'll just become crazy again-"
"Again?"
"Yes. He's…violent. Your father abused me. The only way he would leave is if I promised to never marry again. That was ten years ago. Then he came back and said he had changed and had counseling. So I tried to make it work, but…oh God!" She started crying.
Taylor rubbed her back. "It's okay mom. We can fight this together. What happened?"
All Taylor heard through the sobs and mumbling was, "he beat me so bad the last time that the doctors said I would never conceive again. That's when I threatened to tell everybody. Up until then, I hadn't told anyone. And I had you. He never yelled or hit you. But I was always afraid he would. And finally he did."
"Mom, you can tell everyone now. Then he'll go away again."
"No. It's too late. No one will believe me."
"I believe you. And Danny and Lauren will believe you. We'll fight the bastard together. And grandma Ness and Grandpa Billy will kill him when they find out. We have to get ready. Danny and Lauren will be here soon."
Michelle looked at her daughter and said, "Promise me you won't tell Danny. Honey, I don't want anyone else getting hurt."
"Mom, I'm sorry, but Danny has to know. If you don't tell him soon, I will. I love you too much to let my father ruin your happiness."
The telephone rang and Taylor jumped up to get it.
"Hello. Yes, he's gone…. Okay we'll be here. Bye."