Lesly had been in awe of Chris for the last three days. Not only had he stayed by her side, spending every waking moment with her, but he’d also taken care of all the funeral arrangements. Mr. Parsons was to be cremated and had written in a living will, written years ago, that he wanted his ashes scattered in the city park at the end of Main Street. It was where he’d proposed to Lesly’s mother. Chris helped Dane and Lesly pay for the cremation and stayed up with them into the wee hours of the night making sure all of Mr. Parsons’ friends and their family had been called and notified. He’d gone over to Brewster’s and put a “Closed Until Further Notice Due to Family Emergency” sign in the front window so that Lesly wasn’t worried about business for James. He knew James would be the first to suggest that and he also knew it was best for Lesly not to have to worry about something else.

The funeral was held at the Methodist church in town and many old friends of the Parsons’ showed up. It wasn’t packed by any means, but there were several people there that Lesly hadn’t seen in ages. She sat through the service in a state of shock that had crept in throughout the week of her father’s death. How could she have lost both of her parents before she even hit forty? She nestled herself against the crook of Chris’ shoulder and silently cried. Next to her sat Dane and Brianne and Griffin, who really had no clue as to what was going on, but Brianne had insisted on bringing him anyway.

At the end of the service, Lesly filed behind her brother and walked out of the church into the awaiting limo outside. Chris eventually joined and soon the limo was headed towards her parents’ house, which would be put on the market within the month. Her heart sank. She had just lost her last parent, now she would lose her childhood home, too. The shaky sigh she let loose only caused Chris to squeeze onto her hand tighter. She looked up at him and smiled. How would she have ever gotten through this without him? He had definitely gained her respect back, that was for sure. Maybe they could start over now. The past was behind them. Stephanie hadn’t been brought up once. Yes, it was a new beginning. Even though she’d had to lose a lot in such a short amount of time, Lesly knew she had Chris back. And he was back for good, she felt.

People filed in and out of the house for the next five or six hours. Close friends of her parents, her father’s younger brother and his wife, Chad and Lane, who’d flown back the night before, James’ parents, Lesly and Dane’s Aunt Kathleen, employees from Brewster’s. It was such a sweet show of condolences that Lesly felt overwhelmed. She’d had no idea so many people cared. By the end of the evening, it was just herself, Chris, Chad, and Lane laughing together in the living room, a bottle of Merlot on the coffee table and empty Tupperware that had contained lasagnas, casseroles, and one unidentified stew that Brianne’s mother had made. Chad had guessed it might be venison, to which Chris had promptly gagged. Lesly had settled once again next to him and felt more content than she had in a while. For the time being, the sadness seemed to melt away and she was enjoying just being with people who could make her forget about why they were sitting in her father’s home without her father around.

“You know, Les, I could revamp this place. Make it really stellar,” Chad took a gulp of wine, then set his glass on the end table next to him. “I’d do it for nothing, you know. I just think you might be able to get more money for it if you spruced it up a bit.” He looked at the shag carpet below him. “Not that this shag isn’t exquisite and a great reminder of why the 70s style of home isn’t with us anymore.” Everyone chuckled and Chad looked at Lesly. “Seriously. You let me know. No charge.”

“Thanks, Chad,” Lesly smiled gratefully at him. “That would be really great. I’d need to talk to Dane first, but I think that it might be a great idea. And we’d pay you something.”

Chad held his hands up and shook his head. “Nope. I won’t take it. Besides, it will get my mind on a new project.” He looked at Lane. “Are you ready, babe?”

Lane nodded and looked sheepishly at Lesly and Chris. “Sorry guys, but we’re still on California time. We’ve also got a Skype date with an adoption agency in China tomorrow. So wish us luck.”

“Wow! That’s amazing, guys!” Lesly stood to give them both hugs. “Please let me know how it turns out.”

Chad smiled broadly and nodded. “Of course. We hope to have little Jewel here within the next six months.”

“You already know you’re getting a girl?” Chris piped up and stood to walk with them to the front door.

“Most of the adoptions tend to be for little girls,” Lane answered. “But we’ll take what we’re given. If it’s a boy, then we hope to have little Oliver here in a few months. We’ll see, though.” Lane hugged Lesly. “Let me know if you have any trouble with anything regarding hospital bills or what not. I’d be happy to help you out with that.”

“You’re awesome, Lane. Thank you,” Lesly kissed his cheek. “The Chasez’s get back tomorrow. We should all get together sometime next week. I’ll need to get my mind off of everything.”

Chad looked over at Chris and then back at Lesly. “So, um, is this-“ he waved his hand between the two of them. “-back on I’m assuming?”

Lesly looked over at Chris who smiled, hoping no one could feel just how anxious he was right at that moment. Once the news about Stephanie was out, he knew the three of them wouldn’t be so sweet towards him. But he also knew that spilling the beans now on the day of Lesly’s father’s funeral was out of the question. “Yes,” Lesly winked at Chris. “Well, yes, if he behaves himself.”

“Ooh, naughty naughty!” Chad raised an eyebrow.

Lane rolled his eyes, “Honestly, Chad, I don’t think she meant in that type of way.”

“What other way would she mean?” Chad interjected.

“We need to go home,” Lane sighed and headed out the door after waving goodbye to Chris and Lesly. Before she shut the door, she heard Lane mutter, “I swear it is not always about sex!”

“Anything can be about sex!” Chad was retorting as they got into the car. Lesly couldn’t help but laugh aloud and shut the door. She turned and faced Chris who was getting his jacket off of the couch.

“Are you ready?” he asked, walking towards her.

Lesly took a look around the empty house. Her father’s chair was draped with sympathy cards and floral arrangements all around the base of it. She could hear the air condition unit switch on and it made her suddenly nostalgic for when she was a little girl and knew when she heard that noise that it was late and she should be asleep. She looked at Chris and slowly nodded. “Yeah. I think so. I have to come back later this week and start packing up stuff,” she sighed and Chris followed her out the door.

Chris wasn’t going to leave her any time soon. Two days later he was still right by her side, helping her go through her father’s closet. He’d ignored three texts from Stephanie that day demanding to know where he was and when he was coming back and that she had a “very important appointment” the next day. He didn’t want to care. Even though most of the time had been spent in complete and utter devastation with Lesly’s family, he had finally been able to see what he’d missed not being with her. He didn’t want to go back to Orlando. He’d become all too familiar with things in Grayson and he liked it like that. The night before, James and JC had been over and the four of them had cooked dinner together. It felt like nothing Chris had ever experienced before. He knew why JC liked it here so much. No one rushed, everything had its place, and people did things the way they’d been done for years. He knew that that could become tiresome, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be here in Grayson. He wanted to be here with Lesly.

“Be right back, baby. Gonna run to the bathroom real fast,” Chris stood from his position on the floor where he’d been for the last hour or so. They’d successfully gone through most of Mr. Parsons shirts and ties and Lesly had kept one of each to put in her memory box with a few things of her mother’s.

“Ok. I’m gonna start on Dad’s dresser drawers,” she stood to her feet and stretched.

“Hey,” he pulled her towards him. “I want you to know I am enjoying all of this. I know it’s not been the best time for you, but being here with you, well, it’s all I want.” He kissed her softly and Lesly kissed him back, suddenly wanting nothing more but to be with him. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket and since she was expecting a call from Dane about possibly letting Chad redo some of the house, she knew she had to answer it.

“Sorry,” she gently pushed him away and Chris kissed her once more before she answered. He walked out of the room and down to the bathroom.

“Hello?” Lesly hadn’t recognized the number and figured if it wasn’t Chad it was probably someone from the insurance company about her father’s policy. Or the hospital. Or any number of people. It was certainly not at all who Lesly expected on the other end.

“Is this Lesly?” came a female’s voice. It was sharp and loud and not friendly sounding at all.

“Yes, who is this?” Lesly sat on the edge of her father’s bed.

“This, you little bitch, is Stephanie. I don’t think you need to know my last name,”

Lesly felt her heart begin to race. “How the hell did you get my number?!”

“That’s not your concern,” Stephanie snapped. “What I’d like to know is where is Chris? And don’t tell me you don’t know because I know he came to see you!”

“He’s here with me, but not that it’s any of your business!” Lesly raised her voice. She was fuming. How dare this woman call her!

“Actually, sweetie, it is,” Stephanie’s voice became very patronizing. “You see, Chris and I are having a baby in about five months and I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. So I’d like to speak to him and find out why the hell he’s ignoring my text messages!”

Lesly didn’t know how to respond. She sat there frozen. Had she just heard what she thought she’d heard? Stephanie was pregnant with Chris’ child? But he’d been here for the last two weeks with her! He certainly would have said something. He hadn’t even mentioned her once.

“Hello!” Stephanie screeched. “Where is he, Lesly?!”

“I-I,” Lesly couldn’t seem to find the words to speak. That’s when Chris came in and saw the expression on her face.

“What is it?” he whispered and came over to her.

Lesly felt numb. And hurt. So, so hurt. She looked up at him and without blinking said, “This is Stephanie. She wants to know if you’re coming to her doctor’s appointment with her tomorrow.” Lesly stood and shoved the phone into Chris’ hands. She walked down the hall and suddenly realized she had no idea where she was even going. They’d come here in his car. She couldn’t walk home. It was too far. She needed to call James. He had her phone. She needed to sit down. Or lie. Or punch something. Or punch him.

She heard him approaching down the hall. “Lesly,”

Suddenly, a rage overcame her that she was sure had been sequestered from the moment he’d ever mentioned Stephanie to her. She began to punch at him and hit him and slap him and kick him over and over and over again. Tears streamed down her face. She grunted loudly as she pushed him against the wall and punched his stomach. He didn’t retaliate at first and then her fist came flying at his left eye.

“Shit!” he covered his face and stumbled over to the couch. “Damn, Lesly!”

“I hate you!” she screamed at him. “Get out!”

“Lesly, please, please let me explain-“ he was still holding his eye and trying to look at her at the same time.

Lesly’s body was wracked with sobs and she couldn’t get anything out without crying. She began to try and catch her breath but every time she breathed in, all she felt was another sob coming out. She didn’t know how long she stood there trying to catch her breath, but finally she spoke. “Fine. Explain. Explain what the hell you’ve been doing here this whole time? Playing me? My father was on his death bed and you knew that Stephanie was knocked up with your kid?! Chris, I don’t want to hear it. I’m so done with this! I cannot believe I ever, ever thought I could love you. You are a lying piece of shit and I don’t ever want to see you again. I mean it!”

“Lesly, please, I wasn’t playing you. I don’t even know if this kid is mine or not! I came back here to tell you because I love you and I wanted to start over fresh. I didn’t know all of this was going to happen with your dad! I wanted to wait until things calmed down and then talk to you!” Chris’ voice was muffled behind his hand, still holding his eye, which was throbbing with pain. He had no idea she could throw a punch like she had.

“Well, aren’t you just so sweet and chivalrous to want to wait,” Lesly spat at him sarcastically. “Wow. I really know how to pick ‘em, don’t I?”

“Please, Les, you have to understand-“

“No, I don’t, Chris,” Lesly went back into her father’s bedroom and picked up her phone, which was on the bed where Chris had left it. She dialed James’ cell phone.

“Hey, Les!” came James’ voice on the other end. “What’s up-“

“I need you to come get me at my dad’s house. I’ll explain later,” Lesly said.

“Oh, sure, OK. Is everything-“

“I’ll tell you when you get here,” Lesly cut her off.

“Alright. Be there in ten,” James hung up.

Lesly turned to Chris. “Get out. I don’t want you here when James gets here.”

Chris stood to his feet and took his hand away from his eye. Lesly had to wince and turn away. It was swelling by the second and there were tiny spots of blood on one side of it. “Um, yeah, about that. No way I can drive like this. Can I get some ice?”

“Is it a matter of ability?” Lesly turned away from him and sat down on the loveseat.

“Actually, yeah, it is,” Chris was trying to be funny, but Lesly ignored him. She looked down at her hands and saw that three of her fingers on her right hand were bleeding and her ring finger was turned in a funny way. “Is your hand okay?” he asked, but Lesly didn’t respond. She heard him sigh and stand to his feet and walk to the kitchen. In a minute she felt him in front of her and looked up. He was holding an ice pack over his eye and giving her the extra one from the freezer. “Put that on your finger. You’ll need to-“

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she snapped and grabbed the ice pack from him. It felt good against her hand. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the cushion of the loveseat. She could feel tears forming yet again and was too tired to stop them.

“Les, please. Please know it was you. It was always you. I was stupid for one night back in July. I swear, I don’t really even think this is my kid,” Chris tried to sit next to her but Lesly moved so that he got the hint. “I’m sorry. I really was going to say something, but with everything-“

“Chris, I really don’t care anymore,” Lesly sniffed. “I just don’t want to hear you talk. I’m done. Please call whoever you need to call so you can get out of here before-“

At that minute the doorbell rang and Chris stood to answer it. James came in and looked from him to Lesly and back again. “Um, what happened?” she ventured to ask, after she shut the door behind her. “Lesly? What happened?”

“I told her about Stephanie,” Chris mumbled. “She didn’t take it well.”

James frowned at Chris and narrowed her eyes, “Why the hell would you tell her that right now?!”

Chris shook his head and went back to the couch. “Because Stephanie got her phone number and called her and decided to break the news,”

Lesly looked up at James. “Did you know?!”

“Only because Josh told me, Les. I didn’t feel like it was my place to tell you,” James answered and went over to Lesly.

“Fine. Who else knows? Does Sutton know?” she asked, sarcastically.

“Lesly, of course not. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but-“

“Whatever. Just take me home, okay? I don’t want to be around him right now. Or ever for that matter. I just need to be where he isn’t as soon as possible,” Lesly stood slowly to her feet and went to the bedroom to grab her purse.

“I’ll drop you off at Chad’s,” James looked over at Chris. “Get your keys and Josh will come back later today so you can get your car. Obviously, you’re not going to be driving right now.”

Lesly came back into the living room with her purse and a bag filled with a few items from her father’s bedroom. “He’s not coming with us,” she said to James, as they headed for the door.

“Yes, he is. I’m dropping him off at Chad’s,” James sighed, suddenly feeling as if she were in the middle of some teenage soap opera. “And you’re coming back to our house,” she said to Lesly. “I don’t want you crying by yourself at home.”

By the time James had dropped off Chris, stopped off at Lesly’s so that Lesly could grab a few things, and then come home it was almost dinner. Sutton was happily playing in the living room with her Barbie dolls and watching Finding Nemo. JC had just put the twins in their Bumpo seats when both James and Lesly walked in. Lesly didn’t say anything, simply headed towards the guest bedroom and shut the door behind her. She threw herself on the bed and expected a huge sob to escape, but nothing came out. Her fingers were throbbing and about that time, James came in with a fresh ice pack, a tray of tissues and a cup of coffee.

“We’re having tacos for dinner,” she told Lesly. “You don’t have to eat if you don’t feel like it, but the offer’s there. And Les, you can stay here as long as you want to.”

“James, I’m fine. I just-“ Lesly started, but James shook her head and sat down next to her.

“You’re not fine. You’ve just lost a parent and a boyfriend in a matter of three days. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I really just felt like it was Chris’ job to do that. Had I known he was going to take this long, I would’ve said something,” James reached over and hugged Lesly. “You’re probably my best girlfriend in this town and I’m going to do what best friends do and be there for you. I would kick his ass, but from the looks of it, it looks like you took care of that.”

Lesly let out a small laugh. “Thanks, James. I’m just going to drink my coffee and be by myself for a while, if that’s OK.”

James nodded, “Fine by me. I’m going to feed the fam and we’ll probably watch a movie after the kids are asleep. We’ll save you some tacos.” James got up and walked out of the room. Lesly took the coffee cup off of the tray and leaned back against the plush pillows. Her heart hurt more now than it had ever hurt before, but just knowing she was in a house with people that truly cared about her made all the difference in the world.

“…don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come over,” JC was saying into his phone when James came into the kitchen. She raised an eyebrow and JC mouthed, “Chris!” at her. She shook her head vehemently and JC nodded in agreement. He went back to his conversation. “Look, dude, I know that you mean well and I’m sorry about your eye, but it’s done, man. Joey and I tried to warn you. If I were you, I’d go back to Orlando as soon as you can and deal with Stephanie. Ok. Well, do what you want I guess, but if you show up here, it’s not going to be the best decision you’ve ever made.”

“Who’s showing up here, Mommy?” Sutton asked, coming into the kitchen having heard the last part of JC’s conversation.

“Nobody,” James muttered, and went over to the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Sutton, go sit down. It’s almost time for dinner.”