Story 1

He watched silently from the bushes. Unseen from anyone passing. He peered past the buses into the window of a cozy living room. She walked through the living room of the 2 story white Victorian house. She stopped here and there and stooped over to pick up a toy here and there and put it down in the far corner of the room. She had changed very little in the 7 years since he had seen her. Her hair was shorter for one. She had always worn it long and flowing to almost her waist. A beautiful chestnut brown. Naturally wavy and free. It was still the rich color, but it was cut to just below her shoulders. Still as beautiful as ever. She was medium height. Around 5'6. She had always been slim. Now her body had some very interesting curves that only added to her beauty. Her eyes were a rich chocolate brown. They turned an almost black color when she was angry or well, aroused.
He had known where she lived now for almost a year. Somehow he had not been able to bring himself back to see her. They had parted ways badly 7 years ago. He had hurt her. He knew. But he had done the best thing for her. She was the mayors daughter. The cheerleader, prom queen and most popular in school. He was the loser bad boy from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks. She had wanted to make her father mad. So she had dated him. Never loved him. When he broke up with her, she had only waited weeks to marry Mr Perfect. She quit college and settled down. Daddy paid for the rest of his schooling. Now he was a rich lawyer and they had kids. Not a kid, but kids. He had once dreamed of having kids with her. That they would live in the big old house and raise those kids and live happily ever after. Fairy tales don't come true for his kind. Thats what her father had called him..."his kind" He had offered him a million dollars to go away and leave her. He had insisted that she loved him. How stupid he had been. He had seen her kissing Mr Perfect that night. That night. That fateful night. So he did the only thing he knew how to do. He let her go. He told her he never loved her. The next day. Right after he signed with with the Navy. They sent him right off to training camp. He wanted to say he never looked back, but he did. He did often. His parents still lived in this town. He had not been back to see them in those 7 years but his Mom kept him up to date. Five kids. She had 5 kids! His Mom knew he had loved her. She seemed to think he cared what she did. Little did she know how much he cared. That Farrell kid as he was known around town was now Captain Adam Farrell. Back in town for a long awaited visit and one day back and here he was.

She walked around the living room picking up toys as she went. It seemed never ending. With five kids her house was rarely clean. Oh, they had a housekeeper that came twice a week. At Grant, her husbands, instance. "Olivia", he would say. "Don't you know how bad it looks when you won't hire someone to come in and clean? Everyone who is anyone has a housekeeper." Finally after the third pregnancy she relented. She remained strong on staying home to raise her kids though. No Nanny for her. She had a nanny growing up. Wonderful memories came back to her at the thought of Nana May. She had loved her very much. But, not even for someone like Nana May would she let her kids short childhoods pass her by. She stopped to look at the portraits hanging on the wall. Six year old twins Tyler and Sophie's' school pictures from this year. They had her brown hair. But the startling blue eyes were what caught your eye. They twinkled with happiness and mischief. Her oldest. Then there was Brandon. 5 years old and the spitting image of Grant. Blond hair and blue eyes. But he had her spirit. While the twins excelled at school and were into sports and boy scouts and girl scouts, it was Brandon who reminded her so much of herself. While he too was smart, he also was self possessed and so introspective and shy. Grant had been very disappointed with him. He called him a baby and a mamas' boy. Saying he lacked any boy characteristics. Yes, Brandon was shy and introverted, he was a good kid. Then her eyes fell to the bubbly faces of her second set of twins. Identical twin girls. Abby and Lindsey. Like Brandon, blond hair, blue eyes and the curls that made people exclaim over their beauty. They were three years old and full of anything they could get their hands on. The youngest. For now, she thought putting her hands on her stomach. Flat for now, but soon it would swell again in the now familiar way. Grant hated it, but he would be happy. Another try for a boy. The "perfect son." Every time she was pregnant, he always talked of "the perfect son" Tyler was so different then him. He almost never spent time with him. But then why would they have anything in common. Tyler was not his son. Not that he knew. No, she had tried to tell him numerous times over the years that Tyler and Sophie were not his. Each time he interrupted her or wandered away. After a few years and the rest of the kids, she stopped trying to tell him. It wouldn't matter. If anything it would make his relationship with them worse. He already had no time for girls. When ever they tried to talk to him or play with him, he would brush them off. They soon learned that Daddy didn't play. So, after a while they stopped trying. Even the youngest girls at 3 knew Daddy wouldn't play with them. No, in this house you didn't run and jump into Daddies arms. You politely said hello and then tiptoed around so as not to bother him. Oh, he didn't scream and hit them. No worse then that. He lectured them. If they didn't sit and listen to him, then he spanked them and sent them to bed without supper. They learned fast not to get on his bad side. She glanced at the clock. Grant was home late again. Nothing new really. Most days he left before sun up and then arrived back home sometime after 9 or so. Sighing, she tossed the last toy into the box in the corner and flipped the light off. She was tired. Tomorrow would be here before she knew it. Grant would wander in at some point. Probably drunk and horny as usual. That man did love sex. That would be why they had 5 kids. Well, in all honesty, the twins were not his. No, they were conceived before she gave herself to Grant. They were conceived the week before. The week before when she lost her virginity to the only man she ever loved. Would ever love. Oh she cared for Grant. He gave her 3 beautiful children and helped her raise the other 2. Now, they would share one more. Not that Grant was ever there for her anymore when she was pregnant then any other time. The Law firm came first. Always had. Really the only time they spent together anymore was at his required appearances at functions and parties. Those and in bed on the nights he came home. Lately he spent more and more nights away from her all together. She needed to tell him about her pregnancy. The sex between them was ok. It was always fast and she stopped enjoying it almost right after they were wed. Grant was rough and into his own satisfaction. It was her duty. One night after a rough session, she had called her Mom crying. Mom had informed her it was her wifely duty to please her man in any way. No sympathy from them. No, they were off jetsetting on some adventure all the time. She at the moment couldn't even recall where they were. Was it Greece or Italy? Where ever it was. They were not in contact with her. Rarely called. When she had given birth to Tyler and Sophie, she swore she saw a look come into her Mothers eyes the first time she laid eyes on them. She had looked at Olivia with what only could be described as fear. It passed quickly, but it stuck in her mind. Why that look? Did she suspect that Grant had not Fathered them? If she had nothing had ever been said. Her Dad was his usual self. Distant and tossing money about. He viewed his Grand kids the same way he had viewed her, as a possession.

She sighed and drifted off. She woke up to her nightgown being lifted and her legs being moved apart. Grant was home. He was drunk and horny as usual. He went about his business and with in minutes it was over. Then he fell over onto his side of the bed. He was asleep in seconds. She glanced at the clock. It was 4 am. At least he came home. She needed to tell him she was pregnant. He was busy with meetings at work. She tried to schedule time to see him there. She had been informed he was very busy. She wanted to wake him up and tell him, but so many times when he woke up again, he would start over and the second time around he liked to change things up a bit as he called it. Usually they ended up being painful. She decided to tell him when he got up in the morning.