Four

- - -

Later that night we all decided to go out to dinner at a restaurant. I sat down in a seat with Mia in a high chair next to me. Lucas was on the other side of me while everyone else was yelling about where they wanted to sit.

"Hey Lenny, remember we used to come here in high school late night after we got wasted." Higgins said.

"Shh." Lenny looked around at the kids.

"What's wasted?" Donna asked. Lucas put a hand on his forehead and leaned it on the table making me hide a laugh.

"Wasted, uh, kids is something that happens when you have a hankering for ice cream." he lied.

"I wanna get wasted." Andre stood up. 

"I wanna get totally wasted." Charlotte added.

"I wanna get wasted every single day of my life." Donna said.

"I wanna get chocolate wasted." Becky's adorable little voice said. 

"No you don't need to get wasted, it's okay." Roxanne told her.

"Ice ceam!" Mia clapped her hands making Sally and Deanne aww. I smiled at my daughters cuteness.

The waitress came to take our orders making everyone quiet down.

"Alright everybody, okay let me make this easy, uh, nineteen burgers and nineteen fries. And uh that'll be for me what are you guys having?" Eric joked. Everyone laughed a little. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do me a favor, that's for everybody. Just put it on that." Eric handed her his credit card.

"Actually." I stopped her from walking away. "Can I just get one side of mashed potatoes." she furrowed her brows and I pointed at Mia. "She can't eat a burger yet."

"Oh, of course." she smiled.

"Always being difficult." Roxanne mumbled from across the table but I'm pretty sure everybody heard it.

"Sorry that I don't want my daughter to choke on her food." I rolled my eyes at her. Lucas put his hand on my thigh and rubbed small circles with his thumb making me hide a smile.

What I didn't see was my dad glaring at Lucas's hand.

"I am not gonna have any burgers." Deanne's mom said. "I'll take some meatloaf, some calzones-- but put the marinara sauce on the side. With corn, either on the cob or whatever you got."

"What are you going to the electric chair?" Higgins asked.

"What?"

"No he's just kidding Henry VIII." Dad joked. Eric laughed loudly.

"She's eating for two: her and Toe-bo cop." Kurt said.

"But Mama, they do have bunion rings if you want some." Dad commented making everyone laugh.

"How about some drinks?" the waitress asked.

"Hey, I said I'm paying so take it easy, okay?" Eric told her. "I'm kidding everybody, I'm kidding! We can drink all we want. I'll start it off. I'm gonna have a coke and I know Donna and Lucas are gonna want a sprite. And--" he cut himself off as he saw Bean breastfeeding again. "Bean's good with milk obviously."

"I want cookies." Bean announced. 

"Oo. Cookies and MILF." Higgins remarked.

"MILF? Oh Higgins, thank you so much." Sally told him sarcastically.

"Take it easy alright, hey, tuck it away sweetie." Eric said.

"And I'll take a flat water, Voss." Greg told the waitress making me groan.

"What?"

"You know Voss, or Fiji if you don't have Voss." he said.

"You know, anything you've got's good." Dad cut in.

"Yeah we have out of the faucet." she replied.

"Like from the hose?" Greg asked.

"Tap water."

"What country's that from?" Kiethie asked.

"Canada." I sarcastically said. "What do you think dumbass?" Lucas snorted and leaned back in his chair.

"Watch your mouth Abby." Dad scolded me. "Oh my god. Just get the water. We're done talking about water. Tap water."

"I go get the Voss from the--" Rita started to stand up.

"You just sit down. Rita, study the menu. Big test coming up." Dad told her.

Kurt said something in a different language to Rita making his wife look at him with jealousy.

"I'm sorry what now?" Deanne asked.

"He says they have the best burger in town here." Rita translated to her.

"Really? Since when do you speak Chinese?" she asked her husband.

"It's just something I picked up watching a Chinese cooking show." he told her.

"He is so not gonna survive this vacation." I whispered to Lucas who nodded with a smirk.

- - - 

All the kids except for Mia, went off to play the games that were a little ways away.

Mia was now sitting on my lap with my phone in her hands. I was gently patting her butt while she leaned her head on my chest.

"Gonna be an emotional day tomorrow boys." Eric said. "Spreading the buzzers ashes."

"Well the coach requested that we scatter his remains on McIntyre Island." Rob said. "I got a beautiful ceremony planned."

"Lenny you still gonna be able to do that tomorrow? What time do you leave?" Sally asked.

Lucas looked at me but I just shook my head and took a sip of my drink. Oh yeah they're leaving for the trip that I'm not invited on.

"What are you talking about?" Eric asked.

"What do you mean leave?" Rob added.

"I forgot to tell you fellas, we gotta take off in the morning." Dad told them.

"You're leaving the lake house?" Lucas asked.

"What are you talking about? You can't leave." Eric said. "We got the ceremony tomorrow."

"Oh Lenny's just playing everybody." Deanne waved them off.

"No, he's not." Sally shook her head.

"I wanna be there. I mean we all do, but we gotta go to Milan." Dad said.

"Milan, what? Italy? What's in Milan?" Higgins asked.

"It's pretty cool. Roxanne's got her fall line coming out."

"Fashion week." Roxanne spoke.

"Three nights at the four seasons baby." Greg grinned. "Eggs Benedict by the pool, PlayStation 3 in every room, and they show boobies on Italian TV."

"I'm going to Italy." Eric mumbled to Lenny.

"Are you leaving too?" Lucas asked me sounding kind of bummed out. All the adults looked at me and asked the same question.

"Yeah, I mean it's nice watching Mia run around and have fun." Deanne smiled at me.

"Well Mia and I aren't going with them." I pursed my lips. 

"Why?" Higgins asked. "Thought it was like a family thing."

"Yeah, well I'm not Roxanne's family." I mumbled.

"Oh my gosh, stop being dramatic." Roxanne rolled her eyes at me. "She's not staying either she's flying back home tomorrow as well."

"What?"

"Why?"

"You and Mia should stay."

"We are." I said and shot a glare towards Roxanne.

"No you are--"

"I'm sorry, are you paying for the flight or am I?" I asked as I leaned forward and held Mia to my chest. "Or are you gonna leave me and my daughter stranded at the airport again since you 'forgot' to get a big enough car?" 

All the adults looked between the both of us.

"Ooo. Family drama." Higgins said under his breath and leaned back like this was entertaining.

"No but you live under my house so you will abide by my rules." she snapped at me.

"Last time I checked you don't even want me and Mia there. So maybe we'll both benefit from me staying here and you crawling out of my ass for a few weeks." I snapped right back.

"Honey, let's not do this in front of everyone." Dad told me. "Roxanne wasn't being rude she's just saying that you're still living with us so you still have to do what we say."

"Of course." I scoffed. "You'll always pick her. Even over your own daughter and granddaughter." I stood up and grabbed Mia's diaper bag. "I'm going back to the lake house."

"Oh come on Abby, just stay here." Kurt told me. "It's fine."

"No thanks, I'm good." I adjusted Mia on my hip as she held onto my phone. I grabbed my keys and left the restaurant as fast as I could. I put Mia in her car seat and then got in my own seat.

I put my hands on the steering wheel and let out a shaky breath. 

"God I just want my real mom." I whispered as tears came to my eyes.

Back in the restaurant they all went silent as Abigail left. Greg and Becky got up and went to the other kids while Roxanne sat back in her seat.

Lucas sighed and grabbed his jacket before standing up.

"Woah, where are you going?" Eric asked.

"I'm not just gonna let her go back to that house by herself." he told them. "Especially not if it's just her and Mia."

They all nodded in understanding.

"Lucas." Lenny stopped him before he left. "Make sure she's okay."

"You should do that yourself." Lucas scoffed.

"Lucas." he pleaded.

"Obviously I'll make sure she's okay." he walked outside the restaurant and saw that Abigail was still there in her car. 

He ran up and pulled the passenger side door open.

"Lucas!" she jumped. "You scared the shit out of me." she wiped at her eyes.

"Were you crying?" he asked.

"What? No." she shook her head. "What are you doing? Your family's in there."

"Yeah but you're out here." he shrugged. She tried to ignore the way her stomach flipped. "And I'm not gonna let you and Mia go back to the house alone."

"Oh what are you gonna do, fight off a burglar?" she asked and pulled out of the parking spot.

"If I have to, yeah." he chuckled. "Plus, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Lucas, I don't need you to check on me. I'm fine." she told him.

"I know you're not." he looked at her and their eyes met. "It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it. I'm not gonna push you, I just want you to know I'm right here if you need anything."

"Thank you Luke." she smiled at him.

"Anytime Abby."

- - -

Back to Abigail's POV

We got back to the lake house and I parked in the same spot as before. Lucas and I got out of the car and I looked out at the lake. The water looked beautiful with how the moon was reflecting off of it.

I turned to get Mia out but Lucas was already unbuckling her and picking her up.

"Hey, I got her." he told me. "You just head inside."

Mia subconsciously cuddled closer to him as he followed behind me and into the house. Our room is on the second floor so we made our way through the house to get to it.

When we got inside, Lucas gently laid Mia down in her crib like she was the most delicate thing in the world and as if he could break her at any moment.

I smiled and walked over to put her blanket inside with her. I put her three stuffed animals she made me bring and her little blanky she's had since she was a newborn. She sleeps with it every night. I grabbed her pacifier and put it against her lips making her stir and put it in her mouth. She started sucking on it and then fell back to sleep.

"You can change." Lucas spoke. "I'll wait outside."

"Thank you." he smiled at me and left the room so I could change.

When I got changed Lucas came in and changed into basketball shorts. We both climbed into bed and laid with out backs to each other. I turned the light off and got comfortable.

"Night Luke."

"Good night Abby."

We both laid there trying to fall asleep when I heard Lucas stirring to get into a comfortable position. After about 2 minutes of this and about three knees to the back I rolled over.

"What is your issue?" I asked.

"I usually sleep in the middle of my bed." he whispered. 

"Not anymore." I groggily touched his shoulder and rolled back around.

"I know." he sighed and continued to move around.

"okay look." I pulled him onto his back and laid my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and got comfortable.

"Yeah, I can't sleep unless I'm in the middle of the bed." he sat up.

"Then we spoon." I huffed.

"I can spoon." he nodded. I turned onto my side and he laid behind me. He draped one of his arms over my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. His arm under my head then started moving.

"What now?" I asked.

"My arms falling asleep." he whispered. I huffed and pushed him back onto his side of the bed. We laid with out backs to each other once again.

"Well I don't like this." he mumbled.

"I'm gonna kill you." I muttered.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." he sighed. I rolled over to face him and he stifled a laugh. 

"Okay then." I flipped him onto his side and wrapped my arms around him from behind. At first he seemed taken aback but then he moved his face into the pillow.

"I think this is good." he nodded.

"Go to sleep or so help me god, you're sleeping in the lake." I grumbled. 

"Yes ma'am." 

- - -