The Tower: Family

The Blank Check

While the babies stayed in the medbay in intensive care I decided it was about time that my mother met Tony and Steve, and if that went well, Riley and Pietro too. It had been over six months since that meeting with her and dad, and with the babies all coming now, it wouldn't be long until I would have the babies around me all the time and the decision of whether I let her meet my children or not would be a decision about whether I kept working to have a mother/daughter relationship with her at all. It was time to shit or get off the pot.

I invited mom to come up and have morning tea with me. Steve and Tony would be there too and if that went well FRIDAY could tell one of the others to bring Riley and Pietro down.

I spent that night with Wanda and the babies and after we had breakfast and she fed them I headed up to prepare. Everyone else had agreed to give us space and had gone to either visit Wanda and the twins or went down to the garden to play with the dogs and Riley and Pietro. I had the cooks prepare a spread of small cakes and finger sandwiches along with tea and coffee. When FRIDAY announced that she was coming up in the elevator I got up quickly.

"You both wait here," I said to Tony and Steve.

Tony looked more nervous than I felt. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous. I'd spent so much time with my mom lately, it wasn't like being reunited with a stranger. I guess I just felt like this was it. Yes, I could cut her out if things turned toxic later, but if I introduced her to Riley and Pietro today, they'd go from having no grandparents to having one and I wouldn't want to be the one that took that away from them.

"El," Steve said gently. "Everything is going to be fine."

I nodded and went to the elevator. It opened up just as I got to it and mom stepped out. She looked even more nervous than I felt. She had a couple of large gift bags in her hands and she looked around the entryway in awe. It was her first time in the penthouse, so I wasn't exactly surprised she was impressed by it. "Elise, honey," she said, kissing my cheek. "I heard that Wanda had her babies, so I bought some presents. And some for Riley and Pietro too."

"That's really nice, mom," I said, leading her inside. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know. I just..." She didn't finish her sentence but I knew what she was going to say. She really wanted to meet them.

I led her past the stairs and around the corner to the dining table where Tony and Steve were standing. Tony fidgeted on his feet as Steve stood with his hands behind his back. "Mom, this is Tony and Steve," I said. "Steve, Tony, this is my mom, Jennifer."

"Yes, of course," mom said, as Steve stepped forward to shake her hand. "I know you both."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jennifer," Steve said, shaking her hand.

"Please, it's Jenny," mom said.

"Jenny," he said with a nod. "Take a seat."

Mom sat down and Steve and I sat near her. Tony sat a little further away on the other side of me.

"Have I met everyone now?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, these are the last two," I said. "To be brutally honest with you mom, I held back with them because I figured if you were lying to me, these were the two you were using me to get to."

She frowned and nodded. The information obviously hurt but she seemed to understand. "I get it. I'm glad you're trusting me more."

"While we're all being brutally honest," Tony said. "Not all of us wanted you to get involved in her life."

She nodded again. "I know. And I might deserve that," she said. "But I am grateful that I was given a chance. And I know you were involved with setting me up in the city and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for that."