MANNY©

Chapter 43

A/N: Now, the storm has hit. Or you can say, here's the ugly.

Edward tiredly, but happily sat at the dining room table while he, Mary, Alyssa, Todd, Rachael, and Tyler ate and laughed. The adults all relaxed and joked around, while all of the children were happily worn out and full from the day with their parents and grandparents. While the kids were all safely tucked in their beds, the grown-ups sat around chatting the night away. Edward used his fork as he clinked his glass to gain everyone's attention. 

"I just wanted to say thank you to Rachael and Tyler for letting me be a part of Maddison's and Kaleb's lives. To be able to be their grandfather is truly a joy that I won't take for granted." He said with emotion, they all look at him in silence. "I'm also grateful and happy that you let your other children be apart of the role of grandchildren to me. I will honor my role in their lives." 

Edward turned to his dear friend and gave a smile.  "And to you Toddy. You welcoming me back into your life with your new family is terrific. I am so glad we easily picked up where we left off." Edward said to him as he held his glass in a salute.

"I feel the same way, Eddie," Todd said smiled, raising his glass to his old friend. Edward gave a nod to Mary. "I want to say I am so sorry that my louse of a son mistreated you, Mary. And what he did to you, Rachael," Edward told them both before speaking back to Mary. "I know you've suffered enough at his hands. You have all the right to cast me aside as well." He told Mary who stood and went over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Edward. You're like a second father to me and I would never cast you aside," She told him in a comforting tone. "Especially since my own father is no longer here. My little girl's gonna need you."

He exhaled in joy and gave her a nod with tears streaming down his face. "Thank you. Thank you all. And thank you so much Tyler for not only letting be apart of your children's lives but also to share the joy and celebration of the children to come." Edward said glancing at Rachael pat her baby bulge while smiling. They all silently agree and raised their glasses of juice. "To this wonderful family and the many thanks for including me." He toasted to the people before him. "To all of us!" Tyler chimed in as he raised his glass. "To all of us!" The rest spoke back before the finished up for the night.

Edward safely got Mary and baby Ava safely go back home before heading home himself. He arrived to a quiet home. He walked in the front door as he was greeted with the foyer light on. He noticed a note in Gertrude's handwriting.:

Edward,

This afternoon, after our outburst, I decided to let us both cool off and went to the Virgin Islands for a break today. I don't know when I will be back. You have my cell number.

Take care,

Gertrude

P.S.: Charles left this afternoon with some girl he knew, so who knows when he'll be back.

Edward remained silent and eternally grateful that he was alone. He used the opportunity to go shower then fall asleep in his bed without his wife getting on his nerves from sun up to sundown. The moment his face hit the pillow, he was off into slumberland. He was happily having dreams of dancing at Maddy's, Morgan's, and Ava's weddings.

Somewhere else

"Oh, yes! Charles! Charles, I'm coming. Yes, Yes! Yes!" The female said when Charles rolled off her. He kept panting as he tried to regulate his breathing. The woman slinked from the bed then walked naked around the room. She went to his wallet on her dresser before turning around to face him. "How about this?" The woman asked as her dark-skinned hand waved a stack of twenty-dollar bills she took from the wallet. "Yeah, that's enough," Charles said, resting his arms behind his neck. "Now remember when you find out tomorrow if it's a girl, we'll keep it. Because the girls' I produce tend to be normal. But if it's a boy, use that money to get rid of it any way you can." He told her while she turned fully towards him as she used her free hand to rub her belly. 

The woman was another sad fool in a long line of misguided, foolish women who knew he had money. They thought he was real and sincere about them. She nodded as she hopped back on him and rode him until he slept while she fanned herself with the stack of money still in her hand.

The next afternoon

Maddy stepped out of the main doors of her school and into the middle of a big crowd of kids who were searching for their buses or which car held their family. She looked around before seeing her parents both waiting at the jeep to pick her up. She was about to cross the parking lot to meet them when a sudden explosion caught everyone off guard. All attention was directed to the loud sonic boom. People were panicking and running everywhere trying to reach each other. It took thirty minutes before the police arrived and the staff got everyone calm. Tyler and  Rachael saw that Maddy  wasn't there anymore. She went from being in their sights one minute to vanishing the next.

"Okay, folks it was a very big snap. You know what kids used to throw on the ground and it sounds like gunfire." The principal said after the police and now the bomb squad investigated the area. They took a look at the paper it was made of. "It was the size of a football." He said. "Kids, get in an orderly line and go out to your parents or to the bus." The Secretary said before the principal and a teacher noticed one child was missing from the teacher's class. 

Before she could say anything, Tyler ran up, calling for Maddison. "Maddy! Maddy!" He yelled through the tears and confusion. "Maddy!" Rachael seemed to be yelling from her lungs, causing her body to shake MADDISON DAISY SUMNER!" Rachael screamed before almost collapsing. Tyler rushed back to her, catching her in his arms just in time. "Tyler!" Rachael said full of fear. "Honey, where's our baby? Where's our baby!"