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Monica's voice shook, "Gee, damn it answer the phone. I have to talk to you. You don't understand." She closed the phone and waited. Nothing.
"Mommyca?" Elle's voice called out from the bottom of the staircase.
Quickly she wiped her eyes and went out into the hall. She saw Elle at the bottom of the stairs looking up. "What Baby?"
"Me's misses youse."
"I thought you were watching TV with Luke and Kelly." Silently she hoped she would go back to them. She needed to talk to Gee.
"Mes misses Mommyca." Elle said sadly looking up at her.
Monica understood. Elle had just moved back into the house and needed reassurance because things in her life kept changing. "Come on up here." Monica said. She watched as Elle climbed the stairs careful to hold on to the banister. Once she reached the top she help up her arms so Monica could pick her up.
"Want me to read you a story?"
Elle had her arms around Monica's neck. She nodded.
They went back into Monica's room and she place Elle on the bed. "Let me go into Kelly's room and get book." She returned quickly but was surprised to see Elle was no longer on the bed. She was standing by the dresser looking up. "Tats mommy’s" She was pointing to the wooden box.
Monica threw the book on the bed and went to stand by her. "Yes, she wanted me to keep it for her."
"Me misses mommy." Her lip trembled.
Monica tried to get control of her own emotions. "Come on lets snuggle up and I'll read to you about a princess and a frog."
They settled on the bed and Monica opened the book but Elle's mind was still on the box. "Whats in box?"
"Just some stuff that's important to your mommy." Monica explained.” She wants me to keep it safe."
"Like mes?" Elle asked innocently.
Monica couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes, "Yeah, Baby. Like you. I promised your mommy I would love you and keep you safe."
Elle snuggled into Monica's arms. The book was forgotten as she gently stroked Elle's hair while hugging her tightly. Her mind returned to Gerard. How could she make him understand that Elle was their little girl now? Tears rolled down her face but went unnoticed by Elle who had fallen asleep safe in Monica's embrace.

Gerard lit another cigarette not noticing he'd left one still burning in the ashtray. He couldn't clear his thoughts. Some of this initial anger had faded. Why had he left that first message? He wished he had not let his rage get out of control. This whole mess should have been handled when he was home. Still a part of him was glad he'd done it. He was tired of pretending not to know. Now the whole fucking thing is out in the open, he thought. He just wondered if his anger at Monica was unfair. What if she had planned on telling him when he got home? He closed his eyes and pictured her in his mind. He was scared. He didn't want to lose Monica. He reached for his phone and called.
Monica had just placed Elle under the covers of the bed when the phone rang. She picked it up quickly and moved out into the hall not wanting to wake Elle.
"Hello"
"Monica we need to talk."
She said nothing waiting for him to continue.
"I just need to know one thing. We're you going to tell me?"
"Gee, I don't understand. Please tell me what happened?"
He was angry she didn't answer his question. "You mean how do I know that Liv and Mikey fucked?" He spat in anger.
Monica closed her eyes hating the hurt she knew he was feeling. "Gee, how did you find out about Mikey and Liv?”
He stood and began to pace from one side of the hotel room to the other. "That morning I got to the bottom of the stairs and remembered I hadn't told you I love you." he shook his head hating to relive the memory. "I was standing outside the door when she said that Mikey could be Elle's father."
Monica whispered, "What else did you hear?"
"What else? Fuck, do you think I needed to hear anything else?"
"You needed to hear the whole story. Gee, Liv was so sorry about what happened."
He cut her off, "So you're telling me she was sorry she fucked my brother? Well, I don't give a shit about that. I just wonder how long it had been going on?"
"Oh, Gee. It wasn't like that. It was just once and they were both drunk." Monica tired to make him listen but he refused.
"Yeah, sure. I bet that's what happened."
"Listen to me." Monica's voice rose. "You have to listen to me."
"No, I don't. I don't want to hear about this. Liv slept with my brother for fucks sake. What else do I need to know? She did the one thing she knew would hurt me more than anything else she'd ever done to me."
Monica walked into the guest bedroom and closed the door. God, this room would forever in her mind be Liv's room. "Please listen"
He exploded, "Shut the fuck up about this. I don't know how you can think there is anything you can say that will make this better. My brother betrayed me. He slept with the woman I loved. Nothing can change that."
Monica sat down and closed her eyes, "Gee, please." She whispered.
"I just want to know one fucking thing. We're you going to tell me? We're you ever gonna tell me?'
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "No" She whispered.
Gerard felt his heart break. "Then you are no different than Liv. Once again I fell in love with a woman who broke my heart." The call was disconnected.
Monica lowered her head and cried.

Kara silently walked over to the bed and saw the Elle was sleeping soundly. She had come looking for her Mom. There was so much more she wanted to say to her. It was important to Kara that Monica understood she would always love her and try to be there for her. She went back into the hall and stood a moment listening. Downstairs the TV was on and she guessed that Kelly and Luke were down there. Had her Mom gone back downstairs? She was about to go down when she heard someone crying. The sound was coming from the guest room. Kara had been purposely avoiding that room since Liv died. The memories were still too fresh. Slowly she walked down the hall and pushed open the door. Monica sat in the chair, her head bowed sobbing into her hands.
"Mom?" Kara whispered.
Monica looked up shocked to see Kara.
"What happened?"
If only I could tell her, Monica thought but she knew it was impossible. "Gee and I just had an argument." She wiped her eyes and stood.
Kara knew this had been no ordinary argument. "About what? Is it because I left that message?"
"This is not your fault." Monica answered.
Kara was suddenly angry, "I suppose you're gonna say it's your fault. You always try to take the blame for everything."
"You don't understand." Monica answered. "This is between Gerard and me.'
"I just want to help." Kara walked over to her. "Please"
Monica knew her daughter was reaching out to her. "There's nothing you can do. Gee and I have to deal with this."
"So he's talking to you?"
Monica moved over to the dresser and grabbed a tissue, "We talked,” she answered wiping her eyes.
"But obviously it didn't help.'"
Monica told the truth, "He won't listen right now. He's too upset to listen."
Kara struggled to understand, "This has to do with Liv?"
Monica just wanted to crawl into bed, close her eyes and sleep. She couldn't deal with any of this tonight. "Please, I can't talk about it now. Can you make sure Kelly remembers to lock up after Luke leaves?"
"But it's just after eight. You're gonna go to bed now?"
"Yeah" Monica answered. "My head hurts. I just want to go to sleep."
"It won't make the problem go away." Kara said sadly.
Monica nodded but suddenly broke into tears again, "I just can't deal with anything right now."
Kara walked over and hugged her.” It’s okay, Mom. I'll make sure things are taken care of before I go to bed. Go to sleep and maybe tomorrow things will look differed. Maybe tomorrow you'll know what to do."
"I love you." Monica whispered.
"Love you too, Mom." Kara said, "It's gonna be okay." She said the words but did not believe them.