Just Rosalie

Money

ROSALIE INHALED ELIZABETH'S intoxicating scent, as they sat on the couch. The snow was falling, and Abbi was once again playing outside with her brother.
The fireplace allowed necessary warmth to fill the cabin, with the help of the heater. With her nose pressed against Elizabeth's neck, Rosalie circled Elizabeth's ring finger with the pad of hers.
"I can't believe you hired Michelle. That's so generous of you, Rosalie."
Barbara was a bit disappointed that her daughter would be so far away from her. She'd always expected Michelle to move back to New York someday, but that day seemed further and further away.
"It's my pleasure. And Michelle's doing me a favour actually. I'll get more time to spend with my family, and even help Beth out with her new job."
Elizabeth giggled.
"What do you know about artitecture?'
Rosalie shrugged and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. She just wanted to be in bed with the love of her life and watch the time drift away.
"You can teach me. Maybe I'll surprise you with how good I am at it."
"Maybe you will. I just hope your investment works out for the best."
"Our investment, babe."
Rosalie remembered when she used to fret about her mother being more famous than her, but soon realized that she'd sabotaged herself to ever surpass her mother. Unlike Kaitlyn, Rosalie didn't attend functions and gave speeches throughout the year. She'd stayed out of the spotlight as much as she could, and knew that was how she liked it. She loved her privacy too much, and wouldn't give it up just to beat her mother at something so unimportant. She still had her fame, including her popularity. And after the reveal of her identity all those years ago, the media had stopped hounding her as much, allowing her to live life comfortably enough.
"Yeah, right, our investment."
Kaitlyn grabbed a folder from her bag and handed it to Rosalie. Rosalie furrowed her brows and looked through the papers inside of it.
"Beth, you're not going to like this."
Rosalie handed Elizabeth the papers and she sighed. Not another trust fund.
"What's wrong with you rich people?"
She shook her head, handing back the papers to Rosalie. Just donate it all, for god's sake.
"I already invested half of what I initially wanted to give them to various organizations. Just accept it and don't fuss, Beth."
Everyone knew how Elizabeth was when it came to excessive money. Maybe it was because she didn't have a lot growing up that made her want her children the value everything that they were given. And giving them loads of cash wouldn't help.
"Rosalie already has for them both. Are they going to bathe in money? God, my kids are spoilt brats, aren't they?"
Rosalie reached for her wife's hand and placed a kiss on the back of her palm.
"Our kids are lucky. They have us as parents, and enough money to live very happy lives, unlike lots of children in the world. Everything we have, will one day be theirs. And you spoiled Henry way before I made it into your life."
Rosalie grinned widely, earning a glare from her wife. Elizabeth scoffed.
"Not this much."
She muttered, but found it heartwarming that even Kaitlyn wanted to leave something behind for Henry. She'd always treated him as her own grandchild.
"I know what poverty's like, Beth. I didn't grow up with the best," Kaitlyn sighed, "I always wanted to give my children a better life than I ever had while growing up, including my grandkids."
At the thought of Romario, the entire room fell silent. Rosalie leaned her head against Elizabeth's chest, needing to be comforted.
"I didn't grow up with anything handed to me either. I just worry that they'll never know the true meaning of sacrifice."
Kaitlyn adored how affectionate her two daughters could be. It showed her that there was indeed something called true love.
"We've worked hard so that they wouldn't, don't you think?"
Elizabeth nodded. Kaitlyn was right. She didn't want Henry to ever go through anything that she had to.
"I'm glad that you're smart enough to set yours for when they're forty. But I'm not sure anyone could spend over twenty-five million dollars in ten years."
Kaitlyn rose her brow.
"You'd be surprised," she laughed, "and this money is not only for them, but for their kids as well; my great-grandkids. I intend to leave behind something for them too."
Rosalie frowned. She didn't want to think about Abbi having kids. Her little girl had to stay a kid forever. She couldn't stand the thought of Abbi getting older, married and being a mother herself.
Elizabeth rubbed her wife's arm already realizing her unease. Sure she wanted Abbi to grow into a beautiful young woman, but the last thing she wanted was for that young woman to not need her anymore.
Rosalie always stressed too much. Like Elizabeth, she'd have to learn to let go, and allow her most precious loved one to live life just the way she was given the chance.
"Always thinking ahead, mom."
Elizabeth always found the word to roll off of her tongue awkwardly. She'd never referred to anyone that way since her own mother. And after her parents had died when she was so young, the word had become so unfamiliar.
"Always, honey. Who else am I going to leave all that money to? My ex-husband's definitely not getting his grubby hands on it. He already squeezed me for enough when we divorced."
Rosalie felt even more uneasy than before. She hadn't seen or heard from her father in years. And it was unsettling that they'd never had a substantial relationship. Kissing her wife's lips, she stood and decided to grab a glass of wine.
Rosalie enjoyed the recreational glass of wine, but with the thought of her father, she'd need an excessive amount to drown out the pain.