Life, Love, & Lies

Sixty

"What are you doing, Zach?" LoLo asks, watching him dig through his suitcase.

"I brought my mom a gift, but I wasn't going to give it to her when Lizzy was still here to swipe it from her." He turns finally, a copy of the biography in his hand, "Would you be okay if we tell my mom the truth today before we head home?"

"Your mom is your hero, and your inspiration in pursuing literature and writing, of course you can tell her." LoLo nods, "Plus, no need for your mom to find out who your girlfriend really is on TV in a couple weeks."

"Thank you, LoLo. I really want her to know."

"That is completely understandable. Are you packed otherwise? We have to head to the airport soon, LA is waiting for us."

"Back home to finish preparing for the book, though this break with you has been much enjoyed. Thank you for coming home with me for the holiday." He smiles as he approaches her.

"Thank you for inviting me. I have enjoyed being here with you, it was infinitely better than spending it at home alone."

"I agree." He bends slightly, kissing her lips.

"Is your mom's copy the first copy of the book with binding?"

"No, I printed a copy of the cover and bound it myself, kind of." He chuckles, showing her the way the same copy she has is simply bound with a binder like spine.

"She's still going to love it."

"You get the first copy, I get the second, and mom can have the third." He chuckles.

"Let's go give it to her and tell her the whole truth." She smiles, sliding her hand into his before they leave his bedroom, wandering down the stairs to find Meredith.

"Mom?" Zach calls out when they don't find her in the kitchen or living room.

"Library." She calls back.

"You really should just check there for the women in your life before yelling at us." LoLo laughs, pushing the door to the library open.

"Hi, guys." She looks up from the desk where she is working on a laptop.

"Are you busy?" Zach asks quickly.

"No, come on in, I was just working on a few things for the end of the semester. What can I do for you two?"

"I brought you something, and we have some news to share with you." Zach answers as he and LoLo join her at the desk, handing over the book.

"Is this your book?" She grins, taking it carefully, her fingers feathering over the homemade cover.

"It's not the official copy, it's not been edited fully yet, and actually... I was wondering if you would want to be my editor?" Zach grins.

"You want to pay me to edit your book?" She looks up sharply to meet her son's eyes.

"If you have the time. Miriam loved the idea when I pitched it to her, plus it eliminates the option of finding an editor who we may not trust as much with the delicate story. The story is perfect, it just needs grammar and spelling and such double checked."

"I am honored, Zachary. Truly. I would love to edit it for you." She nods, her eyes seeming to glisten.

"There's something else we want to share with you, as part of the team and as his family." LoLo smiles nervously.

"Oh?"

"The story is actually mine." She states quickly, "I am Felicity Abernathy, and Lauren Anderson also. That's why I didn't have any family to spend the holiday with, my aunt is actually the nanny my parents had hired when I was an infant. I sent her home to Germany to see her family for the first time since the arrest about a month ago. She is enjoying time there so she hasn't come back to the states and I was not going to crash her time there either."