BROKEN MEETS GRIEF

Chapter 18

"Why Mrs Adams I believe you're grinning like a Cheshire Cat," was the first thing Ashton said to April when she ends the call.

"Can you blame me Meghan and I are on speaking terms again."

"I'm happy for you and you get to spend some time with her before the wedding."

"I know I'm feeling so happy right now I want you to take me to bed and make love to me".

"I will take you to bed my darling wife but I won't take advantage of the situation April."

"You're not because I'm asking you to have sex with your wife."

"How about this we get married again in three weeks we will do it then."

She pouts and gives him her hand to shake, "It's a deal Lord Adams."

"Let's seal it properly shall we Lady Adams," he gives her a lingering kiss. "Dinner is ready we are waiting on you to start."

"I was on the phone for over an hour."

"And the food was in the oven being kept warm on a low heat."

"What are we having?"

"Roast beef, mash potatoes, vegetables and apple pie for dessert," answers Ashton.

"Excellent lead the way."

Peter shows them page six the next day, "There's a rumour several princesses will be at your wedding," he tells them gleefully.

"How do they know that?" Ask April.

"While we were sleeping the Catalina palace put out a statement that the crown princess will be attending the wedding of Ms Jones to Lord Ashton. Here's my favourite paragraph," continues a gleeful Peter. "They may not be blood related but family it seems is more than blood. Ms Ashton worked for her highness for over three years thinking she was her highness real sister.  They have a friendship spanning years. This wedding will be the society wedding of the year. I'm sure only the crème de la crème will be attending it. Make no mistake this isn't a fairytale. This princess(Ms Jones) doesn't need her soon to be husband's money. As a woman I love seeing woman thrive in their own right."

"Well darling I expected a bitchy piece I'm surprise she was so nice about you."

"Peter who's the author?" Ask April.

"Darcy Thomas."

"She has always been kind to me Ashton and when I see her out and about she always say hello. Her daughter is doing an internship with my company. She sent me a thank you letter when Yasmin was accepted."

"Did you do it as a favour to her?" Ask Ashton.

"No, she got in on her own merit."

The rest of the week went by very quickly.  Ashton wanted to do several days of running the company on his own. On Thursday he reminds Meghan of her lunch with Alice and Sarah.

"I didn't forget they're taking me clothes shopping afterwards, their treat. I'm glad they're coming to the wedding."

Several hours later Ashton looks at the bags from a very high-end store, "Did they buy you everything in the shop!"

"Of course not silly but they did ask where we were going on honeymoon. When I told them where they insisted that I needed new clothes."

"Let's take the plane and spend the weekend in Florida,"suggest Ashton.

"I love that idea so much."

Ashton rubs suntan lotions on April's back, "After two weeks of New York very cold temperature.  Its nice to be someplace hot."

"It's our three-week anniversaries darling," says April.

"I know which is why I bought you a little something as a surprise."

"I thought perhaps this trip was your present to me."

"I'm your present my darling and this trip is for the both of us."

"I don't want to do anything while we are here but sleep, sit on a sun lounger and eat."

"Those where my thoughts as well but I did say I bought you something didn't I April.

"Jewellery?"

"I'm not telling you until later."

"In that case turn over so I can rub suntan lotion on your back. I love that people don't seem to know who we are here."

"What do you think of this house I rented April?"

"It's nice and I love that when I swim in the pool I can see the ocean. Nebraska is very cold and clearly my dad moved us as far away from my bio dad as possible. Florida is one of those places I always wanted to visit with him and dad kept promising me we would come here. We never did, then he died while I was in high school."

"You're here now. It must have been hard for the family without his income."

"He had life insurance which help to pay towards the mortgage.  As the eldest child I got a job working in McDonald's. I did cheerleading and tried to fit my job around it as best I could."

"How old was your siblings then?"

"They were thirteen and fifteen they couldn't get a job to help out. My mother was a nurse. I think she's still a nurse."

He looks at her in surprise, "You don't know?"

"We haven't spoken in over four years. When the truth was laid bare she was in too much of a shock for me to breach the subject with her. My dad never told her how he got me just that he adopted me. They were dating when I was born."

"She took a man on and his infant child she must've really loved him."

"She really did.  I was never adopted by my mother and everyone just assumed I was biologically hers."

"She couldn't adopt you because your adoption was done by a shady broker."

"True, I don't know if my dad did tell her the whole truth about me or not. I never asked her. People pretend all the time don't they."

"Don't you want to know the truth April?"

"Not yet, I want peace she wasn't related to be by blood. Yet for twenty-nine years I called her mum."

"Did she mistreat you in anyway?"

"No, I just knew her biological children mattered to her more than me. She went out of her way to be nice to me. I'l admit that she did but I didn't always feel like I belonged."

"Was that before you found out you were adopted?"

"Afterwards, I love my mum so much. She never complains to me she was looking after another woman's child."

"I know adopted and step kids can't sometimes feel like they're not wanted. When you feel ready try to have a conversation with her. She could've had nothing to do with your dad because of you. She chose to be a mother to you always remember that April."

"I will. You're so good at giving advice Ashton."