The Sloan Family (the remake)

Chapter 9

Lexie went to work the next day, fearing that everyone might know about her pregnancy. She knew it wouldn't be long before they all found out, but she was hoping for more time. And more time she had. Everyone was gossiping about this new intern that kept stalking Jackson, and no one had any interest in anything else. The rumors went from an affair to a murder pact, yes that was normal in this workplace.

She was grateful that the intern was making advances on Jackson but she knew that her friend hated it. She felt bad to be happy about such rumors but she needed them so she would have more time to think about the baby without anyone judging or giving her advice. After all, she had raised two perfect little angels.

~~

Lexie knew she had to make things right with Mark and she had decided to tell the kids about him. So she tried to find him in SGM* which wasn't hard as every nurse knew his schedule. Soon, she had found him and was now waiting for him to be alone so they could talk without anyone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Mark got out of his patient's room. He had in his hands the patient's chart and gave it to the nurse who put it away. Of course, that nurse looked at him like he was the most precious piece of art she'd ever seen and he didn't seem to mind at all.

"Mark." She called out to him. "Can we talk, please."

"I'm not in the mood Lexie."

"Then just listen to me."

"Just leave me alone."

She knew she wouldn't get to him if she didn't say exactly what she wanted to talk to him about.

"It's about Leslie and Brian."

Mark stopped walking and turned around.

"What about them? You want to brag about the fact that my children don't know who I am? I'm tired of this."

"I don't want to brag about it. I wanted to ask you when would be the best time for you to meet them. Not as Mark, but as their father."

Mark looked at her in shock, he hadn't expected her to agree with him so soon after their argument.

"I'm, I'm off work tonight. You can come to my place, you still remember where it is?"

"I remember." She said, trying not to think of what they did the last time she was at his place. "I'll see you tonight."

~< after her shift >~

"Hey, kiddos." She said as her kids rushed into her arms. "How was your day at school?"

"Awesome!" Brian screamed. "Sofia's mama brought brownies and I ate three of them!"

"So now that you had your sugar fix does that mean you won't need dessert?" She joked.

"No, there still a place in my heart for more sugar. There will always be!" He continued as he ran around his mother.

"And you Leslie?"

"I had one." She said, showing her the number with her finger. "And I played barbies with Sofia after her mama left."

"That's awesome!" Lexie cheered. "Now I have a surprise for you." 

Her sentence caught the little boy's attention.

"What is it?!"

"You remember how I told you you might meet your father?" She asked the kids. "Well, I found a way for you to meet him. Is it okay if we go eat with him tonight?"

"Yeah!" Brian answered with enthusiasm.

"Les?"

"Will he take us away from you?" The young girl asked.

"No, of course not. He won't take you away, never." She promised her daughter.

"Then I'll meet him. But I don't promise I'll like him, and if I do, I won't love him as much as I love you."

"That's okay sweetheart," Lexie said, hugging her daughter tighter.

Both her children were nervous to meet their father but were excited at the same time.
She help her two kids pick up their outfits and they got out of the house and into the car. Lexie drove to Mark's house and helped the kids get out.

"Okay, don't forget you have to be respectful." She reminded them one last time as she rang the doorbell.

She could hear footsteps coming closer and closer and she tightens her grip on her children's hands. The door finally open and Mark welcomed them into his house.

At first, the twins didn't say anything, they were in shock. And so Lexie helped them take their coats off and Mark showed them the way to the living room. On the gray couch were two packages. One was pink with a big yellow bow and the other was blue with a red bow.

The twins looked at the gifts and exchanged looks. They waited for the adults to get in before sitting next to them.

"I have something for you," Mark said as he took the presents into his hands and gave one to each kid.

The twins opened both at the same time and took them out. Brian had been given a big red firefighter truck and Leslie had received a Barbie MD.

"Look, my doll has a scrub like mama!" Leslie said as she pointed the clothes.

Her brother took little interest into his sister's doll and immediately asked his mom to help him get the truck out off the packaging. The little girl didn't ask for help to get her toy out. She opened the box carefully.

Lexie went into the kitchen to help Mark with the dinner.

"You need help?"

"Yeah, you can cut the vegetables."

They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, preparing the salad and observing the twins.

Lexie could see the wheel in Mark's head spin. She wanted to know what it was about but she knew she had lost the privilege to know when she had left.

"They like you." She told him.

"Yeah, probably because of the toys." He said smiling.

"Yeah, probably only because of that," Lexie said, hitting his arm with her playfully.

"Be careful, what goes around comes around."

"Like you'd ever dare!"

~< 11 p.m.>~

Mark and Lexie were watching the twins sleep on the couch from the island in the kitchen.

"Thank you, for tonight." He said.

"It was time."

"Indeed it was."

Mark walked over to the couch where his daughter and son slept and took the blanket from the rocking chair and wrapped them in it. Then he went back to the kitchen and served himself a glass of wine.

"We have to discuss custody," Mark told her. Even though Lexie knew it was coming, she had hoped it would take a while before Mark would bring up the subject. "I don't want to be kept from them any longer."

"You won't. You'll see them when you want to." She told him. "Just don't take them from me. They're all I have."

"I won't, I promise."