What The Heart Wants

Chapter 4

"Totally works for me. Thanks." Emily slightly blushed.

With the barest nod of acknowledgement, Alison pulled a folded scrap of paper from her pocket - a check. "First week's pay." Emily took it a little sad. "I need to go on up to Warrenton," she said. DiLaurentis' Real Estate operated a lot of business outside of town. Having several offices that Alison had to stop by every once in a while. "You planning to look in at the gallery today?"

"I am, yes. But I'll be back in the afternoon, ready to take over with the kids." Emily answered a little shyly.

"No rush. Hanna is here until tomorrow. She'll watch them today and tonight so... so you can settle in."

That didn't seem fair. Hanna had spent her whole week, helping with the kids. "I'm fine on my own with them."

Alison's regular frown got deeper. "Hanna will be here. In case you need her."

Emily considered the wisdom of arguing the point further. But Alison's mouth was set and her eyes unwavering. Maybe not. "See you later then."

With a grunt, Alison turned and went down the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the office in Warrenton, Alison called a handyman he trusted to haul the bed from the white room down into the basement. She'd been feeling pretty desperate yesterday when Emily showed up to save her bacon on the childcare front.

True, Emily's offer had seemed like a bad idea at first. Alison been afraid they wouldn't get along. In the last years of Camila's life, as her marriage unraveled, Emily had never said a mean word to her directly. But she got the message in her disapproving glances and careful silences whenever she happened to be in the same room with her. She'd been firmly Team Camila, no doubt about it. Still, for the twins' sake, she'd stepped up to provide the care they needed. Alison couldn't help but admire that.

It was important to do everything she could to make Emily happy in her house. She planned to be home for dinner and then to help her get everything just the way she wanted it.

But the day came and went. By late afternoon, she still needed to go through the stack of paperwork she hadn't manage to get to during the week. After a short break to grab some takeout, she headed for the office in Rosewood, ending up by herself at her desk until after seven.

When she finally pulled her car into the garage, she caught Hanna, in tight jeans and full makeup, as she was coming down the stairs from the inside door. Hanna flashed her a smile and tried to ease past her on the way to her car.

"Hold on."

"Alison." She made her name into a serious complaint.

"I have to go. I'm meeting Caleb at-"

The elder sister caught her arm. "We need to talk."

"But-"

"Come on."

Hanna let out a groan, but at least she followed Alison back into the house. "What? Can you please make it quick?"

"Let's talk in my study." She trudged along behind her to Alison's home office off the foyer. Once they were both inside, she shut the door. "The kids and Emily?"

There was an eye roll. "Jake and Ellie are already in bed. Emily's upstairs, putting her stuff away, fixing up her room and her workroom. She said it was fine for me to go." Hanna's arms crossed over her chest defensively.

A hot spark of anger ignited in Alison's gut. But when she got mad, Hanna just got madder. She reminder herself to keep her cool. "The agreement was that you would give Emily a hand tonight, help her get comfortable, pitch in with the kids." She kept her voice level. Reasonable, so she thought.

Still Hanna's eyes flashed blue fire. "The kids are in bed. Got it? And what agreement are you talking about? You told me what to do as you were going out the door."

"Hanna, I-"

"No, Uh-uh. I talked to Emily. I asked her if she needed me. She said go, have fun."

"Of course she would say that."

Hanna looked up at the ceiling and blew out a furious breath. "You know, some people go to Cancun for their spring break. Me, though? I come home and help your mother-in-law look after your kids. And then when she trips over Jake, it's just me. Until Emily stepped up - which I totally appreciate. Emily's about the best there is. But me, I've got one night. One night of my spring break to myself. A few hours with my friends, and then I'm on my way back to school."

When she said it like that, Alison felt like an ass. A literature of swear words floated though her brain. Playing stand-in Dad to her own brother and sisters should be more rewarding, shouldn't it? How come so much of the job just plain sucked?

She's the last one at home, she reminded herself. She was pretty much done with raising her siblings.

"Come on, Hanna. Don't exaggerate. You've spend time with your friends this week."

"Not much, I haven't."

"You went out last night, remember?"

Another giant sigh. More ceiling staring. "For like two hours Alison!"

"I want you to stick around tonight in case Emily needs you."

"But I promised Caleb-"

Alison then put her hand up to stop Hanna. "You're needed here. And that's all I have to say about it."

If looks could kill, she'd be seared to a cinder. She waited for the yelling to start, dreaded the angry words about to erupt from Hanna's mouth - I hate you, Alison and Who died and made you king? Oh and then there was the worst of all, You are not my father!

As if she didn't know that. As if she'd asked for the thankless job of seeing that her brothers and sisters made it all the way to fully functioning adulthood without somehow crashing and burning in the process.

But this time, Hanna surprised her. "Fine," she said way too quietly. And then, shoulders back and head high, she marched to the door, yanked it wide and went out.

She winced as she slammed it behind her. And then, even with the door shut, Alison could hear her boots pounding the floor with each step as she tramped through the downstairs to her room off the kitchen - and slammed that door, too.

XXXXXXXXXX

And another one...

~Andrea