Will You Love Me? : The Golden Years

Chapter 30

"Hi, sweetie," you said with a big smile into the phone. "How's school going?" Ben walked in and watched with a small smile as you spoke with Scar. "That's great! I'm glad you're having fun! You said you joined Rugby?" You looked to Ben with an odd look. He also seemed confused. 

You shrugged to him, then said into the phone, "Well, I'm proud of you for joining in on sports, although...never mind. You're dad's here, did you want to talk to him?" A smile brightened Ben's face and he took the phone from you. "Hey there, stranger. How's it going?"

They could only speak for a few minutes because she had to go study. When he hung up, he seemed proud. "Wow," he said, "she sounds like she's doing great. I thought she was kidding when she said she joined a sports team, especially rugby."

You chuckled, "Yeah, I was about to tell her I didn't approve, but I don't want to discourage her. Besides, I'm sure they're softer on the rules when it's kids." He hugged you from behind as he said, "They are. Of course, at Harrow we were all boys so we just tackled the daylights out of each other. Hopefully that doesn't happen to her."

After leaning back into him, you sighed and said, "I could get used to Scotland." You had a beautiful view out of the kitchen window of just green landscape. You've been here for about a month and a half now and you weren't sure if you wanted to leave. 

"Well, not too much longer and we'll be home," he told you. "Have I said how proud I am of you, by the way?" You turned into his arms and said, "No, you haven't. Why?" He pulled you flush against him and said, "Because you're doing a brilliant job as a producer. Honestly, for it being your first time, I can't believe how great you are."

You blushed and rested your head on his chest. "I don't feel like I'm doing that great of a job," you shyly admitted. "I've messed up a few times." He shrugged and asked, "So? Every producer I've worked with has messed up more than a few times. Hell, I've messed up more than you during this. That's how we learn, right?" 

"Right," you told him as you looked into his gorgeous eyes. "Did you talk to the kids?" He nodded and let you go as he said, "Yep. Nate finally passed his driving test and Em said Conner's doing just fine. See? Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, except for the parties I'm sure they're having. Scar isn't there to rat them out." Ben shrugged that off. He really didn't care if his kids had parties anymore. They were young and wanted to have fun before going off to college. 

"I have some paperwork to go over," you told him. "Order take-out?" He nodded, then kissed your cheek as you walked out of the room. 

**

Getting home could not come soon enough. Filming finished a couple months later and, even though you loved Scotland, you could not wait to be home. You missed your kids, who only came out once to visit you. Em and Nate were distracted with school and work, so Conner had to be babysat by Tom most days. You weren't about to ask Tom to bring him down there. 

By the time you did get home, the kids were still in school. You planned on picking Conner up from school so Nate and Em could go straight to work. 

"So, I was thinking," Ben said as he unpacked his suitcase with you in the bedroom. "Since the twins have their birthday coming up in a few weeks, I thought we could get them each a car." You looked at Ben with a quirked eyebrow. 

"You want to get them both their own car? That's a bit much, isn't it?" He shrugged, then said, "Yeah, but now they don't have to keep borrowing your's or mine. If we got one car for the both of them, Lord knows how those fights will go down if they both want to use it. I'm talking expensive new cars, just used old ones."

He was right and you knew it. If Nate wanted to take his girlfriend out on a date, but Em wanted to hang out with her friend on the same night, that fight would drive you insane. Actually, they just might kill each other. 

"Alright, fine," you told him, "but we have to pick it out together because knowing you, you might actually buy them new and expensive cars." He laughed because...well, it was true. The Christmas and birthday presents he gets them are insane. He gets them the newest Apple product to replace the last one every year. Em asked him for some diamond earrings she saw in a shop and that was her Christmas gift when she was thirteen. 

"We can go sometime this week," he told you. "Other than that, we've got our anniversary next week. What did you want to do?" You thought for a moment, then said, "We can just go out. Doesn't have to be fancy, just somewhere I can enjoy you."

He smiled as he placed a sweet kiss on your lips. "Sounds like a plan," he told you. "I'll make reservations somewhere."

When it came time to pick up Conner, Ben decided to join you. Conner didn't know you were coming home today, so it was obvious why he was searching for Nate and Em and didn't notice you both walking up. "Oh, Conner," you called.

He snapped his head over to you and gasped before sprinting over. He attacked you both in a hug, probably the opposite you'll get from Nate and Em. "Hey, kiddo," Ben laughed. "Miss us?" He looked up at you both and said, "Duh!" You both laughed, then got him in the car. 

"What's for dinner?" Ben asked as he walked into the living room, where you were helping Conner with math. "Um...why are you asking me?" You asked. Ben, trying to act serious, said, "Well, you are the woman. You're place is in the kitchen, isn't it?"

You playfully gasped as he laughed. "Conner, don't listen to me," Ben said when he saw his son's confused looks. "I'm only joking around. What have I always said?" Conner sat up a bit and said, "Always treat girls with respect! If she says no, it means no. Don't hit her and don't push her. Always treat her equally!" 

Ben smacked a big kiss to his head and said, "Exactly! You're going to make a girl very lucky someday." Conner made a disgusted face because, even though he's now eleven, he still has no interest in girls. Ben knows that won't last very long.

"I'll cook up something," Ben told you. "How's homework coming along?" You gave him a frustrated look and said, "It's times like these when I really miss Scar. She knows way more about this crap than I do."

Conner piped up and said, "Yeah, I'm tired of this crap." You chortled and Ben laughed on his way to the kitchen. "Honey, don't say that," you giggled. "Now, come on, what's the square root of eighty-one?"