My Mother's Photo Album

We Are A Package Deal

***Quartermaine Mansion***

**Saturday Morning**

Tracy sat next to the porcelain bowl her legs stretched out absorbing the cool surface of the tile floor. Damn her dad for watching her like a hawk as she ate breakfast. She wasn't exactly sure when her mother talked to him it must have been sometime Tuesday because he's been utterly relentless about her eating habits since Wednesday morning. But she didn't work as hard as she did to have her nosy parents come in and ruin everything. Weekdays were easy she would tell her father she was grabbing breakfast at school and after she listened to his never ending nagging she was in the clear until Dinner where she would wait for prying eyes to turn their attention elsewhere at which time she could stash the contents in a napkin and dispose of it later. Yes she could fool her father but Luke, he was a different story he would look at her across the dinner table and shake his head obvious concern in his eyes. They've been meeting up on the roof every night now since Monday to have a smoke and stare at the stars and although very little conversation was spoken it was never uncomfortable.  Occasionally one or the other would say something but in silent communication they both seemed to know neither really wanted a response.  Last-night after she dropped her napkin full of food without realizing it, he picked it up and when he went up to the roof later he handed it to her, his words were steadfast but not judgmental or unkind "I promised I wouldn't rat you out and I won't, but I think what you are doing is dangerous and I can't help you either. I couldn't protect Barbara Jean and now she is laying in a hospital bed, I won't be the reason you end up there too." And than he pulled them each out a cigarette and that was that.  Were they friends? She wasn't sure. Sometimes it felt like it but with nothing in common except the people around them it felt more like family. Sometime around one in the morning she whispered either to Luke or the sky "My father thinks business is a mans world, but I'm going to show him I can be as strong and ruthless as any man. Mark my words someday I will run ELQ. I will have the perfect life... A perfect job, perfect family, perfect appearance.. Perfect Everything!!! And when I am in control it will all be different. Better." He turned and looked at her a goofy smile on his face "I hope so Tracy, I hope you get everything you want." About an hour and another cigarette later she heard him say "Ruby hasn't said she was taking us back to Florida...She hasn't said she wasn't either... It's like she's avoiding it somehow. It doesn't make sense, we're blood, we belong together.' Normally she would stay staring at the sky but this was different so she sat up and offered what she could "Maybe she is just waiting for Bobbie to get better. She's going to be in the hospital another week at least and mother said she would have to be on strict recovery for three more after that." Luke just whispered maybe, but his voice had a sad concern to it. She wanted to ask him if he was unhappy at the mansion, but of course he was unhappy, he buried his mother two days ago, after they realized how long Bobbie would be in the hospital. A formal ceremony would be held when she got out, but her body couldn't be kept in limbo forever. Still she couldn't help but wonder what he thought Ruby could offer him that they couldn't.

So now here she sat on her bathroom floor, a new low, but not her low, her parents. She had the control, but they didn't, perhaps it was their lack of their own control that wanted to strip her of her's... But she wouldn't allow it. She stood up tall walked to the sink and brushed her teeth and then headed for the shower this is nothing a good cleaning  couldn't make better. As the water washed over her she thought about the events of the week all starting with Bobbie going to the hospital with a ruptured spleen all because some cowardly bastard got his rocks off by beating women and children. Her mother spent just about every moment of everyday and every night with the little girl, which probably should bother her but in-fact worked to her advantage so she wouldn't complain. The few precious moments she did get with her were spent catching up on Tracy's days and she could see the unnecessary guilt on her mother's face, which is probably why she didn't bring up the whole diet thing and instead left that particular task to her father. Bobbie seemed to be getting better everyday there were a couple moments early in the week when the feisty little redhead had to be given blood transfusions that paled her always strong father and aged her beautiful mother but both bounced back and the prognosis is now excellent. Ruby and Luke found the perfect dress for Lena which they only agreed to after Bobbie's approval, and both watched as the young mom was lowered into the ground right outside the Quartermaine mausoleum. After which Luke seemed to cling more and more to his aunt everyday adamant that they would be accompanying her back to Florida. She didn't have the heart to tell him that the look in her father's eyes said that would happen over his dead body. But that was not her battle to fight so she would let it be, however she couldn't help but realize all thoughts led back to her sullen new foster brother and his fiery little sister. Tracy quickly dressed and got ready. The rest of the day should fly by. Today would be filled with activities centered around getting Alan off to prom and she should be able to skate under the radar for the rest of the day.