“That’s okay Mom. Guys are supposed to take care of their special women,” Trevor said in all seriousness.
Emily was so proud of her son. He really was growing up fast. He was already a gentleman. She knew there wouldn’t be a lady out there who would ever be good enough for him.
Emily finally realized while she’d been talking to Trevor her fear had started to dissipate and she was even looking around at the scenery below her. She was shocked to find she was starting to enjoy the thrill of being so high up and yet close enough to see all the buildings and fields.
There was no way she was going to admit to Mark she was starting to enjoy the ride though. The man was right far too often and she refused to give him yet another victory. She sat back and enjoyed looking out the window and listening to Mark and Trevor talk back and forth.
Before the ride had barely started, they were making their decent. “Is something wrong?” she asked with concern.
“We’ve arrived at my dad’s,” Mark said.
“That really was fast,” she replied.
“We’ve been in the air about thirty minutes. I told you I was taking the scenic route,” he said smugly. She glared at the back of his head. He sounded far too smug. Well he could think she enjoyed the ride but she wouldn’t confirm it to him. That comforted her somewhat.
She looked over the lands as they were approaching and was once again awestruck. The house that sat centered made Mark’s place look small. It seemed like a castle, with its rising towers and brick exterior. She looked around, expecting to see a moat and drawbridge. She found herself giggling at the image. Mark was most certainly a man she could imagine rescuing the princess from a tower.
When she thought of money before, she pictured her ex in-laws who weren’t good in any shape or form. They used their money to lord over other people and look down on the masses. But they’d be considered poor compared to the Anderson’s.
They landed smoothly, much to Emily’s relief and Mark turned the chopper off. They all climbed out and headed towards the mansion. Joseph came out to greet them about half-way there.
“Hi Little Man, did you enjoy the ride?” Joseph asked.
“It was the funnest thing ever,” Trevor exclaimed.
“Most fun,” Emily automatically corrected her son.
“Ah Mom,” Trevor complained. She let it go.
“Do you want some breakfast before you head off to your new school?” Joseph asked.
“Sure,” he said and followed Joseph up to the house, with Emily and Mark right behind them.
“How did you enjoy the ride?” Joseph asked Emily.
“It was fine.”
“She was scared,” Trevor piped in.
Joseph chuckled, as Emily’s face turned red at her son’s statement. “It’s okay young lady, my son is a bit scary.”
“Thanks dad,” Mark said with a smile.
“You and your brothers would upset your mom all the time with your daredevil ways. I don’t think she got a full nights rest all the years you were growing up.”
“Well who taught us those dangerous things?” Mark asked, with a pointed look.
“There’s no use in pointing fingers,” he grumbled and then decided to change the subject.
They had a wonderful breakfast at the house and then headed over to the school to get Trevor registered. Emily was pleasantly surprised by the place. It was large but not overwhelmingly so and the staff was friendly. Not one of them seemed to look down on her or her son. If she would’ve felt any of them judging her or Trevor, she would’ve marched right back out the front doors.
When they got to Trevor’s classroom, Jasmine came running around the corner. “You’re finally here,” she said and gave Trevor a big hug.
“I got to fly with Mark.”
“Oh that’s so fun,” she agreed. They both chatted back and forth, faster than Emily could keep up.
“Mrs. Parson, this is my cousin Trevor,” Jasmine said and dragged him over to the teacher.
Emily stopped what she was doing and looked guiltily over at Mark, who hadn’t even seemed to notice anything was wrong. Lucas was chatting with his brother and neither of them made the slightest indication they’d heard anything. She was grateful. She would have to pull Trevor aside later and explain to him Mark was just their boss and they weren’t related to Jasmine. How did you break a young man’s heart though? Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal but she didn’t want her son to think they were a family and going to live together forever. What would happen to him if they had to move? It would break his heart.
She would have to think about what she was doing and what was best for her son. She didn’t want to leave but she better make sure Trevor knew Mark was the employer and not a substitute father.
They visited the school for a few hours and got Trevor signed up and Emily was feeling pretty good about letting him attend. They did have some amazing programs she knew he wouldn’t get from a public school. The field trips alone were spectacular. She’d definitely volunteer to chaperone. She hadn’t been to any of the places they talked about.
“We are going school shopping now; please tell me you can come with us?” Amy asked her, as they were heading out of the school.
“I guess that’s up to Mark,” Emily said and looked over at him.
“Well in that case, it’s a definite yes,” Amy said, as she dragged Emily behind her. “Let’s take our car so we can chat and let the guys do all the driving,” she added enthusiastically.
Emily had an incredible day. She purchased new clothes and school supplies for Trevor and enjoyed lunch at Chuck E Cheese pizza, watching the guys compete with the kids in the games. She laughed so much that by the end of the day her stomach hurt a bit.
“I’m so glad the kids are going to the same school. We’ll have to chaperone together so we can see each other all the time,” Amy said, as they were getting ready to leave.
“I was already thinking I would love to chaperone those field trips. I’ll be more excited to go to the places than Trevor will be,” Emily added shyly.
“Me too,” Amy exclaimed. “These guys are used to all this fun stuff but I still can’t get enough of the amazing world around me,” she added.
Emily loved how much she and Amy had in common. It gave her hope to see someone who had so much, be so sweet and genuinely great to be around.