Wilson

I'm not staying here. There's no way. Not when I've finally found the one for me. I can't let Mom screw this up. I'm glad she went after Dad, but geeze.... I'd live on the streets before I let Leanne go back to school without me around to stop Jo-Jo.

"You might as well take your jeans off, Leanne. Mom's going to want to see what happened."

Leanne dropped her legs over the side of the bed to stand up.

"Ouch!" She struggled to stand up, and Wilson steadied her when she reached for his hand.

"Do you want some help?"

"I can do it. I'm not wearing underwear." Leanne blushed scarlet when Wilson's mother came back into the room as she spoke.

"Neither am I," Elise said. "Spoils the looks of my butt when I have panty lines."

"Really Mom, too much information." Wilson shook his head.

"Go get some water for Leanne to have with her pain pills. I'll take a look at her bruises. Do you have a skirt you can wear?" Elise asked.

"No, just the sun dress I wore the other day."

Wilson left them with a breath of relief.

The last thing I need is for Mom to see my boner. For a guy who hardly ever got it up except to masturbate every now and then, I'm popping them at the most inopportune times. But what did I expect when Leanne's so sexy I can't help it?

Wilson went to get some ice and decided to check if there was some juice in the fridge. There was a big pitcher of lemonade, and he decided that would be better than plain water. He remembered his Mom made the best with a hint of honey instead of sugar.

Stopping in the bathroom he found the bottle of Advil™ and shook out four before he headed back into Leanne's room. His jeans tightened instantly when he saw her laying with the ice pack wrapped half around her hip. He let out a long low wolf whistle. Leanne rolled over giving him an even better view of her before she sat up and reached for the glass he was carrying.

"Here's your pills. I brought a couple for me too. They're lasting longer for me, but I'm feeling it now," Wilson watched her swallow hers and she handed him the lemonade.

"That's really good. What's your Mom's secret?"

"Honey, but I'm not sure how she makes it. I think she uses a blender, and you have to make sure there are no seeds." He popped two pills in his mouth and chased them down with three huge swallows.

Leanne's phone pinged, and Wilson brought her tote bag to her.

"What is it?"

"Message from Jason Maddison. He's thanking me for telling the cop to call him. Jo-Jo is home with him. She won't be coming back with us," Leanne crawled under the comforter dragging the ice pack underneath it with her. "One of the teachers must have given him my number."

"I guess that's a good thing." He couldn't help sounding a bit resentful.

"It is. I can forgive her. You should too. She's paid dearly for it."

"And you haven't? Sorry, that sounds so nasty. But I hate how much she's hurt you."

"I'm okay though. But I don't blame you for feeling like that"

"Where's Mom?" Wilson changed the subject.

"Getting something for me to wear that won't press on this bruise. She said she had a skirt that should fit me. I'm taller than her but we seem to be about the same size."

"She's the best. I'm worried though, what did she do? Where am I staying if I'm not with Dad?"

"With Leanne." Elise came through the door holding three skirts. "I haven't worn any of these in over five years. They were buried in the back of my closet. Did you get those Advil™ in you?"

"Yes, we did. Can you teach me how to make your lemonade? It's better than any I've ever had," Leanne requested.

"Sure, it's simple. But you do need a strainer and a blender."

Wilson interrupted them with the one question that mattered to him. "What did you mean, with Leanne?"

"You gave me her mother's phone number and I took a big risk, but not as much as leaving you with your Dad. And I think what I proposed will give Delta a reason to work even harder at staying sober."

The grin on his mom's face lifted his heart. "Well?"

"I told her I already love her daughter. Then I told her about my problem with Garret. After we compared notes on her soon to be ex and mine, I asked her if she would take you in. Guess what she said?"

"I can't. Mom did a one eighty shift on me. All she used to do was reach for a bottle of wine or maybe some scotch as soon as she could get away with it. She'd drink herself to sleep most nights and get passed out drunk on Friday and Saturday. Sundays were miserable, cause she was hungover like crazy, and Keith would be all weird," Leanne said.

"Here, try these on while we talk," Elise handed the clothes she carried over her arm to Leanne. "Don't worry about panties for now. They'll only aggravate that bruise. And I know you're embarrassed, but Wilson won't mind." She winked at her son and continued, "Naked is a natural, wonderful state to be in. Especially for a beautiful woman like you."

"Mom!" Wilson exclaimed and got back to what he wanted to know. "What did Leanne's Mom say?"

"Oh, and I quote, 'I would be grateful to have a man in the house. Even if they're our kids, they're adults now. And if he's made my girl happy, then he's more than welcome here.' We discussed room for your piano, and how to handle moving your computer set up and clothing. It's almost all arranged. Even cops to supervise in case your father is out on bail."

"The thing I worry about is if she starts to drink again." Leanne sounded concerned.

"Delta was too. She said she needed to have you around to keep her honest in the evenings. Said she wanted to start singing again? I'm not sure what that was all about."

Leanne nodded. "She used to be in a barbershop choir. She sings lead, so there was always music in the air. That stopped after, well you know, the thing with the babysitter."

Wilson went over to sit beside her on the bed. He reached over to squeeze her hand three times. "I'll make sure she gets her voice back in shape."

Leanne slipped out from under the covers. She grabbed a dark green skirt with paler paisley patterns all over it. The light green deep vee necked shirt she was wearing fit with it perfectly. When she tied the bow for the wrap around design, she whirled around, sending her peridot pendant flashing through the sunshine streaming in her window.

Wilson whistled in appreciation. "That's perfect on you. Thanks Mom."

"Yeah, thanks Mom," Leanne echoed him. "Do you mind if I call you Mom too?"

He watched his mother tear up a bit as she came over to hug Leanne.

"Of course not. You two fit together like you're the last piece of his jigsaw puzzle. I hope you end up at the same university."

"Julliard is where I've applied. But it has to be a scholarship," Leanne said. "I've passed the audition already, but...." She shrugged her shoulders as her voice trailed into silence.

"I've applied there too. I wouldn't let Dad talk me out of it, but he's not happy. Keeps calling me a useless idiot. I'm not as smart as Leanne, have to work for every last percentage point on my marks. But I've improved them a lot this year. It's why I stayed for an extra year."

"We'll have to work something out for Leanne. As for Garret, he's not part of the picture anymore. They'll be waiting for him at customs when he flies back from London. It might be his last flight with them, but I've heard there are programs at BA for this sort of thing. He's got a good record there, at least as far as I know."

"He keeps grumbling about recurrent training and check rides. I'm wondering about his work at times," Wilson said. "He loves it, but I just don't know anymore."

"Like I said, not our problem anymore. He's made his bed. I know that sounds harsh, but I can't worry about him. And you shouldn't either. He'll prove himself able to change or not. His choice," his mother insisted.

Wilson took a deep breath before he spoke. "I'm going to try to see the good in him like Leanne would. She's even forgiven Jo-Jo. Right now, I kind of want to make a toast."

"Wait right here. I've got exactly the right wine." Elise hurried out.

Wilson drew Leanne into his arms. "I love you, and I know we can work things out." He tasted her lips, and the vanilla she favored. The scent brought peace and arousal in the same breath. Tender, and sweet, he let her know exactly how much she meant to him.

"I love you. Life turned around in the best way possible. I don't need a toast, just you," Leanne whispered when their lips parted.

"Exactly, all I need is you."

His mother came in with three glasses of pale blush sparkling wine.

Picking his up he said, "Here's to Paris in the spring. Love will always win."

The chime of crystal echoed the smile on Leanne's face. It was all he would ever need.