Lexi's birthday was quickly approaching and she reminded her family daily. Her wish list grew from a cell phone to a car and almost everything in between. MaKenzie spent the days leading up to her special day in the shoppes downtown looking for the perfect gift.
MaKenzie was leisurely browsing the local supermarket after work when she found the perfect gift. The gift, a brand new, hot off the press, Sonaflux guitar. Lexi will love it, MaKenzie thought. Lexi's birthday came early Saturday morning. Before she, or the rest of the family, had time to get out of their pajamas, Lexi was pulling and pushing them towards her cake. With her family around her, Lexi blew her candles out and wished for a brand new car.
Lexi tore open her present, upset that she didn't find the keys to the brand new Compressor she wanted. However, Lexi was excited about her brand new guitar and stereo system.
Logan watched his son cuddle with his girlfriend in the living room, the television illuminating their silhouettes. It was so innocent, at least from this point. What Mason did when Logan wasn't home wasn't a road that Logan wanted to venture down.
"Ahem," a woman cleared her throat behind him. Logan turned to face MaKenzie, covered in dirt from the garden. "What?" Logan said, pulling her close to him. "Careful, I'm covered in dirt," MaKenzie squealed. Logan kissed her softly and stepped back, creating a small space between them. She was just as beautiful now as she was the night she kissed him shyly all those years ago. "If you aren't in here eavesdropping on your son, then what are you up too?" MaKenzie said, looking him up and down.
"We'll have to tell him. Eventually," Logan answered, lowering his voice. "One day," was all MaKenzie could muster in response.
Logan looked back at Mason as MaKenzie fled the room. Logan couldn't help but think of the pink elephants looming on the horizon.
Nights at the hospital grew long and it was slowly wearing at Logan’s nerves. He enjoyed his job, but he couldn’t wait until he was promoted to Resident so he could leave the long hours behind him. The promotion did not take very long to achieve.
Being a resident was hard work. Way harder than Logan would have imagined. But each day he went to work and enjoyed his job.
Many nights, he would come home stressed out. MaKenzie would always greet him with a back rub and a warm plate from dinner. McKenzie loved her job. She was slowly but surely advancing through the lab rooms. From Useless Contraption Manipulator to Aquatic Ecosystem Tweaker, MaKenzie always loved her new position over the last.
Nights at the hospital slowly ate away at Logan. The worst part was the nights he was called into work, when he was absolutely not needed. Some nights, “they paged him on accident” other nights they did it “just because.” Logan knew why they did it. The doctor needed his private time with his new intern. The beautiful, and married Lola. It disgusted Logan. It wasn’t just the large age difference (after all the doctor was already practicing when the intern was born) between the two love birds, but also the fact that both came from loving, almost happy homes.
Tonight was like many of Logan’s nights off, after working hard all week, the weekends were spent spending time with his growing children and beautiful wife. The family sat at the ocean side. Lexi played tag with a few of the other children, while Mason made out with his current girlfriend when he thought no one was looking. It was rare that they took a time out to spend time with each other, but this was their weekly ritual.
Buzz. Buzz.
Logan slammed his head back onto the lounge chair. “Are you serious?” He questioned out loud to no one in particular. His beeper had become a nuisance; especially on his days off. He swung his feet off the lounge and stood up, fishing for his phone in his pocket.
“Logan Parkes,” he said into the receiver, without attempting to cover up his annoyance.
“Logan, we have an emergency.” Without asking questions, because he knew he would not like the answer, Logan slammed the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket.
His eyes meet with MaKenzie’s. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
MaKenzie watched the scene unfold on the evening news. A standoff at city. Couple of people dead. Many injured.
Logan paced the halls up and down the hospital. This time, it was serious. There was a need for hospital personnel. After hours of working, Logan wanted nothing more than a candy bar and a cold drink. He opened the door to the employee beakroom to find Dr. and Lola sandwiched in the gap between the wall and the refrigerator.
“I’m done with this!” Logan screamed. While everyone else was busy taking care of the injured, the doctor was diddleing with the interns. Logan threw his pager, hitting the refrigerator. He quicky spun around on his heels, without saying another word.
((Note: As of right now, Logan is still job hopping, both children are adoptive, MaKenzie is excelling in the science career almost met her LTW. Only thing completed is Awesome (rebuilding of the house-- and it is awesome) and runs in the family, both kids have artistic.))
The death of their grandfather hardly stopped the kids progress. Mason continually did well in elementary school. MaKenzie hoped he would continue in high school once hormones kicked in. Lexi finally entered elementary school. It was easier on MaKenzie and Logan because now, they didn't need a baby sitter.
But between raising their family and working, MaKenzie and Logan worked hard on building their new house from the ground up. MaKenzie envisioned a two story house, with an unfinished basement and deck, for future expansions. Although MaKenzie couldn't imagine why the house would need to be expanded. She had designed it with 4 bedroom and 3 bathrooms. A huge family den, living room, and upstairs play area. Not to mention a library that could easily be adapted into a bedroom if need be. Not to mention the tiny box they were living out of while they rebuilt could easily be used as an in-law annex. There would be plenty of room.
Jace was properly buried in the backyard with the rest of the family, that is after his body was located.
Building the house was therapy for MaKenzie. Something about tearing apart the house was relaxing and the rebuilding symbolized moving on for her.
MaKenzie called her sister first without any information. In a panic, MaKenzie called the police who also hadn't had any leads.
MaKenzie walked back into the house, leaving her lab coat draped on the sofa. In the distance, she herd Lexi's tears and went to hold her daughter in her arms. "Oh baby," she whispered hugging her close.
She had almost given up when the phone rang. It was Logan from the hospital. "MaKenzie hon, we found your father." MaKenzie wiped away her tears and relief overcame her. "Great Logan where is he?" But MaKenzie could tell something was wrong. Logan just wasn't Logan. "He's in the morgue. He had a heart attack. Saturday morning. At the art gallery. They didn't find any identification on him. So when they brought him here, they started the paperwork process." MaKenzie stood unable to move.
MaKenzie arranged a wake the next day for after school. They rented out a large room and placed Jace's paintings on the wall. MaKenzie invited her sister and her aunt and uncle and their families. It was family MaKenzie hardly knew anymore, but they were family. Together they mourned their loss.
Afterward, Logan sat at his wife's side outside. He had loved his father in law, but it was nothing compared to how MaKenzie had loved him. MaKenzie jumped to her feet to move across the yard but Logan was faster, he stopped her in her tracks and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay," he whispered. She shook her head violently. Held her close and whispered encouraging words in her ear. Her sobs quieted down and she looked him in the eyes. “I hate this place Logan. Help me change it.”
Alexis finally joined the house as Logan was teaching Mason to talk. "A-LEX-S," Logan enunciated to Mason, pointing to Alexis. "LEX-ie," Mason repeated. After that day, Alexis was always called Lexi.
Mason was a happy child. He eagerly learned his skills and then forced his father to read to him regularly.
Lexi and Mason kept everyone busy. Logan, who was currently pursuing a medical career, took time to help his aging father in law care for the kids. It wasn't long before Mason entered school and Lexi was standing on her own two feet and chattering nonstop. With the bulk of the child raising behind them, Jace began to spend hours at the local art gallery.
Sometimes he would stay gone for days. MaKenzie figured her father had simply found a lucky lady to shower with love. But Jace would always call before Mason went to sleep, to wish him good night.
The morning started like the typical morning. Logan, ignoring the car pool horn, was helping Mason into the car. MaKenzie, in her lab coat, was rushing out the door on her phone. Logan waved good bye to Mason and turned to his wife, only her head visible over the car door. "MaKenzie," he called, shielding his eyes from the rising sun, "where's your father?" MaKenzie's head appeared over the door, "is he not here?" Logan looked around for the family truck, missing since the Friday before. "The car's still gone."
Panic crossed MaKenzie's face. It was true, she hadn't heard from her father since Friday night. "Logan, head to work, I'll stay wit Lexi. Find dad." Logan walked over to his wife and kissed her forehead.
MaKenzie couldn’t wait for the social worker to pull up. After countless visits with the adoption agency and many pieces of paper work, MaKenzie and Logan had decided on a boy and a girl.
Wanting an experience as close to real parents as possible, they wanted babies.
During one of their visits, they fell in love with Mason, a three year old toddler with beautiful brown eyes. He also attached to MaKenzie. MaKenzie hated leaving him, but until the paperwork was finish, Mason had to stay at the orphanage.
Logan walked in the house from work late one night. He assumed by the emptiness of the living room that everyone was asleep. He was barely inside when his phone rang. “Hello, Logan? This is Alberto, from the orphanage.” Logan beamed; this had to be good news. “I have found you the perfect little girl, her name’s Alexis. She has a heartbreaking story. But as soon as I came across her file, I thought of you.” Logan was at a loss for words. “Mr. Parkes, are you still there?” The social worker called through the phone. “Yes, yes, I’m sure we’d be honored.” With hasty goodbye’s Logan got off the phone with the social worker.
Logan stood with the phone till his ear until the familiar beeps sounded the line was dead.
“MaKenzie! MaKenzie!” Logan sounded running into the dark bedroom.
A car stopped in front of the house and MaKenzie knew this was it. Alberto got out of the car, carrying a smiling Mason. He looks so happy, MaKenzie thought. MaKenzie looked around before noticing, Alexis wasn’t with him. “Where’s Alexis?” MaKenzie asked, taking Mason into her arms. “Slight paperwork mix up, I’ll bring her by tomorrow. Pinky Promise.” MaKenzie grinned, it had been forever since she pinky promised anything.
True to his word, Alberto showed up with Alexis the next day.
((Note usually on chapter 13 my kids are teenagers and here I am just getting started. Needless to say the only thing I have done so far challenge wise is a couple and their jobs. ))
Lexi's birthday was quickly approaching and she reminded her family daily. Her wish list grew from a cell phone to a car and almost everything in between. MaKenzie spent the days leading up to her special day in the shoppes downtown looking for the perfect gift.
