#chenford march madness 2023 - tim meets his grandkids

[my-shields-are-down]

Peace

Diana was freaking out..

The “fearless foursome” were about to surprise their parents with a major surprise and it was all her idea and she was terrified it was going to backfire spectacularly.  What if they weren’t happy?  What if she really let them down?

She glanced at her husband and brother and both were smiling and laughing with Patrizia who adjusted the bow on her present again and fiddled with the dahlia’s in her hair.

Diana starts to have a panic attack.  Tears form at the back of her throat and she cannot catch her breath.  “Goddammit.  I’m the SVP of cultural affairs for a multi-billion dollar Macau based gaming company” she thought to herself.  “I’m married to my best friend, and my best friend is married to my brother and they are all happy and ready to go and I’m afraid they won’t like it.  I’m afraid I’ve let them down again.”

Diana can feel tears streaming down her face.  She can’t catch a breath.  She starts pulling her thick blonde hair out from its intricate updo, tossing the azaleas and peonies on the ground when she feels her husband’s nimble fingers run up her spine like they are playing a scale on their grand piano - that he’s playing an unnamed song he wrote to calm her down.  The same fingers that tossed hundreds of footballs to her elder brother in college - making UCLA unbeatable for two years in a row.  The fingers that also will play "Happy Birthday” on his acoustic guitar in under an hour, fingers that turn her toward him, and grab her hand….  Placing his hand on her heart and hers on his and whispering to her “Diana - honey.  I promise they are going to love it.  They already love you.  Everything is beautiful. All the family is here.  Breathe with me honey.  Please breathe with me.” 

Diana has had panic attacks ever since she was little and got separated from her mom at the zoo.  She thought Lucy had left her there on purpose because she didn’t look like Kai, that she wasn’t great and silly like TJ, that she was just boring Diana.  It didn’t help that the zoo lady hadn’t believed she and Lucy were related  - until Diana had started talking to Lucy in perfect Mandarin taught to her by her NaiNai Vanessa.  That shut the zoo lady right on up, but did nothing to quell the panic in both Lucy and Diana.  For she didn’t realize that losing sight of Diana for those 5 minutes were the longest, most terrifying moments of Lucy’s life.  Thousands of times worse than the faint memories of dying in that barrel.

Lucy loved Diana so much and had panic attacks of her own from that day forward.  Usually late at night, usually in nightmares where Diana is never found.  Lucy wakes up screaming for her and only calms down when she can text Mateo and get a picture of her sleeping daughter or if she can grab the stuffed giraffe she keeps in the bottom drawer of her nightstand. 

Diana’s fear of being unwanted, of being left behind is actually what spurred this idea in the first place. Just like Lucy had done with Tamara, both Diana and Mateo and Patrizia and Kai had adopted little girls from their respective grandmothers’ home countries - little potatoes with shocks of black hair, floral binkies and blankets. The two little girls were being introduced to the extended family at Tim and Wesley’s joint birthday party in just a few minutes.  

Kai finally turns and notices that Diana is as white as a sheet.  He texts their little brother for reinforcements - SOS.  Need you, chocolate and fresh flowers for Diana.  <panic>  

Five minutes later TJ shows up and steps in front of his older sister.  He meets her eyes and smiles at her.  The remaining group members step away - the men check on the bundles wrapped in floral blankets and Patrizia fixes Diana’s hair.    TJ wordlessly calms his sister down and tells her the parents have no idea.  They just know the presents are arriving by special delivery from Mexico and China.  The fearless foursome have been living overseas for the past two years - and neither the Evers nor the Bradfords know that their elder children are arriving with children of their own.  

“Diana - what you’ve done for them - for the parents, grandparents and the babies is nothing short of miraculous.  You’ll be giving them the biggest gift second only to knowing and loving us kids - we are pretty spectacular ourselves.  Your heart, if possible, is bigger than mom’s, bigger than Aunt Angela’s. They love you so, so much.  I wish you could see that. Sweet girl, please stop crying.  I smuggled your stuffed goat from your bedroom to dry your eyes.”

Diana snorts out a bark of laughter upon seeing Gerald IV in her brother’s hands.  He’s the only one besides Mateo who can calm her down when she panics.  She nods at him and then at her best friends and asks for 5 minutes to “fix her face.”

—---------

While Diana is in the bathroom, TJ moves through Patrice’s house calling everyone outside and has his dad and uncle Wesley sit in the barcaloungers that have been pulled from the movie lounge out onto the back deck for the birthday boys to open their presents.  There is much grumbling and whining from Wesley and Tim as they complain of fake aches and pains, both a little sad that two of their three kids aren’t there to celebrate with them again this year.  

Tim looks around and notices the grandparents are here.  They don’t usually come to these parties as they are all in their 80s and 90s.  But Vanessa, Patrick, Patrice and Angela’s mom Emilia are all here.  He brushes it off, until his youngest son TJ steps up and tells everyone “to close their eyes.  The big presents from overseas are being rolled in right now.  Go on, close your eyes, Dad - no peeking.”  

Tim closes his eyes and feels Lucy standing behind him, her hands on his shoulders.  He knows she’ll look, she can’t help herself.  

He feels the excitement get closer and closer as people start to murmur.  He can tell when Lucy and Angela open their eyes by the collective gasp that leaves them simultaneously.  Tim turns and looks up at Lucy to make sure she’s ok and he’s never seen that look on her face before.  “Luce, are you ok?  What’s going on?” Tim hears Wesley say, “no way.”

Tim finally turns around and sees his daughter smiling at him and placing a baby in his arms.  Tim instinctively grabs the young potato flashing back through that stage for all three of his kids.  The wild hair, the binkies, the colorful blankets, the snot, the poop, the eardrum piercing cries.  “Wha- why are you handing me a baby?”

Diana smiles shyly at her parents and at Angela and Wesley and says, “Please say hello to your grandchildren - girls we adopted from their home countries.  In Wesley’s arms, we have Emilia Joy Evers from Mexico City and in your arms dad, we have Vanessa Hope Bradford from Shanghai.  Bonus present, all four of us are moving back to Los Angeles, so we will be taking you all up on offers to babysit.

I got the idea when I was 8 andI heard Mom telling NaiNai about Tamara.  Mom - You’ve always been my biggest inspiration and while I may never forgive you for removing my bedroom door after catching Mateo and I making out in there on my 14th birthday, I have always tried to live my life so you’d be proud of me - so you would always come find me at the zoo.”

That last comment strikes straight through Lucy’s heart.  She stands up and pulls Diana aside.  

“Diana - I didn’t leave you at the zoo - we got separated.  You were chasing baby chickens and I lost sight of you. I died that day when I couldn’t find you. And that stupid woman who said I wasn’t your mom because you didn’t look like me?  I wanted to punch her out.  But then you told me about the fluffy chicks in perfect mandarin - like it was no big deal.    I still have nightmares and panic attacks that I don’t ever find you.  You are my dream come true. I know I tend to favor the boys, but you are the living embodiment of my heart.  Don’t you know that?  You are my reason for living.  I love being your mom - it’s why I was put on this planet.  To love you.”

“I have panic attacks too mom.  I had one right before we came out here.  TJ and Mateo helped me calm down.  I was afraid you and Dad wouldn’t like your gift - because it came from me.” Lucy wraps her arms around her girl and says, “We love her more, because she came from you.  Honey- look at your dad.  He may never give Emilia back to Angela and Wesley.  Look at how happy and at peace he is.  YOU did that.  You, my big hearted, beautiful girl.”