Okay, this story contains sexual acts between two females if this offends you then don't read it. If you are not 18 or whatever the age maybe where your from, don't read it. If you just don't like the idea of love between two ladies, go somewhere else. Don't read it. The characters are not real. Any similarities are just that.
First I want to thank everyone who has stayed with the story this far. Secondly, I would like to thank those who have written me telling me how much they have enjoyed it. You all are the reason I continue to write. For those who haven't written yet. Please do so. I could always use that much more encouragement and I love talking to new people. I have meet some interesting people along the way and hope to talk to many more.
As always, enjoy.
Amanda
upside_umop_insideout
Chapter 20
Day Out
An hour later, Piper was refreshed and dressed and ready to take on a new day no matter what happened. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders and opened her bedroom door with every intent on apologizing to Brant and figuring out a way to make it up to her Rachel. She took two steps into the room and stopped.
"Collin took Brant out to do some running around. I thought that you and I could use sometime together." Sarah said softly from where she sat on the deep red couch in the middle of the room.
"Did you think that I might not want to?" Piper asked defensively.
"I did. I was hoping that some how I could convince you otherwise." Sarah said, a smile tugging at her lips.
Piper couldn't help but smile. She could tell from the same impish grin that had covered her face more than once that her aunt was up to something and she was dying to know what it was. "Okay, I'll bite. How were you planning on convincing me otherwise?"
"Oh, I don't know. A little girl talk, a day out on the town," Sarah hesitated to see if she had Piper's attention yet. "Maybe a little shopping."
The first two sounded inviting enough, but Piper was sold with that one little word. "Well... seeing as I would like to see the sites while I am here..." Piper hesitated just long enough to grin from ear to ear. "I would love to. I think... I think because of me we started off on the wrong foot. I would like to change that. I mean, after all you are my only aunt."
Sarah stood up and gave Piper a hug. "I just hope after everything is said and done that we can still be friends." Sarah said into her shoulder as she let her go.
"Me too." Piper said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. She really did want to get to know her aunt but she really needed to know the truth too. "Where are your kids?" Piper asked as she grabbed her bag and they headed to the door.
"Actually they are with Brant and Collin right now. They were here earlier but you were sleeping. I think you'll get a chance to meet them later today." Sarah said light heartily.
"I think I would like that. You never told me their names, or if they were boys or girls or anything."
Sarah stopped at the elevator and stood there silently. "Our little girl is named Rae Lee, she is almost six now."
"Rae, that's..."
"You're mother's middle name. Yes I know." Sarah said with a laugh at the look of shock on Piper's face. She was still chuckling as the elevator doors finally opened. "We also have a little boy. Alex Jordan. We call him AJ."
"Alex?" Piper repeated softly. It was what her mother called Lexie a lot. She knew it wasn't a coincidence. "How old is he?"
"He's almost four. Do you want to see some pictures?" Sarah asked reaching into her bag. Piper nodded as Sarah pulled out her wallet. Piper opened the leather wallet and began to flip through the small album of photos. They were adorable children. Piper thumbed through as the elevator came to a stop.
"Piper, are you coming?" Sarah asked as Piper stood there long after the doors had opened. Piper looked up at her aunt with tears in her eyes. "What is it, Piper? Is everything okay?" Sarah stepped back onto the elevator. Piper stared at the picture in her hand. Sarah looked down at the picture of her family. Brant was sitting on Emily's lap and Alexis was holding a squirming but smiling Piper. Collin looked like he was tickling Sarah.
"Piper." Sarah said mournfully, forcing her to look into her aunts eyes.
"How? How could you leave us?" Piper cried softly. "I mean, they were right. Look. We were so happy."
Sarah pulled Piper into her arms as the elevator began to rise again. Soft stands of music were the only sounds aside from Piper's soft sob. "Shh, baby. I will explain. I will tell you everything you need to know. I promise. I'm not going anywhere ever again." Sarah held her as people got on and off the elevator. It wasn't until she heard Piper's stomach growl that she leaned back.
"Piper, I know you have a lot of questions and a lot that you need to know. Why don't we wait till we are with your brother to talk though? I don't know if either one of us could handle going through it all twice."
Piper sniffed and nodded. "That sounds okay."
"Alright, well why don't we go get you something to eat and then talk about what we want to do today? I still plan on taking you out on the town."
Piper ate and listened to her aunt go on and on about what they would do that day. They settled on stopping at Navy Pier to do a little shopping. Of course there was always the "Magnificent Mile" on Michigan Avenue. Sarah told her that these were the huge high end stores that carried almost everything. If they wanted to do some walking they could head down North Avenue where there were some smaller boutiques that Sarah thought Piper might enjoy.
"That sounds like a full day." Piper said as she sat back, overly full from the huge breakfast.
"Full day?" Sarah laughed. "That's just in the morning. I was thinking of taking you by one or two of the local museums."
Piper twisted up her face at the word. "Seriously?"
"I think you might like one or two of them. There is the Art Institute, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Right next door to Field's is Shedd Aquarium and there is also the Planetarium." Sarah said excitedly.
"Do you ever slow down?" Piper asked with a lop-sided smile.
"I'm sorry. It's just been a while since I've had someone to go out around town with. Both my kids are too young yet for the most part and all my adult friends have been here so long that they don't even think about going to half of these places."
Piper nodded. "Well let's get going."
"Before we make it very far, why don't we go see the Picasso?" Sarah said as the made their way to the entrance of the hotel.
"The Picasso, what's that? I mean, I know who Pablo Picasso is."
Sarah shook her head. "I'm glad to hear that. The Picasso is this huge sculpture done by Pablo Picasso. The sculpture was the first large scale major public artwork in Downtown Chicago. Now they have art work all over the place. Like Millennium Park. It's one of the newest additions. You can see concerts at the outdoor pavilion, or go ice-skating in the winter. The park is also home to some of the city's best public art. There is this humongous mirrored sculpture that sits right in the middle of the place."
Piper looked over at her aunt as they walked through the busy Chicago streets and shook her head. She sounded like a kid in a candy store as she talked about all there was to see and do in the area. Before she knew it Piper was standing in a large open area with a huge statue in front of her. "What is it?" Piper asked, turning her head to look at it.
"No one really knows for sure. He never titled it. Some say it looks like a horse, others say it is his representation of a girl that used to model for him. I guess every person sees it as they want to see it. What do you see it as?"
"I don't really know, but it's interesting." Piper said, thinking that it looked more like a horse than a woman. "Granted he was an impressionist, if a man ever made a sculpture of me that looked like a horse, I'd be furious." Sarah laughed as she took Piper's arm and pulled her on to their next stop.
The day seemed to go by in a flash. Sarah took Piper all over town. They went to Navy Pier and walked along looking at shops. Piper dragged Sarah into Magic Masters magic shop. She explained that Sora loved to put on a good magic show. >From there they took a very scary cab ride across the city to walk along Michigan Avenue. They stopped in the huge toy shop and did some browsing inside Marshall Field's.
By the time the sun was setting they both were laden down with bags and their feet were dragging. "Why don't we go watch the sun set from the Sears Tower? Oh, and then we can go to the Cheesecake Factory. It's actually in the basement of the tower, or sort of any way." Piper shrugged.
"Sounds good to me. What is the Cheesecake Factory?"
"You've never been to one?" Sarah asked astonished.
"Sarah, you have to remember that I am from small town North Carolina. We take family vacations but never in big cities like this."
"I guess I didn't even think about it. I've been living in the city for so long I almost forgot what it's like to live in a small town." Sarah admitted as they made their way into a large building. Sarah walked over to the wall of lockers and deposited their bags in one.
"So this is the Sears' Tower? Wasn't this like the biggest tower in the world?"
"Yeah for a bit." Sarah said as they made their way to through the roped off lines. Sarah paid for their admission and they were ushered into a large elevator.
"How did you feel when the plane took off?" Sarah asked Piper as the elevator started to move.
"A little sick to my stomach, nothing too bad. Why?"
"You're going to be sick to your stomach by the time we reach the top." Sarah said as they both turned their attention to the tour guide at the front of the elevator. Piper felt her stomach drop as they went faster and faster towards the top of the building. By the time that they reached the top, Piper was holding on to Sarah to keep from falling over. "Think you can walk?" Sarah asked with a chuckle as they came to a stop.
"This is supposed to be fun?" Piper asked, her face turning a little bit green.
"No, but the view is amazing." Sarah told her as she held her arm and walked her off the crowded elevator. Piper looked up to see a window that went floor to ceiling. "Welcome to the 103rd floor of the Sears' Tower." She said as she released Piper's arm. Piper walked slowly towards the window. For as far as she could see was the city of Chicago. Sarah pointed out places they had visited earlier in the day. Navy Pier, Grant Park, Lake Michigan. Piper watched as the sky turned from blue to the most amazing shades of pinks and purples she ad ever seen.
"Today has been amazing." Piper said, wrapping her arms around her aunt, hugging her tightly.
"I'm glad I was able to share it with you. What's say we head down and get something to eat?"
Piper realized that it had been hours since she'd eaten and she was starving. "We're still going to the Cheesecake Factory?"
"Unless there was something else that you wanted to try?"
"Well..." Piper said sheepishly.
"No beating around the bush. With the two women that raised you I know that you aren't one to beat around the bush. So don't even try that shy and innocent game with me."
Piper felt her cheeks grow red. "Okay, you got me. You're right. I'm not one to beat around the bush. I have always wanted to try real Chicago style pizza."
Sarah grabbed Piper by the hand and dragged her towards the elevator. "I have to perfect place." In a flash Piper was seated in the center of one of Chicago's best, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. Piper and Sarah talked about there day and different things about their lives. They both carefully steered away from anything to do with Emily or the past. The conversation went smoothly as they laughed and ate. It was almost two hours later that Sarah's phone rang.
"Sorry, it's Collin." Sarah said as she sat back in her chair. Piper listened to Sarah's end of the conversation and knew that they would be heading back to the hotel to finally have their talk. "I take it that you heard." Sarah asked flipping her phone shut. Piper nodded her head slowly.
"I have really enjoyed today." Piper said as she put her napkin on the table and looked around. The eatery was still packed and everyone was busy eating, talking, serving food. Piper wished that she could be one of the people that was carefree. Instead, she felt like she was walking towards death row. No matter what happened or what was said, she knew that after tonight her world would be completely changed.
The bumpy cab ride back to the hotel was made in silence, each of them in their own world, each stuck with their own thoughts. As the cab pulled up to the grand hotel Sarah turned and looked at Piper. "I hope that one day you will forgive me. Before we walk in there I want you to know that I do love you and your family and I always have. None of that has ever or will ever change." Piper nodded silently and allowed her aunt to hug her one more time before they climbed from the cab.
The lights of the lobby seemed brighter, blinding Piper. For the millionth time in the last few days she wondered what she was doing. She mumbled a hello to the bell boy that greeted them as they walked towards the elevator. The white marble floors and gold covered walls made Piper dizzy. She waited for the elevator to ding its arrival and looked over to her aunt. She wasn't surprised to find her face twisted up in agony and pain. Her skin looked even paler than it had the day before, her eyes more tired. Sarah looked up at her and gave her a half smile and bored the elevator silently.
"Can I ask you what happened last night?" Sarah said softly as they began to move.
Piper looked at her feet. "Something that I am not proud of."
"Brant was upset this morning. He wouldn't say what happened. You know, no matter what, if you need to talk to anyone," Sarah left her sentence unsaid as Piper nodded.
"I'll remember that." Piper said, never meeting Sarah's eyes. She let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding as they reached the floor and the doors began to open. Piper couldn't remember feeling such relief to be off an elevator ever. Not even looking back to see if Sarah was following her, Piper made it their room. As soon as she entered she saw her brother and uncle.
"Where are the kids?" Sarah asked from behind her.
"I think we wore them out today. Brant let me use his bed to lay them down. They are completely out." Collin said, tilting his head up to receive a kiss from his wife.
"That's good. That means we can all talk together and someone doesn't have to sit with them. I am going to go check on them." She told Collin, standing behind his chair.
"Sarah, let me. Go ahead and get comfortable." Piper said, her eyes relaying the message her mouth wasn't. She needed to get away for a moment to pull her self together. Sarah nodded her understanding.
"Plus I would like a chance to see the rug rats in person." Piper added with a grin. Piper walked towards Brant's room and thought about all that was going to happen. She wondered if she could ever truly see her aunt the same after she learned the truth. Piper looked at the two sleeping children and smiled. They really were beautiful kids. Even in the dark, Rae's dark hair shimmered and shined. Piper ran her hands through the girls shoulder length hair. She wondered what it would be like to have children, not that she ever really wanted any of her own. Brant was the one who was the family person. Ever since he was little he swore that he would marry a beautiful woman and have a house full of them. Piper looked over at the sandy haired little boy and was taken by the fact he looked so much like Sora. She didn't see it in the pictures but now looking down at him she wondered how she had missed it. Piper took a deep breath and looked out to the light filled common room. Collin and Sarah sat together on the love seat, sitting so close you couldn't see where one ended and the other began. Brant sat forward in the over stuffed chair talking animatedly about something or another. Piper could tell from where she stood it was something that he was passionate about. He always talked with his hands when he was passionate about something. Whatever they were talking about, it made Collin and Sarah laugh. The soft harmonic sound trickled into the room. Looking at them sitting and talking she wondered what life would have been like if her aunt and uncle hadn't left. Piper shook her head and made her way back out. No point in dwelling in what could have been. She knew that she needed to look towards the future. She had to find a way to make this right for her mother that had given up so much for their family.
The laughter and smiling seemed to simmer down as Piper came into the room. Everyone knew that the day of relaxation was over and that it was time for what had to happen. The truth had to come out. Brant gave Piper a reassuring smile as she sat down on the empty couch. Sitting on the table in front of her was an open can of Dr. Pepper and a bag of Doritos. Piper looked over at Brant would smiled at her. She knew that this was his doing. He was the only one present who knew that it was her favorite snack, unhealthy yes, but still her favorite.
Piper and Brant looked over at Sarah and Collin expectantly. "Where do you want me to start?" Sarah asked.
"'Begin at the beginning,' the King said, very gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'" Brant and Piper aid as if on cue.