The Flower Series
by Sue

February - Gladioli

"Baby, that man can't take no for an answer," I told KD as I opened the door. The delivery boy looked down at his clipboard. "Alexis Davis?"

"One and the same. Do I need to sign anywhere?"

"No ma'am. Uh, ma'am are you going to have enough room in there?" He was peeking into the apartment where remnants of 40 hyacinth plants remained.

"I think I can find a clear surface I said as he came in with a basket of multi-colored flowers." I was reaching for my purse to fish out a tip when I heard a voice at the door. "The rest of the guys are on their way up." There was another delivery person with a cart and maybe a dozen or so more arrangements.

"The rest of the guys?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah. We got forty two arrangements and three single stems."

I sat down on the couch with a plop and shook my head. I quickly counted time since the last delivery. Two weeks three days. Forty-two weeks three days and, guess what the current date was? Valentine's Day. The man was certainly attentive and persistent; too bad he couldn't take directions. I sat there in a daze until the last fellow was about to leave and I held out a ten in defeat. "It's all I have - you'll have to fight over it."

"No ma'am" he said as he backed out the door. We've already been taken care of. Instructions specifically state we're not to accept any tip. The gentleman made that very, very clear. Enjoy." He closed the door and I was left alone with my daughter and a florist shop.

"Well, Baby Girl, your father is quite the pertinacious soul. Wonder if he sent a card with these or just assumed I'd know whom they were from." I went from vase to vase, basket to basket and found what I was looking for in the box with the three stems just as I realized what type of flowers they were - gladioli. Funeral flowers. As I tore open the envelope I swear - honestly - steam was coming out of my ears. Sure I told him to leave me alone forever, but this was taking things too far. Funeral flowers?

As I unfolded the letter I could see that the first page was one torn from a book and my eyes sought out the letter 'g' about midway down the page. "Gladioli: available in hues from almost black to the whitest of whites, this long stemmed beauty also comes in a variety of sizes." Yeah, right, I skimmed thru all the growing directs, information about corns, and when to pick them for fresh arrangements, blah, blah, blah, and settled on the last line. In Victorian times, a gift of gladioli signified the thought 'I'm truly sincere' which in more modern times has been translated to 'Give me a break."

I collapsed on the couch in laughter, KD just staring at her poor mother. You have to hand it to a man who does his research before he commits to a job. I turned the page and started reading the note.

"So, are you finished laughing yet?"

Lordy how that man knew me!

"See I know you told me to take a hike because you didn't believe me but flowers don't lie so if you look over the last two deliveries you'll see I'm asking 'Please forgive me, I'm sincerely sorry, so give me a break.'"

The arrogant fool had me laughing more. Damn him!

"You're laughing again, aren't you? Good. I love it when you let loose and giggle like a schoolgirl; it's something you do far too little of but it's something I vow to see happen frequently. Happy Valentine's Day."

I looked at KD and smiled. "He's a charmer, kiddo, but don't let that fool you. It's up to you to help keep me from getting sucked in again, OK? If I start to weaken I want you to cry and fill your diapers to bring me back to reality. Deal?" I swear my daughter winked at me.

I wasn't about to give him immediate satisfaction of my pleasure, so this time I let four days go by before I broke down and called.

"Hey."

"Hey. I was beginning to wonder."

"You were right - I laughed."

"Good."

"You can't do this anymore, Sonny. OK?"

"You called me - I didn't call you."

"The flowers. You can't send me anymore. Your apology has been considered and accepted."

"Really?"

"Yes. But that doesn't mean things haven't changed. It's still status quo, Sonny. You have your life and I have mine. They're not going to cross."

"How is your life anyway? How's that beautiful little girl?"

"Beautiful. She's really developing a personality. I'm enjoying her so much. I never thought I even liked children. I mean I tried with Brooke Lynn but I just thought I wasn't the mothering type. And now, I can't imagine not being a mother. It's the most incredible thing in the world to hold that bundle and have her wrap that tiny hand around my finger. To look into those gorgeous eyes and imagine what's she'll look like when she's six or ten or twenty. To know that she loves me unconditionally... Sonny, what's wrong? Sonny?" I could have sworn he was crying.

"It must be on your end. I didn't hear any noise."

"Oh. OK."

"Must be hard to adjust to having a baby around."

"You get used to it. Sleep is highly overrated anyway." This time I made him laugh. "It's amazing how fast you get used to the changes."

"I know. Once Carly and Michael left it was kind of quiet but pretty soon..."

"Carly left?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. She'll be back though. When did she go?"

"Don't be sorry on my account. I'm not. And she's not coming back because I won't let her and she won't want to. As for your third question, she left two weeks and four days ago."

"Well see, you're counting the time - you miss her and she'll be back."

"Alexis, I asked her to go the day I told her I wanted to be with you and my daughter. The day I insisted that she go."

The man had me speechless on more than one account. He kicked Carly out telling her he wanted me? He wanted me and our daughter? I had to keep calm and not panic. Our daughter? Holy cripes!

"Sonny, I don't know what it is you're drinking - I can only imagine - but you're delusional here. You belong with Carly and Michael. My daughter and I are fine, but we don't need any help."

"Alexis, protest all you want. I'm going to win you over with my charm and wit and dashing good looks. I've already wasted most of the last year. I'm not losing any more time with you or our daughter. Be prepared to be wooed."

With that he hung up and left me holding the phone. I looked at KD. "We're in trouble baby girl. Big trouble."

I tried to continue on with life as usual but there was always 'that' in the back of my mind. Sonny referred to KD as his - our- daughter. He said he was going to woo me. I made up my mind not to let those killer dimples get to me; I was a woman of the twenty first century and didn't need anyone except myself - and my daughter of course. Life muddled on until early the next week as I opened the door to get the morning paper, a five-foot teddy bear was in the hallway with "KD's Birthday Bear" embroidered on his paw. February 19 - Kristina was three months old. Now tell me - what is a three-month-old baby supposed to do with a bear almost as tall as her mother? And it was monogrammed no less - I couldn't even return it. So the giant bear was lugged in to gain a permanent spot in my living room along with the remnants of eighty some odd pots and vases of flowers. I think the New York State Bar Exam was easier than my life.

Of course I had to call Sonny and thank him for the bear. Thank goodness it was only 5am - that gave me time to either work up my nerve or chicken out completely. Around 7:30 as I dialed his number I was thinking that I'd rather have a root canal.

"Hey. Hope I didn't wake you up. The bear arrived..."

"Nope. Been waiting by the phone since I gone home from my little delivery. So did my little sweetheart like it?"

"Little delivery? It's adorable, but Sonny, my daughter is far too young to know what a teddy bear is, let alone interact with one."

"I know, but I just thought our little girl should have one. She needs to know how much her daddy loves her."

"I appreciate you thinking of my daughter and wanting her to be happy, but I assure you, she doesn't need extravagant gifts from her Uncle Sonny."

"She has an Uncle Sonny? Is that Stefan's private nickname or something?"

"Don't do this Sonny. You're just going to make it harder on yourself. I can't let you into her life because when you go back to Carly, there's no way I'm allowing my daughter anywhere near her. You know this. I know this. Let's just not go there. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but enough is enough."

I hung up and as soon as I was sure the connection had been broken I took the phone off the hook so I didn't have to deal with him any more that day, so when someone pounded on the door a few hours later, I thought it was Sonny.

"Go away!"

"Alexis, it's Cameron. Are you OK?" Why should Cameron wonder if I'm all right? I got up from the rocker where I was trying to burp KD and opened the door.

"I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

"You're OK with it being public?"

"OK with what being public?"

He handed me a folded up section of the newspaper - the part with society gossip. In the mess with the bear, I had forgotten all about mine. One glance and I sat down with a thud, reading a line and looking at him back and forth until bit-by-bit the paragraph was finished.

"Corinthos/Ashton Wed in Caribbean" read the article's title. "A little bird told us it was going to happen but until we heard it straight from the horse's mouth, we thought said little bird had flown into one too many windows, but kiddies, it's official. Last night I got a call from a honeymooning-in-the-South-Seas Ned Ashton and Carly Corinthos Ashton who were married in a private ceremony in the Dominican Republic just minutes after her divorce from local crime boss Michael 'Sonny' Corinthos was granted. In the divorce action Mrs. Corinthos cited her husband's long time adulterous affair with Port Charles attorney Alexis Davis and the subsequent birth last November of their daughter Kristina. The Ashton's will make their home in Port Charles after a lengthy stay in their newly purchased Tahitian home."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Heck - I didn't know what to feel. Ned and Carly? KD's paternity published for all to see? I was stunned into inaction until the phone rang. Cameron must have put it back on the hook.

"You answer it. I'm not here."

"Alexis Davis' residence. I'm sorry, Ms Davis is not available at the moment. I'm sure she has no comment on anything." He hung up only to have it ring again. "Alexis Davis' residence. I'm sorry she's not available. I can't presume to comment on that." He placed his finger on the disconnect button long enough to break the connection and left the phone off the hook.

I looked up at him looming over the desk. "What am I going to do?"

"Depends. Is it true?"

I had to close my eyes and remind myself to breathe before I got out a very weak "Long time adulterous affair - No. One time slip up - yes. And since you already know Ned isn't KD's father, you can now guess the rest."

"Have you told Sonny?"

"No, but he knows."

"I take it that's the reason there's a giant bear in here not to mention the fact your apartment resembles a florist shop?"

I nodded. What was I going to do? How was I going to face everyone? How was I going to face Sonny, knowing that our secret was public? I got up and took a sleeping KD back to her crib, threw a little water on my face and emerged to face Cameron.

"OK, here's the plan. My official line is that I'm happy for the newlyweds, but since they both have been far less than truthful in their pasts, I for one hesitate to believe anything they say. Neither confirm nor deny."

"You know I'll support you whatever you decide. I've got a 9:30 appointment - you gonna be all right?"

"Yeah. Go."

He left and I tried to figure out how to keep my life from turning upside down. I didn't have an answer.

Looking back now I'm surprised that I survived the next couple of weeks without doing a Carly and running my car off the cliff. Obviously I immediately quit answering my home phone - unplugged it even and only answered the cell when I could identify who it was on the caller ID. That first conversation with Sonny after the newspaper reveal was about as strained as they get, both of us trying hard to step around the broken eggshells and ignore the elephant in the room. We did a pretty good job until the elephant started crying and I thought Sonny was going to come thru the telephone wires thinking she was hurt. So there I was trying to hold the phone with my shoulder while I used one hand to hold KD and the other to get in position to nurse her and what happens? I dropped the phone and couldn't get it without crushing the baby so I yelled to Sonny that I dropped the phone on the floor, couldn't get it, and he should hang up and I'd call him back later. KD wasn't even finished nursing on the first side when I heard him pounding and yelling wildly at the door. He must have been in the limo only a block away.

You want to know how completely frustrated I had become? Without thinking, I got up out of the rocker and answered the door forgetting that someone was still attached and I was out hanging in the breeze so to speak. I have to admit the look on Sonny's face was priceless; he was torn between awe at watching his daughter and embarrassment at an au natural moi standing in the open doorway and well, I have to admit that I took full advantage of the situation. I looked down at my greedily nursing daughter and back up at Sonny.

"I know she has terrible table manners - she slurps and smacks almost as much as you did. So are you here to gloat at my discomfort or to retrieve from your daughter what I seem to remember you claiming as your?" I turned and went back to the rocker modestly putting the shawl over my shoulder.

"I'm sorry - I heard a thud and you yelling something and I got worried that... well...I'm sorry. Wait a minute. Did you just say what I think you said?"

I ignored him and switched sides as discreetly as I could, keeping my head under the shawl with Kristina.

"You said it Alexis. You acknowledged that KD is our daughter."

So much for ignoring the elephant - it was standing on my foot.

"All right - it's true. You've been telling me that for a while now. What's the big deal?" As I looked from under the shawl to him I saw the tears. Oh boy, just what I didn't need right then. Didn't he know what nursing did to a woman; the hormones it activated? I prayed for strength and willpower because if he flashed those dimples...

Sonny moved to the arm of the couch next to the rocker from the doorway where he had remained standing and with one finger stroked KD's leg as the tears continued to fall. She unlatched herself, evidently full, and as I maneuvered her out from under the covering, I caved. "She needs to be burped. Would you like to do the honors, Daddy?"

The next two hours were the sweetest I can ever remember as Sonny sat there and held and played with his daughter; if someday I grow old and forgetful, that sight I shall never forget - dimples cooing at dimples, total unquestionable love in his eyes, a complete look of contentment and fulfillment on his face. All was right with the world for that small amount of time.

Long after KD went to sleep he held her, not wanting to relinquish his newfound love, but finally he took her back to her crib and laid her down gently with sweet, soft kisses on her cheek as I watched enthralled in the doorway.

We went quietly into the living room and Sonny took hold of the doorknob to leave. "Thank you."

"Sonny, anytime you want to see her, she's all yours. You can come over here, or I can take her over to the Penthouse. Wherever - it doesn't matter."

He reached out and brushed my cheek with the back of his fingertips. "Thank you. You did good. My daughter..." he choked up and took a second to compose himself. "Our daughter is everything I ever imagined her to be. I'll call you later, OK?"

part 03