"Mom, I'm bunking with you tonight." Lucinda strolled into Janice's room, pillow in tow.
Janice was more than willing, but she shot a glance at Stefan.
Stefan, ever considerate, piped up, "Mom, let Lucy sleep with you; you guys can have a good heart-to-heart."
Since Stefan was on board, Janice was thrilled and shot Stefan a goodnight with a smile, "Stefan, night." "Night, Mom."
Stefan looked toward Lucinda. She had already nestled herself in the room, not even bothering to bid him goodnight.
"No biggie," he thought. Seeing her happy was worth letting it slide.
Janice shut the door.
Stefan stood at the door for a good few minutes, ensuring it wouldn't be opened again, before he finally trudged off.
Ike was clumsily guiding a totally plastered Keith upstairs.
"How the hell did he get so wasted?" Stefan quickly rushed over to help steady Keith.
After a late-night snack, the guys cracked open a few cold ones. Stefan opted out but reminded them not to drink themselves under the table.
But Keith went all out and ended up hammered.
They managed to get Keith into the guest room and onto the bed. Ike plopped down on the edge of the bed, panting, "Except for me, everyone else is out cold. I had to help Keith up the stairs. The guy can barely stand. I'm beat."
"Weren't you guys told not to get hammered?"
out of his jacket. Seeing that Keith was totally sloshed but still had his makeup on, Stefan fetched a basin of
he hasn't had a single day of peace.
finally letting loose, I'd let him drink. His life is really
under constant scrutiny. Even his own father, Nathan, might not have been on his side. Keith was surely under
even doubted anyone in the Blue family could be a trusted ally
really pitiful and
complex issues, a small income,
"It's definitely not easy."
help Keith and Lucy more in the future," Ike said, "I'll try my best too, to become stronger and be Lucy's support. With us around, even if the Blue family situation gets complicated, it won't affect
what they deserve. We need to help Lucy and her brother hold firmly on
his eyes, Stefan said in a low
were you off to just
to sleep with Janice,
same floor, and you still need to escort her?" Ike teased, "You want to act generous but
come to
Ike paused momentarily.
to him? He was a
said irritably, "Stop acting like I want to
you, or if you weren't swarmed with work after taking over the company, you guys might even have kids now." Ike asked
I knew when I'd
hadn't been trying to prevent pregnancy; they were legally married
did get pregnant, so be
he'd become
"Maybe you guys shouldn't rush into having kids now. Before, whenever you guys wanted kids, I didn't mind. I'm more than happy to become an uncle. But now the situation's different. Lucy's found her biological parents, and the Blue family is quite complicated. If Lucy
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