Soaring (Magdalene #2)(157)
Author: Kristen Ashley

It began with what we expected coming true.

Polly had not taken Pippa’s defection well.

She especially didn’t take it well when she learned that Ash and Pippa’s dad and mom were dating, which meant they shared an association.

Thus, her bullying went into overdrive with specific targets, both Aisling and Pippa.

The surprise came when this had the positive effect of Ash and her posse taking Pippa in.

Mickey had been wrong about that. But then again, from reports I demanded from Pip, Polly had not thrown her abuse up a notch, more like fifteen. It was relentless and it was ugly. Ash got it too. Her friends saw it. The whole school saw it. And Auden reported things were “simmering” and about to blow because it was hitting extremes.

Polly was not stupid enough to do this when Auden or his buds were around, for Joe (to Pippa’s delight) had seen the tail end of one episode and waded in, making it clear to Polly he didn’t want to see it again.

This didn’t delight Polly, Joe defending Pippa, and only served to heighten the madness when Polly was safe to let loose.

Polly also had learned not to be stupid enough to do it when Kellan was around.

But she was doing it and my baby girl was shaken. She was holding up but I knew that was taking a lot.

Along with her other reports, Pippa shared that Aisling was taking an interest in certain things, these being dressing better, doing her hair and adding some makeup.

I had a feeling I knew why and I was proved correct for Pippa also reported that Kellan had noticed.

“He’s still into her, Mom,” Pippa had said.

This was also positive.

It would turn out to be a negative when Polly got wind of it and ratcheted things up to full throttle. This meaning my girl came home anxious, jittery, and she was never one to hop out of bed, shouting her joy at having to go to school, but it became a near impossible task to get her going in the mornings.

This meant Mickey and I had to sit down with both the girls. During this Mickey informed them he, along with me, Rhiannon and Conrad (who I’d told all this and he’d in turn shocked me by telling me we had his full support “with whatever you need, Amelia”), would be going to the school to put a stop to it.

The girls freaked out and Auden stepped in and shared he thought it best to let nature take its course without parents getting involved. He’d also promised it would.

Mickey gave Auden’s assessment, “Two days, bud. Then, sorry, we’re steppin’ in.”

It didn’t take two days.

The next day in the high school parking lot on their way to Auden’s car (since they lived across the street from each other, he was now taking his sister, as well as Ash and Cillian to and from school), Polly unleashed holy hell on the girls.

Auden wasn’t around yet, but unfortunately for Polly, some of Kellan’s friends were.

They got Kellan. He came running. Auden heard word. He came running.

And two older boys, both good-looking, both popular, shared in no uncertain terms Pip and Ash were off limits.

Polly didn’t like that, shared it back and that was when the real mean girls, watching this from not very far, swung in.

According to Pip, Ash and Auden, who reported this to me sitting around my bar (while Cillian was hoovering through some homemade sugar cookies), they’d decimated Polly.

It was so bad that she didn’t go to school after that for two days.

When she came back, the new status quo had been established.

The bully had become the bullied.

Polly’s “friends” all defected, attempting to establish themselves with Ash and her crowd, who were not very accepting.

Auden wasn’t exactly arrogant about his call of the situation, but he did get in a few comments the like of, “Knew this would happen.”

However, as Polly was receiving her comeuppance, Kellan had finally drawn up the nerve to ask Aisling out.

Aisling was stunned and quietly thrilled.

Pippa was openly beside herself with glee.

The same could not be said for Mickey.

His first reaction was to flatly refuse to allow this.

Aisling was crushed, shared that with her mother and me, and both Rhiannon and I double-teamed him to relent.

He did.

Of a sort.

They could meet, being dropped off (since Kellan couldn’t drive yet) to have dinner at the diner. They had two hours. Then they were getting picked up separately.

However, this could not happen until during the Christmas break.

What Mickey didn’t know was that Kellan was walking Aisling to class, holding hands with her, and his posse was eating lunch with her posse.

Pippa shared this with me.

I did not share this with Mickey.

During this time, my kids had not quite made up with their father. He was trying and they were not rebuffing, but they stayed full-time with me.

Naturally, through all this, so much going on in such a short time at the same time preparing for Christmas, there had been an intermingling of families. The kids were getting used to each other. Auden was taking the lead as a big brother of sorts to all, including Cillian who wasn’t at his school.

So Mickey thought it was time.

Which meant it was our next step but a step that said everything.

Because if he wanted our children to get used to all of us under one roof, what happened next?

Only one thing.

Us being under one roof.

Permanently.

I loved this idea, obviously. And after a very shaky start, the kids were bonding beautifully.

It still scared the heck out of me.

“What if they fight over the remote or don’t agree on movies?” I asked.

“Listen to yourself, Amelia,” Alyssa replied. “All families fight over the remote and don’t agree on movies.”

She was right.

I was being an idiot.

“It’s weird,” I whispered. “My kids knowing I’m going to bed with Mickey.”

“Why?” Josie asked. “I’m under the impression you’ve been spending the night at Mickey’s. Have I missed something? Do his children mind?”

“No,” I answered.

“And, just pointin’ out,” Alyssa added. “Your two got some experience, their dad havin’ another wife.”

“This is true,” I mumbled.

“It’ll all go great,” Josie assured, patting me on the arm.

“Can’t go worse than Thanksgiving,” Alyssa muttered.

They of course knew all about our stellar holiday.

“Alyssa,” Josie hissed.

Alyssa raised her brows “Do I lie?”