Page 59 of Begin Again, Part 2

Liam wasn't happy with all the scolding, but he was thrilled to see his father's appetite was slowly returning. It wasn't as big as before the cancer treatment, but it was something at least.

Clarke frowned at him. "Don't just sit there and smile. What are your plans? When is the wedding? When are we meeting our grandson?"

"I'd gladly marry Eden tomorrow if she'd have me," he confessed.

"Then it's settled. This coming weekend," Lois clasped her hands, her eyes lighting up again. "It's at short notice, but I'm sure we can pull something off. I'll find a wedding planner, and she'll arrange everything. Will a hundred guests be okay? I mean, that's just the ballpark figure considering the time we have. Oh, dear! What about Eden's dress, and how many people from her side?"

Liam didn't have the heart to squash her excitement. But he had to.

"Mom," he shook his head. "She won't."

"Why not?" Lois wrung her hands, her eyes as huge as saucers. "Liam, what did you do to Eden? Why won't she marry you? Is she in love with someone else? Is she still hung up on her ex-fiancé?"

Liam massaged his temple. "It's none of that."

"Then what is it?" she asked as she stared glumly at her half-eaten cake.

"I've hurt her deeply in the past few weeks," he admitted. "But I'm trying to win her over, Mom."

"Not surprising!" Willow rolled her eyes. "You were always the number one A-hole."

"Shut up!" Liam growled and pushed his untouched plate away.

"Enough!" Clarke slammed his cup on the table. "Right now, all I want is my grandson. He needs to come home where he belongs. I don't care what you do. Grovel at Eden's feet if you must. But I want to meet little Aiden soon."

Liam was gobsmacked by his father's words. A few hours ago, none of them knew of Aiden's existence, but now they were all making demands as if his son was the Messiah, and he reminded them of this.

"Well, now that we know he exists, we want him home," Lois insisted. "We missed out on two years with him, and just so you know, our overseas trip is now cancelled. Your father and I would rather spend all our time with Aiden."

She didn't say it, but the look in her eye left no doubt in Liam's mind that she, too, placed the blame squarely at his door.

"If I were you, I'd call off the attorneys," Lois advised. "There's nothing more dangerous than a mother who feels cornered."

"We've tried talking," Liam began, but his father waved him off.

"Try harder!"

"Can we talk about the shares and the inheritance now?" Holly finally brought up the real reason for her presence.

"Aiden doesn't want or need your fucking three percent!" Liam glowered at his sister. "So please go back to your life of indulgence, and don't you worry about my son!"

"Look at you! You've only been a father for two minutes, and your chest is puffed out with pride already," Willow mocked him, and Liam could no longer tolerate their bullshit. He called Dave in and asked him to escort his sisters out.

"No need for the security. We were leaving anyway!" Holly called over her shoulder as she grabbed her Chanel bag and threw on her mink stole.

Willow followed suit with her own outrageously expensive coat and a Balenciaga handbag. She'd made a point of clarifying the coat wasn't made from real fur when they came in earlier. Liam didn't trust a word she said, though, and felt sorry for the thousands of animals killed just so his sister could stay warm.

"Was that necessary?" Clarke asked when Dave and the housekeepers returned to clear their cups and saucers.

"They are your children. I don't have to tolerate their bullshit," Liam replied as he strolled back to the living room and turned on his laptop to get some work done.

His parents got the hint. They excused themselves, with Clarke citing an early round of golf in the morning with one of his associates.

Liam walked them out, relieved the unplanned family meeting had ended without bloodshed.

Dying to give her well-meaning advice, Lois lingered at the door, while Clarke walked ahead to their waiting car.

"Don't let Eden slip through your fingers," she said as she took his hands and gently squeezed them. "Work out whatever issues you have with her."

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