Ch. 1
Broken Promises
Emma was fourteen and had just started high school. Her mother and father aren't married and she has a younger brother Ryan who is four. He was born while her parents started dating again. After Ryan was born they were going to move in together and be a real family but for some reason her mom called it off. Emma could remember her parents fighting over something, she always wondered what. She always knew it was her dad who ruined it thought because of the countless I'm sorry messages.
She was very active in the drama department and for the first time in LaGuardia High's history she, a freshman was the lead in the school's fall play. On the last day of performances she had looked into the crowd searching for her mother. She didn't make it again. Backstage Emma began to clean up her make up with her friends.
"Did anyone see my mom?"
"Nope, Sorry Em."
"She didn't show again." Emma packed her bag and headed home for the weekend. Outside her Aunt was waiting in her Porsche.
"Hey Sweetie."
"Hey Aunt Mon. Where's Mom."
"She said she'll explain later. Nice work by the way. The play was awesome."
"You saw me?"
"Yep. Your mom called 20 minutes before it started and asked me to pick you up at seven."
"So being the super Aunt you are, you decided to come early and watch."
"Yep."
"I love you, Aunt Mon."
"I love you too. "
Monica dropped her off and Emma walked into the house. As always, the answering machine was blinking. "Hey Honey, Ryan is getting dropped off at eight. I will bring dinner just make sure you both are ready to eat when I get home. I will be home around eight thirty. Love you Hun bye." Emma knew eight thirty meant midnight. As always, it was a plea for forgiveness. Ever since her father and mother spilt up four years ago, she had thrown herself into her work. Emma's father did the same; he had slept with someone when he got drunk. They got divorced shortly after and her mom was emotionally suffering still. She would lie awake and cry almost every night.
At eight, Ryan came blowing through the door, their father right behind him. "Hey sis."
"Hey, Ry" Their father set his bag down and went to give a hug but she moved. Emma hated the fact that he had broken up the family. No matter how sorry she knew he was.
"Where's your mom?"
"At work were else."
"Well, I can't pick up Ryan tomorrow. I have to fly out to Arizona tonight."
"Fine. I'll tell her."
"Look, Emma, I really wish you would talk to me."
"Daddy, I know your sorry but just let me be for now. I need to feel secure to talk to you, I know you would never mean to hurt me intentionally, it's just hard."
"I still love you, don't you ever forget that."
"I know." Her gave her a hug. "Ryan, Daddy's leaving."
You could hear him come running down the hall. "Bye, Daddy."
"Bye buddy, I see you in a few days. I love you."
"Love you too, Daddy." Ross, set his son down and left.
"So, Ry, what do you want for dinner?"
"When's mommy getting home?"
"Soon. But I told her I would cook dinner."
"Mac and Cheese."
"Okay." Emma made the dinner and they spent the night watching movies and playing video games.
At exactly midnight, Rachel pulled into the driveway. Emma and Ryan were asleep on the couch. She went to pick up and Ryan and put him to bed but she accidentally woke up Emma. Emma swooped in and put Ryan to bed. Rachel knew in a few minutes the fighting would begin.
"What's your excuse this time."
"I told you I had to work. Someday you'll understand."
"I'll never understand how a job can be more important then watching my daughter's first high school performance."
"You'll have more, you are very talented. "
"How would you know you have seen one of my plays for the past four years."
"Here we go again."
"Yep, you knew I had this play for months. You promised you would be there for the opening performance on Tuesday but work came up then. So you said you come Wednesday but you did not, then it was Thursday but nope work cut in. Last night I was crying because I knew you would not come but you promised me you would make it. Why did you even bother getting my hopes up."
"I'm sorry."
"I know you don't really mean that because if you meant sorry every time you said it. You'd have had to quit your job by now." Emma stopped talking for a second to catch her breath. "Everyone was there except you, Grandma and Grandpa, Gellar and Green, Aunt Monica and even dad. I'm not in the mood to fight but just think about this, is your work the most important thing in your life, because your only daughter is being hurt so badly by it, it better be dam important."
Emma ran into her room and slammed the door.
"Emma! Emma, open this door right now."
Emma opened the door a crack. "I don't want to cry anymore so if you're going to stick up for yourself more, I don't care to hear it."
"You know what, you should go live with your dad."
"Maybe I should", and she slammed the door again.
Rachel began to cry, Emma was always a mommy's girl. When Ross and Rachel broke up, she clung to Rachel's side. She said she hated her father forever. She had never said anything about living with him. Ever.
Emma was fourteen and had just started high school. Her mother and father aren't married and she has a younger brother Ryan who is four. He was born while her parents started dating again. After Ryan was born they were going to move in together and be a real family but for some reason her mom called it off. Emma could remember her parents fighting over something, she always wondered what. She always knew it was her dad who ruined it thought because of the countless I'm sorry messages.
She was very active in the drama department and for the first time in LaGuardia High's history she, a freshman was the lead in the school's fall play. On the last day of performances she had looked into the crowd searching for her mother. She didn't make it again. Backstage Emma began to clean up her make up with her friends.
"Did anyone see my mom?"
"Nope, Sorry Em."
"She didn't show again." Emma packed her bag and headed home for the weekend. Outside her Aunt was waiting in her Porsche.
"Hey Sweetie."
"Hey Aunt Mon. Where's Mom."
"She said she'll explain later. Nice work by the way. The play was awesome."
"You saw me?"
"Yep. Your mom called 20 minutes before it started and asked me to pick you up at seven."
"So being the super Aunt you are, you decided to come early and watch."
"Yep."
"I love you, Aunt Mon."
"I love you too. "
Monica dropped her off and Emma walked into the house. As always, the answering machine was blinking. "Hey Honey, Ryan is getting dropped off at eight. I will bring dinner just make sure you both are ready to eat when I get home. I will be home around eight thirty. Love you Hun bye." Emma knew eight thirty meant midnight. As always, it was a plea for forgiveness. Ever since her father and mother spilt up four years ago, she had thrown herself into her work. Emma's father did the same; he had slept with someone when he got drunk. They got divorced shortly after and her mom was emotionally suffering still. She would lie awake and cry almost every night.
At eight, Ryan came blowing through the door, their father right behind him. "Hey sis."
"Hey, Ry" Their father set his bag down and went to give a hug but she moved. Emma hated the fact that he had broken up the family. No matter how sorry she knew he was.
"Where's your mom?"
"At work were else."
"Well, I can't pick up Ryan tomorrow. I have to fly out to Arizona tonight."
"Fine. I'll tell her."
"Look, Emma, I really wish you would talk to me."
"Daddy, I know your sorry but just let me be for now. I need to feel secure to talk to you, I know you would never mean to hurt me intentionally, it's just hard."
"I still love you, don't you ever forget that."
"I know." Her gave her a hug. "Ryan, Daddy's leaving."
You could hear him come running down the hall. "Bye, Daddy."
"Bye buddy, I see you in a few days. I love you."
"Love you too, Daddy." Ross, set his son down and left.
"So, Ry, what do you want for dinner?"
"When's mommy getting home?"
"Soon. But I told her I would cook dinner."
"Mac and Cheese."
"Okay." Emma made the dinner and they spent the night watching movies and playing video games.
At exactly midnight, Rachel pulled into the driveway. Emma and Ryan were asleep on the couch. She went to pick up and Ryan and put him to bed but she accidentally woke up Emma. Emma swooped in and put Ryan to bed. Rachel knew in a few minutes the fighting would begin.
"What's your excuse this time."
"I told you I had to work. Someday you'll understand."
"I'll never understand how a job can be more important then watching my daughter's first high school performance."
"You'll have more, you are very talented. "
"How would you know you have seen one of my plays for the past four years."
"Here we go again."
"Yep, you knew I had this play for months. You promised you would be there for the opening performance on Tuesday but work came up then. So you said you come Wednesday but you did not, then it was Thursday but nope work cut in. Last night I was crying because I knew you would not come but you promised me you would make it. Why did you even bother getting my hopes up."
"I'm sorry."
"I know you don't really mean that because if you meant sorry every time you said it. You'd have had to quit your job by now." Emma stopped talking for a second to catch her breath. "Everyone was there except you, Grandma and Grandpa, Gellar and Green, Aunt Monica and even dad. I'm not in the mood to fight but just think about this, is your work the most important thing in your life, because your only daughter is being hurt so badly by it, it better be dam important."
Emma ran into her room and slammed the door.
"Emma! Emma, open this door right now."
Emma opened the door a crack. "I don't want to cry anymore so if you're going to stick up for yourself more, I don't care to hear it."
"You know what, you should go live with your dad."
"Maybe I should", and she slammed the door again.
Rachel began to cry, Emma was always a mommy's girl. When Ross and Rachel broke up, she clung to Rachel's side. She said she hated her father forever. She had never said anything about living with him. Ever.