I've been listening to the song Every Other Weekend by Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney and I really really wanted to a Sole one shot to it so I thought what the heck just go for it. So here it is!
It's been a little over a year and a half since Starr Thornhart became Starr Manning again. Starr and Cole had been married for 6 years before things started to turn for the worst and they decided it wasn't going to work. With their parents splitting up it tore their two children Hope (who is 8) and Patrick (who is 4) apart. They were sad, confused and somewhat angry that they had to be the kids with the divorced parents. The kids lived with Starr but every other weekend they got to spend time with Cole.
Every Other Friday
"Hope, Patrick come one we got to go meet daddy" Starr said as she grabbed her keys and purse and head for the door.
Hope and Patrick came running down the stairs with their bags at the mention of Cole. Starr knew how much they loved their father and how happy it made the kids and him to have that time together even though it was short.
Its toys and clothes and backpacks
She got the kids in the car all buckled in.
"Mommy why can't daddy just stay here with us? When is he going to come back home again?" asked Patrick who still hoped that one day his parents would get back together.
"Honey…" Starr turned around to face her son "We already talked about this, daddies coming home. This isn't his home anymore. I'm sorry baby"
The look one Patrick's face broke her heart, even though she saw that look often every time it broke he heart in two and made her feel even more guilty for letting her marriage fall apart. She turned back around took one last look at her son and turned the key as the car started.
Is everybody in?
Ok let's go see dad
Cole pulled up the parking lot got out of the car and leaned against the hood as he waited or his kids and the once love o his life and every other weekend he thought the same thing...'maybe she still is'.
Same time in the same spot
Corner of the same old parking lot
As Cole came out his thoughts he saw Starr's car drive up the road and into the parking lot. Starr stepped out of the car and opened up Hope's door and she leaped out the car and ran over to Cole who bent down as she jumped into his arms and yelled "Daddy!"
Cole held on to his little girl and closed his eyes taking in yet another moment he knew would end. "Hey baby girl".
Starr walked over to the over side of the car and got Patrick out of his car seat and set him down on the ground and he ran just as Hope did straight to Cole. Cole released Hope and opened his arms up again as his son ran to him and jumped into his arms wrapping his arms around Cole neck.
As he embraced his son he lifted his head and his eyes set on Starr who was holding the kids stuff and his thought 'what ever happened that could make us this far apart? Why didn't I fix it? What went wrong with us?'
As Patrick let go of his grip on his Cole stood up and looked at Starr again who remained on the other side of the parking lot by her car "Hey Starr".
As Starr walked over towards Cole's car she quietly said "Cole" but it was still heard. Once she stopped she went down to her kid's eye level and said "Okay guys give mommy hug and kisses before you go"
Both kids at the same time wrapped their arms around Starr neck and she held onto them trying not to cry. They told her they loved her "I love you more my angels" she said as they released their grip over her neck and she gave each of them a kiss on the head and cheek and both gave her a kiss on each cheek.
Half the hugs and kisses
there are always sad
"I want you to be good for daddy, and have fun ok?"
"We will mommy" Hope said with Patrick shaking his head up and down in agreeing.
Cole dropped his head looking at ground not being able to take the sight of Starr and his kids hurting. From day one he always swore he wouldn't be the one to hurt his family, but that was exactly where they were today and it was all his fault. If he had only thought he and Starr could work through their problems, if only he could have convinced her they could've worked.
"That's my baby's. Ok mommy loves you to the moon and back. Now go have fun" Starr said trying to hold back the tears she could feel forming.
"Bye mom" Hope said
"Bye peanut" Starr said with a smile.
"Bye bye mommy" said Patrick in a fun bubbly voice which caused Starr to laugh.
"Bye sweetie" she said through her laughter.
After one last hug from both kids they turned and went to Cole as he out the stuff in the car that Starr had just handed to him. Hope got into the car and waited or Cole and Patrick. Cole finished putting the stuff in the car than picked up Patrick and put him the back into the car seat. As Cole lifted his bead out of the car he looked toward Starr who was already on her way to her car.
Starr got into her car started it up and drove off tiring her hardest not to look back as she already had tears in her eyes and knew she would totally break if she looked, but she wasn't as strong as she hoped and she looked into the rearview mirror and saw Cole getting into the front seat and driving away in the other direction and what she knew would happen did, she broke down in tears thinking about how it used to be.
We trade a couple words and looks and kids again
Every Other Weekend
Every Other Weekend
Very few exceptions
I pick up the love we made in both my arms
As Cole walked into his apartment he had a child in each arm with each other them holding their stuff. He set them down and they went into their rooms and out their stuff in there and came back out.
Its movies on the sofa
They each picked a movie that they agreed on and watched it with Cole sitting between them. As the movie played Cole watched his kids and every look, every expression, every smile reminded him more and more of Starr and what they had. What he wished they still had. He loved seeing his kids and getting his time with them, he just wished he got to see them more and had more time with them. Most of all he wished that they could be a family again him, Starr and the kids…the way it used to be, the way it was supposed to be.
Grilled cheese and cut the crust off
The kids sat at the table as Cole prepared their dinner of grille cheese sandwiches. He brought a plate with one on it over to each child. They took a bite and swallowed but with a look of disappointment on their faces.
"What's wrong? I thought you guy's loved grilled cheese." Cole said surprised at the response his children had to their dinner.
"We do it just…" Hope said getting interrupted by Patrick.
"But it's not the way mommy makes it daddy" said Patrick as he looked down.
"But that's not the way mom makes it daddy" breaks my heart
Cole's face fell and it hurt him. He didn't want show the kids so he quickly turned around and said "Ok well about I whip you guys up come chicken nuggets. Is that good?"
Both kids shook their heads yes and went back into the living room to watch a movie and wait for dinner.
After the kids left the room he looked down at the sandwiches picked one up and took a bite.
"There right. It's not the way she makes it" Cole said as his eyes filled with tears and he picked up the plates dumped the food in the trash and put the plates in the sink. He quickly whipped the tears in his eyes and put on his best smile as he walked into the living room to hang out with the kids while the oven heated up,
Later that night Cole put the kids to bed and went to his room and looked at his bed, which was oversized for just one person. He went over to the bed climbed in and looked at the side that was empty…the side Starr would sleep in if she as there. He rolled over and opened the door of the night stand and pulled out a picture of him, Starr, and the kids that was taken just a few weeks before it all went wrong...it was supposed to be their Christmas card that year. He remembered the day they went to have those pictures taken. Starr took forever to get ready, even though they were very simple pictures. They wore white long sleeve shirts with regular blue jeans and socks.
*FLASHBACK*
"Starr come on, we don't have all say to do this…the place does have a closing time you know" Cole called up to her from the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm coming I'm coming" Starr said as she walked down the stairs with Patrick on her hip. "Where's Hope?"
"She's already in the car. We were ready 15 minutes ago" Cole said with a sarcastic look
"Well I just want this to be perfect, I need to look my best" She said with a smile.
"You look beautiful…you always do" He said as he planted a soft kiss on her lips.
"Ok, now your one that's going to make us late mister…isn't that right Patrick, daddy's going to make us late and then no Christmas card for the Thornharts" She said in a childlike voice as she talked to Patrick who was a toddler.
"Ok ok you win lets go" Cole said as they head for the door and out to the car.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
As he looked at the picture he remembered that day like it was yesterday. They laughed the whole time…making funny faces as they look pictures, tickling one of the kids or one of the parents. That was one of his last happy memories of them and it broke his heart that he had it all and lost it for a reason neither he nor Starr really understood.
They were fighting all the time over pointless things that they used to never fight over…but he quickly got away from those bad times and remembered the day they had with smiles, laughs, and kisses.
I miss everything I use to have with her again
Every Other Weekend
But I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
Cause there's too many questions and
Ears in the car
So I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's (He's) over me, that's where we are
So we're as close as we might ever be again
Every Other Weekend
Every Other Saturday
Starr woke up that morning and looked over at the side the love of her life used to lay in, it hurt everyday to be in the house they bought together and were supposed to raise their family in. And every room had memories both good and bad and clung to those memories never wanting to forget how happy he made her and all the love and happiness he gave her and the two most beautiful children she could have ever asked for.
But every other weekend it never got easier, it was always weird for her not waking up to the kids jumping up and down on the bed or waking up to look over and see Cole asleep or waking up to his kissing her. She took a deep breath and grabbed the remote to turn the TV on.
First thing in the mornin'
I turn the TV on to make the quiet go away
She turned it on and was not surprised at all when she was a home video of them playing. She never took that video out of the DVD player. She watched the screen and watched as she saw the camera entering the bedroom she was in now and saw herself in the chair that was in corner while she sang to Hope who was about 4 and Patrick who was just a little baby before bedtime.
"and I know I'll cry on your wedding day as I watch your father give you away, and I'll bow my head pray you find all your dreams, and thank god for every day he's given me…these sweet angels of mine" Starr sang and the kids were out cold. She looked up and saw Cole with the camera and whispered "What do you think you are doing handsome?"
"Just taping your American idol audition tape" Cole said with a goofy grin that made her heart sore.
"Hmmm...Very funny mister" Starr said as she tried to stand up with each child in an arm but was having trouble so Cole set the camera down on the table but they were still in view of the lens.
"Here I'll take Hope." Cole said as he took Hope from Starr's arms.
Starr looked up at Cole and smiled at him and just stared at him.
"What?" He said confused on why she was looking at him.
"It's just even after all these years you still amaze me…I love you I always will" She said with so much love.
"You do the same thing to me, you have no idea. I love you so much...always" Cole said with just as much love.
Starr turned the TV off and buried her face in her pillow as she cried. Why couldn't she have those days back? Why couldn't she be that happy again? Couldn't one night go by where she doesn't cry? Being in that house, in that bed only made her memories flood back and make her even more upset. She lifted her head off her pillow and went into the night stand for some tissues and grabbed the tissues but under them was the baby name book and she just stared at it and got lost in the memory of when they were picking out baby names for Patrick.
Starr and her 7 month pregnant belly sat on the bed with Cole beside her as they flipped through the book looking for the perfect baby name. (A/N they don't know the sex of the baby)
"What about Alice for a girl?" Starr said still looking at the book.
"Like the girl in the movie?" Cole said and Starr looked over at him and shook her head yes "That movie is about an acid trip...I don't think so"
"What do you think about Summer?"
"Well im more of a spring person myself, ya know not to hot, not to cold. Baseball starts and…" Cole looked at Starr who was laughing so hard she was about crying. "What?"
Starr calmed down her laughing a little and wiped her eyes that were watery from all the laughter "I mean the name…what do you think of the name Summer"
"Ohhhh" Cole said feeling really stupid "Like the season? You want to name our child after a season?"
"Yeah it is a little weird…haha I'm more of a spring person? Ohh you…Cole Thornhart what am I going to do with you?" Starr said trying not to laugh at him.
"Ok no more making fun of Cole, back to baby names. What if we have a boy?"
"Well I was thinking what if we name him Patrick, you know after you father?" Starr said with a hopeful smile.
"Really? I love it!" He said as he kissed her.
Starr came out of her daze and back into the silence and loneliness. Wishing even more things could be the way they were. She didn't like being alone because that's when she broke, when she lost it, when she really remembered everything she no longer has.
I know why, but I don't know why
We ever let this happen
Fallin' for forever was a big mistake
There's so much not to do, and all day not to do it in
Every Other Weekend
Every Other Sunday
Sunday afternoon it was time for Cole to take the kids back to their mother. He and the kids had lunch got all their stuff together and were out the door.
Starr stood outside her car as she saw Cole's car pull into the parking lot and park. Hope jumped out the seat and ran to hug her mother while Cole got Patrick out and set him down and he ran to Starr has well. Starr hugged both her kids with all her might. "Mommy" they both exclaimed as they hugged their mother. Starr kissed both their heads as they squeezed each other. "Oh I missed you to so much." She said.
I empty out my backseat
While my children hug their mother in the parking lot
Cole grabbed the kid's bags from the car and walked over to them as Starr released the kids from the hug and they went over and hugged their father both told him they loved him and said the same and kissed them goodbye and they climbed into the car. Hope put Patrick in as she saw an opportunity for her parents to be able.
"Hi Starr" Cole said as he looked at her.
"Hi Cole" She said as he handed her the kids stuff and she took it and turned away. As she turned Cole grabbed her hand causing her to turn around. They both stared into each other eyes and for the rare moment things were the way they were before they drifted apart. The love in their eyes was undeniable and it took everything in Starr to pull her hand away slowly but she pulled it away, turned around and got into her car and drove off keeping back the tears not wanting to break down in front of the kids.
Then she drives away with every piece of heart I've got
I reconvince myself we did the right thing
Every Other Weekend
Cole stood and watched her drive away, yet again letting her get away and he was still only more convinced that they could have worked it out and that maybe they still had a shot…maybe they could that family again…one day. But he still wasn't sure, he couldn't tell her how he felt, he was the one who walked out, he was the one who left.
As Starr drove she held back the tears that she knew she would have falling down her face as soon as she was alone. She still loved him, god did she still love him. But she couldn't let him know that…he may have left but she was the one to get the divorce papers, she was the one who told him it wouldn't work. Maybe one day she will be strong enough to admit her feelings, but today was not that day.
One day maybe they will be strong enough to admit that they need each other that they love each other, but until that day they would still go on every other weekend.
So I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
Cause there's too many questions and
Ears in the car
So I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's (He's) over me, that's where we are
So we're as close as we might ever be again
Every Other Weekend
Yeah for fifteen minutes we're a family again
God I wish that he was still with me again
Every Other Weekend
I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to review and let me know what you think of it =D