Chapter 1:
Those ten blissful days that Ephram Brown and Amy Abbott spent together in New York before the start of Ephram's studies at Julliard were full of love, happiness, and most of all—satisfaction. Ephram had always known he was meant to be with her; he felt it every time he saw her tuck her bangs behind her ears, heard her musical laughter, and smelled her warm vanilla scent.
"Ephram!" Amy squealed between high-pitched giggles. The couple had been sitting on the edge of a large fountain. Ephram had his arm around Amy while she leaned her head back on his shoulder. They were chatting lightheartedly. When a moment of silence came, Ephram reached his free hand behind him and flicked water at his new girlfriend. God, it feels good to think that, Ephram thought happily.
Amy's clothes were now thoroughly wet. She didn't let him get away with splashing her that easily though—he was soaked too. "Ephram," she laughed, "we have to stop. People are going to call us down for acting crazy."
"Fine," he said, putting his hands on her waist. She put her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips. She chuckled. This was the first time she had realized that he had gotten considerably taller since last year.
"Are you hungry?" Ephram asked her.
"I could go for something," Amy replied. "Just no bagel shops, please," she joked.
Back in Everwood, ten-year-old Delia thrashed about in her bed. She mumbled things into her pillow, still asleep, before finally screaming. Two minutes later, Dr. Andy Brown was at her side.
"Delia," he shook her gently. "Delia, wake up, you're having a bad dream."
Delia turned over and opened her eyes slowly. She groaned. "Dad, what are you doing?"
"Are you okay, sweetie? You screamed in your sleep," Andy said. "I knew we shouldn't have went to that movie with the Abbott's. Did the Wolf Man scare you?"
"Yeah, but it's okay, Dad," Delia said, exasperated. "Bright was about to come and rescue me."
"What?" Andy said, confused.
"In the dream," Delia said, rolling her sleepy eyes.
"Oh," Andy said with a smile. "Well, I'll leave you alone then. Good night, sweetheart." He gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek and left.
Ephram decided to call and check up with his dad the next night. He picked up his cell phone from the nightstand of his dorm room and dialed his home number. He checked his watch. It was 7:30 PM back in Everwood.
"Hello?" Andy picked up on the third ring.
"Hey, Dad, what's up?" Ephram asked.
"Oh, nothing much…"
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Ephram."
"You sound really troubled."
"It's nothing you need to worry about."
Ephram sighed. "Okay. How's Delia?"
"She's doing great. She's over at Nina's playing with Sam right now."
Ephram could tell his father was smiling over the phone, but the cheeriness in his father's voice never sounded so fake. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay," Ephram said. "And so is Amy, so you can tell Dr. Abbott that."
"Sure."
"I'll talk to you later, Dad."
"Bye."
"Knock, knock, Ephram," Amy peeked her head around the corner. "Your door wasn't locked."
"Hey," he said, putting the phone back on the hook. "What are you doing here?"
"I took a cab. Is it too late?"
"No, no, it's not," he took her hand.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I guess so, but… it's just… my dad's been acting really strange."
Amy shrugged. "I'm sure he just misses you."
"Yeah… maybe."
There were a few moments of comfortable silence where the two teen lovers just stared into each other's eyes. Then Amy walked over to the bed and fell backwards onto it. Ephram slowly followed and sat down next to her. "You know," he said. "When I was with Madison, I really did love her, had these amazing feelings for her…" He trailed off.
"And?" Amy said softly, sitting up.
"But they weren't the same as the feelings I had with you. I've always liked you, Amy. And unlike with Madison, these feelings just won't go away. I mean, they haven't yet, and it's been two years."
"Are you saying you're over her?" Amy asked.
"Yeah. And totally into you."
Amy smiled as he kissed her long and slow—exactly the way he wanted this relationship to be.
Andy sat on the porch swing, rubbing his temples. It was late, and he definitely couldn't sleep. He couldn't believe he had even allowed Ephram to have the relationship with Madison. Now she was pregnant.
"Pregnant with my grandchild," Andy put his head in his hands, allowing a few tears to well up.
"Andy?" A soft, familiar voice rang out through the darkness.
Andy looked over with red eyes to see Nina standing on her own porch. "Nina," he said, surprised, "what are you doing up?"
"Well, probably not for the same reason you are," Nina said sadly, walking over.
"You heard me, huh?"
Nina sighed and sat down. "Well, it wasn't the first time."
"What do you mean? I…" Andy stopped, going over everything in his mind. "I told Edna," he then said sadly.
Nina nodded sympathetically.
"God… I've screwed up royally. Now everyone in Everwood probably knows."
"Except Ephram," Nina added.
"Well, and Amy. I guess this is going to be another one of those summers where I'm shunned upon."
"Has Madison decided what she's going to do yet?"
"No. Not yet. But I told her that I would support her in whatever she did."
"But you also told her not to tell Ephram."
Andy looked at his friend. "You think I'm wrong about this?"
"Well, I don't know, Andy, would you want someone keeping the fact that you had another son or daughter out there from you?"
Andy was silent as he thought about the dream incident he'd had with Delia the night before. "No," he said truthfully.
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Yes, there will be a chapter 2, of course! ;)