So, what happened after all the drama died down, and Charlotte grew up?

You don't even wanna get me started. Oh, too late. I'm going to tell you anyway.

But first, I must say, Emily never thought she would have a more dramatic adventure than the one she had in high school.

Her daughter, however, was determined to prove her wrong.


My family? Sometimes we're close, sometimes we're at each other's throats. But we like to put on the facade that we're the happy American dream family.

I, supposedly, was a good baby, the little Danforth miracle after my mom's miscarriage. My life was happy, and for a short while, my family was close.

It all started to go downhill when I was 3 and my mom told me she was pregnant again. I was so excited about having a new brother or sister. But then, tragedy struck. My mom had another miscarriage. She turned into someone I didn't know.

She didn't talk to me, she didn't look at me, she hardly came out of her room, and when she did, her face was either blank or red and puffy with tears. Of course, I had no idea what was going on, since I was 3.

But I'll never forget the conversation I finally conjured up the nerve to have with my dad.

"Daddy?" I toddled up to him. He was sitting on the couch, watching Uncle Troy on T.V. again.

"Hey there, Charlie." He picked me up and set me in his lap. I loved the nickanme he had given me, and I loved sitting in his lap watching the game with him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Does Mommy not love me anymore?" I asked seriously.

His face fell. "Sweetie, no, of course not. She still loves you. She'll always love you, just like I do." He pulled me close.

"Then why won't she talk to me? Why is she so sad?"

"She's sad because she wanted to have another baby, and God knew there was someting wrong with it and took it away from her so it could be safe."

"But why did she want another baby? What's wrong with me?"

"Oh, nothing, sweetie. She just thought you'd like a baby brother or sister." He hugged me tight.

"I missy Mommy."

"Me too, sweetie. Me too," he said quietly.

A few months later, I was awoken to the sound of my parents arguing in the kitchen. I crawled quietly downstairs to listen to them. I probably shouldn't have.

"Chad, just leave me alone," she said sternly, banging a pot down into the sink.

"Shh. You're going to wake up Charlie."

"For the last time, her name is Charlotte."

"Em, calm down. Why are you getting so worked up again?"

"Because! What if I can't have anymore children?"

"Then we have Charlie. Em, you're messing things up with her going on like this."

"Oh, so now I'm a horrible mother? Thanks, Chad."

"Emily! Stop this. Do you want her to end up like you? How you were with your mother?"

"Don't you dare mention that!"

"Baby, I'm begging you. Snap out of this funk."

"I'm not in a funk, Chad."

"Yes, you are. Even Derek says you're out of it at work."

There was silence for a long time, and I saw tears streaming down my mom's face.

"I'm just scared," she whispered.

Daddy walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't be. We had one miracle; who's to say we can't have another?"

"I'm failing, aren't I?"

"No. Not at all." He kissed her forehead. "She just misses you."

"I miss her," she said sadly.

And shortly after that, relations with my mother were better, but I was still close with my dad.

About two years later, my mom announced she was pregnant again, and this time I got a baby brother -- Nathaniel. We called him Nate or Nathan, though.

Once we got older, the differences between Nate and I became quite apparent. I was more like my Dad, not only in appearance, but I loved sports.

Nate, however, stuck by my mother's side. He did sometimes do things with Dad. He did more with Dad than I did with Mom. I just don't think I ever got over what happened when I was 3. I felt likt the minute I got close to her, she'd just close herself up again.

Dad knew I felt like this, because he tried and tried to tell me different, but I just wouldn't listen. I was stubborn like my mother.

"I don't look like her," I said while I was pulling on my tennis shoes.

He laughed softly. "Yes. You do."

"I have curly brown hair. That's from you." I looked at him.

"Only the curls part. Your mother's hair was that color when you were born."

I didn't respond. I just pretended to be absorbed in tying my shoes.

"Charlie, she had a rough life. Cut her some slack."

"She doesn't like me."

"What are you talking about? She loves you!"

"She doesn't like me because I don't sing or like musicals or like to write or any of that stuff."

"She just doesn't know how to connect with you, that's all." He looked at me.

"She doesn't want to connect with me, Dad."

"Trust me. She wants more than anything to have a better relationship with you."

"Well why isn't she trying?!" I looked up at him, frustrated tears in my eyes.

His face fell and his arm wrapped around me. "She is trying, Charlie. You're just not letting her in."

I wiped my eyes. "Let's just go."

"Charlie..."

I stood up and walked to the car.

Things didn't get much better than that conversation. Dad would always tell me things like 'She had a rough childhood' or 'You just don't understand what she's been through', but he never explained it further.

After Uncle Troy retired from basketball, he became an announcer for ESPN, so when he wasn't working, I loved spending time with him as well.

"Well, your dad's right. She's been through more than anyone I know has. It's probably going to be hard. You just have to be patient," he told me.

"But what has she been through?"

He sighed and looked at me for a while, as if trying to figure out what he should say. "I don't think..." he sighed, "I don't think I should tell you. It's Emily -- your mother's -- personal business, and I don't know if she wants you to know."

"But Uncle Troy!"

"Just...ask your mom. She might tell you."

Well there was no way I was going to ask my mom what gave her the right to just practically ignore me. Okay, maybe that's a little over dramatic, but still!

Anyways, now I'm going to be a junior in high school, and my relationship with my mom isn't any better.


Little did Charlotte know, it was about to get much worse.

Little did Emily know, her daughter was about to test her past experiences more than ever.

Here's their story.