I hope that you like this story, i drew some of my inspiration from the fanfiction written by FrancesOfTheHamptons: Summer 1993: What if.
Amanda turned off her alarm, turned around and noticed that her little sister was cuddled up behind her, she smiled and slowly unwrapped herself from her, ever since Charlotte was smaller she always liked to go in her older sister's bed after she had nightmares, Amanda didn't mind though. After getting changed she went back in the room to find Charlotte still sleeping soundly on her bed, so she decided to leave her be for the meantime and went to check if she put everything she needed in her suit case, she was really excited because they were going to go stay in the beach house this summer and they hadn't been there since Victoria's ex husband Conrad was arrested, since then she and her son Daniel starting living with them, at first they didn't really get along with them but Victoria's pregnancy with Charlotte brought everyone together, in time she realised that Victoria wasn't as bad as she seemed. In the kitchen David was cooking some breakfast when Victoria came downstairs and hugged him from behind.
''Morning David.''
''Morning Vic did you sleep well?''
''Of course why wouldn't i.''
''I don't know, i just thought that you might be nervous about going back to the Hamptons.''
''Oh David, it's been 10 years i'm going to be fine, it's Daniel that i'm worried about. I wonder if it's too much for him.''
''Daniel's strong he'll be alright and if he isn't we'll all be there for him.''
''Thank you , you always know what to say to make me feel better.'' She kissed him gently and sat down, Amanda came down the stairs beaming of joy.
''Morning all.''
''Morning dear, you're in a good mood this morning.'' Victoria remarked.
''Of course i am, we're finally going back to the beach house this summer.''
''Well you deserved it, after all you passed your exams with flying colors.'' David kissed her forehead.
''Charlotte's really going to love it there.''
''Speaking of which, is she in your bed again? I couldn't find her in her bedroom this morning.''
''Yeah i'll go wake her up now.''
''Wake up your brother too.'' David added.
''Isn't he old enough to wake himself up?''
''I know but you know how he is.''
''Fine.''
She sighed and dragged herself upstairs, she knocked on his door and when she opened it, he was sitting on the bed looking towards her and smirked.
''I didn't say you could come in, what would you have done if i was naked?'' She ignored his comment.
''Mom and dad wanted me to check that you were awake, breakfast is ready downstairs.''
''Yeah i'll be down in a minute.'' Amanda closed the door and headed towards her own room where she found Charlotte sitting on her bed.
''Look who's finally up, did you have a nightmare last night?''Charlotte silently nodded.
''Well breakfast is ready downstairs so get ready. Did you pack all of your stuff?''
''Yep, Amanda is it true that you used to have a dog while you were there?''
''Uh uh, his name was Sammy. I wanted to keep him but dad said that we couldn't take him with us so i gave him to an old friend.'' Charlotte saddened after she heard that.
''I'm sorry it must have been hard to give him up.''
''Yeah but it was better for him, i'm sure that he was well taken care of.''
''Can i meet Sammy?''
''Of course, i'm sure that you'll love him. Now get dressed and come eat some breakfast.''
''Okay.''
Charlotte went back to her own room and Amanda went back downstairs where Daniel was already having breakfast while Victoria and David were reading the newspaper, she grabbed something to eat and joined them at the table. David and Victoria were both aware that Daniel and Amanda didn't get along, over the years they had tried to find ways to get them to bond but in the end the only thing they really had in common was Charlotte and the fact that they had both lost a parent, the only difference was that Amanda's mother was killed in a car crash when she was a kid and that Daniel's father was arrested for downing a plane and later killed in jail during a prison fight. Conrad died 1 year after he was arrested so Daniel was still 8 at the time, even before the arrest he didn't see much of his father because he was always at work so he didn't remember much of him. At school they mostly avoided eachother and since they hung around different groups of people it was pretty easy for the most of it, Amanda had her best friends Nolan and Emily plus her ex boyfriend Aiden, Daniel had Tyler and his on and off girlfriend Ashley. David cleared his throat and tryed to make an attempt to break the akward silence.
''So Daniel are you looking forward to this trip?''
''Yeah it sounds like fun dad. I'm gonna miss Tyler and Ashley though.''
''It's just for the summer Daniel, plus i thought that you had broken up with Ashley.''
''Yeah but we decided to stay friends.'' Amanda rolled her eyes inwardly, it amazed her how dense Daniel was sometimes, everyone could see that Ashley still liked him exept for him and the reason she decided to stay friends with him is so that she could keep other girls away.
''That's great! I'm sure that you'll find the right girl for you eventually.''
Charlotte came down the stairs in that moment and the mood seemed to lighten when she came. Soon after breakfast they put their suitcases in the car and went to the Hamptons, it was just as they all remembered. Victoria walked up to the porch and looked up to Grayson Manor, though it was obviously not called that anymore, while looking at it she remembered those lonely and empty nights she used to spend there with that monster Conrad, of course she was grateful to him for Daniel but that was it because in the end she never loved him. David saw that Victoria was lost in thought so he took her in his arms.
''Vic are you okay?'' She smiled at him.
''Always when i'm with you.''
Victoria felt so lucky to have found David, she owed him a lot for , taking she and her son in all those years back, for treating Daniel like a son, for Charlotte, for Amanda who is like a daughter to Victoria and for loving her and accepting her with all of the flaws that she had. Amanda in the meanwhile was showing Charlotte around, the house still looked the same as before exept for the fact that it had aged a bit. While David was making lunch everyone else was taking their luggage to their rooms and putting their stuff away. At one point Amanda opened her draw and found something really unexpected, a picture of her mother and her, she hadn't seen this picture of her in a really long time, her mother had died when she was a lot smaller so she didn't remember anything exept that she liked to paint just like she did. Victoria decided to check on Amanda and when she went in her room she noticed that she was holding something.
''Hey mom, what's up?''
''I was just checking up on you.''
''I'm not a kid anymore, i'm 19 now.'' Victoria sat down next to her on her bed.
''I know but i can't stop worrying about my children. What are you holding there?''
''Oh i just found an old picture of my mother in my drawer.'' Victoria looked at the picture and smiled.
''I'm sure that she'd be proud of you if she was still here, as am i.''
''Thanks mom.'' Victoria kissed her forehead and went to help David with the food, Victoria couldn't help but feel bad for lying to her for all these years and when she came downstairs David noticed her bad mood.
''Victoria what's wrong?''
''It's just.. i don't like having to lie to Amanda about Kara.''
''I know but it's better this way.''
''But what if she finds out? What if Kara comes back?''
''Trust me she's not coming back anytime soon.''
''Who's not coming back anytime soon?'' Charlotte asked looking confused at her parents, Victoria glanced quickly at David before she went over to Charlotte.
''Don't worry, it's nothing. Lunch is almost ready so why don't you call your brother and sister, okay?'' She nodded silently and ran back upstairs.
''That was really close.''
''Too close.''
Victoria retorted before leaving the room. The truth was that David and Kara might have loved eachother once but as the years passed that love died and honestly David wanted to have a divorce, then Amanda came and he remembered holding her for the first time, he loved Amanda more than anything and he was willing to live with a person he no longer had feelings for just to make her happy but as he later found out Kara wouldn't do that. At the start it looked like Kara really loved Amanda but as the years went by she started being more absent at home, eventually David realised that she was having an affair but it didn't matter to him as long as she came home and acted like the loving mother she was supposed to be, instead Kara became more irritable and started seeing Amanda more as a burdain than her own flesh and blood. One day she packed a suitcase and left, not even one mention of goodbye to her daughter, just a letter saying that she was leaving with her boyfriend Gordon. When the moment came that Amanda started asking what had happened to her mother David couldn't bear to tell her the truth because he knew that it would just break her heart and she didn't deserve it. She cried and mourned but in the end she was left with a few happy memories and a notion that her mother loved her, it was a lie but it was to save her from the cruel truth, that the woman who gave birth to her would leave her and never come back.
''Hey dad what wrong?'' Daniel asked him after seeing the sad look on his face.
''Huh, oh it's nothing.''