Emily stood by the door and looked around. Jennifer's room was decorated with balloons and flowers and stuffed animals were all around her. She loved this family so much and it killed her to not be a part of it anymore.
"Emily will you sit down" Jennifer said indicating to the chair right next to her bed. "Just because you and my dad are seperated, doesn't mean I'll bite"
Emily looked around the room again and finally sat down. "I'm sorry" she said, out of the blue.
"Sorry? For what" Jenn was confused. Why was Emily apologizing? She didn't have anything to do with her losing her baby and nothing else mayor had been going on that she knew of.
"For this whole mess between my and your dad. This can't be easy for you on top of everything else" Emily kept fidgeting with her hands, trying to avoide the dissapointed and angry look in Jennifer's eyes.
When she finally did look up, she saw neither of those things. Instead, she saw confusion and a desire to understand.
She took a deep breath and tried to explain what had been going on in her life lately. If she was really honest with herself, it wasn't just to make Jenn understand, it was to make herself understand the whole mess as well.
"Your dad and I have been drifting apart lately" she said, trying to choose the right words to describe it. "Look, I know I told your dad and everyone else that this all started because he was never home, but the truth is... it started way before that"
Jenn looked confused. She never noticed any problems in her father's marriage before. Ofcourse, she hadn't really been as involved in his life as she should have been, but still...
"I know I haven't been as closely involved in your lives like I used to be before I left for Europe, but I know you guys and I know you love eachother"
Before Emily could interupt, Jennifer went on "Look, when I was a mess over what happened between me and Billy, you were right there to help me and I clearly remember you telling me all the right things. I know things must be a little diffirent when it's you, but you have always known just what to do and you'll do it now"
It wasn't exactly what Jennifer had first intended to say, but telling her stepmother that she was crazy for sleeping with her brother and walking out on her husband was not what Emily needed to hear.
She really felt a burning desire to tell Emily exactly what was on her mind, but she also knew her well enough to know that that wasn't going to have the effect she wanted her words to have,
Emily looked at her stepdaughter and smiled. "I miss these talks we used to have" She said, thinking back to the times when she and Jenn would talk for hours about what Jenn was feeling.
After Barbara left and Emily started coming by more often en eventually moved in, she had always been there for Jenn and she had never forgotten that.
"Me too"Jenn said "But we shouldn't have too miss them. We both live in Oakdale for God's sake, what's stopping us from having these talks more often?"
Emily laughed and a smile formed on her face. "I don't know. I geuss I just wasn't sure that you really feel the same way about me that you did"
"Why wouldn't I? Just because you and my dad are having some problems doesn't mean I don't love you anymore"
Tears formed in Emily's eyes as she heard Jenn tell her she loved her.
"I love you too sweetie, I always have" She got up and gave Jenn a hug.
When she pulled back, she whiped the tears off off Jenn's face as well as her own and sat back down in the chair.
Jennifer gigled and Emily looked at her with confusion.
"What is it?" She said, curious.
"Nothing I was just thinking. Do you remember your first date with my dad?"
"How could I forget" Emily said, unconciously smiling at the memory.
"When I woke up the next morning and found my dad glueing back together a shoe, I thought he had lost his mind. But he told me that he had a very interesting evening the night before and that he realized something"
"What was that?"
"He said he was gonna help you realize how much fun you could have while being a nice girl"
"He said that?!" Em said, half angry and half amused.
"Yeah, said you stirred up something deep within him that hadn't been there for a while"
"Probably a feeling of repulsion" Emily said sarcastic.
"You know that's not true Em. And you know what else? That having fun while being a nice girl thing... it totally works for you"
To Be Continued...