Ch.4
The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by. It was Monday morning. Phoebe was rushing around the house, trying to go as fast as she could. She was late enough for work. She had to be in at 7:15 and it was already 7:30. She stood impatiently by the door, waiting for the two kids. She knew that they were taking their time getting ready and she knew why. They were both hurt and mad. Cole had stopped by to see them almost everyday for the past 4 ½ weeks, since the day he had left. The last day that he had seen them, last Thursday, he said that he would take them to the zoo on Friday, the movies on Saturday, and the carnival on Sunday. But, he never came. That had hurt them. They were mad at him because their daddy left them and they were mad at her because they somehow knew that their mommy hurt their daddy and he left.
"Ashley, Jeffrey, let's go. I have to drop you off at Aunt Piper's," she said. She saw Ashley come down the hallway and stop at the end, near the kitchen door. Ashley just stood there, staring at her mother, her shoes in her hands. Jeffrey was standing behind her, doing the same. Phoebe felt sorry for them, but she knew also that if she didn't get to work and soon, that she was going to lose her job. She sighed before closing her eyes and silently cursing to herself. Once she opened her eyes, she opened the front door, picked up both of them, and put them into the car, before taking off.
It was three hours later. Ashley sat in the living room of her Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo's house, with their daughter, Melinda. She was only a year younger than Ashley and her 5th birthday had just passed. They were closer to each other than anyone else. Jeffrey was upstairs with their Aunt Prue and Uncle Andy's son, AJ. He was named after their Uncle Andy. He was the same age as Jeffrey and they were just as close as Melinda and Ashley were.
"Ashley, are you ok?" Melinda asked. Ashley shook her head.
"No, I miss my daddy," Ashley replied, tears coming to her eyes. "He said that he was going to some see me and Jeffrey and take us places but he didn't. I don't want to go home with my mommy. She is always on the phone with someone and never listens to Jeffrey and me anymore. Only daddy does, but I haven't seen him for a long time. I don't want to go home with mommy. I want to live with daddy," she added. Melinda got up from where she was sitting and walked over to her favorite cousin and hugged her. Piper stood in the doorway and heard everything that had been said. Everything that she heard had gotten her angry and she was going to make sure to have a talk with her little sister later. About 3 more hours passed and finally Phoebe walked into the Manor.
"Hey, anyone home," she called out.
"In here," Piper called back. Phoebe put her keys down and walked into the kitchen, only to see all three of her sisters sitting there.
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked.
"Phoebe, about 3 hours ago, I heard Mel and Ashley talking in the living room. Mel asked Ashley if she was alright and Ashley said that she misses Cole and that she doesn't want to go home with you," Piper replied.
"What?" Phoebe asked confused.
"She said that you never listen to her or Jeffrey anymore and you are only on the phone with someone all the time. She said that only Cole listens to them, but they haven't seen him in a while. Phoebe she wants to live with Cole," Piper replied. Phoebe just stared at all three of her sisters, angry. She didn't need this today. She was having a bad day today and her daughter acting like this was not going to make it any better. She looked at them once more, before turning around and walking into the hallway.
"Ashley! Jeffrey! Let's go. We are going home now!" she yelled upstairs. They both came running down.
"Phoebe, please don't go. Don't do anything stupid or anything that you are going to regret," Prue said. Phoebe heard her but just continued to walk out the door with the kids. Paige decided that it was her turn to try and ran after her.
"Phoebe, wait," Paige said. But, she still didn't stop. "PHOEBE!" she yelled as she watched her older sister speed off down the road with her niece and nephew.
