Ella sat at her vanity and studied the face before her. Somehow, over the course of two months, she had grown up. Her childish dreams and thoughts had simply flitted away from her. The change had happened so rapidly that she barely had enough time to register it. But here she sat, admiring the grown woman peering back at her. Three weeks ago, her relationship with Taz had entered into something serious. She loved him, she was certain. Loved him enough to follow him to the ends of the earth- enough to give everything she had– including that one aspect of life a woman could never get back.

It would have all been kept a secret had Bonnie not riffled through her purse, searching for lip-gloss and finding a box of Trojan condoms.

" Tell me EVERYTHING ! ", Bonnie demanded as she placed the box of condoms in front of her older sister. She sat crossed legged at her older sister's feet-her big blue eyes wide with anticipation. Look at what a child she is, thought Ella in her new-found sense of maturity. She would divulge enough information to impress her precocious little sister and nothing more. Some things are special and would only stay between she and Taz.

"There's not much to tell. I just kind of happened." Ella replied in an off-handed manner. Before she could fully tell her little sister small tidbits of her exciting and romantic tale, she heard the rustling of the plush carpet as her bedroom door struggled to open.

Gerry's little body squeezed through the slight opening. He stood there freshly bathed in his beloved Paw Patrol jammies: the ones that he refused to be parted from. The pajama set was far too small for him now. His adorable little belly poked out from underneath the meager covering of the blue and white cotton shirt-revealing his protruding navel. Gerry was not necessarily tall for his age, but after repeated washings and overuse, even the pants fit snuggly under his belly and only went down to just below his knees.

" Your daddy is here, Ella… and your daddy is here, Bonnie…..and my daddy is here….and my mommy is here too….and I 'posed to tell Ella to go downstairs right now". Bonnie loudly groaned at her brother's continual distortion of their family. Four year old Gerry had trouble understanding that Wade and Ella had different fathers than he, Bonnie , and Cat – leading him to conclude that he and all of his siblings had different fathers …. and mothers.

" We have the SAME parents , Gerry ! Your daddy IS my daddy – and your mommy IS my mommy….mom" she corrected herself …. " TOO!"

Gerry's little lips formed a straight line of indignation as his soft facial features contorted in anger. " My mommy is MY mommy !" , he declared as he clenched his tiny fists.

" Yes, and she's MINE too. Believe me, I'd love to give her solely to you, but I can't ! Geez Gerry, how many times do I have to explain this to you. Mom is all of our mom. Daddy is your, mine, and Cat's daddy. Wade has a different daddy and so does Ella. So, obviously we " she stated as she pointed her finger back and forth between herself and her younger brother "have the SAME parents."

He thought about Bonnie's explanation for a moment before shaking his head-full of black curls in disapproval. With his huge hazel eyes , he looked at his sister apologetically. " I's sorry Bonnie…. you can't have my mommy".

Ella was ignoring this exchange between her brother and sister on parentage and was instead thinking of all the reasons why her dad was downstairs with her mom and step-father, wanting to talk to her. None of the scenarios in her head were good. She felt the beads of perspiration form on her forehead; the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Bonnie, you have to come to down there with me ."

" Um… no, thank you. There's no way I'd go down there with the tyrant all fired up." Bonnie was so often on the receiving end of her mother's anger that she was relieved that she had requested Ella and not her.

" How do you know mom's mad? They could just want to talk to me about college or something ."

Bonnie raised her eyebrow in indignation – she wasn't stupid. Ella's father wouldn't be down there with her mother because of anything pleasant. " Then why do you want me to go down there with you? Take Cat – she'll never yell in front of her like she does with us."

"Bonnie! You NEED to come down there with me!" Ella tightly grabbed her arm , turning the porcelain skin on her sister's slender arm an angry red. " No, Ella !" Bonnie yanked her arm away from Ella's grasp. Ella may have been taller than her by a good four inches, but she had inherited her grandfather's …. And her mother's …Irish determination and strength.

Ella stood back from her sister. She could feel the sweat rolling down her back. " If you don't come down there with me , I'm going to tell mom that you smoke pot with Prissy."

"Ella! Please ! " Bonnie instantly rose to her feet , begging and pleading for her sister to not disclose her recreational drug use to their mother.

" How many times have I taken the rap for you ?! I need you to do this for me! Bonnie , if you love me , you would come down there with me ."

Bonnie relented. She reluctantly drug herself off her sister's bed and shuffled her feet towards the door. "I hope you realize the dangerous situation I'm about to put myself in by going in there, Ella."

The two sisters stood side by side as they slowly descended the grand staircase, neither of them in a hurry to face the trio that waited in the sitting room.

Before opening the ornate doors that led to their fate, they looked at each other. Eyes met, jaws clenched, and chests heaved in anxious anticipation. Ella's sweaty hand grabbed the door handle. She was certain they knew. Somehow, they had discovered her secret. She knew it. She was as good as dead. They knew she was no longer a virgin- that she had given herself fully to Taz, and was continuing to do so.

Bonnie's indifferent façade had vanished. Whatever lay behind these doors – she wanted nothing to do with. "This won't be good", she quietly murmured- more to herself than to her sister.

Ella drew in every ounce of courage she had and walked into the room with her sister close on her heels. If she hadn't been scared to death, she'd have found the trio in front of her hilarious. Her mother sat flanked between her former and current husband, reminiscent of the judges on America's got talent.

"Bonnie , out " , her mother firmly stated- never taking her eyes off of Ella.

" I'm Sorry, Ella " , Bonnie quietly whispered to her sister as she hurriedly left the room, thankful that was spared from certain death.

" Am I in trouble? " Ella questioned. She was surprised at the childish tone her voice had taken. In an instant she had transformed into a little girl again, shyly standing before her mommy asking forgiveness for some trivial matter- promising never to do it again.

I'm sorry I pushed Bonnie. I promise I won't do it again.

But this time she wasn't a little girl. She was basically an adult and there were serious repercussions for her recent actions. It wouldn't be a time-out this time.

"Ella, we want to have a talk with you", her mother began as Ella took a tentative seat. She sat on the edge of the seat and clutched the sides.

" We all know about your relationship with that boy."

"Taz. His name is Taz", Frank instructed Scarlett, causing her to momentarily take a steading breath and a glaring glance toward her ex-husband.

" As I was saying, we know you are involved with Taz Watling and that you have been spending a lot of time together. I know this little romance is exciting and fun, but we need you to stop seeing him. "

Ella rose her head and in looking her mother directly in the eyes, simply stated," No."

"Excuse me, young lady ?"

"You heard me, mom. No."

Her father and step-father remained mute. They both knew better than to get in- between two O'Hara women during an argument. It was like trying to separate two dogs as they tore chunks of meat out of each other. Both had unsuccessfully attempted to separate O' Hara sisters during an argument and knew the signs. They watched closely for those tell -tale signs of an oncoming attack between mother and daughter.

"No , what ?"

" No , I will not quit seeing him. "

Scarlett nervously laughed. Ella never defied her. She was sure that this was a little joke and that Ella's tough-girl act would crack, leaving them all laughing.

"You will do what I tell you!"

"No, I love him. And he loves me. And…..."

"You are not in love with him, Ella" her mother interrupted. "You may think you are. But I can assure you, you are not. Ella, do you know who he is? He's a criminal! His rap- sheet is ridiculous! Theft, DUI, assault, shoplifting, possession of methamphetamine, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE OF A MINOR !", she yelled as she read off Taz's many legal mishaps. "And to make matters worse, his mother is …"

" Belle Watling. Yes, I know. I also know about those charges. So, what? He made some mistakes. He got in with a bad group of guys. He stole a car, he sold drugs, he had a 16-year-old girlfriend when he was over 18. Who cares. I love him. Just because YOUR husband can't keep his dick in his pants when it comes to Taz's mother, I won't stop seeing him!"

"Ella Lorena, you watch your mouth! Don't think because you're 18 I won't slap that sass right out of your mouth! God's nightgown, your relationship ENDS right now! This boy is trouble ! You are not going to ruin your life by hanging onto this loser. He may tell you he loves you , but trust me, he only wants you for one thing! He only wants …."

"Well he's already had that. Lots of times. And guess what ? He still love me , so try another one."

Scarlett closed her eyes and gasped. She grabbed Frank's shoulder for support. Who was the alien creature that had taken over the body of her sweet little girl?

"I was going to say your money. Oh Ella, please tell me you're joking. Please, for the love of God, tell me you aren't serious. "

Rhett sneered at the scene before him. He didn't like how his wife was seeking support from someone else. And he was enraged at the family dynamic they made: Mother and Father having a discussion with their wayward daughter. It was making him physically sick.

"Ella, I can't believe that you would make such a stupid choice. I honestly thought you were smarter than this." Rhett interjected, including himself in the dialogue.

"Why are you even here? ", she belted back at him. "You're not my father, so stop trying to act like it. This has nothing to do with you , so get out !"

"Ella Lorena!" her mother shouted as she loudly slammed her right hand onto the table near her. "You apologize right now!"

Scarlett was tired of the constant animosity between her children and Rhett. She was always in the middle and forever placed in an impossible situation. She would never choose any man – even Rhett- over her kids, but she would not tolerate disrespect towards him. He loved Ella. He had loved her since she was born, Ella was just too pig-headed to see it.

Ella ignored her mother's demand for apology and continued in her defense of her relationship. "How can you even stand there, mom and lecture me on love and relationships?! Given YOUR track record, I think that if anyone needs love advise, it's YOU!"

"Oh, please Ella. Now you're just being irrational." Scarlett dismissed.

"Ella, show some respect for your mother. "her Father quipped up. Sadly, Ella ignored him - just like all the women in his life. Scarlett, a professional at ignoring anything that Frank said, didn't even notice that he was talking.

"Really? Did you ever love Wade's father? Or mine? That's right, you didn't. You can't even say you LIKED the men who treated you like a queen. Instead you love a man who treats you like shit most of the time!"

"Ella, you have no idea what you are talking about! And quit using fucking curse words! "

You sit there and tell me I'm in love with a loser when the man you love accuses you of cheating on him when it's HIM that cheated on you. Who constantly tells you that you're stupid and makes fun of you for growing up poor. Who hurts you more than he helps you? Not to mention the fact that he's the one who KILLED R.J.!""

"Ella.." Rhett tried to interject with a firm voice.

Scarlett grabbed her daughter's shoulders and shook her firmly. "That's enough ! It was no one's fault what happened to your brother. It was an accident!"

"You can't even bear to hear it , can you, mom ? Ignoring it won't make it not true! He killed him and he almost killed you! "

Ella faced her father with tears streaming out of her eyes. " Did you know that dad? That Rhett killed my little brother? It was no "accident" that caused mom to fall down the stairs. He caused it! He made her fall. I' m sick of everyone saying to me that I should be nicer to him, that he loves me. "She adopted a mocking tone as she continued. "Oh Ella, be nicer to Rhett, he loves you so much. You're his daughter too, despite your DNA… blah, blah, blah …. bullshit!"

Ella walked to the door of the parlor. She knew Bonnie would be intensely listening with her ear pressed closely to the dense wood of the door. Sure enough, she was there. She grabbed her sister's wrist and pulled her in the room. She had enough of Bonnie's constant belittling of their mother. It was time she knew the truth about her beloved daddy.

Bonnie stood there in stunned silence as she tried to take in the situation before her.

Ella faced her sister- her face flushed and involuntarily allowing sobs to penetrate her words. "Bonnie, did you know your saint of a father killed RJ?! Do you know why mom fell? No? Let me enlighten you. He called her a whore and then said that the baby and even YOU were probably not even his kids. He told her she was nothing more than white trash and that no amount of money would ever change that. He told her that his greatest mistake in life was her…and that he regretted ever meeting her. And when she tried to walk past him, he wouldn't move - she couldn't get around him. She pushed him to move out of the way and he still refused to budge. Then he laughed at her and told her she was a waste of his time… and when she went to push him again, he moved so fast that she lost her balance and fell. "

"Ella, STOP THIS! ", Scarlett demanded.

"And then there's the time when Wade and I heard the two of them fighting in the dining room after Uncle Ashley's party 40th birthday party. You were so little, so you probably don't remember. Well, Wade and I were so scared that we snuck downstairs and hid behind the wing backed chairs in the parlor to see if he had hurt mom. We saw him yank mom out of her chair and force her to kiss him. She pulled away from him and told him to stop. Then, he ripped her nightgown half off before DRAGGING her up the stairs and into their bedroom. She was fighting him the whole time! Screaming at him to stop! Last time I checked, that's called rape; so, you see, little sister- you hate the wrong parent! "

Rhett lunged forward in anger, so forceful that Ella flinched - certain he would strike her.

Scarlett threw her slim body between them, pushing Rhett back as forcefully as her lithe body would allow. Frank, also unnerved by the severity of Rhett's action - pulled Ella toward him, grasping her underneath her arms so forcefully that she yelped in pain.

"Rhett, NO! "Scarlett's porcelain skin blanched a pure white. She had only seen him this angry twice- and both times had ended with the police being called. Her instinct was to protect her child from whatever violence Rhett aimed at her. Despite what was happening, Ella was her child and Rhett was in no way allowed to raise a hand to her. "Don't you touch her! ", she yelled, her right hand pushing against her husband's chest and her left shoving Ella backwards toward her father.

"You hate me so much, Ella?! I'm a murderer and a rapist?! Then get out of my house! Leave! Now!"

Ella could feel her mother physically shaking as she still held her hand against her. "Rhett, are you insane?! Tell her you're joking. Tell her you are NOT serious!" The tears that were filling her eyes began to spill freely down her cheeks. Her breath was ragged, leaving her unable to form coherent words. She felt the pain in her ribs, the only remnant of that terrible accident that left her with a shattered ribcage and pelvis, throbbing at her side like a white- hot poker.

"With pleasure! I can't wait to get away from you! I HATE you! ", Ella screamed back at him.

"Ella, shut up! Rhett, you CANNOT throw her out of this house, she's a child! "Scarlett was gulping for air between her words and the uncontrollable sobs.

"She's no child, Scarlett. She's eighteen. And if she hates me and I'm so terrible, she can get out! Let her go live on her own or with her father for all I care. Anywhere is fine as long as it's not here! "

"Daddy, stop! "Bonnie replied shakily, holding on to her sister's sleeve.

"Don't worry, I'll leave - gladly! My only fear is leaving my brother and sisters here for you to FUCK up!". Ella shook off her mother and sister and moved for the doors.

"No!" her mother shouted as she moved in front of Ella and blocked her path. "This is my house too and I say that she is not going anywhere!" The last word was barely audible behind her the sound of emotion escaping her mouth. "Ella, please stop. Just go upstairs. We'll talk about this later when we're not so upset. Please."

Ella felt nauseous. "I'm sorry mama. I love you so much and you know that. I just can't …. I just can't do this anymore. I'm going to live with dad until I leave for school in a couple of weeks."

Frank quickly followed behind his daughter as she walked past her mother and out of the room. Scarlett chased right behind them continuing to plead and beg her daughter to stay.

Through the large picture window, Rhett could see the three of them speaking. Frank was standing near his open car door with Ella crying in her mother's arms. Scarlett was crying too, crying her "ugly-cry"- the one she always covered with both her hands to spare herself the embarrassment of showing others her facial features contorted into less than flattering expressions. Even in despair her vanity remained intact. She was saying something through her tears. Something to Frank. Her hands remained protectively wrapped around her daughter, rubbing her back attempting to soothe her and, Rhett was sure, trying to convince her to stay.

"Daddy? "Bonnie whispered to her father. The room stung her ears with the buzzing of silence that always followed when a room was abruptly void of loud noise.

Rhett didn't move. His eyes remained glued on the fractured family outside. Ella had moved and now was sitting in the passenger side of Frank's car with the door closed. Scarlett had brought her hands up to cover her face this time as Frank spoke to her with more familiarity than Rhett liked.

"Go upstairs, Bonnie" was all he said.

Bonnie walked slowly up the stairs, contemplating all that was said. Had her father done those things? Impossible, she thought. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost tripped over Cat who was sitting against the wall on the second-floor landing. She must have heard the yelling. Her long legs were drawn up close to her chest as she rocked back and forth with her hands cupped around her ears. Bonnie lowered herself into a seating position next to her sister and began drawing soothing little circles on her arm with her fingertips.

"It's okay, Cat. Everything's okay."