Have a Little Faith in Me
It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;-- it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others. -Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility
"Damn it!" I said as I burned myself yet again. I never thought making spaghetti and meatballs would be this hard. I had invited Lucien over for dinner. We had become close over the last month. It was almost like we had developed a father-daughter like bond. It was nice to have someone to finally depend on. Not that Jack wasn't there for me, but this was something completely different.
"If you didn't put your fingers in the pot of boiling water, then you wouldn't be getting burnt." Jack remarked from his seat at the bar.
I turned around and shot him a look. "I'm not purposely putting my hands in there. The water just keeps jumping out at me." I said.
"I offered to cook dinner for you. It's not like I don't do it every night." he said.
I glared at him. It's not my fault I'm completely lacking in the domestic arts. It's something you can't learn from a book, and if I can't learn it from a book. I'll never learn it all. "I told you. I want to do this myself." I said as I stirred the spaghetti in the pot.
"You can do yourself, but I can help you." he said.
"I think I can manage all by myself." I said, but it may have been the wrong thing to say. Right after the water in the pot started boil over the sides. I looked at it in a panic as I tried to figure how to make it stop. Then I heard the scrap of Jack's stool on the floor, followed by a loud sigh. He made his way over to the stove and reached over the top towards the dials. He turned down the heat, which made the water cease boiling over.
He turned around with a small smirk on his face. "You really know how to manage all by yourself." he remarked.
I stuck my tongue out at him like a petulant child. "How was I supposed to know it was going to do that?" I asked.
"Just admit that you need my help, so dinner will be done before Lucien gets here." he said.
"Okay. You can help, but only because two people work faster than one." I said as voice took on my logical, know-it-all tone.
"Sure Maddie." he said with a wink. It made feel as if he knew the real reason why I was letting him help.
I stood awkwardly near the sink as he took over. In all fairness, I didn't really do anything to stop him. "Do you want me to do anything?" I asked.
"Start the salad, but stay away from the tomatoes." he said as he expertly stirred the meatballs.
I walked over to where I had neatly set out the vegetables. "I don't see why. You taught me how to cut them correctly." I said.
"I don't think your mind was on the lesson." he said.
I whirled around, grabbing a dish towel off the counter and threw it at him. "Whose fault was that? Cad!" I said with a hint of laughter in my voice.
The towel hit him in the face. He grabbed it and tossed it to the floor. "No throwing flammable objects at the chef!" he said.
"You're lucky I didn't have something harder in my hand." I muttered darkly under my breath.
"What was that, Madeleine?" he asked, cupping a hand around his ear.
"Nothing." I said in a sickeningly sweet voice. I turned towards my task at hand with a small smile on my face.
"I'm sure. You're just lucky I have something to do or you would be in for it." he told me.
I turned my head to look at him. "I'm so scared." I said, mockingly.
"Just you wait until after Lucien leaves." he said pointing at me with a spoon.
I bit my lower lip to keep from giggling as I continued on my task of making a salad.
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"This is the fifth time we have watched this movie in the past week. Don't you ever get sick of it?" Bobby asked Hope as she sat staring in rapture at the television screen.
"Nope." she said as she continued to stare.
"Do you have any other favorite movies?" he asked, trying to get out of watching the movie that has been drilled into his mind.
"Nope." she answered again.
"Is your name Hope?" he asked to see if she was paying any attention to him at all.
"Nope." She wasn't.
"What would you do if I shut off the T.V. right now?" he asked. He was having a bit of fun with this.
"That's nice, Bobby." she said. At least it was an improvement from 'nope'.
He chuckled softly as he was about to ask her another question, but then he noticed Charlie standing in the doorway, giving him the look. "Are you tormenting my daughter?" she asked with her hands on her hips.
Bobby gave her a small smirk, before pushing himself off the couch. "Me?…Hope?" he asked, looking at the girl who was far too involved with the television to notice him. "Am I tormenting you?"
"Nope." she answered without a glance to him.
Bobby turned to Charlie with an innocent look on his face. "See. There was no tormenting." he said.
Charlie looked at him with an eyebrow raised and her arms folded over her chest. "Sure, Bobby." she said.
Bobby made his way over her. He chuckled to himself as he watched Hope move so she could see around him as he walked in front of the TV. He stepped in front of Charlie, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Charlie. Look at me. Is this a face of a liar?" he asked, seriously.
"Yup." she said, before she moved away from him. She turned and began to walk down the hall towards the kitchen. Bobby just stood there in shock for a moment, until Charlie turned around midway down the hall. "You comin', lover boy?" she asked with a smirk.
He shook his head as he began to walk towards her. He soon caught up with her. "Lover boy?" he asked, peering down at her with interest.
Her cheeks slightly flushed pink. "I didn't think you were listening." she said, quietly.
"I was listenin' all right." he said, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked over threshold into the kitchen.
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"What are you thinking in that head of yours, Daniel?" asked the brown haired vixen in my arms. She twirled a finger around one of the red ringlets on my head. I smirked at her as an evil thought to came to my mind.
"How amazingly sexy our waiter was." I said without another thought.
She slapped me hard on my chest as soon as the words came out of my mouth. "God! I was being serious." she said. She looked adorable all irritated at me. Her brown eyes darkened until they were almost black, her round cheeks turned a lovely shade of rosy pink. Her frizzy mess of chocolate curls seemed to become impossibly frizzier. I loved to irritate her.
"So was I." I said as I earned another slap to the chest.
She glared at me. "I can't believe you were admiring another guy on our date!" she said in a scandalized tone.
"Baby, It's me we're talking about." I said in a teasing tone.
She scoffed and pushed herself out of my embrace. Once standing, she gave me a scathing look before turning on her heel and walking out of my tiny bedroom. I scrambled to get up and go after her. I found her by the door of my apartment, wrapping her scarf around her neck. I walked over to her and tried to gather her in my arms. She roughly pushed me away and continued throwing on her winter outerwear.
"Baby please…-" I started.
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't you Baby me!" she said in a harsh whisper. "I can't take it anymore. I can't take you anymore! I'm through with us." she said, dramatically poking me in the chest.
"I was only teasing yo…-"
"It's always teasing with you, always joking around. Can't you, just for once, be real with me?" she asked.
"Baby, you know I can…"
"Enough with Baby!" she screeched. "You use it to try to soften me up so I will concede to you and I'm sick to death of it. We have been together nearly four months, but we have fought almost everyday since the day we met! You want to know why?"
"No, but I'm sure you will tell me." I said, coolly.
"You!…You and your obsession with flirting with every male within a hundred mile radius! And if you don't flirt with them, you make a comment. Can you even fathom how that makes me feel?" she asked. Reflected in her brown eyes was everything she was feeling as she shouted at me. Hurt. Anguish. Frustration. Sadness. Anger. Desperation. Love. Through all her muddled emotions, the one that shone the brightest in her eyes was love. I've made a right mess of things.
"Like a piece of rubbish, I can imagine." I said, but she continued to ignore me as she went on.
"I feel like I'm worthless. Why are you even with me, Daniel, if I can't make you happy?" she asked, her voice much quieter and softer, though a little hoarse from all her shouting.
Something snapped inside of me, telling me it was now or never. I quickly wrapped my arms around her thin waist and pulled her against me. She was tall for a girl, but she was still a head shorter than me. Her body was thin and slender from years of ballet. She looked up at me with her wide brown eyes. Doe's eyes, as I used to call them when we were first starting out. We were far from those early days. "I love you." I said as if the words had taken forever to say.
"What?" she asked, like she truly didn't believe what I was saying was real.
"I. Love. You." I said it slower and more firm, so the words would sink in and register with her. "I'm with you because I can't imagine a day without you. If you can't make me happy, nobody else can. I should have told you everyday since I realized it." I went on to explain.
She managed a weak smile. "Damn right you should have." she said as she threw her arms around my neck. Before I could grasp what she was doing, she had pressed her lips forcefully to mine. I kissed her back fiercely as my hold on her waist tightened. I can't imagine a better feeling than kissing my girl after the biggest fight of our lives, but I'm sure there are more fights to come and more kisses, too.
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Lucien leaned back in his chair after he had wiped his mouth clean of spaghetti sauce and began to rub his stomach contently. "That has to be the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever had. Maddie, you are a chef in the making." he said with a broad smile.
Jack and I exchanged knowing glances. It was really Jack who had done all the work and made the meal so delicious. "Thank you, Lucien." I mumbled, playing along with the charade Jack began when he said I cooked the entire meal by myself. I swear he did it just to watch me squirm.
"Don't be modest, Lulu." he said in a fatherly tone.
Jack looked at him confused. "Lulu?" he asked.
"Oh, Maddie didn't tell you my little pet name for her?" Lucien asked. I smiled, happy for the change of subject. I don't think I could stand another compliment on the meal I didn't cook. Lucien looked over to me. "Do you want to tell him the story or shall I?" he asked.
"You tell it." I smiled sweetly. "You tell it so much better than I do. I hardly remember it anyway."
"As you wish." he said, trying to mock Wesley from The Princess Bride, but doing a terrible job. "Anyway." he coughed, clearing his throat as if he was a very important person. "When Maddie first met me, she couldn't pronounce Lucien at all. She had tried her hardest, but to no avail. I took pity on her and told her to call me Lou. After that, she smiled happily and yelled Lulu! At the top of her lungs before she hugged me. I had tried to correct her, but would have none of that. As she got older, the only way that she would stop, is if I turned it around on her. So therefore she is Lulu and I am not." he explained.
Jack smirked at me from across the table. "I told you were always stubborn." he said.
I stuck my tongue out at him in retaliation. "Yeah, well, you have always been annoying." I said in a childish voice.
Lucien let out a chuckle at our antics. "Do I need to add immature to the list, sweetheart?" he asked.
"I am not immature!" I said, my voice sounding the opposite of what I denying.
Jack quirked an eyebrow at me. "That sure sounded mature." he remarked, sounding like he was stifling a laugh. Lucien just sat back in his chair, an amused grin on his face.
"Like you are really the authority on maturity." I scoffed.
Jack finally let out the laugh he was holding back. "Did you forget that I am four years older than you are?" he asked as if it really mattered.
"Did it ever cross your mind that age has nothing to do with your maturity level?" I asked in my bossy, know-it-all tone. Before he could retort, I stood up and started gathering the dirty dishes into a pile to take into the kitchen. I reached to grab Lucien's plate, but he stopped me by pushing my hand away. I gave him a confused look and tried to grab it again.
He pushed my hand away. "Maddie, you cooked for me, the least I can do is clean up for you." he said.
I shot Jack an annoyed look before turning back to Lucien. "You just sit and relax. I'm perfectly capable of cleaning up myself." I told him as grabbed for his plate. He relented in his mission to keep me from cleaning up and I was able to place the plate on top of my pile of dishes.
"At least let me help yo-" Lucien had started to say, but was interrupted by Jack.
"Listen to Maddie and relax." he said, giving him a mischievous wink. "I'll be more than happy to help her clean up." Jack stood up and walked over to me. I narrowed my eyes at him. What was he playing at? He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began to walk towards the kitchen, slightly dragging me. "It'll take us a little bit. Make yourself comfortable in the living room." Jack said to Lucien, before we stepped into the kitchen.
I stepped out from under his arm and turned towards him. "What is it that you think you are doing?" I asked.
He gave me a smirk. "Helping you with the dishes." he said as he grabbed the stack of dirty dishes from my hands. Without another word, he brushed passed me on his way towards the sink. I turned around and followed him.
"You're up to something." I whispered to him as I took my normal spot at the rinsing and drying station.
"Oh really. What do you think I'm up to?" he whispered back.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." I whispered determinedly.
"Fine. You do that." he whispered in an amused tone.
"Oh, I will." I whispered.
"Maddie?"
"Yes?"
"Why are we whispering?" he asked.
"Well…-" I started to say, but then I realized there was no need for whispering at all. "I don't really know." I said.
He chuckled under his breath slightly as he began to place the dirty dishes in the tub of sudsy water. I watched him carefully to see if there was any sign of what he was planning, but after a few seconds it seemed like he genuinely wanted to help me with the dishes. I let my guard down and relaxed. Big mistake. Not more than a few seconds after I relaxed, Jack gave me a sideways glance. Then, before I could react, a plate accidentally slipped from his fingers and into the tub of water. It created a splash large enough to soak the entire front of my shirt. I just so happened to be wearing a white blouse, too.
I turned towards him in a sort of shock. He was doubling over in laughter. My look of shock turned into a glare in a matter of seconds. He didn't notice my change in demeanor because he was still laughing hysterically as he clutched at his stomach. I swear he would be rolling around on the floor pretty soon. An evil idea popped into my head. While he wasn't looking, I turned the faucet on and grabbed the spraying attachment. I took aim and pulled the trigger. He stopped laughing as soon as he felt the cool liquid on his face. I kept spraying him until he was thoroughly soaked, more so than me. After a minute or so, I took pity on him and relented, placing the hose back.
He stood holding his arms away from his body as he glared at me. It was my turn to laugh. He looked like a drowned rat, but a cute drowned rat nonetheless. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep more giggles from escaping. "Maddie?" he said finally.
"Yes, Jack?" I said as I continued to stifle the giggles.
"Run." he warned.
At first I didn't think he was serious so, I just stood there stupidly staring at him. Another Mistake. When it finally hit me that he was serious, he was already grabbing me around the waist. He began to mercilessly attack my sides in the worse kind of tickle torture. Ever. We were falling to the floor in a matter of seconds. I was pinned beneath him, which made it all the more difficult to struggle against him. Amidst it all I begged him to stop, though I thought it was terribly fun. He continued to tickle me, until he just suddenly stopped. He quickly got off me and stood up as he held out a hand for me to do the same. I grasped it and stood up with his assistance.
I gave him a strange look once we were both standing. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"I should be asking you that same question." he said quietly.
"Why?" I asked, clearly confused.
"I shouldn't have done that. I could've…-Never mind. It won't happen again." he said. His eyes looked conflicted. He wanted to continue what he was doing, but at the same time, He seemed to think it was a bad thing to do. He leaned against the counter as he folded his arms against his chest and he looked to the floor.
The meaning of his words suddenly became clear to me. I stepped over to him, reaching my hands up to rest on either side of his face. I lifted his head to force him to look me in the eyes. "How many times have I told you that I'm not a porcelain doll? You don't have to watch your every move around me. I'm pregnant, but I'm not going to shatter into a million pieces if you touch me." I said firmly, trying my best to get the message across to him.
"I don't want to hurt you." he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. It was as if he struggled with himself to get the words out.
My hands released his face to pry his arms open. He dropped them to the side, not giving up much of a fight. I sighed as I wrapped my arms around his waist as I leaned my body against his and resting my head on his chest. "You won't." I said to him. Slowly, but surely, I felt him return my embrace and I was content to just be held protectively in his arms. I lifted my head to give him a smile, but was surprised when he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that I felt all the way down to my toes. He pulled me tighter to him as our kiss deepened. My hands began to clutch at the wet fabric of his shirt. But the kiss was short lived.
"Am I interrupting?" Lucien said in his cool southern voice.
I quickly detached myself from Jack and looked around him at Lucien. "No! Not at all! We were just going to get changed…Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked in a high-pitched, fast-paced voice.
Lucien gave me a small grin. "Sure. That'd would be wonderful. What movie did you have in mind?" he asked. This was another thing I loved about Lucien, he never made a big deal out of anything. He was always very calm, cool, and collected. I envied him sometimes.
"Moulin Rouge?" I squeaked out.
"I haven't seen it, but I'll try it." he said.
"Great! Jack and I will go change into to some dry clothes while you wait in the living room. I'll pop in the movie in five minutes or so." I said quickly.
"Sounds like a plan. See you in five." he said, before turning around and heading back into the living room.
Once he was out of sight, I leaned my head against Jack's chest as he let out the laugh he was holding back. "Oh. My. God." I said, which made him laugh louder.
The night didn't turn out to be the disaster that I predicted when I was changing into some dry pajamas. It was actually pretty fun. Sure, Jack and Lucien didn't like my choice in movie. I believe his exact words when I asked him if he liked it, were "It was an acid trip on crack while smoking pot." Both he and Lucien had fun taking jabs at the movie the entire time we watched it, but I didn't mind. They were really hilarious, especially at the end credits when they decided to bust out singing The Sound of Music. Loudly. It was an interesting night to say the least…
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Charlie walked back into the kitchen as she tied her blonde hair back in a loose pony tail with an elastic. Bobby sat at the island, lazily stirring his coffee that had gone cold a while ago. She had changed from her stuffy-looking business suit into a pair of comfortable plaid pajama bottoms and a white tank top. Bobby couldn't take his eyes of her. This was the Charlie he lov-…liked. He couldn't stand the woman she became when she had to appear in court. That woman was stiff, uptight, and unbelievably cold. So unlike the real Charlie.
She plopped herself down on the stool beside him. "She's finally asleep." she said.
He smirked at her. "How long did it take this time? An hour?" he asked teasingly.
"Quiet, you!" she said as she poked him in the side. "Like you could do any better."
"Actually, I could." he said smugly.
She turned towards him with an eyebrow quirked. "Really? And how would you do that?" she asked in an unbelieving voice.
"Watch a movie with her until she passes out." he said like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"You do realize that is cheating, right?" she asked.
"Did I ever play fair?" he asked with a smirk.
"Not really." she said, smiling genuinely.
They fell silent, but they continued to grin stupidly at each other. A loose curl found it's way into Charlie's eyes. She reached up a hand to brush it away, but Bobby beat her to it. He tucked the curl behind her ear, but didn't immediately move his hand away. His fingers began to lightly stroke her cheek, slowly descending until he was cupping her chin in his hand. He tilted her head slightly while he leaned his slightly in. She parted her lips in anticipation, but then something snapped inside her. She abruptly stood up, pushing his hand away, and began to walk towards the microwave. She grabbed her cup of coffee along the way.
"Do you need me to reheat your coffee?" she asked, not turning to look at him.
"No." he said, getting up from his seat and walking towards her. "But I would like to know what the hell that was about?" he asked, sounding angry and a little hurt.
"I don't know." she mumbled while continuing to stay turned around as she pressed the buttons on the microwave.
Bobby grabbed her by the shoulders and forcibly turned her to face him. "No. I think you know exactly what it was about. Don't you, Charlie?" he said, holding her chin so she had to look him in the eyes.
"I really don't know." she said as she bite on her lower lip.
"That's a lie."
"No it isn't. You obviously don't know as much you think you do about me." she said huffily.
"Really? Then why do you always bite your lower lip right after you tell a lie?" he asked with a smirk.
She glared at him. "I do not!" she cried, before biting down on her lower lip.
"You just did it again." he coolly pointed out.
"I'm only doing it because-…Forget it. This is getting ridiculous." she said.
"Fine. Answer me this, Why did you stop me from kissing you?" he asked.
She averted her eyes to the floor. "I don't really know." she said softly.
"That isn't an answer." he said gruffly.
She met his eyes. "Get your hands off me." she said coldly.
"Not until you tell me the reason why." he told her.
"I thought I did."
"You didn't."
"I did." she said forcefully.
"You didn't and you very well know it!" he said, his voice raising ever so slightly.
"Damn it!" she shrieked. "I'm just not ready! Is that what you wanted to hear?" He stared at her, silently stunned. "Well, is it?" she asked, trying to get some reaction out of him. Slowly his hands began to uncurl themselves from her body. He began to take a few backward steps away from her, all the while keeping his eyes glued to hers. Suddenly his head drooped as his eyes fell to the floor. His hands balled into fists, while his whole body became rigid.
"Not ready?" he seemed to mumble to himself. He lifted his head again to look her in the eyes. "What do you mean not ready?" he demanded of her.
She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I'm just not ready. I'm sorry." she said quietly.
He felt anger surge through him, but it wasn't directed at her. Never at Charlie. It was that good-for-nothing, prick Christopher who deserved the beating of his life. He screwed her up so bad that she's too scared to let anybody close enough. She held everybody, with the exception of Hope, at arms length. For that Bobby wanted to kill Christopher. He tried to calm down for her sake. He took a few deep breaths, before taking a step towards her. "He messed you up bad." he stated as he took another step in her direction.
"I don't know what you mean." she muttered, looking up at him as he moved closer.
"I know you do." he said as he took another step in her direction, but this time she took a step back. "You can't let anyone in because he made you so damn scared of getting hurt."
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not scared. Don't assume to know everything about me. You don't and I don't think you ever will." she said frostily.
"You know what? I think you are scared, but you can't even admit it to yourself. That's a sad way to be." he said, taking another step. He had backed her into a corner. She had no where to go, but through him.
She scoffed. "God, what are you a shrink now? I think I know myself better than you do." she told him.
"Really? I don't think you know yourself at all." he said as he lifted his hand to stroke her cheek, but she slapped his hand away. He couldn't mask the hurt in his eyes with anger this time. "Why won't you let me touch you?" he asked quietly.
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want you to touch me?" she asked.
"That's bull!" he stated.
"How do you know?" she said.
"If it's true, then you're lying to yourself too." he said simply.
She rolled her eyes. "God. Get over yourself, Bobby. I may in fact not want you." she said crossing her arms over her chest. She knew, in the back of her mind, she was outright lying, but she would never admit it out loud.
"Damn it, Charlie! How can you be like this? Why can't you just let go of the past and be open to something new?" he asked, getting more frustrated by the minute.
"Why do you have to be so demanding of me!" she yelled all of a sudden.
Bobby looked taken aback. "Demanding?" he asked unbelievingly. "I haven't been anything, but patient with you."
"I've seen it very differently." she said quietly.
"Then I'm adding blind to the list. How can you call me demanding?" he asked.
She looked at him very seriously. "You think what you're doing right now isn't demanding?" she asked.
"No." he said rather stubbornly. "This is." He abruptly grasped her head in between his hands. Her eyes widened as he tilted her head back. Before she could stop him, he pressed her mouth to his in a bruising kiss. Her hands clutched at the front of his shirt as he began to crush her body to his. Her first instinct was to push him away, but that little part of her wanted to hold on forever. Besides, She couldn't deny that it felt amazing to be kissed by him. Just as she was about to give into him, he pulled back and stepped away from her. In a matter of seconds she was back to her cool demeanor.
"Happy now." he spat.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you happy now that you proven what a selfish bastard you can be?" she asked.
"I can't believe how deluded you can be." he said quietly.
"I just can't believe you." she said. An awkward silence fell over the pair. They stood frozen in their spots, each staring at the other. They both were mess of complicated emotions. Charlie felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She began to feel remorse for her actions. She knew if she could do it all over again, everything would have been different. She took a deep breath to hold back the tears. What's done is done and you just have to suffer the consequences. "Leave. Just leave." she said, her voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on staying." he said, anger and hurt evident in his voice. True to his word, he turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen in the direction of the hallway. Charlie didn't even make an effort to go after him. She was much to afraid of created a bigger mess than she had already created. She waited for the sound of the door closing shut before she let out the sob that had been working it's way up her throat.
She sank to the floor helplessly as the tears rolled their way down her cheeks. This was the first times she had cried in nearly two years. She had thought she had wasted all her tears on Christopher, but she didn't know how wrong she was. Big, fat droplets of hot, salty liquid were pouring out of her eyes and she wasn't sure if she really wanted it to stop. She had messed the second thing to finally go right in her life. Was it so hard to believe that she could fall in love with Bobby Mercer and have him return those feelings? Obviously it was because she had even fooled herself into believing it.
She gathered her legs up in her arms and hugged them to her chest. It's funny how the world worked. She finally realized she loved him, after months of denying it, but it happens on the same night he finally becomes fed up with her and leaves. She didn't understand why she had to be so closed up, but then she thought of Christopher. Right now all she could do was damn him straight to hell for all the pain he has caused her and is still causing her. Another loud sob escaped her throat at the thought of her past.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the pair of little feet pad their way into the kitchen. It wasn't until she felt a pair of small pudgy arms wrap around her neck that she acknowledged Hope's presence. She turned her head towards her daughter. "What's wrong, mommy?" Hope asked once she had her mother's attention.
Charlie cracked a small, watery smile for her. "I messed things up real bad." she whispered.
Hope looked alarmed for a few seconds, but then quickly calmed down. "Do you think you can fix it?" she asked.
"Just don't know, sweetie." Charlie answered as gathered Hope into her lap.
Hope began to wipe her tears off her face with her tiny fingers. "It has to turn out alright, doesn't it?" she asked.
"I hope it does, but for now, I just don't know." Charlie told her.
Hope wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and held her close as she cried.
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A/N: Well, this certainly took me long enough to get out and for that I am REALLY sorry. The reason for my delay was that I have finally set when this story will end. I just wanted to give you all advanced notice that there is only five more chapters after this one. I don't want this story to drag on forever and I'm sure you guys don't want it to either. But there is hope. After I have completed this story, I will be posting a sequel of sorts. I am going to remain quiet on the details of that story until chapter twenty-nine because it spoils certain aspects of this story. Thank you guys SOOOO much for continuing to read and review. You really don't know how much it means to me to have your support…