Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter
Chapter 29: Mayday
Disclaimer: Pick a number up to ten. Do you have it? Is it zero? Cause it should be. That's how much I own related to the show.
A/N: First off, if you read Sawyer's story and have not read her latest chapter...I would do that BEFORE you read this. This will be spoilerish and you might want to find certain things out in her story, instead of this one. So, on to Charlotte's...this chapter sets up the drama that's been on the horizon for a while now. We'll jump to March where we'll find Charlotte pregnant with baby no. 3, and then the next sections both take place in May with a flashback. The final section will be a little different, though. I'll be jumping from Charlotte's perspective to Graham's perspective often. Read it carefully so you know what's going on. Other than that, enjoy!
OTHOTH
March, spring, and the sound of cicadas coated Tree Hill. The evening air had a slight breeze, and it blew against Graham's skin as he pushed Hattie in the swing. The father and his two young kids were killing time until Charlotte got ready. Scott was hiding behind the oak tree in the backyard from Mack, but the golden retriever wasn't entirely sure what was going on. The two year old enjoyed himself though. His hearty laugh made the thirty-four year old Coastie smile. There wasn't anything in the world better than being a father.
A month away from turning four and the brown-eyed, brown haired little girl who was turning out to be a miniature Charlotte smiled, "Daddy, higher!"
Laughing, Graham nodded, "You sure, Minnow?" He could see the excitement on her face but asked anyway. He knew her answer would be yes.
"All the way to the moon!"
"The moon." Graham widened his eyes and pushed his oldest just a little bit higher. "All the way up there?"
"Yeah." Hattie looked up to the sky and searched for the cratered sphere. She closed her eyes as the wind blew through her hair and over her face. She laughed and got lost in her imagination.
Little arms snaked around Graham's legs and he looked down to a green-eyed little boy.
"Me up." Scott held up his arms and wanted his dad to pick him up. The two year old wanted a chance to fly. There wasn't anything better than having his father glide him through the air. "Pie me."
Grinning as he picked up Scott, Graham remembered how Hattie would say the same thing. "You wanna fly, Sailor? Alright..." Securing his boy in his arms, Graham acted as though Scott was a spaceship launching into the sky.
The little boy erupted into a fit of giggles, and his sister thought it was pretty funny too. "Go, Scott, go!" Hattie cheered him on and used her feet to slow the swing she was on.
Meanwhile, Charlotte walked out on the back porch and leaned on the doorframe as she watched her three most favorite people in the world play. Graham moved Scott from the rocket position and was now simply holding their son as Hattie chased them.
Charlotte needed to get this on the camera one of these days. She could watch Graham play with their kids like this every minute of every day. Feeling the baby shift, Charlotte rested her hand on the left side of her four-months pregnant big belly. Pretty soon he'd be playing with all three of their kids.
Seeing his wife on the porch, Graham slowed his pace and looked to the kids. "Alright guys, I think it's time for some basketball."
"Me!" Scott heard basketball and instantly smiled even brighter. Turned out the little guy was starting to love the sport just as much as his grandfather.
"A little longer..." Hattie still ran after her dad and threw her arms around his waist hoping he would play more. She liked basketball and all, but she was having fun with her brother and dad.
Acting out of breath, Graham stuck out his tongue. "You're gonna be the death of me, Minnow. I'm too old. We'll do it again tomorrow." Still trying to sell his fake fatigue, Graham breathed loudly.
"Promise?" Little brown eyes met big green ones.
Holding out his pinky, Graham nodded. "Promise."
Hattie locked pinkies with her father and hurried up the few steps of the porch to where her mom was.
"Having fun with Daddy, Hat?" Charlotte pressed her fingers through Hattie's hair to brush it back into place.
"Mmm-huh." The little girl nodded.
"Are you ready?" Graham eyed Charlotte and figured as much since she'd come out on the porch. He couldn't help but take a long look at her belly as she nodded. Four months was always a particularly scary month for them considering what had happened their first go around. But everything seemed to be going just fine so far. Mom was healthy, the baby was healthy, it was all Graham could ask for.
"Thanks for keeping them busy..." Charlotte turned to walk with her husband and felt him lean over and place a sweet kiss on the side of her head. She didn't need to thank him.
The family of four headed outside and were on their way to Trask Coliseum to cheer the UNCW Seahawks on. After coaching for twenty years, Nathan was on the verge of four-hundred and fifty career wins as the head coach of the nearby college team. If they beat Charleston Southern, he'd hit that milestone, but more that that, Charlotte's dad was being honored for his achievement with the program. It wasn't often that someone had such success so quickly. But apparently everyone had underestimated Nathan Scott's passion for the sport he loved.
So that's where the McFarland bunch was headed. Dressed and ready to go, Charlotte, Graham, and the kids loaded up in the car and drove to the nearby college campus. They were the first ones to arrive of the immediate family and Charlotte knew they should wait around for her mom and Jamie until they made their way over to the locker room.
Hattie and Scott also had something on their mind. Popcorn. So did Graham, and as soon as he had said the gym smelled like it, Hattie tugged on her dad's arm when she spotted the red and white vendor. "Can we get some?"
Graham looked down and it was as if she had him a trance. Hattie's little face and those captivating eyes of hers were going to make it hard for him to say no. Then to make matters worse, Scott looked to his dad from the stroller with the same face. Now he was really feeling the pressure.
Charlotte could see her husband struggling and tilted her head towards the vendor. "It might be a little while till we go to the tunnel. You can take them."
"Pah-corn!" Scott threw his little fists in the air and was eager for his dad to get him out of the stroller.
The brown-eyed thirty year old could only smile at her son and watched as Graham took the kids to get a snack. It wasn't long until she saw an older pair of those familiar brown eyes walking her way. Her mom walked towards her, and Charlotte was envious of her grace. Haley James Scott had to be one of the most classy ladies on the planet. Her kindness, her adoration for her family, and her desire to always help people were qualities Charlotte hoped she could pull off as well as her mom did. Even just a fraction would do.
The fifty five year old mother of two smiled at her youngest. "Hey." Haley greeted her daughter and looked around, "Where are the kids?"
"With Graham. He said something about popcorn and they both gave him the 'Dad, we know you can't say no to this face', look."
Haley laughed because it didn't seem like that long ago when Jamie and Charlotte were pulling the same tricks.
The crowds of students and Seahawk fans started to fill the rows of seats and Charlotte took a deep breath with a smile. "So does Dad still not know? About the award, I mean?" The award Nathan was getting was supposed to be a surprise.
"I don't think so. I know I didn't tell him." Haley laughed at herself and was was actually pretty proud she hadn't spilled the beans. And Charlotte was glad too. It wasn't easy for her mom to keep anything from her dad. Nathan knew every single one of Haley's tells. The flush cheeks, the bit lip, the way she'd rub her thumb on her nails when she got nervous, or the way she'd spin her wedding ring; Nathan Scott knew Haley James to a tee.
The mascot ran out on the court and got the crowds' attention as it did funny dance moves to pump up their school spirit. Catching a good look at everyone there, Charlotte knew the athletic department and basketball staff at UNCW had done a pretty good job packing the place. The mass email they'd sent across campus asking students to come out and support the team and her dad obviously worked. It didn't look like there would be an empty seat in the house.
Pretty soon Haley and Charlotte saw a group of four walking their way that looked familiar. Headed by a thirty seven year old with blue eyes and his father's smirk, Jamie, Liza, Bennet, and Claire walked over with smiles.
"Hi, Grandma."
"Hi, Claire Bear." Haley hugged her seven year old granddaughter and smiled, "I like your dress."
Looking down at her Seahawk green dress, the second grader smiled, "Thank you. Yours is pretty too." Haley wasn't wearing Seahawk green but her dress did have a little bit of green on it. Somewhat of a tradition, you could say.
Charlotte noticed the color on her mom's outfit and found herself smiling. Her parents were so sweet even after nearly forty years together. It was the little things like that, that got Charlotte every time. In forty years she wanted to be doing the same things with Graham.
Jaime walked up to his sister and he hugged her, "How's it going?" He looked to her expanding belly and smiled.
"Pretty good." Charlotte laughed and rested her hands on her stomach, "Four months into baby number three and I'm pretty good." She smiled at him and looked at the paper in his hands, "How are you doing? Are you nervous?" There was a podium set up at center court and Charlotte knew Jamie would be behind it soon enough.
Jamie looked at the speech in his hands and shook his head as his nerves started to swell. Yes he was nervous.
Liza leaned into her husband and smiled, "I've listened to him practice for the last week. He's gonna do great."
"What about you, Bennet?" Charlotte looked at her twelve year old nephew with a smile, "You've got a thing with speeches. I'm pretty sure you won everyone's hearts at my wedding."
It seemed like forever ago that Charlotte and Graham had gotten married, but almost six years did feel like forever. The good kind of forever.
Bennet shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, "Nah, Dad's got it handled." Bennet had been the life of the party when he was a younger, but standing up in front of this many people wasn't exactly his thing. "I just wanna see Grandpa get his win. He deserves it."
Haley checked her watch and knew that they should go towards the locker room because Nathan would be coming out soon. "We should head that way."
Liza handed Claire the poster they'd made and the group made their way towards Nathan's office. Graham was making his way through the crowd with the kids and he met up with everyone as they walked to the locker room.
"Want some?" Graham held out the box of popcorn for Charlotte as they walked to the locker room.
Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "I'm afraid if I start eating it I won't stop."
Graham laughed out loud. "Like how you made me go get you extra ice-cream when you ran out last night." He was pretty sure he'd bought five gallons of mint-chocolate chip in the last month.
Smirking, and rubbing her hand on her stomach, Charlotte shrugged, "Don't blame me."
"So it's the baby's fault?" He leaned in and kissed her as Charlotte nodded. Graham just laughed at her answer.
While Charlotte and Graham were playfully flirting, everyone could hear Nathan speaking with the team through the doors. The group of young me yelled "Seahawks!" and then the college players and assistant coaches came through the doors.
Nathan brought up the rear just a minute later. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, and navy tie. He had a clipboard in his hands and he stopped in his tracks when he saw nine people waiting for him in the tunnel.
Haley was standing in between Jamie and Charlotte and, Nathan started to smile with a little bit of bewilderment and deja vu, "What are you guys doing here?"
"We wanted to wish you luck." Haley smiled at her husband and then turned to look at the people behind her.
Charlotte already had a tear in her eye from her father's surprised look.
Claire held out the poster that said Coach Scott is my Grandpa. "We love you."
Hearing that small voice say something so sweet, and Charlotte's pregnancy emotions were starting to take its toll. Graham slipped one of his hands around her and reminded her that this was a good day. Her dad had done well.
Nathan subconsciously knew that his four-hundred and fiftieth win was close but he wasn't the kind to worry about individual numbers. He was a team player, and the nine people in front of him were his team. He walked up to Charlotte and gave his daughter a hug first.
"Good luck, Dad." She felt like a little girl again, wishing him well for his last NBA game, and Charlotte pulled away with a smile. This wasn't his last game as a coach, but it was just as special.
"Thanks, Char." Nathan nodded after he broke away from Charlotte and shook Graham's hand as little arms wrapped around his leg. Those brown eyes that matched Charlotte and Haley's stared up to him and she smiled.
"Win tonight."
Nathan smiled at the little girl, "We're gonna try." He walked over to Jamie and shook his son's hand, "Thanks, Jame." Jamie hadn't said anything but he didn't need to. Liza hugged her father in law and then Nathan hugged another young girl before approaching his oldest grandchild.
Bennet looked at Nathan with blue eyes and smiled, "The Buccaneers don't stand a chance." The pre-teen extended his hand but Nathan wasn't gonna settle with a hand shake. Hugging his grandson, Nathan started to feel a little emotional when he looked down the line of people supporting him. And the ones under the tunnel weren't the only people there. Lucas and Peyton, Brooke and Julian, Skills; everyone was there.
Charlotte started to walk to the court and looked back at her parents. They were still having their own moment. It was sweet really. They were hugging and Charlotte knew it was something they'd done since they'd been in high school. Her mom was always supporting her dad and things hand't changed. Between high school, college, the Bobcats, and coaching, Nathan and Haley had been bound by basketball and bound by love.
"Ladies and Gentlemen..."
Charlotte walked to the court where the family was supposed to stand and she was holding onto Graham's hand as tight as ever.
"...please get to your feet as we welcome Coach Nathan Scott onto the court."
An eruption of cheers echoed through the building and Charlotte was moved to tears again. Her mom led her dad to the court and then Haley stood next to her youngest. Graham could see his wife getting emotional and he ran his hand over her back. She turned to him and said a million words with just one look. It was thank you, it was I love you, it was all of the above.
Nathan looked around the the cheering students and saw that Jamie and the UNCW athletic director were standing at center court. Charlotte, Graham, Liza and the kids were standing just off to the side and applauded with everyone else as he walked across the floor.
The athletic directed nodded at Nathan and then smiled as he spoke, "Tonight we're honoring Coach Nathan Scott with an achievement award, thanking him for his twenty years with the program." The cheers echoed louder than before and Nathan felt himself get the chills. "Twenty years ago UNCW was fortunate enough to..."
Charlotte listened to the AD go on about her dad, was moved to more tears when Jamie spoke, and then nearly broke down again when Nathan thanked his family for helping him get where he was today. It was bittersweet listening to everyone rave about her father and even better that Graham was by her side. It didn't matter what it was or where they were, he had that way about him.
After the ceremony, the game started and without a surprise the UNCW Seahawks dominated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. Following the game, everyone headed to Nathan and Haley's to finish the celebration, but with little kids, Charlotte and Graham didn't stay too long.
Scott was out just as soon as he got in the carseat, but Hattie was a fighter. She wasn't quite ready for bed. Graham pulled out of his in-laws driveway and looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. He knew of something that might lull her to sleep.
"How bout a story, Hat?"
"The man in the moon, one?"
Charlotte really hated that one and posed another suggestion, "How about Poseidon?"
"Yeah..." Graham slowed the car to a stop and started to smile. "Ever hear the story about the tides, Minnow?" He knew she had, but continued anyway. "Legend has it that Poseidon wanted to lose some weight."
"That's funny." Hattie yawned, but tried to stay awake to listen to her dad.
"I know." Graham looked to Charlotte and knew his wife had heard this one. It was the first story he had ever told her. "So he wanted to lose weight and the only exercise he liked doing were arm circles. But Poseidon was a lazy guy. He only did them in each direction twice a day, meaning he went forwards twice and did backwards rotations twice." Graham held out his arms and steered his car with his leg for a second. "So he'd do this for a little while but what ended up happening was that his strength was so enormous that the tide started to come..."
Charlotte was watching Hattie nod off and turned around to face the front and saw two headlights veer into their lane. "Graham, watch out!"
Quickly swerving to get out of the way, the Coastie gripped the steering wheel and jerked his SUV right and then tried to straighten out.
Charlotte closed her eyes because she could feel the top heavy car start to tip.
Not about to get into an accident, Graham tried will all of his might to slow down and maintain control.
He did.
Slowing down as the light up ahead turned red, Graham looked to Charlotte and took her hand. "You okay?"
Charlotte was a little shaken from the close call, but she was okay. "Yeah."
They both looked at the kids and saw that Hattie and Scott were sound asleep. Scott had been zonked out since they left Charlotte's parents, and Hattie must have been in that initial deep sleep phase. It hadn't been but a minute since she'd fallen asleep that the other car veered into their lane. Graham hadn't had time to honk the horn, so apparently the jerkiness of the car didn't bother them.
"Fucking asshole..." The Coastie watched red headlights disappear into the dark night and he took a deep breath.
Reaching over to him, Charlotte rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You did good."
Maybe so, but that didn't mean he couldn't be pissed at the other irresponsible driver. This was his family they were messing with- his wife and their two children...three children, actually.
Shaken but trying to laugh it off, Charlotte cracked a smile. "It was probably Sawyer trying to get to my parents' house since she missed the game."
It wasn't because the make and model of the car hadn't been old enough. Graham eased off the brake as the light changed. "Did you ever hear from them? What made them miss it?"
Charlotte wasn't sure, but there was no telling what made Sawyer and Ben late. Just about anything could throw a wrench in their plan. "They probably couldn't agree about whose car to take."
"Probably."
It was actually much bigger than that, and Charlotte and Graham would find out later, but right now they could laugh and speculate about it until they got home.
When they did pull into their driveway, Graham got both of the kids and got them settled in their rooms pretty quickly. He was a pro at getting the kids to bed. Mack got comfortable between the Hattie and Scott's bedroom doors, and Graham walked down the steps feeling good that their dog was watching over them, but he still couldn't shake the bad feeling from the car ride.
Charlotte was lathering up with some co-co butter, trying to prevent any stretch marks that tried to linger on her skin, when she saw Graham come into their bedroom. He went straight to the closet and tossed on something to sleep in and and slid into the covers quietly.
Rubbing her hands together, Charlotte rested them on her stomach and turned to her husband. "Are you okay?"
He put both of his hands behind his head and he shook his head.
"Honey, we're fine..."
"But that was so close, Charlotte. I could have overcorrected or lost control..."
"But you didn't." She knew they'd almost been in an accident, but somehow they got out of it. "And we're all okay because of it." Moving closer to him, Charlotte laid her head on his chest and felt one of his hands move around her side.
They were fine. They'd had a scare, but they were fine. Graham didn't have anything to worry about. Charlotte and Hattie and Scott were gonna be okay.
It was Graham they'd need to worry about.
Not tonight, and not for a little while longer; but it wasn't going to be a car accident that would soon threaten everything Charlotte and Graham had built. He wasn't going to be the one worrying about the safety of his family. They'd be worrying about him. The deep dark ocean wasn't forgiving and when she took her prisoners, they didn't all come back.
OTHOTH
Charlotte was sitting in her car with the air conditioner on full blast. The un-seasonably high temperatures made Tree Hill feel more like July and August instead of early May. Ice-cream melted way too quickly, sunburn came without fail, and battery operated fans were necessary for taking the kids to the park.
Charlotte would have gone inside the cooled building just in front of her, but the walk meant she had to get out in the blaring sun. Right now she was perfectly content sitting in the parking lot of Dr. Walker's office while she waited on her husband. Graham was on his way from the base. He'd be there soon.
Now at six months, Charlotte was going in for a routine check-up to make sure she and the baby were progressing as they should. So far so good, and they expected more of the same.
Leaning back against the leather, Charlotte held her hands out to the air conditioner and silently thanked whoever thought of putting them in cars. A white car that pulled up next to her caught Charlotte's attention and she smiled at the handsome man in uniform that got out. He was in his utility blues, and Graham never looked bad in those.
Walking over to his wife's car, the Coastie knocked his knuckle against the glass and leaned into the window as she rolled it down. Graham smiled when he felt the arctic air blast him in the face as he got closer to her.
Charlotte took a deep breath and knew he might get mad at her for wasting gas. "It's just so nice in here."
He nodded and leaned further into the car to kiss her. "I bet." He moved away and laughed at the car's thermostat. "You've got it freezing in here."
"But it beats me just stripping, right here and right now."
Laughing because he knew she'd never do that, Graham smirked. "Maybe..."
He better stop with that grin and that uniform. Charlotte was in a precarious state of mind. Push her buttons and she might just do something unexpected.
Seeing her eyes widen, the Coastie leaned closer, "I might like a free show."
Pressing the button so the window rolled up, Charlotte turned off the car and then slowly opened the door. Her mood passed and she shut the door with a laugh. "You've gotten your fair of free shows. How do you think I ended up like this?"
Graham could only laugh as they both looked at her growing belly. "...a coincidence?"
Pushing him away, Charlotte rolled her eyes and watched Graham open the doctor's office door for her. He was an officer and a gentleman after all.
After finding seats and waiting for just a little while, Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. McFarland headed back to a small exam room for Dr. Walker. Graham helped Charlotte in the chair and started to pace around the room while they waited.
Noticing her husband's antsy demeanor, Charlotte leaned back in the chair and rested her hands on her stomach. "You want to know, don't you?" They'd decided they would keep that baby's gender a surprise until the baby was born, but with an ultrasound on its way, Charlotte knew they'd have the opportunity to find out today.
"Kinda."
She could see it all over his face. Graham wanted to know. They'd been really good about not asking, but it would be nice to know so they could decorate the room and get things ready. "We can ask."
"Yeah?" Graham started to smile and wanted to make sure. "If you want to wait, we..."
"I don't want to wait." Truthfully Charlotte was going along with it because she thought Graham wanted to wait. If he didn't, they they might as well find out.
Walking closer to his wife, Graham's hand found her belly and he sneaked it under her shirt. "I'm thinking..." He tried to figure out if it was a boy or girl and settled on one. "...it's a boy."
Closing her eyes and her husband's touch, Charlotte nodded, "Me too." For whatever reason, Charlotte thought the same thing.
The door of the the exam room opened and Dr. Walker made his way into the room with a smile. He was holding onto the clipboard and looked to the expecting parents happily. "Charlotte, Graham. Always good to see you two."
Shaking Dr. Walker's hand, "You as well..." Looking back at Charlotte, Graham grinned, "We were just saying how we think it's a boy."
"Oh yeah?" Dr. Walker smiled at Graham and walked over to Charlotte. "Is that right? So y'all decided you wanted to find out, huh?"
Running her hands over her belly, Charlotte nodded, "I guess we couldn't wait until the end."
Grabbing the tube of jelly, Dr. Walker nodded, "Most people can't." He raised Charlotte's shirt and smothered the ultrasound jelly on her stomach. "And how are you feeling these days? Everything going well?"
"Really well, actually." Charlotte looked to her feet and laughed. "With Scott my ankles were swollen from day one and right now I feel like I could walk a hundred miles if I had to."
Dr. Walker laughed with a nod as he started to run the transducer probe to find a clear picture of the baby. "That's good to hear, Charlotte."
A soft echo came from the machine and all three of them knew that was an even better sound to hear.
"The baby sounds strong." Graham walked closer to Charlotte's head and they both watched the image on the screen turn into something recognizable as the heart beat continued to sound powerful and steady.
Rolling the probe over just a little, Dr. Walker stopped and pointed to the screen. "There we go..."
Graham took Charlotte's hand because he knew they were about to find out.
Turning to the couple in front of him, Dr. Walker grinned, "Congratulations, guys. It's a girl."
Looking to Graham, Charlotte smiled and leaned her head back against the chair with a laugh. "We were both wrong."
"But I"m okay with it." Graham really didn't mind another girl. He and Scott would be outnumbered, but that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"Me, too."
Tossing his gloves in the trash, Dr. Walker rolled over to the counter and scanned over Charlotte's chart. "I'll send Sharon in here to finish up. Everything's looking good. You know if you have questions or concerns I'm always available."
"Thank you."
"Thanks."
Both Charlotte and Graham thanked their doctor and only had to stay another fifteen minutes until they were finished. They walked out of the building together and Graham walked with Charlotte to her car.
"So..." Graham watched Charlotte get in her wagon and he leaned against the door with his forearm near the roof, "Another girl, huh?"
"Yep." Charlotte cranked up the AC as she started her car and looked back to her husband. "I guess we can start thinking about names. Maybe we can make a list tonight?"
Graham nodded, "Sounds good." He leaned through the window and kissed her. "I might get home a little late, though, so you can start narrowing it down without me. I think I'm gonna try and pick up some extra late shifts so I can get out of the August patrol. I don't want miss it when she's born."
"Oh...okay." Happy that he was thinking ahead, Charlotte smiled. "Any names you want me to keep in mind while I start the list?"
He hadn't really thought about it. "Not really. We can figure it out later."
Charlotte's phone started to ring and she knew it was Sawyer before she even looked at the screen. "I bet that's my lunch date."
Nodding, Graham patted the door of Charlotte's car and started to walk away. "I'll see you at home."
"Bye." The brown-eyed mother of two watched her Coastie walk to his car and she answered her phone. "I know...I know...I'm on my way."
"Ugh...thank, God. I was about to leave without you."
Charlotte laughed and started to pull out of her parking space. "Well, I'm just now leaving so do you want to meet there?" The plan was for Charlotte to swing by Sawyer's and pick her up, but there might be a change of plans.
Given the fact that Sawyer was still capable of driving her beloved Karmann Ghia, that would be a yes. "Works for me. As long as I can fit behind the steering wheel, I'm all about driving. Pretty soon this pregnancy will sequester me to a dumb...mini van or wagon." She rested her hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. Baby Trammell needed to stay little for as long as possible. Sawyer wasn't ready to give up her kick as car.
"Hey...my wagon is cute." Laughing, Charlotte tried to defend her mom car. "At least you have a couple more months until that happens." Sawyer was now just over three months along and she still had some time to drive around in her cool convertible.
"Don't remind me." Sawyer took a deep breath and didn't want to think about giving up her precious car. It was going to be a very emotional day when the time came to put it in the garage on a permanent basis.
Laughing, Charlotte couldn't help but shake her head at Sawyer. Never in a million years did she think Sawyer would end up with a baby on board. But life worked out like that. Just a few months behind Charlotte, Sawyer and Ben were in for some exciting times ahead. They were preparing for a baby and Sawyer was taking it in stride...more or less. Their happy accident hadn't been planned and came as a shock, but they were making it work.
Charlotte could still remember how Sawyer told her she was pregnant just like it was yesterday.
Folding a basket of clothes as she watched a daytime talk show, Charlotte heard the door open and she saw her older cousin and best friend walk inside her house.
Turning the volume down, Charlotte smiled. "About time." The brunette hadn't seen Sawyer in what felt like forever. "Where have you been? We missed you at Dad's game the other night."
"Yeah um..." Sawyer pushed her sunglasses into her hair and laughed while taking a seat. "It's a long story."
"I've got time." Charlotte was spending the day with laundry. Scott was taking his afternoon nap and Hattie was at her toddler tumbling class.
"Okay, well...I've got a hypothetical for you."
Charlotte smiled as she folded one of Graham's shirts across her lap. "Alright."
"Let's say...hypothetically... that a young, independent, career driven person found herself in a jam. She didn't know what to do. She's got a boyfriend...that she adores. She won't marry him, but she loves him... And three days ago this person found out something she wasn't expecting." Sawyer was still processing the news in her head and she paused to collect her thoughts.
This hypothetical situation was sounding familiar and Charlotte stopped folding the clothes while Sawyer thought things over.. Charlotte was a smart girl. It didn't' take her long to put things together. "Wait, wait...are you...? Are you saying that... Are you pregnant?"
Nodding, Sawyer laughed. "Hypothetically."
"Sawyer..." Charlotte scooted over to her best friend and hugged her. "Oh my gosh!"
"I know." Sawyer smiled and hugged Charlotte tight. The older of the two could feel herself getting choked up."It was a total accident."
Charlotte didn't doubt that. It must have been an accident. Babies weren't something Sawyer purposefully got into. "So did you take a test?"
"Twelve." Sawyer laughed a little embarrassed that she took so many, but she was a nervous wreck thinking about becoming a mom. "And then we went to the doctor and they called back this morning." She was pregnant, definitely pregnant.
"This is great, Sawyer." Moving away from her cousin, Charlotte wanted to know how she was doing. "So...where's your head?"
"That's the thing...I have no idea how to handle this. I'm walking on pins and needles thinking I'm doing everything wrong. Like what do I eat? What do I drink? What do I do? What do I not do...?" Sawyer laughed and then shrugged her shoulders. "But honestly...other than that, I'm actually really happy about it. I told myself for so many years that I never wanted this...but now..." Sawyer took a deep breath and smiled, "I'm having a baby, Charlotte."
"I know." Charlotte couldn't contain her happy emotions either. She fanned her face in hopes of keeping any tears away for now.
Feeling herself get emotional, Sawyer tried to keep any happy tears at bay, too. If she started crying then so would Charlotte. They'd be one giant mess of hormones. Sawyer's voice got soft and quiet and she looked to her best friend thinking about her baby daddy, "And you should see Ben. He's over the moon. I've never see him so happy." Ben was completely and utterly in love with the idea of having a baby- in love with the fact that Sawyer was having his child.
"Well I'm sure." Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it..." She looked to Sawyer's flat stomach and smiled, "...we're pregnant together."
"I know...who knew, right?" Sawyer took a deep breath and remembered Charlotte was due in August. "I'm due in November."
Standing up, Charlotte motioned for Sawyer to follow her upstairs. "Come here. I want to show you something."
The two thirty somethings walked up the creaky steps and Charlotte cracked open the door to Scott's room. Sawyer and Charlotte tip-toed in and stopped by his bed. The two year old was sound asleep. His pajamas had little anchors on them and his soft breaths sounded like the ocean. He was Graham's child, through and through.
Charlotte leaned into Sawyer's side and smiled with a nod. "You'll never love someone like you love your child." She glanced at her sleeping boy and felt her heart warm. "Before... you never think you could love something so instantly, but when they put him on your chest..." Charlotte closed her eyes and could remember the feeling she had when Scott was born- Hattie, too. "I can't even describe it, Saw. It means that much."
Feeling her stomach flip as she started to imagine the day she and Ben would have in November, Sawyer nodded. "I'm scared though, Charlotte."
"And that's okay." Charlotte quietly laughed and walked with her best friend out of the room. "You've got me, your mom and dad, Keith and Bridget just went through all of this with Kit,...my mom, too. Liza knows everything when it comes to babies and medicine, and Brooke will probably be at your beck and call..." Charlotte smiled because it was the truth. "And you have Ben." Seeing that Sawyer was still trying to find a way to wrap her head around it, Charlotte wrapped her cousin up in a big hug. "Everything's gonna be okay."
And it would be. For a little while at least. Charlotte parked next to Sawyer's car and walked into the Mexican restaurant. They'd been to K-38 so many times Charlotte didn't even need to ask the hostess where Sawyer was. She was at their table.
Scooping a large amount of salsa into her mouth, Sawyer crunched down on the chip and waved Charlotte over. "Now we can order."
Laughing, Charlotte sat down and had to sit back a little bit so her stomach wasn't pressed up against the table. "Sorry. I hit just about every red light over here."
"Mmm-huh. That or your mom car is just too slow." Sawyer tilted her head and crammed another chip in her mouth.
"My car...is actually very fast. I'm not just reckless." Charlotte had an Audi. It was a nice car, a very nice car that could be fast when she wanted it to be.
"Well...I'm going to look at cars tomorrow. Hopefully I can at least find something cool."
"And safe..." Charlotte laughed as she bit into a chip.
Shrugging, Sawyer wasn't so concerned with safety. As long as it had a hard roof and a back seat suited for carseats, then she was golden. "Sure." Her conflicting ideas about the proper car would probably be one of they many things she and Ben argued about, but as far as she was concerned...it was her car. Hers. Not his. Hers. "But anyways, how was the appointment? Everything alright?"
"Yeah. Its' great." Charlotte nodded with a smile. Her face started to blush and that sweet smirk she'd inherited from her dad started to appear. "We're having a girl."
Mid chip break, Sawyer's eyes got wide. "You are?" She watched Charlotte nod and Sawyer started to laugh. "Better you than me."
Grinning because Sawyer wasn't fond of the idea of having a girl, Charlotte shrugged, "They're not so bad, Sawyer."
"Um...do you not remember how terrible I was? I was a hellion child, demon pre-teen, and a sarcastic bitch in high school- and I don't think I've even grown out of that phase but...I'm not ready for that. Hattie is a adorable, and I'm sure this new one will be, too. I just need to have a boy first so I can get my bearings."
"You do know you just jinxed yourself."
"What?" Sawyer furrowed her brow. "No I didn't." Knocking her knuckles against the wooden table, Sawyer's eyes got wide, "Nah-uh. Stop it." She watched Charlotte nod and the blonde quickly poured a handful of salt in her hand and threw it over her shoulder.
"Sawyer!" Charlotte saw the specks of white land on the back of a fellow lunch-goer. The man turned around and Charlotte shot him an apologetic look, "So sorry."
Wincing, Sawyer hunkered down in her chair and laughed. "Whoops...let's just eat."
Charlotte thought that was a good idea, and considering the way baby Mac was kicking, Charlotte knew she wasn't the only one hungry.
Two enchiladas, a soft taco, and part of Sawyer's fajita plate later, and Charlotte was stuffed. Sawyer was still at it though. She was an eating machine. It was only after the waiter took her plate that she finished; there hadn't been anything left.
"Let's go nap..." Tossing her napkin on the table, the blonde leaned back.
That sounded good but Charlotte knew they were supposed to go meet the older women at Clothes over Bro's. Brooke had a plethora of baby clothes she wanted to show the girls, and Peyton and Haley would love to see their daughter's ever expanding bellies. "We can nap right after we get done with baby clothes."
"Ugh..." Closing her eyes, Sawyer wasn't even sure why they needed to go check out Brooke's latest designs. Sawyer didn't know what she was having so picking out clothes seemed kinda dumb. "Can you go and just say I was there?"
Scooting her chair back, Charlotte laughed. "I think they might notice."
They would. So the two thirty somethings headed outside for their cars. Sawyer left a trail of dust in her wake and Charlotte pulled out of the parking lot just behind her. Headed downtown towards the Cape, neither of them noticed the ominous, gray clouds that were slowly approaching from the east. A storm was blowing in. And it was this particular storm and subsequent events that took place as the winds howled on that open sea that would shake things up and re-write history. It was the beginning of a tragedy that would re-write destiny.
And unfortunately, nobody knew that. They wouldn't have time to prepare or get ready. Charlotte and Graham would have to deal with it head on, without warning, and without each other.
OTHOTH
Later in the evening, the McFarland household was getting ready for dinner. The weather had turned sour and blurred the once blue skies into gray. Charlotte plopped the kids in front of the television while she got to work in the kitchen, but Hattie wasn't so interested in the movie catered more for her younger brother.
Sliding off the couch, the little brown-eyed girl walked over to the nearby windows. She was standing by the back door watching the rain dampen the ground around the swing set. She watched the water bounce off the slide and drain into a puddle of murky water. It sure was raining. Then as the water fell from the sky, she felt something soft and warm nudge her side. Instinctively wrapping her arms around their golden retriever, the four year old softly spoke as she rested her head by Mack's, "Can't go outside, Mack. It's raining."
Blowing some air through his nose, the dog seemed to understand. He stood there with Hattie for a little while and then the girl hurried over to where her mom was.
"Mama, can I help?"
Charlotte closed the stove and knew there really wasn't much Hattie could help with. "I'm about done, Hat."
"So nothing?" The little girl held out her hands. "What 'bout dezert?" Hattie was pulling out all the stops. There had to be something she could help with.
Charlotte looked to the pantry and knew of something that was easy to throw together. "I know something we can make for dessert." As long as she had a box of cake mix and a jar of canned pie filling, it would work.
"Cookies?" Hattie's big brown eyed widened with hope.
"Better."
Better? What was better than cookies? Hattie scrunched up her little nose and watched her mom walk into the pantry.
Charlotte returned with a few things in her hands, got out the necessary dish, and handed Hattie the box of cake mix. The four year old was standing on a pulled up chair and Charlotte nodded, "Dump it in, Minnow."
"Mama...that's what Daddy calls me. Not you."
Biting her lip, Charlotte laughed, "Oh, I can't call you that?" The mother of two smiled at her oldest and popped the top off of the cherry pie filling.
Shaking her head, Hattie concentrated on pouring the cake mix in the bottom of the pan. "Nope."
"Well..." Charlotte poured in some of the pie filling and motioned for Hattie to safe the rest of the cake mix for the top. "Can I call you...Squirt?" That was one of Ben's many nicknames for her kids and Charlotte watched Hattie shake her head. "What about Mad Hatter?"
"No...! That's Sawyer's." Hattie laughed and stomped her little feet on the chair, "Mama, you call me Hattie."
"I do?"
"Mmm-huh."
Charlotte watched her daughter dump the rest of the the cake mix in, and the near thirty-one year old wrapped her arms around Hattie's waist. "But sometimes it's just Hat, right?"
Narrowing her eyes, Hattie nodded. "Sometimes."
The Coastie wife kissed her daughter's cheek and smiled as she looked to their quickly concocted dessert. "And you know what we call that?"
"Dezert."
Charlotte laughed out loud at Hattie's response. "True, but we call it dump cake. You've had it before. It's one of Daddy's favorites."
"Oh..." Hattie slowly nodded and then eyed her mom's belly. "What about the baby? What are you gonna call the baby?"
"I don't know yet. When your dad gets home we were gonna talk about it." Charlotte saw the excitement flicker in those brown eyes of Hattie's. "But he probably won't be home until after you go to bed. He's working late."
The base wasn't busy and Graham was hanging out in the control room with Drew. Unless something was going on, it could get kind of boring, so the two Coasties were playing connect the dots on the radar.
"It's a bunny...look." Graham pointed at what looked like two floppy ears, "How can you not see it. It's all up in the upper quadrant."
"Dude it's not a bunny." Drew laughed and shook his head. "It's a missile."
"What?" Graham looked at the dots and knew it wasn't a missile. "There's no way."
In the background the radio picked up a static call for help.
"Anybody there? This is the Windsong, and we're taking on water. Lost an engine and the other's running hot..." White noise filled the room and the man's voice came and went in waves. "We've got five aboard..."
Drew hurried over to the radio and clicked the button. "Windsong this is USCG base five-four-two. Go ahead with your position."
The captain of the boat heard the voice calling back to him and the man sighed in relief. "Yeah, yeah, we're about one hundred and fifty miles east of Kure Beach. Longitude..."
Graham looked at the map and knew they were about to go out and get this group of fishermen. He needed to go tell Trevor and Carter to suit up. Langston and Billings were probably already out by the flight deck.
"We've locked your coordinates, sir, and we're sending a team now. Does anyone need medical assistance."
The captain felt his boat tip and dip with the waves, "One of our guys burned his arm, but no, nothing life or death." The rain pounded against his vessel, and he wasn't so sure this was going to be a routine pick up. "It's raining pretty badly out here. The wind's aren't letting up."
"Our team is equipped to handle the weather, sir. What I need you to do is to get your guys together and any safety equipment you may have on board. Rafts, suits...whatever..."
As Drew went on to talk with the captain, Graham hustled to the locker room and saw Trevor and Carter lifting weights. "Get dressed, boys. We've got a boat in distress."
Whistling, Trevor clapped his hands and hurried to pull on his suit and gear. They'd done this a million times, but the jolt of adrenaline that rushed through their veins as they got ready to fly intensified each and every mission.
Straps tightened, buckles clipped, their gear slung around their shoulders, the three rescue swimmers ran out to meet their pilot and co-pilot. Captain Billings opened up the door for the guys and shielded the rain from his face. He told them the generics as they packed into the chopper. It would take thirty minutes to get to the boat, and as far as he knew, there were no serious injuries. It should be pretty routine.
"Weather might cause some trouble, but we'll keep an eye on it." Billings nodded at his guys and shut the cabin door. He hurried over to the co-pilot's door and jumped in his seat as Captain Langston fired up the blades.
The whipping sound was loud and sent vibrations through Graham's body. He checked their supplies, buckled into his seat, and felt the helicopter lift off the ground.
"Buzz... Buzz..." Scott zoomed a little toy plane above his head and stuck his tongue out as he maneuvered it through the air. He'd just finished his with his bath and was now waiting for his mom to tuck him in.
Charlotte dried off her hands and hit the bathroom light before she walked into their son's room. "What are you doing, mister?" She eyed Scott and put her hands on her hips with a smile. He didn't look like he was ready for bed.
Still holding that plane high above his head, Scott smiled. "Pieing."
The thirty year old walked closer to her little boy and nodded, "What about bed?"
"Me no sweepy." Flying his toy plane was much more entertaining.
Charlotte smiled at Scott's sweet little face. She knelt down by his toddler bed and ran her hands over his newly washed hair. "It's bedtime buddy, not playtime."
Scott furrowed his little brow and frowned. He'd wanted to play longer. He dropped his toy plane and when the plastic hit the hardwood, it made a loud noise that echoed down the hall.
Graham felt the helicopter sway with the wind and his back slammed against the cabin as the turbulence got worse. It felt as if he was on a simulated ride- as if some eager, small child was controlling their flight path.
"Steady boy..." Captain Langston manned the throttle and tried to keep the helicopter in a straight line. The weather was not helping. Mother Nature wasn't letting up with this early summer storm. The winds were pushing the aircraft all around the place and the rain wasn't quitting anytime soon.
Grabbing onto the nearest thing to hold onto, Graham had a grip that was unwavering. Things were getting kind of rough.
"Coming up on vessel coordinates, take your places, men." Co-pilot Billings spoke through his helmet and let the team know they were close to the boat.
Trevor started to unbuckle and looked to Carter and Graham, "So who's going first?" He looked outside and knew the conditions were going to be less than favorable. The wind was howling and the rain was coming down in white sheets. "I'll can drop down first."
"I'll go second." Carter nodded. "Graham you wanna stay up here?"
"Sure." He nodded and started to move out of his seat.
"Closing in on the distressed Windsong. All clear to open up shop." Captain Langston spotted the sinking ship and nodded to Billings.
Billings clicked a few buttons on the control panel and held is arm up. "Mission's a go."
Trevor slid the heavy door of the helicopter open and looked down to the thick sea. Waves were churring in every direction and he turned to his buddies as he took his helmet off. "Say a prayer, pals..." He was about to jump into a hell hole.
Graham watched Trevor jump out of the chopper and knew he'd signal them when he surfaced. Trevor bobbed to the surface and started to cut through the water as he swam towards the boat. "Swimmer's in the water."
Trevor was just about as fast as Graham and he made it to the boat in no time. He climbed aboard and could see the water coming up from the bottom of the boat. It was an old fishing ship that looked like it would be better suited outside of a seafood restaurant for decorations. Trevor took off his mask and snorkel and waved at the fishermen. "USCG, you fellas ready to get out of here?" Always the jovial spirit, Trevor smiled and pointed at the chopper. "Where's my burn victim. We'll get him up first."
A young guy who looked about twenty raised a finger. "Me." He was soaking wet from the rain and trembling with nerves. He didn't sign up to fish for this kind of experience.
"Alright, I'm gonna signal to my guys up there to send down the basket."
Graham looked for Trevor's arm movements and nodded at Carter. "After you jump, I'll send down the basket." Carter gave Graham a thumbs up and jumped from the helicopter cabin. He splashed into the water, and the green-eyed father of two watched the other rescue swimmer head for the boat. "Swimmer two is in the water. Repeat, swimmer two is good." Walking over to get the basket ready, Graham dropped it out of the cabin and slowly lowered it toward the water. "Basket's on its way down." He flipped the levers to lower the strong cable into the ever intensifying sea.
Billings spotted a mammoth wave and shook his head. "We've got major waves in the impact zone. Gotta hustle, guys."
Making sure the cable ran out smoothly, Graham watched the basket swing from side to side. The wind was pushing it in the wrong direction making it hard to steer. Not only that, but the cable kept spinning the basket so it was a giant rotating death trap. If it knocked into somebody, they wouldn't have a chance. Everyone needed to be free and clear of it.
"Move over...Scott." The four year old looked at her little brother and wasn't happy that he was taking up most of the space. Even though it was his bed, she wanted a little more room to sit. Hattie had come into his room when she heard her mom start to sing. She didn't want to miss it.
"Shh..." Charlotte eyed her oldest. If there was going to be fighting then Charlotte didn't have to sing. It was just something that got the kids to settle down. She wasn't quite up to her mom's singing caliber by any means, but Charlotte could carry a tune. Hattie got quiet and Charlotte started from the beginning. "Before Lord God made the sea and the land. He held all the stars in the palm of his hand..." Reaching out for one of each of her child's hands, Charlotte smiled. "And they ran through his fingers like grains of sand, And one little star fell alone." Just like clockwork Scott yawned but Charlotte continued, "Then the Lord God hunted through the wide night air, for the little dark star on the wind down there." Scott was fading fast and Charlotte let go of his hand and put it on her stomach reminding the new baby she was singing to her too, "And he stated and promised he'd take special care so it wouldn't get lost again..."
"We're losing it, we're losing it!" Graham saw the bucket swing towards the boat and get tangled on the uprights. This fishing masts were towering beams and the basket was now wrapped around the left side like stripes on a candy cane.
"Fucking hell..." Captain Langston pulled back on the throttle but could tell that the cable was taught. It was caught on the boat and putting strain on the helicopter's engine. If they blew a gasket then it was over. It was all over.
Graham was fighting with the basket but knew it was no use. He needed to hit the emergency eject button. "I've got to cut it loose!" Yelling as the rain and wind drowned out anything audible, the Coastie pressed the red button discharging the basket but nothing happened.
"McFarland, get it undone!"
He was trying, but something was jammed. "It's stuck."
"What are they doing...?" Trevor watched in horror down on the ship deck as the basket twisted around the sinking vessel. He looked at the cluster of fishermen aboard and pointed at the inflatable life raft they had. "Get off. Jump in the water. Get off now! That chopper's gonna pull us under or crash right on top of us. Get off!" Trevor threw the supplies in the water and watched as the fishermen jumped in the roaring sea. "Carter, get that thing inflated!"
Caught in a moment of panic, Carter could only float helplessly as he watched the helicopter start to swing side to side. Why weren't they cutting the line?
Trevor ran up the side of the boat and tried to free the hung basket. It was too heavy for him to get alone but he wasn't going to stop trying. Those were his friends up there. This could be life or death.
Captain Langston felt the tail of the chopper start to spin left. Correcting, he throttled up and heard the emergency buzzers going off. He picked up his radio, "Mayday! Mayday...! This is Langston with HC-five-eight-three. Mayday. Ma..."
A flash of lighting lit up Scott's bedroom as Charlotte sang the next verse. "Now a man don't mind if the stars grow dim, and the clouds blow over and darken him. So long as the Lord God's watching over them." Leaning over to kiss her kids, Charlotte quietly skipped ahead to the last verse of the song. "...and we're lost out here in the stars. Little stars, big stars, blowing through...the night..."
Everything happened in slow motion. Suddenly the stars disappeared and Graham was thrown backwards as the helicopter started to tailspin into the water. He heard the blades chilling echoes pulse in his ear as they slowed in speed. High pitched alarms screeched like a boiling kettle. And then there was the unnatural silence before impact. Gravity faltered and for a second he was floating until his body slammed against the hard metal frame of the chopper, and his mouth filled with blood just as soon as the cabin started to fill with water. It was all too fast for him to react. A few blinks and he felt the Atlantic start to squeeze at his chest. The water was rising.
As the chopper sank toward the ocean floor, it was pitch black and nobody knew which way was up and which way was down. Time was running out and Graham didn't know if Langston and Billings had even survived the crash. He wasn't even sure if he was alive.
The water engulfed his body and it was only a matter of moments before his head would be under. Dazed and completely unaware of the things around him, Graham took one last breath and felt the pressure of the sinking chopper take him down. It didn't take but twenty nine seconds for the helicopter to succumb to the sea.
The arms of the ocean wrapped around Graham and pulled him to the bottom of the never ending abyss. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. Graham couldn't do a thing. Be it his injuries or shock, something was keeping him from finding a way out. And just as quickly as it had happened, all the world went black. In an instant everything changed.
Surrounded in the black shadows of the Atlantic, Graham's eyes closed, and he started to feel his chest tighten as the water pressure intensified. This was it.
In a different kind of darkness, Charlotte woke up when she heard a knock on the front door. She reached out for Graham's spot. He wasn't there. The darkness of their bedroom made things seem unfamiliar and there was a cold spot on the sheets where her husband was supposed to be. The brown-eyed mother of two slowly and quietly got out of bed and walked to the front door. She saw headlights in the driveway and the rain was still coming down pretty hard. Her hands settled on her bump and she blinked away her sleep before opening the door, completely and utterly unaware of the news she was about to receive.
Standing on her doorstep, Ben looked at the woman his best friend married. "Charlot..." His voice broke before he could finish saying her name.
Seeing him brought any sleepiness away from her system and Charlotte's mind started to race. She looked to the person standing next to Ben. "Sawyer...?" Why was she there? "Whe...Where's Graham?" Her question fell out of her mouth before she knew she asked it. And at the single mention of his name and Sawyer had to turn away. Immediately, Charlotte felt her knees grow weak upon seeing this. "No..." Her lip started to quiver and she could only shake her head, "Please... No..."
"Charlotte..." Ben couldn't' stand this. He couldn't bare to see Charlotte so upset, but if anyone was going to relay the information it was going to be him.
Anything that came out of anyone's mouth now became white noise. Charlotte stood frozen in place and felt her chest ache like it never had before. Her hands clutched her stomach but nothing was helping with the pain. She was drowning on dry land.
How was she supposed to live without him? How was she supposed to raise their children? How was she supposed to have this baby without him?
It was all too much. Charlotte's head started to spin, and she didn't know if she was supposed to throw up, scream, cry, or hit something. Her world was falling apart and she was falling down. Ben grabbed a hold of her before she hit the ground, but it was useless. Charlotte was a wreck.
Couldn't this be a dream? Couldn't it all be in her head?
No. Not this time. This was her nightmare and it was just beginning.
OTHOTH
I'm ducking from anything you may be throwing my way. I know...I know, I'm terrible. Terrible for a few reasons. How could I leave it like that and how could I do that to Graham. Is he really dead? How will Charlotte cope? How will her family keep her whole in times of doubt and tragedy? And what about the baby? Going through something so traumatic can't be good for the baby, can it? It'll all play out in the coming chapters and we'll see Charlotte come to terms with everything and how they (everyone) will move forward.
My reviewers. You know how I feel about you. You are a box of chocolates to my Forrest Gump. I just want to eat you up!
XoxoNALEYxoxo: At least I put Sawyer and Ben back together! That counts for something, right? I'm so glad you've liked what I've done thus far.
Chrissy: Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. As you can see, the accident includes Graham instead of Charlotte and the kids. Hopefully you still enjoyed it.
Riley: Thanks for the review! I actually haven't seen any full episodes of season nine so it would be really hard to write one shots for the season. However, I am planning to revamp a LM chapter and post it as a one shot to say goodbye to the show more or less. It will take place after season 9. Check my profile for more info.
Joan: I'm so glad to know that I renew your love for C/G each time I write them. I have to agree. I think it is really sweet that Graham called Scott "Sailor". About Davis and Amelia...probably. I already have their first baby's name and gender picked out it's just going to be a matter of when I can include that in either Charlotte or Sawyer's story. Yeah...the brown pelican thing turned out to be disastrous, but at least Sawyer and Ben are back together!
Review Please!
