"Wow." Misty's expression is is one of awe,"I pictured a small town but this looks like one straight out of a...I didn't even know towns like this even existed."
Ephram shakes his head and smiles at Misty, he knew Misty was going to stand out no matter where she went in Everwood. Her sun an fire skirt and backless shirt and large pink butterfly tattoo on her back may blend in in New York City but in Everwood it stuck out much like a real fire would. Maybe that had been what attracted Ephram to Misty when he moved in with his grandparents so many years ago. She was everything Everwood was not, she was loud and outgoing and was into parties and having fun.
"So where to?" Misty asks gazing around the town once more. "I mean are we going to your dad's or what?"
"Right my dad's." Ephram nods shaking himself out of his reverie.
"Are you going to be like this all week?" Misty asks as they get back into the car Ephram rented and drove up from Denver.
"Like what?" Ephram asks as they pass his father and Dr. Abbots offices.
"Like a total space case. I mean really..." Misty's rant is cut off when she asks, "Is that woman your step-mother?"
Ephram slows down and drives along the curb rolling down his window he calls out, "Nina!"
Nina, Ephram's step-mother for 5 years now turns around wearing a bright smile. "You guys got in earlier than we thought you would me."
Ephram pulls the car into the closest available parking spot and is hugged tightly bye Nina, "How are you?"
"I'm really good Ephram." Nina replies. "Trying to get some last minute shopping done for the party tonight. Your dad, Delia and Sam are home with the girls and everyone is excited to see you. You must be Misty."
"Oh right." Ephram realizes that Nina and Misty have never met and introduces the two women, "Nina this is Misty, Misty this is Nina."
The two women smile at Ephram and give each other knowing looks before Nina says, "Why don't you get on home Ephram, I'll be home soon. Delia is practically coming out of skin waiting to see you."
Ephram nods, "All right, we'll see you back at the house."
"She seems nice." Misty comments when they are back in the car and heading towards Ephram's father's house.
"She is. And she's good for my father and Delia as far as I can tell. Delia needed a mother and Nina was the best possible choice."
"Tell me again why you didn't go to the wedding?" Misty asks.
"Is this so you can analyze me some more?" Ephram asks arching an eyebrow.
"I'm curious, besides I want to know what it is about this place that you..."
"If you I was afraid of again I will take you right back to the airport." Ephram swears.
"I wasn't going to. I was going to say I want to know what it is about this place that you hate so much." Misty replies sharply.
"Fine." Ephram makes a turn, "I didn't go to their wedding because they didn't have a bid wedding. Nina's husband died two years before they got married and with dad being a widower they didn't want to make a big deal out of it. And it was towards the end of our second year in college, around finals and they insisted on me not coming because it wasn't a big thing."
"So you just didn't not go?" Misty asks arching an eyebrow, "They're your family Ephram."
"Misty you were there that year. Why are you lecturing me now?" Ephram asks pulling into the driveway.
"I'm not lecturing." Misty insists as tone of her voice rises to the one she uses for arguing.
"Oh really?" Ephram as slam the car door. "It doesn't sound that way."
"I just don't understand what your problem is." Misty explains, "You rarely every talk about this place or the people here. Despite the fact that you have siblings and a family here."
"Let's not talk about this now." Ephram states and then as an after thought, "Or for that matter ever. I'm done with this topic Misty I don't want to talk about it."
"Fine whatever." Misty shrugs but her expression still shows one of annoyment.
Before anything else can be said the door is opening and Delia is standing on the front step, "Ephram!" She calls rushing ot him and hugging him tightly. "I'm glad your here."
"Hi Delia." Ephram replies as he and his sister pull apart. Ephram really doesn't see the woman Delia has grown into, instead in his mind he can still see his 9-year-old baby sister with her baseball cap pulled low over her face.
"Come in Ephram, dad's inside with the girls. You haven't been able to meet any of them yet, but Kim and Annie are excited you are coming. And Lily and Ariel probably would be but since they are only 10 months old they don't really get it..." Delia takes a deep breath before continuing, "You're Misty right? I kind of remember you from when we were in New York City last time."
"That's right." Misty nods. "Now it's your graduation."
"Yeah, right about that..." Delia blushes, "I don't know if anyone told you that there is a party tonight."
"Nina said something when we ran into her." Ephram states, "What's up with it?"
"It a party for the graduating class and naturally Nina and Dad wanted to be in the middle of it all so they offered use of are house. It's going to be tons of fun and everyone is going to be there." Delia replies. "But come inside now. That way you can talk with Dad and meet the girls and still have time to rest for the party. It's in about 3 hours so come on."
Ephram allows himself to be drug into the house where he finds his father waiting for them in the entrance. The awkwardness is evident to everyone in the room but eventually Ephram hugs his father and answers a few questions about how he was and their flight and everything Walking into the living room Ephram finds Sam, whom he hasn't seen since he left Everwood playing with toddler aged girls who look a lot like Delia had when she was little.
Kim was the oldest of Ephram's half-sisters at four and she sat on the living room floor turning the pages of a picture book but when she looked up she exclaims "Ephram!"
Ephram shoots a questioning look at Delia who responds, "Dad shows them your picture everyday, they always say good morning to their big brother."
"That's so cute!" Misty exclaims but neither Andy or Ephram can meet each other's eyes.
Ephram kneels on the floor and Kim runs up to him with 4-year-old Annie right behind her yelling "Bro-Bro." Both plant kisses on Ephram's cheeks and pulling away they both lead Ephram, who is still on his knees, by the hand towards a playpin where identical twins Ariel and Lily sit watching them. Watching his four sisters Ephram couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for not coming home, at least after they were born.
Ephram shakes his head and smiles at Misty, he knew Misty was going to stand out no matter where she went in Everwood. Her sun an fire skirt and backless shirt and large pink butterfly tattoo on her back may blend in in New York City but in Everwood it stuck out much like a real fire would. Maybe that had been what attracted Ephram to Misty when he moved in with his grandparents so many years ago. She was everything Everwood was not, she was loud and outgoing and was into parties and having fun.
"So where to?" Misty asks gazing around the town once more. "I mean are we going to your dad's or what?"
"Right my dad's." Ephram nods shaking himself out of his reverie.
"Are you going to be like this all week?" Misty asks as they get back into the car Ephram rented and drove up from Denver.
"Like what?" Ephram asks as they pass his father and Dr. Abbots offices.
"Like a total space case. I mean really..." Misty's rant is cut off when she asks, "Is that woman your step-mother?"
Ephram slows down and drives along the curb rolling down his window he calls out, "Nina!"
Nina, Ephram's step-mother for 5 years now turns around wearing a bright smile. "You guys got in earlier than we thought you would me."
Ephram pulls the car into the closest available parking spot and is hugged tightly bye Nina, "How are you?"
"I'm really good Ephram." Nina replies. "Trying to get some last minute shopping done for the party tonight. Your dad, Delia and Sam are home with the girls and everyone is excited to see you. You must be Misty."
"Oh right." Ephram realizes that Nina and Misty have never met and introduces the two women, "Nina this is Misty, Misty this is Nina."
The two women smile at Ephram and give each other knowing looks before Nina says, "Why don't you get on home Ephram, I'll be home soon. Delia is practically coming out of skin waiting to see you."
Ephram nods, "All right, we'll see you back at the house."
"She seems nice." Misty comments when they are back in the car and heading towards Ephram's father's house.
"She is. And she's good for my father and Delia as far as I can tell. Delia needed a mother and Nina was the best possible choice."
"Tell me again why you didn't go to the wedding?" Misty asks.
"Is this so you can analyze me some more?" Ephram asks arching an eyebrow.
"I'm curious, besides I want to know what it is about this place that you..."
"If you I was afraid of again I will take you right back to the airport." Ephram swears.
"I wasn't going to. I was going to say I want to know what it is about this place that you hate so much." Misty replies sharply.
"Fine." Ephram makes a turn, "I didn't go to their wedding because they didn't have a bid wedding. Nina's husband died two years before they got married and with dad being a widower they didn't want to make a big deal out of it. And it was towards the end of our second year in college, around finals and they insisted on me not coming because it wasn't a big thing."
"So you just didn't not go?" Misty asks arching an eyebrow, "They're your family Ephram."
"Misty you were there that year. Why are you lecturing me now?" Ephram asks pulling into the driveway.
"I'm not lecturing." Misty insists as tone of her voice rises to the one she uses for arguing.
"Oh really?" Ephram as slam the car door. "It doesn't sound that way."
"I just don't understand what your problem is." Misty explains, "You rarely every talk about this place or the people here. Despite the fact that you have siblings and a family here."
"Let's not talk about this now." Ephram states and then as an after thought, "Or for that matter ever. I'm done with this topic Misty I don't want to talk about it."
"Fine whatever." Misty shrugs but her expression still shows one of annoyment.
Before anything else can be said the door is opening and Delia is standing on the front step, "Ephram!" She calls rushing ot him and hugging him tightly. "I'm glad your here."
"Hi Delia." Ephram replies as he and his sister pull apart. Ephram really doesn't see the woman Delia has grown into, instead in his mind he can still see his 9-year-old baby sister with her baseball cap pulled low over her face.
"Come in Ephram, dad's inside with the girls. You haven't been able to meet any of them yet, but Kim and Annie are excited you are coming. And Lily and Ariel probably would be but since they are only 10 months old they don't really get it..." Delia takes a deep breath before continuing, "You're Misty right? I kind of remember you from when we were in New York City last time."
"That's right." Misty nods. "Now it's your graduation."
"Yeah, right about that..." Delia blushes, "I don't know if anyone told you that there is a party tonight."
"Nina said something when we ran into her." Ephram states, "What's up with it?"
"It a party for the graduating class and naturally Nina and Dad wanted to be in the middle of it all so they offered use of are house. It's going to be tons of fun and everyone is going to be there." Delia replies. "But come inside now. That way you can talk with Dad and meet the girls and still have time to rest for the party. It's in about 3 hours so come on."
Ephram allows himself to be drug into the house where he finds his father waiting for them in the entrance. The awkwardness is evident to everyone in the room but eventually Ephram hugs his father and answers a few questions about how he was and their flight and everything Walking into the living room Ephram finds Sam, whom he hasn't seen since he left Everwood playing with toddler aged girls who look a lot like Delia had when she was little.
Kim was the oldest of Ephram's half-sisters at four and she sat on the living room floor turning the pages of a picture book but when she looked up she exclaims "Ephram!"
Ephram shoots a questioning look at Delia who responds, "Dad shows them your picture everyday, they always say good morning to their big brother."
"That's so cute!" Misty exclaims but neither Andy or Ephram can meet each other's eyes.
Ephram kneels on the floor and Kim runs up to him with 4-year-old Annie right behind her yelling "Bro-Bro." Both plant kisses on Ephram's cheeks and pulling away they both lead Ephram, who is still on his knees, by the hand towards a playpin where identical twins Ariel and Lily sit watching them. Watching his four sisters Ephram couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for not coming home, at least after they were born.