Chapter 2:
"Ephram! Misty! Are you just about ready?" Delia calls up the stairs later that evening, "Everyone is going to start coming soon!"
"Were coming Delia." Ephram announces appearing at the top of the stairs with Misty behind him.
"Cool dress Misty. Where'd you get it?" Delia asks taking in Misty's short Japanese style dress.
"We got it when my family went to Japan on vacation a couple summers, ago. Remember that Ephram? We had so much fun."
"Ephram you went to Japan?" Delia questions.
Ephram nodded, "Yeah, I told you, I'm sure of it."
Delia shrugs but twirls around, "How do I look?"
As Delia's light pink dress flares out slightly Ephram can't help but stare, for the first time ever Ephram is seeing his little sister as she truly is. Gone is the tomboyish 9-year-old who he left behind and in her stead is the 18-year-old that stands before her. Her long brown hair has been cut into a cute chin length and in her dress, something Ephram thought he would never see on his sister, Delia looks comfortable, like it isn't the first time she had worn one.
"Well?" Delia asks as she and Misty look at Ephram expectantly.
"You look great Delia, really." Ephram replies hurrying down the stairs and out the back door to quickly to even notice the weird looks Delia and Misty are giving him.
Closing the screen door behind him Ephram breaths in the clear Colorado night air deeply.
When he had moved back to New York with his Grandparents Ephram had been surprised by the things he missed from his short stay in Colorado. The clear cold country air was one of them. But the instant Ephram had breathed in the New York air and felt any regret he had pushed it all away, promising himself that he would regret nothing about moving back to New York, and he hadn't.
"It really is beautiful out here isn't it?" Nina's words make Ephram jump out of his thoughts.
"Yeah." Ephram nods, "It's the opposite of the City. I forgot how open everything is out here."
"Not much has changed since you left." Nina states.
"No, the town hasn't changed at all. But the people, the people are different. Delia especially." Ephram sighs dropping onto the porch swing, "It amazes me what a wonderful woman she turned into, I was so screwed up by everything that happened and yet she still managed to stay a wonderful person. I think for the most part we have you to thank for that."
"Me?" Nina asks clearly taken aback.
"Dad would never have been able to make it, he didn't have a clue what he was doing when I was here to help...Without me I kind of figured Delia would be on the next flight to New York after me."
"I don't think I had all that much to do with it." Nina replies, "Your father really is an excellent father."
"I'm glad he had Delia, Sam and the girls to make up for his previous faults." Ephram shrugs and the two sit in silence for a long while, until Ephram breaks it. "I'm sorry Nina."
"Sorry for what?" Nina asks for the second time during their conversation surprised.
"About how badly I reacted when I found out you and Dad were getting married, I should have been here for the wedding. And I should have been more than a picture in Kim, Annie and the twins' lives."
"Ephram I understand, I understood throughout it all. Everyone understood, you don't need to apologize for it. You loved your mother so much that you had a hard time dealing with her death."
"Delia didn't..."
"Delia's a different person." Nina interrupts, "Different people react different to different situations. Besides you were across the you didn't have the chance to warm up to the idea."
"I just regret not being here for anyone." Ephram shrugs.
"Ephram regret..."
"You're going to tell me not to regret anything right?"
"No." Nina shakes her head, "Regret is never a bad thing if you learn from it. If you just regret something and don't do anything about it, that's when regret becomes a bad thing. But if you use your regret to better your life, how can that be a bad thing?"
When Ephram doesn't respond Nina pats his hand and goes back into the house where sounds of people conversing can be heard.
Nearly 10 minutes go by before the door opens again and without taking his eyes off the skyline Ephram can tell from her perfume and the way she walks that it's Misty.
"What in the world are you doing out here?" Misty asks, "The party is inside. I mean sure it's not any party we are used to but it's a party for your sister. Shouldn't you be inside?"
Ephram turns toward Misty can taking her hand he lets her lead him back into the house.
Ephram watches Misty regale his father, Nina and Edna with one of her travel stories while he heads to the table where Nina has drinks set out.
"I bet it's a boring party next to your standards."
Ephram whirls around at the voice, "Amy!"
"Don't act so surprised Ephram." Amy replies, "I'm the one who is in her hometown and finds you here."
"It is my father's house though." Ephram points out, surprised to see Amy in front of him but even more surprised to find their easy banter so quick to come back.
"You got me there." Amy shrugs, "So what are you doing here?"
"My little sister's graduation remember? Of course I would be here. What are you doing here though?"
"Unlike one of us I never went anywhere. I'm the dance teacher at the high school, I'm Delia's dance teacher therefore I was invited. Delia didn't think you were coming."
"Well here I am." Ephram shrugs as Misty saunters to his side.
"Who's this Ephram?" She asks curiosity taking Ephram's hand.
"Misty Crew this is Amy Abbot. Amy, Misty, Misty, Amy."
"Abbot, isn't there a doctor here name Abbot?" Misty asks.
"That's my father." Amy replies, "You must be Misty, Delia's mentioned you."
"Oh really?" Misty arches an eyebrow, "Did you go to school with Ephram?"
"For the brief time he was here yes." Amy replies.
"Ephram doesn't talk about Everwood very often, so I apologize for not knowing your name." Misty rolls her eyes in Ephram's direction and suddenly before Ephram could realize it Misty and Amy were in a long conversation about Ephram while he lived in Everwood.
"I'm sure I'm not necessary for this conversation so I think I'm going to be going." And Ephram turns and walks the other direction quickly.
"Ephram!" Ephram turns to face Delia who is coming towards him with an apologetic expression across her face.
"Delia how come you never mentioned that Amy was your dance teacher?" Ephram asks after pulling Delia into the privacy of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry but it never came up. We never talked about school much so the fact that I was taking dance never came up. Because I we never talked about dance we never talked about Amy." Delia sighed, "Listen I'm sorry Ephram it just never crossed my mind."
"Oh really?" Ephram asks arching an eyebrow.
"Listen you had been gone for nearly five years when I started high school and got Amy as a teacher. You had been dating Misty for that long, I didn't think she mattered anymore so I didn't say anything about it."
"OK Delia, calm down." Ephram urges, "Seeing her just took my by surprise is all, nothing big."
"Where is she anyway, I had a question for her about something."
"She's comparing notes with Misty about why I hated Everwood so much." Ephram shrugs, "It's Misty's mission in life to find out why I hate this place so much."
"Well I think this is it." Ephram states dropping the final party cup into a trash can all ready fully of other party cups.
"You know that's why we invited you right? To clean up after the party?"
Ephram turns to face his father who is the only other person left up after the party, "I kind of figured that."
"I saw that you ran into Amy." Andy states after a few minutes.
"Yeah. Nobody ever mentioned that she was teaching at the high school."
"Ephram listen..."
"No it's fine." Ephram shrugged, "I'm kind of curious as to why I didn't see Colin at the party though."
"Colin?" Andy asks with a soft cynical laugh, "He didn't stick around any longer after graduation than he had to."
"I thought he and Amy had a love to last all time?" Ephram asked.
"That's what Amy wanted to believe. But after he woke up, and got his memory back he stuck around with Amy long enough to get reacquainted with life I guess. But after high school he had bigger and better things to do than spend the rest of his life in Everwood. So when Amy told him that she didn't want to leave Everwood he left without looking back. And Amy went to Denver for college and after getting her teaching certificate she came back to Everwood to teach dance. Well I'm going to bed see you in the morning."
Ephram watches his father go up the stairs toward his bedroom stunned by the news. He had been almost positive that if he had run into Amy she would be on the arm of Colin. And this turn of events was something he hadn't expected...
"Ephram! Misty! Are you just about ready?" Delia calls up the stairs later that evening, "Everyone is going to start coming soon!"
"Were coming Delia." Ephram announces appearing at the top of the stairs with Misty behind him.
"Cool dress Misty. Where'd you get it?" Delia asks taking in Misty's short Japanese style dress.
"We got it when my family went to Japan on vacation a couple summers, ago. Remember that Ephram? We had so much fun."
"Ephram you went to Japan?" Delia questions.
Ephram nodded, "Yeah, I told you, I'm sure of it."
Delia shrugs but twirls around, "How do I look?"
As Delia's light pink dress flares out slightly Ephram can't help but stare, for the first time ever Ephram is seeing his little sister as she truly is. Gone is the tomboyish 9-year-old who he left behind and in her stead is the 18-year-old that stands before her. Her long brown hair has been cut into a cute chin length and in her dress, something Ephram thought he would never see on his sister, Delia looks comfortable, like it isn't the first time she had worn one.
"Well?" Delia asks as she and Misty look at Ephram expectantly.
"You look great Delia, really." Ephram replies hurrying down the stairs and out the back door to quickly to even notice the weird looks Delia and Misty are giving him.
Closing the screen door behind him Ephram breaths in the clear Colorado night air deeply.
When he had moved back to New York with his Grandparents Ephram had been surprised by the things he missed from his short stay in Colorado. The clear cold country air was one of them. But the instant Ephram had breathed in the New York air and felt any regret he had pushed it all away, promising himself that he would regret nothing about moving back to New York, and he hadn't.
"It really is beautiful out here isn't it?" Nina's words make Ephram jump out of his thoughts.
"Yeah." Ephram nods, "It's the opposite of the City. I forgot how open everything is out here."
"Not much has changed since you left." Nina states.
"No, the town hasn't changed at all. But the people, the people are different. Delia especially." Ephram sighs dropping onto the porch swing, "It amazes me what a wonderful woman she turned into, I was so screwed up by everything that happened and yet she still managed to stay a wonderful person. I think for the most part we have you to thank for that."
"Me?" Nina asks clearly taken aback.
"Dad would never have been able to make it, he didn't have a clue what he was doing when I was here to help...Without me I kind of figured Delia would be on the next flight to New York after me."
"I don't think I had all that much to do with it." Nina replies, "Your father really is an excellent father."
"I'm glad he had Delia, Sam and the girls to make up for his previous faults." Ephram shrugs and the two sit in silence for a long while, until Ephram breaks it. "I'm sorry Nina."
"Sorry for what?" Nina asks for the second time during their conversation surprised.
"About how badly I reacted when I found out you and Dad were getting married, I should have been here for the wedding. And I should have been more than a picture in Kim, Annie and the twins' lives."
"Ephram I understand, I understood throughout it all. Everyone understood, you don't need to apologize for it. You loved your mother so much that you had a hard time dealing with her death."
"Delia didn't..."
"Delia's a different person." Nina interrupts, "Different people react different to different situations. Besides you were across the you didn't have the chance to warm up to the idea."
"I just regret not being here for anyone." Ephram shrugs.
"Ephram regret..."
"You're going to tell me not to regret anything right?"
"No." Nina shakes her head, "Regret is never a bad thing if you learn from it. If you just regret something and don't do anything about it, that's when regret becomes a bad thing. But if you use your regret to better your life, how can that be a bad thing?"
When Ephram doesn't respond Nina pats his hand and goes back into the house where sounds of people conversing can be heard.
Nearly 10 minutes go by before the door opens again and without taking his eyes off the skyline Ephram can tell from her perfume and the way she walks that it's Misty.
"What in the world are you doing out here?" Misty asks, "The party is inside. I mean sure it's not any party we are used to but it's a party for your sister. Shouldn't you be inside?"
Ephram turns toward Misty can taking her hand he lets her lead him back into the house.
Ephram watches Misty regale his father, Nina and Edna with one of her travel stories while he heads to the table where Nina has drinks set out.
"I bet it's a boring party next to your standards."
Ephram whirls around at the voice, "Amy!"
"Don't act so surprised Ephram." Amy replies, "I'm the one who is in her hometown and finds you here."
"It is my father's house though." Ephram points out, surprised to see Amy in front of him but even more surprised to find their easy banter so quick to come back.
"You got me there." Amy shrugs, "So what are you doing here?"
"My little sister's graduation remember? Of course I would be here. What are you doing here though?"
"Unlike one of us I never went anywhere. I'm the dance teacher at the high school, I'm Delia's dance teacher therefore I was invited. Delia didn't think you were coming."
"Well here I am." Ephram shrugs as Misty saunters to his side.
"Who's this Ephram?" She asks curiosity taking Ephram's hand.
"Misty Crew this is Amy Abbot. Amy, Misty, Misty, Amy."
"Abbot, isn't there a doctor here name Abbot?" Misty asks.
"That's my father." Amy replies, "You must be Misty, Delia's mentioned you."
"Oh really?" Misty arches an eyebrow, "Did you go to school with Ephram?"
"For the brief time he was here yes." Amy replies.
"Ephram doesn't talk about Everwood very often, so I apologize for not knowing your name." Misty rolls her eyes in Ephram's direction and suddenly before Ephram could realize it Misty and Amy were in a long conversation about Ephram while he lived in Everwood.
"I'm sure I'm not necessary for this conversation so I think I'm going to be going." And Ephram turns and walks the other direction quickly.
"Ephram!" Ephram turns to face Delia who is coming towards him with an apologetic expression across her face.
"Delia how come you never mentioned that Amy was your dance teacher?" Ephram asks after pulling Delia into the privacy of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry but it never came up. We never talked about school much so the fact that I was taking dance never came up. Because I we never talked about dance we never talked about Amy." Delia sighed, "Listen I'm sorry Ephram it just never crossed my mind."
"Oh really?" Ephram asks arching an eyebrow.
"Listen you had been gone for nearly five years when I started high school and got Amy as a teacher. You had been dating Misty for that long, I didn't think she mattered anymore so I didn't say anything about it."
"OK Delia, calm down." Ephram urges, "Seeing her just took my by surprise is all, nothing big."
"Where is she anyway, I had a question for her about something."
"She's comparing notes with Misty about why I hated Everwood so much." Ephram shrugs, "It's Misty's mission in life to find out why I hate this place so much."
"Well I think this is it." Ephram states dropping the final party cup into a trash can all ready fully of other party cups.
"You know that's why we invited you right? To clean up after the party?"
Ephram turns to face his father who is the only other person left up after the party, "I kind of figured that."
"I saw that you ran into Amy." Andy states after a few minutes.
"Yeah. Nobody ever mentioned that she was teaching at the high school."
"Ephram listen..."
"No it's fine." Ephram shrugged, "I'm kind of curious as to why I didn't see Colin at the party though."
"Colin?" Andy asks with a soft cynical laugh, "He didn't stick around any longer after graduation than he had to."
"I thought he and Amy had a love to last all time?" Ephram asked.
"That's what Amy wanted to believe. But after he woke up, and got his memory back he stuck around with Amy long enough to get reacquainted with life I guess. But after high school he had bigger and better things to do than spend the rest of his life in Everwood. So when Amy told him that she didn't want to leave Everwood he left without looking back. And Amy went to Denver for college and after getting her teaching certificate she came back to Everwood to teach dance. Well I'm going to bed see you in the morning."
Ephram watches his father go up the stairs toward his bedroom stunned by the news. He had been almost positive that if he had run into Amy she would be on the arm of Colin. And this turn of events was something he hadn't expected...