Chapter 3
"Do you mind if I go out with some friends today?" Delia asks Ephram the next morning at breakfast. "I wouldn't since you just got here and everything, but we had these plans..." Delia stops and then quickly rushes on, "never mind. I can hang out with you here."
Ephram shakes his head, "it's fine Delia. I will fine something to do."
Misty nods, "I thought Ephram could show me around Everwood today anyway."
Delia nods, "Dad wants us to meet him and Nina and the girls for dinner at Mama Joy's."
Ephram nods, "all right, see you then." Delia nods and waves as she hurries out of the house.
"So where do you want to go?" Ephram asks Misty.
"I want to see everything." Misty states enthusiastically.
"That's Delia's school." Ephram states as they walk in front of Central.
"It's so small." Misty stares in awe as they walk passed.
"Ephram!" Before Ephram can say anything in response he turns to face Amy, a more mature looking Bright, and a pretty woman, their age, with shorter dark brown hair.
"Hey Amy." Ephram greets, uncomfortable with so many run-ins with the girl that changed his entire world nearly a decade ago.
"Ephram, do you remember my brother Bright?" Amy doesn't for a response. "Bright this is Ephram's girlfriend Misty. Misty, Ephram this is Laynie Hart-Abbot, Colin's sister and my sister-in-law."
Greetings go around and Misty questions, "what are you guys up to? Care to help Ephram give me the tour of you town?"
"We would," Laynie replies, "but we left the baby with a sitter who was actually supposed to meet Delia."
"What about you Amy?" Misty asks.
Amy looks uncomfortable for a second but finally says, "I actually have to pick up my daughter from Laynie and Bright's."
Ephram's gaze flies to Amy who is looking everywhere but at Ephram. Misty doesn't seem to notice the uncomfortable silence that has cloaked the group, "oh, can I see her? I love little kids, well so long as they are never mine."
"Um," Amy looks between the two, "sure. I mean, I guess if you want."
"So you don't want kids?" Laynie converses with Misty as everyone walks silently.
Misty's brown eyes go wide and she shakes her head, "no. See I love playing wit kids. You know, spoil them rotten, give them candy, all that good stuff then send them home to their parents. Actually being responsible for them myself, no way. I mean ephram and I have both decided that we do not want to be parents."
Laynie nods, "some people aren't meant to be parents. My brother sure as hell isn't."
Ephram watches the back of Amy's head during his turn in conversation trying to understand the full story. It was obvious Amy's daughter was Colin's also but there was definitely more of a story to this. He had left Everwood years ago and he had left everyone in Everwood and his feelings and opinions were also left.
They finally reach a house a couple blocks away, it is kind of small, but it had a cute cottage feel to it with a large wrap around porch. "Mommy!" Suddenly an adorable girl of about five appears. She has shoulder length hair, the color of Amy's, braided into pig tails. "You're back!" The little girl leaps into Amy's arms.
"I'm back," Amy responds, "you ready to go?"
The girl nods, "I helped Brittany take care of baby Eric. I was being a good cousin, can I have pizza for lunch?" The girl asks as they leave Laynie and Bright's house.
"I don't think so." Amy shakes her head.
"Pizza sounds good." Misty states, "my treat."
The little girl turns pleading blue eyes on Amy, "please?"
Amy sighs, setting her daughter on her feet, "all right. Katie I would like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Mr. Brown and Miss Crew. Ephram, Misty this is my daughter Katie."
"Brown...like Delia's last name?" Katie asks her mother.
Amy nods, "exactly. Mr. Brown is Delia's big brother."
Katie's face lights up, "Delia is my most favorite baby-sitter."
"Really?" Ephram asks turning his full attention to Katie, "does she baby-sit for you a lot?"
Katie nods, "most everyday, when Mommy teaches dance after school 'cept on the days Delia has dance. Then Ms. Nina watches me."
"So Katie how old are you?" Misty asks.
"I'm five." Katie states proudly.
"Are there video games at the pizza place?" Misty asks.
Katie nods, "do you wanna play some?"
"All right." Misty nods, "I have a pocket full of change."
"She really is good with children." Amy states once she and Ephram are sitting alone in a booth waiting for their pizza and watching Misty and Katie play games.
Ephram shakes his head, "she is exactly what she says."
Amy laughs lightly, "I get that. I think that was part of Colin's problem. He's just not ready to be a father. Actually I don't know if he ever will be. I guess some people just can't do well in a parental position."
Ephram nods his gaze still following Katie's actions, "yeah I guess."
"But you were always so good with Delia, I can't believe you don't want kids."
"After growing up with my Dad I just feel like I'm doomed to have a bad father/child relationship. I don't...kids just don't make sense. Besides Misty and I are happy with the way things are." Ephram finally turns his attention to Amy. "So what happened with you and Colin. If you don't mind...
Amy waves Ephram off, "there's not a whole lot to tell really. We got accepted to Colorado State University together so we both went there. We moved into an apartment the summer after freshman year, anyway that year I found out I was pregnant. It was then that Colin and I realized we had very different views on what our futures held. I wanted us to get married, have the baby, finish out degrees and move back to Everwood. Colin wanted all those things except coming back to Everwood. So we broke up and I had Katie and moved back to Everwood, back in with my parents. I finished my degree and got a job teaching at Central."
"I'm sorry." Ephram responds, unsure of how to feel or even how to react to Amy's statement.
Once again Amy waves off Ephram's words, "I'm happy with my life and I'm long over him. I've changed a lot in nine years Ephram, I'm not the same Amy you knew when you lived here.
"Do you mind if I go out with some friends today?" Delia asks Ephram the next morning at breakfast. "I wouldn't since you just got here and everything, but we had these plans..." Delia stops and then quickly rushes on, "never mind. I can hang out with you here."
Ephram shakes his head, "it's fine Delia. I will fine something to do."
Misty nods, "I thought Ephram could show me around Everwood today anyway."
Delia nods, "Dad wants us to meet him and Nina and the girls for dinner at Mama Joy's."
Ephram nods, "all right, see you then." Delia nods and waves as she hurries out of the house.
"So where do you want to go?" Ephram asks Misty.
"I want to see everything." Misty states enthusiastically.
"That's Delia's school." Ephram states as they walk in front of Central.
"It's so small." Misty stares in awe as they walk passed.
"Ephram!" Before Ephram can say anything in response he turns to face Amy, a more mature looking Bright, and a pretty woman, their age, with shorter dark brown hair.
"Hey Amy." Ephram greets, uncomfortable with so many run-ins with the girl that changed his entire world nearly a decade ago.
"Ephram, do you remember my brother Bright?" Amy doesn't for a response. "Bright this is Ephram's girlfriend Misty. Misty, Ephram this is Laynie Hart-Abbot, Colin's sister and my sister-in-law."
Greetings go around and Misty questions, "what are you guys up to? Care to help Ephram give me the tour of you town?"
"We would," Laynie replies, "but we left the baby with a sitter who was actually supposed to meet Delia."
"What about you Amy?" Misty asks.
Amy looks uncomfortable for a second but finally says, "I actually have to pick up my daughter from Laynie and Bright's."
Ephram's gaze flies to Amy who is looking everywhere but at Ephram. Misty doesn't seem to notice the uncomfortable silence that has cloaked the group, "oh, can I see her? I love little kids, well so long as they are never mine."
"Um," Amy looks between the two, "sure. I mean, I guess if you want."
"So you don't want kids?" Laynie converses with Misty as everyone walks silently.
Misty's brown eyes go wide and she shakes her head, "no. See I love playing wit kids. You know, spoil them rotten, give them candy, all that good stuff then send them home to their parents. Actually being responsible for them myself, no way. I mean ephram and I have both decided that we do not want to be parents."
Laynie nods, "some people aren't meant to be parents. My brother sure as hell isn't."
Ephram watches the back of Amy's head during his turn in conversation trying to understand the full story. It was obvious Amy's daughter was Colin's also but there was definitely more of a story to this. He had left Everwood years ago and he had left everyone in Everwood and his feelings and opinions were also left.
They finally reach a house a couple blocks away, it is kind of small, but it had a cute cottage feel to it with a large wrap around porch. "Mommy!" Suddenly an adorable girl of about five appears. She has shoulder length hair, the color of Amy's, braided into pig tails. "You're back!" The little girl leaps into Amy's arms.
"I'm back," Amy responds, "you ready to go?"
The girl nods, "I helped Brittany take care of baby Eric. I was being a good cousin, can I have pizza for lunch?" The girl asks as they leave Laynie and Bright's house.
"I don't think so." Amy shakes her head.
"Pizza sounds good." Misty states, "my treat."
The little girl turns pleading blue eyes on Amy, "please?"
Amy sighs, setting her daughter on her feet, "all right. Katie I would like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Mr. Brown and Miss Crew. Ephram, Misty this is my daughter Katie."
"Brown...like Delia's last name?" Katie asks her mother.
Amy nods, "exactly. Mr. Brown is Delia's big brother."
Katie's face lights up, "Delia is my most favorite baby-sitter."
"Really?" Ephram asks turning his full attention to Katie, "does she baby-sit for you a lot?"
Katie nods, "most everyday, when Mommy teaches dance after school 'cept on the days Delia has dance. Then Ms. Nina watches me."
"So Katie how old are you?" Misty asks.
"I'm five." Katie states proudly.
"Are there video games at the pizza place?" Misty asks.
Katie nods, "do you wanna play some?"
"All right." Misty nods, "I have a pocket full of change."
"She really is good with children." Amy states once she and Ephram are sitting alone in a booth waiting for their pizza and watching Misty and Katie play games.
Ephram shakes his head, "she is exactly what she says."
Amy laughs lightly, "I get that. I think that was part of Colin's problem. He's just not ready to be a father. Actually I don't know if he ever will be. I guess some people just can't do well in a parental position."
Ephram nods his gaze still following Katie's actions, "yeah I guess."
"But you were always so good with Delia, I can't believe you don't want kids."
"After growing up with my Dad I just feel like I'm doomed to have a bad father/child relationship. I don't...kids just don't make sense. Besides Misty and I are happy with the way things are." Ephram finally turns his attention to Amy. "So what happened with you and Colin. If you don't mind...
Amy waves Ephram off, "there's not a whole lot to tell really. We got accepted to Colorado State University together so we both went there. We moved into an apartment the summer after freshman year, anyway that year I found out I was pregnant. It was then that Colin and I realized we had very different views on what our futures held. I wanted us to get married, have the baby, finish out degrees and move back to Everwood. Colin wanted all those things except coming back to Everwood. So we broke up and I had Katie and moved back to Everwood, back in with my parents. I finished my degree and got a job teaching at Central."
"I'm sorry." Ephram responds, unsure of how to feel or even how to react to Amy's statement.
Once again Amy waves off Ephram's words, "I'm happy with my life and I'm long over him. I've changed a lot in nine years Ephram, I'm not the same Amy you knew when you lived here.