"Hi," Ren said standing awkwardly. The man's eyes widened and he ran over
to her, grabbing her close to him.
"I thought I would never see you again!" Ren could barely breathe as the man hugged her tight.
"You mean you know her?" Nicole asked, her smile gone as well. She merely hoped Ren was just some girl who looked like her and her father wouldn't know what to say. The man broke apart from Ren and wiped a tear from his eye.
"Of course I know her! She's your sister!" Nicole's eyes flew back into her head and she fell backwards. "I'm Dale, your father!" the man said. Ren backed away shaking her head but he pulled her back in. "You mean, your mother never told you?" the man said now frowning. Ren shook her head and sat down.
"Let me call my parents," she said staring at the table in disbelief.
"Now I don't know if that's such a good idea . . ." Dale began to say but Ren slammed her fist on the table.
"LET ME CALL MY PARENTS!" Reluctantly Dale handed her the phone and watched her dial. He sat next to Nicole and tried to wake her up. Ilene answered the phone.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Mom! It's Ren!" Ren said watching the man hold her supposed sister.
"Oh dear, how are you?"
"No time to talk mom, who is Dale?" she asked at once. The other line went silent. "Mom?" Ren called again, leaving the kitchen so Dale couldn't hear.
"Dale . . .Dale who?"
"Dale Bunni mom, and Nicole Bunni. Why do I look like her mom? Why?" Ren said, the reality sinking in. Maybe she was adopted because Dale couldn't handle twin girls on his own, but Donny could always remember when Ilene was pregnant with Ren how he would sing to her.
"Oh, him. Well, it's a long story. And we'd rather tell you in person dear," Ilene said, Ren could hear her dad in the background cursing.
"Then fly over here and tell me mom, I NEED to know," Ren said. Dale was now in the living room with Ren. He gently picked the phone from her hands and talked to Ilene.
"Uh-huh. Look, I don't want to fight now, just fly down here and tell the girls . . .tell that asshole in the background I'll most certainly fly you all here and let you stay in the hotel no expense paid . . .yes he is! Look, just get down here . . .we're at the one on Main Street . . .tell the guys at the front desk your situation . . .yeah, they'll tell you what to do . . .GOODBYE!" Ren looked up at Dale who smiled.
"Just go to your room, and see the front desk tomorrow. They'll give you a key so you can come up here tomorrow. You're parents are leaving in four hours so I have to arrange tickets and airfare. Goodnight Regina." Ren waved goodbye to Nicole and stopped at the elevator doors.
"And it's Ren."
*
The next morning Ren went to the front desk and retrieved her key. Now she just had to get away from Ruby.
"I have to go out, later," she said quickly, opening the door. Ruby stood and ran to her.
"Where you going Ren? Take me with you, please. I'm so bored!" Ruby begged. Ren gave in and told her she was going to meet with Dale, Nicole, and he family. Ruby changed right away claiming she couldn't miss it.
"Now please, don't stand around and be all star-struck like you were with BBMAK," Ren said putting the key in the keyhole next to TOP. Like Nicole had, she pressed she button. Again, the elevator jolted and Ruby and Ren grabbed onto each other. Ilene and Steve were sitting on the couch. Ren slowly walked in. Donny, Louis, and Nicole were in the kitchen talking. Ruby slipped in with them when she saw Ilene run towards Ren.
"Mom, please explain everything!" Ren said at once. Ren and Ilene walked over to the couch facing Dale and sat down. Dale put his arm on his leg and called for Nicole. Nicole came walking out and sat facing Ren.
"I can't listen," Steve said excusing himself. Ren looked at him, then at Dale, then her mom.
"Here goes nothing," Ilene said and began to talk. "Well a few years ago I came to New York with Steve because we were looking for a new house. We ended up staying here for two months in one of Dale's hotels. Dale was very nice and very young. He got along good with Donny and I would often dine with him while Steve was out with his old college buddies who said they would find him a house. I got a call one night from a woman saying how drunken Steve was and that I should know he had sex with someone and would be to trashed to drive himself back to the hotel. I was furious and that's where Dale plays a big part . . ." Ilene stopped and looked at Dale. Dale cleared his throat and put his arm around Nicole.
"Well Ilene came over one night with Donny asleep, she was hysterical crying. She couldn't believe how Steve could do such a thing. We put Donny in a bed in the spare room and I asked her to spend the night, in a friendly way. After a few hours of talking and drinking champagne, we couldn't bear it any longer. For the time I knew Ilene, I thought she was a wonderful woman with everything perfect. I told her that I would run away with her and that I would marry her, and I would take better care of her then he did. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together . . ." Dale looked at Ilene who wiped a tear from her eye and took a deep breath.
"Later on that night, after we did the unthinkable, Steve called. Dale let him talk to me and he explained that he was gone for half the night because he was driving his friends home because they were to drunk. His friend Steve was the one who had sex with someone else and couldn't drive home. Right away I apologized to Dale and left with Donny in a hurry . . ."
"I couldn't figure out why she left me. I went back to sleep and when I got up in the morning Ilene, Steve, and Donny were gone and I was left with a key and no clue what had happened. Nine months later I got a call from Ilene saying she had twin girls and that her and Steve couldn't take care of both of them. I flew out immediately and took Nicole and never even stopped to chat. We decided it would be best if you girls didn't know each other. And without us even planning it, you to met and now our secret is out. Could you girls forgive us for never telling you?" Nicole started to cry and hugged Dale, and then she rushed over to Ilene and hugged her.
"I thought all my life my mom died, and here you are. Oh my god I cant believe this!" Nicole said crying. Ren stared at Dale and wiped her eyes. Steve was her father, not this guy. Ren stood and Dale outstretched his arms but Ren ran into the kitchen and grabbed onto Steve. Donny, Louis, and Ruby sat in silence. They had heard the whole thing. Ren was hysterical crying and Nicole came in and tapped her on the shoulder. Ren turned and faced her sister. They both had dark circles around their eyes from their make-up.
"I always wanted a sister," Ren said calming down.
"I always wanted a family," Nicole said, then hugged Ren. Ren began to cry again and Louis and Donny came over.
"Half brothers," Donny said and hugged his half little sister. Louis couldn't believe how Ren was only a half sister when they were so close. Louis gave in and joined the big group hug. Ruby stood and hugged them all as well. One thing was for sure, Ren's summer was no longer dull.
"I thought I would never see you again!" Ren could barely breathe as the man hugged her tight.
"You mean you know her?" Nicole asked, her smile gone as well. She merely hoped Ren was just some girl who looked like her and her father wouldn't know what to say. The man broke apart from Ren and wiped a tear from his eye.
"Of course I know her! She's your sister!" Nicole's eyes flew back into her head and she fell backwards. "I'm Dale, your father!" the man said. Ren backed away shaking her head but he pulled her back in. "You mean, your mother never told you?" the man said now frowning. Ren shook her head and sat down.
"Let me call my parents," she said staring at the table in disbelief.
"Now I don't know if that's such a good idea . . ." Dale began to say but Ren slammed her fist on the table.
"LET ME CALL MY PARENTS!" Reluctantly Dale handed her the phone and watched her dial. He sat next to Nicole and tried to wake her up. Ilene answered the phone.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Mom! It's Ren!" Ren said watching the man hold her supposed sister.
"Oh dear, how are you?"
"No time to talk mom, who is Dale?" she asked at once. The other line went silent. "Mom?" Ren called again, leaving the kitchen so Dale couldn't hear.
"Dale . . .Dale who?"
"Dale Bunni mom, and Nicole Bunni. Why do I look like her mom? Why?" Ren said, the reality sinking in. Maybe she was adopted because Dale couldn't handle twin girls on his own, but Donny could always remember when Ilene was pregnant with Ren how he would sing to her.
"Oh, him. Well, it's a long story. And we'd rather tell you in person dear," Ilene said, Ren could hear her dad in the background cursing.
"Then fly over here and tell me mom, I NEED to know," Ren said. Dale was now in the living room with Ren. He gently picked the phone from her hands and talked to Ilene.
"Uh-huh. Look, I don't want to fight now, just fly down here and tell the girls . . .tell that asshole in the background I'll most certainly fly you all here and let you stay in the hotel no expense paid . . .yes he is! Look, just get down here . . .we're at the one on Main Street . . .tell the guys at the front desk your situation . . .yeah, they'll tell you what to do . . .GOODBYE!" Ren looked up at Dale who smiled.
"Just go to your room, and see the front desk tomorrow. They'll give you a key so you can come up here tomorrow. You're parents are leaving in four hours so I have to arrange tickets and airfare. Goodnight Regina." Ren waved goodbye to Nicole and stopped at the elevator doors.
"And it's Ren."
*
The next morning Ren went to the front desk and retrieved her key. Now she just had to get away from Ruby.
"I have to go out, later," she said quickly, opening the door. Ruby stood and ran to her.
"Where you going Ren? Take me with you, please. I'm so bored!" Ruby begged. Ren gave in and told her she was going to meet with Dale, Nicole, and he family. Ruby changed right away claiming she couldn't miss it.
"Now please, don't stand around and be all star-struck like you were with BBMAK," Ren said putting the key in the keyhole next to TOP. Like Nicole had, she pressed she button. Again, the elevator jolted and Ruby and Ren grabbed onto each other. Ilene and Steve were sitting on the couch. Ren slowly walked in. Donny, Louis, and Nicole were in the kitchen talking. Ruby slipped in with them when she saw Ilene run towards Ren.
"Mom, please explain everything!" Ren said at once. Ren and Ilene walked over to the couch facing Dale and sat down. Dale put his arm on his leg and called for Nicole. Nicole came walking out and sat facing Ren.
"I can't listen," Steve said excusing himself. Ren looked at him, then at Dale, then her mom.
"Here goes nothing," Ilene said and began to talk. "Well a few years ago I came to New York with Steve because we were looking for a new house. We ended up staying here for two months in one of Dale's hotels. Dale was very nice and very young. He got along good with Donny and I would often dine with him while Steve was out with his old college buddies who said they would find him a house. I got a call one night from a woman saying how drunken Steve was and that I should know he had sex with someone and would be to trashed to drive himself back to the hotel. I was furious and that's where Dale plays a big part . . ." Ilene stopped and looked at Dale. Dale cleared his throat and put his arm around Nicole.
"Well Ilene came over one night with Donny asleep, she was hysterical crying. She couldn't believe how Steve could do such a thing. We put Donny in a bed in the spare room and I asked her to spend the night, in a friendly way. After a few hours of talking and drinking champagne, we couldn't bear it any longer. For the time I knew Ilene, I thought she was a wonderful woman with everything perfect. I told her that I would run away with her and that I would marry her, and I would take better care of her then he did. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together . . ." Dale looked at Ilene who wiped a tear from her eye and took a deep breath.
"Later on that night, after we did the unthinkable, Steve called. Dale let him talk to me and he explained that he was gone for half the night because he was driving his friends home because they were to drunk. His friend Steve was the one who had sex with someone else and couldn't drive home. Right away I apologized to Dale and left with Donny in a hurry . . ."
"I couldn't figure out why she left me. I went back to sleep and when I got up in the morning Ilene, Steve, and Donny were gone and I was left with a key and no clue what had happened. Nine months later I got a call from Ilene saying she had twin girls and that her and Steve couldn't take care of both of them. I flew out immediately and took Nicole and never even stopped to chat. We decided it would be best if you girls didn't know each other. And without us even planning it, you to met and now our secret is out. Could you girls forgive us for never telling you?" Nicole started to cry and hugged Dale, and then she rushed over to Ilene and hugged her.
"I thought all my life my mom died, and here you are. Oh my god I cant believe this!" Nicole said crying. Ren stared at Dale and wiped her eyes. Steve was her father, not this guy. Ren stood and Dale outstretched his arms but Ren ran into the kitchen and grabbed onto Steve. Donny, Louis, and Ruby sat in silence. They had heard the whole thing. Ren was hysterical crying and Nicole came in and tapped her on the shoulder. Ren turned and faced her sister. They both had dark circles around their eyes from their make-up.
"I always wanted a sister," Ren said calming down.
"I always wanted a family," Nicole said, then hugged Ren. Ren began to cry again and Louis and Donny came over.
"Half brothers," Donny said and hugged his half little sister. Louis couldn't believe how Ren was only a half sister when they were so close. Louis gave in and joined the big group hug. Ruby stood and hugged them all as well. One thing was for sure, Ren's summer was no longer dull.