Chapter Three- Lillian's Picture
Summer leaned back into the couch, " well how was I suppose to know".
" Common sense, but I wouldn't expect you t know what that is either" Seth said, " did it ever occur to you how much Lilly looks like Ryan?".
Summer shrugged, " well this should be a good thing, I mean, now Ryan thinks it's Luke's kid, it didn't look like Cooper was going to be telling him anything soon".
Seth groaned while Marissa remained hidden and still, " Summer, the last time they saw was other was five years ago, and if she didn't have a kid then, I think he'd have a tad bit more intelligence than you to figure it all out".
" Not if he thinks she's Luke's".
" You're doing rather well for a last minute moron, perhaps the camera flash hasn't destroyed all brain cells left" he smirked, " I'll kindly remind you that Luke is in the Marines, which has its ups and downs. And it's very hard to mail sperm, not like he could figure it out if he wanted to".
Meanwhile, Marissa was experiencing a series of flashbacks on the inside of her eyes. Her first time with Ryan, when he admitted he loved her, as did she. As she was about to board the plane to New York, being held by him one last time. Both knew it was the end, and yet both prayed that time would stop and they wouldn't have to move. But it wasn't like that. Then, sitting in the bathroom of her apartment, on the edge of the bathtub, holding the pregnancy test in her hands.
" Stop it" she said, lifting her head to face them, " this doesn't involve you guys. I don't care what either of you said. It was my decision to keep this from Ryan and I have my reasons" she stood up, " Lillian is my only constant reminder of Ryan each and every day. She's just like him, but I can't get to know her because she's not ready to let me. His name on the birth certificate make him her biological father, but her eyes make it his own choice". She left the room, joining Lillian on the tiny bed, going through one of the story books with her.
Seth and Summer's muffled whispers could be heard through the wall, but Marissa ignored them.
" I'm sorry" Summer softly said.
Seth leaned back against the armchair, " it's okay, someone had to hint it to him, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be her".
Summer perched her head in her hands, " why won't she tell him? He has the right to know".
" He does, but I guess she doesn't want to make things complicated for her. She thinks someone like him doesn't need to find out he has a four-year-old three thousand miles away".
She groaned, " Ryan's not like that, and I know that then it must be true. I mean, wouldn't he like her?".
" He's adore her, and she would too" he sat up, " I think he may be able to get Lilly to say something".
Summer narrowed her eyes, " you think he's the reason she won't?".
" More or less. She's insecure about something. Lilly must know what a father is, and she knows I'm not him, Marissa told her that much".
" But does she know about Ryan?".
Seth paused, " I'm not sure" he looked away, " did he call your cell phone?" Summer nodded, " let me see it".
She dug through her purse and retrieved the compact flip phone. Seth searched it's memory, finding the second to last number she received, recognizing the California area code. " Wait, what are you doing?" she asked when he had the phone to his ear.
He got up and began walking away, " lets just call it a little push in the right direction".
Summer began frantically biting her lip as Seth closed the kitchen door and Marissa reappeared form the hallway, " where's Cohen?".
" Uh, um, using my cell to..call his mom". Only minutes later, Seth emerged from the kitchen, still on the phone, and jumped when seeing Marissa.
" Hi Mrs. Cohen!" she called.
" Obviously not.yes I'm sure" he said into the phone, playing along with Summer's lie, then mouthed ' she says hello', " okay.yep.sounds good. Okay, uh, I love you.bye" and he flipped the phone closed.
Summer couldn't control her giggling, Seth threw the phone back at her. " What did you mean by ' that sounds good'?" Marissa asked.
" Oh, she's coming to visit on Monday" Summer squealed at Seth's answer, " yeah, she wants to see you and Lilly if that's alright".
Marissa nodded before Summer nearly screamed, " that's so romantic!".
" Ignore her, where's Lilly?".
" Taking a nap".
Seth left the two girls in the family room and crept into Lillian's dark bedroom, the blind had been pulled over her window. He knelt next to the little girl, watching her sleep, wondering if his meddling was going to be a good thing rather than a bad thing for her. She wasn't his daughter, but he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.
When he went to adjust the blanket over her, Seth noticed there was something enclosed in her hand. Carefully, he opened it, and found that it was a crinkled picture. Unfolding it, he recognized it as his own graduation party, which felt like decades in the picture. By the looks of the person in the photo, he didn't know that it was being taken, and Seth couldn't tell who had taken it.
Ryan.
Summer leaned back into the couch, " well how was I suppose to know".
" Common sense, but I wouldn't expect you t know what that is either" Seth said, " did it ever occur to you how much Lilly looks like Ryan?".
Summer shrugged, " well this should be a good thing, I mean, now Ryan thinks it's Luke's kid, it didn't look like Cooper was going to be telling him anything soon".
Seth groaned while Marissa remained hidden and still, " Summer, the last time they saw was other was five years ago, and if she didn't have a kid then, I think he'd have a tad bit more intelligence than you to figure it all out".
" Not if he thinks she's Luke's".
" You're doing rather well for a last minute moron, perhaps the camera flash hasn't destroyed all brain cells left" he smirked, " I'll kindly remind you that Luke is in the Marines, which has its ups and downs. And it's very hard to mail sperm, not like he could figure it out if he wanted to".
Meanwhile, Marissa was experiencing a series of flashbacks on the inside of her eyes. Her first time with Ryan, when he admitted he loved her, as did she. As she was about to board the plane to New York, being held by him one last time. Both knew it was the end, and yet both prayed that time would stop and they wouldn't have to move. But it wasn't like that. Then, sitting in the bathroom of her apartment, on the edge of the bathtub, holding the pregnancy test in her hands.
" Stop it" she said, lifting her head to face them, " this doesn't involve you guys. I don't care what either of you said. It was my decision to keep this from Ryan and I have my reasons" she stood up, " Lillian is my only constant reminder of Ryan each and every day. She's just like him, but I can't get to know her because she's not ready to let me. His name on the birth certificate make him her biological father, but her eyes make it his own choice". She left the room, joining Lillian on the tiny bed, going through one of the story books with her.
Seth and Summer's muffled whispers could be heard through the wall, but Marissa ignored them.
" I'm sorry" Summer softly said.
Seth leaned back against the armchair, " it's okay, someone had to hint it to him, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be her".
Summer perched her head in her hands, " why won't she tell him? He has the right to know".
" He does, but I guess she doesn't want to make things complicated for her. She thinks someone like him doesn't need to find out he has a four-year-old three thousand miles away".
She groaned, " Ryan's not like that, and I know that then it must be true. I mean, wouldn't he like her?".
" He's adore her, and she would too" he sat up, " I think he may be able to get Lilly to say something".
Summer narrowed her eyes, " you think he's the reason she won't?".
" More or less. She's insecure about something. Lilly must know what a father is, and she knows I'm not him, Marissa told her that much".
" But does she know about Ryan?".
Seth paused, " I'm not sure" he looked away, " did he call your cell phone?" Summer nodded, " let me see it".
She dug through her purse and retrieved the compact flip phone. Seth searched it's memory, finding the second to last number she received, recognizing the California area code. " Wait, what are you doing?" she asked when he had the phone to his ear.
He got up and began walking away, " lets just call it a little push in the right direction".
Summer began frantically biting her lip as Seth closed the kitchen door and Marissa reappeared form the hallway, " where's Cohen?".
" Uh, um, using my cell to..call his mom". Only minutes later, Seth emerged from the kitchen, still on the phone, and jumped when seeing Marissa.
" Hi Mrs. Cohen!" she called.
" Obviously not.yes I'm sure" he said into the phone, playing along with Summer's lie, then mouthed ' she says hello', " okay.yep.sounds good. Okay, uh, I love you.bye" and he flipped the phone closed.
Summer couldn't control her giggling, Seth threw the phone back at her. " What did you mean by ' that sounds good'?" Marissa asked.
" Oh, she's coming to visit on Monday" Summer squealed at Seth's answer, " yeah, she wants to see you and Lilly if that's alright".
Marissa nodded before Summer nearly screamed, " that's so romantic!".
" Ignore her, where's Lilly?".
" Taking a nap".
Seth left the two girls in the family room and crept into Lillian's dark bedroom, the blind had been pulled over her window. He knelt next to the little girl, watching her sleep, wondering if his meddling was going to be a good thing rather than a bad thing for her. She wasn't his daughter, but he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.
When he went to adjust the blanket over her, Seth noticed there was something enclosed in her hand. Carefully, he opened it, and found that it was a crinkled picture. Unfolding it, he recognized it as his own graduation party, which felt like decades in the picture. By the looks of the person in the photo, he didn't know that it was being taken, and Seth couldn't tell who had taken it.
Ryan.