Chapter Five: Always Wanting More

Author's Note: Eeee, I'm so bad at this updating thing. I apologize tremendously! The story will wrap up in the next chapter, which I swear will be up within the week. Maybe faster if I get some reviews.

After her Dad left, Erica remained frozen on her bed. Her face felt tight and dry, the tears now gone. When she was little, she always asked about her Mommy. All of her friends had two parents. Even though she had the coolest Dad, and some would argue Marissa was her mother "figure," Erica always felt like there was a hole in her heart.

One day, in the first grade, they had a special Mother's Day luncheon. She was completely distraught as to who she should bring. Lily thought she should bring Grandma Kirsten. Katherine thought she should just bring her Dad. After all, Kath was bringing one of her two daddies.

Ever the perfectionist, Erica knew that Grandma Kirsten and Seth were not her mom. A few days before the event, Marissa came over to watch her. It had been her nanny's day off, and Daddy had a meeting.

Erica had shyly shown Marissa the invitation. She asked if Marissa could pretend to be her Mommy. It was the only time she ever saw Marissa cry. She took Erica back to her house, and showed her a picture of when they were teenagers. They must have been at an event of some sort, Marissa and the other girl were all dressed up, and Dad had a tuxedo on. Whomever had their arm around Marissa was quickly torn out before Erica got a chance to peek.

Marissa explained to her that the girl with the shiny brown hair and toothy grin was her mom. She said that her mom and her daddy really loved each other, and that she was the reason her daddy was sad sometimes. She had been Marissa's bestest friend, just like Lily and Katherine were hers.

That explanation had been more than enough for her a few years ago. But now, Erica was older. She knew that best friends and boyfriends came and went. After all, she hadn't talked to Katherine ever since Lexi told her it was weird to have two daddies.

She wondered if Marissa still considered her mother her best friend, and whether or not her Dad still loved her.

It had taken Seth a long time to get over Summer Roberts. According to his therapist, he would never get over her. It wasn't like he didn't have other options. The man with the biggest house and bank account in Orange County could have any spanish model he wanted.

Except, he didn't want them. Since kindergarten he had only wanted one girl.

He'd had this recurring nightmare after she'd left. In it, he would walk down a tunnel for hours and hours, calling her name in his sleep. He'd see her at the end, calling him, whining, "Cohen! Where are you?" But he could never reach her. It used to happen once a week or so, but now only once or twice a year. He was glad because even seeing her in his sleep made his heart ache.

Marissa glance nervously between the two people she considered to be her closest friends. The silence between them was unnerving. The two of them had always talked loudly, always been the ones to embarass her. Sure, they fought, but the verbal sparring matches always ended in a nauseating make-out session. This kind of fighting was different. The last--and only-- time it happened had been at the divorce trial. She had refused to attend, pretending someone should watch Erica, but Seth described it to her later. The shock was evident in his eyes, as he described the way his throat had hurt at the sight of her, and how she had swished her hair away as soon as their eyes met.

It was although they were back in the third grade, and Summer couldn't be bothered talking to that dork, Shawn Kohn, or whatever the hell his name was.

Suddenly, Summer spoke, her voice jarring the air. "Yeah, Seth, I was just saying that you know, closure is, like, a good thing to have."

He stayed in the doorway, as if frozen. "That's really interesting, Summer. Because, you see, most people would consider, oh you leaving me with our baby daughter closure? Or maybe that whole divorce thing? Or oh! Maybe how you yelled at me outside the court house? Yeah, that's sorta considered closure in some circles."


She rolled her eyes, a familiar feeling passing over her. "I must not have gotten the memo. Did you give it to my lawyer? Because I pay him good money to keep your shit away from me."


Marissa twisted her hands in her lap, feeling even more uncomfortable. She didn't feel as if she should be sitting here as they aired out all this dirty laundry, all the things she had tried to shove in the back of her closet.

"Maybe your money's just not good enough for him. Is it Daddy's money? Is that why you came back? So, you could take the millions he left you, and then leave again? Never come back? Leave everyone waiting for you?" Seth was trying to be calm, trying to remind himself how much he loved this women. But with all the love, came hate.

She smiled deviously. "Actually, Dad left me the house! I'm relocating--to Newport Beach." She lowered the sunglasses back over her head and swished out of the room, leaving Marissa and Seth gaping after her, always wanting more.