Unexpected
Chapter Thirteen
Stephanie was so happy to finally be back. She couldn't help the butterflies that were in her stomach when she got to the door. She couldn't help but to wonder if she and Savannah were wrong when they concluded that Mark wouldn't mind that she came.
She heard Mark's voice after she rang the doorbell, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Shortly after he opened the door.
"Hi," she said not being able to think of anything better. Then he wrapped her up in a big hug. She just smiled.
Mark grabbed Stephanie's stuff and took it inside, as Savannah walked down the stairs. She had to keep reminding herself to act surprised though she thought her dad would probably see right through it.
"Steph," Savannah said excitedly. She wasn't sure if Steph would rethink everything through and decide not to come.
"Hi, Savannah," Steph said. "Where's that little sister of yours?"
As if on cue Sierra started screaming. Apparently she hadn't taken to kindly to being left upstairs when there was so much more stuff going on downstairs.
"I'll go get her," Stephanie said already heading towards the stairs. She couldn't wait to see the little girl.
Forty-five minutes later Stephanie came back downstairs. For the first time Mark noticed how beautiful she was. She'd changed so much in the years that he'd known her. He only hoped that she was going to say around longer this time. He wasn't sure if he would be able to deal with her leaving again.
"So, I guess this is what Savannah was grinning about this afternoon," Mark said putting two and two together.
"Yeah," Savannah said, "Steph wanted to surprise you. That's why I couldn't tell."
"I only asked her to make sure that you wouldn't be to upset if I stayed her for a little bit before I found an apartment nearby," Steph said, "otherwise I would have surprised all three of you."
"I'm going to go finish my homework then go to bed," Savannah said sensing that the two adults wanted to talk, and knowing her father it would be alone.
"Don't say up to late," Mark told his daughter before kissing her forehead.
"So," Stephanie said when the teenager was upstairs.
"I can't believe that you came back," Mark said. "I didn't think that you would be back."
"Yeah, I've been thinking and Shane gave me some good advice so I ended up here," Stephanie told him. "I guess I was a little over emotional the last time we saw each other."
"We were both under a lot of stress and things got out of hand," Mark reminded her. "It wasn't either of our faults."
"Thanks Mark," Stephanie said yawning. She never realized how tiring traveling could be.
"Let's get this stuff upstairs. We can talk more in the morning," Mark said grabbing her bags and following her upstairs.
Stephanie was pretty much asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Unfortunately Mark wasn't that lucky. He'd been having trouble sleeping for a while now, and having a million things go through his mind wasn't helping. He knew Vince wouldn't let go easily, and he was unfortunately again conflicted about being under the same roof as Stephanie.
After watching the evening news Mark when upstairs and tried to push his thoughts aside and get some sleep. He really needed it; the last few weeks have been hell.
The next morning when her alarm clock rang, Savannah wanted to scream, but she didn't. She was used to waking up and not being able to scream, though mornings were her least favorite time of day.
After showering and all that good stuff Savannah went downstairs to find some food. As she expected no one else was awake, which kind of made her feel good. Her father had been awake when she came downstairs, and not only did it make her feel more fragile than she wanted to be, it made her worry to no end about her father who for the last few weeks generally hadn't come upstairs when she fell asleep, and was awake before she came downstairs.
That's when it dawned on Savannah, she decided to call her older sister and see what was up with her. It had to be the one thing that Mark was worried about. She and Sierra were pretty much always where he could find them, but Sydney was in New York City, and he couldn't watch her all the time.
"Hello," Sydney said hurried.
"Syd, it's me," Savannah said, She desperately needed to convince her sister to come home for the summer.
"Savannah, you need to make it quick I have a class starting in 15 minutes," Sydney told her sister. She knew it was something important otherwise she wouldn't have been called.
"There's been a lot of stuff going on here, you should probably spend your summer here," Savannah said. She wanted to lead up to that conclusion but now she couldn't.
"I'm sure you can handle it," Sydney encouraged. She was looking forward to spending this summer in the city and starting her internship.
"No Sydney I can't handle it," Savannah admitted. "It's do much to go into now because I have to get to school but you need to call dad today and ask him about it. I can't handle all the things going on now."
"Fine I'll call him, but I can't make any promises yet," Sydney agreed, "but I really have to leave."
"Bye, Syd, love you," Savannah said.
"Love you too," Sydney told her sister, before hanging up.
Shortly after Savannah left Stephanie woke up. Steph probably slept better than she had since she left. She really didn't want to get out of bed but she did anyway, she wanted to start looking for her own place, though part of her said it was useless because she was going to spend 99% of her time here, but she wanted to have her own space to retreat to as she needed it.
She looked in on Sierra who was still sleeping, so went downstairs to get something to hold her over a little longer until she could start making breakfast and not get killed for it being to early.
When she finished her snack she heard he phone ring upstairs, she ran up to get it before it woke anyone else up.
"Hello," she said. She wasn't surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end.
"Hey," Shane said. He wanted to make sure his sister hadn't gotten herself in trouble yet.
"Shane," Steph said happily, "what did you want?"
"You forgot to call last night and from what I've seen in the office Dad's pretty pissed at you and Mark and everything else, but that isn't anything new is it?"
"Shane can you do me a big favor?" Stephanie asked. He was the only person that she would trust to do something this big.
"What is it? Shane asked knowing the kinds of thing his sister has asked him before.
"I need you to keep me up with what's going on with Dad, I'm sure he's planning something or other to get back at Mark and I for messing up his plan and all the other supposed wrongs that we've done to him," Stephanie told him.
"I guess Steph, but I still want you to be careful," Shane told his sister seriously.
"I know Shane, I know," Stephanie said. She'd already told him everything.
"Talk to you later," Shane said, "I'm supposed to be doing some report."
"Bye Shane," Steph said before hanging up.
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Chapter Thirteen
Stephanie was so happy to finally be back. She couldn't help the butterflies that were in her stomach when she got to the door. She couldn't help but to wonder if she and Savannah were wrong when they concluded that Mark wouldn't mind that she came.
She heard Mark's voice after she rang the doorbell, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Shortly after he opened the door.
"Hi," she said not being able to think of anything better. Then he wrapped her up in a big hug. She just smiled.
Mark grabbed Stephanie's stuff and took it inside, as Savannah walked down the stairs. She had to keep reminding herself to act surprised though she thought her dad would probably see right through it.
"Steph," Savannah said excitedly. She wasn't sure if Steph would rethink everything through and decide not to come.
"Hi, Savannah," Steph said. "Where's that little sister of yours?"
As if on cue Sierra started screaming. Apparently she hadn't taken to kindly to being left upstairs when there was so much more stuff going on downstairs.
"I'll go get her," Stephanie said already heading towards the stairs. She couldn't wait to see the little girl.
Forty-five minutes later Stephanie came back downstairs. For the first time Mark noticed how beautiful she was. She'd changed so much in the years that he'd known her. He only hoped that she was going to say around longer this time. He wasn't sure if he would be able to deal with her leaving again.
"So, I guess this is what Savannah was grinning about this afternoon," Mark said putting two and two together.
"Yeah," Savannah said, "Steph wanted to surprise you. That's why I couldn't tell."
"I only asked her to make sure that you wouldn't be to upset if I stayed her for a little bit before I found an apartment nearby," Steph said, "otherwise I would have surprised all three of you."
"I'm going to go finish my homework then go to bed," Savannah said sensing that the two adults wanted to talk, and knowing her father it would be alone.
"Don't say up to late," Mark told his daughter before kissing her forehead.
"So," Stephanie said when the teenager was upstairs.
"I can't believe that you came back," Mark said. "I didn't think that you would be back."
"Yeah, I've been thinking and Shane gave me some good advice so I ended up here," Stephanie told him. "I guess I was a little over emotional the last time we saw each other."
"We were both under a lot of stress and things got out of hand," Mark reminded her. "It wasn't either of our faults."
"Thanks Mark," Stephanie said yawning. She never realized how tiring traveling could be.
"Let's get this stuff upstairs. We can talk more in the morning," Mark said grabbing her bags and following her upstairs.
Stephanie was pretty much asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Unfortunately Mark wasn't that lucky. He'd been having trouble sleeping for a while now, and having a million things go through his mind wasn't helping. He knew Vince wouldn't let go easily, and he was unfortunately again conflicted about being under the same roof as Stephanie.
After watching the evening news Mark when upstairs and tried to push his thoughts aside and get some sleep. He really needed it; the last few weeks have been hell.
The next morning when her alarm clock rang, Savannah wanted to scream, but she didn't. She was used to waking up and not being able to scream, though mornings were her least favorite time of day.
After showering and all that good stuff Savannah went downstairs to find some food. As she expected no one else was awake, which kind of made her feel good. Her father had been awake when she came downstairs, and not only did it make her feel more fragile than she wanted to be, it made her worry to no end about her father who for the last few weeks generally hadn't come upstairs when she fell asleep, and was awake before she came downstairs.
That's when it dawned on Savannah, she decided to call her older sister and see what was up with her. It had to be the one thing that Mark was worried about. She and Sierra were pretty much always where he could find them, but Sydney was in New York City, and he couldn't watch her all the time.
"Hello," Sydney said hurried.
"Syd, it's me," Savannah said, She desperately needed to convince her sister to come home for the summer.
"Savannah, you need to make it quick I have a class starting in 15 minutes," Sydney told her sister. She knew it was something important otherwise she wouldn't have been called.
"There's been a lot of stuff going on here, you should probably spend your summer here," Savannah said. She wanted to lead up to that conclusion but now she couldn't.
"I'm sure you can handle it," Sydney encouraged. She was looking forward to spending this summer in the city and starting her internship.
"No Sydney I can't handle it," Savannah admitted. "It's do much to go into now because I have to get to school but you need to call dad today and ask him about it. I can't handle all the things going on now."
"Fine I'll call him, but I can't make any promises yet," Sydney agreed, "but I really have to leave."
"Bye, Syd, love you," Savannah said.
"Love you too," Sydney told her sister, before hanging up.
Shortly after Savannah left Stephanie woke up. Steph probably slept better than she had since she left. She really didn't want to get out of bed but she did anyway, she wanted to start looking for her own place, though part of her said it was useless because she was going to spend 99% of her time here, but she wanted to have her own space to retreat to as she needed it.
She looked in on Sierra who was still sleeping, so went downstairs to get something to hold her over a little longer until she could start making breakfast and not get killed for it being to early.
When she finished her snack she heard he phone ring upstairs, she ran up to get it before it woke anyone else up.
"Hello," she said. She wasn't surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end.
"Hey," Shane said. He wanted to make sure his sister hadn't gotten herself in trouble yet.
"Shane," Steph said happily, "what did you want?"
"You forgot to call last night and from what I've seen in the office Dad's pretty pissed at you and Mark and everything else, but that isn't anything new is it?"
"Shane can you do me a big favor?" Stephanie asked. He was the only person that she would trust to do something this big.
"What is it? Shane asked knowing the kinds of thing his sister has asked him before.
"I need you to keep me up with what's going on with Dad, I'm sure he's planning something or other to get back at Mark and I for messing up his plan and all the other supposed wrongs that we've done to him," Stephanie told him.
"I guess Steph, but I still want you to be careful," Shane told his sister seriously.
"I know Shane, I know," Stephanie said. She'd already told him everything.
"Talk to you later," Shane said, "I'm supposed to be doing some report."
"Bye Shane," Steph said before hanging up.
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Now that you've read you need to click on the little button to review.