"Haley? You almost ready?" I shout into the bathroom, our nine month old
daughter in my arms, waiting for my girlfriend to finish getting ready.
It's July again. Time for the annual family reunion. It's great to see
the family, but it isn't as if we don't see them anyways. So, we're back
here in Tree Hill, sleeping in a motel room, spending hours on end at my
family's house. That's right. My family's house. Before Haley and I moved
away and went to college together, Mom and Dad were able to reconcile their
differences. They're back together now, happier and more pleasant than
they've ever been to us. Don't get me wrong, it's good to be home. But it
isn't our home any longer. Haley and I have made our own lives. We've
made our own family with our daughter, Isabella.
I flush the toilet and quickly wash my hands and face with a cold cloth.as shout through the door. "Yeah" I assure him. Ever since his parents got back together after Dan's heart attack scare, Nate's always worried about making a good impression on them and insists on being present at every family event. He's always embarrassed when we're late. I opened up the door and see him standing there a little impatiently holding Bella. "Oh man I shouldn't of had that country breakfast this morning" I complain to my boyfriend. "And family reunion's always make me sick." I exaggerate slightly, trying to get my point across to him. Even though his parents did a 180 about our relationship it's still a slightly uncomfortable situation. I know I'm dragging my heels, but I don't really want to go.
"Come on. I don't want to be late. They're expecting us, you know?" I remind her, growing impatient with her dawdling. "Mom and Dad haven't seen Bella since she was three months old. You know they can't wait to see her. And why do you keep saying you feel sick? You've been complaining about it for almost two weeks now. Everytime you eat you feel sick." I ask, suddenly becoming alarmed by her recent string of complaints. "Have you seen the doctor yet?"
I take Bella from him and zip her into one of her little Gap hoodies and tie up her small pink Nike sneakers. She doesn't really need them. She's barely even walking yet. I guess I feel the urge to dress my daughter up. It's always been one of my dreams- having a baby girl to dress up in all the cute clothes that weren't around when I was her age. "Thank you sweet Bella." I say, leaning down and planting a raspberry kiss on her forehead. "Let's go see Grandma and Papa."
With Bella squirming in my arms, Nate grabs the diaper bag and the portable crib we've brought along for the trip and closes the door behind us. "I talked to Cameron on the phone this morning while you and Bella were still sleeping. He's really excited to see us." He gleams at me. "Wants me and Lucas to play some basketball with him." Cameron is their six year old brother. Soon after Dan's heart attack, Deb found out she was pregnant. Luckily, along with the heart attack and the new baby also came a newfound relationship between Lucas and Dan. Although you wouldn't exactly call it the typical father-son relationship, it was certainly an improvement over the previous sixteen years. "And from what he told me Danielle can't wait to see Bella again." He's trying to make small talk. To avoid the conversation he knows that we desperately need to have.
I respond quietly, my mind obviously in other places. "Oh yeah?" I work away quietly, trying to adjust the car seat to hold Bella securely in the rental SUV.
"Come on Hales. We haven't got all day." He barks at me, suddenly becoming all the more impatient. "What's wrong with you today?" I am beginning to get sick of his attitude. If he thinks that raising a nine- month old alone while he's traveling the United States for basketball is easy, he's got another thing coming.
"God damnit Nathan. Do you think this is easy for me?" My eyes glisten over with tears as I spit back at him. "Do you think I want to raise Bella alone? Only to see you three or four times a month? This isn't the kind of life I envisioned for us Nate." He takes me in his arms, offering a warm embrace, even though I can feel the distance between us. It's been this way since before she was born- distant- unpleasant. I pull back from him, already regretting what I know I have to say. "I can't do this anymore Nate. Once we're back in Chicago Bella and I are moving out." There. I've said it. It's out in the open. The look I receive shows sheer disbelief. I don't know how he couldn't have seen this coming.
I flush the toilet and quickly wash my hands and face with a cold cloth.as shout through the door. "Yeah" I assure him. Ever since his parents got back together after Dan's heart attack scare, Nate's always worried about making a good impression on them and insists on being present at every family event. He's always embarrassed when we're late. I opened up the door and see him standing there a little impatiently holding Bella. "Oh man I shouldn't of had that country breakfast this morning" I complain to my boyfriend. "And family reunion's always make me sick." I exaggerate slightly, trying to get my point across to him. Even though his parents did a 180 about our relationship it's still a slightly uncomfortable situation. I know I'm dragging my heels, but I don't really want to go.
"Come on. I don't want to be late. They're expecting us, you know?" I remind her, growing impatient with her dawdling. "Mom and Dad haven't seen Bella since she was three months old. You know they can't wait to see her. And why do you keep saying you feel sick? You've been complaining about it for almost two weeks now. Everytime you eat you feel sick." I ask, suddenly becoming alarmed by her recent string of complaints. "Have you seen the doctor yet?"
I take Bella from him and zip her into one of her little Gap hoodies and tie up her small pink Nike sneakers. She doesn't really need them. She's barely even walking yet. I guess I feel the urge to dress my daughter up. It's always been one of my dreams- having a baby girl to dress up in all the cute clothes that weren't around when I was her age. "Thank you sweet Bella." I say, leaning down and planting a raspberry kiss on her forehead. "Let's go see Grandma and Papa."
With Bella squirming in my arms, Nate grabs the diaper bag and the portable crib we've brought along for the trip and closes the door behind us. "I talked to Cameron on the phone this morning while you and Bella were still sleeping. He's really excited to see us." He gleams at me. "Wants me and Lucas to play some basketball with him." Cameron is their six year old brother. Soon after Dan's heart attack, Deb found out she was pregnant. Luckily, along with the heart attack and the new baby also came a newfound relationship between Lucas and Dan. Although you wouldn't exactly call it the typical father-son relationship, it was certainly an improvement over the previous sixteen years. "And from what he told me Danielle can't wait to see Bella again." He's trying to make small talk. To avoid the conversation he knows that we desperately need to have.
I respond quietly, my mind obviously in other places. "Oh yeah?" I work away quietly, trying to adjust the car seat to hold Bella securely in the rental SUV.
"Come on Hales. We haven't got all day." He barks at me, suddenly becoming all the more impatient. "What's wrong with you today?" I am beginning to get sick of his attitude. If he thinks that raising a nine- month old alone while he's traveling the United States for basketball is easy, he's got another thing coming.
"God damnit Nathan. Do you think this is easy for me?" My eyes glisten over with tears as I spit back at him. "Do you think I want to raise Bella alone? Only to see you three or four times a month? This isn't the kind of life I envisioned for us Nate." He takes me in his arms, offering a warm embrace, even though I can feel the distance between us. It's been this way since before she was born- distant- unpleasant. I pull back from him, already regretting what I know I have to say. "I can't do this anymore Nate. Once we're back in Chicago Bella and I are moving out." There. I've said it. It's out in the open. The look I receive shows sheer disbelief. I don't know how he couldn't have seen this coming.