Chapter Two

It was quite a change, having a baby in the house. Seth was no certain that his house was too big (he could practically hear the New Port social elite gasp at that statement) and that he wouldn't be able to hear the baby when she cried. Summer seemed to feel the same way and baby Madison Cooper Cohen, as she had finally been named the day before, spent her first week in a bassinette in their master bedroom. Summer argued that this was for the best anyway, so that she'd have the chance to decorate Madison's room in the way she had always dreamed of decorating her daughter's room: in pink.

And that was how Seth found most of the house when he came home from a job which he hated, eager to see his wife and daughter. He was surprised at how easy it was to think of Madison as his daughter instead of a child he really shared no blood with, the daughter of his missing adopted brother and his dead sister-in-law.

However, upon entering the house, Seth paused at the door, frowning in surprise when he saw that two walls of the living room had become nearly Pepdo Bismal pink, with his beautiful wife holding the paintbrush. Summer was humming along with the radio, which was on low seeing as Madison was asleep in her portable crib, with her hair pulled back beneath a bandana and a pair of his over-alls on, which were already splotched with paint.

"Summer," Seth began, startling his wife since she hadn't heard him enter. "What are you doing?" He was almost afraid to know.

"Practicing." Summer answered as she turned to face him. "I want Madison's room to be perfect."

Seth finally got up the courage to step away from the foyer and enter his newly pink living room. "You could have practiced on a piece of wood." He pointed out. "What made you think that painting the living room would be a good idea?" Once again, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

Summer sighed, turning off the radio. "Don't you like this color?" She questioned, seeming to effortlessly change the subject. "Do you think it's ugly? Should be pick another color for Madison's room?"

Seth shook his head. "No, I don't think it's ugly; I think it's perfect for a baby's room. Not for the living room." He told her.

Summer waved her hand, and the paintbrush dismissively. "We can always paint over the living room." She pointed out. "I just want everything to be perfect for Madison."

Seth suddenly understood where her bizarre painting fit had come from: Summer's desire to be the perfect mother. She was so obsessed with being the mother that she was convinced Marissa would have been, to take perfect care of this child and keep her friend alive.

Seth closed the distance between them and pulled Summer to him, thankful that she had managed to keep the paintbrush out of the way. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Not everything has to be perfect, baby." He knew exactly what she was feeling, what she was going through because he felt the same way. This child meant so much more to both of them, more because it was all they had left of their best friends, their family and they could not loose her. "We'll figure this out together." Seth smiled slightly at her and brushed her dark hair away from her cheeks. "I promise."

Summer returned the smile gratefully and looked over at Madison, sleeping in her portable crib, and her smile grew wider. "You know," She looked back at Seth, "you're going to be a great father."

Seth was honestly touched by her comment. "I hope so." He remarked, looking at his daughter. His daughter, the words came so easily.

With a smile, Summer swatted at him playfully. "I know so." She assured her husband, using one of her favorite phrases. "Now help me clean this mess up." She suggested with the smile still on her face.

Grinning as well, Seth did as she asked, reveling in the tasks that were going to become part of his life as a father. Despite the changes that had upset his world over the past weeks, Seth knew that his life was about to change even more and he couldn't be more excited. Or more frightened. Or more overjoyed.

Summer stared at the stroller on the display carefully, kneeling down in order to study the wheels. Kirsten had never seen her daughter-in-law more methodic about checking anything before, not even her own makeup and it pleased her. Summer had changed a lot since meeting Seth years ago and it seemed that the changes were going to continue. She knew what the younger girl was going through, the things that became different when you had a child; makeup didn't matter as much anymore when it came to making sure that your child was safe and happy. And Kirsten could tell that those were the things on Summer's mind at that moment.

"Is it safe?" Summer was saying, more to herself then to Kirsten or the teenaged employee that had been stuck with helping the new mother in her shopping. She looked up. "There's no chance the wheels would come off? Or that brakes not working?" She looked at the young boy.

Kirsten smiled at the employee's surprise, but hid the grin beneath Madison, who was nestled in her arms. Summer stood up and smoothed her skirt, still staring at the employee, waiting for an answer. "Uh..." The boy mumbled, his eyes scanning the store, looking for assistance. "There's warranty." He wasn't sure that's what Summer was looking for, but that was the only answer he could provide her.

Thoughtfully, Summer retrieved her child from Kirsten and held the wiggling baby against her chest. "I guess that's all right." She mused. "I could always have Cohen check it when we get home." She nodded decisively. "This one's fine."

The employee seemed relieved and scurried off to get the model out of the storeroom. Summer studied the stroller on the display for a moment longer before she looked away, pleased with her purchase. "Coop's room needs wallpaper." She told her mother-in-law.

Kirsten stared at her, taken about by her statement. "What?" She questioned, thinking that maybe she hadn't heard right. Marissa was on her mind a lot lately, so it was possible that she had mistaken Summer's name for the baby. "Coop?"

Summer frowned slightly and looked almost embarrassed, studying the baby in her arms. "Her middle name is Cooper." She answered. "I guess it's sort of a habit. I miss having someone around to call Coop." She smiled faintly at Kirsten.

Kirsten rested her hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder and squeezed sympathetically. "We all miss her." She told the girl truthfully. "It's going to be hard for a long time." Summer nodded. "But at least we have Madison."

Summer looked at her daughter, who appeared to be drifting off to sleep. "At least we have Madison." She repeated, her voice low. Kirsten could never understand how much the baby meant to her and how thankful she was to have her. She could never admit that she was glad Ryan had left town and left his child, otherwise she would have nothing to remind her of her best friend, of her childhood.

Kirsten gave her a faint smile. "Let's go pick out the wallpaper." She suggested, which seemed to be more then enough to snap Summer out of her reverie.

Together, they walked through the baby store until they reached the wall paper section, where Summer was surprised to see all the millions of styles that were available for a baby girl's room. She wished that Madison was old enough to pick her own style but she figured those years would come later when they could decorate her room together. Until then, she might as well embrace her decorating urges and go with what looked best to her.

After nearly thirty minutes of pacing and going through nearly forty books filled with wallpaper samples, Summer finally decided on a boarder of kittens playing with string, kittens playing in hats, kittens playing with other kittens. She figured you couldn't go wrong with kittens.

By that time, Madison had woke up from her impromptu nap and was getting a little cranky, so Summer decided it was time to call the shopping trip quits until another day. She rocked Madison and cooed all the lullaby songs she remember, trying to calm the baby as they waited in the checkout line.

The woman behind the counter grinned broadly when she saw the unhappy baby and Summer could tell she was one of those women that dropped everything in order to squeal over someone else's baby. "She's adorable." The checkout woman gushed right on cue, trying to decide if she wanted to chance asking to hold the baby.

"Thanks." Summer mumbled, somewhat tensely. Madison was hungry and she was she; she just wanted to get out of here and back home. She tried to avoid eye contact while Kirsten placed their purchases on the counter, hoping that would be the end of the baby compliments.

No such luck. "She's adorable." The woman continued, stressing every syllable of the word. "What's her name?"

"Madison." Summer answered, beginning to feel more proud then annoyed at the woman's words. She did have a very cute child.

The checkout woman nodded as she scanned the first purchase. "I love that name." She told Summer but the dark-haired girl couldn't tell if she meant it. "Very cute." She finished ringing them up, still smiling, as she told them their total, studying Madison and Summer. "She looks just like you; she has your eyes."

Summer wasn't quite sure how that was possible, but she was too taken aback by the woman's words to really think about it. People thought Madison really was her daughter, people even thought that they looked alike. That was the sort of thing they were supposed to say to Marissa because Madison had Marissa's eyes. Marissa's eyes and Ryan's nose.

Summer found that she could do nothing but gape at the woman, causing Kirsten to collect their purchases, thank the woman and usher mother and baby out of the store. It was only when they had reached the car and Summer realized she had to put Madison in her car seat that she seemed to recover.

"How can we look alike?" She questioned aloud as she slipped Madison into her brand new car seat. "It doesn't make any sense."

Kirsten slipped into the driver's seat, since Summer was too much of a new mother to sit anywhere but the backseat, beside her child. "Some people just say that stuff Summer." She told the girl. She understood why it bothered Summer, because she wanted Madison to, above all things, remind her of her best friend. And if people started to say that they saw none of Marissa in the child, then Marissa was simply slipping away.

"Right." Summer agreed, sitting in the seat beside Madison. "She looks like Marissa." Her words were off-handed as she looked at her daughter, tickling the baby's chest slightly. "Not like me."

Kirsten watched her daughter-in-law in the review mirror. "It's okay Summer." She said. "To let people tell you that you look like; it's all right to tell people she's your daughter. Marissa would be happy to know that Madison has such a great family."

Summer looked up and met Kirsten's eyes in the mirror. "I know." She sighed. "I just hope that we're the right family."

Kirsten backed the car into the parking lot. "All new mother's feel like that, Summer. Take it from me." She advised. "I spent the first week of Seth's life trying to figure out if Sandy and I would be good parents and if I should give him up for adoption." She laughed slightly at the memory, for it wasn't important now. Seth had turned into a handsome, wonderful young man and she knew that Madison was going to become a beautiful young woman as she years went by.

Summer smiled as well, as though she could sense what Kirsten was thinking. "You guys were great parents." She told Kirsten. "And Seth is a great father too." She looked down at Madison, who had fallen asleep in her car seat, rocked by the movement of the car.

Madison seemed to trust her, so Summer figured that it was all right to trust herself.