Chapter 14: "Heaven sweep me away"
Seth looked at the girl in front of him. It seemed that Summer had aged backwards in the six plus years since he last saw her. She looked like a little girl, no fake tan, or piled on make-up. She was a vulnerable little girl again…
"Summer…" Was all that he could say. He hesitated for a second before he allowed her in. The two sat at the dining room table in silence. Seth was the first one to break the silence. "Why are you back?"
Summer took a second before meeting Seths eyes…
"I wanted to make up for lost time with Ella." Summer said "I also wanted to say thank you to you. I understand though if you don't want Ella to see me… I don't want to take her away from you or anything Cohen… I just want a chance to be the mother I never had." Summer explained tears streaming down her cheeks
"What changed?" He asked the girl that he once knew
"All that I can say is time." Summer said looking up at Seth, at 23 way wiser than the lost 17 year old girl.
"I love Ella more than anything." Seth said. "She has been my world for the past seven years…" Seth explained. What else could he say? Suddenly he felt himself revert back to the 17 year old Seth Cohen. "But what you did really sucked. What am I supposed to do when Ella asks about her mother? How could you walk out on the most amazing thing that ever happened to us!" Seth said
"I tried." Summer whispered
"What?" Seth asked
"I tried to tell you. That day at the docks. But you broke up with me first. And I was young and naïve and I didn't know what I was going to do with my own life, not to mention the lie of a baby. I couldn't have it depending on me. So I got scared, so I ran… And now I regret it."
Seth put his hands over his mouth.
"All of these years I never even thought…" Seth said his voice trailing off.
Right then Marissa walked through the door with Ella.
"Hey kiddo." Seth said as the young girl came and hugged him tightly around the neck.
"I'm sorry…" Marissa said realizing that she had walked in on a serious conversation.
"It's cool" Seth said. "I'll be right back, Summer, 'Ris, wait here, I'll be right back."
Seth carried Ella up the stairs on his shoulders.
"How did it go?" Marissa asked
"I don't know…" Summer said as she watched Seth and her daughter disappear up the stairs.
Seth sat Ella on the bed on his lap so they could talk.
"What's up?" Ella said looking her father in the eye.
"How do you know that something is up?" Seth asked
Ella looked at him and shrugged
"We have never really talked about your mother." Seth said
"That's cause I don't got one." Ella said
"You don't?" Seth said surprised at his daughters words
"Nope, I got two. Noah an' Marissa. Mrs. Rayland," Ellas teacher "told us that a mother was a girl that takes care of you. So Marissa and Noah are my moms." Ella explained usng six year old reasoning.
"Well that's part of it Bam. But there is also someone who carried you around in her tummy. That is a different mommy. She can take care of you too." Seth tried to explain, not quite sure he even knew what he just said.
"Well then who carried me around in her tummy?" Ella asked looking at her father quizzically
"Her name is Summer…" Seth said
"So she is my mommy too?" Ella asked
Seth paused.
"Um…. yyyeeesss…." He said drawing out his answer
Ella nodded.
"Yanno that woman downstairs?" Seth asked
Ella nodded
"That is Summer." Seth said… Ella sat for awhile and pondered the situation. "Would you like to meet her?" Seth asked
Ever so slowly Ellas head nodded.
"Alright honey." Seth said kissing his daughters head and exiting the room.
Summer hesitated outside of the door. It was cracked open… The walls were painted a pale orange color, and colorful lights were all around the room. There were toys covering the floor. And Mr. Sniffles, Marissas old stuffed bunny in the middle of the bed…
The little girl was rummaging through her room furiously looking for something.
Summer watched as she stopped searching and held a picture in her hands. And then she turned to the crack in the door exactly where Summer was standing. Ella walked over to the door and opened it.
"This is you." Ella said simply handing Summer the photo.
It was of she and Seth, taken junior year. They had their hands around one another's waists, and looked each other deep in the eyes, paying no attention to whomever was taking the picture.
"Yeah honey." Summer said getting down on her knees to meet the girls eye level. "That's me."