Chapter 16: "Don't wear my heart on your sleeve"
Summer jerked her arm away from her ex.
"Ow Cohen that hurt." Summer said rubbing her tender arm.
Noah stared Summer up and down, Ella still in her arms.
"Bam, why don't you head up to your room." Marissa said taking her hands. "Say goodnight to Dad."
"Goodnight Dad." Ella said giving him a kiss on the cheek, heading upstairs with Marissa. Marissa shot a warning glance back at the three that were left in the den.
"What's this about Seth?" Noah said looking at her boyfriend, with her arms crossed over her chest.
Seths mouth opened and closed many times and yet no words came out.
"SETH!" Noah demanded.
"Look Noah, I am still trying to figure all of this out, I just found out that Summer is back. Honestly I don't know what to do, but… I think it is important for Bam to know her real mother… and Summer said that she would not leave again…" Seth trailed off
Noah looked over at Summer again. She expected her to be some dreadful looking crack whore, just out to steal Bam and Seth from her. Instead she saw a scared young woman, her body too young for her age, who had been through a lot. Maybe who deserved a chance. But she was the one who sang Ella to sleep at night when she was a baby. She was there the first day that Seth went shopping for her. She saw her first step, heard her first word… It just didn't seem fair.
Noah nodded.
"I am going to head back to my apartment… I will pick up Ella tomorrow morning to take her to school." Noah said kissing Seth on the cheek and heading out.
Summer and Seth stood in an awkward silence.
"Summer, I am putting a lot on the line letting you back this easily…" Seth said looking at his feet.
"Yeah, … I know."
"Well then you'd better take this seriously."
"I love her Seth." Summer said, her voice cracking and a tear coming to her eye…
"I know you do." Seth said heading up to the stairs. "You can stay in the pool house."
Summer stood alone in the den for what seemed like hours trying to digest what had just happened. Slowly she made her way out to the pool house. She sat down on the bed and face the wall. So many thoughts were running through her head. It was only when Marissa came in that she was broken out of her thoughts.
"Hey Sum." She said sitting next to her best friend.
"Tell me about her." Summer said, her lips quivering
"Who?" Marissa asked
"Ella." Summer said, the name rolling off of her tongue.
"She is a great kid." Marissa began…
"Does she do well in school?" Summer asked still not meeting Marissas eye
"Very well. Seth makes sure of it. She has a lot of friends. Her best are Joey and Lex. Joey and his family live next door, they moved in after my mom and Caleb moved out… and Lex lives across town but she is always over. You will meet them." Marissa explained
"What about Noah?"
"What about Noah?" Marissa asked back
"Is she nice?"
Marissa wasn't sure what to say. Noah had always treated Ella as though she were her own.
"She loves Ella. She and Seth have been together since you left the second time. Shes a real cool person." Marissa said carefully choosing her words
"Are you guys friends?"
"Yeah, we are." Marissa said honestly "Where is all of this coming from Summer?"
"I just want to see what I have to live up to."
"Listen, you are not me, you are not Noah, and you are NOT Seth, but you are still Ellas mother. And you will make mistakes, we all do! But, Ella is worth the effort. She deserves to have you in her life." Marissa hugged her friend lightly. "I have to head out. Ryan is probably worried sick. There is going to be a storm tonight too and I can't get caught up in it. Will you be okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks Coop." Summer said as she watched her best friend leave.
Summer dozed off watching the rain run slowly down the windows. She listened for a long time as the wind blew through the leaves of the palm trees. She had missed that sound while she was away… She had missed it so much, all of it.
Summer stirred in her sleep. She turned to find a pair of huge brown eyes staring at her. She sat up.
"Hi." Ella said in a small voice
She was wearing a yellow night gown. Her hair hung in wet ringlets across her face. She had walked out to the pool house in the rain! The small barefoot girl had Mr. Sniffles under her arm…
"Hi." Summer said brushing her own hair out of her eyes. "I thought you were in bed."
"I couldn't sleep." Was all that Ella said.
"You're going to catch a cold in that went night gown." Summer said going to her bed and getting out an oversized shirt. She helped the little girl put it on. "Does your Dad know that you are out here?" Summer asked
Ella shook her head no.
"He was talking to Granddad and Grandma so I didn't wanna bother him."
"Oh." Summer said
"Can I lay down?" Ella asked. Summer didn't respond. "Jus' till the storm is over?"
"Yeah, hop on in." Summer said pulling back the covers and tucking her daughter in along side of her.
"Are you going to stay here from now on?" Ella asked
"Yeah I am baby." Summer told her
"Good." Ella said snuggling up next to her.
And there together the two fell asleep.