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Xoxo Jules
Chapter 21: "I strapped on one horse and prayed for luck"
Summer chatted on the phone with Marissa as she drove down the highway.
"So when did the Cohens leave for vacation?" Marissa asked from the other end of Summers line.
"They left last night."
"So you got Bam while the Cohens are away?" Marissa asked. Summer could tell that she was eating something, which was usual with her pregnancy and all.
"Yeah, she is at school right now, she gets out in about five minutes. Noah is going to pick her up from there and take her back to the Cohen's and then I am going to pick her up from there." Summer rattled off trying to take her mind off what she was about to do.
"Really? So are you and Noah like friends now?" Marissa asked
"Not really. But I mean, my daughter loves her. It would be wrong to rip them apart. Seth being gone is hard enough on Ella… I don't want it to be any harder on her."
"You're a good man Charlie Brown."
"I've gotta go now Coop."
"Where are you exactly?" Marissa asked raising her eyebrow
"Nowhere. Bye." Summer said looking up at the huge mansion that stood in front of her. The home that never was more then a ton of cold empty rooms…
Summer took a deep breath and approached her old house. She knocked a couple of times… there was no response. Suddenly the door swung open and a slightly older version of Neil Roberts stood in front of her.
"Summer?" He asked looking coldly at his daughter.
"Yeah daddy. It's me." Summer said morphing into a 17 year old girl again.
He hesitated for a second. It was obvious that he was trying to remain composed.
"Come in." He said holding the door open and allowing his daughter to enter. Nothing had changed since Summer had left. The house was still the same spotless white, empty, little piece of hell. "So…" Her father said crossing his leg looking at his daughter.
"I came by to see how you are."
"It has been over six years Summer. You are a woman. 25!"
"Um, … I'm 23 daddy." Summer said blushing a bit
"WELL IT'S THE SAME!" Neil said frustrated that his daughter had corrected him.
Summer looked down and nodded.
"Where the hell have you been Summer Victoria Roberts." Her father asked sternly. "I get home from Rome and you are just gone!"
"I had some things to work out."
"Like what? Someone knock you up?" He asked sarcastically and then stopped short when he saw the look on his daughters face. "These Newport dicks can get away with anything with enough power and money, but nobody will get away with getting you pregnant and leaving. Who was the bastard! Do you know what this does to the family name!" He said
"Actually…" Summer began, "he didn't leave me. I left. I left my baby. I didn't know how to be a mother, I never had one."
"This was six years ago. Where is this child now?" Neil asked raising an eyebrow.
"She is with her father." Summer said.
"And who is he?" Neil asked.
"The only boy that I ever really dated, Seth Cohen." Summer said weakly
"Oh my god." Neil said running his hands through his short cropped beard. "Ella Cohen is…"
"Your granddaughter." Summer said, a tear running down her face.
"So why are you coming to me now Summer? What do you need from me?" He asked, his arms now crossed over his chest.
"I want my dad. You weren't there when I was little, and I can't hold that against you seeing how I handled my situation with my own child. I just want a relationship. I want my daughter to know her other grandpa."
Neil smiled down at his daughter. She didn't, in appearance, seem to be grown, but there was so much inside of her that had changed. Maybe it was time for him to change too.
"Maybe I can give her what I never gave you." Neil hugged his daughter and kissed her on the head. He seemed to be a little detached from the situation. "I love you peanut."
Summer left her fathers house wondering what had changed. Well she knew what happened with herself, all those years away, but what had happened to everybody else in her absence? He thoughts were broken when she realized that she was in front of the Cohen residence. It was time to pick up Ella… from Dylans care. Summer knocked on the door a couple of times before she decided to just pull it open.
"Hi Summer." Noah said, smiling a bit when she saw the girl. Noah had been really stressed out over the Seth situation.
"Hi." Summer said standing timidly in the doorway. Noah walked over to her.
"Here are Ella's bags." She said handing them to Summer. "This one has her pajamas, and this one her school clothes." Noah explained. "And this one is her toys," she handed her another bag, "and she has books and Captain oats in her bag."
"Thanks a lot." Summer said balancing the bags. This girl had done so much.
"Just so you know sometimes Ellas stomach gets a little upset before she goes to bed. If you just rub her tummy she should be fine. And whatever you do don't let her have chocolate, she will be bouncing off of the walls all day. Also make sure you watch her when she has her skateboard, she doesn't fall a lot but still." Noah paused and thought for a moment.
Summers mind was racing. This woman knew her daughter so well…
"Oh and I almost forgot!" Noah ran to the cabinet. "These are her vitamins. She takes one when she wakes up in the morning." Noah took a deep breath. "That's it. You'll be fine!"
Right then Ella ran in.
"Hi." She said brushing her hair from her face.
"Hi honey." Summer said kissing her daughters forehead
"You ready to go?" Noah asked
"Yup." Ella said looking up at Noah. "I got my bag."
"Toothbrush?" Noah asked
Ella nodded.
"Alright baby. I love you. Bye Bam-Bam."
"Bye mama." Ella said running out to Summers cab that she had waiting. She currently didn't have a car.
Summer stood digesting what her daughter had just called the other woman. Noah noticed the awkwardness as well.
"She calls me that sometimes, mama, she used call Marissa mumsy, up until about last year. Sometimes she'll slip with it."
Summer thought, mama-Noah, mumsy- Marissa, mommy-her. At least she got the best variation of the word mother.
"It's alright."
"See you Wednesday?" Noah asked Summer. Noah was going to pick up Ella from school that day.
"Yeah."
"Alright. I am going to the hospital to visit with Seth for awhile."
"Bye." Summer said giving a small wave as the girl left the house. "Ready Bam?" She asked helping her load her things into the cab.
"Uh-huh." Ella responded.
Summer and Ella lugged the bags up the stairs of the apartment. They were out of breath easily. Luckily they were relieved when Craig and Landon appeared on the stairs behind them. Summer allowed them into her apartment to place the bags.
"So I was thinking, since you just moved I we should have a little celebration." Craig said smiling flirtatiously
"Celebration?" Summer asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Pizza a movie. We have Shrek. A pajama party!" He suggested, winking at Summer.
"OH OH! I wanna!" Ella yelled jumping up and down.
"Alright." Summer said even though it was a school night. It was only about six. "We can order the pizza."
"No, it's on me!" Craig insisted. "You can provide the ice cream."
"Aright. Minus the pajamas." Summer said. Craig raised his eyebrows. "NO! Not like that! I mean, … pajamas… great." Summer said smiling.
"See you in about a half hour." Craig said snatching up Landon under his arm and heading out.
A half hour later they showed up as promised. Ella and Landon ended up eating so much pizza that they fell asleep about forty-five minutes into the movie.
"What's wrong?" Craig asked Summer looking over at her. Ella was asleep on her lap, and Landon on his.
"Nothing." Summer said not meeting Craig's eyes.
"Yeah there is something up."
"I am a little nervous about Ella."
"What's wrong? Is she okay?" He asked concerned.
"Oh yeah! She's fine. It's just that she has to live with me for awhile."
"What happened to Seth?" Craig asked
"He is in a coma. There was an accident."
"The mood did seem a little off today at The Lighthouse." Craig said
"I've just never had her on my own before. It feels like everyone knows how to take care of my daughter but me…" Her eyes began to water.
"Summer. You will do great. And if you have any single parenting questions, I am right down the hall." He placed his hands over hers
"Thanks Craig. You're great." Summer said smiling
And then they leaned in and kissed.
I know that I may seem cruel..... hehe REVIEW