"Um... well this is Nicky's room and I don't think you want to stay there, it's a bit messy." Calleigh said. Abbie giggled. "He's at my mom's for a few days. Then, here's Jen's room. She's at softball camp for the next two weeks so you can stay in here until your room is fixed up."
"Okay."
"Whatever you want, just ask Abbie. Okay?"
She nodded and sat down on the bed slowly. Calleigh hesitantly walked in and sat at Jen's desk.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You're my mother. I don't see why not." Abbie smiled.
"Do you remember anything?"
"Sometimes. But they're just flashes and they never really meant anything to me before."
Calleigh nodded.
"Okay, well I'll let you get to bed." she smiled, standing up. "Good night."
"'Night."
"I'll uh... I'll leave the light on." Calleigh said. "Well not that you need it, I mean... you can just turn it off when you want."
"Okay." Abbie nodded, a smirk fighting its way to her face.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. It's just... you're so fussy."
"I'm sorry."
"No. It's new to me. My... Allison never did that."
"Oh. Well... you can um... ask your brother and sister... I um... I do it a lot." Calleigh nodded sheepishly.
"It's okay."
"Okay. Well, again, good night."
"'Night."
Calleigh closed the door softly behind her and stood in the hallway, her head resting against the wall. A cell phone rang and Calleigh stared at her waist until she heard Abbie talk.
"What? No... no I'm fine. Why do you care Mark? Oh so... that's nice. Yeah. They're nice. Are they making me sleep in the attic? What... did you drink anything tonight? No I'm sleeping in my... sister's room. She's at softball camp. Yeah I have a sister and a brother. Jen and Nicky. I can go downstairs and get my mother if you want their life story. Yeah it is kind of weird I guess. I mean... they did raise me for two years but... well I don't know."
Calleigh stepped away from the door and walked downstairs. Tim looked away from the TV when he felt the couch sink under her weight.
"She okay?"
"Yeah." Calleigh nodded. "Now I don't know if we did the right thing."
"Why?"
"It's just weird."
"She'll be fine."
"What about us?"
"What are you talking about? We're fine with it!"
"Let me rephrase that. What about our other two children?"
"Oh." Tim mumbled. "I'm sure they'll be fine with it."
S/C--------
Abbie jumped when she heard Tim enter the room.
"I'm sorry. I just.."
"No. Don't. It's been uh... a long time since I heard someone play that." Tim smiled, slowly sinking down onto the couch. "When did you learn to play?"
Abbie shrugged, running her fingers lightly over the piano keys.
"I was in the music room at school and I just started playing the piano during class. My teacher was shocked. I guess she didn't expect to be able to play." she said. "After class she pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to stay after school and show her some more songs. I told her I didn't really know how to play so she offered to teach me."
Tim nodded and moved over to the piano bench. Abbie moved over so he had room to sit. Tim smirked slightly and did a C scale.
"You play?" Abbie asked.
"I used to." Tim replied, going into a jazz song. "I haven't played in a long time though."
"I like this song." Abbie mumbled.
"You like jazz?"
"Some of it. This song, yes. It's been a long time since I heard it."
"I used to play this all the time. One of the songs I did know how to play." Tim added as an afterthought, making Abbie giggle. "Other things I played by ear or made up my own tune."
Calleigh watched the two of them from the doorway.
"You used to sit here with me." Tim remembered. "Ruined a lot of the songs but I forgave you."
He smiled over at his daughter and she turned red. The screen door in the kitchen slammed shut as Nicky ran in. Calleigh quickly grabbed him and gave him a look that said, 'keep quiet.' Tim finally turned around about ten minutes later and looked at Calleigh. She pointed at Nicky, who was staring at Abbie with confusion. Tim nudged Abbie gently and she glanced over her shoulder.
"You're Nicky I guess." she smiled.
"Who are you?" he asked, hiding behind Calleigh. She smiled and pulled him out from behind her.
"Nicky, this is Abbie, your... sister."
"Great. I have another one." he rolled his eyes. "Wait what?"
Calleigh and Tim slowly explained every in sugarcoated terms so Nicky would understand.
"Oh." was all he said.
S/C-------
"No," Abbie laughed, taking the puzzle piece from Nicky. "It doesn't go there."
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Because it's not even made to fit in that piece. Besides it an edge piece. It can't go in the middle of the puzzle."
"I'm bad at this." Nicky grumbled.
"No. You just have to look at it."
Tim grinned as he watched the siblings put together a jigsaw puzzle. Calleigh walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"He's adjusted very well."
"Well yeah. Jen doesn't play with him like she does." Tim smirked. "Speaking of Jen..."
"Melissa's mother is picking them up from the camp." Calleigh replied. Tim nodded as the front door open.
"...no! Don't tell him that!" Jen laughed. "I'll call you later! Thanks Mrs. Anderson!"
She closed the door and the laughter died as she saw Abbie and Nicky having a good time in the living room.
"Are you guys going out? I could've watched Nicky."
"No. We're not." Tim replied, turning around. "How was camp?"
"Fun. Who is she?"
"Come on." Tim pulled Jen upstairs and shut his bedroom door. "Alright, I know this is odd and confusing and everything else under the sun. Before you were born, your mom and I had another daughter, Abbie. She had gotten kidnapped while your mom and I were at a conference in Tampa Bay. While you were gone, I had a case at work and evidence popped up saying that she was still alive and was with the suspect of the murder I was investigated. The murderer was her kidnapper and now we have her back. So downstairs, that's her, Abbie, your older sister."
Jen stared at her father.
"Jen..."
"I'm gone for two weeks and everything suddenly changes and everyone is alright with it." she said, nodding. "That's good."
"Look, don't give her an attitude when you go down there." Tim warned. "Because I swear..."
"How come everyone is fine with this?"
"Because she's your sister."
"I don't even know her!" Jen exclaimed. "And you and Mom are just fine with this? That you have another person to take care of? You can barely take care of me and Nick let alone another kid!"
"Alright, enough!"
"No!"
"JENNIFER!"
"You just expect me to switch my life for some girl that you think you know but really you don't?" she asked. "Well it's not going to happen!"
"Will you stop being so selfish?"
"Me? You're the one that's telling me that this is how things are going to be from now on!"
"You know what? You're right. Deal with this however you want to." Tim said. "Jenny, listen..."
"No. I'm going in my room." she muttered, walking out. Tim sighed and walked out as well, going downstairs. Things were not going to be easy, he could tell.
