Chapter Thirty-Six

The day was sunny and warm. The noise of the park seemed far away from our hideout. It was a dream, but clearer than almost any I'd ever had.

"We should get married when we grow up," said the higher, younger voice of the then Sawyer Scott.

"Yeah. So we don't have to worry about meeting other people," a six year old version of my self agreed.

"We could live right here, in the park," he suggested.

"Good idea. But not until we're big-at least fifteen."

"Okay. Oh look, there's Mommy," he said, pointing to my Aunt Haley, who led tiny Lauren and Tess by the hand.

"She can't see us," I said, giggling.

"I know," he agreed, laughing. His voice was different, but his laugh was the same. We peered down at her from the height of the tree.

"Where's Jenny?" I asked, peering around the park.

"She had to go to school, remember?" he asked.

"Oh. After kindergarten is over we should run away so we don't have to go to the big school," I suggested.

"Good idea. Hey, let's shake on it," he said.

"On what, getting married or running away?"

"Both."

So we spat on our hands and shook.

I woke up from the vivid dream with a gasp. That had really happened, hadn't it? Our six-year old selves had sealed the deal before our hearts had had the chance to.

And we had run away later that year, too. Only we'd gotten about three blocks away, lugging my wagon full of necessities before we'd been found by Mom and Daddy and been convinced to come home. I hoped he didn't remember any of it.

The light outside my window was bright. It was the middle of the day, and my nap left me feeling groggy and disoriented. I still wore the outfit I'd put on when I'd woken up, and it felt clammy after being so close for my nap.

I changed into a new shirt, pulled my hair into a long ponytail and made my way down the hall.

I stopped when I heard my Daddy and Mom speaking. I peered through the railing-the staircase was in the opening room, Daddy's study was off to the side. They were in it with the door open, and I could see them perfectly from the correct angle. I clung to the wooden railing and strained to hear their conversation.

"I shouldn't have left her alone like that," said Daddy to Mom. They were sitting on chairs opposite each other, their hands held.

"It was the only thing to do. Jenny's almost grown now, she won't always do what you tell her to," said Mom.

"But Nikki! How could I leave Jenny with her? I mean, last time she threatened I went to jail for her," said Daddy.

"That was a long time ago. Jenny doesn't need taking care of, it means there's less danger," comforted Mom.

"Pey, Jenny would go out every night to God knows where if we didn't stop her. Now no one will stop her," said Daddy.

"Jenny isn't stupid," said Mom.

"No, but she's reckless."

"Jake, you know if Nikki had never threatened to gain full custody, we never would have gotten married, because we wouldn't have needed to put the trial in our favour?" asked Mom. I shivered-that was completely true.

"And Callie never would have been born. I love you so much," said Daddy.

"I love you too," said Mom. The ruby ring that had so long sat on her finger glinted.

"You don't know how it feels to hear you say that-there was a time I never though you would," said Daddy. He kissed her lips lightly.

"Don't you know me yet?" she asked teasingly.

"We'll get her back," he said, suddenly displaying the confidence he'd shown with Nikki.

"Yes. You're a good father Jake," said Mom earnestly.

"Some would argue that it's because my plentiful experience. You're a good Mom," he said. She was. He was, too.

"Where are the girls?" she asked suddenly.

"Callie's sleeping, Lauren's still sick," said Daddy.

"Poor thing. Poor Callie, too. She's going to be miserable until she gets back together with Sawyer," said Mom. I blushed, and bit back a retort.

"If she ever does," he said, grimly bringing a possible truth to light.

"She will. She's too much like me, hiding from what she wants," said Mom.

"How long have you known how in love they are?" he asked her. She laughed.

"Oh, since they were about thirteen," she said.

"Really? I didn't guess for about another year, when he started thinking he was in love with Jenny," said Daddy.

"And Lauren fell for him," said Mom.

"Lauren liked him? I thought they both knew about him and Cal?" said Daddy.

"We know them better than we think," said Mom.

This was true. They'd analyzed us better than we analyzed each other.

"Where did you go, after the whole prom thing?" asked Mom suddenly. He laughed.

"At a hotel a mile out of town," he admitted.

"So you were a half hour away the entire time, when I'd thought you'd left me forever?" she asked, playfully annoyed.

"I'd never have left you, I loved you. And you had Jenny," he said.

"And Callie," she added.

"Yes, but I didn't know about that one. That was the biggest shock of my life," he said.

"For me, too. I remember Haley had just gotten pregnant, and I was freaking out along with her and then it happened to me… I was hoping for a while that Cal would be a boy so her and Haley's baby could be best friends, but then it turned out that way," said Mom.

"I remember that. I kept having these creepy flashbacks-even though I knew you weren't capable of real Nikkiness. And then she made us so happy," he said. I smiled.

"Yeah. I never thought I was ready for her, and then a year later we tried again…"

"We shouldn't have bothered trying," said Daddy, laughing. Okay, ew.

"And then we had another girl!"

"Nate teased me about that," said Daddy.

"He's such a jerk."

"In a way. In an endearing way. He's a great father, a great husband, a multimillionaire. He used to be a jerk, back when we were on the team together," said Daddy.

"Like I don't know," said Mom. I recalled how they used to date.

"I liked you even then," said Daddy.

"Liar," she said.

"Well, I didn't know you, but I was impressed by how much deeper you seemed," said Daddy.

"Plus, I was gorgeous," added Mom.

"Still are." They kissed again.

I crawled away as they began to speak of Jenny again, and ended up in Lauren's room. She was sitting weakly back on her pillows, the basin still at her side.

"Hey, what's up kid?" I asked, coming to sit on her bed.

"I feel nauseous," she said.

"Poor thing. Rest of your life going okay?" I asked carefully. We walked on eggshells because of the Jason Winters thing.

"Yeah, it's good. It sucks having to hide my relationship with Jay, but at least I have it," she said.

"Good," I said slowly.

"You're a terrible liar. How's Sawyer?" she asked.

"We broke up," I said shortly. Suddenly and inexplicably she began to cry.

"You have to be together!" she cried.

"Calm down sweetie! How are you more emotional about this than I am?"

"Because you hide your emotions. But you have to get married some day!" she said.

"I'm seventeen!"

"So? Haley was sixteen!" she countered.

"Haley ran away!"

"Then she came back," reminded Lauren.

"Yeah, well, sometimes they do. Besides, Sawyer is probably having sex with someone else this very minute," I said.

Lauren sent me a scathing look. It was disconcerting, being completely transparent to my baby sister.