Chapter 13: For Everything a Reason (part 1)

Bob and Emily sat up in bed together. "I'm worried about Violet," Emily admitted. She had been thinking about their conversation.

Bob looked over to her. "The drugs?" he questioned. He knew there was more to it, but there had to have been something brought up today.

"Not just that," she answered and then looked to him with worry. "Everything she talks about has to do with drugs or sex," she explained. "She even told me something today that really disturbed me."

"W-what did she tell you?"

"She told me that she had a miscarriage herself not too long ago and that Nora wanted to make sure that she got rid of the baby," she informed him.

He looked to her a moment and sighed. "I, I know. She's been telling me a lot lately," he responded, thinking back on some of the things she said about Peter. "I really don't uh, don't think you should be talking to her about this stuff though. The last thing you need is, is to be getting yourself worked up," he advised her.

"She told me that she was jealous of our baby," she mentioned, not sure whether to be happy that someone thinks they would make parents, or more concerned for Violet. She felt both and it was confusing.

Bob shrugged. To him, it was obvious. "Why wouldn't she be?" he inquired. "I mean, think about it. You're, you're out there making plans to announce that you're pregnant. You're happy and excited," he began. "I wasn't there, but, but the way she talks about her parents, I don't think they planned on having her, and I think she's picked up on that."

Emily looked to him, soaking in what he had said. She nodded, lowering her head. She understood, she just didn't like thinking about it. All this time, she had been trying to get pregnant, failing and here are these parents that don't even deserve a kid and they get pregnant and then take it out on their own child.

"She's probably jealous of you too," Bob mentioned. He had heard her mention how innocent Emily was a few times about sheltered she must have been.

Bob saw that he got his wife's attention as she looked back up to him. "You're, you have the life that she wants, but, but thinks she can't have," he explained. He wanted to make sure that Emily knew why she was a little cold towards her at times. Maybe if she understood, she wouldn't get upset or worked up over it. "You're parents still love you, her's don't want her. You're parents didn't keep drugs around the house. You, you get to have your baby while she lost her's, and, and everyone's happy for you," he told her. "You got the, the good outcome of everything bad that ever happened to her."

Emily just looked to him with concern. "I hate to say it, but I don't know if I really believe all of that. I mean, the first day the girl shows up she tries to pierce her ears. She goes out of her way to find ways to get our skin," she responded. She truly did feel bad for saying that, but it was true. All her stories just sounded so far fetched to her. Most of all, they kept getting more and more disturbing. It was like she was trying to see how far she could go before someone called her out on her stories. "I knew her parents growing up, and I know that they were a bit self centered. They were always selfish and slightly needy, but I never thought they could be as bad as she puts them out to be."

"Even if she is exaggerating, there, there's still gotta be some sort of truth behind what's she saying. Either its the way she perceives it, or, or its a cry for attention because of the things going on that she's not telling you," Bob explained to her. He did believe her, but even if the stories were just that, stories, there had to be something behind them.

"She scares me Bob," Emily confessed.

"I know, the way she dresses she, she looks like she's the leader of the fun at funerals club," he mentioned.

"I'm serious Bob, how bad do you think you have to mess up before a child becomes like that?"

Bob reached over and put his around her, pulling her closer to him. "Emily, you, you personally don't have to worry about that. I, I can't see you ever messing up a child," he assured her.

Emily smiled. She turned and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said.

"Sure," he said, starting to wonder about himself. He knew that she could easily be a good mother, but what about him? He already started off bad by not wanting the baby. Where did that leave him as a father?

Ooo

Violet walked out to see Bob, Emily, Howard, and Ellen all gathered for breakfast. "Would you look at that? The gang from Mayberry decided to hold a meeting this morning," she remarked, walking trudging towards the table and plopping down in the seat between Bob and Ellen. "So what are you hellraisers up to this morning?"

"What's a hellraiser?" Howard asked.

Violet just looked to him for a second. "Anyways," she said, looking to Bob.

"Hey, how have you been? The last time I saw you was when you made embarrassed your dad," Ellen inquired.

Violet turned to her smirking. "I regret nothing from that night," she told her.

"Really?" Emily questioned as she carried her plate out from the kitchen.

Violet looked to her, guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry, would my regret change the events that occurred?" she quipped. She did feel bad about what she said to Emily that night, but at the same time, no one was going to make her feel any different about what she did at that restaurant.

"No," Emily sighed.

"It was like that time I hung out with Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Grace Slick. My mom and her friend wanted to see if they could get back stage, and they did. I stayed there while they all smoked, got higher than a kite that night, but it was all worth it," Violet informed them. She then looked to Howard and sweetly smiled. "See, I got messed up that night, and I really didn't feel good. But because I got to meet and hang out with those three, it was worth it."

"All, all three of them?" Bob asked.

"Well, you know that Grace and Janis were friends. It was during the time that Jim and Grace were dating," she explained.

"You're serious?" Ellen implored. She was intrigued that someone this young could have met more famous people than herself.

"Of course. My mother was a wanna be hippy. She dragged me around a lot when Peter got tired of her leaving me there with him. I've seen the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan. I've met some of these people. Met a lot of weirdos too, you know, the ones that ask girls, even young girls to do very inappropriate things in exchange for any various drugs they might have. Or the other way around you know, offer something completely out there for a gram or two," Violet explained. "Guess they hadn't quite caught on to the concept of free love yet."

Howard's head jerked up to Bob. "Speaking of free love," he started.

"Howard, I don't think you understood," Ellen warned. She and Howard were thinking of moving in together. This wasn't the time to tell Bob though.

Bob just glared towards Howard. "I'll uh, I'll ask you about that later," Bob told him.

Violet laughed. "I bet you will," she muttered.

"You're parents really took you along like that?" Ellen asked.

Violet nodded. "You bet. Best parents out there aren't they?"

"I don't really care for my mother either," Ellen admitted.

"Yeah, you told me about that. You ever do anything to get back at her?" Violet questioned. "Because I really got back at mine."

"Violet," Emily warned. This was not the time nor place to be discussing her sex habits.

"Well, she did have me married with a few sons by now," Ellen said.

Violet looked her over, smiling. "She wanted housewife, so you became a career chick. Nice," she replied. "I think it's more important to prove a point though. Show them exactly where they went wrong and make them feel just like they made you feel. No remorse and no regret."

"I can't go that far. I just try to let my parents fade out of my life," Ellen responded. She was a little worried over the look that came across Violet's face while she was talking.

"You're weak," Violet told her. It was ironic, considering that she had felt that she herself was the weak one. She was the one that crumbled.

"I'm weak because I refuse to go out and hurt myself over some petty fighting?" Ellen asked.

Violet sat back and looked to her, no expression. "You're weak because you refuse to fight back. Second, don't call anything in my life petty," she sternly warned.

"Vi, Violet? Bob called to her. "Do you think what uh, what you did was strong?"

Violet just turned and looked to him. What was she supposed to say to that? Yes? It took guts to have sex in her mother's bed? "I did what I had to do," she answered.

The table fell quiet. Violet looked up at Emily. Either she wasn't feeling well or she really was upset with her. "If you're having a problem with me, just tell me. No one else has ever held anything back," she told her.

Emily sighed. She was particularly edgy this morning and in no mood for this. "I think you're being dumb," she bluntly announced. "You're ruining your life to prove a point to people who sound like they don't even care."

Violet sighed. Honestly? At one point she thought maybe they would start to care. That was only a brief little time though, and it was proven wrong.

"Wow," Howard commented. He stood up and looked down to Ellen. "You wanna come back to my place with me?" he offered. He could see the look on Violet's face and knew that he was going to be asked to leave anyways. Ellen obliged and they thanked Emily for the food before leaving.

"D-did you have anything to say to that?" Bob implored.

Violet thought that she might as well be honest. "I cared when they stopped caring, so I thought if I went long enough without caring, they might," she quietly responded before getting up and leaving the room.