Here is chapter four!

Chapter Four

~*~Marissa POV, Seattle, Washington~*~

It had been weeks since I saw Leonard last. I was happy, really happy. I had gotten a job at the hospital as a substitute nurse. Karen helped me get the job after she closed Shay's Diner. I was sad about it. I worked there for the three weeks that I had been here. I even have a room, with Freddie, in the Shay's home. My room used to be a storage room, and after a few hours cleaning and getting the room fixed up, I had my own room. Mr. Shay was happy that Karen had made a friend.

I walked to the kitchen, after checking on Freddie, to get some coffee. I walked to the kitchen and Mr. Shay was seated at the table, reading over the newspaper. I quietly went to the cabinet and got a mug and filled it with some coffee that was already brewed. I took a sip, and looked out the window.

"Wanna sit?" Mr. Shay asked.

"Um, sure. Thanks, Mr. Shay," I replied, taking a seat.

"Please call me Steven, only my clients call me Mr. Shay," he said, putting the newspaper down.

"Oh, sorry, " I said, taking another sip.

We sat in silence for a few minutes when Karen came running into the room. She was talking on the phone, and I could tell that it wasn't good. She looked at Steven, and he looked at her. She hung up.

"Everything okay?" I asked,

"Yeah, my sisiter Cassie is dropping her son off with us for the weekend while she goes away," she said.

"Oh," I said. "When do I meet him?"

"In a few hours. Can you help me get the spare bed made up in Carly's room?" Karen asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

I finished up my coffee and went and got Freddie ready for the day. Steven was taking Carly and Freddie to the kiddie playground while we worked. I thought it was nice. Karen told Steven to keep an extra eye on Freddie incase Leonard was in town. He understood and he grabbed the two car seats, diaper bag, and the cooler and he left.

"What was the cooler for?" I asked.

"For Steven and his lunch," Karen replied.

We made room for the extra bed and we put the bed together. We then made the bed for when he would arrive. Karen then put some of the toys that Carly barely in a tote and stuck them in the closet. Then Karen and I put some clothes that Carly grew out of in a bag and took them to the garage. She told me that she would take them to the thrift shop for another baby to use.

"Is that it?" I asked when we stopped for lunch.

"Almost, there is a box in the garage of toys we have to bring in," Karen said as she took a sip of her drink.

"Who are they for?" I asked.

"For Spencer. He is my sister's son," she said.

"Okay," I replied.

At about 2, Steven came home with Carly and Freddie. Karen and I were almost done with fixing up Carly's room. Steven walked into the room with Carly on one hip and Freddie on the other. Karen put down the clothes she was folding down on the bed. She went over to Steven whispered something and then kissed him. I missed that. It was like that during the first few weeks during me and Leonard's marriage. But it changed when he went to a bar with some friends after work. He went to bars everyday after dinner. He then came home late. I got used to it after awhile, but he then started to abuse me when I didn't help him the one time he was drunk because I was sick. He threw me against walls, hit and punched me. Then he apologized. I was unsure if he was. It then happened ever so often, and then it was every night that he went to the bar. I knew that it was coming, so I would be sitting on a chair and put my hands in the air. He then would beat me, stop and pass out on the couch I was used to it. I was brought out of my trance by Karen looking at me.

"Everything alight?" she asked, worriedly.

"Yeah," I replied, taking Freddie and leaving the room. I then walked into my room and shut the door. I changed Freddie and then put him down for a nap. I lied down on my bed and looked at the ceiling. A few seconds later, I heard a knock at my door I got off the bed and went over and opened the door. Karen was on the other side. She looked at me and I invited her in. She sat on the edge of the bed and I sat on the rocker.

"Are you sure that your okay?" she asked.

"No," I replied honestly.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked.

"When you and Steven kissed, it made me miss the old version of my husband," I replied. I looked at the floor. I could feel tears beginning to form.

"I'm sorry, Steven and I will keep it cool when your around, if you want," Karen said. I heard her walk over to me and put a friendly hand on my back. She patted my back and I looked up.

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"I want to. I want you to forget that bastard," she said.

"Thank you," I replied. She gave me a hug. I heard a knock on the door and Steven then pocked his head in.

"Hey, Karen, Cassie is here," he said.

"Oh," Karen replied. She then looked at me. "Come meet Cassie." We both stood up. I check on Freddie quickly first and I saw that he was fast sleep. I left the room and saw a woman, wearing high heels. She was wearing a really short red dress. She saw me.

"I didn't know that Karen had guests," she said.

"She's my friend. She's staying with us till she lands on her feet," Karen replied.

"Okay, I'm Cassie," she said.

"I'm Marissa," I replied.

"Nice to meet you," she said. She handed Steven a piece of paper and he looked over it. He shook his head and then showed the paper to Karen she then pulled her sister aside and whispered something. I decided that this was a family thing, so I went and checked on Carly. She was awake, but happy. She was playing with her rattle and gurgling. I then checked on Freddie. He was sleeping. I let him alone. I then went back to the living room. Karen was sitting on the couch, and Steven was bringing some suitcases into the house with the help of a little boy. I walked over to the little boy and helped him with the heavy suitcase. He looked at me and handed the suitcase over. I then carried it and put it with the other suitcases. The little boy went to the couch and sat down. Karen looked at him and then looked away.

Steven motioned for me to follow him to the porch. I sat down on one of the deck chairs. He shut the door.

"Karen will be a bit uneasy for a while," He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well Cassie, just gave us that boy in there. Cassie decided to take a job, and well they frown upon having kids. So, us, being the only family that still tolerate her, have her 12 year old son to us. We have to fill out a bit of paperwork, but he's basically ours." He looked down.

"If you want, I can start to look for an apartment if the house is getting crowded," I said.

"No, We just have to figure out how to fit six people in a 3 bed room home. I know that Spencer will want a room to himself," he said.

"His name is Spencer?" I asked.

"Yeah, sorry, forgot to tell you that part. You have any ideas?" he asked.

"No, not really," I said. I looked around. I then saw that there was a part of the deck that was never used. "What if you add another room on right there?" I asked, pointing to the part of the porch that was unused.

"That might work! I can get some permits and such, and then we can add a bigger room with a bathroom for you and Freddie. Because I know that is what you need," he said, going over to the spot and looking in the window that was over there. "Perfect, it is only the living room through there." He looked around some more.

I knew that life was going to get crazy. Soon.

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