Chapter 3 || Movie Night
There had been very few times throughout her life that Rayna had related to her father. She had never had the best relationship with him and never understood what was going on between them enough to try and establish one. When he kicked her out of the house at sixteen years old she had promised herself to never ever treat her children the same way.
She had promised herself that for years and still Maddie felt the need to remove herself from her care.
The court hearing had shattered her. She felt like she had been living in a daze ever since and the more that time went on the less she wanted to get up in the morning knowing that her daughter wanted nothing to do with her. Maddie had sat in that courtroom declaring Deacon unfit to be her father and completely destroyed the household Rayna had worked so hard to build.
From that moment on she had completely stopped talking to Deacon except absolutely necessary. She couldn't have a conversation with him knowing that he hadn't helped the situation. She was just completely lost on how to feel and what to do. But she still had a family, she still had Daphne and she was going to be damned if she pushed her youngest away too.
Deacon had suggested a movie night for the three of them, the perfect way to do something as a family but not actually communicate with one another. Honestly it was the first thing she had agreed with him on in days.
Daphne was thrilled.
Sort of.
Never in her life had Daphne been without her sister. Not once since she had been born had she known a life without her. They sang together, they wrote together, they did everything together. Her older sister was her world and despite them growing apart, as Maddie got older and more independent, she never thought she would actually leave her.
She could still remember when Maddie learned of her real paternity. It wasn't her mom's accident that stood out; it was the fact that she and Maddie weren't the same anymore. They had a different father and looking back at it now she knew that it was the moment everything started changing. She didn't directly blame Deacon for what happened back then or even now, but he still felt like the only factor that made sense.
Maddie had always been a little selfish, she often thought of herself and the fame she longed for and Daphne knew that was the reason she left her. It was all her and no one else, but things had gotten dirty so fast that she still hadn't processed the days she had left and after their parents coming home from the hearing. She had witnessed her mom's happiness fall apart before her eyes and Deacon falling into a place of sorrow that she knew she'd never understand. He blamed himself, her mom blamed him and Daphne just felt alone.
The idea of a movie night was probably the least enthusiastic approach to family time she had heard but she appreciated the effort by her stepfather. While he and her mom searched for a movie she made the popcorn and entered the living room to find them on opposite sides of the room from each other, he on the couch and she in the chair. Sighing she moved to sit beside of him and offered him the bowl before tucking her legs underneath of her.
"What are we watching?" She asked hoping to get some sort of communication out of them. It was weird how things had changed so fast. It seemed like they had just gotten married and she had seen them at their happiest and now it was like they were strangers again.
"Footloose." Deacon said and she swore she seen her mom's mouth twitch into an almost smile. Deacon hated that movie but she loved it. They had playful fights about it all the time and Daph smiled at him before scooting closer so that they could share the popcorn easier as he clicked play.
She had watched the movie a thousand of times over the years that she basically knew it from heart. They all did but that never stopped her mom from lighting up every time the opening scene came on. She found herself watching her mom and stepdad more than the movie. Laying her head against Deacons shoulder she smiled at him wanting him to know she was still there, no mater how tense the room was when either of them realized they were actually enjoying themselves and the movie.
Looking over at her mom she saw her looking back at them a glimpse of calmness in her eyes Daphne hadn't seen in such a long time. "I'm happy we could do this."
"Me too." Things were never going to be the same, Rayna knew that but she also knew that the man and the little girl across from her weren't going anywhere no matter what. Maybe just maybe she had to make that her new reality for a bit.
By the end of the movie both Daphne and Deacon were asleep, her husband's arm around her daughter holding her close both of them lost in each other's comfort instead of the movie and it made it for as perfect of an evening as she was going to get right now.
And here is a new chapter! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews!
