HOAM II Chapter 22
"Mama, I go home." Piper stated trying to grab her lady bug suitcase.
"You don't like being on vacation Pipes?" Caleb questioned as she frantically shook her head.
"I go see Gamma Ashwee." She replied afterwards.
"You miss Grandma?" Hanna questioned as the blonde toddler crawled from the end of the bed into her mothers lap.
"We go." Piper exclaimed grabbing Hanna's cheeks and looking into her eyes.
"I think the girls are getting bored." Hanna added as Caleb rocked with baby Peyton. The River's family were the last ones to leave Rosewood and keeping four little girls cramped up in a hotel room was proving to be more challenging than they anticipated.
"How about we go for a walk?" Caleb asked Piper as Hanna threw her eyes in her head.
"It will be good to let them run around a bit before they are cooped up on the plane."
"Walk home?" she smiled as her eyes lit up.
"No, its way too far to walk home. Maybe we can find a park with a really big slide?" He replied back passing Peyton over to Hanna. "Should we get your sisters?"
Peyton ran to the door of the connecting room. Both of the older girls were watching a movie on the IPad.
"Go to da park!" Piper shouted as both girls looked up.
"Can we go back home yet?" Parker whined as she set down the electronic device.
"We are so bored. Everyone left already!" Paisley added putting her hand on her hip.
"This is the most lamest town ever!"
"Alright drama queens!" Caleb exhaled picking up Piper. "We will go home." Parker and Paisley cheered excitedly. "After we go on a walk to the park." He smiled as his oldest daughters faces fell into furrowed little frowns.
Caleb and Hanna got the four girls bundled up and walked to the old park the couple had spent a lot of time at as teens. The city of Rosewood had done a renovation of the park by painting the jungle gym, tearing out the old side walks and adding a new tornado slide. But, the swings that stood their many years ago remained untouched.
"Dada, push me!" Piper squealed as she ran over to the rusted chained linked swings.
"Alright, hold on tight baby." He replied giving the toddler a light push that sent out a shrill giggle. Hanna sat next to them with Peyton in her carrier.
"Oh, she likes this. Look at her smile." Hanna cooed as she gently swayed back and forth. Paisley and Parker were in the distance taking turns going down the huge twisty slide but the couple remained vigilant watching the big girls play too.
"Who would have ever guessed that all the time we spent here as kids would lead to this?" Caleb sighed taking it all in.
"We've got some pretty great girls, don't we?" Hanna replied looking down at their youngest that had fallen asleep.
"Hey Pipes, lets go for a walk, Ok?" Caleb mentioned as he helped the toddler off her swing and into the stroller.
"Paisers, Park, we're going on a walk." Caleb called over to the oldest who came running over to join their parents.
"Where are we walking to?" Hanna questioned as her husband started strolling ahead.
"Let's show the girls around a little." He smiled with a twinkle in his eye.
The family made it in front of an old stone building.
"This is where Daddy and I met." Hanna told her kids who were not amused to see a run down school building.
"I also went to school here with all my friends Emily, Aria and Spencer."
"What about Megan?" Paisley asked looking up at her mom.
"No, I met Megan in college."
The family continued their walk showing the girls the house where Emily, Aria and Spencer grew up. As they were walking past the old Hastings residence, Hanna got a chill down her spine passing the DiLaurentis home.
"That house is creepy." Parker noted as they continued on their way.
"Tell me about it." Hanna snarked under her breath as they went along.
"Parker, do you remember this house?" Caleb questioned as they approached a large white colonial house.
The nine year old paused trying to recall why she would know this house. "No." she exhaled slowly.
"Well, that's because you were a baby when we lived here." Hanna noted wrapping her arm around her oldest child. "This was the house that I grew up in when I was a little girl."
"Can we go inside?" Paisley asked excitedly interested in seeing where her mom used to live.
"Oh Honey, someone else lives there now. See that window?" she questioned pointing to the one above the door. "That was where my room was. I guess Daddy and Parker for a little bit too." She giggled.
"What about me?" Paisley asked suddenly.
"Nope, only Parker."
"I like all the pretty flowers." Parker smiled as she smelled one of the roses blooming in the garden.
"Grandma Ashley planted these rose bushes." Hanna smiled to her older daughters who were surprisingly very interested in Hanna's childhood home.
"Can we see the house you grew up in Daddy?" Paisley asked grabbing her father's hand.
"Well…" Caleb trailed off knowing sooner or later he would have to explain the story of how he grew up to his girls. He glanced down at the stroller which had been all too quiet since leaving the park. Little Piper had fallen fast asleep, snuggled tightly with her stuffed Minnie Mouse.
"I lived in a lot of house growing up." Caleb admitted as he pulled the hood up on Paisleys jacket.
"Did Grandma Claudia not like any of them?" Parker asked confused.
"I didn't live with Grandma Claudia when I was growing up." He admitted as both girls stared at him intently. Hanna paused holding her breath.
"Why?" Paisleys eyes grew large.
"Because Grandma Claudia couldn't take care of me, so I lived with some other families until I met your Mommy and Grandma Ashley let me stay with them."
Parker's eyes welled with tears at the thought of her Dad being abandoned as a young boy. "I hate Grandma Claudia." She stomped her feet walking ahead of her family.
Caleb jogged ahead to catch up with her.
"Girls, Grandma Claudia was very young when I was born. She thought that the foster families would be able to take better care of me." He explained as he wiped Parkers falling tears with his thumbs.
"I was mad at Grandma when I was young too, but she never stopped loving me and she was sorry that she left. She loves me and you girls very much." The young dad got a little choked up.
"But weren't you so sad to grow up without your Mommy and Daddy?" Parker burst out through the sobs knowing Caleb's father wasn't part of his life. Caleb grabbed Parker and Paisley and held them in a tight hug for a few minutes as everyone continued crying, even Hanna.
The dark haired man squatted at eye level, grabbing his daughters at an arms length. "Yes, it did make me sad." He paused taking a breath, "But it was all worth it or I would have never met your Mom and have the most amazing daughters." He smiled as the girls enveloped him in a hug, giving him kisses on his tear stained cheeks.
"We love you Daddy." Paisley moaned squishing her whole body tightly into her Dads.
****PLLPLLPLLPLLPLL****
The faint noise of the television played in the background as Caleb finished the last leftover slice of pizza. Hanna was nursing Peyton and the older three girls were all passed out sound asleep at the bottom of the bed.
Suddenly a warm hand was placed on top of Caleb's. Hanna leaned over giving Caleb a kiss on the cheek.
"I know how hard that was for you." She whispered as she looked down at their precious daughter.
Caleb glanced over at Parker who had her blanket completely tucked in around her. She was snoring slightly as he stared for a moment asking himself how his little baby became such a beautiful, mature, inquisitive young lady.
His eyes moved from Parker to Piper who was tangled in a web of 'blankies,' her blonde curls were wild and fanned around her face as she occasionally babbled in her sleep. Even though little Pipe's was by far the most challenging Rivers girl having her Mom's tenacious willpower, she was the first to make her parents laugh with her goofy demeanor.
Piper kicked her leg out managing to hit her older sister Paisley in the back. The second born Rivers beauty gave her signature frown before returning back to her peaceful slumber. Caleb laughed knowing how typical this scenario played out between the two of them. He smiled at his second born who had a love for technology like her Dad and a passion for athletics that her parents still question where that came from.
Caleb's eyes then darted over to the tiny girl in his wife's arms. From being conceived after his vasectomy to being born extremely premature, little Peyton was he and Hanna's miracle fighter. She had a small amount of light brown hair and bright blue eyes. She loved being held and cooing when she was being talked to.
Lastly Caleb looked at his wife. Although she had changed her hair a few times since High School, she looked almost the exact same to everyone else, but to Caleb, she was even more beautiful than when they met eleven years ago. Everyday he realized how much work she put into the family and he loved her more and more. Together, they really had it all.
Caleb gently grabbed his wife by the chin and gave her a passionate kiss. "I wouldn't change a thing." He exhaled as Hanna laid her head on his shoulder.
"I can't wait to spend every moment for the rest of my life with you."
Authors Note: Hey Pretty Little Readers. This is my finale Chapter for this story. I've actually been working on it for weeks; I just couldn't articulate exactly what I wanted to finish it up until tonight. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. Sorry it has taken so long but I have been crazy busy. I am trying to finish up my others too, but obviously this one was my favorite. Thank you for reading and reviewing. -Brostow