Not completely happy with this chapter, so this chapter may be edited later. But for now the show must go on!

CHAPTER 4

Summer 1989, Saturday Morning - Williams Household, Upper Nyack, New York, USA

Karen hummed to herself softly as she folded a load of laundry. She could hear Robert putting the kettle on the stove and starting the coffee maker.

She turned the corner and set the basket of laundry on a side table to bring upstairs. As she entered the kitchen Robert looked up from the stove and gave her a smile.

"Good morning dear." Robert greeted her with a kiss.

"Good morning. Are Sarah or Toby up yet?" Karen asked.

"No, not a sound from either yet. Thinking about the argument last night?" Robert responded.

"Yes, I really do hate arguing with her. Ever since Toby was born, we've just clashed. We used to be so close." Karen sighed.

Robert leaned over and kissed Karen on the forehead. "It will get better. I'm sure of it."

"Hopefully when she gets up we can clear the air. I'm going to take the towels upstairs." Karen said as she left the kitchen.

Karen peeked her head in to check on Toby again, but he was still out like a light. He had that old beloved teddy bear of Sarah's gripped in his tiny fist. She smiled and went to put the laundry away.

As she passed Sarah's room she stopped, wondering if she should wake her, but decided against it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah woke to sunlight streaming in through her windows. She blinked and realized she never closed the shades the night before. Stretching she swung her feet over the side of the bed and shuffled herself to her bathroom. Downstairs she could hear her father and Karen moving about.

Yawning again, she reentered her room and opened her closet door and grabbed a cute shirt and shorts. She made her bed and checked that nothing remained from the party last night.

Satisfied, she opened her door and bounded down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase and took a deep breath.

"Sarah?"

"Morning Dad." Sarah greeted sheepishly as she entered the kitchen.

"Hi sweetheart. Do you want eggs?"

"Yes please." Sarah replied, popping bread into the toaster and grabbing a mug for tea.

As she sipped, Karen entered the room. "Good morning Sarah. Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you. Did you have a nice time out?" Sarah asked.

Karen grimaced. "The food was lovely, but the company was much to be desired."

"Hey! I am lovely company, thank you." Robert retorted jokingly.

"Not you dear. Our uninvited neighbors." Karen replied with a playful eye-roll at Sarah.

Sarah giggled.

"We had just ordered, when who walked in but the Kents. Much to our dread, they were seated at the table just next to us."

Sarah made a face and Karen laughed. "Exactly my feeling. Anyway, the moment they sat down, Martha immediately turned around and started saying what a coincidence this was, and how fortunate we were to be seated next to each other." Karen said.

Robert interjected, "Then she spent the next hour and half nattering about the most recent trip they took and how wonderful their son is doing."

"It was a cruise, dear. And she had the audacity to practically invite herself over sometime. And that we should all get together and how well you and Jason would hit it off." Karen said.

Sarah looked at Karen with wide eyes and a disgusted expression.

"All I can say is yuck. Didn't he get sent to boarding school?" Sarah replied, scrunching up her nose.

Taking in Sarah's reaction, Karen chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Yes and don't you worry, I put a stop to that. I'd rather not spend more time with that woman than absolutely necessary."

Robert brought over plates of eggs and toast for Sarah, Karen, and himself.

As everyone sat down in the breakfast nook, Sarah took a deep breath.

"Um, I just want to apologize for last night and well for all the time before that. I've been acting like a brat and only thinking of myself. And I shouldn't have been late last night and done a better job of keeping track of time, and I really don't mind looking after Toby….."

Robert held up his hand in a stop gesture.

"Let me stop you right there sweetheart. We know you haven't had an easy time of late. And while that doesn't excuse your bad behavior, you acting-out is partially our fault for not pushing more." Robert sighed.

Karen moved to Sarah's other side. "We love you very much. Toby's arrival doesn't change that."

"I know. And I'm really am sorry I've been so horrible." Sarah sniffled.

"Shhh. Some of that is our fault, you've had so many changes to adjust to over the past few years, and then we threw Toby into the mix. It was probably what broke the camel's back so to speak. And then with your father busy with the government case for that past year and I taking care of Toby, well you probably felt abandoned. That was our fault. We should have made sure you knew how much we love you and spent more time with you. You are my daughter. Just as Toby is my son. Nothing will ever change that."Karen said, hugging Sarah tearfully.

Robert joined the hug until the kettle started whistling and he jumped up to take it off the stove.

"Was it that obvious?" Sarah asked sheepishly.

Karen smiled softly. "To us now, yes. Back in the beginning not so much. When I married your father the only experience I had with children was with my cousins. And it wasn't like I was taking care of a baby as you were eleven. I was definitely overwhelmed when Toby was born. And I neglected you because of it. I broke the promise I made to myself to always make sure you knew you were loved. I'm so sorry Sarah."

Karen and Sarah wiped away their tears.

"Of course I forgive you! But I behaved so badly." Sarah replied.

"If you really want to apologize you can help me clean up the attic."

"Ok." Sarah replied with a sniffle.

Robert came back in with Toby in his arms. "Look who decided to join us."

"Babababa." Toby babbled as he was placed in his highchair and smacked his hands on the tray as if to ask, where is my food?

"Yes, yes, food is coming." Robert chuckled, placing down three bowls of banana slices, apple sauce, and dry cheerios.

Toby stuck his hand into the banana and began trying to stuff his face with his right fist of banana and left fist of cheerios. So far Toby was ignoring the apple sauce.

Karen and Sarah started chuckling as Toby got more on his bib and face, than in his mouth.

He just couldn't figure out why he couldn't get both hands in his mouth together.

Robert came back in with a sippy-cup, only for the bowl of applesauce to go airborne right into Robert, which prompted Sarah and Karen to laugh even harder.