What if We Rewrite the Stars?

Act 18: Embarrassed:

Amelia sat on the floor of the powder room, crying. She sat with her knees in her hand, wiping the tears that would run down her cheeks. 

"Amelia?" Charity asked, when she walked in, carefully, while Anne stayed outside with the girls. "Oh, Mimi... What happened?" Charity asked, moving to kneel down next to her daughter.

"H-He's embarrassed of me..." Amelia sobbed out, her voice breaking as she spoke, not looking up at her mom. "I knew he would never see me as anything but an act..." She started to cry.

"Oh, come here," Charity said, hugging her when Amelia continued to cry.

"Mimi?" 

Charity sighed to herself when she looked up to see Caroline walking in, while Anne hurried behind, holding Helen's hand. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Barnum, I couldn't stop her." Anne apologized, when Amelia looked up, wiping her cheeks. 

"Are you okay, Mimi?" Helen asked when they looked at their big sister, worried. 

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm okay, Helen." Amelia lied, putting on a smile, when Charity stood up, allowing Caroline and Helen to walk over, hugging their big sister. 

"Don't cry, Mimi... Phillip is your wish." Helen smiled when Amelia looked at her confused.

"My wish?" She asked her littlest sister.

"The one from the wishing machine. You wanted to find true love... Phillip is your wish." Caroline explained, making Charity clear her throat. 

"Okay, let's give Amelia some time. Girls, go out with Anne." Charity said when the girls did as they were told, while Charity bent down to help Amelia stand up. "Amelia Irene Barnum... You go back out there, with your head held high, and show him that you are a beautiful and strong woman, who will not be affected by a man's pride." Charity smiled, moving to wipe Amelia's tears with her thumb.

"Thanks, Mommy." Amelia smiled when Charity kissed her cheek. Little did Amelia know that her mother was having doubts about her marriage, with Phineas's ambitions.

"Jenny, this is my wife, Charity, and our girls." Phineas introduced his family to Jenny, while Jenny smiled, looking at Phineas's daughters.

"Of course, and I've heard so much about you! You are the beautiful ballerina..." Jenny smiled, looking at Amelia, who just gave her a "thank you" smile. "And your father tells me that you're a fan of the ballet, like your big sister." Jenny smiled, looking at Caroline.

"Yes, I'm studying ballet." Caroline smiled, making Phineas, Charity, and Amelia furrow their brows at her answer.

"Are you?" Charity asked her middle daughter. 

"Of course, I am." Caroline smiled, making Amelia laugh a little. 

"Of course, she is," Phineas smirked at his wife.

"And what about you, Helen?" Jenny asked the littlest one, who was staring at her in awe. 

"You look like a princess, ma'am." Helen smiled, making Charity, Jenny, Phineas, and Amelia chuckle at her response.

Amelia looked around, not seeing Phillip when she could not find him. He must have left. Amelia got out of her thoughts when she saw her mother look worried. 

"Mother..." Charity said to the woman, who looked like her, before looking at the man next to the woman. The couple was talking to Phineas and Jenny. 

"Hello, dear." The woman, Hannah Hallet, Charity's mother, smiled, before her husband, Benjamin Hallet, cleared his throat. "Are these..." Hannah went to ask, looking at the girls.

"Yes, yes, those are your granddaughters," Phineas answered when Charity did not look happy. 

"Phineas, not here." Charity scoffed at her husband, who was embarrassing them. 

"Not here? You afraid I'm gonna embarrass your parents in front of their fancy friends? I-- I really don't think I have that power." Phineas said, looking at Charity, who looked angry and upset at the same time. "An insignificant man like me who was clearly destined to lead an insignificant life." He continued to say, looking at Charity's father.

"All that fortune, and still just the tailor's boy." Benjamin spat, making Phineas look angry.

"Get out." He demanded, tersely. Benjamin walked out, dragging his wife away, who was still looking at her granddaughters in awe. 

"Well, Phineas..." Jenny said, breaking the awkward silence. "I believe I told you that free champagne is a recipe for disaster," Jenny said, walking over to fill her glass up.

"Charity," Phineas called when he saw Charity walk out, taking the girls with her. "Charity..." He continued, but he stayed, while his father walked out.

~718 words~