I hear sounds coming from the baby monitor on the table. I walk over to it and see Ethan is awake and getting out of bed.
"Uh, I'm sorry, I'll be right back." I say.
"That's fine." She says.
I go upstairs and open his door.
He's standing next to his bed, his blonde hair all messy on his face.
I change his pull-up and carry him downstairs.
When I get down there, Marie is sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.
"I just realized...did I wake him up?" She gestures to Ethan.
"Yeah, but it's okay."
Ethan rests his head on my shoulder as I sit down. In the mornings, he likes to cuddle.
"Listen Grace..." she hesitates. "I know you know that your Dad has told me about his past and your past with your Mom." She says.
"With all due respect Marie, if you're here to apologize on behalf of your daughter, please don't. You didn't say anything rude to me, she did."
She looks down at her coffee, nodding slowly.
"I understand. Listen Grace, that's just how Lauren is. Ever since her Dad died-"
"Her dad is dead?" I ask.
"He died in a drunk diving accident when she was twelve." She says calmly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My Dad didn't tell me that he died..."
She shrugs and sighs.
"It's been a long time." She says simply. "Anyways, he was always a terrible father. He never took care of her and Lauren didn't have a father figure. Because of that...she gets mad at everyone that does."
"So she treats them like crap because she had a bad childhood?" I ask slowly.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Did her Dad ever hit her?" I ask quietly.
"No, nothing like that, but he was just...rude and he didn't really care about her...or me for that matter, but that's a story for another time."
"Marie, my Mom was good for a long time and then one day she just started drinking. She tried to kill me. Twice. I spent most of my high school years hiding in my room wishing I was dead. You don't see me being rude to Lauren because she has a good Mom. I'm not rude to my husband because he has a good Mom. I understand she struggled as a child, but everyone has some type of skeleton in their closet, and it's not an excuse for her to be rude to people because she's jealous."
"Oh, I agree completely." She says. "You are absolutely right, but that's just how she is. I don't know what else to tell you. I'm not here to apologize for her, but I am here to make sure that Lauren's actions don't reflect badly on me."
I sigh, rubbing Ethan's bare back.
"I don't mean to sound conceded, but I would call myself a good mother." I say. "And my Mom is a monster. Lauren is a grown up. If she chooses to act like that, that's solely on her, not on you." I pause. "But don't be surprised if I avoid situations that Lauren is in. I'm not subjecting myself to that kind of negativity."
"I completely understand." She says. "Listen-"
She cuts off when my phone starts ringing on the table.
I flip it over and see a random Wilmington number calling.
"Just a second." I tell Marie, pressing answer.
It's probably another credit card company trying to scam me into getting a new card.
"Hello?" I ask impatiently.
"Hey."
It's Danny.
"Oh, hey." He sounds a little weird. "What's wrong?"
"Listen, uh..." I hear sirens in the background. "Emily and I got into a car accident-"
"What?" I ask, alarmed.
"I mean, we're fine baby but the cops are coming..." I can hear the sirens over the phone.
"Where are you?" I ask frantically.
"The intersection of pine grove and uh...Oleander."
I can hear Emily crying in the background.
"I'm on my way."
We get off the phone and I stand up.
"Everything okay?" Marie asks.
My hands tremble as I shake my head.
"Danny and Emily got into a car accident."
*****
This chapter was short but I will HOPEFULLY post another one later today
~Sam
YOU ARE READING
Everything Has Changed: Book Four
Teen Fiction"Emmy? Good morning, Beautiful. It's time to wake up." She opens her eyes and sits up, a pout on her face. She blinks a couple of times and rubs her eyes, looking at me. She doesn't say anything for a second, pouting. "It's not even morning Momma."...
Chapter Eight: Phone Call
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