They walked into the kitchen, Lexie
unhooked the leash and let Snow run to find the boys.
“Here we go.” She whispered to Jon.
Stephanie was in the family room on her
phone, she stopped short to see who she was talking too. If it was
anyone but Mark it wouldn't work. They were in luck she had it on
speaker phone.
“I don't like this Mark, I don't like
being so secretive with my dad.” she was chewing on her nail a sure
sign all this was getting to her.
“Pull on your big girl panties little
girl, you were all go for last night, now you regret meeting and
getting to be friends with Gail and Tiffany? I don't know Steph,
you're not the girl I thought you were.” Mark admonished her.
“Look Mark, I am a big girl and my
dad isn't the only one that goes commando at times.” She nearly
yelled at the phone. “Yes I loved meeting Gail and Tiffany, it'll
be nice to have friends, if we come up here again.”
Jon about swallowed his tongue where he
heard his little girl, his baby girl, his princess telling a boy she
goes commando It was all Lex could do to keep him from busting in
there. She pulled him back into the mudroom.
“Count to ten.” She told him.
“Ten won't cut it Lex, I doubt a
hundred will work this time.” He took a deep breath, eyes a stormy
dark blue and the vain over his right eye was throbbing. He was
running his fingers through his hair in a nervous fashion.
“Stop that,” she grabber his hands
and stopped them.
“Sorry Lex, shes going to make me
bald before she goes to college. How did Dorothea handle it all.”
He looked up at the ceiling.
She didn't at the end, that's why
you have the kids now she
thought but would never tell him that.
“Just follow my
lead. Jon quit the kids will see.” She said loudly and drug him
toward the family room. Finally he got the idea and started to chase
her laughing. “Keep it down, the neighbor told us if we're loud
he'd call the cops.” She threw opened the door open to the family
room and stopped short.
Jon was expecting
her to stop so quickly and he had to grab her before they fell on the
sofa. “Gotcha”
Lexie giggled as he
tumbled her on the sofa. “Oh Steph, I so sorry, we didn't know you
were in here.” She giggled more.
Jon was trying to
get his breath from taking the blunt of the fall, She was straddling
his hips. He cocked his head and saw the shocked look on Stephanie’s
face.
“Did Lex tell you
we just met the neighbors?” Jon said and was awarded with her
version of the stink eye.
What part of follow my lead did he
not get.
“Yeah he was
complaining about the loud music and the beer cans tossed in his
trash can.” She got off Jon so he could sit up. “We told him
there must be some mistake.”
“Yeah. I told him
you wouldn't have a party, not after promising me you wouldn't.”
Jon said.
“Oh Shit” Marks
voice could be heard from Stephanie phone.
“I trusted you
Stephanie, you wouldn't do anything behind my back like say hold a
party and breaking curfew.” He leveled his stare at her.
“You said you
wouldn't tell” Stephanie said turning on Lexie.
“She didn't, you
need to make sure no one can hear you when you talk on the phone.”
Jon went over and took her phone out of her hand. “I don't think
you'll be welcome here any more Mark.” Jon said to her phone before
hanging up on Mark. He put her phone in his pocket. “You and I
are going to sit down and talk, I was going to wait until you let Lex
walk out of here on Saturday, but it has to stop now.”
“But daddy,”
She started to talk.
“No lies Steph, I
figured it all out in the last few days, a trashcan full of beer cans
this morning” He noticed Lexie quietly leave them alone. “You
thought I would be so wrapped up in Lexie that you could do what ever
you wanted, I think Mark had a large part in all this. Am I right?”
He could tell he was hitting the mark because she looked sick. “I
can't believe you would sink this low. What's got into you lately.
You got your brother arrested, then you turn on someone who could be
a good friend to you and I have never seen you sink so low on
treating people as pawns. I am totally disappointed in you.” he
sat down on the sofa across from her. “Steph, I want Lexie in my
life, I'm going to ask her to move in and now I don't think she will
because of you. Why are you doing this?”
“I told you daddy
I want you and momma back.” Steph told him.
“That ain't gonna
happen Steph, after what happened when I was last in Philly, I
wouldn't take your mom back, so you can just get that out of your
head little girl.” He leaned forward as he spoke. “You are not
going to be happy, but this isn't about you or your brothers. It's
about me and Lexie, about what we want.” He watched her starting to
get upset. “Getting mad won't make what you did any less
appalling. I don't know why you thought you could do this.” He
shook his head. Getting up he headed to the door. “Consider
yourself grounded and I want you to apologize to Lexie by this
evening.”
Stephanie stopped
her foot and folded her arms over her body until he was out the door
them she broke down in tears.
Jon leaned on the
closed door and listened to her cry. It was the hardest thing to do,
stand there and not give comfort.
Lexie came up and
wrapped her arms around him an just held him.
“I don't know
what to do with her.” he groaned. “She wasn't like this before
the split.”
“Maybe you need
to talk to a professional, you always said a child didn't come with a
manual.” she said softly. “Listen, I'm going to take the boys to
the mall, get them out of the line of fire. Jake seems to be more
happy since the first time I met him, this might just set him back.”
“You said you
weren't good with kids, but you're doing pretty good.” he allowed
her to lead him away from the den, and the crying Stephanie.
“I good with
characters and looking into them.” She told him. “She's hurting
and she lashed out the only what she knew how to to do it. She's not
horrible she's just a teenager.” She got him to sit down on the
sofa. “ I did the same thing when I was her age, I wanted my
parents to get back together and I did everything in my power to
achieve my goal. I forgot all the quiet arguments when I went to bed.
The bad thing was the slamming of the door when they forgot to argue
quietly. I came home from school and my dad moved out, no note for
me and I didn't see him again until I published my first book. It
took me a long time to see how happy my mom was with her new husband.
I was just like Stephanie, and before you ask, I did tell her how it
was and what I felt. Don't think it was any help.”
“I just don't
know what to do, I am so stumped.” He shook his head. “I was so
worried about Jake that I never saw Stephanie had a problem. I
should have seen it when Jesse went save her but, she has manipulated
people, she manipulated us to her own gain.”
“She's a teenager
who is hurting.” She defended Stephanie.
“Thank you, for
saying that, what I did was wrong and I let Mark talk me into doing
it.” Stephanie softly spoke as she came onto the room. “I was mad
that Daddy had found someone who made him happy, the way momma did,
but they weren't together.”
“But Steph, don't
you want your mom and me to be happy, we weren't together for a long
time honey. When we ended things it was what was best for the
family.” He told her holding out his hand for her to come to him.
When she came and sat with him in the chair he held her close.
“I'm gonna take
the boys to the mall and give you two some time to talk.” She
smiled at Jon and winked at Stephanie. She went upstairs to get the
boys and they left.
Jon waiting until
the car was out of the drive, he turned and looked at his daughter.
“Now Steph, I
know you want things the way they were, but honey that isn't going to
happen. I said earlier your mom and I did what was best for you
kids, she wanted Graham and I wanted her to have Graham. They
deserve to be happy, just like me. Do you understand this?” He
reached out and touched her knee. “Can you understand we didn't we
didn't do it to hurt you kids, would you really like how it was
before we divorced?” He could tell she was actually listening to
him. “The quiet dinners or rather you kids eating dinner with
either your mom or just me? It wasn't that I didn't want to be with
you kids, but I stayed out on tour and did extra shows, I would have
you kids come out when I had breaks instead of coming home. We
thought this was for the best.”
“How could you
feel this was best for us, when you destroyed out family?” She
asked him.
“Steph, your
mother, your mom” He didn't want to tear into the woman that he had
shared most of his life with. He pulled out his phone and called her
number. “Graham, is Dot there? I'm having a little problem here.
Yeah I'll hang on.”
He sat the phone
down and put it on speaker.
“What Jon could
be so important that you had to drag me into it?” Dorothea's voice
sounded over the phone.
“Stephanie is
having issues over out split.” Jon told her.
“Momma, I want
you and daddy to be a family again.” Stephanie cried.
“Stephanie Rose,
that is never going to happen, I love Graham and I am happy for the
first time in years, you could have been a part of that, Graham loves
you kids, but you destroyed that with what happened on my honeymoon.
You and your brothers now live with your dad. It's time to grow up
Stephie there is no way your father and I will ever get back
together.”
“But Momma.”
She started to try again.
“No buts Stephie,
its over, Graham and I are a family now and your dad will find
someone that he'll be a family with you and your brothers and his new
friend.” She rang off with a promise to be available if she needed
to talk.
They sat there
quietly for a few minutes.
“I'm sorry daddy,
I didn't mean to be a brat. I wish I could blame it on Mark, but he
just vacation boy.” She played off the hurt she felt from her
mothers talk.
“You know, if you
needed someone to talk to, Lexie would be happy to help you.” Jon
know she was putting on a front that once she was alone she would
have a lot to think about.
“I know dad, and
I will talk to her.” she got up and walked over and put her arms
around her dads neck. “I love you daddy”
“Love you too
baby girl.”
The talk between Jon and Stephanie was a good one, but man, could Dorothea be any colder to her daughter! I know Stephanie is wrong for the way she manipulated her brother and then Lexi, but she, or the boys, don't deserve to be treated like a second thought.
ReplyDeleteSteph, talk to Lexie. You might be surprised to find she understands what you are going through and feeling.
Great chapter.
Steph needs to grow up! Yes it hurts when your "perfect" world collapses, but at her age she should be more mature! Jesse seems to be the better adjusted kid. And Dorothea was plain cruel! She could've talked to Steph and soothed her a bit! I hope Lexie can step in and help this family heal! Especially since she knows exactly what they are going through.
ReplyDeleteAF help I'm having fluffball withdrawal! Steph is being a brat, she needs to act her age and not Romeo's. Wish Jon and Lex could just be happy for a few minutes in between all the drama.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing my friend.
D
Wow Dorothea was cruel to Stephie,
ReplyDeleteYes I know Stephie was wrong
She did, but hell that cruel what
Dorothea did to Stephanie.
Dam someone needs give
Dorothea chill pill! lol