𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 // 𝗖.𝗙

𝓢𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓞𝓯𝓯

"Yo, I'm gonna go wash the clams." Conrad walks into the kitchen. He gives Sylvia who was sitting with Jeremiah a smile. Belly was across from her, but they still weren't talking. "Did you get the lighter fluid?"

"Yeah." Jeremiah swallows the milk he had in his mouth. "It's already on the beach."

Conrad whistles and walks out the house, just as the parents and Steven walk in. Steven complaining about the painting. It then led to the talk about Laurel wearing makeup.

"So what?" Laurel blushes. "We're having a party."

"Mm-hmm." Sylvia takes a spoonful of her cereal.

"We're sure it has nothing to do with John coming to the clam bake?" Susannah says with a smile on her face peeling an orange.

"Oh please." Laurel scoffs. "The husbands always come for the Fourth."

"Yeah, but he's not your husband anymore." Sylvia rolls her eyes. "You've repeatedly told me that over and over again."

As you can tell Sylvia didn't have the best relationship with her parents and it only got worse when they separated. Sylvia and her father lost touch. She went from being a daddy's girl and then to despising him.

"Yeah." Laurel lets out a fake laugh. Steven gives his twin a glare which she ignored. "Ex-husband."

"You know, I still don't understand why you invited Dad's girlfriend." Steven moves his glare to his mother.

"Her name is Victoria." Laurel folds a hand towel. "And your father wanted us to meet her. Oh, Sylvia, I need you to make up the guest bed."

"What? Why me?" Sylvia turns in her seat looking to her mother. "I'm already mad enough that he's coming here and now I have to make their damn bed. They can do that themselves."

"You will do it because I asked." Laurel says sternly.

"Wait, Dad and Victoria are staying here?" Belly questions. Laurel gives her a look. "In the room next to mine and Sylvia's?"

"Yeah." Laurel says simply.

"This is bullshit." Sylvia gets up putting her plate in the sink.

"Oh, speaking of dad, yours called." Susannah looks to Jeremiah. "He's closing a deal, so he can't come."

"What?" A hurt look falls on Jeremiah's face. Beau goes over to him running a hand through his hair softly.

"Did you say Dad's not coming?" Conrad comes in with a bucket in his hands.

"But I got some serious fireworks for the show this year." Jeremiah claims.

Susannah shrugs. "We'll take a video."

"It's not the same." Jeremiah lets out a sad breath.

Conrad smiles and twirls Sylvia before leaning back against the sink. Jeremiah notices his giddy mood. "What are you smiling about over there for?"

Conrad looks to his brother, the smile still very much on his face. "No reason."

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"Ugh!" Sylvia groans throwing a white sheet on to the bed.

"Relax." Conrad's voice makes her jump. "You just have to fold the bottom sheet at a 45 degree angle if you want right corners."

"I don't want anything." Sylvia crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't want to be doing this."

"I'll help you." Conrad walks to her. "That sound good?"