Tort won't talk to me.
It's July first and I've been talking to my family again, letting them back in.
Shane's family is coming today for the Fourth of July.
I've cleaned the house more times than I can remember.
Shane is outside because he said his family would be here soon, so he's outside to wait for them to come.
I have a tank top on that's of the American flag, ad I have on jean short shorts and white converse. My hair is down. The kids are eager to go swimming in the pool with their cousins, and Owen was so excited, he insisted on wearing his swim trunks today, so I put him in that and a white t-shirt.
I put Odette in a yellow sundress.
She's sitting up on the floor, playing with toys, and Owen is running around, tidying his toys.
He loves it when the cousins come to town.
I hear the front door open, and familiar voices.
Odette turns her head, and lets out a loud squeal.
She's been starting to scoot instead of crawl. She kind of rolls wherever she wants to go. She rolls over to the couch, grabs on, and pulls herself to her feet.
Everyone comes into the living room.
"This is really nice." Mrs. Beckett says, hugging me. "Hi sweetie, how are you doing?"
"I'm good." I smile.
"Can we swim now?" Owen asks.
"Let them get in the door first honey." I say.
Everyone greets everyone, and they all freak out over Odette.
"She's beautiful." Mr. Beckett says. "You guys make adorable babies."
"Did you invite your family?" Chase asks.
I shake my head.
"No, Tori won't talk to me and I won't talk to her."
"Why won't you talk to her?" Devin asks.
I hesitate.
"Because she won't talk to me."
"Which is immature of you." Shane cuts in.
He's been irritated with me over it.
Besides, I'm convinced she still hates me.
If she didn't and she's truly back, she would want to talk to me.
My sister, my real sister, talks to me.
"Whatever, I'm not talking to her until she talks to me first."
Nobody really comments on that.
I say screw it, let them get settled, and then go outside so the kids can go to the pool.
Everyone goes out with me.
<><>
After a while, Shane takes me upstairs, after dinner, when everyone is out playing in the pool. Shane's parents are watching the kids.
"I have a surprise for you." He says.
"Okay..." I hesitate.
"You have to wear the blindfold." He holds it up.
I stare at him.
"Shane," I start.
"Please?" he asks.
I sigh.
"Fine."
So I let him blindfold me, and he starts to make me walk somewhere, and then he picks me up.
We start going downstairs, and he sets me down.
It's really quiet down here. The only sound is Pepper's paws on the tile.
Then he takes off the blindfold.
I was expecting food or something.
But no.
It's not food.
It's my baby sister.
She clearly wasn't expecting it either.
My Dad is behind her, a blindfold in his hand.
My eyes lock in on her face.
We both probably look like a deer in the headlights.
A part of the old me comes back a bit, and my first instinct is to run.
Immediately, I turn to bolt, but Shane's behind me, and he steps in front of me.
"We are having an intervention." Mom says.
She's standing behind Dad, her eyes red and puffy.
"Victoria, you are twenty four year old. Felicity, you are twenty eight. You are grown adults. Act like it. Stop hiding from each other like children."
I snort.
"I am not hiding from her." I say.
"Yes you are." Shane says.
"No I'm not."
He moves in my sight.
"Yes." He says. "You are. You refuse to talk to her. Why? Because you're stubborn. She won't talk to you, so you won't talk to her."
"Why would I talk to her when I'm not going to get a response. Every time I try to talk to her, she-"
"I start crying because I think you still hate me." Tori whispers. "And because I miss you, but I'm too scared to ask for you to forgive me."
She has tears in her eyes.
My eyes study hers for a long time.
Don't cry. Do not cry.
But she's standing right in front of me.
And she's not on drugs.
And she's here, and she's been avoiding me because she thinks I hate her.
I need to leave.
Now.
Because she's not shed one single tear, and I'm about to shed an entire ocean.
I look away from her.
"Felicity." Dad says. "You-"
He cuts off when I put my hand over my mouth.
I need to shut her out to protect myself.
I'm not going to cry.
"Fel." She whispers. "Don't shut me out."
Fel.
She called me Fel.
Slowly, I raise my head to look at her, dropping my hand.
"I never hated you." I whisper weakly. "I love you, Tori. If I didn't, I wouldn't have gone looking for you. The only reason I left was because I don't want my babies to turn out like we did."
"And I understand. I'm sorry for everything I've said to you, telling you I wanted you to get shot instead of Daniel...everything..." She shakes her head. "I love you, Felicity. I always have, and I always will. I'm sorry, and thank you for coming after me, I'd have ended up dead if you didn't."
"I forgive you, and I'd do it a million times over."
It's silent now.
It's not until she steps forward and hugs me, that I know she really is back.
I hug her back, but we all pull away when we hear the doorbell ring.
Shane walks off to get it. He's definitely not dressed for company. He's in jeans and no shirt.
His body is still rocking, and I can't help but watch the muscles in his back as he walks.
He's so attractive.
I hear him talking to somebody.
"Yeah, yeah, come in." He says. He lets somebody in, closes the door, and then walks back into the living room.
He's with a police officer. And a child. A little girl. Brown hair, bright blue eyes.
Uh oh.
At least I'm dressed. I'm just wearing a yellow sundress.
The officer looks at Shane.
"That's her." Shane says.
He's talking about me.
"Hi, I'm officer Kobee. Your husband said you might recognize her?"
I hesitate.
"Uh...yeah." I say.
"She's not talking." He says. "Do you know where she lives?"
I hesitate again.
"No, but I see her around." I say.
"So you think it's safe to say she lives around here?" He asks.
"Probably. Why isn't she talking?"
"I'm not sure." He looks down at her. She looks down. "She was trying to get in your gate."
"In our gate?" Shane asks. He nods.
"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Officer Kobee asks.
"Yes." Shane says. He looks nervous now, and confused.
I crouch in front of the little girl.
"Hi sweetie. I'm Felicity. I have a son about your age. His name is Owen. I have a daughter too, she's a little baby. I won't hurt you, honey. Can you tell me your name?"
Her blue eyes stare into my brown ones for a long time, and then she mumbles.
"Emma."
"Emma." I smile. "That's a very pretty name, Emma. Do you know your last name?"
She looks down, fiddling with her fingers.
"Emma Faith Henderson."
"Very pretty. How old are you?"
"I'm five and a half." She says.
"Where's your Mommy?"
She looks down, sad.
"Daddy and Mommy were yelling. Daddy told me to come here."
"Your Daddy told you to come here?"
"Yes. He said to go to the neighbors, that Felicity will take care of me."
"Can I talk to my wife in private?" Shane cuts in. He's standing next to me with his arms folded, and he just looked confused. I wave Shane off.
"What's your Daddy's name?"
"Ryan." She says.
"Felicity." Shane says. "Kitchen. Now."
I sigh softly, give Emma a small smile, and follow my husband to the kitchen.
The second he gets in there, he turns on me.
"What is she talking about?" He whisper yells.
I sigh.
"I don't know."
"You better be telling me the truth, Felicity!"
"Shane-"
"He said Felicity will take care of him. What the hell does that mean? Why did you lie to the officer! If you know her Dad, you surely know her!"
"Shane!" I whisper yell at him. "I've seen her around but I don't know her! I didn't lie to the officer, I don't know her Dad, and fuck you for saying I'm lying!"
He looks absolutely livid.
"Don't you fucking dare-"
"Don't you fucking dare tell me I'm lying! You didn't even give me a chance-"
"A chance to what? Explain? If you don't fucking know him, there's nothing to explain!"
"What's going on?" Mrs. Beckett asks. She was outside with the kids.
Shane gives me one deathly glare and stalks out of the kitchen.
I want to scream.
Pissed, I walk back into the living room.
"Have you seem Felicity around your house, Emma?"
"Yes." She says.
What the fuck.
Shane just looks at me.
I'm fucking pissed.
Chase fills his Mom in with what's happening.
"Where have you seen Felicity?" The officer asks.
"Daddy's room." She mumbles.
The officer looks at me.
"So you do know his father." He says.
"No. I don't."
"I don't see why you're trying to lie." Shane says. "You're caught in your own lie. The truth is already out, Felicity."
I want to scream.
I don't know what to do.
And I'm pissed. I'm pissed he didn't defend me.
The only person left that keeps me rooted is Shane.
He's the one who keeps me from running.
But now it's all I can think about.
I sigh slowly.
"I'm leaving."
"No you're not." Shane says.
I go to head for the stairs, but he blocks me.
"You're not running because you're pissed off you got caught cheating."
The pain in my eyes, and the anger as I glare into his makes his anger die down and his eyes soften, just for a second, and then they harden again.
"Get the hell out of my way." I say quietly.
He doesn't move.
I want to slap the shit out of him, but I would never.
"No. You're a cheater."
"And you're an ignorant asshole!" I snarl. I dart under his arm and go upstairs. He follows me.
This time, we're not bothering being quiet.
"Don't fucking call me an ignorant asshole! I'm not the one cheating! We have two young children, Felicity! We've been together for years! You-"
"Shut the fuck up, Shane! Just shut up!" I shout at him. I start shoving shit into suitcases. "I'm not fucking cheating on you!"
"You're a bullshit liar! Every fucking thing is pointing right at you cheating! No wonder the girl talks for you, you're her fathers side chick! For all I know, she's your love child!"
I raise my hand to slap him, and then I drop it.
"What? Are you going to hit me?" He laughs evilly. "Do it. I fucking dare you!"
We've never gotten into a fight this bad before.
"You're cheating on me, Felicity! What the fuck happened to you!"
I have my bag full of stuff, and some of the kids stuff, but he's not paying attention to what I'm packing.
"You fucking dildo! I'm leaving!"
"Fine! Get the fuck out!"
He even picks the bag up for me.
"Gladly."
I storm downstairs. He follows me.
The kids are in the house now because it's raining, they're wrapped in towels.
Owen looks scared.
"You're not taking my kids, either." He says.
"Yes the fuck I am." I say.
"No the fuck you're not!" He yells. "You not taking the kids! You can take your whore ass and get the hell out of my house!"
"I'm not leaving without my children." I say threateningly. "I fucking dare you to kick me out without them. Do it Shane."
He looks like he wants to hit me. His hands are in fists, his face is red, and the veins are popping out of his body.
The family is standing up now, and Tori is talking to the kids to try to distract them, but Owen is crying and none of them are really listening.
"Get. Out." He yells. "Get the fuck out, I swear to God-"
The doorbell cuts him off.
My Dad goes to get the door.
"I'm not leaving unless you physically pick me up and-"
"Daddy!" Emma wails.
She runs into the arms of a man I've never seen in my life.
He's tall, blonde hair, green eyes, and skinny.
Silence.
Shane looks like he wants to strangle that guy.
The father picks his daughter up, looking at me like I'm a piece of meat.
My Dad is behind him.
I look at Owen.
"Come on Owen, we're leaving."
"You are leaving. Not Owen."
"Hey Felicity." The guy cuts in.
Silence.
The entire house is dead silent.
I look at him with a look of disgust.
"Get the hell out."
"No, you can stay." Shane says. "Sit down. Stay."
"I have to get home to my wife." He says. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"
"I want to know why your fucking daughter says that I've been in your house. I've never fucking seen you in my life."
"Oh, stop lying." Shane says.
"Shut the fuck up!" I snap at him.
"A picture." Emma says.
"What?" I ask her.
"A picture. I saw a picture of you. In Daddy's wallet. He likes you."
Silence.
I let out a breath of disbelief.
"Wait," the officer says. "Felicity has never been to your house?" He asks.
"No, in fact, this is the first time I've ever heard her voice. That's why I sent Emma here. My wife and I were fighting because I'm in love with Felicity, and I sent her here so I could finally meet my love, and I knew she would be safe because Felicity has kids."
Silence.
Shane is silent.
He realizes now, what he just did.
"Get the fuck out." Shane says in a low, terrifying, angry voice.
He's talking to the father though.
The guy looks at me though.
"Do I have to leave, baby?"
I'm going to throw up.
"You need therapy." I say angrily. "Get the fuck out. If I see you do so much as look, I will file a restraining order, you insane creep."
He leaves, and the officer goes outside to make sure he's gone for sure.
Then he comes back.
"Do you guys want me to stay?" He asks, looking between the two of us.
"No, you can go." Shane says.
"After you help me get my kids and get the fuck out."
Silence.
"Felicity," Shane starts quietly.
"Shut the fuck up Shane." I say. "Just stop."
I turn to look at him.
He looks nervous.
Actually, he looks completely terrified.
He looks guilty.
He looks like he wants to cry.
"Can we please just talk. Don't leave."
"No, I'm leaving." I say.
"Let's talk first, and if you still want to leave after, you can leave."
I glare at my husband, and I open my mouth to tell him to suck a dick, but I see my son crying on the floor with his knees against his chest.
"Fine." I hiss. "Don't you dare think I'm staying because you want me to. I'm staying because my son is sitting there terrified, and I know exactly what he's feeling."
I turn around to the officer.
"You can leave. Thank you."
He nods, walking out.
I turn to Shane.
"Upstairs?" He asks.
I turn around and storm upstairs, into the bedroom.
