Growing Up

Chapter 25

Sophia was exhausted by the time that Alexander was taken back to the nursery and Carly settled down to get some more sleep, so Chris led her outside and got her into a cab and paid for the driver to take her back to his place. He kissed her on her forehead before sending her off. He went back inside and heading towards Carly's room again.

"You could've gone home with her, Chris. Alexander is going to be good overnight." Carly spoke. She held her son and nursed him and was going to spend time with him until he went home with Chris, but then she didn't know if she wanted anything to do with him afterward.

"No, you both need me. And she'll be okay. She is gonna just go to bed as soon as she gets home."

"I'm surprised that Mariska didn't come to get her." Carly yawned, as Chris walked over and sat beside her.

"Soph is staying with me on Wednesdays and Thursdays," Chris spoke, and Carly smiled softly.

"That is good, Chris. I'm glad that you got her back for even just a few days."

"Mariska and I talked about it and we decided, outside of court, that she could stay with me for a bit."

"Chris?" Carly asked, and he looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah?"

"Would you ever give me another chance? So that Alex has both of his parents?" Carly breathed, and Chris was shocked.

"Yesterday you and I were talking about how you were excited to go to Italy and live there for a bit," Chris replied.

"But I've met him now, and I want to be his mother," Carly replied as she avoided Chris' eyes.

"If I say yes, you are going to have to be okay with having Mariska and Soph being a big part of our lives. I have to co-parent with her, and I'm not losing my kid again."

"I'd be okay with that... I still love you." Carly spoke. Chris stood up and walked the two steps to get to Carly's bed. He leaned down and kissed her a few times before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Get some sleep, honey. I'm going to go check on Alex than I'll be back."

"Do you still love me?" Carly asked, nervously.

"I love you, Carly. Now, get some sleep."

===

Chris made breakfast for Sophia and was just waiting for her to wake up to eat. She got up at around 9 and came down the stairs to see some eggs and toast sitting on a plate in the kitchen.

"I'm surprised that you are home." Sophia yawned, as she walked over and sank down on a stool at the counter.

"Well Alex is getting some tests run and Carly is going to spend some time with him."

"She is?" Sophia asked, confused.

"Yeah. And Soph... Carly and I are going to try to be together again for Alex's sake." Chris spoke. Sophia swallowed hard because she hated that he and Carly could try and be together for the sake of Alex, but Chris and her mother couldn't try to be together for her sake.

"She's moving in here?" Sophia asked, quietly.

"Yeah. After she and Chris get released. So sometime tomorrow."

"Oh, cool. Well, then I'm going home." Sophia spoke, as her anger started to show through.

"What? Sophia!" Chris exclaimed as his daughter climbed off the stool and headed towards the stairs again.

"You can try your fucking hardest to be with Carly and make sure that Alexander has two parents, but you didn't even try that for me. You ran off like a freaking asshole and left us behind! I can't deal with that. I can't deal with you doing something for Alex, but not even trying to do that for me! You are a jackass!" Sophia yelled, before running up the stairs and slamming the door to the guestroom. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she started to pack up what she had brought.

She knew that this was too good to be true.

===

Sophia walked home. In the rain. She didn't feel like riding on the subway so she just walked and walked as tears ran down her cheeks and mixed with the raindrops on her cheeks.

She got home at about noon and she knocked on the front door to her mother's house because she didn't even want to try and find the key.

"Yes?" Donna asked, answering the door. She quickly pulled Sophia inside and embraced her.

"Honey, what happened?!" Donna asked.

"Chris and Carly are back together... they are trying because they want Alex to have two parents. He didn't even do that for me! My brother is going to be so lucky. He won't be me. He won't have anxiety and get beat up and feel like his father and mother don't love him." Sophia spoke, before heading upstairs. She didn't even listen to what Donna was saying and she just shut herself in her room and locked the door.

Donna quickly found her phone and dialed Mariska's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Donna, we are in the middle of taping. What is wrong?" Mariska sighed, slightly annoyed.

"Sophia just came home. She's very upset and she walked home in the rain. I think she needs you." Donna replied.

"What happened? Is she hurt?" Mariska asked, freaking out. She knew she had to get home to her kid.

"Chris and Carly are back together. For their son's sake." Donna replied, frowning.

"Of course they are. I'll be home in 15 minutes."

===

Mariska got home and walked upstairs. She took her key and unlocked Sophia's room. She found her daughter laying in the middle of the bed, sobbing.

"Go away, Donna!" Sophia screamed as she sat up when she heard the door close. But she saw her mother and the sobbing got louder and more intense.

"Mom!" She cried. Mariska quickly walked over to Sophia and sat down on the bed. She drew her daughter close and held her as she continued to sob. Mariska caressed her daughter's hair and pressed gentle kisses to her temple to try and calm her, but Sophia was long gone.

"Who gives a fuck about them, Soph... You don't need to be hurt over and over again by him. I love you so much, and I will never hurt you as he has."

"I shouldn't have trusted him. I never should've gotten my hopes up." Sophia whimpered.