Fifty Shades After

Chapter 5: Reunion

Let's go!" Sophie quickly gets up and pulls me away from the scene, before the love birds see us spying. We arrive at the spot we met, and she's laughing her guts out. I'm still dumbfounded of what I just saw. That's one hell of a transition! "Isn't that just beautiful? They love each other after all these years! Oh, they were meant to be!" She sighs loudly with her hands on one side of her face. "I... still don't know how to feel about that." I sigh less exaggeratedly. "What if they start dating again? What if they get married again? Oh! What if they have another kid!"

- "No!" I exclaim. "Two is enough!" She gasps. "Two? You mean, Ana had relationships with other men...?" She looks incredibly disappointed. "No. God, no. Phoebe is dad's daughter." She gasps again. "A daughter! Christian has always wanted a daughter! Named Phoebe, no less!" I raise an eyebrow and shake my head. "You're kidding."

- "Ted, Christian's my godfather. I know him like the palm of my hand. When Ana was still around, he said if they ever had a daughter, she'd be named Phoebe. Honest." I dwell on that for a moment. 

"I hope it's a girl. He's always wanted a girl!"

I hear mom's faint voice in my head. That's why she went to his office instead. To deliver the big news to him personally. Shit. My mood suddenly lowers and I lean my elbows on the railing. Sophie's sandals are clicking towards me and I feel her hand on my forearm. "You okay, Ted?" She says wearily. I shake my head. "I don't know. Lately, I'm so glad dad's in my life now and I think about how much I've missed him." I turn to look at her and she has a beautiful smile chiseled on her face. It's breathtaking. "Yeah?" She encourages me to continue. 

"But you know, sometimes I just think about the hell he- Dad, put Mom through. How much she suffered, how much she cried, the stress of having to raise two kids by herself... having to look at her son and see Dad's reflection, every single day for nearly a decade..." I bow my head and close my eyes as I recall us in her room the morning before dad appeared. "Hey," Sophie extends her hand and picks my chin up with the tips of her fingers. My skin prickles at her touch. "I know, it must've been so hard. But things for Christian weren't exactly a picnic either. It was scary when Ana left. I remember dad needing to check Gail and I into a hotel because Christian went into this deranged state. Flinging chairs, breaking windows, sobbing, screaming to the top of his lungs at this... Elena person."

"Is this my punishment, Elena? Because I'm loving it, I'm fucking loving it!"

Elena, that sounds familiar. Hold on. Yes, it's the woman Dad cheated with. I get chills down my spine. Why would he yell something so masochistic like that? " What I'm trying to say is that Christian suffered enough for his mistake. Err, whatever it was. I don't know what he did, why would I know? The nature of his mistake, I mean," She shivers exaggeratedly and I have to hold back my laugh. "But really. Give your father a chance. Give him a chance to prove to you that he's got what it takes to be a dad." She gently punches my forearm. I purse my lips and look down at the waves colliding against The Rose.

 "I bet your mom already forgave him!" She teases and pushes me and I can't help but smile. "Come ooooon." She shakes my arm violently and I laugh. "Alright already!" I yell and she giggles. It sounds beautiful. She is beautiful. "I missed you too, Sophie. So much." I say tenderly and finally, finally! She blushes! My genes finally pay off! Sophie pushes a lock behind her ear and rubs her arm. She's so gorgeous."Hey, come on! I want you to meet my little sister! You'll love her!" And now its my turn. I lock hands with her and we're on our way to the upper deck.

Sophie meets Phoebe and they are mesmerized with each other. Phoebe tells Sophie that her name means wisdom and it couldn't fit her anymore perfectly. Afterwards, we hear commotion down under us. Uncle Elliot drops the anchor and we all head downstairs to the cabin. As we draw near, I can hear what they're saying. "Darling, I can't believe you're actually here!"