The Parent Trap. lrh✭

18✭

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*listen to Ghost of you while reading this chapter*

After Luke and Eleanor walked around the boat, watching pictures and memories hanging on the walls they decided it was time to take a seat and enjoy the meal their daughters arranged for them.

"So, you've done incredibly well, your dream actually came true. You're a big deal out there. Eleanor remarked as she watched him pull out a chair for her.

"Hey, how about you, always taking pictures and polaroids? Now you're this major photographer... pretty impressive," he remarked and watched as Eleanor blushed. It made him so happy to know that she actually followed her dream, despite having kids at such a young age and having to raise one of them.

"Yeah, it's amazing. We both actually got where we wanted to go..." Eleanor said and Luke nodded. "Yep. We did," he said.

  "So, what do we do about the girls? Eleanor asked trying to change the subject, she knew he wanted to talk about their break up and what happened with them, but she just wasn't ready for that. Or so she thought.

"Well, I guess now that they've met, we can't very well keep them apart," Luke said and Eleanor considered his statement. 

"I could keep them half the year and you could--" she was interrupted by Poppy. "

"-- Guys, they can't go to two different schools every year." she pointed out.

"I agree," Luke said looking at Poppy.

"Okay, then I could keep them for a whole year, then you could--" Eleanor continued and Luke tried to say something while Poppy just shook her head.

"-- Elie, this is why we..." Luke stopped and looked at his old friend, who was nodding her head along as they talked.

"Sorry. Ignore me. I'm gone... enjoy your food"  The brunette said as she composed herself and backed out the room.

"This is why we came up with the solution we have." Luke pointed out after Poppy had left.

"Well, I never wanted it to be that way," Eleanor whispered to herself but as her dismay, Luke heard clearly what she said.

"What did you just say?" He asked, clearly interested in her words.

"Um... nothing. Let's just eat, we can talk about this later." Eleanor nervously said as she took placed the napkin in her lap.

"Elie, please. I thought it was because we both agree never to see each other again after you decided it was better that way..." Luke said looking at Eleanor's movements.

"I don't think I'm ready to have this conversation." She said looking everywhere but him and moving uncomfortably in her seat.

"Then, when, Eleanor? everything has become a bit hazy for me over the years, I never knew why you broke up with me... please I need to know." Luke said looking sincerely at her.

"I-I... I just thought it was better that way, Luke. You had your dream and I couldn't take it away from you and the boys... I- I don't know what do you want me to say." she said remembering the old days, full of sadness and impotence.

"The truth, Elie. I want nothing but the truth." He pleaded as he never knew why exactly she made that decision. 

"But that's the truth! I really did it for you and your career..." she said standing up and rubbing the back of her neck. "Look, we were so young, with two kids... ... and, and I just. I just didn't want to intrude in your dream." she took a deep breath and turned to look at him, ready to tell him the truth.

" I know that you probably think that I was selfish, that I didn't love you anymore, when,  in reality, I loved you with all my heart and the only thing I wanted, was for you to be happy... and, and I knew that raising two kids at such a young age was really difficult and it demanded a lot of time..." she said with her eyes watering. Luke stood up and approached her side, with a confused look on his face.

"You said you didn't love me anymore... that's why we broke up... that's why we decided to never to see each other again."  Luke looked sadly at her.

"That's what I had to tell you, yeah," she added. There it was, she finally said it.

"Wha-what are you talking about? What do you mean you had to tell me that?" he asked, clearly lost at what she was saying.

"Luke..., please, you have to understand that I did it for you... I- I did it for the boys," she whispered and tears were coming down her face.  "I left you... I  said those awful things to you and I regret that a lot."

"Eleanor, stop rambling. Just say it... please." he desperately looked at her

"One day, your band's label contacted me, they obviously weren't happy about us having twins, they said that it was my fault you guys weren't going to succeed, that you were going to lose what you already achieved and that no one was going to hear your songs anymore... I was really mad at how they were treating me, I mean, they were right but I just wanted to be by your side and watch you grow with your music, but, but, when I defended myself and told them that I wasn't going to leave your side... The-they threatened me and told me that if I didn't break up with you and didn't disappear from your life, they were going to destroy your career themselves... I-I- I'm sorry. I never wanted things to happen that way." she finally sincere herself, still with tears coming down her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then continued. "I needed to tell you those things, then, everything kinda just happened, my mother took me out of the country, leaving you and Stevie... then we arranged it that way, and here we are." she finished.

Luke couldn't believe what he just heard. All this time, eleven years thinking that she didn't love him and it was all a lie, something he couldn't stop. He felt mad, sad, impotent that after all this time she was telling him this. It wasn't her fault, it was his fault,  he should have known that his own label was behind this and they were responsible for this big mess.

"El-Eleanor... I- I'm so sorry." That was all he managed to say, he was speechless, it was a lot to take in, of course. He was marrying another woman in two weeks when the woman he really loved was in front of him.

"Well, it really doesn't matter now... Let's put on a good face for the kids, shall we? and get this show on the road..." she said cleaning up the tears that were still on her face, taking her seat.

Luke followed her and took a seat, still speechless.

"Okay. Yeah. You're right. Let's get the show on the road." he cleared his throat and let out a small smile.

Eleanor understood that it was a lot to take in for him, so she just decided to push back the topic and finish with this night.

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A/N

Sooorryyy! short chapter, but really important!

please let me know what you think about this!

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Ly and stay home

-Anna.