Hold On Forever (A sequel)

stupid drunken mistake

It's been a week since we got home from England. Annie is home, and she's doing much better. She is devastated she can't do gym for a month, but her Coral Girl friends have come by to cheer her up. The entire family is so, so excited about Mum's baby. It's expected to come in five months. I can't believe I'm going to have a baby sister or brother! Today is a rainy Sunday, a lazy day. Hayley has gym today, and Annie and Caleb both have colds. I'm glad I'm not sick, but it's probably a matter of time... I go downstairs and sit on the island. It's 9:00am and I'm the first one up, Joey is at a baseball camp for three days. I make some tea and look out the window. It's peaceful here, the river is rushing because it's overflowed with rain and it splashes in puddles on the deck. I get out my phone and text Caleb.

Me: ru awake?

He answers immediately: yea

Me: how ru feeling?

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: i've been better

Me: aww bubs ♡♡

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: i'll be fine eb its just a cold

Me: what's wrong?

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: you know the cough i had yesterday?

Me: yeah...

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: it's kinda like that but ten times worse

Me: poor bby

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: its pretty bad :(( ily eb

Me: ily2 cae

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: sry eb, i gtg- moms coming and she wants me to rest.

Me: ft later?

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: of course x

Me: love you byee

Caleb⚾⚾⚾: love you too byee

I feel so bad that he's sick. I want to go over there and give him a hug but I know I shouldn't. He probably wouldn't want me to get sick. I have a sip of my tea, and my eyes flit over to a pile of mail. An envelope sitting at the top has Ebony Rose Shields written on it. I grab the letter and slide my finger along the flap to open it. I pull the page out and it's my blood test results from when Caleb and I took biology together. I look at the paper and read my blood type: AB. Interesting. I wonder what that means... I continue to drink my tea in silence.

Mum and Dad come in after another five minutes or so. "Morning Ebby," says Mum.

"Good morning, Ebby," says Dad.

"Morning Mum, morning Dad," I say, smiling. We sit down at the table and drink our tea.

"Is Caleb feeling any better?" Mum asks.

"No, he told me it's gotten worse" I say sadly.

"Awe, poor baby he seemed pretty sick yesterday," she says. I nod.

"Annie's sick too, but I don't think it's as bad," I say.

"I hope you guys don't get sick," Dad says.

I nod, "me too. Did you know my blood type is AB?"

Dad scoffs, "no it's not Ebby."

I look at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my blood type is B and so is Joey's and your mum's is O. It's not possible for your blood type to be A." Dad explains, I narrow my eyes at him and get up to grab the paper from the kitchen.

"See?" I say, smiling. "I am AB." I challenge him playfully, pointing at the results. His eyebrows raise. I look to Mum, she's stopped eating and she's staring at her plate.

"The only way this could be correct is if Laura..." He says softly, looking to Mum. She looks away. "Laura?" He asks.

"Are you accusing me of... of... " Mum stammers, I am frozen. "Having an affair?" She whispers.

Dad looks at her slowly, "well, did you?"

"Not now, Sam. Not in front of Ebony." Says Mum through gritted teeth.

"Laura. Answer my question. Is that girl sitting at this table my daughter?" Dad asks.

"Sam," Mum says softly to Dad.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION," he yells at her.

Mum and I jump, "no." She whispers the softest I've ever heard her whisper. "She's not biologically."

Dad looks so hurt and surprised, "you cheated on me?" He asks, Mum looks away again, tears welling in her eyes. "YOU CHEATED ON ME?" He yells.

"Dad," I whisper, trying to get him to calm down.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT. I'M NOT YOUR FATHER," he screams at me.

"Yes you are, you're my Daddy. You raised me, you taught me I was special, you taught me how to act, you're my biggest role model," I say.

"No I am not. I am not your father." He says firmly.

"Daddy please," I say, tears pouring down my face. This can't be happening. This isn't real life. There's no way Mum would cheat on Dad. They're the perfect couple, they never fight. They're my parents. They love each other. We're a family.

"I said DON'T call me that, Ebony."

"Sam," Mum says softly, wanting him to cool down.

"Is Joey my son, Laura? Please just tell me Joey is my son," he says.

"Of course Joey is your son," says Mum.

"Is this baby my child, Laura?" He says, pointing to Mum's stomach, "Or are you still having an affair?"

"No Sam, this is your child!" She says, trying to take his hand but he whips it away.

"Are you sure about that?" He asks.

"Yes, please Sam, please forgive me," she pleads, crying.

Dad glares at us, "dad, I am your daughter," I plead.

"Stop saying that, Ebony," he says.

"Sam, Ebony was just a stupid drunken mistake," says Mum. My stomach sinks. I'm just a mistake? Dad glares at Mum and storms off into his and Mum's room.

"So all I am is a mistake?" I ask, a tear running down my face.

"No! I- I- I'm so sorry," Mum says before running after him. I slump back in my chair, not knowing what to do next. Tears are pouring down my face. I try to wipe them away but they keep coming. All I am is a mistake? I wasn't meant to be on this planet? Dad is not my dad? Then the screaming begins. There are muffled yells from their room. I think I catch Dad yelling, WHORE, and Mum yelling words I've never heard an adult say. I run to my room but it's not any better. My room is directly above theirs so everything they say goes straight through the ceiling. I can't take it anymore. I bury my head in my pillow and cry.

~

I don't go downstairs all day. It's 5:00pm. I don't want to bother Caleb, he's probably sleeping. I still can't process what I have just learned. Mum's words ring in my ears, "Ebony was just a stupid drunken mistake." I am just a stupid drunken mistake. I cover my mouth to stifle a sob. Stupid drunken mistake. Stupid drunken mistake. Stupid drunken mistake. I hate Mum for having an affair, Dad hates me because I'm not his daughter. I wish Joey weren't at baseball camp. My word just shattered. It's gone, ruined. Pieces that can't be put back together. My life is gone. Thunder claps and I swear the rain outside becomes louder. A chill runs down my spine, I still hate rainstorms.

Before I know what I'm doing, I grab my Piglet bathrobe and wrap it tight around my pajama shorts and tee-shirt. I run downstairs to the kitchen and slide open the glass door that leads to the porch. I step out into the rain and shiver, tears are still pouring down my face. Stupid drunken mistake. Then I pull my automatically drenched bathrobe around me and run at top speed to the LeBlanc's house. Stupid drunken mistake. In their yard I skid on some mud and fall over, smearing one side of me, even my face, with mud. But I'm not hurt and I just keep running.  

cliff hanger? hehe

65 votes = monday's chapter!

ily all! xx-e