Fallen Families

Chapter 19.

"Really? Because when I turned thirteen I felt completely different." Vanessa claimed. 

"Yeah, that's when she stopped playing with me." Scarlett joked. 

"Oh please. When I turned thirteen all you cared about was getting roles. You didn't play with any toys." 

"Who needs to play with toys for free when I was doing it for money." Scarlett laughed. Vanessa shook her head at her sister's comment. 

"So." Nicole started. "Is what was it like growing up? It must have been weird to have a sister who was an actor." Nicole asked genuinely interested. 

"Not really. Of course, it was weird going to school and everyone is asking me hey was that your sister in this movie or this one but it, in all honesty, got me some street cred. Because of who she worked with." Vanessa laughed remembering her childhood. She remembered telling her friends stories of certain actors that her sister has worked with. 

"Woah Woah Woah. You used me?" Scarlett asked with a surprised look on her face. Nicole couldn't stop herself from laughing.  Scarlett pretended to glare at Nicole. 

"We all did. This one time Hunter actually got a date by telling the girl he knew the girl from 'The perfect score '" Vanessa laughed. Scarlett shook her head. She remembered the perfect score so fondly. It was where she met Chris. And if it wasn't for that movie then she would have never had Nicole. 

Nicole was smiling when she excused herself to use the restroom and Scarlett couldn't be happier with how good it was going. 
"She is so much like you." Vanessa said. "her laugh, the little things she does with her hands. It must be amazing." She said. Vanessa was a mother herself so seeing her sister with a kid of her own was quite amazing. 

"It is. I think she more like Chris however." Vanessa gave her a look as if asking how. "Well, the way she awkwardly joins a conversation, her dorky personality. Everything about her is just...Chris." She said. Vanessa smiled at her younger sister. "what?" 

"what's going on between you and Chris?" Vanessa asked. 

"There is no me and Chris." Scarlett came back. "And I am actually being serious. They may have been but ever since Nicole came into our lives he has been......Distant" She said sadly. Vanessa frowned. 

"Scarlett, I love Chris. You know that. But I am saying this out of the immense love I have for you and for my new niece." She said, her voice getting serious. "I don't think he is ready to be a dad." 

"Vanessa..." 

"No Scar, if he was truly ready then he would have put the time and the effort into being a father. But he didn't. He hasn't. I don't want you lying around waiting for him to change his punk ass mind." Vanessa told her. 

She didn't want to ever believe that Chris would be distant with her but he has. He has taken a step away and it hurts it really does. Her sister was right. Chris wasn't ready. But was she ready? No, she wasn't but she sucked it up and helped her daughter out. Their daughter. 

"Have you guys ordered yet?" A happy voice asked interrupting Scarlett's inner thoughts. Scarlett looked up and shook her head smiling. "good." She smiled. 

The rest of lunch was rather normal. Well as normal as a newly formed family could get. Vanessa asked Nicole about what she liked keeping the conversation light to avoid any awkward conversations. The afternoon ended with all three of them in a pretty good mood.  Their was smiles on their faces and had a good understanding of who each of them were.

Nicole actually really had a connection with her aunt. They had much in common, Scarlett was surprised how close they became in such a short amount of time. But that was Vanessa for you. And now it was time for Scarlett to be nervous.

On the other side of town, Jasmine and her family were pulling into Hollywood. Everywhere they looked was something interesting. They were from a small city so a big place was amazing. Emma was most excited to see the Hollywood sign, Eric wanted to go see if they could watch a tv show or a late night show like Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy Fallon. Their parents, however, were trying to explain to them that this was not a vacation. 

The rest of the drive in town was boring. No one dared talked and the tension in the air was high. Jasmine was going over everything in her head. She didn't want to yell at Nicole. As much as they were mad, they agreed not to yell. They knew how important it must have been for Nicole. They wouldn't yell at her for wanting to know her birth family. 

Besides, they yelled enough about her leaving without permission all alone over the phone. All they wanted to do now was see her. They wanted to hug her and remind her that she was their daughter and would forever be their daughter. 

And finally they arrived at the house. The large one on the end of the street. It was rather big but still had a sense of coziness to it. The yard outside was big, and the only thing that ruined the perfect look was the hole in the fence. But other than that the house was the perfect picture of a normal family home. 

Brett and Jasmine gave each other a look after sitting out there for a few minutes. They nodded and slowly got out of their car. Each step toward the door was small and long. The more steps they took the closer they got to the birth parents of Nicole, and they were scared very scared. But it was for Nicole. They needed her back into their lives. They needed her. 

With one sigh as they reached the door, Brett nervously pushed the doorbell. Jasmine stood behind her, appearing calm on the outside and freaking out on the inside. Everything was so scary. Even Eric and Emma seemed nervous. 

After a few moments, the door started to open. The hearts in their chests were beating rapidly and they couldn't take it. But when the door fully opened they were shocked to see who it was. It was the first time they were meeting Nicole's brth mother and they couldn't be any more suprised. 

"Hello?"