Growing Up

Chapter 26

Mariska was on a warpath after Chris hurt her little girl once again. She picked Koda and the twins up from school and took them home before she drove over to Chris' house. He wasn't there, so she went to the hospital and saw him outside on the phone with someone. He saw her and he quickly ended the call. Mariska walked over to him and slapped him hard.

"Whoa!" He yelled, as she stepped back and shook her hand.

"You bastard. You are back with Carly after she wanted to just give your child up for adoption!?" Mariska spat.

"Rish-"

"Oh no, you don't get to speak you piece of shit. You and Carly are back together to make sure Alex grows up with two loving parents, and you said that to our daughter, the one you ran away from! So, I want you to think very long about the next thing you will say because I'm about to kick you in your balls. Unless Carly already took them back!" Mariska yelled. Chris swallowed hard before stepping back and leaning against the wall of the hospital.

"You will never forgive me for leaving you and Soph, will you?" Chris asked, and Mariska shook her head.

"Never, Chris. Not after everything you promised me, yet broke those promises."

"We were still so young, Rish."

"No, we weren't... stop using that as an excuse for leaving us. Maybe if you would've stayed, Sophia wouldn't have had such a hard time because she would have had both of us there to support her and love her."

"She has Peter, Mariska..."

"He is a better father to her than you could ever be. Just go back to LA and pretend to have a perfect family with your model girlfriend and your son. Just keep pretending that you didn't knock me up and that we have a kid together." Mariska whispered as tears ran down her cheeks freely.

She was feeling the same heartbreak that she felt when she thought that Chris only wanted to be her friend.

===

Sophia got depressed again, and it hit so quickly and with such intensity that Mariska felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath her.

Sophia couldn't get out of bed, and not even Koda could make her smile. Koda brought Sophia her homework every day after school, and after taking to Sophia's principal, Sophia started to do her lessons from school until she started to feel more like herself again.

Mariska was thankful that taping was done for the season so she could stay home with Sophia and take care of her. She hated that her daughter was so sad and it brought down the twins too because their beloved sister was so down all the time.

"Mommy, when is Sophia gonna smile again?" Missie asked, as she came up and stood behind her mother. Mariska was watching Sophia as she tried to eat the soup that Donna made for her.

"I don't know, Missie. I'm sorry, baby." Mariska whispered. She felt eyes on her and she looked and saw Sophia staring at them.

"Hey." Sophia breathed, and Mariska smiled softly.

"Hey, baby. How is your soup?" Mariska asked, and Sophia shrugged.

"I'm not hungry." She frowned.

"Sissy, come on. Eat some." Missie spoke, as she walked into Sophia's room. She climbed onto the bed and smiled at Sophia.

"I'm sorry, Missie... I'm just not hungry." Sophia breathed. She sat the bowl on her bedside table before pulling Missie onto her lap and holding her little sister close.

"I miss your smile, Soph... can you smile for me?" Missie asked as she looked up at her big sister. Missie smiled and Sophia noticed that Missie no longer had her two front teeth.

"When did you lose those two?" Sophia asked, and Missie sighed.

"At school. Luke lost his too!" She exclaimed and Sophia smiled a bit. It was very small and it didn't light up her eyes but it was a start.

"Mommy!" Luke yelled from downstairs and Mariska quickly left her girls before heading downstairs.

"Yes, Lukey?" She asked, as she swung her son up and placed him on her hip.

"Someone was knocking on the door," Luke spoke, as he leaned down and rested his head against Mariska's shoulder. She carried him over to the door and opened it, but anger started to course through her veins.

"Chris, leave." She spoke.

"You made my sissy sad, so shoo!" Luke spat, as he kneaded his little eyebrows together.

"Please, let me talk to her, Rish," Chris spoke, ignoring what Luke had said.

"Luke, go upstairs and hang out with your sisters," Mariska spoke, before sitting her son down on his feet. He ran up the stairs and Mariska turned back to her ex.

"What's wrong with Soph?" He asked.

"You've been gone two months and she is depressed. She can't get out of bed. She won't eat. She is so upset and it's all your fucking fault. I told you to go back to LA, so why the hell are you here?" Mariska spat.

"I want to apologize to both of you for leaving. For running away when I should've stayed. For not taking care of you when I promised you that I would." Chris spoke, and Mariska swallowed hard.

"I'm glad you left because that means you didn't get the chance to cheat on me. And I'm going to focus on my kids and my boyfriend. Not you."

"I'm sorry, Rish." Chris breathed.

"No, you aren't. You never apologize for the shit you do. I'm done with you and all this. Leave, Chris. Just leave us alone before you take my daughter from me too." Mariska whispered.

"Has she tried to do it before?" Chris asked as tears welled in his eyes.

"A month ago. I can't lose my kid, Chris. Please, just leave."

Chris turned around and walked down the stairs as tears streamed down his cheeks. He climbed into the car and looked over at his girlfriend.

"What's wrong?" Carly asked as she started up the car.

"I really fucked up again. Sophia is depressed. Mariska hates me more than she ever has. And I think we really need to head back to LA. Let them heal."