"This is wonderful!" Marilyn smiled as she finished taking a bite of one of the desserts Summer bought earlier. "Where is it from?"
"Magnolia Bakery," I answered, covering my mouth as I spoke because I was still eating a piece of the banana cupcake. "Summer went out to buy them earlier. Apparently I'm not so trustworthy with baking my own desserts."
"Oh, Harry, nonsense!" My mom waved her hand at me as she held a fork to her tiny slice of carrot cake. "How could you be untrustworthy with baking?"
"He burned it last time," Marilyn nodded, smiling in amusement at me.
I shrugged my shoulders as I flashed a sheepish grin, "Yeah, I kind of forgot it was in the oven."
Both my mom and Robin looked at me completely appalled by the fact that I burned a dessert. I didn't know why it was so surprising to them. I mean, I could barely cook, so I wasn't sure what gave her the impression that I was some fabulous baker. Just because I live on my own doesn't mean that I know how to make my own food. That's what TV dinners are for.
Robin took a piece of some peanut butter brownie and looked at me, "You're going to need to learn to cook. I hear these days you don't need to pay for classes. There's videos on the YouTube to teach you."
"I think I've been doing fine so far," I laughed, taking another bite of the banana cupcake. Fucking best thing out of all the bakery items Summer bought.
"Couldn't hurt, you know," my mom nodded her head at me, as well as pointing her fork in my direction. "Girls love when a guy can cook. One day, you're going to cook a surprise dinner for Summer, so you better learn now."
"He did make a wonderful salmon dinner for us just last week," Marilyn spoke in my defense.
My mom turned her attention to me, her eyes wide as she was pleasantly surprised, "Did you now?"
I nodded proudly as I remembered how that dinner meal, minus the dessert, turned out really well, "I did, actually. It was probably my best dish."
Robin laughed and swallowed the food in his mouth, "I'm impressed, Harry. Never thought you could cook so well."
I just rolled my eyes at all three of them, continuing to eat the cupcake. As they started talking amongst themselves, I started wondering how the talk between Summer and Robert was going.
They had been gone for quite some time. I swore I heard the elevator ding, so I assumed they weren't in the penthouse having a chat. I was hoping and praying that things were going alright, that things weren't so tense between them anymore. With the amount of time that they had been gone, I knew this conversation was getting pretty deep.
Maybe they started to talk about this whole attitude change of Robert's. Maybe they started talking about Summer's feelings towards how he acted. For all I knew, maybe they were talking about unicorns and pumpernickel bread. Who the fuck knows?
I was just hoping that whatever it was they were discussing, it wasn't turning into an argument. The two of them together, without someone to intervene in their arguing, could be risky.
But after they left the table, my mom offered to help clean up all the dishes. No matter how much I tried to protest, saying she was a dinner guest and that I was supposed to be the one to clean, she refused to sit down and watch. Marilyn helped a little, too, as did Robin. All three of them were helping and ignoring my every request for them to stop.
I was totally outnumbered.
My mom was making some excuse as if we still lived in the same house. "You cooked the dinner, honey, so it's my chore to clean." No, Mom. That's not how this works. We invited you to dinner, so you have to sit down and do nothing but eat the food we provide, damn it.
Is that too difficult for a mom to adhere to?
Anyways, here we were, sitting around the kitchen island and picking at the desserts Summer bought. We probably should have waited for Summer and Robert to get back, but Marilyn was dying to try something. Plus, it would've been a little awkward just sitting around doing nothing as we waited. At least now we could talk while trying different desserts. We just had to make sure there was enough left for the two of them to try. Although, I couldn't make any promises on the banana cupcake.
"What else is there to try?" Marilyn asked as she slowly pushed the rest of her vanilla cupcake forward.
I took a peek into the boxes, looking at what was left, "Let's see. There's a slice of red velvet cake, a slice of coconut cake, a devil's food cupcake, a lemon cupcake, and a couple of those macaron cookies. Oh, and I think this is a slice of apple pie. There's a large selection here."
"It's like she bought the whole bakery," Marilyn laughed.
"She didn't know what everyone would want."
Just as I finished speaking, I could very faintly hear the elevator ding in the other room. Automatically, my head whipped in the direction of the sound, extremely curious to see how things went. I wanted to run over to the elevator and see her, but I knew that would kind of look ridiculous.
It was only a few short moments until the two of them came walking into the kitchen area, Robert coming in first. They must have really had some kind of heart-to-heart conversation because Summer looked like she had been crying.
As Robert walked over to the dessert boxes, casually making conversation with my parents about what they were eating, Summer walked straight over to me. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and her head rested against my chest. She didn't even say a word; she just hugged me as she looked at all the bakery items we had already picked at.
I didn't ask her to tell me what happened with her dad. I knew that if she wanted to talk about it, which would have been after our parents left, she would've initiated the conversation. So all I did in response was return her hug, rubbing my hand up and down her back in what I hoped was a soothing gesture.
"Which dessert is the best?" Summer quietly asked me as she stared at the mess on the counter.
I shrugged as I held up what was left of the banana cupcake, "This one is my favorite, but it's also the only one I've tried."
"Somehow I figured it would be the banana one you'd go for," she laughed, hugging me a little tighter before she let go.
"Summer, these are delicious," my mom complimented, as if Summer baked these herself.
"That's good to know, I hoped they were," she smiled, picking the banana cupcake out of my hand and taking the last bite.
Robert took a piece of the devil's food cupcake, making a nice compliment about how it was one of the best he's tried. I wasn't entirely convinced it was the best he's had, but it was a nice gesture to see him actually making positive remarks. He really was trying to make things better. I just wasn't one hundred percent positive that Summer was having it.
I guess, if I were in her shoes, I'd feel the same way. Having a dad that's basically been absent her whole life and now he's trying to make up for lost time when she's twenty years old. That's a long fucking time to be out of her life and suddenly trying to come back into it. Yeah, there'd be some harsh feelings, but at least Robert is being genuine about it. He's not just trying to appease everyone.
It'll just take time for Summer to warm up to him, and I'll be here for her whenever she needs to find comfort in the situation. I'm not going anywhere ... so long as she wants me around.
I picked up one of the little macaron cookies, examining it's pastel blue color. I'd never tried one of these before, so it was kind of weird to look at. Summer was watching me with pure amusement in her eyes, like she'd never seen someone question the existence of a damn macaron before.
After I took a bite of the cookie thing, I realized why I was questioning the bakery item. It was disgusting. I didn't know if the different colors meant different flavors or if that was just for show, but what I did know was that the blue macaron was gross and never again would I get that thing.
Robin washed his hands at the kitchen sink before he dried them off, setting them on his hips as he looked at us, "Well, I think it's about time we get going. It's pretty late, and we've got to help Gemma with the rest of her packing."
"Oh right," my mom agreed, getting up from the table. "I forgot Gemma is leaving soon."
"It was so nice to meet you both," Marilyn got up as well, reaching over to give my mom a hug.
Our dads shook hands, oddly making plans for Robert to show Robin around his office building. My mom was speaking to Marilyn about the pregnancy and if there was anything she could do to help her out. It took a moment or two for all of them to say their goodbyes to each other before my parents gave Summer a hug as well.
I walked them over to the elevator, just savoring the last few minutes I had with them. At the rate things had been going, who knew when I'd see them next.
"Harry, this was a very lovely dinner. Thank you for inviting us over," my mom smiled, bringing me into her arms for a hug. "It was so nice to meet Summer's parents as well."
"I'm just glad everything seemed to go well," I laughed, giving Robin a hug, too. "I was unsure how you guys would mix with them."
"Why? You don't think we can fit in with fancy people?" Robin joked around, patting me on my shoulder. "I can be fancy."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know, I know," he laughed, smiling as my mom shook her head. "Well it was good to see you, Harry. Take care of yourself and Summer."
I nodded my head as I gave both him and my mom another hug. We all said our goodbyes before they left down the elevator. I swear my mom was going to cry again. She cries at everything. I can't imagine how much she's going to cry when she takes Gemma to the airport. Good thing I won't be there.
As I walked back towards the kitchen, I could hear Marilyn talking. I couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but it had something to do with the disappearance of Robert and Summer during dinner. I stepped into the kitchen, making myself present as I walked up to the counter next to Summer. She smiled up at me, but it wasn't very convincing. This dinner did not go anywhere near what was expected.
There were a bunch of the bakery treats left after Marilyn and Robert decided they were full. Summer was just picking at, mostly destroying, the lemon cupcake she had in front of her. She wasn't even acting like herself, and I was beginning to feel a little worried about her.
"Well," Robert spoke up after an awkward pause that followed his story of letting us know they were planning to open a hotel in Hong Kong. "I think we should go now. I don't want to overstay our welcome."
"No, you weren't-"
I began to speak, but Marilyn cut in, "Oh, Harry, it's fine. It's been a long day for us, and I'm getting a little tired now. I think I need to rest after all that I've just eaten here."
"It was a nice dinner you two prepared for us. Thank you," Robert nodded, looking really awkward as he expressed gratitude. It's a weird image for him and most likely a foreign concept in his mind.
"Oh yeah, any time," I smiled, following them towards the elevator. Summer was right along side me, still not saying a word.
As Marilyn gave us a hug and Robert shook my hand, Summer only mumbled a goodbye and made a lousy wave. Her parents stepped into the elevator, and as the doors shut, I immediately turned to her to wrap my arms around her small frame.
She reciprocated the hug, burying her face into my chest and holding onto me very tightly. All I wanted to do was comfort her. I knew she wasn't in the best of moods, and I knew she was having a hard time trying to cope with this business with her dad. I just wanted to be that person she could come to as a safe base of sorts. Whatever she needed me to do, I'd be happy to help her out.
There really wasn't much I could do for the actual situation. It was an issue that Summer and Robert needed to work out themselves because of all the tension and bad feelings towards each other. They had to sort it all out and see where things stood.
I did slightly feel bad for the way Summer had been feeling about it all. I was kind of the one that started it, but it was completely with good intentions.
After a little while longer, I pulled away from Summer and gently kissed her.
"So, how are you feeling?"
She sighed before she rested her head against my chest, tears starting to fall from her eyes, "I don't even know."
"Want to talk about what happened with your dad?"
"It was just too much to take in at once," she frowned as she looked up at me, wiping away the wet trails on her cheeks. She combed her fingers through her hair, taking out the little hair clip in the back. "He just apologized for how he had been acting all my life. He even told me straight up that I was an accident. My parents didn't plan to have me. I just became this burden to them."
Summer walked over to the couch and flopped down on the cushions, lying across the whole thing. She kicked her heels off and onto the floor as she just stared at the ceiling.
"My dad feels like shit for always blaming me for things and ignoring me and just pawning me off on other people. He said he wish he could do it all over to make things better," Summer's eyes traveled to me, scanning my face for some kind of a reaction. A tear started to form at the corner of her eye, and my first instinct was to reach out and wipe it away. "I'm just so confused on how to feel or what to do."
I walked over to the other side of the couch and sat down, moving her so that her head was resting in my lap. She closed her eyes, either out of frustration or exhaustion. It could've been both.
"At least he was being honest with you," I spoke up, gently pushing hair away from her face. Summer opened her eyes to look up at me, and I could just see a world of hurt. "Yeah, it's a shitty thing to find out that you were an accident, but he showed you respect by telling the truth. I know it's not something you wanted to hear, but your dad really is making the effort to break out a new slate. He's putting everything out in the open for you."
"I basically grew up without a real family. What makes him think I need one now?"
"Summer-"
"No, I'm serious," she cut me off. Suddenly her eyes were filled with not only sadness but anger. "Why does he think he can just waltz into my life twenty years later and ask for a second chance?"
"He's your dad. Whether you like it or not, he's your family. He was not the greatest person when you were growing up, and he realizes that now," I rubbed my thumb softly over her cheek, wiping away any tears that escaped her eyes. "Summer, you're going to have a sibling soon. This is your dad's second chance at raising a child, and he's going to need your help, even if he doesn't know it yet. You are the only person that can help him with everything he did wrong."
She was silent as she continued to stare at me. The anger in her eyes had subsided, and she was looking at me like she started to understand the bigger picture.
I offered her a light smile as I continued to talk, "I know it sucks that you had to go through all this, but I also know that you wouldn't want your sibling to go through the same thing."
It was silent between us. I said what I wanted to say, so now I was just going to wait and see what Summer had to say. She continued to lay in my lap, her gaze moving back and forth between me and the ceiling. I could tell that she was really thinking over everything. As much as she didn't want to give her dad a second chance, she knew it would have been the right thing to do, at least for her sibling.
Summer groaned as she shut her eyes, drawing her brows together in a frustrated expression, "You're too good for me."
I started to laugh as I shook my head, "You have no idea how much I disagree with that statement."
"I love you, Harry," she opened her eyes, and a genuine smile finally graced her lips. So fucking beautiful. "You're honestly the best thing that's happened to me."
"I can proudly say the same about you, Summer. I love you oh so very much."
She sat up and tied her hair into a crazy bun on the top of her head, "I really just want to run a bath with really hot water and lots of bubbles. And a glass of wine so I can feel classy."
"Okay, go have a little bath," I smiled, laughing at her random urge for a little spa treatment. I guess that's what happens when girls feel stressed out.
Summer got up from the couch and stood in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders before she leaned forward to give me a kiss, "Come join me. We can do a face mask, too."
"What? A face mask? No way."
"But it relaxes and soothes your skin, and you'll feel amazing after it," she pouted her bottom lip, pleading as she still held onto my shoulders. "A mini spa night, please?"
I rolled my eyes and sighed in defeat as I got up, "Fine. But I'm only ever doing this once, so you better savor the moment."
A/N: I just want to make a note ... If you see anyone copying this story (or any of my other stories) and claiming it to be theirs, please please please let me know or report the story! It's illegal to plagiarize, and that is not okay by any means to take another person's work and claim it as your own. I have worked so hard and for so long to create this story, just like many other authors have with their own work, and I really don't appreciate it when someone thinks it's fine for them to copy it. I had a very similar issue with my story 'Road Trip', so I'm finding this quite ridiculous to have to go through again. So if you see someone copying mine or anyone else's story, please either report it or let the respective author know.