"Darlings, I'm home!" James calls out to his daughter.
"Daddy! You're home!" She runs down the stairs squealing.
"Dad's home? Dad's home!" Emily lets her sister Rose know, they both race down the stairs.
Sophie jumps on her dad, he lifts her in the air and kisses her cheek as she rests her head on his shoulder.
"I missed you daddy, why did you go for so long?" 3-year old Sophie asks.
"Oh I'm sorry my baby, I was working" He replies.
"Dad!" 14- year old Emily smiles and hugs him.
"Hey dad!" 17-year old Rose says kissing his cheek.
"My beautiful girls, I've missed you all" He smiles.
"Mostly me!" Sophie giggles, poking her tongue out at her sisters.
"Yeah well mommy doesn't need hugs from you now that daddy's here; huh!" Emily teases her sister.
"My mommy!" Sophie starts crying.
"Soph! Rose, why is she crying? It's Emily isn't it? It's always her" Rebeccas voice echos down the hall.
She walks out and stands there looking at the back of Emily. She tilts her head and sees her husband.
"Oh my gosh! Honey! When did you get here?" She smiles and walks up to him, hugging and locking lips with him.
"I just got here" He says between kisses.
"Eek! Ew. Noooo kissing.....my daddy!" Sophie pouts and pushes her mothers face out of the way.
Becca pouts playfully and pretends to cry, covering her eyes with her hands. Emily hugs her and pouts.
"Look what you've done Sophie, you made mommy sad now" Emily sighs.
Sophie lets out a dramatic cry. Becca turns and hits Emily's arm with her backhand playfully.
"My mommy!" Sophie reaches out and Becca grabs her.
"Dad, I'm very glad that you're back! I missed you so much, it has been a very long five months" Rose hugs James.
"Even the daily Skype calls weren't enough" Emily hugs her dad on the other side.
"I know, this is the last time I'll leave for too long. Other times, we will go together" James kisses their heads.
"I love my mommy, my mommy is my mommy, I love my mommy, my mommy is mommy" Sophie sings as she plays with Becca's hair.
Becca smiles and closes her eyes rocking herself gently.
++++++
Becca's POV:
"Mum?" I hear Lizzie's british accent, cutting my flashback.
"Yeah, honey?" I call back.
"It's almost time for me to go to New York" She says walking into my room.
"What? Already?" I ask shocked.
"Yes mother, I'm leaving soon" She says.
"Honey! Lizzie's due to leave soon" I call out to James.
Sophie and I are still at it, every now and then. It's really hurting me that she's like this all of a sudden. But, what am I to do? Just wait till she gets over it?
"Well, mum can you help me with my bags?" Lizzie cuts my thoughts.
"Oh uh.. yeah, sorry" I smile and get up, we walk to her room and I take two bags and so does she.
"Is my baby sis ever going to come out of her room?" Lizzie asks as we walk out and down the stairs.
"I don't think, after the big blow up that happened yesterday" I sigh sadly and put her bags at the bottom of the stairs.
"It'll get better, and you know that!" She smiles and kisses my forehead.
"Are you leaving already?" I hear James' voice behind us.
"Oh my goodness, you two! I'm only going for a week, I'll be back then" Lizzie laughs.
"I know, I know... but it seems so long" I squeeze her tightly.
"Mum, I'll call regularly... okay?" She hugs me.
"You better" I smile.
She hugs her dad and walks out of the door, sending the driver in to get her bags. She waves one last time and smiles. James and I smile and wave back.
We watch her car drive off.
"Three, two, one..." James whispers.
Elizabeth turns her head and smiles as the car drives out the gate.
"How do you always know?" I ask.
"Because they're our daughters... you always do the same and they seem to get it from you" He smiles and kisses my cheek.
I smile and look down.
"How are you doing today?" He asks.
".... I don't know, I just seem so blank and lost most of the time" I sigh.
"I know darling, I know" He says.
(Flashback to the night before)
[no one's pov]
"Soph, you've barely touched your dinner" Becca sighs.
"Yeah, are you okay?" Lizzie asks.
Sophie ignores her mother and sister, she continues to stare at her full plate of food that had been prepared by Elizabeth.
"Soph, what's wrong?" Becca asks.
"Why do you care?" Sophie scowls.
"Well, because I'm your mother and I lo-" Becca sighs.
"Don't say that you love me. No one loves me." Sophie's eyes start to water.
"Darling, you know that's not true!" James says reassuring.
"Oh come on, look around. We love you Sophie" Elizabeth smiles sincerely.
"Don't be ridiculous, if anyone, we are your family and we love you more than anything" Becca says as she starts to tear up.
"I shouldn't be listening to anyone, especially you two. Talking about love, you left your daughter to grandpa and grandma and didn't raise her! You left her, like I was left. You kept a secret from me for eighteen years! I've been living and looking up to liars this whole time. You don't care about any of us but yourselves and your careers. I lie in bed crying myself to sleep because I HATE MYSELF. I drove him away! I'm the reason why he left me. I'm not loveable. And it's all YOUR fault!" Sophie yells hysterically, and ends pointing at Becca.
"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Becca yells and bursts into tears.
"I HATE YOU; YOU DID THIS!" She screams and storms out of the room.
James gets up and comforts Becca who is crying into her hands. Elizabeth is sitting there staring at her cup of wine as tears roll down her cheeks.
"I know it's not true... you had t-to do it.. you h-had no choice" Elizabeth says between tears.
"I'm sorry for leaving you! I'm sorry I let you go!" Becca cries as Elizabeth hugs her.
"Mum, I know you did it for the better of things" She smiles.
"Honey, don't think about what she said, she did not mean it, I know..." James sighs and kisses his wife's head as she cried into his arm.
"It will be over soon mum" Elizabeth rubs her mom's back.
"Very soon" James smiles.
-------------------------------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this!