Lexi Summer arrived at her front door, exhausted from all the travelling she had done. Her boyfriend had gone home to unpack and catch up with family then would be heading over to nap with the girl. She was excited to be back in her massive bed, cuddling with Adam on two single mattresses could only be so comfortable.
The girl inserted her key in the door and frowned, noticing the door was unlocked, she knew that Isaac would be at school, it was a Friday. She stepped inside and saw her father, he was rushing around throwing his belongings into a suitcase.
The man had yet to noticed her, Lexi was excited that he had come home to see her, but she frowned in confusion when she saw the suitcase he was packing.
"Dad?" she asked softly as she walked towards him. The mans head shot up and he froze as he looked at his daughter "uh, Hey Lexi" he muttered.
The girl ran towards him and pulled him into a hug, she noticed he didnt hug her back and her confusion increased.
"Why are you packing? Where are you going?" she asked as she looked up at him and sent him a smile.
"Look, kid" he said as he didnt make eye contact with her. "You weren't meant to be back yet, I was going to leave you a letter" he said as he placed it down on the coffee table.
"A letter? What for?" the girl asked as she tilted her head slightly.
"Look, ill just be honest, i met someone when I was travelling, a woman and she's wonderful. She has two beautiful successful kids and a large house and ive been staying there, ive fallen in love. Theres nothing against you or Isaac but life is just better without you two around, you know what I mean?" the man said so calmly that Lexi almost thought it was a joke.
"Okay, you met a new women, why are you packing though?" she questioned further.
"You're not good for me Lexi, life with you is hard, ive tried my best but I continued to be let down, Carol's kids have nothing wrong with them, I never have to worry about them crying or having mental breakdowns all the time. It's been hard work putting up with you and your brother all these years without your mother, this women gives me a chance at a new life, and id be crazy if I didnt take it" her dad continued.
Lexi felt anger run through her veins "you haven't put up with us" she spat "you are never here, you're always working, for gods sake do you know how many times I needed you? How many times I cried myself to sleep because I needed my dad? Do you know how many times Isaac had to step up and basically be father to me because you couldn't, you say life with me is hard but let me tell you something, life with you was even harder, so if this is your way of leaving, or taking the easy way out just go. Because I dont want to see your face" she spoke so calmly that it scared her father.
Her dad just looked down, guilt seeping through his body but the man didn't care, he had shown how heartless he could be, and clearly he didn't mind if he didnt redeem himself.
"You guys can still stay in the house, and you can keep your credit cards, ill never cut you off financially" her dad informed as if that would help.
The girl laughed humourlessly "I dont fucking care about money, it was never about the money for me. It was about having a father that loved for me and cared for me. It was about feeling loved for once in my life. But ill never get love and I never did, at least not from you, so im done, you can go, get out of here and never come back, even though Isaac isn't 18 yet im sure we will manage, we have done without you for most of our lives Shane, what's a few more years" she informed him looking up at him with anger, she picked up the letter and threw it at him "I dont want to read whatever excuses you made".
Lexi hopped the man would leave soon because the tough act she was putting on was beginning to break her, she needed to cry but she refused to infront of him.
The man just sighed, grabbing his suitcase, not even sparing a glance at his daughter before he walked out.
The second Lexi heard the car leave the driveway the girl broke down in tears, falling to the floor as she sobbed, the girl wasn't sure how long she was sat on the floor for, but eventually she stopped sobbing and found herself just staring at the wall.
Isaac Summer unlocked the front door, excited to see his sister for the first time since she left for the goodwill games "Wheres my superstar little sister who literally won the junior olympics for her team" the boy yelled as he searched for his sister.
He walked into the lounge room grinning but his grin quickly dropped when he saw his sister sitting on the floor, holding her knees. Obvious tear tracks down her face.
The boy rushed over and dropped to his knees, grabbing the girls face gently to get her attention. "Lexi, you okay little one? Whats wrong" he asked in a soft tone, not wanting to set the girl off.
The girl snapped out of her trance and looked at her brother, she felt the tears come back as she saw the confusion in his face, the same look she had had earlier.
"Uh, its Dad, I came home and he was packing a suitcase and I asked where he was going and long story short he said he met someone else and he was going to live with her, he said living with me was hard and he couldn't deal with us anymore Isaac" she choked out as the boy looked at her in shock.
"He said we can stay here, and he will keep letting us use our credit cards and bank accounts but other then that, he wants nothing to do with us" the girl finished as she made eye contact with her brother. "This is all my fault, im so sorry he says I always let Him down" the girl sobbed.
The older boy had no idea how to process the new information, he just pulled his little sister into a hug, holding her as she sobbed "its okay, we will be okay Lexi, we didnt need him before and we certainly dont need him now" he said in as confident as a tone he could muster.
"We will be okay, I promise" the boy stated as he let go of the girl. "Im going to make a call to Hayley, she will help me work it tout" he informed as he hopped up and headed outside.
Lexi found herself springing to her feet, overwhelmed with emotions. She ran to her room and shut the door, still letting out sobs, she hadn't realised Adam Banks at his desk unpacking, the boy could see into Lexi's room from his window. It made for cute couple moments where they held up signs or pulled faces, but in this particular instance it allowed Adam Banks to see a broken Lexi Summer.
The boy heard a loud smash and alarmingly turned his head to his girlfriends window, he noticed the girl was crying and frowned. His eyes widened when he watched her throw her lamp causing it to smash before she began knocking things off her dresser. Adam Banks sprung to his feet, running down the stairs out his front door and next door to the girls house.
He ran past the girls brother who was outside and threw the door open and ran towards her room, throwing her door open as she threw a picture of her dad across the room. "Lexi, stop it" the boy said urgently as he watched her head towards the broken glass of her mirror.
The girl snapped her attention to him "He let me" she choked out "My dad, he left" she stated as she looked at the boy.
Adam didnt exactly know what she meant but he had a pretty good idea. He rushed over to the girl and pulled her into his arms, carefully sinking to the floor with her and just holding onto her tightly, afraid of her causing anymore damage to herself or her property.
The girl embraced her boyfriend tightly, letting out all the tears she had held back when she spoke to her father.
It took about 15 minutes to calm the girl down enough for her to tell Adam the story, the boy was beyond pissed off. He didn't understand how a father could so easily abandon his kids, he also knew though, lexis dad had never been much of a father.
The two moved to Lexi's bed and just laid there, the boy playing with his girlfriends hair as she clung to him. A few hours passed "I Told Mom I'd have dinner with her and dad tonight" the boy trailed off awkwardly, he didnt wanna leave her but he didnt want to disappoint his parents.
The girl just laughed softly "its okay Gorgeous, you can go, I have to call Char anyways". she smiled sadly. Her brother had gone to Hayleys to seek comfort from his girlfriend, she knew he would be back so she didnt mind, she wouldn't keep him away from the girl he loved.
The boy gave her a look that said are you sure while the girl just nodded. "I'll come back after dinner for a sleepover?" he proposed.
The girl forced a grin and sent him a nod "I'd like that".
The boy smiled "okay ill be back, I love you cutie", "I love you too Gorgeous" the girl whispered back.
Lexi threw the covers back and dragged herself out of bed, walking down the stairs towards the phone and dialling the number she had memorised when she was just child.
They picked up on the 3rd ring "Hello" the boys voiced answered.
Lexi felt tears brim her eyes once again, her dad had really ruined the happy streak she was on "hey Char, its me" she said trying to make sure her voice didnt give away her sadness.
"Oh hey little Lex, miss me already?" he teased, lexi forced out a laugh at her cousin but the boy frowned knowing it was fake. "Whats wrong?" he questioned.
Those two words were all it took for Lexi to start sobbing, she needed her best friend to tell her it would be okay, she needed him to help her through it, he was the only one who truly understood the dynamic of her family other than her brother.
"Do you want me to come over" the boy asked again, hoping for some kind of answer, he was extremely concerned about his younger cousin.
The girl nodded even though he couldn't see her "uh yeah" she said softly.
"Ill be there as soon as I can" he rushed out as he hung up the phone, rushing towards his mom.
"Mom, lexi called, somethings going on its bad, she was sobbing and she wouldn't even talk. We gotta get over to her" he rushed out.
Casey Conway nodded quickly "Okay, take a breath calm down. I'll get my keys" she informed him.
The pair walked inside the Summer house and Charlie immediantly ran up to his cousins room, his mother walking behind. The boy froze when he saw the smashed glass around the room before quickly rushing over to his cousins bed and wrapping her in his arms.
Casey followed him inside, gasping at the sight of the room. "Lexi, what happened?" she questioned.
"I got angry" the girl laughed awkwardly
"Why did you get angry?" Charlie asked softly as if speaking to a toddler.
"Dad left us" she choked out as the two Conways exchanged alarmed glances.
Lexi had explained the whole story and Casey gritted her teeth in anger towards her brother, how could someone leave their children alone so easily.
Charlie still had the girl in his arms "I dont wanna be alone" she whined "Isaac cant take care of both of us and he shouldnt have too" she said as she looked down.
"Alexis Summer" Casey began sternly "If you think I'm going to let you and your brother be alone you've got another thing coming. You've been like my daughter your whole life and I'd never turn my back on you. not in a million years" she spoke