It was the afternoon.
The hospital was crowded with people going in and out.
The halls windows looked brown with dirt and the sun could hardly pass through it.
It smelled horrible. There were people sitting on benches, coughing, sneezing , babies crying.
Irene, dressed in her white suit , her sunglasses on, kept searching for her daughters room.
She finally found it.
She opened the door to a peachy colored room with a few white stripes here and there.. The floor was dusty. The windows filthy, opened and a little wind was coming in.
Zoe was laying down, her wrists wrapped in white. Her hair short.
- You look…different.
- Mother dearest, sunshine of my life.
Zoe looked pale.
- They told me you asked I get called here. Ran out of money I guess ?
- Wished to see you, yes. But not for more money, won't need it. I only wanted you to see your masterpiece. Soak it all in, this is all because of you.
She said, almost crying, holding her wrist up.
- Ah yes, your old blame game. Look darling, all of this, your life, is the way it is because you made the wrong choices, it has nothing to do with me.
- I had no choice. You gave me no choice.
- Oh sure I did. But one can only do so much. It wasn't up to me to make decisions for you.
- Yet you did. You ruined my life.
- You did that to yourself by getting pregnant when you did.
- You threw me out. You cut me off, you made dad cut me off too. He paid his price, died suffering, as he deserved. I won't live to see your end but I have a feeling it won't be much different.
- Don't you dare even speak of him. He did all he could for you, he even made me get your spoiled demonic child in before he left.
- Guess Rose isn't as controllable as I was. She was safer with me than she'll ever be with you.
- Than why did you give her up? Safe?… don't be ridiculous. God knows how many times you beat her, you and your other alcoholic boyfriends. She was raised by sleeping around at neighbors' homes like a stray dog. And need I remind you she was in pieces when I got her, it took months and countless doctors to save what was left of her.
- At least she didn't have you ! Look at what happens to those who grow up with you.
- That's what would happen to her too had you never left.
- She's not like me. You can't control her. She won't stay by and watch you ruin her life. She will be the end of you. I won't get to see it, but she will crush into pieces all you care about.
- Oh darling don't be ridiculous. She's doing fine. She went to the school I picked, she lives in my house, and she does as I say.
- I heard she met dad before he passed. You had no choice but to let him meet her huh? All of those years of keeping me away… knowing dad he probably asked for her forgiveness. Didn't he?
Irene didn't answer. Her daughter had gotten to her once more. She hated it. But she would never let her win.
- Oh you old heartless witch, even dad didn't love you, just as me, and Rose and everyone. He regretted ever listening to you. This war, this war you think you have with everyone is actually only with yourself.. Not me, not anybody else. And you've lost. You have lost. Everything and everyone. And that reputation you hold on to so desperately will be gone before you know it.
- That's it ! I have no time to sit here and listen to this nonsense. Next time you want a little attention and someone to blame have them call one of your boyfriends and leave me out of it.
- Your end won't be different from mine or dads.
Irene got up, put her sunglasses on and was walking out.
- Rot in hell Irene Alden !! Rot in heell!!
Zoe screamed as she closed the door behind her.
Connor had left to call Allison. Hunter and Aliyah were still in the living room discussing the will.
Rose was sitting outside on the step between the peach trees.
Noah approached her holding a little tray.
- Hey. Brought you a little something.
- Oh, thanks but I don't feel like eating.
- Please ?! you didn't even have breakfast. you kept playing with the plate.
She thought nobody had noticed.
- C'mon ! A tiny bit?
She realized she was indeed hungry.
- Thank you !
- , its nothing. I mean it felt kinda weird to make a sandwich with things he left but other than that, no biggie.
- No, I didn't mean only that. Thank you for everything. For not being mad at me for cutting you off for the last four years and then coming back like nothing happened, and it did and I know but..
- Hey look, I was hurt, but I get it. She's important to you, as she is to me. I just wish things had gone differently.
- Yeah. Me too. I just need to sort everything out with her, That is the only reason I stayed away all this time. You know that right?
- I do.
He said and he smiled, and now he knew.
They would definitely have time to talk everything after.
- This is delicious!
She said biting into the sandwich.
- Its my special sandwich thank you very much.
So… as the new owners. What do you think we should do?
- Well, water these trees first. Then I don't know. I don't want to sell it. We won't right?
- Of course not. It will forever stay his, theirs.
- Yeah, and we can escape here now and then.
- Sound good. It just still feels weird doesn't it? That we're here, talking about this and ..
- That he isn't here? Yeah. I know. I wonder what was going through his mind.
- Maybe this was his way of tying us all together.
- Yeah, maybe so.
Hey, Irene said I have to have a date to this thing. I mean not a date but you know someone to go with..
- Uh huh
- Would you maybe wanna come with me? I can't ask Hunter. He'll mock me forever and you know how awkward I am with other people..
- So I am all you got?
- What? No, no no you are all I want. I mean I wouldn't want to go with anyone else…I mean I would like for you to accompany me ..
She said while trying to chew her sandwich. He laughed.
- I'm just kidding. I'd love to be your date.
- I was gonna ask Connor if you'd said no
- Oh…
- Just kidding
She said and smiled. And she looked at him as she ate what tasted like the best thing she'd ever tried.
Meanwhile Aleyah and Hunter were still trying to find out what Mr.P was thinking.
- So you think he did it just to bring us all together again?
- Yes Hunter. Why else would he leave something to the two of us. And all the other two-s?
They were packing a few things Mr.P had wanted to go to charity.
- I know about "the two" !
Hunter said smiling.
- That two?
Aliyah asked, pointing to Noah and Rose sitting outside.
- Yeah. That two. Don't you think they're just…right together?
- Yeah.. I guess. But I don't know. This whole thing with Allison. It just bothers me.
- Well it doesn't bother her. Or she'd be here fixing it . You can't make someone love you and you can't be mad at someone because they don't.
- Yeah, you can't right?
She watched him stare outside. His gray hoodie on, his hair messy.
He looked perfect , she couldn't help but stare.
- What?! ..of course not.
He said , turning his look to her.
- Hey. This whole Ball thing. Do we need a date?
- Um , yeah, maybe …I don't know.
- Well. If we do. Would you be mine?
There it was again. That stupid heartbeat. She got scared he could hear it so she sat down on the couch.
- Yeah, sure. I guess. If we need one.
- Hope we don't. Its bad enough we have to go..
Sometimes she just wanted to slap him across the face so bad.
- Hey, do you think we should tell Noah about the Rose thing?
- What Rose thing?
- You know, the bullying?
- Oh, I don't know. Maybe we should just let her talk about it if she feels like it.
- Yeah, but remember I told you she said it wasn't true, I mean we know it was, I just feel bad we weren't there for her
- I know, me too. But now she's here with us. She'll be okay.
- You think so?
- I know so. C'mon, we'll take care of the rest later, lets just make something to eat, I'm kind of hungry.
- Uh, can't we just order in? I just, I don't know. I don't want to cook in his kitchen.
He looked at her, about to make some joke. But he didn't. She looked sad and he was scared he would make it worse.
- Know what? Lets take his car out for a ride and we'll just grab something?
- Our car.
She said and smiled. It felt nice to have something that was theirs.
Hunter said nothing but he liked it too.