Starting With A Clean Slate

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, between the unpacking and Alexis, things have been crazy here. This is going to be a short entry...I'm running late. I have a 'first date' with Reed in a half hour and I'm not even sure what I'm wearing yet! Can you believe I'm actually nervous?

So the other day when I finally got back to town, I was met by my parents. I knew it wasn't a good thing to be met by the two of them but I hoped that nothing was wrong.

How did it go again? Copies and pastes so we are all on the same page...not that anyone could forget what happened at the end of the last entry!

When we got to my parents house, my mother was there to greet us, along with my father. "Hey!" I smiled at them. I was really wondering what was going on but I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"I'm sorry Amber," my father stepped towards me. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to move into the house."

My jaw dropped, I couldn't even think of what to say to that besides, "You have got to be freakin kidding me!"

So yeah, there I was standing on my parents front step, waiting to move in and my father tells me I can't. And I flipped.

"Amber please!" My mother glanced towards Alexis who was in my arms, looking up at me with a 'I'm about to cry' look on her face.

"I can't believe you guys! I asked you, not once not even twice, if this was ok and every single time you told me it would be fine. 'I just can't wait to have you home again', isn't that what you said mother?" My eyes jumped from one to the other, "What changed? And why did you have to wait until now to tell me?"

"Lenore," my father turned to my mother. "Why don't you show Janie and Alexis inside while I talk to Amber." It wasn't a question really, it was more of an order. And my mother, the dutiful little wife that she is, carried it out.

Once they were inside, my father turned to me. "Walk with me Amber and try to hear me out before you condemn me to the lions."

With my father leading the way, we walked around the house to the back yard. My father opened the knee high gate that surrounded the house and the pool. "These last few weeks have left me at a loss Amber," he started as he led me down the walkway. "I've always believed that I did the right thing for you, sending you away. I thought that you would be happier, I thought your mother and I would be happier but I was wrong; neither one of us have been happy."

I didn't say anything, how could I? It was all true, I wasn't happy and they didn't look like they were either. "I've been thinking about you moving back here," he stopped me. "I'm really glad that you are back home Amber, and I'm thrilled with the plans that you have made for your future and Alexis'. I was worried that you would feel that to be the perfect mother to your daughter, you had to be with her father." I went to speak but he stopped me. "Don't get me wrong Amber, I like Reed and I believe that you two are great for each other. Mind you, I didn't always think that way and yes, I did try to keep you away from him when I shouldn't have but I promise I won't interfere again."

"Thank you," I said when he stopped long enough for me to speak. "But why can't I stay here father? Where am I going to go?"

My father smiled at me, "Right here Amber." He waved his hand off to his side at the guest house that they had built after they kicked me out. "Now I know I told you that you could live in the main house but I thought that after all this time on your own, you wouldn't want your mother and me breathing down your neck."

"Oh," I know it wasn't much but that was all that came to mind to say. I wasn't expecting this, I really wasn't. Honestly I was expecting my father to make me move into Reed's house with him.

"You don't like it?" He glanced at the house and frowned. "Your mother had some guys come and remove all the stuff we had in there and it's all in storage. She wanted to paint it but she wasn't sure which -"

I didn't something totally unexpected, I threw my arms around my father's shoulders, giving him a big hug and I kissed his cheek. "Oh dad!" I cried, "I...I...It's perfect!"

My father was a little tense at first but soon he relaxed, hugged me and said something that made me bawl like a little baby, "Welcome home Cupcake."

Yes, that was the name my father always called me when I was little...I couldn't believe he remembered.

He brought me into the guest house and showed me around. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sunken living room and a dining room/kitchen. A small house to my parents but to me it was huge! I couldn't wait to unpack and make the guest house my home.

We were walking up to the main house when my father told me that he hoped that I would be happy in the house. "You can stay there as long as you need to Amber," a little smile played on his lips. "Don't ever feel you have to move out," he turned to me. "I know there are people who think you should be living elsewhere but I want you to know, your mother and I aren't among those people. We want you to be happy and if that means you live here for a month, or two or until Alexis graduates college or what not. Then that's fine with us."

When we went into the house Reed and Devon were in the living room with my mother, Janie and Alexis. Reed was on the floor playing with Alexis, Devon was trying to talk to Janie, but she was ignoring him as she spoke with my mother on little mundane topics.

"Amber," Reed looked up when I walked in. "Look princess, daddy told you mommy would be back soon." Alexis giggled, got to her knees and crawled over to me as fast as she could as Reed chased her on his knees.

Watching him with Alexis like that, seeing him throw away all his inhibitions, tugged at my heart strings. I loved him and I knew it.

I just can't wait to show him just how much.

Well, I guess I don't have to wait, he's going to be here any moment.

Eek! I still have to get dressed!

Seeing me naked on our 'first date' isn't part of the deal!