Post by rsafan on Feb 19, 2007 0:47:02 GMT -5
Chapter 43
“It’s open” Shawn called from the bedroom when he heard the knock, he assumed it was Mimi bringing Zach over but when he came out he found it wasn’t her at all.
“Hi, you really shouldn’t tell people to walk in any time. One day there could be an axe murderer on the other side.” his guest commented.
“And what difference would it make if I told him to come in or if I opened the door for him?” he asked.
She smiled, “Well I can’t argue that logic.”
“Was there something you needed?” he asked her, wondering where Mimi was, she’d called earlier to let him know she was on her way, she should’ve been here by now.
“I need a reason to visit my brother?” Chelsea asked him.
“I’m sorry,” Shawn apologised, “it’s been a crappy day. So what brings you around?”
“Christmas.” she stated.
“What about Christmas?” he asked her, looking around for his car keys.
“You’re obviously distracted so I’ll come back another time.” She said and picked up her bag to leave.
“No Chelsea wait, I’m sorry. Mimi’s coming around with Zach and…”
“Things are still awkward between the two of you?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve been thinking of ways to get her to come back home but she seems so happy on her own and …”
“That bothers you because you’ve been missing her and she’s leading a merry life having fun and supporting herself. Well if you want my advice, and I’m not exactly an expert on relationships, but why don’t you just talk to her, tell her how you feel?”
“Because she won’t listen to me. I don’t know what happened but it’s like every time I tell her I miss her she just ignores me. She doesn’t trust me and I do not know why.”
“Let me get this straight, she thinks you still love Belle…”
“Which I don’t.”
“You might say you don’t but she obviously doesn’t believe that. So she thinks you still love Belle; that she was nothing but second best all the time you were together and when she walks out, you don’t immediately go running after her begging her to come back, instead you simply leave her to her own devices. So now three months later, you make some puny attempt to get her back and you want to know why she doesn’t trust you?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I have to admit it doesn’t look good.”
“Do you want to know what it looks like Shawn? It looks like you went for Belle the minute she walked out and that something went wrong and now, once again, you’re clamouring for your ‘back-up’ Barbie. My guess is that she thinks Philip’s arrival in town put a damper on your relationship with Belle.”
“That is not true; Belle and I are not together. I am not with her nor do I have any desire to be. Belle and I are friends, the only reason we spend that much time together is Claire.”
“But that’s not how Belle feels is it? She’s made it obvious that she’d love it if the two of you got back together…”
“But she hasn’t tried anything…”
“She got Mimi to move out didn’t she? All she has to do is wait for the day you turn around and tell her she’s the one.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“You say that now…”
“Hi Chelsea,” Mimi said as she carried Zach into the apartment, “it’s been a long time.”
“That it has, do you need help with that?” She asked as she reached for the diaper bag Mimi was carrying on her shoulder along with her own bag.
“Its fine,” Mimi replied, dumping the bag unceremoniously on the floor.
“I think I’ll be going now.” Chelsea said, not wanting to interrupt their time together.
But Mimi stopped her, “No, that’s not necessary. I’m just dropping Zach off.”
Mimi gave Zach a kiss, a long hug and handed him over to Shawn, “Be good for your dad okay? I don’t want to hear any horror stories when I get back.” she scolded playfully before turning and leaving.
“Did you see that?” Shawn asked his sister, outraged, “Did you? She didn’t even greet me.”
“I saw.” Chelsea said as she too left.
She bumped into Philip at the lift. “Coming to visit Claire?” she asked.
He shook his head, “Shawn, Belle and Claire are in Colarado with her parents. They should be back soon though, what with it being only a few days till Christmas.”
Belle turned and smiled at her, “You aren’t, come on in.”
“It’s a bit late isn’t it?” Mimi commented, since Christmas was only three days away.
“Oh I know, but we’ve been in Colorado, just got back with my parents so everything’s a bit last minute. You can join in if you want.” Belle invited.
Mimi shook her head, “I didn’t know you were away; I’m not staying long. I just came to drop these off; one for you, two for Claire.”
Belle took the gifts from Mimi with a simple ‘thanks’; then she turned to Claire, “Look Claire, our first gifts to go under the tree.”
Claire exclaimed her delight and ran to Mimi for a fierce hug. “Thanks Aunt Mimi.”
“So, what are your plans for Christmas?” Belle asked.
“Zach and I are going to visit Patrick in L.A.; it’s actually a miracle the Lockhart’s are all going to be in the same place for Christmas, actually celebrating together.”
“You’re going to L.A. for Christmas?” Shawn interrupted her, “When was I going to be privy to this information, when I arrived at the apartment and you weren’t there?”
“I told you weeks ago.” Mimi reminded him.
“No, you said Patrick had invited you. You never said you were actually going.”
“Why would I bring it up if I weren’t going?”
“I don’t know, why do you do anything?”
Belle decided to play mediator before Shawn and Mimi two strips off each other once again. “Shawn, I think maybe you should calm down first.”
“Calm down? I just found out that I’m not going to be spending Christmas with my son. Christmas is three days away Belle.” he shouted at her as though she’d been involved in sending his son to L.A.
“Oh would you grow up? For goodness sake I’m taking him to see my brother for Christmas; we’ll be back by New Year’s.” Maybe.
“I don’t care if you’re coming back the day after Christmas, the fact of the matter remains that I’m not going to be able to spend Christmas with Zach.”
“And it’s all about you isn’t it? What Shawn wants, Shawn gets. No care for what anyone else who might want. Coming here was a mistake; if I’d known you’d be here I wouldn’t have come.” She stormed to the door, eager to get away from Shawn but Claire ran after her.
“Don’t go Aunt Mimi; the tree’s not done.”
Mimi bent down to the little girl; “Oh Claire sweetheart, I still have a lot of stops to make. But I’d love to see your tree when it’s done so would you do something for me?” The little girl nodded her head, “Would you get you mom or your dad to take a picture? That way I’ll get to see it when I come back.”
“Kay.”
“Bye sweetheart,” Mimi said as she hugged Claire, “have a great Christmas okay and be good for your mom.” Then she stood up, greeted Shawn and Belle and left the apartment.
The minute Mimi left, Belle slapped Shawn’s arm, “Why did you do that? You’re never going to get her back if you keep biting her head off every time you see her.”
“I didn’t know you cared.” He replied sarcastically.
“Shawn, what’s gotten into you? All you can talk about is getting Mimi to move back and yet when the opportunity presents itself you let it slip by saying something stupid.”
“Just drop it okay.”
“It’s open” Shawn called from the bedroom when he heard the knock, he assumed it was Mimi bringing Zach over but when he came out he found it wasn’t her at all.
“Hi, you really shouldn’t tell people to walk in any time. One day there could be an axe murderer on the other side.” his guest commented.
“And what difference would it make if I told him to come in or if I opened the door for him?” he asked.
She smiled, “Well I can’t argue that logic.”
“Was there something you needed?” he asked her, wondering where Mimi was, she’d called earlier to let him know she was on her way, she should’ve been here by now.
“I need a reason to visit my brother?” Chelsea asked him.
“I’m sorry,” Shawn apologised, “it’s been a crappy day. So what brings you around?”
“Christmas.” she stated.
“What about Christmas?” he asked her, looking around for his car keys.
“You’re obviously distracted so I’ll come back another time.” She said and picked up her bag to leave.
“No Chelsea wait, I’m sorry. Mimi’s coming around with Zach and…”
“Things are still awkward between the two of you?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve been thinking of ways to get her to come back home but she seems so happy on her own and …”
“That bothers you because you’ve been missing her and she’s leading a merry life having fun and supporting herself. Well if you want my advice, and I’m not exactly an expert on relationships, but why don’t you just talk to her, tell her how you feel?”
“Because she won’t listen to me. I don’t know what happened but it’s like every time I tell her I miss her she just ignores me. She doesn’t trust me and I do not know why.”
“Let me get this straight, she thinks you still love Belle…”
“Which I don’t.”
“You might say you don’t but she obviously doesn’t believe that. So she thinks you still love Belle; that she was nothing but second best all the time you were together and when she walks out, you don’t immediately go running after her begging her to come back, instead you simply leave her to her own devices. So now three months later, you make some puny attempt to get her back and you want to know why she doesn’t trust you?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I have to admit it doesn’t look good.”
“Do you want to know what it looks like Shawn? It looks like you went for Belle the minute she walked out and that something went wrong and now, once again, you’re clamouring for your ‘back-up’ Barbie. My guess is that she thinks Philip’s arrival in town put a damper on your relationship with Belle.”
“That is not true; Belle and I are not together. I am not with her nor do I have any desire to be. Belle and I are friends, the only reason we spend that much time together is Claire.”
“But that’s not how Belle feels is it? She’s made it obvious that she’d love it if the two of you got back together…”
“But she hasn’t tried anything…”
“She got Mimi to move out didn’t she? All she has to do is wait for the day you turn around and tell her she’s the one.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“You say that now…”
“Hi Chelsea,” Mimi said as she carried Zach into the apartment, “it’s been a long time.”
“That it has, do you need help with that?” She asked as she reached for the diaper bag Mimi was carrying on her shoulder along with her own bag.
“Its fine,” Mimi replied, dumping the bag unceremoniously on the floor.
“I think I’ll be going now.” Chelsea said, not wanting to interrupt their time together.
But Mimi stopped her, “No, that’s not necessary. I’m just dropping Zach off.”
Mimi gave Zach a kiss, a long hug and handed him over to Shawn, “Be good for your dad okay? I don’t want to hear any horror stories when I get back.” she scolded playfully before turning and leaving.
“Did you see that?” Shawn asked his sister, outraged, “Did you? She didn’t even greet me.”
“I saw.” Chelsea said as she too left.
She bumped into Philip at the lift. “Coming to visit Claire?” she asked.
He shook his head, “Shawn, Belle and Claire are in Colarado with her parents. They should be back soon though, what with it being only a few days till Christmas.”
*****
Mimi knocked on the door even though it was already open. She found Shawn helping Belle set up the Christmas tree, Claire was running around with strings of popcorn, “Umm…Hi, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”Belle turned and smiled at her, “You aren’t, come on in.”
“It’s a bit late isn’t it?” Mimi commented, since Christmas was only three days away.
“Oh I know, but we’ve been in Colorado, just got back with my parents so everything’s a bit last minute. You can join in if you want.” Belle invited.
Mimi shook her head, “I didn’t know you were away; I’m not staying long. I just came to drop these off; one for you, two for Claire.”
Belle took the gifts from Mimi with a simple ‘thanks’; then she turned to Claire, “Look Claire, our first gifts to go under the tree.”
Claire exclaimed her delight and ran to Mimi for a fierce hug. “Thanks Aunt Mimi.”
“So, what are your plans for Christmas?” Belle asked.
“Zach and I are going to visit Patrick in L.A.; it’s actually a miracle the Lockhart’s are all going to be in the same place for Christmas, actually celebrating together.”
“You’re going to L.A. for Christmas?” Shawn interrupted her, “When was I going to be privy to this information, when I arrived at the apartment and you weren’t there?”
“I told you weeks ago.” Mimi reminded him.
“No, you said Patrick had invited you. You never said you were actually going.”
“Why would I bring it up if I weren’t going?”
“I don’t know, why do you do anything?”
Belle decided to play mediator before Shawn and Mimi two strips off each other once again. “Shawn, I think maybe you should calm down first.”
“Calm down? I just found out that I’m not going to be spending Christmas with my son. Christmas is three days away Belle.” he shouted at her as though she’d been involved in sending his son to L.A.
“Oh would you grow up? For goodness sake I’m taking him to see my brother for Christmas; we’ll be back by New Year’s.” Maybe.
“I don’t care if you’re coming back the day after Christmas, the fact of the matter remains that I’m not going to be able to spend Christmas with Zach.”
“And it’s all about you isn’t it? What Shawn wants, Shawn gets. No care for what anyone else who might want. Coming here was a mistake; if I’d known you’d be here I wouldn’t have come.” She stormed to the door, eager to get away from Shawn but Claire ran after her.
“Don’t go Aunt Mimi; the tree’s not done.”
Mimi bent down to the little girl; “Oh Claire sweetheart, I still have a lot of stops to make. But I’d love to see your tree when it’s done so would you do something for me?” The little girl nodded her head, “Would you get you mom or your dad to take a picture? That way I’ll get to see it when I come back.”
“Kay.”
“Bye sweetheart,” Mimi said as she hugged Claire, “have a great Christmas okay and be good for your mom.” Then she stood up, greeted Shawn and Belle and left the apartment.
The minute Mimi left, Belle slapped Shawn’s arm, “Why did you do that? You’re never going to get her back if you keep biting her head off every time you see her.”
“I didn’t know you cared.” He replied sarcastically.
“Shawn, what’s gotten into you? All you can talk about is getting Mimi to move back and yet when the opportunity presents itself you let it slip by saying something stupid.”
“Just drop it okay.”
