“Okay, so we have good news and bad news.” Laura began when everyone had settled down in the living room after getting all the luggage out of the car and into the house.
Scarlet rolled her eyes at her mother while Lauren chuckled from beside her.
Clark and Stewart were sat on the carpet with Angela, who was busy with her phone, boredom clearly visible on her face.
“The last time she said that, I ended up sleeping in the guest room.” Lauren shushed Scarlet, who had mumbled sourly.
Laura, unknown to her daughter’s sudden sour mood, continued, “So, the good news is that your father decided not to turn your room into a home gym.” Andrew huffed from beside her wife on the couch, while grandma Payne snorted.
“And the bad news. Tell her about the bad news now.” Jared piped up, but it didn’t help at all since Scarlet already knew the bad news. “Let me guess, you and aunt Wanda are staying in my room, and since Blake and Gregory are living here too, so they got Vanessa’s room.”
Aunt Wanda’s laughter was heard from the kitchen as Laura gave her daughter an apologetic look. “Oh, darling, Vanessa’s room is still hers. Blake and Gregory stay in the guest room.”
“Oh my god, why?!” Andrew glanced at Laura, while grandma Payne tried to control her laughter. She knew that it was unfair to Scarlet but it was just so fun to see her angry. It was like a cute puppy trying to bark at a bigger dog.
“Honey, Vanessa has a child now – our grandchild – she needs privacy and her own space.” Laura tried to explain herself, but Scarlet turned a deaf ear to her while still frowning. Lauren just smiled at how cute her girlfriend looked while angry.
It wasn’t that Lauren minded staying with Scarlet’s cousins. It made the whole wedding planning more exciting to her, since she enjoyed the last time they had stayed in the guest room with Blake, Juliet, Gregory and the twins.
“Its okay, Scar, we can stay in the guest room.” The blonde woman consoled her fiancé, but it was no use when Laura clicked her tongue. “About that--”
“Okay, we’re gonna go stay at a hotel now!” Scarlet exclaimed in disbelief as she got up from the carpet, while Lauren tried to pull her back down.
At that time, Blake and Gregory entered into the house with a loud entrance with Pudding.
“Mom, dad, we’re home!”
Scarlet looked to the entrance of the living room where Blake and Gregory came into view with Pudding in the younger boy’s arms.
“Oh my god, aunty Scar!”
“Scarlet!”
Both the boys rushed to Scarlet with their arms outstretched and the woman could only brace herself for the impact of their tight hugs. “Oh, I missed you so much.”
Scarlet laughed at their mixed sentences as both of them snuggled into her. Lauren smiled at their reunion and how happy Scarlet looked to be with her cousins again.
“Hey.” Blake broke off their embrace as he stared at someone sitting on the recliner with a frown. “What is she doing here?” Katie could only raise a hand and wave towards the man and the smaller boy, who was glaring at the woman.
“Isn’t she the one that cheated on aunty Scar?” Greg spoke with a frown himself, as he stared at the woman.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the living room turned awkward as Blake and Greg kept glaring at the dyed-blonde woman even after everything had settled down and the two were now sat beside Lauren and Scarlet.
“Would you stop glaring at her, you’re making her uncomfortable.” Lauren whispered to Blake, who only frowned as a response. “You should be glaring at her too, she cheated on your fiancé.” Blake whispered back which made the blonde woman smile towards him. She was happy that the guy cared so much for her, and not just him but everyone in the Payne family.
It made her feel loved even when her own family wasn’t as loving as the Payne household.
“It’s okay now. Katie is a friend now.”
Blake’s gasp was loud and dramatic, and definitely attention catching as everyone turned to look at him.
“Son, is there something you want to say?” Jared asked as he raised a questioning eyebrow at his son.
Blake could only shake his head frantically as he subtly glared at Lauren. “Does Scarlet approve of this friendship?” he whispered to her and got a chuckle in return. “Why do you think Katie’s here in the first place?”
Blake huffed before crossing his arms over his chest.
Scarlet had long gone with Stewart and Clark, to put all their luggage in the basement. Katie and Lauren were left in the living room with Blake and Andrew – who were busy watching news on the tv – while the three others sat talking to each other, well more like Blake and Lauren talking, while Katie sat listening to them talk.
The subject for their conversation, none other than, Katie herself.
“But, how can she forgive a cheater, I mean, I wouldn’t so easily.”
Lauren gave Blake a glare as he kept glaring at Katie while leaning his back on the sofa. Katie fidgeted in her new place beside Lauren, as she tried to ignore Blake’s words and his glare.
“Blake, that’s mean.”
Narrowing his eyes at the blonde woman, Blake gave a huff in response before looking over at the tv which had some news channel on.
“I’m sorry, he just loves Scar too much.” Lauren whispered to Katie, who only shook her head with a smile. “It’s okay. I understand his feelings. I wouldn’t have forgiven someone like me too.”
The blonde gave Katie a frown before holding her hand, “People make mistakes, and if they feel guilty enough to ask for forgiveness, its our duty to forgive them.”
Katie was surprised by what the blonde woman spoke, as a smile spread on her lips. She nodded gratefully at Lauren. At least someone was there to understand her and her circumstances as well.
Mistakes happen. We just need to let them go and forgive the people who committed them as well.
Katie was about to say something when she was cut off by the bell ringing.
“Could someone get the door please!?” Laura yelled from the kitchen as the doorbell rang again. Lauren smiled towards Katie, before getting up to see who it was that was at the front door.
Walking over to the entrance of the living room, she already found the front door open. “Oh my god, you’re pregnant again.” Scarlet spoke as she stared at Vanessa’s bloated stomach. “Oh my god, you’re still a rude-ass, I see.”
Scarlet frowned as a 2-year-old came running into the house while giggling. “Was that my niece?” Scarlet questioned as Lauren grabbed ahold of the little runner.
“Samantha!” Kevin came to the front door with his hands full with their luggage as he panted. “Too – m-many cars in the driveway!” He complained as he entered the house and placed all the luggage by the door before going into the kitchen, probably to get a glass of water.
“Oh my, Kevin!” Laura and Wanda exclaimed in excitement and it didn’t take an expert to know that he was being smothered by the two women in there.
“It’s like everyone of you is pregnant.” Scarlet mumbled, but it wasn’t low enough for Vanessa to not hear as she smacked her younger sister’s nape.
Lauren was busy with the 2-year-old, who kept giggling in her arms.
Scarlet, seeing the whole interaction, smiled in wonder. She wondered if Lauren liked kids just like her.
Andrew walked out of the living room with a large smile as he immediately came over to embrace his oldest daughter. “My baby.”
“Wow, I didn’t get such a warm welcome.” Scarlet mumbled sourly and got a smack again on the nape by none other than her sister. “Shut up.”
The father daughter stood embracing each other, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, and probably because that was exactly the case.
Vanessa and Kevin had gone back to their home in California, while Lauren and Scarlet went back to New York. Juliet and the twins went back to their home in the next town, with Aunt Judith and Uncle Tyler.
It was only Jared, who had agreed to stay and help Andrew to look after their sick mother. Grandma Payne had become quite roguish after the wedding since she became rebellious and nothing helped to tone her habits down.
Scarlet pouted before going over to Lauren, who was still busy with Samantha. The child kept playing with Lauren’s hair as she giggled. The sight made Scarlet smile as she looked at them.
“How old is she?” Lauren smiled as she looked towards Vanessa, who was giving her a smile of her own now.
Andrew and Vanessa had broken off their embrace and had all of their attention on Lauren, who was holding onto little Samantha. “She’s two, turning three in a few months.”
Scarlet nodded attentively while poking the little girl in the side. Samantha began to giggle as she wiggled in Lauren’s hold, while the older dark-haired woman continued to annoy the little girl.
“Sammy, this here is your aunt Lauren.” Vanessa had come closer to the blonde woman and her daughter as she began to introduce everyone to her daughter. The two-year-old gave Lauren a grin, who only cooed in response.
“And this is your aunt Scar.” The girl turned a little in Lauren’s arms to look at the mentioned person but soon turned back around which made not only Scarlet surprised but also the three other people stood around them.
“Did she just ignore the baby whisperer?” Andrew spoke in a teasing tone as he chuckled whilst leaving them in the hallway, to go to the living room. Vanessa gave her daughter a curious look while Lauren felt like rubbing this mere fact in Scarlet’s face, who was technically shaken up by her niece’s behavior.
“Vanessa, I love your daughter!” Vanessa could only laugh as Lauren smirked towards Scarlet, who gave her fiancé a glare.
So, there did exist a child in the Payne family that did not worship Scarlet like every other child did.
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