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Scott stood quietly and thought about his daughters. He still could not believe he had three daughters. He held the family Christmas picture in his hands.

Scott was too engrossed in his thoughts to hear the car pull up outside. It was not until the front door swung that he realized new guests had arrived. He looked up and found the spot where Deidre was standing empty. He cautiously made his way into the living area only to find no one was there either. He realized that it must have been Deidre going out the door. When he looked out the window, Scott saw two little girls and his sister Hannah helping another toddler out of the car. The twins weren’t babies anymore and Rachel looked exactly like the picture he picked up earlier.

"Your husband is watching us from the window. It's kind of creepy." Hannah said hugging Deidre.

"Yeah, well he's been through a lot. I think he's curious more than anything. He hasn't said much, mostly just asked questions."

"Hi mommy," Rachel said walking up and hugging Deidre.

"Hey you. How was school?" She asked kissing her oldest daughter on the forehead.

"You made us go to school while daddy was in the hospital. It was horrible."

"I'm sorry Rachel, but you know how I feel about you guys missing school." Deidre smoothed Rachel’s hair. Deidre bent down to the two toddlers’ level. She lightly took hold of one of each of their arms. "And how about you two Gabrielle and Tessa, did you guys have fun at daycare?"

Gabby pouted and shook her head. "No,” Gabby asked as she struggled to get out of her mother's grip.

"Hey you guys; why don't we go down to the beach and talk?" Deidre suggested pulling the twins away from the house and beckoning Rachel to follow.

Hannah smiled at the four retreating figures and walked in to see her brother.  She put the food she brought in the kitchen. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I'm married, with kids, daughters to be exact."

"What did Chase say about the whole memory loss thing? Will it come back?"

"Not sure right now, it may come back, it might not. I just … I feel like I've missed out on so much. From what Deidre's told me, I have."

"Well maybe if I give you a good whack on the head all will be back to normal." Hannah smiled.

Scott did not look amused. "Hannah, the human body is not that simple."

"I know that Scott. Lighten up. Everything will work out in the end. It always does."

"There's no way to know for sure." Scott looked through the window out to the beach and watched as Deidre talked to Rachel, Tess and Gabby. "If my memory doesn't come back, if everything's not okay, those girls just lost their father and Deidre has lost her husband, and I don't think I can be who they need me to be."

"You do not need to think like that Scott."

"Why shouldn't I? I'm being realistic here."

"Stop having a pity party for yourself. You don't need to be all down and out when the girls get in here. No doubt Deidre is explaining to them what's going on. But if they see you upset about the whole thing then they're going to get upset. You don't want that do you?" Scott shook his head. "As far as being a husband and a father goes, just be yourself, that's the person Deidre fell in love with and that's the person who is those girls dad. I've got to use the bathroom." Hannah left Scott by himself staring out the window, watching Deidre talk to his daughters, and thinking about what she had said.

Rachel picked up a stone and threw it in the water while Gabby and Tess played in the sand with her mother. "Hey Rachel come here okay. I want to talk to you guys."

"Daddy otay?" Gabby asked.

"Well, daddy was in a car accident last night right. Remember when I told you that?" Deidre asked.

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Rachel, Tess and Gabby were playing in the playroom when Deidre came in. From her disheveled appearance, Rachel knew immediately that something was wrong. She was a very observant child for her seven years. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Rachel asked putting the doll she'd had in her hand down and walking over to her mother.

Deidre smiled sadly. "Hey girls come here and sit with me okay."

Rachel sat next to her mother while Tess and Gabby both climbed up on her lap. "I have to go to the hospital tonight as soon as your Aunt Hannah gets here okay?"

"But why mommy sad?" Tessa asked reaching up to touch her mother's face.

"Daddy was in an accident about an hour ago. And the doctor said that he wasn't awake yet."

"But daddy otay. Daddy stwong.” Gabby said innocently.

Deidre couldn't look her daughter in the eye so she turned her head. "Why don't we get you guys ready for bed? You have school tomorrow and I don't want you to be any trouble for Aunt Hannah when she gets here okay."

Rachel nodded her head and walked upstairs with her mom and twin sisters following behind her. Rachel went by herself to her room and Deidre followed Gabby and Tess to help them put their pajamas on. "No stowy fwom daddy?" Tess asked as Deidre pulled the shirt over the two-year-old’s head.

“No Tessa, daddy is sleeping at the hospital tonight because of his accident.” Deidre explained.

“Oh.” Tess said.

Gabby, who was dressed and playing with a doll looked up, “Sleep in big wroom?” Gabby asked referring to the upstairs bonus room.

"Yeah Gabby that's fine with me, I’ll tell your Aunt Hannah when she gets here okay." Deidre said.

 

________________________________________________________

“Daddy otay?" Tessa asked, repeating her twin’s question.

Deidre took a deep breath and exhaled, "sweetie, daddy hit his head really hard on the steering wheel and when he got to the hospital he wasn't awake."

"But daddy otay. Daddy here.” Gabby said.

"Your dad doesn't remember a lot of things."

"No member?" Tessa asked confused. She tilted her head to the side.

Deidre shook her head.

"What does he remember, mommy?" Rachel asked afraid of the answer.

"Well he remembers when I moved here," Deidre started.

"But that was a long time ago." Rachel said.

"I know, he doesn't remember much after that."

"He doesn’t remember us?” Rachel asked.

"Girls,” Deidre said, “sometimes when people get hurt really bad they forget people and things that happened. When everything else is all better, like the scrapes and bruises, they still don't remember important things. And it hurts the people they love, but they don't do it on purpose. So we have to be strong for daddy okay?"

"Okay mommy," Rachel said.

"Okay Gabby and Tessa?"

"Otay." Tessa said.

“I stwong.” Gabby said.

"Do you want to play out here for a little while, or should we go eat the dinner Aunt Hannah brought back?"

"I want to eat. I'm hungry." Rachel said turning toward the house.

"Okay then. Tess and Gabby, let's go." Deidre grabbed her daughters’ hands and followed Rachel to the house.

When Scott saw the four of them making their way back to the house, he quickly moved away from the window and looked for something to do. He decided to occupy himself by looking through a photo album sitting on the coffee table in the living room. As he flipped to another page, the door opened and Deidre, Gabby, Tess and Rachel stepped into the house. He tried to ignore the sounds of them making their way to the kitchen. A few seconds later, Deidre came into the room where Scott was sitting by himself.

"Hey," she said, "you should eat something. I thought about making you a plate, but there's nothing wrong with your legs, only your head."

Scott looked at her. He was not amused. He could not understand how she could joke about the situation that he was in. "That was not funny."

"Scott, I know and, I'm sorry, I…" she sighed, "I don't know how I'm supposed to act, or what I'm supposed to do. You don't know me, or us or the girls and I know it's not your fault.” She took in a deep breath and started over. “Look I know you're probably hungry. The sandwich you had for lunch has defiantly worn off by now."

"I don't think I should go in there. Not right now at least."

"What are you talking about Scott?"

"I…"

"Are you afraid to go in there and eat dinner with Tess, Gabby and Rachel? It doesn't matter that you might feel awkward eating with your daughters. I… I want to keep things as close to normal as possible for the girls. They know what happened, and they know you don't remember our life. But they're children they only comprehend so much. They love you, whether you know it or not they do. If you don't eat with Rachel, Gabby and Tess, you'll only hurt them. Avoiding your daughters is not the answer."

"Deidre you can't possibly know how I'm feeling right now. I can't go in there and pretend to be something I'm not, someone I'm not."

"I'm not asking you to. I want you to just eat with them; eat with us. Show the girls that while you may not remember them, you're still okay. They are worried about you."

"I don't think I can do that,"

"Why not?"

"Because they're strangers, and I'm a stranger to them. I'm not the man you told me about in the car. In my head, I'm at the point where I'm insanely attracted to you and I just want to get in your pants. To me you're still the new lawyer who’s good friends with Emi and who can't stand me. I don't have kids and I can't possibly be married because I love the single life too damn much to give it up. I'm sorry to disappoint you." Scott said. He stood up and made his way outside.

Deidre sat alone on the sofa trying to replay everything he said. She knew he was frustrated and confused, any one could see that. She just could not accept that he did not want to be the man she had come to rely on. Deidre wiped a stray tear from her face and stood up to go into the kitchen. She smiled to herself; at least he had sense enough not to speak loud enough for the girls to hear.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hannah asked as she came into the room. "I heard everything."

"I'll be fine Hannah, I don't know about him though? I thought … I didn't think that he would act like this. In the car, on the way here, he asked questions and I told him everything. I thought he accepted it and, I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I should take the girls home after dinner and let him stay here to think things over. I just, I wanted Rachel and Gabby and Tess to see that Scott was okay and I wanted Scott to know that we love him."

Hannah walked over to her sister-in-law and pulled her into a hug, "Everything will work out. It has to sweetie. I'll go check on him. You go eat something with the girls."

Hannah stormed outside and let the door slam behind her, "Scott!" She yelled down to where he was standing by the water.

He looked up and he could see his sister was mad. Even she had changed, he thought to himself. She looked and acted more mature, but he could still see remnants of the baby sister he remembered.

"What the hell was that?" Hannah asked coming to stop in front of him and pointing to the house.

"Hannah, I don't want to talk about it."

"Why are you pushing her away? The only woman who's loved you enough to put up with your arrogant ass and you push her away."

"I don't know anyone in that house Hannah. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to not run away from your problems. Deal with everything instead. So you don't know how to be who she wants you to be and who those girls need you to be. The best way to start is just to be there. I know you. I could tell you care about the girls from the way you were watching them with Deidre out on the beach. It’s not like I’m asking you to tuck them into bed and read them a story. Just have dinner with them god.”

Scott and Hannah stood out side for a while looking at the waves meeting the shore. They let the air between them calm before either said anything.

"I think Deidre is going to take the girls home instead of staying here with you. Do you want to stay here, by yourself or do you want some company? I'll stay if you need me." Hannah stated.

Scott closed his eyes; he had not meant to hurt anyone, especially Gabby, Tess and Rachel. He had a feeling they would not like being away from him after his accident. But he needed time alone, to figure things out, and maybe he would remember something in the process. "I think I'll stay here by myself. You don't need to babysit me."

"Okay then." Hannah went inside to inform Deidre of Scott's decision.

Scott stayed outside listening to the calming sounds of nature as he thought about everything he was told about his life. He was not sure how long he had been out there when he heard the door to the house open and close again. He looked up and saw Deidre, Hannah, Gabby Tess and Rachel walk out to the car. Hannah smiled and ushered the girls to the car. All four waved at him before they got in. Deidre made her way down toward him.

"Hey, are you sure you'll be alright up here by yourself tonight?"

"I'll be fine. I'm a grown man." He smiled weakly. "Deidre I'm not trying to hurt you, you know that right."

Deidre forced a tight smile and looked back to the car.

"I may be an ass, but I don't go around trying to hurt people. I think I just need to figure this out."

"Okay, I guess I understand." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I left phone numbers and addresses on the refrigerator, in case you want to go somewhere. Your phone is also on the table. If you need anything, if anything happens, or you just need someone to talk to, call me please."

"Alright. Thanks Deidre," Scott smiled. He was surprised when she pulled him into a hug.

"I don't care if you don't want to hear it. I love you." She kissed him on the cheek and smiled before walking away.

Scott stood and watched the two cars pull away. After they were gone he stood outside for a few more minuets before he went inside to be alone with his thoughts.

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the girls

 






Chapter End Notes:

Very, very close to the end now. Maybe two more chapters.





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