Part Nineteen

Spending the rest of the day with her mother, although Phoebe noticed Naomi was now distracted and often texting someone on her phone, Phoebe and Cindy left Naomi and returned back to Redstone Manor with the promise that they would meet up again tomorrow.

Waking up that next morning, Phoebe spent the first several minutes like she usually did, responding to messages from friends and scrolling through her social media feed on the Pulse when she paused as she saw several photos posted by her mother.

The first was with the man, the tagged photo revealing him as Billy Stokes from the Giselle's Restaurant yesterday, the pair making out in Club Ruby. The photos after showed her mother and Billy in a car, followed by photos of them looking cosy at an airport and on a plane. Confused but almost immediately recognising what this meant, Phoebe sent a message to her mother, followed by another as she sighed with disappointment however it was then that she heard a knock on a bedroom and not wanting to see anyone, she was someone glad that Cindy didn't take to the message when she opened the door and made her way over to her best friend.

"I just saw the pictures on the Pulse." Cindy said as she gave Phoebe a much needed hug. "I'm sorry."

"Why, it's not your fault?" Phoebe responded. "It's mine. I should have known she... I did this to myself. Believed she really wanted to try this time..."

"Don't do that yourself. That's on her, don't go feeling guilty about what Naomi did to you." Cindy tried to reassure her. "Don't blame yourself."

"Why shouldn't I?" Phoebe sighed. "I did get my hopes up and now my fears are true. I'm alone."

"No you're not. You got Dad and Mom and me," Cindy said. "Your sister and I'm never abandoning you. Not like Naomi, trust me."

Peter and Asa spent the morning in bed together before eventually having a shower and getting ready for the day ahead and making their way downstairs where they made their way to the kitchen, deciding to cook for the girls that day instead of having Luna make something.

It was as they were making breakfast, Cindy entered the kitchen with a look that the two parents immediately recognised as meaning that she had something to tell them and upon asking the teenager, Cindy quickly explained everything and the two parents, followed by Cindy made their way to Phoebe's bedroom where they found the young girl just having gotten dressed.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Asa said as she gave Phoebe hug. "I'm sorry Naomi did that to you again."

"Me too." Peter added as he also joined the hug.

"Don't be. It's my fault." Phoebe sighed.

"Stop saying that," Cindy told her friend. "It's not..."

"She's right, the only one to blame is Naomi," Peter said in annoyance. "She should never have gotten your hopes up or even make promises about doing something if she knew she wouldn't follow through."

"Your father and Cindy are right. It's not your fault, it's hers and if she wants to miss out on spending time with the most beautiful girls I know then that's on her because," Asa added. "You Phoebe Grayson are amazing."

"And to show you how much we think you are, we're gonna have a nice, chilled out, Phoebe Day," Peter told her.

"Isn't that everyday?" Cindy jested causing Phoebe to roll her eyes at the brunette.

"Movies, board games, like we used to back when you two were younger. It'll be a nice distraction," Peter clarified. "Your choices...."

"Can we play Monopoly?" Phoebe asked.

"Except that one." Asa said with a smirk.

"Why not?" Phoebe questioned.

"You really have to ask that?" Cindy commented. "You cheat all the time."

"Do not!" Phoebe defended herself.

"So that extra hundred just appeared with the rest of your money out of thin air then the last time we played?" Cindy fired back causing the two girls to bicker.

"We'll see you downstairs and then decide, okay?" Peter called out as he and Asa made their way towards the bedroom door however the two girls too busy debating whether or not Phoebe had cheated to acknowledge what Peter had said and before they could cross, Peter looked back at Phoebe once more, worriedly.

"She's gonna be okay," Asa said, her hand, moving to hold Peter's in comfort. "She will."

"How'd you know?" Peter said, looking back at the blonde.

"Because she has us," Asa reminded Peter. "Her parents. Her family."

It was evening and Peter couldn't help but look at his family, sitting around their dining table, adorned with twinkling candles and a lavish spread of food, cooked by his wife of nearly a year now, Asa to celebrate the winter holidays and having their now nineteen year old girls home from college.

The warm glow from the fireplace flickered against the walls, casting shadows across the faces of Peter and Asa as they exchanged knowing glances as Phoebe and Cindy remained oblivious to the news about to be revealed and instead continued talking excitedly about their own lives, their futures, and the holiday plans they had made while they were still with their parents.

"Phoebe and Cindy, we wanted to share with you something that Asa and I have been keeping secret for the past few months," Peter said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "We are delighted to announce that we are expecting a baby."

The news hit the sisters like a ton of bricks. Their eyes widened, their jaws dropped, and their faces flushed with shock and disbelief. Phoebe, the older of the two, was the first to find her voice.

"A baby? You're... pregnant?" Phoebe stammered, looking first at her mother and then at her father.

"Yes, sweetheart. We are expecting a baby. We wanted to wait until now, when the two of you were home for the holidays, to share the news." Asa smiled warmly, nodding.

"This is... amazing," Cindy said, her voice filled with wonder. "Congratulations, Mom and Dad!"

"Yeah, congratulations. This is like the best news ever," Phoebe said excitedly in agreement. "We're gonna have to come down more now for our little brother or sister."

"Definitely." Cindy smiled.

"They're gonna need us, especially if they're gonna turn out as amazing," Phoebe added. "Ain't that right?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded in agreement as he looked around the table at his family happily. "Definitely…”