He should make an attempt to reconcile with Carly. It wouldn't take much. She misses him more than she cares to admit. I'm not allowed to bring it up when I'm around her, but its obvious. She mentioned how he's been taking his stuff from the apartment when she isn't there, and I could tell how much it hurt her. She thinks he's moving on.
I have hard time believing that Sam could be doing that. The way he's holding Julia alone shows how much he loves her. If I were in his place, I couldn't turn my back on my family as easily as Carly seems to think Sam did. I don't think he has either. I think he's just fighting the notion that the first step in fixing this is going to have to be his.
Carly started all of this. Someone on the outside might take that knowledge and say its her job to end it too. But if I know better, then so does Sam. Carly believes in the actions she chose. The longer Sam lets it go without a fight, the more she thinks she has justification for the whole thing.
He's just proving her right by staying away, and its hurting everyone.
No decent father should think seeing their kid one time in a week is acceptable when he's fighting with his girlfriend. And the fact that he loves Carly makes this all the more depressing.
They need to kiss and make up already.
"Have a seat."
"Alright." I shrugged and walked over to the bench and sat down with him, smirking a little at the way Julia was clinging to him.
He's going to remember that after she leaves. Whether I can convince Sam to talk to Carly or not, there's still a chance for indirect progress.
"So, how's dating my sister?"
"Its..." Why is he putting me on the spot when he's the one with all the trouble? "Something." I laughed. "Something good." I'd rather not tell him much more. He's her brother. Its weird.
Nevermind how he could set me on fire without warning if I told him something he didn't appreciate hearing. I think I said enough.
Hey, look. Something that actually throws Dan off a little. If it was going to be anything, it'd be Arianna.
"Something. Something good."
"She's said pretty much the same thing." I know he's not going to give me details, and I don't want them. The last thing I want to hear about is how it went. I just want to know if things are going well. Between the looks on the two of them, it is.
It might be different, but at least it's making my sister happy. That's all I care about.
"How have you been doing?"
"Fine." Mostly. I smiled as I watched Julia reach up and pull on one of the fake tree's leaves, then moved her hand away once she started pulling too hard on it. It falls, and it could really easy since it's that cheap, it'll fall on me. I don't need that.
I glanced over at Dan, and rolled my eyes at him. "I'm handling it, I'm not drunk, I haven't thought about it that much," Sort of. Madsen cleaned out his house not too long after he got home. I'm somewhere between insulted and grateful. "And I'm not seeing anyone else. And I haven't thought about it either."
I'd like to think that Dan would know me better than that by now, I've been with his aunt long enough to at least get a little trust. Either way, I keep feeling like I should be making it clear. Arianna's asked me once or twice if I've thought about giving things a second go with Natasha, most likely checking where I was at.
And I told her no. She's in the past, whether she likes it or not. And I've told Nastasha that, only to get hit with 'history can repeat itself'. Which is probably what Carly's thinking.
It doesn't work that way with me.
"And, before you even bother to ask, yeah, I've thought about calling her." I tried. And that turned out to be another thing that doesn't work with me.
"How is she?"
Carly's not about to break down just because I'm not there. She's too stubborn for that. I don't like the idea that she could move on without me, but she did it before. It didn't exactly go well, but she still did it. She could do it again.
And that's what she's probably working on, right now. The only difference is, now, we have a daughter. Which would be one of the biggest reasons why I want this to end.
How that's going to happen, right now, is beyond me.
Alright. I'm not sure that I buy it, but I doubt Sam cares either way. He doesn't have to prove himself to me, I'm just his girlfriend's nephew. I understand that I was part of the package. We're not really friends, and we wouldn't talk at all if not for Carly and Julia. Knowing that, I still want to see him work this out with Carly. They'd both be happy again if they did.
And personally, I'd like to see both of them aware that they're not really fine. It would do a lot for them if they could see that they need each other.
"I'm handling it, I'm not drunk, I haven't thought about it that much."
"That's good."
It hadn't crossed my mind, honestly, but I'm still glad to hear it. I think most of us have enough faith in Sam to know that he wouldn't fall off the wagon over this. Especially if he's really as 'fine' as he claims he is.
I hope, for Carly and Julia's sake that he isn't, but its good that it hasn't tempted him to drink. He's been sober for a long time.
Carly has always been proud of him for being able to quit. I'd let him know that, but I think it goes without saying. And I don't want to risk him becoming irritated with me for rubbing it in that she helped him. Everyone knows how much they've supported each other through, I'd never be dumb enough to believe that they need to be reminded.
"And I'm not seeing anyone else. And I haven't thought about it either."
"Arianna told me." Then I tried to pass that along to Carly, and it didn't go very well. "Carly assumes you're with Natasha. Mostly because she didn't hear anything after you left with her."
I haven't been able to tell her otherwise because I'm not allowed to mention Sam anymore. The only time we talked about it in depth, she started tearing up and told me she had to go slaying. After that, it was off limits, and I felt like a jackass for bringing it up in the first place.
"How is she?"
"She's trying." I don't want him to think she's getting along too easily without him, but that's exactly what she's determined to do. "She's been spending all of her time either at work, or with Julia."
I'd call it admirable if she hadn't made a bad move in the first place.
"I know its not my place to say it, but I have to tell you, she's different when you're not around. A lot quieter. She keeps to herself as much as she can, and even when we're talking, she's distant."
Yeah. Its not my place, but someone has to say it if she won't.
"Arianna told me. Carly assumes you're with Natasha. Mostly because she didn't hear anything after you left with her."
She would. That proves how much faith she has in me. Jesus. It's not like she's called me either, and I only thought for a little while that she might be off having sex with someone else. Then I thought that was wrong, because she's not exactly like that.
So at least I've got more faith in her, and in us, than she does. She just automatically thinks I've run off or something. Un-freakin'-believable.
"She's trying."
Of course she is. I wouldn't expect anything less out of her.
"She's been spending all of her time either at work, or with Julia."
Which is pretty much what I thought she'd be doing. She's not leaving Julia with anyone else, and that's good. One of us should at least be there, even if thanks to this stupid crap, I can't be all the time.
"I know its not my place to say it, but I have to tell you, she's different when you're not around. A lot quieter. She keeps to herself as much as she can, and even when we're talking, she's distant."
"She's the one who started this." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and right after it, I flinched and regretted it. "I'm sorry. I haven't completely stopped being mad yet." I thought I had, but apparently I'm still just enough to say something stupid. To Dan, no less. So much for looking fine.
And I'm not happy about her being upset. I'd love to make it better. She won't let me.
"Mostly I'm just tired of this." And can't make myself call her yet. "And I don't know how I'm going to convince her that she's still the one I want. I already told Natasha off more than once for coming here like she did." She's about as bad as Carly is. There's no comparison on the two, except for that. They both can be inhumanely stubborn.
And I really don't enjoy talking about this in front of Julia, but I don't have a choice in the matter. And I don't want to give her up until they have to leave. This is as much time as I'm going to get for the moment, I'm taking it.
"But I know Carly's not going to change her mind." So, that's where I lose track of exactly what the hell I'm supposed to do.
"... And just so we're clear, I'm surprised you did this. Does she even know you're here?" I have to ask. And if she doesn't, I want to know if he's going to tell her. That's probably at least a good amount of wrath.
I could tell him why, too. Its a stupid way to look at it because regardless of Carly starting it, Carly is not going to be the one to finish it. The way she's been approaching this, its over unless Sam decides to tell her otherwise. She hasn't been willing to hear about him, and she thinks there's nothing more for her to do.
Carly is focusing on getting over it, because as far as she's concerned, that's all she can do. Try to tell her otherwise and she won't listen to it. She knows she screwed up. She thinks she deserves her life the way it is now.
Maybe she does, but when all three of them are suffering because of it, I tend to think it can be fixed no matter what karma wants for her.
"I'm sorry. I haven't completely stopped being mad yet."
I wonder how much he thinks being mad is going to solve. I knew I shouldn't have gotten in the middle of this. I can't do it without wanting to argue that they should get back together. And in some ways, I want to defend Carly too. No matter what she did, she's still a good person, and she still loves her family. She may not be a logical person, but I think you can only take the anger so far sometimes.
"Mostly I'm just tired of this. And I don't know how I'm going to convince her that she's still the one I want. I already told Natasha off more than once for coming here like she did."
Is it wrong of me to think the whole thing could have been avoided if Sam would have just told her to come back later when she showed up? I know Carly still wouldn't have been happy about it, but if he'd prepared her for it, and explained it, and not wanted to abruptly walk out with Natasha the way he did, it would have been different.
She'd have been pissed instead of heartbroken. He'd have had to put up with one day of the silent treatment and it would have ended after that.
"But I know Carly's not going to change her mind."
"Carly isn't going to approach you about this, if that's what you mean." I sighed. "But I don't think she'll need a lot of convincing. She knows there was a lot wrong with the way that she acted."
"... And just so we're clear, I'm surprised you did this. Does she even know you're here?"
"No, she doesn't." And she won't, if I have any say in it. "I only did it because you both seem so far from getting this resolved, and its starting to affect Julia a lot more than either one of you seem to realize."
She's okay, but she's not happy. I think they both like to forget that they're not the only ones paying for their mistakes anymore. Sam may miss her, and Carly may say its hard to deal with her on her own, but I don't think either of them understand that Julia can process that something is wrong with her family. She knows its not normal to just have Carly with her.
...I'll say it. If Sam hates me dating Arianna after this, I'll work it out somehow.
"You're both hurting your daughter. Carly for starting it, and you for letting it last as long as it has."
They're both so afraid of being bad parents, and yet, that's exactly what they're doing now.
"It would be different if you guys didn't love each other, but you do."
Anyone could see them breaking up if they didn't care anymore. Damn. I think we'd all be pulling for it if that was the reason being them not wanting to be together. But this was one fight, over something that happened a long time ago. It got out of control, that's all. And instead of fixing it, they're letting themselves, and Julia, stay miserable.
"Carly made a mistake. Just like you did when you left her after high school. It wasn't right, but it happened, and all you can do is work on it from here on out. Considering that you love Carly, and that she's forgiven you for every mistake you've ever made, maybe you should stop being angry and let her have this one. Try to work it out."
Its official. Arianna's brother hates me.
"You're abandoning them both if you do anything less."
"Carly isn't going to approach you about this, if that's what you mean."
I wasn't expecting that much. Heaven forbid she decides to handle this herself, and actually come to me, and say she's sorry.
It has to be me. Always. Because she makes everything oh so freakin' justified inside her head, and she has to blindly keep believing she did the right thing, no matter how wrong it is.
"But I don't think she'll need a lot of convincing. She knows there was a lot wrong with the way that she acted."
I really doubt that.
"No, she doesn't. I only did it because you both seem so far from getting this resolved, and its starting to affect Julia a lot more than either one of you seem to realize."
I know it's affecting Julia. If I didn't, how she's acting right now would tell me. I don't like this anymore than she does. And I would get this resolved if I could figure out what to say about this. She is going to need convincing. That's how Carly is.
I smiled a little when I felt Julia's hand on my cheek, and turned my head, kissing her hand. He's right, she does know what's going on. Not completely, but she knows enough.
"You're both hurting your daughter. Carly for starting it, and you for letting it last as long as it has."
And now he's going to tell me more of what I already know.
"It would be different if you guys didn't love each other, but you do."
Tell that to Carly. She's the one who seems to think I'd be better off with someone else. That I left everything and went back to her because I had to 'grow up sometime'. It was nothing like that.
"Carly made a mistake. Just like you did when you left her after high school. It wasn't right, but it happened, and all you can do is work on it from here on out. Considering that you love Carly, and that she's forgiven you for every mistake you've ever made, maybe you should stop being angry and let her have this one. Try to work it out."
...
"You're abandoning them both if you do anything less."
I think I'd say something jackass worthy, if it weren't for three things. One, he brought Julia. He goes, she goes. Two, Arianna would give me three shades of hell for the next month. Or three.
He should make an attempt to reconcile with Carly. It wouldn't take much. She misses him more than she cares to admit. I'm not allowed to bring it up when I'm around her, but its obvious. She mentioned how he's been taking his stuff from the apartment when she isn't there, and I could tell how much it hurt her. She thinks he's moving on.
I have hard time believing that Sam could be doing that. The way he's holding Julia alone shows how much he loves her. If I were in his place, I couldn't turn my back on my family as easily as Carly seems to think Sam did. I don't think he has either. I think he's just fighting the notion that the first step in fixing this is going to have to be his.
Carly started all of this. Someone on the outside might take that knowledge and say its her job to end it too. But if I know better, then so does Sam. Carly believes in the actions she chose. The longer Sam lets it go without a fight, the more she thinks she has justification for the whole thing.
He's just proving her right by staying away, and its hurting everyone.
No decent father should think seeing their kid one time in a week is acceptable when he's fighting with his girlfriend. And the fact that he loves Carly makes this all the more depressing.
They need to kiss and make up already.
"Have a seat."
"Alright." I shrugged and walked over to the bench and sat down with him, smirking a little at the way Julia was clinging to him.
He's going to remember that after she leaves. Whether I can convince Sam to talk to Carly or not, there's still a chance for indirect progress.
"So, how's dating my sister?"
"Its..." Why is he putting me on the spot when he's the one with all the trouble? "Something." I laughed. "Something good." I'd rather not tell him much more. He's her brother. Its weird.
Nevermind how he could set me on fire without warning if I told him something he didn't appreciate hearing. I think I said enough.
"How have you been doing?"
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Hey, look. Something that actually throws Dan off a little. If it was going to be anything, it'd be Arianna.
"Something. Something good."
"She's said pretty much the same thing." I know he's not going to give me details, and I don't want them. The last thing I want to hear about is how it went. I just want to know if things are going well. Between the looks on the two of them, it is.
It might be different, but at least it's making my sister happy. That's all I care about.
"How have you been doing?"
"Fine." Mostly. I smiled as I watched Julia reach up and pull on one of the fake tree's leaves, then moved her hand away once she started pulling too hard on it. It falls, and it could really easy since it's that cheap, it'll fall on me. I don't need that.
I glanced over at Dan, and rolled my eyes at him. "I'm handling it, I'm not drunk, I haven't thought about it that much," Sort of. Madsen cleaned out his house not too long after he got home. I'm somewhere between insulted and grateful. "And I'm not seeing anyone else. And I haven't thought about it either."
I'd like to think that Dan would know me better than that by now, I've been with his aunt long enough to at least get a little trust. Either way, I keep feeling like I should be making it clear. Arianna's asked me once or twice if I've thought about giving things a second go with Natasha, most likely checking where I was at.
And I told her no. She's in the past, whether she likes it or not. And I've told Nastasha that, only to get hit with 'history can repeat itself'. Which is probably what Carly's thinking.
It doesn't work that way with me.
"And, before you even bother to ask, yeah, I've thought about calling her." I tried. And that turned out to be another thing that doesn't work with me.
"How is she?"
Carly's not about to break down just because I'm not there. She's too stubborn for that. I don't like the idea that she could move on without me, but she did it before. It didn't exactly go well, but she still did it. She could do it again.
And that's what she's probably working on, right now. The only difference is, now, we have a daughter. Which would be one of the biggest reasons why I want this to end.
How that's going to happen, right now, is beyond me.
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Alright. I'm not sure that I buy it, but I doubt Sam cares either way. He doesn't have to prove himself to me, I'm just his girlfriend's nephew. I understand that I was part of the package. We're not really friends, and we wouldn't talk at all if not for Carly and Julia. Knowing that, I still want to see him work this out with Carly. They'd both be happy again if they did.
And personally, I'd like to see both of them aware that they're not really fine. It would do a lot for them if they could see that they need each other.
"I'm handling it, I'm not drunk, I haven't thought about it that much."
"That's good."
It hadn't crossed my mind, honestly, but I'm still glad to hear it. I think most of us have enough faith in Sam to know that he wouldn't fall off the wagon over this. Especially if he's really as 'fine' as he claims he is.
I hope, for Carly and Julia's sake that he isn't, but its good that it hasn't tempted him to drink. He's been sober for a long time.
Carly has always been proud of him for being able to quit. I'd let him know that, but I think it goes without saying. And I don't want to risk him becoming irritated with me for rubbing it in that she helped him. Everyone knows how much they've supported each other through, I'd never be dumb enough to believe that they need to be reminded.
"And I'm not seeing anyone else. And I haven't thought about it either."
"Arianna told me." Then I tried to pass that along to Carly, and it didn't go very well. "Carly assumes you're with Natasha. Mostly because she didn't hear anything after you left with her."
I haven't been able to tell her otherwise because I'm not allowed to mention Sam anymore. The only time we talked about it in depth, she started tearing up and told me she had to go slaying. After that, it was off limits, and I felt like a jackass for bringing it up in the first place.
"How is she?"
"She's trying." I don't want him to think she's getting along too easily without him, but that's exactly what she's determined to do. "She's been spending all of her time either at work, or with Julia."
I'd call it admirable if she hadn't made a bad move in the first place.
"I know its not my place to say it, but I have to tell you, she's different when you're not around. A lot quieter. She keeps to herself as much as she can, and even when we're talking, she's distant."
Yeah. Its not my place, but someone has to say it if she won't.
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She would. That proves how much faith she has in me. Jesus. It's not like she's called me either, and I only thought for a little while that she might be off having sex with someone else. Then I thought that was wrong, because she's not exactly like that.
So at least I've got more faith in her, and in us, than she does. She just automatically thinks I've run off or something. Un-freakin'-believable.
"She's trying."
Of course she is. I wouldn't expect anything less out of her.
"She's been spending all of her time either at work, or with Julia."
Which is pretty much what I thought she'd be doing. She's not leaving Julia with anyone else, and that's good. One of us should at least be there, even if thanks to this stupid crap, I can't be all the time.
"I know its not my place to say it, but I have to tell you, she's different when you're not around. A lot quieter. She keeps to herself as much as she can, and even when we're talking, she's distant."
"She's the one who started this." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and right after it, I flinched and regretted it. "I'm sorry. I haven't completely stopped being mad yet." I thought I had, but apparently I'm still just enough to say something stupid. To Dan, no less. So much for looking fine.
And I'm not happy about her being upset. I'd love to make it better. She won't let me.
"Mostly I'm just tired of this." And can't make myself call her yet. "And I don't know how I'm going to convince her that she's still the one I want. I already told Natasha off more than once for coming here like she did." She's about as bad as Carly is. There's no comparison on the two, except for that. They both can be inhumanely stubborn.
And I really don't enjoy talking about this in front of Julia, but I don't have a choice in the matter. And I don't want to give her up until they have to leave. This is as much time as I'm going to get for the moment, I'm taking it.
"But I know Carly's not going to change her mind." So, that's where I lose track of exactly what the hell I'm supposed to do.
"... And just so we're clear, I'm surprised you did this. Does she even know you're here?" I have to ask. And if she doesn't, I want to know if he's going to tell her. That's probably at least a good amount of wrath.
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"That's a stupid way to look at it."
I could tell him why, too. Its a stupid way to look at it because regardless of Carly starting it, Carly is not going to be the one to finish it. The way she's been approaching this, its over unless Sam decides to tell her otherwise. She hasn't been willing to hear about him, and she thinks there's nothing more for her to do.
Carly is focusing on getting over it, because as far as she's concerned, that's all she can do. Try to tell her otherwise and she won't listen to it. She knows she screwed up. She thinks she deserves her life the way it is now.
Maybe she does, but when all three of them are suffering because of it, I tend to think it can be fixed no matter what karma wants for her.
"I'm sorry. I haven't completely stopped being mad yet."
I wonder how much he thinks being mad is going to solve. I knew I shouldn't have gotten in the middle of this. I can't do it without wanting to argue that they should get back together. And in some ways, I want to defend Carly too. No matter what she did, she's still a good person, and she still loves her family. She may not be a logical person, but I think you can only take the anger so far sometimes.
"Mostly I'm just tired of this. And I don't know how I'm going to convince her that she's still the one I want. I already told Natasha off more than once for coming here like she did."
Is it wrong of me to think the whole thing could have been avoided if Sam would have just told her to come back later when she showed up? I know Carly still wouldn't have been happy about it, but if he'd prepared her for it, and explained it, and not wanted to abruptly walk out with Natasha the way he did, it would have been different.
She'd have been pissed instead of heartbroken. He'd have had to put up with one day of the silent treatment and it would have ended after that.
"But I know Carly's not going to change her mind."
"Carly isn't going to approach you about this, if that's what you mean." I sighed. "But I don't think she'll need a lot of convincing. She knows there was a lot wrong with the way that she acted."
"... And just so we're clear, I'm surprised you did this. Does she even know you're here?"
"No, she doesn't." And she won't, if I have any say in it. "I only did it because you both seem so far from getting this resolved, and its starting to affect Julia a lot more than either one of you seem to realize."
She's okay, but she's not happy. I think they both like to forget that they're not the only ones paying for their mistakes anymore. Sam may miss her, and Carly may say its hard to deal with her on her own, but I don't think either of them understand that Julia can process that something is wrong with her family. She knows its not normal to just have Carly with her.
...I'll say it. If Sam hates me dating Arianna after this, I'll work it out somehow.
"You're both hurting your daughter. Carly for starting it, and you for letting it last as long as it has."
They're both so afraid of being bad parents, and yet, that's exactly what they're doing now.
"It would be different if you guys didn't love each other, but you do."
Anyone could see them breaking up if they didn't care anymore. Damn. I think we'd all be pulling for it if that was the reason being them not wanting to be together. But this was one fight, over something that happened a long time ago. It got out of control, that's all. And instead of fixing it, they're letting themselves, and Julia, stay miserable.
"Carly made a mistake. Just like you did when you left her after high school. It wasn't right, but it happened, and all you can do is work on it from here on out. Considering that you love Carly, and that she's forgiven you for every mistake you've ever made, maybe you should stop being angry and let her have this one. Try to work it out."
Its official. Arianna's brother hates me.
"You're abandoning them both if you do anything less."
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I wasn't expecting that much. Heaven forbid she decides to handle this herself, and actually come to me, and say she's sorry.
It has to be me. Always. Because she makes everything oh so freakin' justified inside her head, and she has to blindly keep believing she did the right thing, no matter how wrong it is.
"But I don't think she'll need a lot of convincing. She knows there was a lot wrong with the way that she acted."
I really doubt that.
"No, she doesn't. I only did it because you both seem so far from getting this resolved, and its starting to affect Julia a lot more than either one of you seem to realize."
I know it's affecting Julia. If I didn't, how she's acting right now would tell me. I don't like this anymore than she does. And I would get this resolved if I could figure out what to say about this. She is going to need convincing. That's how Carly is.
I smiled a little when I felt Julia's hand on my cheek, and turned my head, kissing her hand. He's right, she does know what's going on. Not completely, but she knows enough.
"You're both hurting your daughter. Carly for starting it, and you for letting it last as long as it has."
And now he's going to tell me more of what I already know.
"It would be different if you guys didn't love each other, but you do."
Tell that to Carly. She's the one who seems to think I'd be better off with someone else. That I left everything and went back to her because I had to 'grow up sometime'. It was nothing like that.
"Carly made a mistake. Just like you did when you left her after high school. It wasn't right, but it happened, and all you can do is work on it from here on out. Considering that you love Carly, and that she's forgiven you for every mistake you've ever made, maybe you should stop being angry and let her have this one. Try to work it out."
...
"You're abandoning them both if you do anything less."
I think I'd say something jackass worthy, if it weren't for three things. One, he brought Julia. He goes, she goes. Two, Arianna would give me three shades of hell for the next month. Or three.
Three, he's right.
I hate that.
"I know. I get it."
I don't have much else to say that.
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