The Only Exception

Leanne was laying on the couch in the living room, holding Aaron close, as they both took a nap. It was two days after she had met her father, and she was exhausted. Emotionally. Physically she was fine. Yesterday they had gotten DNA tests done, and they were expecting the results in a week. Brian knew that she was trying not to hope that she had family out there that wanted her. Especially after what had happened with her mother. Brian shook his head seeing his eighteen month old son cuddled up with Leanne. She loved their son. And she had promised that he'd have what she never did. Parents that loved him. Brian didn't wake his wife, but he sat in the chair and turned on the TV, keeping the volume low.

----

Matt was sitting in the kitchen feeding Laila when Jesicka walked in. She smiled at them and leaned down and kissed her husband on the cheek, before kissing her baby girl on the cheek.

“I love you.” She said smiling at them. Matt grinned.

“I love you too.” She took the baby from him when he handed her over. “I'll make breakfast.”

“Yeah, I knew there was a reason I loved you.” Matt only rolled his eyes. But his wife was grinning. He had barely opened the fridge when the phone rang. Seeing as she was holding the baby, and didn't want to get up, Matt moved off to grab the phone. The minute he picked it up, he didn't even have a chance to say hello, Summer was tearfully yelling at him through the phone.

“Wait, Summer slow down some. Jimmy did what?” And the phone fell from his hand as his sister repeated what she had just said.

“Matt, what's wrong? Honey?” Jesicka moved when he didn't answer her, and just sat down, missing the chair entirely and sitting on the floor.

“Jimmy...he...crash... Jesus he's gone.”

“Wait, back up! Did you just tell me that Jimmy's died?” When Matt looked up at her she saw the answer in his eyes. She moved quickly, putting Laila in her bassinet and picking up the phone from the living room, where she'd put her daughter down. Dialing her in-laws number she paced, willing them to hurry up and pick up the phone.

“Hello”

“Kim, it's Jes, has Summer called you?”

“No, is everything alright?”

“No, She just called here. I think Matt's in shock. And Summer, she's devastated. At least I think she may be. Jimmy was in an accident. He didn't make it. I don't want to leave Matt or Laila here...”

“I'll take care of it. I'll call Summer. You call... just call the others and have them meet at your house. I'll let you know when I find out something.”

----

It took most of the day, but they slowly pieced together everything that had happened. Summer was upstairs at Matt and Jesicka's asleep in a spare room. Sascha was asleep in the playpen bassinet that Kim had gone to her daughters house and gotten.

Colby was sitting on the floor in front of Aaron who was sitting up playing with a toy, and watching the adults. They watched curiously as they sat, paced, and cried. There was something wrong and the kids could tell. Eventually Summer came back downstairs All heads turned when Gary Sanders walked into the room. Summer's head snapped up and pleading eyes looked towards her father. He moved to her and just wrapped her in his arms.

“I'm sorry baby.” He murmured in her ear. “I'm sorry.” He held her as she cried.

“Dad...” He turned his head and looked at Matt. “What happened?”

“The brakes. There was a leak in the brake line.”

“Like it was cut?” Jesicka asked.

“No, it wasn't cut, but there was a slow leak. The brakes didn't work. It was an accident.” Matt pulled summer to him and as her body trembled as she cried he held her. When Sascha started screaming Jesicka moved and lifted her from the bassinet. As she walked around the room holding her niece, she glanced to where, by some miracle, Laila was still asleep. Jordan stood and moved to Summer as Laila started crying though, so he could get his daughter. Sam had moved to Colby, and Leanne had taken Aaron into her arms. All of them were crying, and Summer had began to cry again.

----

Leanne sighed as she walked outside and glanced around she crossed her arms over her chest. With Aaron down for a nap, she had needed to step out for air. It was hard, with Jesicka helping Matt, Summer, and their parents plan Jimmy's funeral. And with the anticipation of the DNA test results, she was slowly losing her mind. Trying to keep it together, for all parties involved was driving her crazy. As she stood there with her arms wrapped around herself, she watched a fed ex truck pull in. She watched as the driver got out and with shaky hands moments later signed the clipboard that she had been handed.

“Have a good day.” Leanne gave a weak smile as the woman walked away. With trembling hands she looked at the return address on the envelope before turning it over and opening it slowly. She was scared of what she held in her hands.

Brian pulled into the drive way and what he saw scared the hell out of him. Leanne was sitting on the steps and he could tell that she was crying. When he got to her she slowly looked up and when he sat beside her she just handed him the papers in her hands. He slowly read over them and while he read, she stood and walked out into the yard. She had finally stopped the tears that had started.

“I have a father Brian.”

“Then why were you crying?”

“Because, I know she'll find a way to take it from me.”

“She can't. She won't be stupid enough to come back around here. And I think even your father will make sure of that.”

“The light in the current darkness of our lives.”

“Summer's refusing to come out of her room. Matt and Jesicka had to take the baby.”