Composer 4.5

~Tanner~

Married life was not what I expected at all, of course I guess it helps when you actually know the person you are marrying. Don't get me wrong, Emily is great, it's just, well I thought getting married and her moving in would make things easier, guess I was wrong.

It wasn't all bad, not at first anyway. We would spend our free time taking silly pictures, and just enjoying our time together. I would go to work, and she would take care of the apartment, she did a great job of it too, but as the months progressed, and it got later into the pregnancy, things changed. I don't know if it was hormones or just her personality coming out, but we ended up fighting all the time. We fought over the smallest things, I'm late getting home, fight, she burned dinner, fight. When we weren't fighting you couldn't keep us apart, those times were fewer and fewer.

After one particularly bad screaming match, I went into the kitchen to cool down where I ran into Berlin, she asked me about the fight, and I told her the basics, I was supposed to meet up with Emily at the DR's, but had to work instead, which was the truth, well mostly anyway. I left out the part that I volunteered to work, I just needed a break from everything.

"Berlin! We're leaving now, be back later!" I called to Berlin as Emily and I headed out. I knew our fighting was getting on Berlin's nerves, and I needed to try and fix things with Emily, so we went out for the evening. It started out great, we got all dressed up, and went out to a nice dinner. Emily was seven and a half months pregnant, but she was still just as Beautiful as the day I met her. After dinner we went dancing, which was great, we stayed for a few hours, till her feet started to hurt and we left.

"We should go see a movie" Emily said as we got in the car. "Sure, what do you want to see?" I asked. "I don't know, lemme see your phone, I'll look up and see what's playing." I gave her the phone and headed towards the theater. "Whose Katie?" She asked out of the blue. "What?" I asked not sure what she was talking about. "Katie. You have like a million texts from her. Who is she?" Sensing a fight starting, I tried to avoid it. "She's just bartender I work with." That didn't help. "Had a nice time, let's do it again soon?" She started reading my messages back to me. "Look. She's no one, just a girl I work with. I stayed late to help train her one night, that's what the text was about."  "Yea right Tanner. You expect me to believe you?." Believe what you want, I know what's true. I can't believe you would think I would actually cheat on you."  "Did you?" I couldn't believe she was accusing me of cheating, sure we didn't know each other all that well, but surely I hadn't given any reason for her to think  that. I was so angry I could barely concentrate on driving. "Tanner!" she yelled just as I missed the red light and our car sailed through the intersection. Metal scraping, glass shattering, Emily screaming. Then everything went black. 

Composer 4.3

~Tanner~

I didn't expect Berlin to go off on me like that, but I guess I deserved it. After she walked off and I heard the office door close, I called Emily. I told her I wanted to be there for her and the baby as much as shed let me. We ended up talking for almost an hour, getting to know each other a bit. Guess I should have done that to start with. By the time I hung up, Berlin had come out of her office to get something to eat, so I apologised for yelling at her earlier. She asked if I had told mom, yea I told her, can't say she was too happy. She chewed me out worse than Berlin had, though she did offer to come back which I turned down. I wouldn't be responsible for messing up her plans as well.

Emily and I talked every week, she lived on the other side of the city so we didn't see each other often, but we made sure we went out at least once a week. I hadn't known her very long, but I knew I cared for her, even without her being pregnant.

One day she called and asked me if we could meet up, we needed to talk. We met up at the diner once we were seated I asked her what's up? "I lost my job yesterday, and I don't have enough money to pay the rent, so I'm planning to move back to my hometown." She lived clear across the country. While it's true that I wasn't thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, the idea had grown on me and now I couldn't imagine not seeing my kid. "You can't move back, what about me being a part of this?" "Sorry Tanner, I have to what's best for me and the baby. Back home I have some family that can help, you can visit if you want, but I have to go, I have no other options here." I didn't have a plan, but I had to come up with something. "When are you going?" I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. "At the end of the month when I lease is up." Good that gave me sometime to figure out a plan. She left first and I sat there thinking for a while. 

I ended up going back home not too long after that, still not having a plan. I got home and Berlin was still at work, she worked long hours, many nights putting in overtime, so usually I had the house to myself for a while before I had to go to work. I went into the office intending to look up something on the computer, when I hit me, I called her up and told her my plan. "I have it all figured out where you don't have to move back home." "What's your plan?" she asked me a bit skeptically. "Marry me."

I know it was a snap decision, but I couldn't think of anything else. 

Composer 4.2

~Berlin~

I was steadily progressing at work, life for me was pretty routine, get up, clean the house, feed the dogs, go to work, come  home put in a few additional hours online, the bed.

I worked hard, Tanner partied hard. After working  for only a year there was an audition with the orchestra, I didn't get in to the full orchestra, but I did get in with a quartet, which was a start. I was so excited to tell Tanner the good news, but when I got home he was sitting on the couch staring into space. I could tell something was wrong, so I walked over and sat down next to him.

"Spill." I said. He looked at he and I could tell it was serious. "I messed up. I messed big time." Thinking he was in trouble with the law, I told him "Don't worry, we'll fix it. How much do you need? " He just stared at me for a minute, coming to the same conclusion that I had. "What? No, not that kind of trouble. I wish it was that kind of trouble." Confused I asked "Then what kind-" I didn't get to finish as Tanner blurted out "I got a girl pregnant, I was careless, we were drunk. It was just once." I was speechless, I knew Tanner was having 'fun' but I thought he was smarter than that. "What am I going to do?" He asked. A million comments swirled around in my head, both good and bad when I finally said, "Suck it up." "What?" He asked shocked at my comment. "Suck it up, be a man. You knocked her up? Well that was stupid, now you have to live with it, so man up. Fun's over, time to be responsible." I think my statement surprised both of us. "It's not that easy, Berlin! We haven't been dating that long , what do you expect me to do, marry the girl?"

Tanner was off the couch yelling at me now, so I yelled back. "Do you want your kid to grow up without a father like you did? Cause that's what will happen. You need to talk to her, and figure things out." I walked off too mad to hear his response. I still had so many more questions for him, but now was not the time. I went to my office and started working on a new piece for the piano I was working on. Several hours passed, and I went into the kitchen to get a snack, where I ran into Tanner. He apologized for yelling at me, and I asked him the questions I still had. What was her name, had he told mom yet, when did I get to meet her? Her name was Emily, and yes he told mom, who was even madder than I was,  offering to move back and help him figure things out. Fortunately he told her no, I would have smacked him if he had said yes, mom was finally living her dream after years of sacrifices for our sake.

Composer 4.1

~Tanner~

Bridgeport. What can I say, it's a city. I can't say I love it, won't say I hate it either.  It was Berlin's dream to move here, I just didn't want to stay home with mom and dad. Not that I would have minded getting to know dad some more, see he was presumed dead most of my life and just recently came back to us, it was pretty awesome having him back, though I don't think Berlin shares my feelings on that. Anyway mom, being a rock star, decided to go on an international  tour, something she kept putting off for Berlin and my sake. Dad went with her and for the next year, they will be touring all over the world. So that being the case I came here with Berlin. I work at a club here in town as a bartender, I'm pretty good at it too. The pay is nice, and the ladies are nicer. I decided long ago to have the most fun I can in life since it is so short, so I live everyday to the fullest. No long term plans for me, who knows what the future holds.

Berlin on the other hand has the next ten years of her life planned out. She's going to be a famous composer, and she's the kind of person that won't stop till she is either. Me I don't care for fame, I'd rather have fun without the whole world watching.

As soon as we moved here we pooled our money and bought a nice penthouse apartment, room for both of us without being crowded. We both needed jobs so we set out to get one, I scored a job at the first club I walked into, and Berlin got hired at the music company. When she got home she started working right away, she's so boring, sometimes I can't believe we're twins. I on the other hand went to one of the clubs in town, and spent my night drinking and chatting up the ladies. I stayed out all night going from one club to the next checking out the local scene. When I finally went home Berlin was leaving for work, I mumbled a good morning and headed to my room where I crashed. 

The good thing about my job was that I only had to work when they needed me, the rest of the time I was free to do whatever, which in my case usually meant hanging out at one of the clubs. One night at work I got to talking with the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Her name was Emily, and I made sure to get her number.

Composer 4.0

~Berlin~

Bridgeport! The city of my dreams! A lot of famous composers got their start here, and I plan to be among them. When I told mom I wanted to move here she was not too happy. She didn't want me to live in the city alone, so Tanner decided to move with me. Mom had set up a trust fund for each of us years ago when we were kids, and now that we were eighteen, the money was ours and between the two of us we had enough to rent one of the nicest penthouses in the city, a huge three bedroom with a nice view. 

We moved in and quickly got to work redecorating. One room became my office, where I moved in the piano. The room right next to the office became my room and the farthest room became Tanner's room. 

We both needed jobs, so as soon as we got settled in we went to find one. I got hired by a music company, right away. Because of who my mom is, I started out as a roadie. Some people don't like to use their parents' fame, but to me it's just another advantage I have. Tanner got a job at a local club bar tending, so if I had any desire to go to a club, I could have gotten in for free. Tanner in the other hand lived the club life, sometimes it was hard to believe we were twins, though we really didn't look alike anyway. I took after dad and Tanner takes after mom. It's weird to think about my dad, he's only been around for the past few years and he and I aren't as close as he and Tanner are. Anyway as soon as I got home from filling out all the necessary paperwork to start my job, I got on the company's website and started working. Tanner says I'm boring, but I have it all planned out. I'm going to be at the top of my career by the time I'm twenty-three, then I plan to find a husband and get married by twenty-five, then maybe have a kid by thirty. I'm not set on the kid thing yet, I don't care much for them. Once they're older they're not so bad, but babies and toddlers, annoy me.

I went to bed early, Tanner wasn't home yet, he was out having fun somewhere. The next morning I got up and fed the dogs, I have two of them. QT, who I've had since I was a kid and her puppy. Then I headed off to work, when I left for work Tanner was just coming in, he mumbled a hello, and stumbled off to bed. 

By the end of my first week I had already been promoted to being a roadie working with the local symphony. It was my job to help set up the equipment they would be using for a show. I would stay and listen after they would start playing, dreaming of my turn in the spotlight. 

Rebel 3.13

Nathaniel came over the following weekend, and spent all day Saturday at the house.  On one hand it was nice having him back, on the other, we both had changed so much that we were virtually strangers to each other. He spent equal time with the kids, listening to their stories of growing up, though when Berlin told how we didn't have much when they were little, you could almost see tears in his eyes. He played basketball with Tanner, who I'm sure was glad to have someone to play against that was actually a challenge. Where Tanner welcomed his father with open arms, Berlin was more reserved  preferring to keep to her self while Nathaniel was over.

When Nathaniel decided it was time to leave, I walked him out. "You've got great kids Izzy. You should be proud of them." I didn't want him to go, but I knew we needed to take things slow. He turned to look at the house and grounds before turning back to me and smiling "You did it, this is what you always dreamed of. I'm proud of you too." "Thanks" I squeaked out, barely having a voice. He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before getting in the car and leaving. I headed back in to find Berlin watching me from the doorway. "You can talk to him you know." I said as I came inside. "Yea, I know." She said as she went upstairs. I followed soon after.

Nathaniel called almost every night, and he and I stayed up long into the night talking. I told him all about raising the kids and he would tell me about his life as Philip, at time I felt so sorry for him, being Philip was the only life he had known for so long and to have it ripped away..I just couldn't imagine. He would also spent a considerable amount of time talking with the kids. Seeing how great he was with them made me even sadder that he didn't get to be there for them from the beginning, but he was definitely making up for it.

We also started "dating", going out one a week, just the two of us. I would tell him stories of our time in college, and the trips we took after graduation, he remembered bits and pieces of his past, but not much, so I would help him fill in the blanks.

Nathaniel had been back almost a year, the kids were getting ready to graduate, and one night Nathaniel took me to the beach, where we walked in silence for a while. "Isabella," Nathaniel said breaking the silence "I love you, I hate that I ever forgot you, and that I missed out on so much of our life together, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me again?" he said as he got down on one knee and produced the most beautiful ring. I stood there for a minute staring at Nathaniel's perfect face, and finally I said " yes, with all of my heart, yes I will marry you. For good this time" He couldn't help but laugh at that last part. He pulled me in for a kiss and said "I love you."

When we got back to the house I told the kids, both of whom were thrilled, Berlin started making plans for the wedding, which was fine with me, I wasn't much of a planner.

Graduation came and with it my little ones were all grown up and ready to make their way in the world. Neither one planned to go to college, instead Berlin planned to become a composer, Tanner had no real plans yet, but I had hopes that he'd figure it out soon. Nathaniel and I got married, a small wedding with just us and the kids in attendance. We planned to travel the world, and just enjoy our time together. Berlin wanted to move to Bridgeport, but I was hesitant to let her move by herself, so Tanner decided to move with her. Both of my kids were off to start the next chapter of their lives. 

Rebel 3.12

The very next day I headed over to the hotel. My mind was racing, I had a million questions that needed answers, and I needed to make sure he was real.  I pulled into the parking space and got out of the car, I stood there for a moment trying to calm myself. It wasn't working. I headed up to Nathaniel's room, knocked on the door and waited. When he opened the door, we just stood there staring at each other. All the questions I had planned to ask, now seemed silly, all that mattered was Nathaniel was here, alive. "Come in, I'm sure you have a million questions for me." He said moving out of the doorway. I walked in and sat on the couch, he took a seat next to me. "I don't even know where to begin." I said "What happened, where have you been?" "I had amnesia, I still don't remember everything, but I remembered you, so I came to find you."

 I was more confused than before, "Why don't you start at the beginning." He nodded before continuing. "I remember being at home with you, heading home from the store with your ice cream, I was hit by a car that ran the light, both of us went over the edge of the road into the trees. Then I remember walking along the highway, and someone stopping to give me a ride to the hospital. Next thing I know it's two months later and I'm in the hospital two states over, I was told I had a broken arm, several broken ribs, and a severe concussion. Apparently I was close enough in appearance to be mistaken for someone else who had gone missing years before, since I had no memories, who was I to argue. I became Philip Green, lived as him and with his family up until three years ago, when  they found the real Philip Green. At that point was more lost than ever, having lost a second identity. They were good people and offered to let me stay, but I needed to figure out who I really was. Driving in the car one day I heard this song on the radio, the voice was so familiar, yet I couldn't place it, once they said your name it's like these flood gates opened and all these memories came rushing out. I remembered my name, my family, you." I was speechless, he had been through so much.

"What about the last three years? You said you lived as Philip till three years ago, what happened during that time?" I wanted to know all that I had missed. "Once I remembered who I was I went home, needing to see my family, needing someone to confirm that I was finally me. But to my dismay, both of my parents had passed away. I said my goodbyes and moved on. I have to admit that it took me along time to decide to come here. I have a small house in Riverview, where I've been living for the last two and a half years." He stopped and looked at me. "Why didn't you want to come here, didn't you want to see me, meet your children?"  I asked, not sure I really wanted the answer. "Of course I wanted to see you. It's just, when I saw you on TV you looked so happy, and it's been so long I was afraid that coming back would be a mistake. I figured that after all this time you were probably married again, and I didn't want to interfere. I finally decided that I couldn't live not knowing. I needed to be a part of my children's life, even if it late." I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there for the longest time. "Are you okay? It's a lot to take in, believe me I know." "I never did remarry. It's been just me and the kids this whole time, speaking of which I need to get going, they'll be home soon, and we need to talk." I said as I got up and headed to the door.
Nathaniel caught my hand and pulled me in for a hug. "Thank you for coming, just one last question, what are their names?"

"Tanner and Berlin." I said pulling away. I was out the door and in the car as fast as I could,shaking from the release of anxiety, and needing to get home to process all I had heard today.

Once home I sat the kids down and told them what Nathaniel had said. They were just as shocked as I was, I told them that Nathaniel wanted to get to know them, but it was their choice, they were both almost seventeen. Tanner was much more enthusiastic about it, but both agreed to get to know their father.