The Parent Trap {Jariana}

{ｃｏｎｆｅｓｓｉｏｎ}

The next morning, Emmi held Cuppy and nervously paced in front of the double doors that led to her mother's bedroom. Inside, Ariana was writing a song for the play as she talked to someone in French on the phone. She peeked through the door and stared at her mother. She was in bed with her long hair pulled into a messy bun and make up less, having just woken up.

"Just do it sweet pea." Joan said into her ear, while Zac and Frankie and Zac stood beside her, urged her with a little pat on her rear which made Emmi enter.

Ariana looked up and smiled at her daughter, patting the empty spot beside her on the bed as she hung up the phone. "I have to finish this song and fax it to the composer, then how about you and I go out to lunch and spend the rest of the day getting lost in Bergdorfs?" She asked her daughter as she put an arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"I can't... I'm sorry... I have to go out of town today." Emmi said looking down.

"You have to go out of town today?" Ariana decided to humor her daughter, "And where, may I ask, are you going?" she asked.

Instead of answering, Emmi buried herself underneath the white satin sheets of her mother's bed.

"Avia." Ariana said with a laugh trying to tickle her into coming out, "Avia!"

"That's why I have to go! I have to go see Avia." Emmi said underneath the covers. Frankie and Zac peeked into the room at the sound of her voice - she wasn't exactly all too quiet when she said it - even though it cost them both a slap on their arms by their mother.

"I see and where might Avia be?" Ariana asked still thinking it was a joke.

"In Melbourne with her father, Jai Brooks." Emmi answered, using her Australian accent and this piece of news definitely shocked Ariana.

Her jaw dropped and she looked at her mother and brothers who could only nod in reply. Ariana's eyes filled with tears and she looked back down at the lump in her covers.

"You're not Avia?" Ariana asked in a whisper, pulling on the sheets while Emmi looked at her fearfully with her big brown eyes holding her Cuppy close to her.

"That would be correct." Emmi mumbled, her eyes wide in worry even though her mothers lips were going up with a smile.

"You're Emmi?" Ariana whispered as a tear slowly slid down her cheeks, smiling softly.

"I am." Emmi sighed, sitting up.

Ariana put a hand on her mouth as tears fell from her eyes as she looked at the daughter she hasn't seen in over ten years.

"Avia and I met at camp and we decided to switch places." Emmi whispered softly, looking at her mother. "I'm sorry, but I'd never seen you and I'd dreamt of meeting you my whole life and Avia felt the exact same way about Dad, so we just sorta switched lives. I hope you're not mad because I love you so much and I just hope one day you can love me as me and not as Avia." She explained as her mother looked at her blankly.

"Oh, honey, I've loved you your whole life." Ariana cried as she pulled her daughter into her arms. The two looked up to see a bawling Frankie being comforted by Joan who closed the door to give them some more privacy as Zac just shook his head.

"I've never so happy in my entire life!" they heard him bawl and Ariana turned to her daughter.

"Why didn't you tell me it was you all along?" she asked.

"I was scared." Emmi confessed wiping away the rest of her tears, "So I guess you have to switch us back now, huh?"

"Legally, you belong to your father and Avia belongs to me." Ariana answered with a sigh, thinking about her ex all over again. She would never admit it, but she missed him.