In The Shadows ✔

[100] Growing Pains

Scorpia walks into the kitchen en finds Lucas there, trying to eat all the lettuce he could find. Lexy is trying to convince him it's a bad idea and Bruno is watching it, fingers gripping his hair. He looks up at his sister, his eyes begging her to help them.

Scorpia makes her way over to Lucas and crouches down next to him. "Lucas? Honey? Look at me please."

The boy looks at her with his familiar grey eyes and she smiles at him. "Do you want to step outside with me? So we can talk? Without anyone else there?"

He nods and gets up right away. He grabs her hand and pulls her along towards the back door. Scorpia follows him and he drags her towards the bench at the back of the garden. He crawls onto it and pats the empty spot beside him as soon as he sits.

Scorpia sits down next to him and turns to face him. "Lucas, please tell me honestly how you're feeling." She strokes his cheek with the back of her hand and Lucas sighs.

"You were my teacher! I saw you first! And then... uncle Logan and Enzo and Matteo and Pia and Leo!" He's so frustrated that he can't find the words anymore.

Desperately trying not to cry, he continues: "And now you're not my teacher anymore! And I can't go to uncle Logan on Saturdays. And when we're here... mommy's busy with Enzo and Pia all the time. Daddy too! I have a dad now, but..."

He starts to cry and Scorpia pulls him onto her lap. She wraps her arms around him and rocks him gently.

She kisses his forehead, "Lucas, ti amo. You have a special place in my heart from the very first moment you walked into my classroom. That will never change, honey. And you can still go to uncle Logan on Saturdays. To uncle Logan, auntie Scorpia, and Leo. We are a family now Lucas. Like you, Enzo, Pia, and mommy and daddy."

She rubs his back and kisses him on top of his head.

"Sweet, sweet Lucas. You are the oldest kid in your family. And that means you have to take care of everyone and be the strongest. Just like your daddy had to. And that's okay because being a big brother is a very important job, only really strong men can do it. But this also means you will have to learn to say what you want out loud. Because you seem so strong that no one realizes you need one on one time with someone. With mommy or daddy. Or uncle Logan or me."

He wipes his tears and looks deep into her eyes while he thinks about it all. Scorpia keeps eye contact with him and smiles carefully. He rubs her cheek with his hand, "We can't get married, right? And you love uncle Logan a lot?"

Scorpia nods, giving Lucas the time to think about it all. She knows he understands way more than he can express.

"If I asked uncle Logan, I could still go to the market with him on Saturdays?"

Scorpia nods again.

He softly asks: "Are you coming with us too? And Leo?"

"If you want us to. But it's okay if you want to go with uncle Logan alone."

Lucas shakes his head, "No, you have to come. We can help you carry stuff. But... I want to look at the eels with uncle Logan alone."

Scorpia laughs, "Thank God. Those living eels scare me so much."

"Can I sit on uncle Logan's shoulders again too?"

"Yes, I'm sure that's fine. I think uncle Logan misses your time together too. And he was scared you would hate him because he's marrying me."

Lucas looks at her with a shocked expression on his face, "He thinks I'm mad at him? Because he loves you?"

He jumps off her lap, "I have to go to him. Because that's not true!"