Not Your Average Family

Always You

A/N: I am back :D Please don't kill me, I've just been...preoccupied.

Helen's POV:

I move up the stairs swiftly, trying to not let my dam break. All these years, trying to make it better for Hector and I, trying to make sure we don't need anybody else. All gone out the minute I see him.

I give the now ready-for-bed kids small smiles and make my way to my room, locking it behind me and sliding down the door. Judging by how much Hector already adores Rhea, I would most likely be seeing her more often, now that work is a more relaxed affair and I can spend more time home, and I cannot do it. Not without Damon.

The racket outside pulls me out of my reverie. I run my hands over my face, walking into my bathroom to change and wash my face. Ten minutes later, I walk in on six thirteen to fourteen year-olds sprawled out about the couches in my living room. They're all lost inside their own bubble and I couldn't be happier for Hector and Rhea to have found such great friends.

"Ms. Butterworth! Come sit with us!" Rhea calls out. My heart clenches at the hopeful look on her face. I give a shrug, remembering I'm done packing, and move to sit between Rhea and Hector.

"When are you going to leave tomorrow, Mum?"

"I have to be at the train station by ten, so I should essentially be starting at nine thirty. Why?"

"Well, my Dad just texted me asking when he should be picking us up tomorrow morning," Rhea says, holding up her first ever phone. That reminds me, Hector's still got one surprise left. I'll give it to him just before he actually goes to bed.

"Hector has the key, so you can leave whenever. I'll be back in the morning the day after tomorrow, so I can maybe pick you guys up and drop you off wherever you need to be?"

"Um, my Dad wants to talk to you," Rhea says, holding out her phone to me. I see Damon's incoming call flash on the screen and take it, answering the call.

"Hello, Mr. Greenwood," I greet, leaning against the back of the couch, watching as the kids go back to their conversation.

"Hello, Ms. Butterworth. May I offer to take you to the station tomorrow?"

"I cannot bother you with that, I'll take a cab, thank you for the offer."

"It would be no problem, I insist." I hear desperation in his voice, and I decide to go along with it.

"Are you sure? I don't want you thinking I'm taking advantage of you..." I trail off.

"Helen, you are my one and only ex-wife. One that has been bringing up one of our two kids for the past twelve years. This is not you taking advantage of me, this is two separated parents talking out stuff without their kids knowing," he responds, voice dropping to almost a whisper.

"I need to be there by ten, do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"Of course. I'll come by at around nine fifteen. We'll take a small detour to drop the kids off at my place and I'll drive you there?"

"Sounds perfect to me. Thank you, Mr. Greenwood."

"No problem, Ms. Butterworth." I hand the phone back to my daughter and look around at all of them.

"You guys better go to bed now. You've to be up and ready by nine fifteen tomorrow morning," I say. "Hector, love, can you quickly come along for a bit?"

I walk into my room and open my closet to find the small, rectangular box all wrapped up in decorated brown paper. I grab it to turn around and face Hector who's fiddling with his ring. He's always had it around his neck on a piece of black string but now that it fits him, he's been wearing it on his finger, and now I panic every time I see the missing thread, because that's the only thing connecting my son to his father. "This is for you."