risk// 5SOS

27

Calum

"It's the weekend!" I said, meeting Gia at the gate, "Rider is sleeping, so try to be quiet when we get in the car,"

"I had a good day,"

"Well that's fantastic,"

"Are we doing anything fun this weekend?"

"I might have something up my sleeve,"

She giggled and held my hand, skipping beside me as we went back to the car. She got in the front beside me, and put her bag by her feet, then drank from her water bottle and strapped herself in.

Sage had also fallen asleep, and it made me remember when I first got Gia. With both kids injured, exhausted, and in pain, it tugged at my heart strings because I remembered Gia the same way.

Sage especially. They were becoming frequently more agitated, emotional, and restless. I was keeping a close eye on them now, and took Rider's words very close to my mind when he said he was worried. The pair knew each other like the back of their hands.

When we got home, I woke Sage up and they followed Gia into the house while I carried Rider inside, laying him in his bed. I checked for a fever, grateful that he didn't have one, then followed Sage into their room and tucked them in as well.

"My wrist is sore, and my jaw is aching,"

"You can have some more medicine, tomorrow will be calm, I promise, properly promise,"

They nodded and stared ahead, so I went to the bathroom and got them some more water and medicine, watching them take it.

"About the reading... I can but it's really hard, and sometimes it looks like the words are moving. And spelling is hard, and I always mix letters up, and it makes me feel stupid,"

"You're not stupid," I said, wiping their tears, "My friend Luke is an English teacher, and I can see if he can help us with some spelling and stuff. However, if it is this much of a struggle, it might be a deeper issue that we can get assessed, and support with,"

"Okay,"

"You are not alone,"

They nodded and I shut their blinds, taking the medicine to the bathroom and locking it up again.

Downstairs, Gia sat with some homework, so I sat on the sofa and put the news on whilst checking my emails.

I had a lot on my plate, but was slowly getting through it.

Sage and I had been invited to a tour around the school on Monday, which I would book an extra day off work to do. Both of them still needed checkups, and additional support with their mental health, but for this weekend I was determined to have family time.

Proper family time.

Baking, crafting, movies, games- whatever they wanted. I wanted to eliminate as much doubt as possible that they may have left about this home, and show them I loved them. Because I did love them- I had been fond of them since the start- and had a strong desire to show them they deserved this love.

I believed they were meant to find their way here.

"Dad, which side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs?"

"The right side, angel,"

"Okay, thank you,"

"You're doing science?"

"Yeah, but I don't need help,"

"I'm here if you need me,"

She hummed and carried on, then eventually came and sat beside me on the sofa; I kissed her head and cuddled her, then she smiled and looked at me.