"I can't deal with the attitude this morning, Lola." Stevie arched an eyebrow as she cradled a cup of a coffee in hand.
It was too early for bickering... No one wants to argue at eight in the morning.
Crossing her arms over her chest, the teenager slouched down in her chair at the breakfast bar. "I don't have an attitude, Stephanie." If her mother was going to use her full name like that, she was going to do the same... she wasn't afraid of her, not in the slightest. "All I said was that I don't want to go to stupid Arizona," she mumbled, trying hard not to roll her eyes. "Is that such a crime?" She was being overly dramatic- she had been like that all morning.
"You sound so dumb." Crew couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head in disbelief. "Do everyone a favor and grow up, please." He added as he pushed himself out of his chair to stand.
"Will you just-" Lola was getting ready to tell him to shut up, but her mother's voice cut her off.
"That's enough, kids." Stevie sank back into the counter as her eyes fell down to her cup in hand. "We're going to Arizona and that's the end of this discussion... or argument." Her voice was gentle, even though her words felt stern.
She was trying to take a stand, which really wasn't nearly as easy as it should have been.
In one swift motion, Lola flew out of her chair. "I can't stand you anymore, I really can't." She shouted as she headed out of the kitchen- almost taking two steps at once to get upstairs faster.
"Karen will be here in ten minutes!" Stevie yelled back as she glanced over at the clock on the wall.
Standing against the banister at the top of staircase, Lola stomped a foot loud enough to make her mother flinch in the other room. "I can't wait for dad to come back and fix this shit show that you're trying to run!" Her voice was so loud, so mean... she was mad, at everything.
She was mad that Lindsey just up and left without any sort of explanation. She was mad that Stevie was dragging them away from home for the holidays for the first time ever. She was mad that they couldn't all be together, like they should have been... But most of all, on top of all of that, Lola was mad that life was always so unfair to them.
She just wanted some normalcy- the kind of normal life that all of her friends had... That was all.
Stevie nodded her head, even though the sixteen year old couldn't see her. "You can call him, Lola." She replied in a much softer tone than before.
She didn't want to fight with her daughter, not at all, but especially not over her own marriage.
"He can call us if he really cares!" She yelled back, before she slammed her bedroom door so hard, it was a miracle that it didn't come off of the hinges.
After that, this moment of silence completely washed over the room, both of the younger kids staring intently at their mother as her heart sank into the very pit of her stomach.
She felt really awful, almost sick to her stomach, actually. Everything was so complicated and confusing- it was almost unbearable.
As a parent, Stevie felt like she was doing everything wrong... She wanted them to understand why she felt the need to do what she'd done, but they wouldn't get it, not until they were parents, themselves.
She didn't want her children to worry about things that weren't in their control.
"I'm really excited to go see grandma and grandpa, mommy." Clancy finally spoke up with a soft nod and a sweet little grin.
The blonde let out a very gentle chuckle, hoping the tears weren't too obvious as she brought her coffee cup up to her lips. "I'm glad someone's excited..." she lingered before she took a drink. "Why don't you both run upstairs and grab your bags, please?" She forced a weak smile, silently hoping they'd give her just a moment alone.
