His Sunflower

Chapter 34

"So Zoey, you excited for winter break?" Dad asks me durning dinner.

I shrug. "I could honestly care less. Schools out for a month or two, sweet. It makes no difference to me."

Dad taps mom's shoulder, and mom jumps. She's been jumpy ever since she found she was pregnant, and then didn't tell dad. He still doesn't know. I need to ask mom why she just doesn't tell him. She needs to tell him.

"Hey daddy, can Clara and I go to our classmates birthday party we got invited to?" Max asks, only for Clara to start correcting Max.

"Max! It's may not can. Get the facts down dude. I cannot believe my own twin can be so stupid at times." Clara shakes her head, and runs one of her little hands down her little face. "Try again Max."

Max throws a look at his sister then looks back at dad. "May Clara and I go to a birthday party we got invited to?" Max then looks back at Clara. "Happy?"

Clara grins at him. "Very."

Dad starts laughing, and then signs to mom what the twins just said. Mom then laughs too.

"You two are acting exactly like your uncles River and Wyatt." Mom laughs. "Like exactly."

"Clara's just an annoying grammar police." Max says rolling his eyes.

"Um, no. You just don't know simple things. The proper use of may and can is common knowledge brother!"

"We're seven. It doesn't matter!" Max throws up his hands, wide eyed.

"So? Uncle River and uncle Wyatt were four." Clara says shrugging. "If anything we're behind track on our brain development."

Aw, brain development makes me miss Ethan! Why did he have to go on a stupid vacation. He had wanted me to come along, but there's no way I could have gone, my parents wouldn't let me leave the country with my boyfriend. Even if it was his family as well.

Whatever. It's not like I wanted to go to Canada with Ethan for a week while they visit their grandparents in Canada. Definitely not. *Cough* lie *cough*

Once everyone's done eating, I go to the kitchen to wash the dishes. No, it's not my chore, and no no one asked me to, but I'm trying to be more of a good child for my parents. Like I used to be before Matthew died. I never caused a problem, and now I feel like that's all I do. Washing the dishes is a small thing, but it's the little things that speak volumes.

"Hey Zoe?" Dad asks coming into the kitchen and leaning against the counter next to me.

"Yeah pops?"

"Do you happen to know what's up with your mother? She's been acting strange for the past two weeks, and I'm getting worried."

I scrunch up my face. "Possibly. You're gonna ask me to talk to her, right?"

"Please Zoey. I don't know what's wrong, and she won't tell me, and it's really really freaking me out. Last time she acted strange she-" dad cuts himself off, but I didn't need to hear what he was going to say. It's clear to me. He was gonna say how mom tried killing herself.

I finish washing the rest of the dishes in that moment, so I dry off my hands and look back to dad, who's looking quite shaken up. Oh, he's really freaking out.

I walk up to him, hugging him. He looks like he needs a hug. "It's nothing like that dad. Don't worry. She won't be doing something like that again."

Dad nods. "C-can you still talk to her, please? It's not going to stop me from worrying until someone talks to her."

"Yeah, I'll talk to her. I was planning on it anyway." I say pulling away from my dad.

He thanks me, and I go up to my parents bedroom, opening the door. Mom's just sitting on their bed, tears in her eyes. Oh great, I have to deal with my crying mother. I hate it when she cries.

"Mom, why are you crying?"

"What if he's not ready for a kid? What if he wants me to put the baby up for adoption, or worse, what if he wants me to abort it?! I can't do that Zoey! I can't give my child away. I just can't. I mean, we can't be ready for a kid! It may not seem like it, but our marriage isn't fixed yet. We still have problems. And- and I just don't know if we can raise a kid. Riley already doesn't get enough sleep because he has nightmares almost every night, replays of when he found me. And nothing I say can make him feel better, he still thinks I'll try killing myself again! Even when I tell him I won't. How can we be ready for a kid?!"

"Mom, calm down. Your and dad's marriage will be fine." Or at least I hope so. "And we both know dad's going to raise the baby with you regardless of if he's ready for a kid. That's our family. We don't punish the innocent babies for our own faults. It'll be fine. But seriously, you need to tell dad. Like today. He's freaking out."

"C-can you go get him for me?"

I shrug. "Sure." I walk off, seeing my dad pacing around the kitchen. "Hey papa, mama wants you."

"Is she gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"From what I gather yeah."

Dad throws his arms around me hugging me tightly. "Thank you Zoey. Thank you so much."

"It's no problem."