You're Mine

chapter 116

"Okay, I'm going to walk Eleanor. Are you two good?", Owen asked his wife and mother-in-law, who were sitting on the couches. They had talked for a while after the couple had brought their kids to bed. "And once I'm back, I'll drive you over to Derek's, Carolyn."

"Yeah. Thanks, Honey.", Amelia smiled at him and let him kiss her lips before he left. "So, full day, huh?", she asked her mother, who nodded, sipping on her ginger ale. "Anything else you're interested in?"

"How are you coping with the kidnapping and the James-thing? I mean, we used to talk over the phone but how does it affect you nowadays?", the grey-haired woman wondered softly, kind of surprising her daughter with the question.

"Uhm...well, it's not something one ever forgets. Usually, I am too distracted with my family and work, but sometimes I do think about it, yeah...I have nightmares about it still...not many, but occasionally.", the neurosurgeon admitted and shrugged, rubbing her arms, suddenly feeling like it had gotten way colder in the living room.

"And do you tell Owen about them?", Carolyn dug deeper, trying to get her daughter to talk to her. She had seen that Amelia generally seemed to be fine, but she had always been a person who hides her true feelings.

"Depends.", the brunette sighed, seeing her mother's slow nod which meant she wanted her to elaborate. "He worries so quickly and so much...I rarely walk Ellie at night because Owen insists on being the one to do so. He doesn't want me to get hurt and I cannot really tell him about my pain. Not always and not when he's had a rough day too."

"Well, what happened with James, Sweetie?", her counterpart wanted to know. "And with his parents? You've never told me the details. And I worry too...seeing your child's picture all over the news...it does something to a person. Can we speak more often? Maybe facetime. Today has been the first time I have met my grandkids and I'm fully the one to blame because I could have come here earlier. But I want to do it right from now on."

"We can do that.", Amelia confirmed, offering her mom a small smile. "James...I've loved him so much. Even when he kidnapped me, I still loved him. I was so in love with him that I actually thought I'd never love anyone again once he had killed himself...but Owen was there and always is. Stella and Tom were just as crazy as he was. Locking me in that glass cage in their basement for a whole year. And then I turned batshit crazy too because what else is a person supposed to do after living through hell...", she said. "Leo had forgotten about me. I mean, he was a baby...but it's strange considering the fact that I am his favorite person nowadays."

"Well, he didn't mean to, Love.", Carolyn reminded her daughter, who nodded. "Let's talk about it another time.", she decided upon seeing how much Amelia was still struggling with the topic, even after all those years. "Is he a boy though? Why are we saying his pronouns?"

"Leo doesn't always want to be a boy and sometimes he feels more like a girl. Today he wanted to be called Leo, he, him, his, as you heard. Tomorrow it might be Leo, she, her, hers. We've established that he tells us each morning, so we can use the right pronouns for the day. That's actually why we are in a conflict with Evelyn, Owen's mom, right now. She doesn't really want to understand.", the neurosurgeon shared, sadly glancing into her own glass before she took a sip.

"Oh, okay. Good to know. I've been meaning to ask if I could pay you Guys another visit tomorrow? I'll be in Seattle for two weeks and I would love to spend as much time as possible with you and your family, not just with Derek's.", the grey-haired-woman informed her daughter.

"Sure. Nobody will be home until the afternoon though, besides El. Actually, when does Derek's shift start tomorrow?", the brunette questioned, making a mental plan about how the next day could work out for everyone.

"Sometime around lunch is what he told me. Why?", her mother asked, a little confused about her counterpart's sudden question about her brother's shift. "Shall I tell him something?"

"There's some leftovers in the fridge. And I was wondering if you could ask him to drive you here before he comes to the hospital, so you can walk Eleanor after lunch? She is able to wait for us till the afternoon after being walked in the morning, but she's a husky and I'd like for her to get some exercise whenever she can. She's super sweet and well-trained.", Amelia explained. "Let him give you his key."

"Of course, let's do that. Eleanor is such a cute dog. And I absolutely love her little backpack.", Carolyn chuckled. "I'm so proud of the life you've built despite everything you've been through. You are a wonderful mother with amazing kids and a handsome husband as well as a great dog and a beautiful house. I actually thought you wouldn't even let me in when I showed up unannounced this morning."

"I was thinking about it.", her daughter admitted, being scolded by her mom, who told her to filter. "Sorry. At least I'm getting to raise my own poison. Teenage Logan is a lot, Layla always has been, well and the other three are angels, currently. Might not be anymore in a few years. Now I am the one who tells them to filter.", she laughed.

"How's it going with Logan and Owen? I heard him refer to Owen as his dad, but does he mean it or is it rather like a thing he thinks he has to do?", her counterpart wondered curiously. "After all, his first father figure was James."

"Oh, he loves Owen and he hated James. He's never wanted him to be his dad. When James had kidnapped me, Owen had taken care of Logan and ever since, they are inseparable. I actually even think that it's easier for him to come to his father with his teenager issues. I don't know, maybe it's easier for him to talk to Owen. But they truly love and adore each other, and I am so happy about it.", the neurosurgeon answered.