EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE | Stranger Things.

XXIX. A Mother's Wound

DINNER WAS IMMENSELY AWKWARD AND IT FELT LIKE NONE OF THE FOUR HUGO'S HAD THE COURAGE TO GRAB THE KNIFE AND CUT THE SILENCE.

Frances had chosen to sit next to Daisy rather than their father and it quickly struck a nerve with Laura to see that their usual routine was slowly being broken. Daisy's legs were crossed as she lightly swung one foot.

Laura did a double take when she saw how Daisy had barely eaten anything on her plate, rather deciding to mash the baby potatoes together to create a paste.

"Daisy.. baby, I think we need to talk." Laura began. She cleared her throat and placed her fork down as softly as possible, catching Daisy's attention with a forced smile. "I've been hearing a lot of talk from — well, the mothers have told me a few things."

"Don't they have kids to be taking care of?" Daisy commented with an arched eyebrow. A single comment that foretold the ending of this conversation was soon to be turned into a cold argument.

Christopher coughed and slyly cleared his throat. "Why don't we start off by asking each other how our day has gone, hm?"

"You slapped Joshua today, Sweetie." Laura ignored her husband. She always did.

Frances shook her head as Daisy nodded and tilted her head. "I do recall doing that today," She shrugged and continued mashing her food together without looking away from her mother's hazardous stare. "Feels like pure bad luck that I always get the boyfriends who snitch on me to my mother."

"He didn't tell me anything but his mother did," Laura's words didn't make the situation any better. "Baby.." She sighed and reached across the table to hold Daisy's free hand. "People make mistakes-"

"I didn't know that cheating for about three months on your girlfriend was a mistake. Silly me." Daisy chuckled sourly but she didn't move her hand away from her mom's grasp. It was rare for Laura to show affection towards her daughters so you could just imagine how confused it made Daisy feel when her mother's grasp began feeling tight.

Laura tried to hold back her upcoming annoyance that was beginning to leak through her forced smile. "You're a kid, Daisy. And — and kids your age make mistakes all the time! I just think you're misunderstanding this situation.."

"Wait," Christopher cut in, his chair screeching across the floor as he stood up and out of his seat. "He cheated on you? Laura, this isn't a mistake."

"Can you let me finish?" The dark-haired woman asked.

Daisy yanked her hand away from her mom and mimicked her parent's movements, which Frances followed by standing protectively by Daisy's side.

"No! No, it sounds as if you're defending a boy who hurt our daughter-"

Laura scoffed, slowly standing up with her hands on the table. The argument had just gained two more victims that would have to face Laura's undying forceful ways. "She's not going to get anywhere if she acts like this — if you continue letting her act like this!"

"Act how?"

"Don't act stupid, Chris."

Daisy shook her head and began walking away from the scene, but nothing ever truly went her way. Days like this just made the youngest Hugo want to leave forever and cut off contact with a specific chart of people. Her mom was at the top of the list that Daisy had carefully planned out. "Let me go!" She yelled.

"Not until we figure this out, Daisy!" "You're ruining your life — our life! People are talking for fucks sake!"

"And that's all you care about?" Daisy scoffed. She never stopped fighting and neither did Laura considering the strong grip on Daisy's arm was beginning to ache with pain. "This is the exact reason I never come to you first,"