There's a reason (London puts barriers on the rails)

Family photo

Wilbur had insisted that they needed to take a new family photo. They hadn't taken one since Tommy was 2. Tommy liked the one they had though. His mom was in it and Tech actually smiled. Nevertheless, Phil agreed and they all loaded into the car and drove off.

It felt like they had been sitting in the waiting area forever as groups of pretty smiling families walked past. The whole situation made Tommy's stomach turn. What would happen with the other picture? Would they throw it out and forget his mom all together? Would they put it in the fireplace for fodder? Why did things need to change? Phil would be remarried in a month and they'd just have to do this again. Tommy didn't mind Kristen, she was nice and always baked the best sweets. But she wasn't mom.

Tommy glanced around at his group. His dad was in a black t-shirt and his dark green jacket. He was wearing that stupid bucket hat Kristen got him, he rarely took it off. Wilbur was in a yellow jumper with a black button up under it. Techno had worn a white turtleneck and a khaki coat. Tommy had put his hair up in a bun. They all looked so fancy. Tommy glanced down at himself in his red and white shirt and sighed. He didn't belong here, with them. He'd ruin the photo. As if sensing his discomfort, Wilbur looked up from his guitar and looked around. "Don't we all look nice?" He laughed and looked at Tommy. "Toms your hair's a mess. Did you brush it like I asked?" Tommy nodded.

Wilbur kept talking about his hair as if he didn't know it was a mess. If Tommy heard one more comment about his hair he might throw something. Wilbur hovered over him fixing any wrinkles in his shirt or stray hairs. "This picture has to be perfect. I want to put it above the fireplace" Wilbur continued to drone on about the family photo and Phil laughed. "Wil, we have to get dinner after this. He looks fine" Tommy's gut clenched at the mention of the fireplace. "But what about the picture already there?" "I figured we'd put it in the attic for safe keeping" Phil put his hand on Tommy's knee. "We weren't going to throw it out" Tommy sank further into his chair. Phil knew he was worried.

"Watsons?" a voice chimed. A young woman was standing at the door and ushered them into the next room. The family sat the way they were instructed. "Wilbur stop messing with him" Phil sighed as Wilbur stopped flattening Tommy's hair. They all gave big smiles, albeit some were more forced than others.

After Phil payed for the pictures they all filed back into the car. Tommy felt sick and tried to make himself as small as possible. Techno grabbed his hand and squeezed slightly. Tech had always had slight motion sickness so Tommy squeezed back and leaned his head against his brother's shoulder. Techno had always understood how broken and lost Tommy felt after he lost his mom. For a good chunk of his life that had been Techno's mom too. Tommy didn't want the picture in the attic, He didn't want Phil to marry Kristen, and he really didn't want to eat out today.