Home is a person - Lizzie Olsen

-11-

I don't think anyone would be prepared to see what I'm seeing right now, but this just breaks my heart.

Freya is sat on the floor with angry red lines on her thigh.

"Okay sweetheart, can I please get you to put the blade down?" I ask, softly.

She puts it down, and starts to cry.

"I'm sorry honey, i'm so so sorry you feel this way." I coo. I take the blade away and put it on the counter. I'll dispose of that later so she can't get it. I wrap my arms around the poor girl.

"Okay, i'm going to have to clean these, so they don't get infected. Is that alright?" I ask, as she sobs into my shoulder. She nods, and I grab some things out of the first aid kit.

Freya's pov

I know I messed up. I've never done anything like this before. God, how much more crappy can my life get?

I wince as Lizzie cleans the cuts.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She coos.

"I'm sorry." I mutter.

"I told you, you have nothing to be sorry for my sweet girl." She says, softly.

After she bandages my thigh, she brings me in for another hug.

"Thank you so much, Lizzie." I say.

"Of course" She beams. "Do you want to go watch Brooklyn 99?"

"Is that even a question? Obviously!" I say. She just laughs and we cuddle up on the couch together.

Lizzie's pov

Seeing Freya in that state broke me, but it made me realize that I want to be there for her for the rest of her life. I want to be the person she can rely on and trust. I want to have that mother-daughter bond with her. I'm thinking of adopting her, i'll just have to think of the right time to do so.

Right now, she seems happy. Watching her laugh at Hitchcock and Scully being complete idiots makes me happy.

"Lizzie?" She says.

"Mhm" I say.

"Uhmm when are we going back to school?" She asks. Oh shit, school.

"Well we don't have to go if you don't feel up to going." I say.

"No, I want to go. I've already missed enough school." She admits. "Plus, i'll see you at school too."

"About that..."

Finding a new job has also been on my mind quite a bit. I'm not sure what I want to do, but I definitely want to find a new job. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching. I just feel like i'm not doing a job that makes me completely happy.

"I've been thinking of finding a new job." I say.

"Oh..why?" She asks. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, i'm just curious. Sorry."

"Nono, I get it sweetheart. But, yeah I just feel like teaching doesn't make me as happy as it used to. I've been thinking of doing something different." I explain.

"That's fine, as long as your happy" She says, smiling.

"Your so sweet. I wanted to talk to you about something." I say.

She pauses the show and turns all her attention to me.

"So... i'm not going to send you back to your parents, and i'm definitely not going to just send you off into the streets, but I was thinking that I could-" Before I could finish, she cuts me off.

"You're going to adopt me?" She exclaims. "Sorry-"

"Yes, I want to adop-" I'm cut off by her squealing.

"YES YES YES THANK YOU LIZZIE THANK YOU" She screams.

"Aww of course" I say, bringing her in for a hug.

We sit like that for a while.

"I love you" She whispers.

Ohmygod I can't explain how happy I am right now. "I love you too sweetheart" I say, softly.

After a few minutes she falls asleep. I take that as my cue to go call Scarlett.

"Hey!!" She says, through my phone.

"Hey Scar, I want to talk to you about something."

"Is everything okay Lizzie?"

"Yeah, so you were right. She was making herself sick. She had a meltdown, and we talked. I thought everytbjng was going okay until I walked into her bathroom to see her-" A few tears run down my face.

"It's okay Lizzie" She says, comfortingly.

"To see her harming herself. I cleaned her cuts and we were just watching some TV together. She seemed to be doing a bit better then. She's sleeping now, and I want to wake her up so I can get her to eat something, but she deserves some peace in her mind." I explain.

"Awh, poor girl. You're doing great with her. Liz"

"I'm adopting her. She said yes and-"

"OH MY GOD YES LIZZIE I'M SO FUCKING HAPPY FOR YOU"

I just laugh. "Thank you Scar. I just don't really know what to do. I think i'll contact an eating disorder specialist, but I think she needs some other professional help as well. The hospital is a no, she has some trauma from there and I don't want to put her through any of that again. She also said she doesn't want to talk to a therapist."

"I think you should talk to her again about the therapist thing. We're somewhat out of options, and you want what's best for her."

"Yeah..maybe I don't know. Thank you though. I love ya Scar"

"Yeah yeah, I know you do. Love you too Liz"

With that, we both hang up. Oh my god, i'm going to become a mom.