The Family We Choose

Chapter 25

A/N: Buckle up everyone, the next couple chapters are going to be rough. Enjoy :)

--

Emelia wakes up the next morning to a text from May, after her nightmareless night she opened the text.

May
Are we still on for tonight?

They were supposed to go out to the theatre to watch a premier for a movie May has been dying to see but there was something in the pit of her stomach that told her to run away. Somehow this wasn't safe anymore, these feelings she was having for May were real now. Super real and if...

Emelia
Not feeling great. Plus without Buck I can't leave until I'm finished with this damn project.

Before she let herself spiral any further down that rabbit whole, she responded. Hitting send quickly so she wouldn't change her mind. She felt awful, May had been looking forward to this movie for weeks and she let her down. But half of her statement was true. She would be spending the next two days getting her project done for Monday.

However her subconscious was telling a whole other story. That feeling in pit in her stomach was cheering her on. This was all was moving really fast and before all this bullshit it wasn't an issue, she was ready to dive head first and experience as much as she could but now. She needed to be careful.

If only to protect herself from getting hurt once again. It was easy this way, she could convince herself she was only being careful not running.

But God it still hurt.

May
No problem, it's running next week too. I'm here if you need anything.

Emelia doesn't respond to that message, reading it quickly before turning her phone off and throwing it to the side. Sitting up, she barely registered the knock on the door before Eddie peaked his head wearily into her room.

"Hey kid, Hen said we can come over whenever and both Karen and her can help with the interview. So long as Chris comes to distract Denny." he offered her a sad smile. This wasn't exactly how she planned her weekend to be nor did she plan her project but Hen and Karen were practically saints in her eyes for helping her out.

"I'll be ready in fifteen," she forces out a smile before crawling out of bed. Eddie gently closes her door, leaving her to get ready and do her morning stretches. On the bright side her stretches were becoming easier to do, a lot less pain and she finally didn't have to use the crutches any more which her arms were most grateful for.

By noon they made it over to the Wilson household, it took a little longer to get her interview questions together. As well as getting Chris up and out the door with his excitement so high. They stopped at a coffee shop for lunch on the way, bringing some along so they could eat before getting to work.

Her new topic was 'The struggles of working in a male-dominant industry.' So instead of one interview she was working with two. That didn't help at all with the frustration still building up in her chest.

It was a lot to think about, once she was finished with the interviews she still had to write the report and finish the new poster board. But having two awesome women in her corner helped.

Eddie was keeping the boys occupied in the other room while Hen and Karen sat her down in their kitchen to get to work. They made it easy on her, clearly answering the questions and helping her with ideas to throw into her report. Calming her nerves with tea alongside her food.

"I don't know about you but I think an A is in your near future." Karen said with a smile after looking over her draft of the interview to make sure nothing was missed.

"Damn right." Hen added.

Emelia smiled, genuinely, for the first time all day.

"Thanks, I was a little worried that this was rushed but I think this is really going to work." stacking up her papers, Emelia looked at them once again. "Thank you, again for doing this."

"Of course. We're always happy to help." Karen stood and wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

"You'll let us know how you did?" Hen smiled.

"My teacher takes forever to grade things like this but definitely." she nodded, just as Eddie joined them in the kitchen. Silently thanking them once again when Emelia turned her back to them.

--

Emelia's leg bounced with anxiety as she waited for her physical therapist to come and grab them, today felt off. She was glad Eddie was able to bring her but he had to give up his shift to make sure she wasn't alone. Originally Buck had been the one who was supposed to take her so Eddie could make his shift but Emelia was trying not to think about the reason why he couldn't be here for her today.

After the short wait, she took them back into her office to complete her routine before sitting them down in her office. Despite the absence of her biggest cheerleader, she felt good and that wasn't only because of the smile sitting on her physcial therapist face.

"So I do have some good news. Your muscles seem to be healing correctly and at the pace I like to see, meaning that by the end of this month I think we might be able to get you back to dancing." Emelia perked up in her seat, her smile practically beaming.

This was the one thing that could start to put her life back to normal, or whatever this new normal would be.

"Really?"

"Yes but there are going to be some regulations to make sure you don't reinjure the foot but I do think it will help to get into some physical activity to make sure we are healing the muscles in the right places."

Emelia had to hold herself back from jumping over the desk and wrapping her arms around her. She had worked so hard to get to this place and while it had been hard, this news made it all worth it.

"Thank you," Eddie spoke for her, seeing how her excitement was practically radiating off her.

Emelia, too wrapped up in her never ending excitement zoned out for the rest of their little meeting. Knowing that stack of paper she would get at the end would have all the information anyways.

Her first thought was to text Buck and tell him the awesome news but as soon as she pulled out her phone to do so she remembered that she couldn't exactly do that right now. But she wasn't going to let him put a damper on her news.

The next person was May, but she had already cancelled another date and hasn't really talked to her all day. So instead, she simply replayed the news to Carla.

Who in all her glory offers her a sweet, "I told you so."

Overall not a bad way to end her shitty week.