𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 • steven conklin

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

conrad and jeremiah were lying on each side of their mother while eden was lying against her on the floor, holding on to her leg for dear life. as if she was going to lose her. which she would.

the fisher girl sat there while her brothers talked to her mother. she didn't want to talk. she didn't have anything to say.

"eden!" jeremiah exclaimed. "why aren't you saying anything?"

"i don't have anything to say." she muttered.

"so you're not gonna tell mom to do the trial? conrad and i already said it, you need to say it too!" jeremiah shouted.

"jeremiah." susannah muttered.

he took a breath and shook his head.

eden looked up at her mother.

"mom. please do the trial. all you have to do is try. pl—please." eden stuttered.

"for us mom? i need you." conrad cried.

susannah nodded and sat there, rubbing her two sons on the shoulders.

conrad and jere eventually went up, but eden stayed where she was.

"why don't you come up here, flower." susannah said.

eden didn't reply. she stayed on the floor.

susannah sighed and sunk down to the floor next to her daughter.

eden sat up and looked to her mother.

"mom?"

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry i kept this from you. and i'm sorry conrad kept it from you, but i need you to forgive him. if i'm going to do the trail, i need to do it knowing my babies are sticking together." susannah said.

"yeah. i can forgive him." eden nodded.

susannah rubbed her daughter's cheek. "you are the definition of beauty, my girl. don't let your sadness ruin your beauty. inside and out."

"i don't feel anything, mom. i was angry, but i'm not anymore. i'm not sad either. i'm numb." eden muttered.

susannah sighed. "i'm sorry, flower. i'm so sorry."

"you don't have to be sorry, mom. it's not your fault." eden replied. "i love you."

"i love you more."

eden kissed her on the cheek then got up and went upstairs to her room.

she changed into a hoodie and a pair of shorts and plopped down on her bed then stared up at the ceiling without a thought in her head.

🌊

"alright, everybody down here! we still have to eat!" laurel called.

eden blinked her eyes open and looked around.

she fell asleep? when? she didn't remember falling asleep at all.

sighing, she got up and trudged downstairs.

everyone was sat at the dinner table.

"hey." steven smiled. "come sit."

eden smiled back and went to the empty seat next to her boyfriend.