Game Over: Life's Over

Stickers Are Cool

Paw Patrol played on the living room TV. Theo was busy in the kitchen making dinner for when Eric came home from work. I was curled up on the couch with the air conditioning making the room extra cold. I was pretty sure Theo had no idea I'd turned it down or that I even knew how.

After I got my blood drawn, I was in a pretty sour mood. I wasn't up for doing much of anything but I definitely requested lunch since Theo had mentioned it prior to my meltdown.

We got lunch and brought it home to eat. If I had been in a better mood, I would have wanted to eat out or sit in the car and eat. But I just wanted to go home.

I changed into shorts and a sweatshirt when we got home. The air was on so it was comfortable inside with both a sweatshirt on and a blanket covering me. I settled into the couch after eating and fell asleep right after turning the TV on.

It wasn't until Eric came home that I woke up from my nap. He was walking through the front door carrying a large box when I sat up on the couch. He carried in three more before he was finished.

I furrowed my brows as I looked at the unmarked boxes. "What is that?"

He smiled and jogged over to the door to shut it. He came back over and patted the box. "We wanted to get you something. The house is a mixture of grown-up furniture and baby-proofing so we wanted a middle ground for you."

I wasn't sure what he was implying but I was eager to see what they got for me. It wasn't often I got presents.

"Can we open them?"

Eric looked towards the kitchen and I followed his gaze to see Theo standing in the doorway. "What do you think? Should we wait or let him open it now?"

Theo smiled. "Go ahead. I want to see his reaction."

"Can you get me the box cutter?"

Theo nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. After he was gone for a minute, he came back with something black in his hand.

Eric grabbed the box cutter from Theo and flipped it up so the blade was exposed. He started cutting into the first box and it wasn't long before each box was open and ready to be emptied.

I got to my feet and peered into one of the boxes. Inside was a dark blue cushion of some kind. I couldn't tell if it was a pillow or cushion or what.

Theo walked over and stood beside me. He helped me lift the cushions from the first box. They were just square cushions so I couldn't tell what they went to. After we pulled the rest of them out and I could see them all across the living room floor, I realized what they all were. It was a buildable couch. I'd loosely seen them on commercials and things while watching TV or playing games on my phone. They were mainly for kids but they didn't just have to be. A cushion was still a cushion.

I pushed the cushions together and then grabbed the triangle pieces that formed the back of the couch. I put them on top and assessed the way they looked put together.

"Well, what do you think?" Theo asked.

"I wasn't expecting this. I'll have to test it out later to see how comfortable it is."

Theo looked at Eric and smiled.

Eric looked down at the couch before turning his attention to me. "Where did you get the stickers?"

I looked down at my hands. I had forgotten about the stickers on the back of my hands. I was a bit embarrassed that they were so visible. "I got them at the doctor's today."

"I like them. Stickers are cool."

I looked up at Theo and silently begged him to change the subject so we wouldn't have to discuss how my appointment went. I was still embarrassed by how I acted.

Theo gave me a small nod before he clapped his hands together. "Who's ready for dinner?"

—

When we were done with dinner, I rushed through my shower as fast as I could. I wanted to test out my new couch. I'd never had anything like it, even when I was younger and I lived with Mom. So I was excited to have something different that was just mine.

Theo and Eric seemed eager to get me whatever I wanted or needed. They were getting money for taking care of me so if I needed something, they could get it. Theo made it seem like toys were included in that. Maybe I would have to look into some toys that were worth playing with so they could buy them for me.

I ran down the steps lugging my blanket with me. My hair was still wet from my shower but I knew it wouldn't take long to dry. It was a bit longer than I wanted it to be but I assumed it wouldn't be much different. I wasn't overly concerned about it.

I walked into the living room and saw Theo flipping through the apps on the TV for a movie to watch. He hadn't changed out of the clothes he was wearing all day but Eric was in different clothes. He was now wearing a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt. It looked similar to his workout clothes. He was lying on the couch where I usually resided and was watching Theo.

Eric turned as I walked into the room. "Hey, Jake. Do you have a movie in mind? We haven't decided on what to watch."

I tossed my blanket down on the couch. "Can I pick anything?"

He nodded.

"Um... have you heard of the movie Sing?"

Theo turned around and looked at me. "Is that what you wanna watch?"

"If that's okay with you guys."

Theo shrugged. "It's fine with me. I might read a little so I'm not opposed to any movies. Maybe anything scary."

Eric laughed. "Theo is such a baby when it comes to scary movies. One jump scare and he's done."

Theo frowned. "You know, you expect them based on how intense the scene is yet they still scare me every time."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now. Go ahead and put on Sing. I haven't seen it yet so I can finally knock it off my list."

"Alright." Theo found Sing on one of the apps and put it on. He set the remote on an end table before he looked at me. "Do you want anything to drink before I sit down?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll take whatever."

Theo nodded and went into the kitchen.

I sat down on the couch, the one specifically for me. I moved the back cushions so I could lie down and face the TV. I spread my blanket out over my legs and got comfortable. The couch was no better or worse than the rest of the couches in the living room but it was better since it was all mine. I didn't have to fight over where I'd sit anymore.

Theo walked back in and handed me a sippy cup. I was a bit annoyed that I was forced to use the sippy cup but I knew they wanted me to use it so I wouldn't make a mess with it. I hated that that was even a thought.

I took a sip and was glad he put juice in the cup. I wanted something other than water every now and then.

"Comfortable?"

I nodded.

He sat down on the couch with Eric and leaned into him. He grabbed his tablet from the back of the couch and rested it on his leg.

I focused on the TV and let myself get engrossed in the movie. I made it through most of it before I started getting tired. I put my binky in my mouth and curled up against the cushions. I was out before the movie was over.

---

Hey, everyone! We made it to chapter 50! Thank you all for reading this far and loving this story as much as I do. Are there any scenes you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters? I have some things planned but I want to see what ideas you have before I plan anything. Should I make Jacob an actual baby or not? I've been toying with the idea of making him a baby and then having him grow to some extent after that but I'm not sure if I want to go with it or not. I like him as a bigger kid but being a baby is intriguing too. What are your thoughts?