Hidden Burdens (working title)

Lessons of Love

Ben reluctantly told Kayla there was another rock incident from Kimmy when he met her in the kitchen. She didn't seem too worried since the last one happened several months ago and the kids had made up afterwards and grew into a friendship. Not that there wasn't still a concern, considering this was the second time Kimmy took her frustrations out on John.

A knock on the back door instantly got their attention. 

Ben was the one to head over and let John in. “How'd it go?”

John stepped in, shutting the glass door behind him. “Well, I tried to offer Kimmy to use my phone, but she was just too frightened, I guess.” Ben couldn’t help notice the young man sniff and rub at his eye, removing his glasses in the process. Before he could ask about it, Kayla stepped in, wanting to look at the bruise on the side of John’s forehead.

She grasped his jaw in her fingers as Kayla examined the bruise. Even though she had always never saw herself as motherly, it was moments like these where bits showed themselves. “You should have come in and iced it first thing.”

“I know, I know," John said, like any average teenager when a caregiver lectured them. "But I wanted to make sure Kimmy was okay.”

Kayla went to the freezer to grab one of their first-aid ice packs, pointing out the oxygen mask on a plane rule. She pulled out the dark blue one, that was wrapped in a couch cushion pillow case-style wrapping, with a velcro strap so it could be wrapped around the affected area. 

John took the ice pack from her, thanking Kayla and held it to his head. He flinched when the ice pack made contact with the bruise, not just from the pain but from the sheer coldness as well. 

While Kayla tended to John, Ben offered to try this time since Kimmy needed to be held responsible for her actions. If she didn’t want to resolve things with John, that meant they needed to discuss the consequences. He stepped outside on the back patio and headed around the house where he found Kimmy standing there inside the gate. 

Ben made his way down the sideyard, sliding his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts. The kid was just standing there as if zoned out, like a statue. But as he grew closer, Kimmy flinched alive, backing further into the corner and going nowhere. 

Before anything else, Ben made sure the kid knew he wasn’t going to do anything to her, gently reminding Kimmy they don’t hit. "That also goes for you as well,” he pointed out, firmly but conscicously kept some gentleness in his tone. It did not help relax her, though. “This is the second time we caught you throwing rocks at someone, and twice you took it out on John. That’s not okay, kiddo. Rocks can seriously hurt somebody than just a bump on the head. We thought… Or, rather I thought,” he corrected himself, “Miguel would need stitches.”

Kimmy’s gaze turned away. He wasn’t sure if she felt any remorse or guilt. Or if she was just scared of the consequences.

“Now, I don’t know what’s been going on with you lately. You’re welcome to have emotions. If you’re mad or upset about something and want to be left alone, that’s perfectly fine. We will give you the space you need until you’re ready or feel comfortable to come to us.” Ben shook his head in slow motion as if for emphasis, “but you will not take your emotions out on others.” He then listed off a number of things Kimmy could do instead to get out those pent-up emotions. Like writing, coloring, drawing, or playing her video games. Video games were how Ben used to get out a lot of his emotions since he was a kid. It didn’t solve anything, but taking his frustrations out on pixaled bad guys helped for a moment. 

“You can jump on the trampoline, you can do some extra chores around the house. My dad taught me doing some work can help you refocus your thoughts and even help calm you down.” In fact, that’s when Ben remembered his dad teaching Kimmy to refill the blower and making the suggestion for Ben to teach her how to use it.