Generations: The Long Game

Forever

What? What are you talking about?" Mia asked.

"Please, Mia, don't lie to me. I heard you! I know you are planning to go and not come back. What I don't understand is why?"

"Charlotte, I am not going anywhere. I don't know what you think you heard, but I am not leaving. Do you really think I would do that? Leave you? Leave our children? Our family? After everything?" Mia was hurt. She couldn't understand why Charlotte would still have so little faith in her. All day she had pushed her to the side. Done everything on her own or with their friends. She recognized how rough things had been, and she could understand if Charlotte resented her, but this was beyond the pale. To not trust her. That was hurtful.

Charlotte stood their stunned if she wasn't leaving what had she heard? "Mia you said set it up because you weren't coming back."

"To the facility in Washington, Char. They found me a local outpatient clinic. They thought given my feelings that me staying with my family would help me to improve much quicker now."

"What?" Charlotte was feeling rather embarrassed now, but she was still really confused about what was happening. Because of her feelings? What was going on? She had behaved poorly all day and none of this made sense.

"Charlotte, you have everything under control. You don't need me. You can do it all on your own, but I want to be here. I want to do it with you."

Charlotte thought about it for a minute, and she realized that every time Mia was angry today was because she had shooed her away from the task in favor of her resting. She had inadvertently made Mia feel like she didn't need her. "Mia, I do need you. We need you. Did you really think there would ever be a time when we didn't? Mia you are a part of us. All of us. There is never going to be a time when that is not true."

"I know that Char, but why did you believe I would leave. Because it sounds like you don't believe I would stay if things got rough. It sounds like you don't trust me. Like I haven't done enough to deserve your trust." Mia was getting angry and struggling not to revert back to old habits. It would be easy for her to say something mean and walk away, but that wasn't going to fix this. She couldn't allow her family to be broken, and she had come too far to rely on easy. "I was upset today because I felt useless. I don't want to be the person who sits around while you decorate with our friends. I don't want to sleep while you take care of our children. I don't want to wake up to an empty bed."

"Mia, you just came home from a place with a seven-hour time difference. I got up at seven thirty this morning. For you it would have been like waking up at half past midnight and staying awake all day. I didn't shoo you away because I didn't need you. I shooed you away so you could rest. I can't say that I am not insecure or completely healed, but Mia I do trust you. With my life."

"Then why did you assume I was talking about leaving you? I don't understand, Char. And why are you talking about broken promises. Yes, you promised me I would be okay, and I am, Char. I survived my trauma, and you survived yours. We are still here."

"When we found out that we were both pregnant and you were going to have twins, I promised you you would be okay. That we would be okay. Then you almost died, and everything fell apart. I couldn't touch you or hold you. I couldn't be there when you needed me the most, Mia. Then that night happened in the spare room, and it felt like the only way you could want me was if you were drunk. It was a huge hit to my self esteem. I told you I am still working on that. Mia, you have always protected us and I couldn't protect you. It would make perfect sense if you didn't want me anymore.

"Not want you, Char? Charlotte Robert's there is nothing you could ever do to make me not want you. Even when my brain was broken and misfiring I wanted you. I would move heaven and earth to get to you for just one more day. Hell, I would go back to that facility and work my ass off to be a better version of me if that would make you happy. If it would make you believe that this is forever for me."

They were both crying at this point. Mia reached out for her, and Char melted into her chest. "Mia, this is forever for me too."