Intertwined

Meeting (Part 2)

A/N: I'm finding these parts really hard to write. I'm going through a heavy time at the moment and it's clouding my judgement on how to approach these chapters now. I've restarted and deleted 3 times. So, I'm going to change tactics and write this one all in 3rd person, even though Charlotte is in the room, and hope that helps give me some emotional distance...

There were so many things the three of them wanted to say to Lily and Michael. Mia had said a lot, got out a lot of anger, pain and resentment, but there was a lot more to say, to vent, to reveal.

It wasn't as though Roger's treatment of them had been sporadic growing up. Lily would know that. If it wasn't physical, it was verbal abuse, psychological abuse. The comments about weight, strength, being a pretty or ugly girl, a strong and tough boy. Comments to Mia about being a slut, being worthless, being his puppet.

It was him using the day they left to keep the three under his thumb. Constantly reminding them how they were so difficult to love, so easy to abandon. Then him being the firm but loving dad whenever anyone else was around. 'Oh well done one that test,' or 'Great game son,' or 'Thank you for helping Autumn, Amelia', all being code for 'don't step out of line or else'.

But letting everything just run out of them like that, right now, was too much. It was reliving all the trauma at once and no one wanted to do that.

Lily looked at Reece and Autumn. Saying sorry again wasn't going to help. It wasn't as though there was much they could say that would help, but they wanted to be honest, to have a dialogue and be open to whatever it was their children needed from them. They were both desperately sorry, but it would be their actions that would help any healing that their children needed and deserved.

Reece and Autumn both had tears in their eyes and had sat back down with their partners who held them closely. Mia had sat back next to her girlfriend Charlotte who was in the hospital bed, recovering from the hell Roger helped put her through. Mia had her arm around Charlotte and Lily noticed their hands held together, moving and comforting one another through different positions of their palms, strokes of their thumb and fingers, understanding it was a form of communication between them.

Lily was so grateful they had such caring partners. She had worried that they might end up with someone like Roger. But as she looked at their partners, she could see the gentle way they loved her children and her goddaughter. Differently, in the way that each of them needed to be loved.

Her and Michael had sat back down on the lounge in the room, Siobhan, the delicate, but slowly becoming braver blonde, sitting on the arm of the chair, taking in the reunion she helped to organise.

Lily looked up at the three of the children. As much as they were adults now, she couldn't help but see the children they had left sitting in front of them. Reece, caring, gentle, adventurous and artistic, Mia kind, clever, creative and playful and Autumn, bright, bubbly, tough and wise. Lily felt guilt weigh her body down, physically create an ache in her chest. She didn't want to cry right now. She wanted to be strong for them. Be there for them, if only for a moment, however long they would let them stay.

'Ki,' could she say kids? Maybe that didn't feel right yet. 'Reece, Autumn, Mia. Michael and I can't make up for the time we have lost with you,' Michael looked at Lily gave a small smile and a nod. He agreed with her. There was no way they could turn back the clock as much as they wished they could. They gave each other's hand a squeeze before focusing back on their reason for returning; their children.

Mia had been watching Michael and Lily's interactions since they returned, and it was at that moment she suddenly realised something. They were like her and Reece, not like Reece and Marjorie. Michael saw the realization dawn on her too. They would talk about that later. His daughter was a lot more like him, but she was braver. He was so proud of her. He was relieved she had been able to find a way to be true to herself, despite everything she had been through.