La Familià (Lim X Vergara Family) Au

XXV

The day Selah got in trouble, her mother, Loyden, was already dealing with the exhaustion of being seven months pregnant. When she found out about the cheating incident and Selah's ongoing reputation as a bully, it only added to her stress. Loyden sat at the kitchen table, her hands resting on her growing belly, trying to make sense of everything. She had always known Selah was headstrong, but this seemed to be spiraling out of control, especially with a new baby on the way.

Just as Loyden was processing the news, the front door opened, and Charles walked in from a long day at work. She noticed the tension immediately. Loyden looked up, her face tight with worry, and before she could even speak, Charles asked, "What happened?"

Loyden sighed deeply, her voice strained. "It’s Selah again. She’s been caught cheating, and they called her to guidance. It’s not just that she doesn’t even care, Charles. She’s completely indifferent to what she’s doing."

Charles frowned, running a hand through her hair as she took a seat beside her. She had always been the disciplinarian, but lately, with work piling up and the baby on the way, she had been more distant. Now, hearing this, she realized they needed to take action before things got worse.

Loyden’s frustration quickly turned into anger. She stood up, pacing the room, her hands resting on her back for support as she felt the weight of the pregnancy pulling her down. "I don’t understand, Charles," she fumed. "How can she act like this? Doesn’t she realize the stress she’s putting on us on me right now? We’ve talked to her so many times, but it’s like she doesn’t care at all!"

Charles sat silently for a moment, watching her. She could see the strain this was causing her, not just physically but emotionally. Loyden had been trying so hard to keep things together, especially with the baby coming soon. But Selah’s behavior was making everything harder.

Just then, Selah came home, slamming the front door behind her. She had heard enough from her teachers and Mrs. Santos for one day, and now, she wasn’t in the mood for another lecture from her parents. "What now?" she snapped, throwing her bag onto the couch as she stormed into the living room.

Loyden’s eyes flashed with anger. "Don’t you dare take that tone with me, Selah!" she said sharply. "I’ve had it with your attitude. Do you even realize what you’re putting this family through? I’m seven months pregnant, Selah, and the last thing I need is more stress because of you!"

Selah’s fists clenched, her face hardening. "Why is everything always about you, Mom? I messed up, okay, but it’s not the end of the world! People make mistakes. You don’t need to act like I’ve ruined everything!"

"Ruined everything?!" Loyden shouted, her voice rising in frustration. "Do you even hear yourself? You’ve been bullying your classmates and cheating, and the worst part is, you don’t even care! How are we supposed to help you if you refuse to take any responsibility?"

Selah crossed her arms, glaring back at her mother. "You just don’t get it! You never do! All you care about is the baby and what I’m doing wrong. Maybe if you actually listened to me for once, you’d understand!"

Charles, sensing the tension rising, stood up and placed a hand on Loyden’s shoulder. "That’s enough, both of you," she said firmly, her voice low but authoritative. "We’re not going to solve anything by yelling. Selah, go to your room. We’ll talk about this when things have calmed down."

Selah shot her parents a final angry look before storming off, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Loyden collapsed onto the couch, rubbing her temples, trying to calm herself. Charles sat beside her, quietly offering support, but deep down, both of them knew they had to find a way to reach Selah before things spiraled even further out of control.

Charles could see the exhaustion and frustration etched across Loyden’s face, her body tense from the argument. Without a word, she gently took her hand and guided her to sit down. "Hey, Hon,  take a breath," she said softly, her voice steady. "You need to calm down. All this stress isn’t good for you or the baby."

Loyden sighed, her hands trembling as she held onto Charles’ hand. "I just don’t know what to do with her anymore," she whispered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I’m trying so hard, Charles, but she just doesn’t care. And with everything happening right now… I feel like I’m failing her."

Charles pulled her closer, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "You’re not failing, Hon. We’re in a tough spot, and Selah’s acting out, but we’ll get through this. She’s going through something too, and we need to help her, but not like this. We have to stay calm. She needs us to be strong, especially now."

Loyden leaned into her, resting her head against her chest, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "I just don’t know how to reach her anymore," she admitted, her voice softer now. "She’s so angry all the time."

Charles stroked her hair gently. "We’ll figure it out together," she reassured her. "Selah is acting tough, but I think she’s struggling with more than we realize. We’ll talk to her, get through to her, but not with yelling. Let’s give her a little space tonight and try again tomorrow. We’ll handle this, one step at a time."

Loyden nodded, her tension slowly easing under Charles’ calm presence. She knew she was right. Raising her hand to her belly, she felt the baby’s gentle movements, reminding her to take care of herself. "Okay," she whispered. "We’ll try again tomorrow."