Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Anorexia •|| MARJOREECE + OLIVE ||•

Prompt: Olive comes home from school looking dangerously thin.

[TW: !! MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDERS !!]
(READ WITH CAUTION!!!)

When Olive walked into the house, Reece immediately noticed something was wrong. Her shirt hung loosely on her frame, and her usually bright smile was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Reece greeted, pulling her into a hug. “How’s my favorite daughter?”

Olive gave a half-hearted smile. “I’m your only daughter.”

“Exactly. You’re irreplaceable,” Reece said, ruffling her hair.

Olive pulled away, muttering, “I’m going to unpack,” before heading upstairs.

Marjorie walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Did she seem... thinner to you?”

Reece nodded, worry etched on his face. “She’s barely been home for five minutes, and I can tell something’s not right.”

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

That evening, Reece prepared Olive’s favorite meal from her childhood—a comforting shepherd’s pie. He set the table for three, but Olive didn’t come down.

“Olive!” Reece called up the stairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

“I’m not hungry,” came the quiet reply.

Reece exchanged a glance with Marjorie, who frowned. “This isn’t like her. Should we try talking to her?”

“Not yet,” Reece said. “Let’s give her a bit of space.”

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

By the third day of Olive coming home, Reece couldn’t take it anymore. He knocked on her bedroom door, a small plate of toast and jam in hand.

“Come in,” Olive called softly.

Reece stepped inside and saw her sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. “Thought you might want a snack.”

She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

Reece sat down beside her, placing the plate on her nightstand. “Olive, I’ve noticed you’ve been... different. You’re not eating, and you seem distant. What’s going on?”

Olive’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s nothing, Dad.”

“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “it’s not nothing. Please talk to me.”

At that moment, Marjorie appeared in the doorway. She didn’t say anything, but her presence was calm and supportive.

Olive looked between them before finally breaking. “There are these girls at school,” she whispered. “They call me names—‘piglet,’ ‘whale,’ things like that. I know it’s stupid, and I shouldn’t care, but... I do.”

Reece’s heart broke. He reached for her hand. “It’s not stupid, Olive. Words can hurt, but what they’re saying isn’t true. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

Marjorie stepped forward, sitting on the other side of Olive. “Your dad’s right. You don’t deserve to feel this way because of their cruelty.”

“I thought I was better,” Olive admitted. “But I look in the mirror, and all I see is what they say I am.”

Reece pulled her into a hug. “You are beautiful, Olive. Inside and out. And we’re here to help you through this.”

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

That night, Reece managed to convince Olive to eat a small plate of her favorite pasta dish. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Marjorie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to go through this alone. We’re here for you, no matter what.”

Olive gave them a small smile. “Thank you. Both of you.”

[A/N: I just felt like I had to go over the 2 chapter limit per day and post this before I go to sleep. Don't make comments about people's bodies, whether it be a joke or not, whether you're her PARENTS or not. You don't know what people struggle with on a daily basis. You don't know what they go through EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. just forcing themselves not to eat so that they don't get to hear your useless comments the moment they get home. You may look at it as a joke, but telling your OWN DAUGHTER that she's starting to look like a Piglet because she complained she didn't fit into a shirt she loved when she was SIX anymore hurts, okay?]

[A/N: My loves, please eat if you haven't yet. You are perfect just the way you are. 🫶🏻]