Generations: The Long Game

Lynn

TW: mention or insinuation of mental health concerns/ED

The Roberts

"Lynn, sweetheart, mama and I aren't saying you are crazy. We're saying you need help, and we are out of our depth here. Clodagh's office is in a different corridor. The chances of us bumping into her are very slim. Or you could just go where you friends go. They would be there for the same reason." The young girl's eyes were red and swollen as she looked up. "Mum, I don't know what is wrong. I don't know how to stop any of it. I don't know how to talk about it." Her voice was getting louder as she spoke. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! For fucks sake!" The girl stomped off leaving Mia wide eyed. Charlotte followed her but was stopped by the redhead's hand landing on her shoulder. "Let her go Char." The brunette spun around with her face screwed up. "Mia that is our child. We need to talk to her. One of us needs to talk to her." As her eyes welled with tears, the redhead pulled her in. "Char she needs a little space. We need to give her a little space. I have an idea, but I don't know how you will feel." She looked up at the redhead. "What if we ask Marjie to come over. Char you weren't there. She wanted to talk to Marjorie. She needed to talk to her babe. She needed to, but Marjorie is well enough now to be able to talk. Maybe that is the key to all of this." She trailed off and stared past the brunette. "Maybe we're too close to it... maybe we need someone outside of it all. Fuck! I don't know."

Charlotte flopped into the chair with her head in her hands. The redhead pulled a chair up beside her to face her. She pulled her hands from her face and cupped her chin nudging her to look at her. "She's hurting. Your hurting, but you aren't what she needs, and neither am I. We need someone who can get through to her, and as much as I hate to admit it that person might just be Marjie." Charlotte screwed up her face and scowled at her. "What!?!" The brunette shook her head. "Why would you say that? We have all seen you with her. It is plain how close you two have gotten. Yet you still feel the need to make the dig." The redhead shrugged. "Old habits I suppose. At least I didn't get her tampons this year for Christmas. That would have been cold." The brunette deepened the scowl. "Amelia Mae Roberts!" For a moment they both fell into laughter before Mia went straight faced. "I'll see if she is up for visitors."

Marjorie

Reece busied himself packing up the pram and bundling up Emery and Rory. They weren't going far, and the fresh air would do them all some good, but he didn't want them to get cold. When the call came in from Mia, he figured it was a good enough opportunity to check in with Autumn. She wouldn't like him stopping by unannounced, but if anything could change her tune it was her niece and nephew. He leaned in and kissed Marjorie before setting off. "I'll have my phone if you need me."

She listened as he pulled the pram over the threshold and gently closed the door behind him. She pulled the throw over her and pulled her legs in before her eyes fluttered shut and she dozed off. The lightest tap on her knee caused her eyes to begin to open. She blinked the figure into focus. "Aunt Marjorie? Are you okay?" The girl was nearly as tall as her already and her long brown hair shone in the light coming from the midday sun through the windows. "Lynn did mum drop you in?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, we are all at the house here in town for a few weeks. Mama thinks it will be easier... for appointments and stuff. I don't really know...how... how do I stop it?" The brunette patted the couch next to her urging the the young girl to sit. "My love I know you are struggling. Grief is a funny thing. You can't quite explain it, but you can definitely feel it. I think that is how you stop the other." The girl looked down at her lap. "What if it isn't the grief? What if there's more to it. What if..." She trailed off breaking eye contact with Marjorie. "I need to tell you something."

Marjorie placed her fingers on the young girl's chin and moved her face to regain eye contact. "My love you can tell me anything. I am not here to judge you. I just want to understand. I want to help of I can." Tears began to fall from the young brunette's eyes as she looked into her aunt's eyes. "I just feel so guilty. I should have been there. I should have been in the car with them. I would have been had I not been a snitch."

Marjorie adjusted herself on the the sofa. "Lynn, you know you did the right thing. If Henrietta had run off that night, anything could have happened to her. You were just trying to protect your friend. Deep down she knew that even if she wasn't quite ready to admit it. You can't hold on to this my love. You being there wouldn't have changed things love. It wouldn't. She pulled the young girl into an embrace and held her as she sobbed. "My love no one is gonna judge you for needing help. I think the therapist in Clodagh's office sounds lovely, what do you say?"

Lynn looked up into her Aunt's eyes. She had seen many things there in her short life. Kindness, love, pride, grief and sorrow. What she didn't see was pity. She wasn't patronizing her. She was genuinely concerned and she hurt for her. She could see that now. "Okay, Aunt Marjorie. I'll go."