Paul pulled a chair up Joe sighing as he wondered over slumping in the chair next to his dad. He wanted a fag but he couldn't risk his father finding out that he smoked, he'd tell his mother and with her being a nurse he'd get a big lecture about how it was bad for his health. He was stressed and wanted one more than anything.
"Do you want a drink Joe?"Alice questioned Joe just shaking his head. "Don't worry about your weekend with your dad, Leah and I will stay out of your way."
"Thanks." Joe mumbled.
"What's wrong Joe?" Paul questioned rubbing his back gently.
"There's a lot going on at the moment and I'm getting stressed." Joe confessed running his fingers through his hair as his father continued to rub his back.
"Don't be stressed, we're going to have fun this weekend. We'll get your mind of it." Paul assured him Joe getting up off his chair again.
"I'm going for a walk, I won't be long and I have my phone on me." Joe mumbled before leaving the house getting down the street before he started to smoke a cigarette. Alice had turned to her husband a worried expression on her face.
"He doesn't like us." She stated Paul taking her hand.
"It's not that he doesn't like you, he's just always been a difficult person. Just give him time, it's bound to be a lot to take in." Paul answered.
"You never said he smoked." Leah stated looking up at her step father who looked back down at her. They got on well but Paul never replaced her father who died when she was just seven years old, Paul understood that he never would.
"He doesn't." Paul answered Leah shaking her head.
"He does and I can assure you he's gone out for one now." Leah replied before leaving the room. Paul sighed sitting down at the chair. He didn't understand his only son sometimes, he had always found it hard having a connection with him when he was so close to his mother but at the moment he didn't seem close to either of them. There was something going on and it was his job to find out, he just didn't know where to go.
Joe got back about twenty minutes later just in time for dinner. He slumped down on the chair next to his father Alice and Leah being opposite them. Joe still found it hard to believe his father had hid a girlfriend from him and now they were married and didn't think to tell his only son. He wondered whether his older sisters knew anything about it.
"How long have you been with your girlfriend then?" Paul questioned starting a conversation up with his son who swallowed before answering.
"About a week, not long." Joe answered.
"Where did you meet her?" Alice questioned, she'd like to get to know her step son a little more. Maybe have her own relationship with him.
"Just at school, she came in new not long ago," Joe answered again before taking another bite of his dinner. "Her name is Demi."
"That's a unusual name." Paul stated.
"It's short for Demetria, I guess it's not a common name like Joseph." Joe looked over at his father who couldn't help but laugh.
"It was always going to be Joseph, even if one of your older sisters were a boy they would have been called Joseph. I didn't get a choice, it was your mom's must name." Paul answered.
"Now she only calls me Joseph when I've been naughty." Everyone laughed as they continued to eat dinner. Paul was glad Joe was making a effort, he weren't sure he would in the start.
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