"Liam! Come downstairs! We're eating!" Liam's mother calls up the stairs. Liam groans and stumbles downstairs I got he dining room where he sees his sister and dad showed up.
"Hey Li," Nicola greets as she hugs her little brother who smiles happily and hugs her back.
They all sit down around the table and begin their meal. Liam sits quietly, listening to the conversation about school and mindlessly pushes his broccoli around his full plate while everyone else eats.
"Liam, what's wrong? I thought you liked chicken broccoli casserole," Mrs. Payne asks in a concerned tone after observing him for some time. The room is quiet as everyone turns to look at Liam who wished he could disappear as he slouches in his chair not wanting to be seen.
"It's okay," he shrugs, still staring at the plate, not wanting to offend anyone.
"Liam's not eating," Ruth answers for him with an amused smirk.
"Why not dear?" His mother worries.
"Don't really feel like it," Liam answers.
"At least eat something," she tells him. He nods and forces a small bite, just to make her happy. She smiles and the conversation resumes and everyone ignores Liam once again, which he didn't mind at all.
While he was happy his whole family was back together again, he just couldn't shake the sad empty feeling that had settled deep in his chest.
"Mum.... I'm REALLY not feeling good. May I please be excused?" Liam interrupts with a hopeful attitude. Mrs. Payne nods and Liam thanks her before slipping away upstairs.
A couple minutes later, he hears a gentle knock on his door and rolls over. "Hey Li, can I come in?" Nicola asks.
"yeah," he sighs quietly. She walks into his room and gently sits at the foot of his bed, picking up his koala stuffed animal and safely resting it on her lap.
"You're not your usual happy, bubbly self, Liam. What's been bothering you?" She asks worriedly.
"It's not that big a deal. It'll pass," Liam tells her bravely.
"It's alright. You can tell me Li," she assures him as she rests a hand on Liam's back.
Liam sniffles and hugs his t-Rex close to himself. Slowly, he sits up and wipes his nose.
"You can't tell anyone," he tells her.
"I won't," she assures him.
"Promise?" He asks.
"Promise," she agrees with a hint of a smile.
Liam nods and swings his legs over the side of his bed, swinging them back and forth nervously.
"You know how I-I'm a little...?" Liam starts.
"Yeah," Nicola starts with a nod.
"Well... I've been super sad and lonely lately and Harry got me to go on this special website for people like me and I finally found this daddy and I thought he would be perfect. Like... He was the perfect daddy. Just amazing," Liam tells her with a small happy smile. "But he messaged me and told he wasn't 'into that sort of thing' and that I was basically wasting my time and should find someone else," Liam tells her sadly.
"Aw, Liam, that's terrible!" Nicola says sadly. Liam shrugs understandingly.
"I don't blame him though. He's too perfect for me. I wouldn't want to be my daddy if I was him... He deserves someone better," Liam adds regretfully.
"Liam don't say that about yourself! You're the sweetest most caring kid I know! And anyone would be lucky to be with you," she tells him encouragingly. He smiles weakly.
"Maybe it's for the best though that he's not my daddy," Liam states.
"There will always be others..." She agrees. "And to be honest, I'm glad you're not with him because really, he sounds like a jerk," she states honestly.
"He really was..." Liam tells her with a grin.
"Yeah I guess I'm kinda glad he's gone too. He's to mean to be a perfect daddy," Liam realizes with a true, genuine smile.
