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Chapter Thirty-Three

After Harry and I talked, I told him he could stay for tonight since it was New Years Eve. I went inside my bedroom, cried a little, and now I'm in bed.

Fighting with Harry always sucked the life out of me. I become so exhausted after it all. Dammit. And I always end up crying.

"Mom?" Halley knocked on my door and opened it a little bit.

"What's up, honey?" I sat up in bed.

"I just wanted to let you know we were home. AC said he couldn't stay so he just dropped us off." She said, walking into my bedroom and shutting the door.

"Okay. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Dad took Avery to get some movies and snacks for tonight." She said. She walked to my bed and got in it, laying down next to me. "Are you okay, mom?" She asked me.

"Yeah." I shrugged. "No." I said, honestly. "But I'll be okay, eventually." I smiled at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No. It's a bunch of adult stuff. You wouldn't want to hear about it." I scrunched my nose up.

"Okay. But you can talk to me, if you want. I could try to help."

"You're sweet." I kissed her forehead. "What movies are we watching tonight?"

"Kid stuff. Avery wanted to watch cartoons and since she's the baby,"

"She gets what she wants." We both said in unison. We laughed and talked a little bit more.

"When are you going to pop out another kid, mom?" She asked.

"Halley!" I was surprised. "I'm not having a kid any time soon." I laughed.

"Thank god you didn't have a kid with Adam." She says.

"Halley Grace!" I scolded her.

"Oh, now you remember my middle name!" She scolds me back.

"Get out." I play with her.

~

"Obviously, Dory finds her parents." Harry argues with me.

"You never know. She could find self love instead of her parents." I say, eating popcorn.

"It's a kids movie." He furrows his eyebrows.

"Harry! It's a kids movie!" I flip back around on him.

"You both are annoying! Hush." Halley says. Avery agrees with a loud "yeah". We laugh and stay quiet, playing the movie for the girls.

"I'm going to start dinner." I tell the room. I get up and walk into the kitchen, not knowing what to make.

Harry walks in after me and apologizes for this afternoon. "You don't scare me, Harry." I laugh.

"What? I'm scary." He crosses his arms over his shoulders.

"You're a giant teddy bear." I shrug my shoulders.

"I can be scary." I look up at him and see him pouting.

"You want us to be scared of you?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't want that.

"No. But I want you guys to feel safe." He kept furrowing is eyebrows and frowning.

"You're scary when you use your dad voice." I suggest to him.

"That's right. I am." He nods his head.

"You're scary when you yell at Halley. Especially when she has attitude." I nod my head and make duck lips.

"You're right." He smiles and nods his head. "Thanks, Tay." He tapped my shoulder lightly and left the room all giddy.

I smiled to myself and opened the refrigerator. I don't even know what to make. I haven't gone to the grocery store in weeks. I don't know how we've lived this long.