Sexual Frustrations

03. Catching up

Walking back into that house seriously felt like I'd never even left it. It looked the exact same only this time, way way quieter. I don't know what I'd really even expected, maybe some drastic changes, but I had to admit that it almost felt comforting coming back there.

When we walked in Fiona was busy cleaning up from dinner, washing dishes, and Liam was sat at the table drawing with pen and paper. He was so big now.

"Oh my god." Fiona squealed covering her hand with her mouth in shock as she saw us walk into the kitchen. Clearly she was unaware of my arrival as well. "I can't believe it." She stood there stunned for a minute and I have to admit I felt almost a little awkward. I didn't really know what sort of reaction I was going to get. "You're back." She squealed again before wrapping her arms around me in a huge hug.

"Yep it's me." I laughed hugging her back. She looked the exact same, I could've sworn she was never ever going to age a day in her life.

"I can't believe it." She pulled back holding me still in her arms and looked over my face. I couldn't help the big smile I had plastered. "You look so grown up." She smiled.

"It's been a while." I sighed and she nodded rubbing her hand up and down my back almost in a soothing way.

"Come on sit down we have so much to catch up on." She beamed hurrying to the table. The boys and I followed her and we all took a seat.

Sitting at that table brought so many memories back. All the sleepovers I had here which ended with the crazy busy mornings with all of us sat around here for breakfast. That time Carl's ex girlfriend walked in and I was sitting at this very table. Good memories they were now.

"So tell me everything, what've you been doing with your life?" Fiona asked me. Like I said before, we had spoken since I moved but very occasionally. We only really messaged on birthdays and other occasions, this was the first time in forever we were actually getting to chat again. And it felt like nothing had even changed.

"Well I'm working full time now pretty much," I was proud to say. "Working as a receptionist in a productions company at the moment but going to start working my way up into producing I think."

"That's awesome is that what you want to do?" She beamed seeming genuinely impressed with me.

"Yeah I would love that. What about you the boys tell me you're some business woman now?" I winked and she laughed.

"Oh yeah that's right. You're now looking at the proud owner of Patsy's Pies and the Laundromat." She winked and I honestly never really expected that from her but it was really cool to see.

"Wow how's that going? I had never obviously had any experience whatsoever but I had to assume that running one business was no walk in the park, bare in mind two.

"Oh it's fuckin hard." She laughed taking a swig of her beer. "But I love it." I could tell she was telling the truth, she was beaming just talking about it.

"How's Debs doin?" I had to ask. That girl was an absolute fire cracker, never knew what was going on with her from one day to the next.

"Oh god." Fiona rolled her eyes but I could see a hint of humour in the action. Debs and Fiona went through a really rough patch when Debbie Franny. Their relation was rocky to say the least but I knew it wouldn't stay like that forever. "She's found a man, Neil, she works as his carer."

"Carer?" I asked looking for an explanation. Why the hell would Debs need to be a carer.

"Don't ask." Fiona sighed and I figured that must be a conversation for another day. "Do you hear from your mom at all?"

"Not since I left 3 years ago," I laughed. Honestly what my mom did really fuckin hurt me. I never expected her to completely block me out of her life for a man but there was no point in dwelling on it for any longer, she made her decision and I guess I would just have to live with that. Once I got out of this place I got over the hurt I was feeling and now I just felt sympathetic for her. She was pathetic for this guy and I really didn't even want to be apart of that anymore.

"Ah welcome to the shitty parents club." Fiona nodded cheers'ing is all with her beer. It was great to see their ability to make me feel better and feel normal hadn't faded at all.

"Speaking of Frank, how's he doin?" I laughed and heard mutual groans around the table.

"Don't ask." Ian and Lip answered in unison and I couldn't help but laugh at that. Maybe that would be another days conversation as well.

"Does she know?" Fiona turned to Lip with a more grim expression. My mood turned a little colder but I knew this conversation would have to come up sooner or later.

"It's why she's here." Lip nodded and Fiona's mouth opened wide in shock. I couldn't help but feel silly for coming all this way just for this situation. Then again, I guess maybe it was a little silly moving so far away in the first place.

"I can't believe you guys brought her back here for that." Fiona shook her head as if she'd lost all hope. That was a huge bad sign. Fiona treated these kids like her own, for her to lose hope meant things were real bad.

"I wanted to come." I assured her and she nodded. "What's he like?" The curiosity and worry was getting the better of me.

"Bad Ava." Fiona said and the boys nodded along, the mood in the room changed dramatically. "It's 10pm I don't even know where he is he hasn't been home in 2 days."

"2 days?" I asked in shock. That wasn't like Carl, although that obviously wasn't the worse of it.

"Yeah and before that it was 4 and before that it was a whole week." She sighed and I sensed the concern she had. "He won't talk to anyone, he pretends like we don't know but we're not stupid." I didn't even know what to say back. "We've lived with drug addicts our whole lives we know the signs."

"How longs this been happening for?"

"We don't know, a while we've guessed but it's been really bad for a few months now, he won't eat, he doesn't sleep, his mood swings are ridiculous, his anger is uncontrollable sometimes it's scary." I couldn't help but feel so incredibly sad for him in that moment. He had gotten himself in so deep and his family were at a loss. "Plus he's involved with those dealers again and I just don't know what else to do."

"He doesn't know she's here." Lip informed Fiona and she nodded along. Although this was the worst part of the situation for me. "We don't know how to ease him into it. And ease Ava into it." But of course nothing goes smoothly for me.

Interrupting our conversation we heard the front door slam shut. Carl walked through into the kitchen and we locked eyes.

"Ava?"

...,

Soooo I'm back guys yaaaay and so is Carl and Ava
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