boundaries [s.m]

chapter forty-four

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"look who's back," aria says loudly, entering the condo with shawn wheeled in front of her. she sees karen, manuel, and aaliyah all sitting on the couch watching tv, before they snap their heads up, smiles adorning their faces.

"shawn!" aaliyah grins, leaping up and running to the wheelchair, greeting her brother with a gentle hug. "how are you feeling?"

"i've been better," he mumbles, hugging her back, and ignoring the pain. "but i'm great. i'm happy i'm back."

"you scared everyone so much!" aaliyah says to him, making him chuckle sadly. "you scared me too. don't ever drive in the snow again."

"i don't think i'll be driving for a while now," he jokes, letting go of the hug, seeing his mum and dad come into his view. "mum, dad, hey," they both come to embrace him, making aria smile softly at the family. "mum, no, don't cry."

"shawn, we thought that was it," karen sniffles back, making aria frown slightly, and shawns eyes fill with tears. "and poor aria, she didn't leave your side once! she was more distraught than us, shawn," karen lectures. "treat her right from now on, shawn. she's loyal to you, don't ever forget that."

"i won't," shawn mumbles back, looking up from the hug, and trailing his eyes towards aria, who stands there sheepishly, slightly embarrassed and anxious to what shawns going to say. "aria, can you help me into bed, please? i need some rest."

"yeah, come on," aria goes back to behind the wheelchair, wheeling him into their bedroom, stopping the chair at the edge of the bed. "easy, baby," she says gently, placing her hands on his, pulling him up lightly, aiding him in standing up.

"aria, can you stay with me?" shawn asks her, as he sits down on the bed, aria helping him to stretch out.

"anything you want," she mumbles back, sitting down on the edge of the bed, looking down at shawn. "do you need your painkillers or anything?"

"yes please," he nods, wincing slightly. aria stands up, walking out of the bedroom and getting shawns backpack, taking out the different pill bottles.

"are you two okay?" karen asks aria gently, walking into the kitchen where aria is pouring a glass of water for shawn.

"i guess," she shrugs. "i'm just happy that he's okay," she mumbles, closing the tap, and picking up the glass of water.

"we all are, honey," karen tells her gently, placing her hand on arias back. "are you okay though?"

"i really don't know, karen," aria says quietly. "hopefully him and i can talk, but i think too much was said to be fixed. does he still trust me?"

"he's not in a good place," karen informs aria. "i don't know if you've noticed it, but he's been so stressed, well before the accident, and i think he thinks you'll see him as weaker now because of the accident and the state he's in."