Dirty Laundry (keithxlance) REUPLOAD

Chapter 5

Day 8

Friday, December 23th

11:13 A.M.

It was no surprise how the family reacted.

For the next day Lance only spoke to Sophia if it was required. Benji refused to even look at her. Cleo understood the density of the situation, and although she had been young when Sophia left, she remembered. Danny tried, but it was obvious any contact was painful. Rachel didn't know what to think; the two had never met. Jaime looked ready to cry at every opportunity, and he often would grab Sophia's hand and hold it, no sound escaping him, as if he couldn't believe she was even real. Josie didn't fully comprehend that she had another sibling, and often she would tug on Sophia's pants and ask again, for the twentieth time: Are you sure you're my sister? Like, one thousand percent sure?

Rosa tried her hardest to be friendly. And it wasn't that she was not friendly, it was simply the sad look in her eyes whenever she noticed Sophia in the room.

Mateo loved the new company, and he especially enjoyed having Alexi as a new playmate. The two of them got along famously, especially when Alexi had revealed to Mateo one of her secrets at the dinner table.

"Mamá," Alexi had whispered, tugging at her mother's sleeve. "I don't like the broccoli. It feels funny on my tongue."

Mateo had gasped loudly at that, shocked that Alexi didn't like his favorite vegetable. "But, Alexi! They are tiny trees! And I'm a giant! See-" He opened his mouth, large enough to show two missing teeth, only to chomp down and swallow down the green top.

Alexi had frowned, almost sad that she couldn't eat the tiny trees. "I want to eat them, but they feel funny."

Mateo had looked at his new friend curiously. "Why do they feel funny?"

Alexi blushed suddenly, red on her cheeks. She turned to her mother with eyebrows raised, as if silently asking for permission. Sophia nodded and nudged her head in a forward motion, signalling her approval. "It's alright, Alexi. You can tell them."

Eyes still large, Alexi turned back to Mateo and whispered loudly behind her small hand;

"I have sensory issues." Then, whispering even louder, Alexi added, "I am autistic."

Everyone in the room had been shocked at that, some of the family members realizing that there was more to Sophia and her daughter than they had thought. There was more to be learned of the small mother and child, and Lance felt a short lived burst of guilt that he was acting so disrespectfully.

However, Mateo didn't seem to care in the slightest. All he saw was another girl to play with. He didn't see differences, he didn't see flaws - he saw a friend.

"What does that mean?"

"Autistic Spectrum Disorder," Sophia explained kindly.

"Oh," He whispered back from the other side of the table. He looked confused, like he didn't understand. Except, in the eyes of a five year old boy like Mateo, a disorder with long words never mattered. All that mattered was that you were nice, that you were willing to play games, and that you were willing to share. So he continued.

"That's okay! Our Abuela can cook the trees to be soft and you won't have sensory issues anymore."

Needless to say, Alexi had been ecstatic at that.

Now, despite Mateo and Josie being the only ones acting friendly, it was Abuela Sanchez who broke the awkward tension. No one had expected her to do it either. Lance and Keith had been on their toes for the past twenty four hours, just praying that Abuela Sanchez wouldn't say anything about Lance's sexuality, and the other family members tried their hardest to have proper behaviours. So it only makes why the family was shocked; they would've never guessed she'd be the one to initiate a truce.