oxygen (e.d.)

short chapter 10: teenage years

{riley}

"i don't want to talk to you!" emerson yells from inside her locked door.

"emmy-"

"don't call me that! i'm not four years old anymore!"

"hey," ethan says, "don't talk to your mother like that."

"go away, dad!"

ethan sighs and places his head in his hands.

"she's 14 and already like this," i whisper.

"we were once too. just give her time. she'll come out."

"no i won't!" emerson yells.

"can't we just talk about it?" ethan says through the door.

"you already said what you said."

"uh yeah," ethan says, "i said that you're grounded if you pull a stunt like that ever again."

suddenly, the door swings open and i step back from surprise.

i see my teenage daughter, who once could do no wrong, staring back at me with her bright hazel eyes.

just like her dad's.

"look who decided to join us," ethan says bitterly.

"ethan-" i elbow him.

emerson rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"lose the attitude, and we'll talk." i say.

she huffs, but doesn't say a smart remark, so i take that as my cue to walk into her room and sit on her bed.

"why'd you sneak out?" i ask.

"because," she shrugs.

"do you feel neglected?" ethan asks.

"no dad," she growls, rolling her eyes, "i just thought it would be fun."

"fun to make us worry for 4 hours?" my voice raises and ethan places a hand on my shoulder, signaling for me to settle down.

"no," she exclaims in an exasperated voice, "i guess it was just something to do."

"something to do?" ethan repeats, "when i came in here this morning, you were gone with no note, no explanation, and you car was gone. which is very dangerous."

"don't forget illegal." i say.

"i get it okay!" emerson says, "i'm a horrible daughter and i don't meet the expectations of the perfect model parents who fell in love at 18 and had a '1 in a million' miracle baby."

my heart grows heavy at her words.

is this what she really thinks?

i used to think it was because of me.

sloane and wyatt's kids aren't rebellious. grayson and his wife's kids are angels on earth, and here i am struggling to get four words out of my daughter. i'm doing something wrong.

"you're not a horrible daughter," ethan sighs.

"really? cause you guys sure seem to act like i am!" she yells.

the silence after her words is deafening, and i can't help but feel awful.

she thinks we think she's a disappointment.