Parenting

23

OWENS POV
Amelia forgave me, thank god. I was so scared of losing her. Right now we were sitting in the living room going through Amelia's notes and I could tell how stressed she was about this.
"I have an idea," I said.
"Okay," Amelia said.
"Why doesn't she try therapy for a week or so until we figure out the medication?" I said. She looked relieved and nodded.
"Yeah," she said.
"Okay," I said.
"I think it's okay," she said softly.
"What is?" I asked.
"The medications," she said.
"Okay," I said.
"Can she still try therapy first?" She said.
"Yes of course," I said. She looked so tired.
"How long were you doing this?" I asked.
"A while," she said.
"Do you want to take a nap?" I asked.
"No it's okay," she said, she was always so determined.
"You look tired," I said.
"I am," she said.
"I'll lay with you," I offered.
"Okay," she said and put her computer down. We walked upstairs and she stopped.
"What?" I said.
"The room is a mess," she chuckled.
"Okay," I chuckled.
"Can I clean it before you come in?" She said.
"Amelia I don't care," I chuckled. She opened the door and half the blankets were on the floor and there were tissues everywhere. She also had an empty half gallon of ice cream on the night stand.
"I was busy last night," she joked and put the tissues in the garbage.
"Oh come on you ate the ice cream," I joked.
"Yeah," she shrugged.
"Are you still mad at me?" I asked.
"A little," she shrugged.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"I know," she said, "I forgive you."
"Okay," I said.
"I don't want to fight about it again okay?" She said softly and kissed my cheek.
"Mom I'm home!" Logan said from downstairs.
"Me too!" Olivia said.
"Me three!" Liam said. Amelia and I walked downstairs and the kids smiled.
"Hi dad," they said.
"Hey guys, how was school today?" I asked.
"Good," they all said.
"Liam how was your history test? Olivia your science test?" Amelia asked.
"I think it went well," Liam said.
"Me too," Olivia said.
"That's good," Amelia said. Her phone rang and I saw that it was Lilith.
"I'll be right back," Amelia said and walked out.
"So are you two talking to each other?" Olivia said.
"Yeah," I said and chuckled, "she's still mad at me though."
"That's mom for you," Logan chuckled.
"Well I'm going to go start my homework now," Olivia said, "see you all later."
"Ditto," Liam said.
"Me too," Logan said.
"Alright," I chuckled. They went upstairs and Amelia came back into the kitchen.
"Was that Doctor Dolan?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said.
"What was it about," I said.
"I just wanted to talk to her," she said.
"About what," I said.
"Can't I just talk to her!" She snapped.
"I didn't say you couldn't," I said.
"Then leave it alone Owen," she said.
"So are you just going to hide secrets about this? I thought we were going to talk about this," I said.
"Owen I don't want to fight with you," she said.
"Oh so you're just going to keep secrets then!" I said.
"Stop yelling at me!" She said weakly.
"Okay I'm sorry," I said softly and wrapped my arms around her.
"Don't talk to me," she said and pushed me away.
"Amelia!" I said. She ran upstairs and I heard the bedroom door slam shut. This was so hard.
AMELIAS POV
I only called Lilith because I needed to talk. I needed to talk about my previous addiction. This has been so hard on me, it's been triggering honestly. I'm trying my best to keep it together but I can't anymore. I snapped at Owen and I can't face him. This isn't his problem. It's mine. It's my addiction that is coming between us. There was a knock at the door and I looked down at my 23 year chip I had clutched in my hand.
"Amelia," Owen said.
"Yeah?" I said.
"Can I come in?" He asked. I got up and unlocked the door and sat back down in the corner where I was.
"Yeah," I said. He opened the door and closed it behind him. He sat down across from me. I looked at my chip in my hand and looked up at Owen.
"It's so hard," I said crying, "doing this. Thinking about my past. Christopher and Ryan. I can't do this. I can't let her be vulnerable to my past. It's not fair. Nobody deserves to live like that. It's eating me up inside and I take that out on you, and that's not fair. You're trying your best and I want you to know that. I called Lilith because I needed someone to talk to because of my past, and this whole thing has triggered me lately. But you, you're doing the best and I appreciate it, I'm probably not showing it right now but I do. I love you Owen, I really do, and I'm sorry I'm putting you through this, it's not fair to you. I'm just sensitive about this type of stuff and you wouldn't get it, and I don't expect you to at all, but I want you to know that I love you." I was practically shaking from how much I was crying. Owen pulled me into his arms and wrapped his arms around me. I nuzzled into his chest and I felt so safe in his arms.
"I'm sorry," I cried.
"You don't have to apologize, I was the one being insensitive. You're right, I don't understand, but I want to, I don't want you to hurt alone through this, we can try other ways for Riley I promise," He said. I nodded and nuzzled into him.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too," I said.
"We'll talk about these things from now on okay?" He said.
"Mhm," I said crying.
"Don't cry it's okay," he said softly and kissed my head, "it'll be okay."
"I'm sorry," I said.
"You don't have to apologize," he said as he held me, "did Doctor Dolan give you anything new on the medication?" I nodded and sat up next to him.
"She told me that it's not addictive, that she only needs to take 1 pill a day before bed, and she gave me a list of alternate medications that still work but not as well if we weren't comfortable with that one," I said.
"Okay," he said, "that's good right?"
"It is," I said.
LIAMS POV
I have no idea what's going on with my parents right now. I know they're fighting about Riley but I don't know what. I thought they were good and then they started fighting again. I knocked on Logans door and he said I could come in. He was sitting at his desk doing homework.
"What's up?" He said.
"Do you know what's going on with mom and dad?" I asked.
"It's something about Riley," he said.
"Is she sick?" I said.
"I don't know," he said, "I don't think so."
"They never fight like this," I said.
"I know, I'm worried something is really wrong," Logan said.
"Me too," I said, "what if Riley is sick?"
"Would they tell us?" Logan said.
"I don't know," I said. My phone buzzed and it was dad to Logan, Olivia and I since we were the only ones home.
"Can you guys come downstairs?" It read.
"Well that answers the question," I said.
"Yeah," he said. We walked downstairs and sat down on the couch across from my mom and dad, who both looked like they were crying.
"Is Riley sick?" Olivia asked.
"Liv!" Logan and I said.
"What you were thinking it!" Olivia said.
"It's okay," my mom said. The front door opened and it was Ava from field hockey practice.
"What's going on?" She said.
"Come sit," my dad said. She sat down next to Olivia.
"Riley isn't sick," my mom said, "but she is experiencing trauma from when Owen and I experienced the shooting at the hospital, which is interfering with her dreams and causing her to have a lot of nightmares recently."
"And we are going to try therapy for her or medication, which was what we were fighting about," Dad said.
"Yeah," my mom said.
"But she's okay?" Logan asked.
"She's okay," my mom nodded.
"And you aren't getting a divorce?" I said.
"Liam!" My siblings yelled at me.
"Ava you're the one that brought it up," I said.
"We twin pacted that!" Ava said.
"Okay we don't need to fight about it," my mom said, "I know your father and I don't fight that much, so the last day or so was probably different for you guys. But it's healthy and normal for parents to disagree and fight, we aren't getting a divorce, we're okay."
"You guys are stuck with us," my dad joked.
"Thank god," Olivia said and hugged them.
"Stop don't make me cry I love you all," my mom said and hugged us.