life goes on || daniel seavey

six

"hey mom!" ryder whisper shouted coming down the stairs

"hey baby, you okay?" she asked sitting up from daniel, ryder shrugged "aren't you meant to be asleep"

"yeah" he said in a small voice glancing at the clock on the wall that read 11pm

"are the girls asleep?" she asked

"i think so" he sat on the sofa "it's hard to tell because they're in different rooms"

the seaveys moved not long after mackenna was pregnant with ryder, so their children could have a room each with their own personal space

"what's up?" kenna wrapped her arms around her youngest. daniel had now paused the film the two were watching in bed

"can we go outside?"

"well be back" she quickly pecked daniel's lips following ryder out the back

ryder is equally as close to daniel and mackenna but sometimes he'd rather talk to one knowing they'd talk to each other

mackenna took a blanket before exiting out of the patio doors. ryder was sat on the swing seat. he quickly curled up to his mom as she put the blanket around the both of them

"so what's up?" she asked running her fingers through his hair

"i'm nervous"

"for school?" she felt the boy nod "that's normal"

"but what if they don't like me?" his voice cracked

"you're going into freshman year, everyone is in the same boat" kenna kissed the top of his head

"but they've came up from middle school, they're going to have friends" he whined "none of them have autism, they'll think i'm weird"

"is that what you're worried about? ry, having autism doesn't make you weird"

"yes it does"

"baby" she stared at him with disbelief "you listen to me, autism does not make you weird, your brain works in a unique way. you'll make friends it might just take a bit of time" she paused "don't let anyone tear you down about it"

"i just want people to like me"

"they will baby, it just takes time" he nodded

after a couple more minutes of a comfortable silence mackenna spoke up

"and you need to get to sleep otherwise you won't wake up on time" she stood up holding her hand out for him

"and the girls won't be happy if we're late to school" he laughed taking kennas hand

"they won't" she locked the door as ryder still held her hand tight "i'll even get caden to pick you up from school"

the two walked past kenna's bedroom door which you could see daniel through, who was on his phone watching the two walk up the stairs to which he assumed ryders room

"really?" his face lit up

"yeah, now get some sleep, you need it" she kissed his head

"is he alright?" daniel asked once kenna had come back down

"yeah, he's just got first day nerves. i've messaged cade to see if he'll pick him up form school" she sighed

"is cade okay with that?"

"yeah, of course he is" she lifted the covers up to get into bed

"he'll be okay" daniel switched the lamp off and cuddled into mackenna