Sorry for the late update, but thank you all sm for all the kids reviews!
The following day they went to the opening of the embassy and afterwards it was already time to go home. On the flight home neither parent could stop from checking up on their daughter every now and then. She still seemed lost in thought as she watched out the airplane window.
Lauren felt like she was having her midlife crisis early, at age eighteen. She felt like she was drifting between two worlds. Her life in the Netherlands and the life she had built here. She didn't want to choose, but she had to. February was in a few months and her school would be over, and she should go back to the Netherlands.
If she were to get dual citizenship, she would have to choose between the US and the Netherlands. Between her life back home and her family here. It wasn't fair.
Whatever she did, she would end up hurting people. If she chose to stay here, her best friend and mom would be upset. They had done so much for her and she couldn't just leave them behind.
Then again, if she went back, her parents lost their daughter again. She couldn't knowingly put her parents through that again.
No matter what she did, there was no right choice.
The thoughts were swirling through her mind, as well as the reminder that this week was the anniversary of her parents' death. It would be twelve years since they passed.
Twelve years of mourning and it still hurt. No matter what, they were the people who raised her and stood by her side for the first seven years of her life.
The plane landed and the four of them went home to catch up with the two remaining family members.
After being reunited with the others, life went on as usual. The four kids were watching TV while Henry and Elizabeth talked. They knew it was about time they all talked. So, when Jason was in the kitchen getting a drink, his mom stormed into the kitchen, towards the living room.
"Come with me." She told her son and he followed her as he wondered why her face looked like she was about to go to war.
"Hey, we were watching that." Alison complained as her mother turned the TV off. All four kids were now present, and Henry walked in as well.
"Here's the deal. Your dad and I need to talk with you. We're going to sit here and we're not going to leave until we do." She sat down in one of the chairs and Henry followed her lead. He wasn't quite sure what she had in mind but figured he would let it play out for now.
"Stevie, I know you think we think you're a screw up. Ali, you don't feel like we're listening to you. Jase, you've kept yourself out of it for way too long and Lauren, we know you don't even feel like you're a part of this family, but all of this is going to change. We can talk, fight, cry, laugh, I don't care, but we have to talk." She rambled and when she was finally done, she took a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Stevie asked, worried her mother was in the middle of a panic attack.
"No! That fight that happened before Lauren left made it clear things need to change."
Jason was the first one to speak up after a silence fell. He had watched his sister on the couch, but they didn't seem in a hurry to say anything. "So, how does this work?"
"You can share whatever you're feeling. If there's something you want to say. There are no consequences tonight" Henry now took over and hoped someone would take the first step.
"Okay," Alison was the first one to speak up. She remembered it was good to use I-statements. That was one of the things she had learned from working with the talking stick. "I feel like you guys don't draw a straight line when it comes to your kids."
Making sure to remain calm, Elizabeth spoke her next words very controlled. "Why's that?"
"You used to be way stricter with Jase and I compared to Stevie. And now it's like Lauren gets to live without any rules."
"You don't think mom and dad were strict with me?" Stevie was surprised her sister saw it that way.
"The older you get, the less control over your life I have." Elizabeth started, "We were strict with Stevie, but she's an adult now. I can't tell her what to do anymore."
"So, as I grow older you will be less strict?" Alison asked both her parents. She had never thought about it like that. Stevie was a few years older than she was. She had no idea how strict her parents had been growing up, because she had been so young.
"As much as it pains me to admit it, yes."
"Even me?" Jason asked, already excited for the days his parents wouldn't be able to ground him anymore.
"Even you, slugger." She laughed.
"Besides, with me as your role model, you can only do better." Stevie joked and heard her mother sigh.
"Stevie, your dad and I are proud of you. No, we're not ecstatic you dropped out of college, but if you're happy than we are too." She really needed her eldest daughter to hear her for once.
"I am happy."
"That's all that matters."
Henry realized they were all talking around the subject for which they were actually here. He stared at his middle daughter for a moment. She seemed lost in thought as she stared at the table in front of her and he wondered if she purposely kept quiet.
"Anything you would like to share?" He asked her, and she looked around before her eyes landed on her dad.
"It's obvious the biggest reason we're here is because of me." When her dad just kept glancing at her, she figured she would have to continue. "What do you want me to say? Am I supposed to apologize?"
She felt desperate and was aware from day one she had brought chaos to this house. She was the reason for most fights and arguments and it was wearing her out.
"Look, I know when I'm not wanted somewhere, and I'm done wasting my time and energy. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me earlier," She told her parents before turning to her siblings. "I'm sorry you feel like your parents' attention is mostly focused on me, I really am. I'm sorry I'm an intruder in your house."
She finally sat back once her little outburst was done. When she got no reply's, she did what she was good at and got up to leave the room. To run away from confrontation.
"Stop." Her mother's voice was stern, and she stopped moving. "Sit down."
It wasn't an option, but then again it also sounded like a desperate plea. Knowing her avoiding conversations like this was one of the reasons they were here in the first place, she reluctantly sat back down.
"I know everyone was, and still is, overwhelmed by everything that happened." Elizabeth didn't like to use the word jealous, but she knew that was what everyone, especially Alison, was feeling.
"Mom, what do you feel?" Stevie turned the question back to her mother. She hoped her mother would open up, so it would be easier for everyone to talk about it.
"I'm happy our family is finally complete. I never thought this would be possible, but I had my miracle and here we are. However, I'm sad that it's tearing this family apart." She admitted, and all eyes turned to Lauren when she reacted to her mother's statement.
"That I'm tearing this family apart."
"No!" It came out louder than she had wanted, but at least her daughter seemed to hear her. "It's scary, being your mother."
Henry decided it was time he joined in and explained what his wife meant. "We have no right to tell you what to do. We can set a curfew for Stevie, or limit Alison's social media time, but that's because they recognize our authority."
"We don't want to push you away because you leave us just as easily as you came. We're scared to say to wrong things and cause you to leave." Elizabeth added, and they all awaited the reply from Lauren.
"You think I can leave you just as easily as I came? You think I haven't gotten attached?" She shook her head in disbelieve, eyes slightly widened. "When I get back from studying, I look forward to playing video games with Jason for a couple of minutes. I love talking to Alison about her fashion obsession or cooking with Stevie. I wake up way earlier than I should have just to sit at breakfast and enjoy the dynamics of this family. The teasing, sometimes bickering, and laughing. The pointless stories being told about someone's aunt's cousin's brother who may or may not be dating his teacher."
The latter was a story Alison had told one of the first mornings her sister had moved in. She was surprised to find her sister had remembered.
"Well, you're not very good at any of those games." Jason tried to lighten the mood, earning a few chuckles.
"That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. In between you and I get to talk. Though it's rarely about anything serious, we still talk." He had no idea his sister was only playing to spend time with him.
"And I'm an absolute mess in the kitchen and I can name at least a hundredth things I would rather do than cook, but I like that I get to do it with you." She now told both her sisters before returning to her parents. "So, no, I can't just get up and leave."
"You're not an intruder." Alison whispered, slightly blown away by what her sister just admitted. She had no idea Lauren put so much effort in getting to know them.
"Yes, I am, but I'm trying really hard to fit in."
"I can teach you how to play better." Jason offered. He wasn't sure what to say, but from the smile on his sister's face he knew it had been the right thing.
"I'd love that."
"And we can do girls night." Stevie suggested.
"With take out." Alison added with a teasing tone that earned a laugh from her sister.
"What about me?" Henry asked with a playful tone. His wife would be allowed in their girls' night.
"You two can do father-daughter night." Alison told him.
"We haven't really been very interested in you, I'm sorry." Stevie apologized.
"Yeah, but we want to know everything about you." Jason agreed.
"So, are we good?" Elizabeth asked. She really hoped this talk helped.
"We're good." All kids agreed, and she sighed with relief. She was glad all four kids were on board again.
"If I'm going to share everything about me, I want to know everything about you too." Lauren told her family and they all nodded. It was only fair that if they made her share, they would too.
"Let's start with Jason." Stevie teased, "You still haven't told us about the girl."
"And I'm not going to." Jason threw a pillow at her sister and Stevie laughed.
"The only downside of getting expelled; long distance relationships." Alison joined her sister's torment of their brother.
"What now?" Lauren looked around surprised. She knew Jason switched schools, but her mother had told her it was because he didn't like it anymore. Not because he got expelled. She felt oddly betrayed that none of her siblings had told her either.
"Ali." Elizabeth sighed, but she knew she wouldn't get out of this one anymore.
"I got expelled for breaking someone's nose." Jason told her, and her eyes widened. Never would she have imagined Jason as the violent type. He was one to argue, but with words. Not physically fight.
"Why did you break his nose?" When her brother didn't reply, she looked around the room for answers. She realized she wasn't going to get any from them, so she turned back towards her brother. She had an unsettling feeling it had to do with her. "Jason?"
"When you went to Philly before you left, Preston's brother was there as well. He recognized you in the club and took pictures." Jason started. "Preston was showing them to his friends and saying things not worth repeating."
"O my God." Lauren sighed. She didn't want her siblings to be affected by the mess surrounding her.
"The dean wanted Jason to apologize, which he did, but she said it wasn't heartfelt. He refused to give a full apology since he was defending you which resulted in him getting expelled." Elizabeth explained, and Lauren got up. She pulled her brother in a hug and he awkwardly accepted it.
"Thank you." She whispered, and he cleared his throat as she pulled back. He wasn't really the hugging type, especially not when his entire family was watching.
Lauren sighed as she looked at her parents. "Can we just be open from now on? Me too. Just no more lies or secrets."
"No more secrets." Both parents agreed.
"So, are we allowed off this couch to get some food while we continue this, or?" Stevie gave her mother a devious smile and her mother nodded.
TBC
