Hello again and sorry for another long long wait. My working hours at present leave pretty much only the weekend for any kind of writing, not to mention it being pretty mentally draining, so I've had to chip away at this fairly slowly over the past few weeks whenever I've had the energy. Thank you as always for all the lovely reviews and comments on the last chapter, it's always good to know what you all think.
I hope you all enjoy this one :)
Chapter 37: Thanksgiving
"So…" Emily began, Paige eyeing her from the passenger seat as she spoke, a mischievous smile creeping onto Emily's face as she spoke. "What do you think?"
"It's sorta cute I guess," Paige nodded her approval, looking at the picture Emily had set as her phone background and smiling at the image. It was an odd choice given the photographs Emily tended to favour of the two of them, but Paige liked it all the same. It was from a few weeks prior, the two of them hungover but happy, laying together on the makeshift bed Caleb had made up for them in Paige's old room, Paige pulling a stupid face andEmily supposedly doing the same, but somehow she'd still managed to look like it was some sort of photo shoot. A brief hint of a frown tugged onto Paige's lips when she realised it was from the night before her accident; the calm before the storm.
"It's one of my favourites."
"You say that about every picture," Paige smirked in amusement.
"Be grateful I like your face so much," Emily teased.
Paige unlocked the phone as she chuckled, opening her photo stream curiously, not at all surprised to find that Emily had copied all of her personal 'favourites' onto it already. Paige was thankful for that; she'd hated that she'd lost all of her own pictures of the two of them, her own fault really for never backing anything up before the accident, so having Emily's made up for that somewhat.
"Hey. So, I was just thinking," Paige began, turning the phone in her hands, hesitating a little before she continued. "I could maybe ask my Mom for a loan? You know, if you want me to put something towards…"
"Paige," Emily sighed, as admittedly, Paige expected she would."I thought we…"
"I know, I know," Paige held her hands up. "It's a gift. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Look…If it really makes you that uncomfortable we can…"
"It doesn't make me uncomfortable," Paige interjected. "I just seem to have a hard time accepting gifts, apparently."
"That's fine," Emily nodded, turning to Paige as best she could whist attempting to simultaneously keep focus on the road. "Look, you know just because I gave you something doesn't mean you have to pay me back right? You know you don't have to give me something in return?"
"I know that…"
"We're a couple Paige," Emily continued on, cutting Paige short. "A team…"
"A team?" Paige quirked an eyebrow, an amused smirk tugging onto her lips.
"Yes. A team," Emily repeated, her cheeks flushing slightly, though smiling still. "Whether you like it or not, right now, you need me to carry most of the weight. That's not something that's a problem for me, not at all. You'd do the same for me without thinking, if I needed you to. You know you would. All I'm trying to do is the same thing for you."
Paige nodded, the stubborn reluctance she felt at allowing herself to be so frail, to allow herself to rely on someone getting stuck in her chest, soon followed by a swell of emotion, warmth, love. She understood what Emily was trying to tell her and she understood what Emily was trying to do for her.
Emily was right, she would do the same in a heartbeat.
"Ready?" Emily asked, pulling on the handbrake as they arrived at the bottom of the McCullers' driveway.
"As I'll ever be."
Paige waited patiently as Emily exited the car, making her way around the front hastily to pull Paige's door open for her. Paige curled her fingers around Emily's forearm, the appreciative smile she attempted to offer Emily in thanks for her assistance getting somewhat lost in the exertion it took Paige to actually manoeuvre herself out of the car and on to her feet. She puffed out a breath, the product of both frustration and exhaustion, taking the crutches Emily held out to her once she was clear of the car. Paige steadied herself, waiting patiently as Emily retrieved her bag from the trunk, unable to stop herself from instinctively moving to take it from her.
Paige lagged behind as they made their way up the driveway, the incline a little more taxing than usual, courtesy of the heavy weight that was currently her left leg. It had yet to calm down fully since she'd rocked onto it in the shower that morning, the pain having settled somewhere between a stab and a throb. It radiated each time it swung forward, the pain shooting from her calf right up into her side, Paige regretting that she'd opted not to take an extra dose of her painkillers before leaving. She hadn't bothered, knowing that Emily would only worry if she'd caught her doing so.
"I don't think I'll ever get over how big this place is," Emily mused as they reached the foot of the porch steps, for once entirely oblivious to Paige's discomfort as they came to a halt.
"It's not that big," Paige scoffed, shoving her hands into her pockets, before remembering the difficulties that presented when it came to using her crutches.
"Give me a second," Emily prompted, Paige waiting patiently as instructed at the bottom of the steps whilst Emily hopped up them, setting Paige's overnight bag down by the door. Once she'd made her way back down she assisted Paige with the awkward task of making it up the stairs, together managing it thankfully with little difficulty.
Emily released Paige's arm to knock on the door, her brow furrowing in confusion as Paige shot her a sideways smirk. She tucked her crutch beneath her arm are reached forward, pushing the door open and motioning for Emily to step inside.
"Mom?" Paige called out as Emily clicked the door shut behind them. It wasn't long until she heard hurried footsteps coming closer, her Mother's slightly flushed face greeting them a second later.
"Should you be on your feet?"
Paige laughed at the greeting, shaking her head. The night with Emily's parents had meant she hadn't spoken to her Mom properly since Tuesday and Emily's assurance she'd be taking good care of Paige meant they hadn't actually seen each other since Monday. Paige allowed her Mom to fuss about her, shooting Emily a bemused glance as Anne ushered her towards her Dad's office, which was to be her makeshift bedroom for the evening.
Emily had followed them silently, setting the overnight bag down on the as yet unmade bed, casting her eyes about the room as Anne urged Paige to sit on the office chair. A pang of sadness hit her as she swung briefly from left to right, the image of herself as child entering her mind, spinning in the chair until it made her dizzy as she waited eagerly for her Father to arrive home from work.
Paige shook off the thought, her eyes focusing on her Mom as she and Emily exchanged hugs and pleasantries, a smile tugging onto her lips at the sight. It still felt a little bizarre, watching her Mother embrace someone she loved, a woman she loved, especially with such openness and ease, but she couldn't doubt for one moment that it was anything but genuine. A part of her knew it was just the way Emily was, her natural sweetness charming those around her, but Paige couldn't deny how hard her Mom was trying, the effort she was making to make Emily feel included, the effort she was making to get to know her, to really embrace her into her life.
"Paige?"
"Hmm?" Paige hummed, realising she'd drifted off once again, looking up to find both her Mother and Emily staring at her expectantly. "What?"
"Emily's going to make the bed up for you," Anne explained, shooting Emily a thankful glance as she spoke. "I'm having something of a turkey disaster right now, so I haven't had time to get round to it. Will you be okay if I…"
"We'll manage," Paige assured her.
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. Don't leave without saying goodbye, okay?" Anne reminded Emily, squeezing Paige's shoulder briefly as she passed on her way out of the room.
"So," Emily began, casting her eyes around the room as she started emptying Paige's overnight bag out, setting about leaving everything in an easy to reach place for her. "This is your Dad's office huh?"
"Yeah," Paige nodded, allowing her eyes to trail around the room. It was emptier than usual, her Dad obviously having taken a fair bit with him to his new place, though something about the sparseness only fuelled her suspicions that for her Father, maybe her Mother too, their separation was far from temporary. "Well, was, I guess."
Emily simply nodded, Paige thankful that she'd managed to read the situation right and gauge that Paige didn't really want to get into talking about it.
"You don't have to do that," Paige changed the subject, tipping her head to the sheets Emily was currently gathering up in her hands. "I'll manage…"
"I don't mind," Emily brushed off Paige's concern, continuing on, Paige knowing she should have expected that would be her response.
"You're not my nurse."
"No," Emily agreed, tucking the bottom sheet snug into place before making her way over to Paige, perching carefully on the arm of the chair she was sitting on and brushing the hair back from Paige's face. "I am your exceptionally attentive, pretty damn awesome girlfriend."
"So modest…" Paige's witty retort was cut off by Emily's lips, ghosting softly across her own. Emily stilled for a moment, enjoying their proximity. Paige felt Emily smilie into the kiss, deepening it after a beat and allowing her hand to find the back of Emily's neck, stroking the skin there, keeping her close.
"Paige! You're late!"
The girls startled apart at the sound of Evan's voice. Emily stood back, allowing Paige to see her younger brother making his way towards her, Paige opening her arms out instinctively to pull him into a brief hug. He offered the same greeting to Emily, Emily happily tugging him into her arms.
"Late?" Paige asked as he let Emily go, though he remained in her arms as he twisted around to face Paige, Emily hugging him from behind. "I thought you were…"
"He couldn't come today," Evan explained, Paige's heart sinking a little at the disappointment on Evan's face. She caught Emily looking at her questioningly, shooting her a glance to say she'd explain later.
"Oh, well…"
"Are you staying for dinner?" Evan cut Paige off, tilting his head up to look at Emily's face.
"Not today," Emily shook her head. "I'm having dinner with my parents."
"Oh, okay."
"If it's okay with your Mom, maybe we could all do something together next week?" Emily proposed, Paige resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the offer. When it came to giving in to Evan's 'puppy dog' eyes, Emily was even worse than she was. "We'll get grumpy old Paige out of the house for a bit?"
"Grumpy?"Paige recoiled in mock offence. "Old?"
"Just grumpy," Emily shot her a wink.
"Pretty old," Evan added in.
"Hey!"
"Okay," Emily said softly as the laughter died down, giving Evan's shoulders a squeeze, Paige catching the hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke. "I should get going. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, uh…give us a minute, Ev?" Paige asked her brother, they boy frowning slightly before agreeing. He gave Emily a brief hug in goodbye, before disappearing out into the hall.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah," Paige nodded, a smile tugging onto her lips once the door clicked shut. "I just want my goodbye kiss is all."
"Ah," Emily nodded, an instant smile tugging onto her own lips as she knelt down, granting Paige's request. The kiss lingered, both of them reluctant to part. "Are you sure you'll manage okay?"
"My Mom's around," Paige nodded, knowing that if she needed it, which she likely would as much as she didn't want to admit it, she could rely on her Mother to help her out. "She'll look after me. With vigour, no doubt."
"Alright," Emily nodded, Paige unable to hold back the small smirk that crept onto her lips as Emily stood, hovering reluctantly, making little effort to actually leave. "I'm just a phone call away, if you need me. Anything. Anytime."
"I know," Paige shook her head, reaching her hand out to urge Emily to come closer again. "I'll be okay, okay?"
"I know you will," Emily smiled softly, leaning down and pressing her lips to Paige's briefly. "Call me tonight, say goodnight?"
"Of course."
"I love you."
It was something Paige caught Emily saying more often as of late. Since the accident, Emily could barely seem to leave her side without saying it at least once, not that Paige minded it. She could always feel the weight of the words when Emily spoke them, deep in her chest, the honestly there. Paige understood it. The accident was a reminder of just how fragile everything was and whist the words weren't necessarily needed, it never failed to have an effect on Paige.
"I love you too."
Paige watched as Emily moved away, shouldering her bag and making her way to the doorway, reaching for the handle but not quite opening the door.
"Who couldn't come?" Emily asked after a moments hesitation, turning back to face Paige. "For Evan?"
"Have a guess."
"Your Dad?"
"Cait and Ev were meant to spend the morning with him. But apparently, he's cancelled."
Paige really hoped Nick had a genuine reason for not showing up that morning and wasn't merely avoiding a potentially awkward situation. She appreciated the possible difficulties of facing up to the fact that he'd have to split the holidays now he and Anne were separated, it was bound to be hard, but Paige hoped that his children, two of them at least, would take precedent over that feeling.
"What is wrong with him?" Emily asked with a frown, flashing Paige an apologetic look once she caught herself. "Sorry. I just…I don't get him at all."
"I don't think anyone does," Paige sighed, shaking her head. "Can we not ruin Thanksgiving by trying to work out the complexities of one Nick McCullers?"
"Sorry," Emily apologised again, shaking her head. "I'm just…I'm mad at him. Is that stupid?"
"No," Paige shook her head. "It pisses me off too."
As much as she was trying to keep an open mind about her Father's cancellation, seeing the disappointment on her younger brother's face still struck a chord. She couldn't help but worry about it becoming a more regular occurrence; as the state of his marriage disintegrated further, Paige couldn't say it was entirely beyond her Father to retreat further and further away from his family and into himself. Paige frowned further at that thought, realising that's exactly what she herself had done years before.
"I'm mad at him, for you," Emily admitted, taking a seat on the edge of the camp bed, apparently unable to stop herself now she'd started. Paige couldn't really begrudge her of that. So far Emily had done a good job of biting her tongue whenever the subject of Nick's lack of contact came up, but it was easy to tell how much it irked Emily despite her efforts to mask it. "I get that…well, you've barely reconnected since you've came home…"
"Understatement of the century."
"Sure, but for a second there, it sounded like you at least might be finally getting somewhere, you know? That there was…hope," Emily sighed. "I guess what really gets me is, I mean…what kind of parent doesn't go visit their kid in the hospital? You could have died Paige."
"Em," Paige sighed, understanding the frustration. The thought wasn't exactly something that was foreign to her. "I admit, it stung. But he sent me a card…"
"A card," Emily scoffed.
"You don't know him. A card is a big gesture from him, trust me," Paige defended his actions, frowning as she did so.
Paige had tried, really tried, to accept that, given where they were right now, a simple card was a big enough gesture from her Dad. In her head she still felt that for the most part. But it did nothing to ease the sting. She was okay, but a fraction faster and the car could have easily killed her. He had to know that. Yet he hadn't visited, or taken the time to call. A bitter part of her mind wondered if he'd even decided to get the card himself, or if it was something one of her siblings prompted him to do.
"I'm sorry," Emily spoke softly, reaching out and placing her hand on Paige's forearm. "I shouldn't be bringing this up. I just…I mean I can hardly judge, I was barely with him five minutes, but he just seemed like he might be…like there was…ugh, I don't know."
"It's okay," Paige smiled at Emily's annoyance, placing her hand atop Emily's resting against her arm. "Let's just forget it yeah?"
"Alright," Emily agreed, lacing their fingers together. "I'm going to miss you tonight."
"Ditto," Paige smiled softly, tugging Emily towards her to pull her into a gentle embrace, the angle awkward, but the contact not unwelcome. Emily pulled back, standing and shouldering her bag once more.
"Alright. Well, I'm just a phone call away if you need me. If anything happens…"
"Wait a minute," Paige sat back, replaying the latter part of their previous conversation in her mind. "What did you just say?"
"I'm just a…"
"No before that," Paige's brow furrowed. "About my Dad."
"What part?"
"The 'you were with him' part," Paige clarified, meeting Emily's eyes in confusion. "When were you ever with him?"
"I…"
"You said you were barely with him," Paige prompted, unsettled by the way the colour seemed to have drained from Emily's face, by the way Emily appeared to have been…caught out. "Emily?"
"I…" Emily faltered, Paige looking on as Emily began flapping before her, clearly trying to backtrack, to cover up, the sight so unfamiliar to Paige a sickness rose within her.
Emily was hiding something from her.
"Did he come to the hospital?"
"No," Emily shook her head. "No, not the hospital."
"Emily," Paige chided, urging her to get to the point.
"The County Fair," Emily eventually spoke. "He came to the County Fair."
"What?" Paige sat back, completely taken aback, confused. "This years County Fair?"
"He came to the stall," Emily explained, twisting her hands together nervously. "You were looking for Evan. Your Mom was…somewhere…"
"Did he know who you were?" Paige asked, a million and one questions beginning to race through her mind thanks to the sudden revelation.
Why on earth hadn't Emily mentioned it before?
"He figured that out," Emily nodded, looking away as Paige continued to stare up at her, dumfounded.
"What did he want? Did my Mom know…"
"He wanted to see your Mom. But she wasn't there so, he left. Eventually."
"Right," Paige nodded, mulling the information over in her mind, the briefest wave of calm washing over her now she had the facts, though it was quickly replaced by anger flaring up again. Why would Emily keep that from her? "The County Fair was well over a month ago. Two months, even."
"I know, I…"
"Why are you just telling me this now?"
"I didn't mean to tell you."
"Oh," Paige scoffed, meeting Emily's eyes in complete disbelief. "I see."
"Paige…"
"I'm sorry you got caught out," Paige spat bitterly.
"Paige, I didn't mean it like that…"
"Wait…did he say something to you?" Paige asked, frowning. She knew how her Dad could be, the things he could say, her gut twisting at the thought of her Father speaking to Emily in the way she knew and feared he could, images of the disgusting vitriol he used to subject her to being flung at Emily making her heart twist. It would make sense for Emily to have thought keeping that from Paige would protect her feelings. "Did he…was he…"
"He was fine with me," Emily shook her head. "Honestly. We barely spoke. He just wanted to see your Mom."
"Then why wouldn't you tell me?" Paige asked, shrugging he shoulders hopelessly. Surely it was something worth dropping into conversation?
"I…"
"Emily," Paige urged her sternly to get to the point.
"I knew how seeing him made you feel," Emily began, shaking her head as she tried to formulate her words. "I was scared that…"
"I'd react badly?" Paige asked, slightly hurt that Emily thought so little of her.
"The only other experience I'd had of you and your Dad back then was you punching a hole in your car window after seeing him," Emily explained, shaking her head hopelessly. "I never wanted to see you like that again and…and we'd had such a great day Paige. I could see how much it meant to you, being with your Mom, her getting along with me. And I didn't want to lie about it, but…"
"But you did."
"I didn't want you to be thinking about him. About why he was there, worrying about what he'd said to me, worrying about what he wanted," Emily explained, her words moving a mile a minute. "I didn't want your mood to be potentially ruined over something so insignificant…"
"If it was so insignificant you could have just told me," Paige shook her head, anger taking prevalence over the rest of her conflicting emotions. "But of course, I'm obviously so incapable of coping with the mere mention of my own Dad's name."
"Paige…"
"I get it Em, I really do," Paige couldn't to help the sudden raise in her voice. "Heaven forbid I get the chance to decide how I'm going to react to something."
"Don't be like this…"
"Oh, okay then," Paige threw her hands up. "Sorry. I forgot. You make my decisions for me these days."
"Paige."
"Well, it's true isn't it?"
"Is this…is this about the phone?" Emily asked incredulously, shaking her head. "I knew it. If you still weren't okay with it then why wouldn't you just…"
"Tell you?" Paige asked, raising her eyebrow questioningly. "A little hypocritical of you, don't you think? And I did, if you recall."
"And then you suggested a compromise," Emily countered, her face softening almost instantly as she caught herself. "Paige…let's not do this. Not today."
"You should go."
"Paige," Emily sighed, almost pleading. "We can't leave things like this."
"Sure we can," Paige shrugged petulantly. "I'm making that decision for us."
"Paige," Emily pleaded. "It's Thanksgiving."
"It is. And I'd be thankful if you left."
Paige grimaced instantly as she spoke, catching the way Emily's face fell, instantly ashamed of the spite that had crept into her own voice.
"Ah, good," Anne waltzed into the room, completely oblivious to the atmosphere currently suffocating the small space, smiling at Emily broadly, though it didn't last once she took in the look on Emily's face. "Is everything alright?"
"I was just leaving," Emily announced, repositioning her bag on her shoulder as she spoke.
"Well I'm glad I caught you," Anne's chirpy mood returned quickly, holding out a pie dish for Emily, the foil tight around it obscuring it's contents. "For your parents. A little thank you from me to them for putting Paige up yesterday. I know no doubt your Mom will have covered all the bases, but is there really such a thing as too much pie?"
"Thank you," Emily managed a smile, taking the dish. "My Mom will love it."
"Give her my best."
"I will," Emily nodded, her eyes flitting to Paige, Paige's eyes falling away instantly as they met. "Well. I guess I'm leaving."
"You have a great day love," Anne pulled Emily into the briefest of hugs. "And Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving," Emily smiled sadly, looking to Paige once again. Her eyes were pleading, but for all she wavered, Paige's gaze fell away, not returning to the doorway until Emily had left.
"Argh! Motherffffff…" Paige cried out, her words trailing off as she became aware of her Mother's presence behind her. "Fudge."
"For heavens sake Paige," Anne sighed, pulling Paige's hand into her own to assess the small cut, blood dotting along where she'd nicked it with the peeling knife. "Leave it to me."
"Mom…"
"I appreciate you're trying to help. I really do. But all you're doing is…stressing me out," Anne sighed again, shooting Paige the slightest look of apology for her admission. Paige relented, dropping the knife to the bench, appreciating the honesty at least. Anne was beside her in no time at all, wrapping a band-aid around the small cut.
"Thanks," Paige grumbled, leaning back against the counter, tucking her crutch awkwardly beneath her arm for support.
"Sit Paige."
"Mom…"
"Sit."
Paige took at seat at the table, obediently acquiescing to her Mother's request. She began tapping her good foot against the floor agitatedly, her fingers drumming out a matching beat against the wood of the table as her mind refused to still. Anne turned to face her, Paige stilling instantly at the pointed look. Paige couldn't seem to help her restlessness. As wonderful as it was to be home for Thanksgiving, she was having trouble focusing on anything but Emily, half reeling that Emily had so easily kept something from her for so long, half reeling that she herself had let it come between them that morning.
Paige was also having trouble accepting being of such little help. She'd tried to offer her services, which Anne, reluctantly and under reasonable duress, had initially accepted, Paige tasked with prepping the potatoes. Her assistance had come to an abrupt end now she'd accidentally sliced into her own thumb, Paige well aware that now her Mom wouldn't let her lift a finger again for the remainder of the day.
Paige sank back into her seat, watching quietly as her Mother worked. It was strange, being home and gearing up for Thanksgiving dinner. It was strange, sitting silently as her Mother worked around her. It was strange, as it always seemed to be, just being home. As grateful as Paige was to be getting the opportunity to share the holiday with her family after so many years of TV dinners and not so blissful ignorance of the entire event, she couldn't deny it was taking some adjusting to.
When Paige was younger, Thanksgiving had been a far grander affair. Her Mom's sisters would often celebrate down in Atlanta, where her eldest Aunt was based, but they had always chosen to stay behind, celebrating right there, usually with her Father's sister and her husband, Paul. Then Paul and her Dad's business went to pot and it was just the five of them.
Tonight, it would only be the four of them.
It was safe to say the atmosphere was a little subdued. As apparent as her Mother's glee at Paige's presence was, it was also just as apparent that Anne was finding her husbands absence strange, or hard. Maybe both. Paige wasn't sure.
Paige couldn't really imagine what it felt like.
Serious relationships, despite how deeply she and Emily had fallen for one other so quickly, were still relatively new to her. She didn't know what it would feel like to go from spending your whole life with someone, sharing every holiday with someone, every day and every night, to suddenly living without them. She and Emily didn't have holiday traditions, like her parents had shared over the years. She couldn't fathom what it would feel like to miss them, which Paige was certain, Anne did.
It had to take some adjusting.
Paige frowned, realising, that partly at least, her Mom was no stranger to adjusting to absence. Paige knew it was perfectly plausible, likely even, that, much like Nick's absence hung over them today, her own absence had hung over her family in the past whilst she was gone. Paige had dodged the calls year after year after all. She knew it broke her Mother's heart that she hadn't been there, that she'd refused to come home. She knew that it had confused and angered her siblings. It wasn't until now that the roles were somewhat reversed, that she'd actually took the time to allow herself to consider what it must of felt like for them.
"What was it like?" Paige found herself asking, her eyes fixed to her thumb, picking at the band aid covering her most recent wound.
"Hmm?" Anne hummed absently, fully engrossed in the food she was preparing.
"Never mind."
Today was what mattered, this new start for all of them. Paige found little sense in dwelling on the past. Instead she pulled her phone from her pocket, frowning as she turned it in her hands, frowning further at the memory of her conversation with Emily that morning.
It stung, knowing that Emily had kept something from her, oh so easily, for oh so long. Maybe it was something simple, something insignificant, but it was her Dad and Paige knew Emily had to know that was always going to be significant, at least to Paige. Maybe Emily didn't know that then, Paige begrudgingly understanding, at least in part, why Emily, in her mind, would have thought she was protecting Paige. She'd hardly given her reason to believe she'd cope well.
But Emily certainly knew it now. Paige had even divulged her fears about just where Emily would fit into any relationship she managed to salvage with her Father, about how he'd be around her. Knowing Emily had met him, even briefly, would have perhaps been of some comfort. Perhaps not. Paige frowned again.
"That was quick."
Paige's eyes drifted upwards at her Mother's voice, finding the woman tipping her head towards the phone.
"Emily picked it up," Paige explained, hesitating for a moment, wondering if she should keep the details vague. "She's going to help out, you know, with the bills. Until I get back on track."
"That's very kind of her," Anne mused, her tone giving nothing away. Paige opened her mouth to explain further, for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, only to be cut off. "She's certainly going above and beyond."
"She is."
Paige couldn't deny that. Paige felt a brief pang of guilt she felt for her angry outbursts that morning, though it quickly faded, everything still too raw in her mind to forgive.
"I'lm going to pay her back, you know, when I can."
"I get the impression that's not something she's waiting for."
"No," Paige shook her head, recalling her conversation with Emily that morning. "I guess not."
"Have you heard anything from work?" Anne asked after a beat, Paige resisting the urge to groan at the sudden change of topic. She had hoped, given her current predicament, that she'd have gotten away with the nagging for some while yet. "About your sick pay or going back…"
"Nope," Paige sighed. "They were already cutting my shifts before all this mess so…" Paige caught herself, catching sight of the way her Mom's brow furrowed at her words. "I mean, I'm sure it'll all work out."
"Have you given any more thought to going back to college?" Anne asked, Paige frowning instantly at the sudden turn in conversation. One of the lucky things about her current situation, coupled with how preoccupied her Mom was with her own troubles, was that the topic of her career, or lack thereof, had scarcely come up recently. "Night school, perhaps."
"Mom," Paige sighed. "No."
"It's just a suggestion," Anne sighed, turning back to the hob.
"Yeah," Paige relented, biting her tongue. It wasn't worth getting into with her Mother, nor was it something she'd had the time to think about, or wanted to think about for that matter.
"I know you think I'm nagging," Anne continued talking as she chopped. "But I…I just know you have so much potential Paige. I only wish you'd remember that."
"I'll keep it in mind," Paige agreed unenthusiastically, more to placate her Mother than anything else. Knowing you have potential seemed of little use to a person who couldn't even manage to dress themselves in a morning.
"Okay," Anne sighed, plonking the knife down on the bench, turning to face Paige expectantly. "What is it?"
"What's what?"
"You've done nothing but sulk all morning," Anne narrowed her eyes. "So come on. Out with it."
"There's nothing to out."
"Are you in pain?"
"No," Paige shook her head. For once, it was mostly the truth. She'd taken a double dose of her painkillers once Emily had left, the incessant throbbing in her leg having thankfully calmed reasonably enough since.
"Then what is it?"
"Nothing."
Anne shook her head, turning back to her chopping. Paige's eyes narrowed skeptically, knowing her Mother scarcely gave in that easily. Paige braced herself, waiting patiently for the next barrage of questioning that was sure to be fired her way.
"I've waited a long time to have you home for Thanksgiving," Anne began, Paige frowning at the sudden change of tone, instantly feeling guilty. "I don't know what it was the two of you were fighting about…"
"You heard us fighting?"
"I lived with your Father since college honey," Anne turned back to Paige, shooting her a knowing look. "I know fighting."
"It was just a stupid argument."
"Fair enough," Anne didn't press, Paige somewhat thankful for that. "As I was saying. I've waited a long time to have you home. Do you think you could do me a favour and put whatever it was with Emily aside, at least until we've enjoyed dinner together?"
"Yeah," Paige softened, not wanting to spoil their first Thanksgiving together in years by sulking. "I guess I can manage that."
"Checking in on Paige?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Emily turned sheepishly at the sound of her Father's voice, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "She has to take another…"
"Dose around about now," Wayne interjected, smiling knowingly. "You mentioned that earlier."
"I did?"
"A few times."
"Sorry," Emily shook her head, slightly embarrassed that she'd constantly found herself flitting back to the subject of Paige.
Wayne simply shook his head, squeezing Emily's shoulder softly as he passed her on the way to the sink. If she had been talking about Paige a little too often, Emily at least felt confident her parents forgave her for it. She'd caught a few knowing glances between the two of them, but trusted they understood why she couldn't really help it today. Paige was in the safest hands, Emily didn't doubt that, but after so many days of focusing on nothing but Paige, she was feeling a little at a loss with so little to do. It didn't help that they'd left things the way they had, Emily's gut twisting at the thought of it. She cursed herself mentally, hating that she'd let something so seemingly insignificant fester into something that had now driven a wedge between them.
Emily frowned, knowing that the text she'd just tapped out would likely go unanswered, nor appreciated. In a way she hated the fact that she'd caved in an texted Paige; despite desperately wanting to know how to just make it up to Paige already, it still dented her pride a little and was coupled with the slight shame she felt about using an important medication reminder to try and attract Paige's attention.
"Something on your mind?" Wayne probed, running the tap, the water splaying out as he tested the heat with his hands. "Worrying about Paige?"
"Something like that."
"She looks well, considering," Wayne mused, Emily nodding slowly. "And I'm sure she's being well looked after."
"I'm sure she is."
"Wishbone?" Wayne smiled, holding it out to Emily, Emily unable to help but smile herself as she hooked her pinky around it, thankful that this year they got to share it.
They'd eaten dinner early at Wayne's request. He'd been insistent they work together on the meal, a well-meaning gesture, but Emily suspected one her Mother quickly regretted agreeing to. They'd managed anyhow and Emily, as always, had cherished the time they got to spend together, just the three of them, chances to celebrate as a family unit always so few and far between.
It hadn't failed to skip her keen notice though, even with her own distractedness, that whenever there was a lull in the conversation, or whenever she remarked how wonderful it was that her Dad got to be home how suddenly the atmosphere would change, how the broad smiles her parent's shared began to fade. It wasn't new to her, Emily knowing full well by now what it meant.
"You're going back aren't you?"
Wayne turned from the sink to look at her in surprise, though that surprise soon faded, Wayne knowing as well as Emily that this, unfortunately, wasn't anything new. He nodded simply.
"Before Christmas?"
"I leave on Monday."
"Oh," Emily's face fell, her stomach sinking. It may not have been anything new, but it never failed to sucker punch her whenever he said it out loud.
"I wanted to wait until tomorrow to tell you," Wayne explained, a half smile tugging onto his lips. "Should've known I couldn't fool my little girl."
"I really thought we'd get Christmas this year," Emily admitted sadly.
"We might," Wayne assured her, wrapping and arm around her shoulder, pulling Emily into a half embrace though the hopeful smile he shot her didn't quite reach his ears. "I just won't be here beforehand, like we thought I would."
"I'll miss you," Emily wrapped her arms around her Father, tugging him in tight.
"I'll miss you too," Wayne held her that little bit tighter as he spoke. "But I'm not gone yet."
Emily didn't know what it was, the sadness of knowing that once again her Father's home time had been cut short, or the fact Paige hadn't spoken to her once since the morning, or simply the security his embrace offered her, but soon enough, tears began to sting her eyes.
"Hey, it's alright," Wayne soothed as he pulled away, wiping the tears from Emily's face as he pulled back.
"Sorry," Emily shook her head, dabbing at her eyes in a futile attempt to stop them.
"Come on," Wayne patted her shoulder. "Let's enjoy our time together while we can, yeah?"
"Yeah," Emily nodded.
"Emily," Wayne began, prompting her to meet his gaze. "Is there something else on your mind?"
"No, no I'm fine," Emily shook her head.
"You've just seemed a little…"
"We had a fight this morning, Paige and I," Emily admitted, knowing it was pointless to try and lie to her Father. She'd never been able to do it, so it seemed futile to try and start now. "I kept something from her that I probably shouldn't have and she…well, she took that as expected."
"I see." Wayne nodded, seemingly mulling it over in his mind.
"I thought it was the right thing to do," Emily explained. "But I just…I don't know anymore. I feel like every time I try to do something for her I'm just…I don't know."
"I'm sure whatever it is, she'll understand you meant well, eventually," Wayne assured her, Emily unable to help shaking her head as he spoke.
"I just hate knowing I've hurt her," Emily's voice broke a little again as she spoke. "After everything lately…I'm meant to be there for her and all I've managed to do is…"
"Hey now, come on," Wayne soothed, tugging Emily towards him into a one armed embrace as her tears once again fell of their own accord. "Paige know's you're there for her. Paige know's how much you're doing for her."
"All I'm doing is frustrating her," Emily shook her head.
"That's not true."
"I just…" Emily shook her head hopelessly. "I just hate that something so stupid has come between us."
"If it's that stupid, it won't come between you for long," Wayne assured her. "Come on Emy."
"I'm sorry," Emily sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "It's your first Thanksgiving home for years and I'm ruining it by…"
"No you're not," Wayne cut her off, pressing a kiss to Emily's forehead. "Yes, I'd rather my little girl wasn't so upset. But I'm home. I can be here to comfort you. That's all that matters to me."
"I've missed you so much," Emily wrapped her arms around her Father.
"I've missed you too," Wayne held her that little bit tighter as he spoke. "I always do."
Paige felt herself stirring, soft lips pressing against her forehead, followed by fingers softly brushing through her hair. It took her a moment to wake up, her eyes focusing on her Mother in front of her. Anne cleared her throat as she moved away, setting about clearing up the plates from the coffee table.
"Didn't mean to wake you."
"S'alright," Paige shook her head, pushing herself up ever so slightly. "Let me give you a hand with that."
"As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't think you're going to be much help," Anne tipped her head to Paige's leg.
"Ah, yeah," Paige frowned. It was surprisingly easy to forget about it whenever she first woke up.
"I'll do it," Caitlin's groggy voice came from beside her, Paige feeling a weight lift from her shoulder.
Paige settled back against the couch as the two of them proceeded to clear the room of dishes, wrapping her arm gently around Evan who was still out for the count, lying against her good side.
It felt good to be home.
Once they'd settled into dinner, any strangeness had quickly dissolved away, the four of them settling easily and before long they were laughing and joking with as they ate. It felt good to be a unit again.
It felt good to see her Mom smile.
Paige looked to her right, finding Evan stirring beside her, smiling at the thought of the three of them snoozing softly as their Mother tidied around them, something she knew her Mom would have loved.
"Hey," Paige spoke softly, nudging Evan slightly with her elbow. "Hey, big guy."
"Nope," was Evan's only response, twisting his body reluctantly as he screwed his eyes shut.
"Ev," Paige chuckled, sitting herself up as best she could. "It's bed time, bud."
"Hmpf," Evan huffed, Paige's smile only growing broader at the sight, her brother so unmistakably like she was at his age. "Fine."
"Hey!" Paige called out, feigning mock offence as he trudged off towards the doorway. "No hug?"
Evan rolled his eyes, Paige again struck by the familiarness of his mannerisms, her arms opening up as he hugged her carefully, mindful of her bruising.
"You're staying tomorrow right?" He asked as he let go.
"Yeah," Paige nodded. "Until the afternoon…I think Emily's coming to pick me up."
Paige frowned at that, though she assumed, despite whatever it was that had happened between them that morning, Emily would turn up as originally planned.
"See you in the morning then," Evan smiled, pressing a quick peck to Paige's cheek before disappearing out into the hallway, Paige able to hear muffled goodnights being exchanged before Caitlin eventually reappeared, plonking back down beside her.
"Do you need a hand changing?" Anne asked as she made her own way into the room. Paige glanced to the clock, noticing it was getting late and after a long day of making sure everything was perfect, she knew her Mom would be tired and ready for her bed.
"I'll be alright," Paige assured her, holding her Mother's gaze until she saw the scepticism fade. She was capable of changing her shirt and the sweats she'd opted for that morning were comfortable enough to sleep in. "I was thinking of watching TV for a bit."
"Alright. Well, don't stay up too late. Just give me a shout in the morning, or if you need anything through the night," Anne prompted her. "I'm heading to bed. Caitlin…"
"Can't I stay up with Paige?" Caitlin asked, her tone bordering on pleading. "It's not a school night. And someone has to make sure Paige gets to bed alright."
"I can…"
"Of course," Anne cut Paige off, Paige rolling her eyes at the smirk tugging onto her younger sisters lips as she realised her shameless ploy had worked. "Don't stay up too long girls," Anne added, looking between the two of them again sternly, before breaking out into a smile and tugging both of them into a quick embrace. "And I mean it Caitlin, you've got an early start."
"I know," Caitlin nodded. "We won't be up too long, right Paige?"
"Right."
With that Anne said her goodnights, turning off the main light as she exited the room.
"Early start?"
"Dad's coming to pick us up tomorrow morning."
"Oh. To make up for today?"
"He's making us dinner," Caitlin nodded. "He texted me before. I didn't even know he could text."
"You're not mad at him? For today?" Paige asked, having expected Caitlin to have be substantially more annoyed than she'd appeared to be.
"Not really," Caitlin shrugged, focusing her attention once again on the television. Paige sighed, not begrudging her sister's reversion to her familiar stoicism. Paige's eyes settled back on the movie, trying to gauge what exactly was actually playing out on the screen. "Want to hear something weird?"
"Sure," Paige turned her attention back to Caitlin curiously.
"I think it's better," Caitlin admitted, meeting Paige's gaze cautiously. "Them being separated. Does that make me an awful person?"
"Preferring them being separated?" Paige asked, Caitlin giving a short nod in confirmation. "Of course not."
"Aren't I meant to be really bummed out about it?" Caitlin asked, her tone holding an unfamiliar vulnerability as she met Paige's gaze. "My parents are separating, isn't that supposed to be…fucking me up?"
"No," Paige shook her head. "I don't think it is, not necessarily."
"Mom…she's better without him here. Happier. And he's…" Caitlin paused, shaking her head. "I know he's sad about it. It's easy to see he misses home. But when he was here, I'd never see him. Unless he was training me and I hated him when we did that. The rest of the time he'd either be arguing with Mom, or hiding in his office. I mean I know he blew us off today…that's shit. But I don't know, I feel like he has his reasons for that. When I see him now…like, when we go over to his place, he takes us out to dinner, he helps me with my homework, he lets us watch shitty movies. He laughs Paige, it's bizarre. He even lets me skip out on practice. Sometimes. Well, once. But still."
"That's good," Paige cleared her throat. "I mean, that's great, right?"
"He's like a whole new Dad. One I actually like. And I just feel…guilty, about that," Caitlin admitted, meeting Paige's eyes with uncertainly. "I mean…aren't I being happy at their expense?"
"Don't feel guilty," Paige shook her head. "You shouldn't feel guilty for being happy to have your Dad back. Maybe they are better apart."
"Maybe."
The settled into silence after that, Paige feeling the familiar pang of sadness for herself, though it was soon replaced with happiness for her sister. When she'd first arrived home she'd feared Caitlin was in spiralling into something of a tailspin, bitter and angry in a way that even she herself had barely ever reached. But slowly and surely she'd calmed and Paige knew that repairing her own sometimes fractious relationship with their Father would only help Caitlin in the long run.
"What was all that with Emily this morning?"
"You heard too?" Paige huffed. "Sorry. I didn't realise…"
"I didn't hear anything, not really," Caitlin shrugged. "I saw her on the way out though. She looked devastated. You haven't…like you didn't break it off or anything did you?"
"Of course not," Paige shook her head incredulously, frowning. "Did she really seem that bad?"
"Looked like you'd shot her puppy or something."
"Well…" Paige tried to think of what to say, before huffing in defeat. "Never mind."
"So?" Caitlin looked to Paige expectantly. "What was it all about?"
"She…" Paige hesitated, though she knew Caitlin wasn't likely to relent. "She met Dad, back at the County Fair. And then she decided not to tell me."
"Ah."
"Apparently she was worried that I would…react."
"Can you really blame her?" Caitlin raised a knowing eyebrow.
"No," Paige admitted, her jaw tightening as once again, her resolved to stay mad faltered. "But just because I get where she was coming from doesn't mean it doesn't hurt that she's effectively lied to me for so long…"
"It was more withholding the truth, don't you think?"
"That's the definition of lying?" Paige shook her head, shooting her sister an unamused glance. "It hurts. It hurts that the one person I trust with absolutely everything has…" Paige sighed heavily, trailing off. "It just hurts."
"Yeah," Caitlin nodded. "I get what you're saying."
They focused their attention back on the movie, Paige thankful Caitlin had gauged that she wasn't really ready to talk about it. Truth was, she didn't want to think about it.
"I guess I should have asked you this earlier, but how are you?" Caitlin began, pulling herself up into a more seated position. "Injury-wise I mean. You look a little better."
"I feel a little better," Paige shrugged. It wasn't that much of a lie. The bruising on her side seemed to look far worse than it had in the hospital, but it no longer ached, only hindered her movement some whenever ever she twisted. Her leg didn't throb as much as it had in the hospital, though, for all she'd grumbled at her Mother's prompting all day, standing too long did bring on an uncomfortable pain that lingered long after she took the weight off. The cut above her eyebrow itched, but only stung to the touch. All in all, especially after managing to shower that morning, she felt far more like a person than she had the week before.
"I'm surprised Evan hasn't been hanging all over you like a rash," Caitlin shook her head knowingly. "You really scared him."
"I scared everybody," Paige corrected, a pang of guilt shooting through her at the thought.
"Mom was really worried," Caitlin agreed. "Dad too."
Paige couldn't hold back the scoff that escaped her at that, but managed to at least bite her tongue. So worried her Dad was, he couldn't be bothered to visit her in the hospital. So worried, he sent her a dollar store card and some donuts. Paige appreciated the sentiment her sister was trying to offer, but she still found it hard to believe.
Paige didn't understand her Father. She'd thought she'd figured him out, slowly pieced together some understanding over the past four years. Some of it still made sense in her mind, but when it came to him and her specifically, she didn't know who on earth he was and feared she never would.
"He has," Caitlin stressed. "I don't think he knows it exactly, but it's obvious that he has."
Paige groaned, the bed groaning with her as she shifted, her back protesting the firmness of the less than padded out mattress. It took her eyes a moment to focus, Paige tugging the blanket up to her chin to ward off the draft. The room had always had a chill to it; Nick liked the cold, so the heat was usually kept off in the office.
Paige could hear her Mother's voice from out in the foyer, guessing that she was talking on the landline, deciding that for someone to be calling it meant that it was a reasonable enough hour to be waking, resisting the urge to shut her eyes and drift back off to sleep.
Paige patted down the bed absently, her hand fumbling around until it felt the bump of her phone beneath the sheets. It took her another moment to disentangle it, her eyes squinting at the screen to decipher the time. Her face tugged into an instant frown as she saw the notification, sliding the message open after a moment of hesitation.
I can't think of anything else to say other than I'm so sorry Paige. I hope you're okay x - Em
Paige hadn't called Emily the night before as promised, though granted, the promise was made prior to…whatever it was they'd had before Emily had left. She and Caitlin hadn't lasted long before falling asleep, the younger of the two having all but dragged Paige's sleep-addled body to her room, so calling Emily would have likely been out of the question either way.
Paige frowned, trying to gauge how she felt about it all now she'd slept on it. It still stung, but admittedly. Paige couldn't help but be struck by an odd sort of guilt. Emily hadn't kept it from her maliciously, Paige knew that. If anything, it was well-meaning, for all flawed. But that still wasn't to say it felt good, knowing Emily had chosen to keep it from her, despite numerous opportunities to drop it into conversation.
In truth, Paige didn't know what to think. All she did know is that she missed Emily regardless and hated the sudden distance between them, though that did little for her in terms of resolving the situation.
Paige toyed with the idea of calling Emily, but was unsure whether or not she was ready to talk. She certainly didn't feel ready to listen to the barrage of apologies and reasoning Emily would surely fling her way; she didn't quite have the energy for them.
Paige pushed herself up as best she could, groaning when she heard her phone fall to the floor with a clatter. Her first instinct was to reach for it, only to remember that the brace on her leg, along with the titanium rod, made that impossible. She could hear her Mother's voice still, picking up the terseness of her tone, a frown tugging onto her lips as she considered who could be calling so early, hoping it wasn't her Dad causing her Mother's irritation by cancelling on her siblings yet again.
Paige readied her crutches, tugging her night shirt down in attempt to appear less unkempt before making her way out into the foyer.
"Mom?" Paige asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her Mother's phone call, only to realise she was talking to someone at the door. "Oh. Hey, Mom?" Paige called out again, taking a few tentative steps towards her. "Sorry to interrupt, it's just I dropped my…"
"Paige?"
Paige trailed off at the sound of her Father's voice, watching as he pushed his way inside the house, much to the apparent chagrin of her Mother, coming to a halt just in front of her.
"Dear god."
Paige watched him, finding a somewhat shameful pride in the way his face contorted as he took in the state of her. She tugged at her night shirt once again, trying to flatten it out, knowing that her pyjamas, coupled with her bed hair, only made her look worse. His eye's met hers and any and all gratification was lost, Paige having to look away from the very real yet very foreign dismay she found there.
"You shouldn't be on your feet."
Paige looked back up at his words. In any other situation she'd have rolled her eyes, her Father yet another person telling her to sit down, to rest, to recuperate. It had a different effect coming from his mouth; again the concern was foreign to Paige and it came coupled with a sting of anger, anger that suddenly, two weeks later, he'd decided to express some concern for her well being.
Anne seemed to share the anger Paige felt, Paige's eyes flitting to her Mother in time to see her about to bite, readying herself to speak, Paige's mind scrambling herself to intervene somehow.
The fighting was getting tiresome.
Nick had moved suddenly however, the action taking both of them by surprise and cutting Anne short. Paige startled at the feel of her Father's hand against the small of her back, the other pressing against her shoulder, urging her to move towards the lounge. Paige took the encouragement and did as he wished, too blindsighted by his actions to do anything but.
Nick urged her into a seat, Paige taking it, her mouth opening to speak but quickly closing, too unsure of what she actually wanted to say. Anne appeared behind her Father, the scorn on her face announcing exactly how she felt about Nick's sudden concern. It very apparent she was chomping at the bit to voice her feelings. For reasons she couldn't quite articulate, Paige found her eyes pleading with her Mom to hold her tongue, to let him be.
She wanted to see how this played out.
Paige could understand, that given the apparent argument they'd been having at the front door, why her Mother seemed so frustrated. Talking to Nick was always taxing, Paige imagining that was even more true if you'd been married to him for as long as Anne had. Paige also understood why her Mom would be dubious to let him be around her, no doubt afraid of things ascending into the all too familiar fireworks that too often erupted between them.
Anne ultimately relented, reading something in Paige's eyes, looking to Nick briefly and shaking her head defeatedly.
"Sit," Anne urged him.
Nick hesitated at the command, a flash of fire engulfing his eyes as he met those of his wife. Paige's heart was in her throat for a second, though it was followed quickly by a sigh of relief, or of trepidation, she couldn't distinguish which, when Nick obliged peacefully, taking a seat across from her.
"I'm going to make a start on breakfast," Anne announced, looking between them sceptically. "I expect you both to be here when I get back."