Asher was released from hospital the following day, being happy and healthy. The same old boy he used to be before all the drama happened, resulting in them being a big happy family once again. They drove home in the same car with Luca and Nadia on their way back home with Ryan, Alex, Phoebe and baby Luca. They pulled up into the driveway and everyone got out walking into the lounge while Alex kept Asher in her arms the entire time too afraid to set him down in case something happens to him again. Ryan went upstairs to take a shower while Nadia went over to the kitchen to make some tea when Luca called his sister over to the lounge.
"Alex, I need to talk to you." Luca said looking at his sister as she laid Luca down on the couch. "You're gonna be upset, both you and Ryan. I was back at the hospital…I'm back on drugs." He admitted looking at his sisters face. "I want help. I need help." Luca pleaded as Alex ran a hand through her hair, but she did not answer.
"Alex please say something." He tried but she just shook her head. "I'm gonna go lay down for a while, I will talk to you afterwards." She said as she walked up the stairs, picking Asher up to lay him down next to her while Phoebe continued playing downstairs.
Ryan emerged from the shower and joined his wife and son on the bed as they can really do with some sleep after their 24 hours. "Are you okay?" Ryan asked as he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, looking after at his wife who laid on her back with her arm above her head.
"Luca's back on drugs." She said flatly without looking at him or opening her eyes. She heard her husband sigh loudly as he dressed in some sweats silently before walking over to her side of the bed. "He said he needs help."
"Are you gonna help him?" Ryan asked running a hand through her hair and she opened her eyes. He could see how tired she was as she was.
"He's my brother. I wanna help him. I just don't know if I have the energy to go through all of this again." She admitted.
"Hey, we can discuss this later. Let's get some sleep and talk to him afterwards." Ryan said still stroking her hair as she closed her eyes. He didn't stop stroking her hair until he heard her breathing even out and she was asleep. The patter of footsteps made him turn around when he saw his little girl emerge in the doorway.
"Dada?" Phoebe asked walking over to her father and towards her mother's side of the bed, replicating the motion of her father as Phoebe stroked her mother's cheeks, making Ryan smile. "Mama sleeping and Ashie?" She asked and Ryan nodded.
"Yeah, you feel like taking a nap with Mama and Asher?" Ryan asked and Phoebe nodded lifting her arms as her father laid her down in the middle of the bed, and they fell asleep as a family.
Downstairs, Luca and Nadia sat down and watch TV with some hot chocolate neither of them talking. "Have you spoken to Alex?" Nadia asked and Luca nodded.
"She didn't get back to me. She said she's going to sleep." Luca said not making eye contact with Nadia. "I messed up."
"You and me both. I still need to apologize to her for what I did." Nadia said to no one in particular as it felt like she and Luca were in their safe haven and could exchange information.
Alex woke up seeing the night light through her window, uncertain of how long she was asleep. Looking over at her family who was still sleeping she walked downstairs and saw Luca and Nadia laughing at the TV screen as they watched a comedy. Luca saw her on the stairs walking towards them and turned the volume down.
"Did we wake you?" he asked and she shook her head.
"We ordered pizza, figured you won't be in the mood to cook." Nadia said and pointed towards an additional box on the kitchen table as Luca and Nadia were halfway through their box of pizza on the kitchen table.
"Thank you." Alex smiled walking over to the couch, grabbing a slice out of the box joining them in watching, but Luca paused the movie making her look at him. "Why did you pause?"
"I need you to say something about what I spoke to you about earlier." He said and Alex turned towards him making herself more comfortable.
"What do you want me to say to you Luca? We've been down this road before and you always mess up somewhere along the way." Alex admitted.
"I know. Alex it's not easy getting clean when there is temptation around every corner you have no idea how hard it is to say no. You didn't grow up in poverty, you got everything you wanted you didn't have to resort to drugs to escape the live you lived!"
Alex didn't say anything while her brother went onto his rant. "I will help you even if it takes you 10 years to get clean, but I'm gonna need you to try so much harder than you are currently trying." She said and before she could answer Nadia noticed Phoebe on the stairs and went over to help her niece down the steps as she walked over to her mother who sat on the couch.
"Mama?"
"Hey bub. Did you sleep nice?"
"No." Phoebe said shaking her head as she climbed onto the couch and into her mother's lap.
"Why not? Did you have a bad dream?"
"No." The toddler said again.
"Now what happened Phoebe Grace?" Alex asked not knowing how else to pose questions for her daughter to answer.
"Dada! Makin noise in his sleep!" The toddler exploded causing the adults to start laughing at how upset Phoebe was about her sleep that was interrupted by her father's snoring.
"We'll talk to him about it." Alex smiled running a hand over her daughters curls. "Is Asher still asleep.?" Alex asked and Phoebe nodded her head turning herself to become more comfortable on her mother's lap while laying her head on Alex's shoulder.
Guys, I know its been a while but I have a new idea where I want to do an ongoing case instead of various cases that is happening in each case. So it'll be an ongoing thing, I hope it won't be too confusing either. This is just a little something since I haven't updated in what feels like forever. I hope you all are still out there. Ryan's surprise birthday is up next. Any ideas and input are welcome as I am not sure yet where to start with this. Let me know if you guys are still out there reading the story.
Lovies-S
