"Knock, knock," CJ said as she opened the door to the room Hogan was in.
"Come in," she said quietly.
CJ walked into the room and sat on the bed. "So, Simon told me about home. You know, about what has been going on."
Hogan walked from the closet to where CJ was sitting on the bed. "Yeah he said he was going to tell you. It's really not a big deal," she said as she tried to cover up her emotions.
"But it is, Hogan. I don't want to see this happen to you. You don't deserve it."
She shrugged. "Maybe I do. I mean, I am kind of annoying at home, and I guess I do get in her way a lot..."
"No. Don't say that." CJ said firmly. "When someone needs help or just needs to talk to someone, the other person should be there for them, listen to what they have to say, and most importantly, give the person advice on how to fix the problem." She paused. "Is that why you're here a lot of the time?"
"I...Yes." Tears began to form in her eyes. "It's just that...She doesn't care whether or not I have a new boyfriend or when I break up with someone. She just cares about her daughter." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I feel like Cinderella, only without having to clean the whole house by myself."
CJ reached for the tissue box and handed her a tissue. "Why didn't you say anything about this?" She asked in a soothing voice.
"I don't know. I guess I thought you would just say something like, 'It's not a big deal, just get over it.'" She looked at CJ.
"You know I wouldn't say anything like that." She put her arms around Hogan and held her. "We can go there together you know. I can talk to her if you'd like."
Hogan looked up at CJ. "You would do that?"
"Of course. I'm the cool aunt, remember?"
Hogan laughed a little. "Yeah..."
"So how about you finish getting dressed, as I see you haven't even started to get out of your pajamas, and we'll go over there together, okay?"
She nodded, "Thanks."
"Of course." CJ kissed the top of Hogan's head and walked to the door. "Just let us know when you're ready to go."
"Okay."
CJ walked back into the kitchen, only to find Simon doing the dishes. "I should hire you as my maid," she said as she walked up behind him and put her arms around him.
He turned around to face her. "Ha, ha, very funny." He kissed her gently on the lips. "So, how did your talk go?"
"Pretty well. I think she's starting to gain confidence. Or at least she seems relieved that someone is going to talk to her stepmother."
"You know that she really looks up to you, right?" He smiled.
"Well, she is only 5'5" so that could--"
"You know what I mean," he said, trying not to laugh.
"Yes, I know what you mean." She sat down at the table and waited for Hogan to come out of her room so they could go.
Simon walked over to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just that...I don't know why my brother hasn't caught on to this. I know that his job requires him to do a lot of traveling, but he is home some of the time."
He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe she, meaning Kate, only ignores Hogan when he's not around. Kind of like that talking frog in those cartoons."
She hit his hand. "Shut up."
"Ouch. And okay." He sat down next to her and waited for Hogan to come out.
Hogan slowly got dressed. As she took off her pajama top, she looked in the mirror at her back. It was healing, sort of. The cover up about her date hitting her worked well. No one would ever find out that it was Kate who was doing this to her...
TBC...
"Come in," she said quietly.
CJ walked into the room and sat on the bed. "So, Simon told me about home. You know, about what has been going on."
Hogan walked from the closet to where CJ was sitting on the bed. "Yeah he said he was going to tell you. It's really not a big deal," she said as she tried to cover up her emotions.
"But it is, Hogan. I don't want to see this happen to you. You don't deserve it."
She shrugged. "Maybe I do. I mean, I am kind of annoying at home, and I guess I do get in her way a lot..."
"No. Don't say that." CJ said firmly. "When someone needs help or just needs to talk to someone, the other person should be there for them, listen to what they have to say, and most importantly, give the person advice on how to fix the problem." She paused. "Is that why you're here a lot of the time?"
"I...Yes." Tears began to form in her eyes. "It's just that...She doesn't care whether or not I have a new boyfriend or when I break up with someone. She just cares about her daughter." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I feel like Cinderella, only without having to clean the whole house by myself."
CJ reached for the tissue box and handed her a tissue. "Why didn't you say anything about this?" She asked in a soothing voice.
"I don't know. I guess I thought you would just say something like, 'It's not a big deal, just get over it.'" She looked at CJ.
"You know I wouldn't say anything like that." She put her arms around Hogan and held her. "We can go there together you know. I can talk to her if you'd like."
Hogan looked up at CJ. "You would do that?"
"Of course. I'm the cool aunt, remember?"
Hogan laughed a little. "Yeah..."
"So how about you finish getting dressed, as I see you haven't even started to get out of your pajamas, and we'll go over there together, okay?"
She nodded, "Thanks."
"Of course." CJ kissed the top of Hogan's head and walked to the door. "Just let us know when you're ready to go."
"Okay."
CJ walked back into the kitchen, only to find Simon doing the dishes. "I should hire you as my maid," she said as she walked up behind him and put her arms around him.
He turned around to face her. "Ha, ha, very funny." He kissed her gently on the lips. "So, how did your talk go?"
"Pretty well. I think she's starting to gain confidence. Or at least she seems relieved that someone is going to talk to her stepmother."
"You know that she really looks up to you, right?" He smiled.
"Well, she is only 5'5" so that could--"
"You know what I mean," he said, trying not to laugh.
"Yes, I know what you mean." She sat down at the table and waited for Hogan to come out of her room so they could go.
Simon walked over to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just that...I don't know why my brother hasn't caught on to this. I know that his job requires him to do a lot of traveling, but he is home some of the time."
He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe she, meaning Kate, only ignores Hogan when he's not around. Kind of like that talking frog in those cartoons."
She hit his hand. "Shut up."
"Ouch. And okay." He sat down next to her and waited for Hogan to come out.
Hogan slowly got dressed. As she took off her pajama top, she looked in the mirror at her back. It was healing, sort of. The cover up about her date hitting her worked well. No one would ever find out that it was Kate who was doing this to her...
TBC...