A sneaky chapter for you all because I really felt like I needed to get this one out there. Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I hope you enjoy this one just as much.
Frank took a steadying breath before opening the kitchen door. He told himself it was what was best for their family, that Joe would appreciate being given an out. Still, he was nervous about how Joe would react, nervous about how their parents would react. He didn't want to cause an irreparable rift in their family.
Laura was the only one in the kitchen. Joe was out at wrestling practice and was going to stay at Biff's for the evening. It had been arranged days ahead of time, Laura proud of how Joe had taken to their new arrangement.
And Fenton was once again in New York. He wouldn't talk about it, meaning it was something about Joe's case, something Fenton didn't want the boys worrying about. Which made Frank very nervous indeed.
Frank awkwardly returned the smile his mother had offered him as he entered.
"Hello, you," she greeted warmly. "Got a half hour before dinner. Hope you don't mind."
"Actually, I need to speak to you," Frank said. "It's about Joe."
Concern painted itself over Laura's face. She pushed away the salad she had been preparing and asked if everything was alright.
"He's... I think we threw him in at the deep end a bit. I didn't realise how much until recently. But we're making him act like we're one big happy family when we're... we're not."
"Joe's not happy?" Laura frowned.
"No. I mean... it's complicated. Joe is...complicated."
Laura nodded and Frank knew her silence was an invitation to continue. He collected his thoughts, trying to think of a tactful way he could phrase it. Eventually, he decided he should just come out with it.
"Joe is struggling to view us as his family. We are just expecting him to be one of us, eat meals with us, do things with us. And he is doing it but only when we are there. He's acting like one of us but that is all it is. Acting. He still thinks of Marsden as family."
Laura's eyes widened with horror. She asked if Frank knew if the two were in contact, if Joe was considering contacting Marsden.
"I don't know. But there's something else. Joe doesn't call you and Dad 'Mom and Dad' when you aren't around. He calls you Mr and Mrs Hardy."
Even as the words left Frank's mouth, he knew how terrible it sounded. It was so distant, so impersonal. Frank prayed it was a reaction to feeling forced to show all the hallmarks of a well-adjusted son, that Joe was just balancing things out.
"I think he is scared about what you and Dad will do if you know he doesn't feel as at home here as we all assumed he would. But I'm scared Joe is going to end up trapped in a cycle where he doesn't feel like he can talk about things with you and Dad and that could get him in a lot of trouble."
Frank watched as his mother drank in the information. She had gone very pale, very quiet. She swallowed thickly.
"Thank you... thank you for letting me know, Frank. I think... I think I need to call your father."
One thing Laura knew her youngest son was very good at was noticing when something was off. She supposed it was what had kept him alive for so long but it still made her heart break for him. He was a little boy. Her little boy. He should feel free to blunder into situations, not worry that the wrong word at the wrong time would get him thrown onto the streets or punished mercilessly.
Joe could immediately tell something had happened the moment he left the Hooper house. His smile instantly faded. His gaze sharpened. Laura felt like he was silently interrogating her, trying to understand what could have happened and if he was even safe getting in the car.
She was relieved he did, offering Biff a final, empty wave.
"I'm sorry," Joe said.
Laura's brow furrowed. She watched as Joe pulled his seatbelt around him.
"Why are you apologising?"
"Because…"
And Laura could tell her son didn't have an answer. Because Joe hadn't done anything wrong. He was apologising because she seemed upset and angry and he wanted to get out ahead of it before the punishment came.
"You aren't in any trouble," Laura reassured him.
She searched for the words to explain what had happened but they didn't come. And she realised it might not be a conversation for sitting in the Hooper's driveway. Joe really valued his friendship with Biff, cared a lot about what the other boy thought. She wanted Joe to have the ability to emote over what they were going to discuss, not feel like he had to stifle everything so he didn't embarrass himself in front of his friend.
She put the car into gear and began to drive, trying to pick the words perfectly. Joe was silent beside her. It seemed like he was trying to make himself as small and inoffensive as possible.
"Hey, sweetie," Laura said, unsteadily.
She turned toward Joe, seeing he was looking very firmly out of the window. She drew in a breath.
"I was talking to someone earlier today and they mentioned something they had noticed. You're not in trouble, I just… It's something I felt we needed to talk about."
She needed Joe to understand he was not in trouble. It was very important to her that he knew. But what Frank had told her could not be ignored. It felt wrong to ambush Joe as she drove him home from wrestling practice but at the same time, it felt best to clear the air.
"He says you don't call me and Fenton Mom and Dad when you're at school. Or when you are around him and the others. He says you only call us Mom and Dad when we're there. He says with the others you call us Mr and Mrs Hardy."
Joe was sitting up sharply. Laura could tell he was nervous, scared he was about to be punished. She guessed he was racing through his options. Did he accuse the 'unknown informant' of lying? Did he own up to it? Did he try to think of some sort of justification?
"You're not in trouble, Joe," Laura promised him. "I just want to understand. And if there is some way I can make things easier for you, I want to look into it."
"Frank's right."
"I never said it was Frank," Laura rushed.
"Didn't have to. But he's telling the truth. I don't call you Mom and Dad when you're not around."
Laura nodded slowly, fighting back any emotional response to the comment. It felt like all the progress they had been making had fallen away with that admission. She had been so sure Joe had embraced being her son again. Hearing that he didn't call her Mom when she wasn't there hurt. But she told herself that was not what she should be focusing on. What her focus needed to be on was why Joe felt like he couldn't express those feelings. She needed to know why Joe called her and Fenton Mom and Dad while they were there.
"Can you say why?" she asked.
"No," Joe admitted. "You and Dad are great. You are... so patient and kind and you care so much but… it doesn't feel right. But I can do if you want. I…"
Joe trailed off as if waiting for her response. Laura could tell he was preparing for her to be angry with him. She had gathered Mrs Brampton had quite the temper, that Joe was used to harsh scolding from a mother who had not really been interested in him ever since he had stopped being an adorable little boy and started having a mind of his own.
"Do you feel like you have to call me and Fenton Mom and Dad?" Laura asked.
Joe offered her no response. It was a confirmation in itself. Laura carefully pulled over, looking her son in the eyes.
"Joe, I want you to be comfortable. We're still working out how to make this family work and it's not like there's an instruction manual for how to do this. If you want to call me and Fenton Mom and Dad, then you can. But no one is forcing you to. I've already spoken to your father and he agrees. You can choose to call us whatever you want and we will support it."
Joe blinked. For a moment Laura could see he was looking for the trap, looking for the trick she was playing. He seemed prepared for her to demand something in return from him. But she just held his gaze, gave him the most earnest look she could muster.
"Sorry, I just… I don't think I'm quite ready for Mom and Dad yet," Joe admitted quietly.
"And that's okay," Laura said. "All of this is going to happen at your speed and if you want to call us Mr and Mrs Hardy, then you can call us that."
It would hurt. There was no denying that it would hurt. To hear her little boy calling her and Fenton by something so detached and formal… It was going to cut deep. But if it made Joe more comfortable, if it helped him find his feet, she would bear it. And she knew Fenton would too.
Joe nodded. He looked out of the window for a few moments. Laura stared at him, eyes playing over the lines of his face. He had the same lines to his face as his father, the same creases as he fell into deep thought. She smiled sadly, turning back to the road to pull away again. And then she felt piercing blue eyes on her.
"I… Could it be Fenton and Laura?"
Laura stared at her son. He was trying. He was trying so hard. And it felt like they had reached a middle ground. It wasn't Mom and Dad but then it wasn't Mr and Mrs Hardy. It was what Joe wanted. And Laura was going to be okay with that.
"Of course."
"Thank you," Joe said, "Laura."
"No, thank you," Laura said. "I'm glad we got the chance to talk about this."
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