A/N: Expect some quick updates! Work is slowing down for me which means more time for my creative needs! Enjoy!
- Henry's Point of View
I never thought my little girl, the one who hated germs and getting in trouble, would be stirring up all the commotion that she is. I know she sees flaws in the world, in our society, and in Lovell… I just didn't imagine she would be this vocal about changing it.
It's not that she doesn't care, most times she cares so much that even I am jealous, but she's not the one to take the attention and put herself in a position where it's on her. I imagined that one day she would anonymously donate all of her inheritance. She's like her mom in that way.
I didn't think my relationship with Elizabeth would draw attention to Stevie. In all honesty, I thought her being away at college would be an extra layer of protection, but I was wrong.
Elizabeth feels so guilty, I've tried to convince her not to but she's blaming herself for what's going on. Sure if she hadn't taken Conrad's offer this would have never happened but correlation is not causation in this case and Stevie's outspokenness is more at fault than Elizabeth is.
Stevie surprised me the most when she said she was dropping out of school. She didn't exactly tell me… she just showed up at home. Most of my living room is packed… as well as half of the kitchen and I'm not sure whether to unpack my things or pack the rest of hers.
Moments like this are why I love Elizabeth, they remind me of the incredible heart she has. I texted her as soon as I had processed the situation myself. I think part of me expected her to be upset or something but she was so understanding… so welcoming to Stevie and unnecessarily apologetic. She immediately wanted Stevie to move with me, she immediately expressed a desire to make our relationship and her relationship with Stevie work.
I was hoping Stevie would change her mind, maybe come to her senses by now but here we are… less than 24 hours away from moving to DC. We're both starting our lives over in DC now. Stevie barely had time to adjust to life in Charlottesville before it was time to move. I didn't want to move from Pennsylvania when she was little so this was the first time we had ever both lived in a place that wasn't her childhood home… but that's what comes with growing up. She's handled it with such grace, I hope she continues to.
There are some… requirements that come with DC though. I didn't make her get a job in Charlottesville or throw herself back into some sort of educational program because there just wasn't time. It didn't make sense for her to start a new job or decide she wanted to study something she hadn't before, for us to move in a month. We talked about it together and both agreed that it would be good for her to find a job and get back into school once we're all settled in in DC. She has three weeks to decide where she wants to take classes at, but I think she's already got a few places in mind. She's been researching since we agreed on the timeline, just like I knew she would.
Elizabeth had absolutely no expectations for Stevie and in some ways, I love that about her. I know Elizabeth would push her and support her but she was the one that suggested that Stevie and I come up with a plan together, she said she would just go along with it because Stevie was an adult… I was her father… and the two of us together should make a decision like that. Stevie knows Elizabeth isn't her mother and that she will never be able to replace the mother she never knew… but Elizabeth is also incredibly aware of how her presence could make Stevie feel, especially regarding decisions like this, and she handles them better than I could even imagine.
I know this has already been a labor of love for Elizabeth and I wish I could take the feelings she has off of her. She has no reason to feel guilty but she was always thinking of Stevie and there's comfort in knowing that. I hope that I can always care for and think of Ali and Jason the way she has Stevie.
I'm more nervous about what my role with Ali and Jason will be than anything. I'm not their father, I'm not trying to be. I'm not trying to discipline them because they aren't my children. I will respect Elizabeth's wishes for them and love and care for them as though they are my own. The last thing I want to do is lead them to believe that isn't the case.
The scariest moment for me will be the first trip Elizabeth takes alone. They're bound to happen… and soon. Should I just be the cool stepdad with no rules? Ok, there will always be some minor rules but nothing too crazy. Should I just let them do what they want and intervene only when absolutely necessary? Should I call Elizabeth or Max any time I make a decision that would slightly involve them… even if it's something minor like them having friends over or wanting to get ice cream by themselves? Is that even something they'll do?
Stevie was such an easy kid. She hated being in trouble and she rarely was. She was an only child though which is already very different from Ali and Jason. I knew all of her friends and their parents, I knew what things she would try to bend the rules on… I knew everything a parent should know. With Aly and Jason, I don't have that same luxury and I'm not sure if it's even a luxury I should ever have. In the end, all I have to do is keep them alive.
I close the door on the moving truck, lock the latch, and look at my apartment building one last time. More memories than I could ever imagine are wrapped up in this place. The first time I saw her smile in the street lights, the first time we made an edible dinner together, the place where I kissed her goodbye so many times and craved more time with her the second she drove away. I know we have so many more memories to make, but some will never be able to leave this place.
Stevie getting in the truck is my cue to follow suit and begin the drive. This is the start of the rest of my life… of our lives… and I've never been so sure of something. I love this woman.
