Family Ties
Chapter 12
Amy knocked on Avery's bedroom door, when she didn't answer she let herself in like she normally did. She didn't see Avery in her bed or around the room so she started fiddling with her make up on the vanity table.
"Amy what are you doing!" shouted Avery walking out from her closet.
" I was just looking for you."
" You were looking for me while playing with my make up?"
"Well..."
Avery walks over and grabs a lipstick out of her hand.
"Get out, don't touch my stuff and don't let yourself in. Go bug someone else!"
Amy looks at her hurt, "I don't like you anymore!" and runs out of the room into the living room.
Mac walks by the living room on her way to the kitchen and spots Amy on the couch crying, she walks over to her and sits down next to her.
"Amy, what's wrong?"
"I don't like Avery anymore." she says through tears. " She's mean. Can we send her back to England?"
" Oh honey why would you want to do that?"
"She yelled at me and told me to go away."
Mac furrows her brow .
" Why did she yell at you? Did you do something to make her angry?"
"I just went to ask her something and didn't see her so I went in and..."
"And what Amy?"
She looks down. "And I played with her make up."
" Ah I see. Sweetie you know you're not supposed to touch anyone's things unless they say it's okay. She shouldn't have yelled at you the way she did, but you have to respect her privacy."
"What for ? Horace says we don't have privacy anymore. He said it was all Avery's fault."
Mac shook her head. Everyone seemed to be at odds, Becca, the one who hated being in the spot light didn't say a word about how difficult it had been lately. The media had been keeping a close eye on them but she stood up for her sister when Horace began putting the blame on Avery. Mac figured Amy heard one of their conversations and that's where all this was coming from.
"Amy , everything that is going on is not just your sisters fault. Usually when things like this happen to other people's families no one cares, but because of mommy's job everyone wants to know everything and talk about it all the time. So that makes it hard for a little while... You remember when mommy and daddy told you what happened and that things would be a little different for a while?"
She nods. "Yeah but it's A LOT different."
Mac sighs and hugs her youngest daughter , " Yeah it is baby... I'll talk to your sister, okay? Why don't you go have breakfast."
Amy leaves the room and Mac buries her face in her hands, she looks up feeling a hand on her shoulder..
" I wasn't trying to eaves drop but I heard what you said to Amy." Kate said taking a seat next to her daughter.
" I didn't know what to tell her. She doesn't understand what's going on, how can I explain that to a six year old ?"
" You can't, you do your best and hope that it works out before it gets any worse. Mackenzie, you asked me to stay here to help with the kids and you know I've never meddled in how you or Rod raised them... " she hesitates to say more.
" Mom just say what you want to say, at this rate I could us all the advice I can get. Rod is no help with this, he can't get over his own issues."
" That's my point, they're both at odds, the the kids are seeing this and picking sides. It's not healthy to have this going on much longer. Everyone is hurt and no one is healing."
"I know mom... Believe me I never thought my family would ever get like this... Sometimes I think I'm a failure as a parent... I don't even know my own kids anymore."
Kate puts her arm around her daughter just as she used to do when she was a young girl and hurting.
" You are not a failure as a parent. What has happened was out of your control... You know your kids grow up. They eventually do the things you couldn't ever imagine them doing and now they have to deal with those consequences...Mackenzie no one could have prevented Avery from getting pregnant but herself and whoever this mystery guy is. You can only do so much, but when you start doubting yourself so do your kids."
Mac nods and rests her head against her mothers. "Thank you mom."
Kate smiles , "Any time dear."
