Next chapter WILL be intense, this one's just sort of a filler for what's going to happen at Sophie's therapy appointment...
Chapter 6
Ryan opened the door slightly revealing the yellow walls of his little sister's new room. He looked through the dark room and saw the small sleeping form curled up in the middle of the twin bed.
He wasn't sure why he yelled at Taylor or why he had freaked out when she mentioned that they should send Sophie to therapy.
He knew deep down that Taylor was right, Sophie did need to talk to someone. This was a lot of a seven year old to handle on her own.
Ryan knew his biggest reason for not wanting to send Sophie to a therapist was Sandy and Kirsten. He felt that by sending her to someone else to 'fix' her he was letting them down. That he and Taylor felt like they couldn't handle Sophie's outbursts or her crying fits. He didn't want Sophie to feel let down either. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable talking to a complete stranger when she had an entire family she could talk to.
"Ryan?" A voice broke the silence that had filled the room as Ryan watched Sophie sleep. He turned around to be met with his wife. She had been crying and he knew it was his fault. He shouldn't have yelled like that. He should have rationally told her his reasons for not wanting to send his sister to a therapist. She would have understood but now he has her crying and probably feeling worthless at her suggestion.
"I'm sorry." They both spoke up at the same time quietly as to not wake Sophie.
Ryan gave her a smile before walking over to Sophie. He leaned over and kissed her small forehead before walking back towards the door to his wife.
He instantly pulled her into his arms.
"I can't let them down…" He whispered as they made their way out of the room and into the hall.
"What do you mean?" She asked searching his eyes for an answer.
"I can't send Sophie to a therapist…that would be like giving up on her…"
"Ryan…that's not even close to giving up on her." She reached her hand out and placed it on his cheek. "Sophie needs to talk to someone who isn't family. Someone who can really help her deal with this because honestly Ryan we aren't a big help."
"Why can't she talk to us? She always talks to us…" He tried.
"You honestly think we're going to help Sophie deal with this? Ryan, we're trying to get through this as well…and Sophie's so much younger…she needs more help."
"I can't, Taylor." He shakes his head.
"Why? Why would it be so bad to let her talk to someone?"
"Because! Sandy and Kirsten relied on us to handle this! We shouldn't just hand her off to someone else the second things get too difficult for us."
"That is not even close to the reason why I suggested her going to a therapist." Taylor removed her hand from Ryan's cheek and rest it on her hip. She knew this was not a battle she was going to be winning anytime soon. She also knew that Sandy and Kirsten would understand completely if they sent Sophie to a therapist but Ryan just wasn't seeing that right now. She decided to bring it up again later, in due time he'd see she was right.
-
"Why aren't you talking to me?" Ryan sat down on Taylor and his bed. She was sitting up reading some parenting book that Summer had given her. She realized most of the stuff in there was a load of crap. She hadn't seen Summer do anything with Delaney that was suggested in the book.
"I didn't know I wasn't talk to you, sorry." Taylor said dryly pretending to be interested in the book, which she wasn't in the least bit.
"So, you're just going to be mad at me now?" He turned to look at her.
"I'm not mad, Ryan." She let out a deep breath running her hand through her long hair.
"Why are you doing this, Taylor?"
"What am I doing?" She turned her attention to him now.
"Acting like this! Just because I don't want to send Sophie to a therapist…"
"I'm going to sleep." Taylor furrowed her brow at him before laying down in the bed and pulling the covers over her head completely. She didn't want to talk to him right now.
Ryan sat next to her for fifteen minutes before getting up to take care of their son who was crying through the baby monitor that sat on Taylor's night stand.
Instead of falling asleep Taylor decided to get up and help Ryan with the baby. She found him sitting in the rocking chair holding Caden tightly against his chest. She smiled from the doorway watching her husband talk to the baby like he understood what he was saying exactly.
"Would you just think about it?" She finally spoke up. Ryan looked up at her.
"Taylor…"
"No, Ryan! God, It's not that I want to push her on someone else. Not even close. This is hard, Ryan! This is difficult and she needs someone to talk to."
"I know…it's just…aren't we letting them down by this?" He asked taking a deep breath as he held Caden.
"No, Ry." Taylor gave him a smile before walking over and kneeling in front of her husband and son. "We're not letting them down. Not at all. Sandy and Kirsten would trust us to make the right choices for Sophie and if we feel that she needs that extra push to make things better…than they would understand."
"Are you sure?"
"Very." She nodded putting her hand gently on his knee.
"But…" He tried to protest.
"How about we do a trial run. If after her first visit it doesn't go right we don't have to make her go again." Taylor tried.
"If she doesn't like it, we won't push her." He told her.
"We won't." She shook her head back and forth.
"Okay…then…"
"I'll schedule the appointment in the morning." Taylor whispered taking her hand and rubbing Caden's bald head soothing his small cries.
"I hope you know what you're doing…" Ryan gave her a smile.
"You doubt me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Never."
