"We have to do something about it," Allison snapped, pacing the living room.
"Why," Asher asked, "her teacher doesn't seem concerned."
"Exactly," Allison said, "she's not making progress and the teachers don't care!"
"Stop pushing it," Asher said, "Allie you're pushing her too hard."
"But she's not getting stronger," Allison said, "and you heard Sierra yesterday."
"Sierra is clueless," Asher retorted.
"She's pregnant," Allison said, "she told me yesterday. They haven't even been married six months."
"What," Asher gasped, "Mitch didn't want kids right away."
"She is," Allison said, "6 weeks. She had just found out. She came to me like I was her best friend. It was weird, she hasn't told Mitch yet and wanted me to help her plan something cute to tell him."
"What did you say," Asher asked.
"Just to tell him and to talk to her mom," Allison replied, "but apparently her mom isn't super thrilled about the marriage. I get it your parents aren't thrilled with us but."
"She tricked him," Asher said, "she wanted kids right away and he didn't. He's used how hard it's been for us as his reason why."
"And now I have to spend the next 9 months encouraging her and celebrating when your parents ignored us," Allison snapped, "I'll have to help with shower and your family didn't come to mine."
"Were they invited," Asher asked.
"Mom said she did when I asked," Allison said.
"Are you in a mood to fight today," Asher asked.
"I'm just frustrated," Allison snapped, "we work so hard and no one ever sees it."
"People see it," Asher said, "you accepted two med school interviews today. You got your Harvard interview."
"I know but Boston ," Allison said, "we'd have no support all of Evs stuff is here."
"We would make it work," Asher replied.
"We can't rip Ev away from her family," Allison said.
"What do you need to calm down," Asher asked, "you're all stressed."
"I don't know," Allison admitted, "I just need to vent."
"I can't do this today," Asher said, "I'm too tired and wet and cold. I just got home. Everly is asleep, you two ate with out me again. I work long days you could wait for me to eat."
"We ate with my parents," Allison said, "there's half a lasagne in our fridge."
"Why did you eat with them," Asher snapped, "we were stopping doing that mid week. Our independence."
"You were working late, my group project ran long and dad made lasagne," Allison said, "it didn't make sense for them to eat it just them. We ate what we could and then they sent some down after packing a few lunches."
"You're the one saying you want more space but you don't close the door just the stair gate and you go up for dinner when I'm not home," Asher growled.
"I need time with my mom," ALlison said, "my sister is mad at me because I told her off about how she overrides us with Everly."
"Don't have her baby sit," Asher said, "it's only Thursday's now."
"Its just after school," Allison said.
"Allie maybe we should move out," Asher said, "once you graduate."
"I don't want to if I go to UW," Allison said, "we can't afford me to go to school and rent."
"Your tuition," Asher asked.
"We have to see if we still get help with it," Allison asked, "they said my bachlors for sure and what they had saved for other college things that I didn't use. But i don't know what that is. I can't remember the last time I used their credit card."
"Some of your books," Asher said, "the couple that were more than we budgeted for your books. Allie I'm serious I need to move out of here. I can't be dependent on your parents much longer. I understand you're in school full time and working and school isn't easy but I can't do this. I need to be a man."
"I don't want to," she said, "I need them. I need to be able to talk to mom when I want to."
"I'm not saying don't talk to them or spend time with them," Asher snapped, "you will always be able to come visit, text, sleep over if you wanted, call but it's time Allie. We need to be adults and get our own place."
"The cottage," Allison suggested.
"It's not accessible," Asher said.
"Nee will be okay with us putting ramps up to the doors," Allison replied.
"I don't want to owe your family anymore than we do," Asher snapped, "it's time we grow up and stand on our own two feet."
"We are," Allison snapped, "fuck Ash, we do all our groceries, clothes, food, both cars and rent."
"We don't pay market rent," Asher said, "we pay our share of utilities."
"We're paying for half the wedding," Allison said, "why do you want to spend more than we have to right now when we don't know what the plan for next year is yet?"
"Because I'm tired of my dad telling me to man up," Asher said.
"We are adults," Allison yelled, "we support ourselves and our daughter."
"I do," Asher yelled, "you work for gas and spending money."
"Wow," Allison said, "that was our deal. You agreed! You've always said it was better for me to focus on Ev and school and work less. That me working less saved us daycare."
"It does," Asher said, "but it's a lot of pressure to support the three of us. We've had one vacation in 4 years."
"We could have gone camping in the summer but you took 7 weeks out of town," Allison snapped, 'that was your choice. I didn't ask you to work on the damm I wanted you to stay. You do not get to blame me for that. You get mad when I take more shifts and you get mad when we live paycheck to paycheck. What do you want? If we move out i work more and we have less money than we do now."
"Stop buying food at school," Asher hissed.
"Once a week on my 14 hour day," Allison replied, "I don't buy food or coffee most days."
"We should have a house by now," Asher said.
"According to who," Allison asked.
"My dad," Asher said, "I'll never be a good man in his eyes."
"Because we had our daughter senior year, because you stuck with us even though it isn't easy," Allison said, "or is it that I don't let them push me around. That they can't control us. That I won't let them control our lives. Is that the life you want? Letting your dad tell us how to live?"
"No," Asher shouted, "but I don't want to be a copy of your parents either!"
"At least mine accept you," Allison roared, "they have never tired to put you down or tell you you're not good enough or blamed you."
"You think they're okay with me being an electrician," Asher yelled, "that they don't think I'm stupid and not doing enough. They offered to help me figure out college if I wanted it."
"Because you are smart," Allison said, "they see that like I do! And don't bring them into this. You came in ticked off after working late. You work late 3-4 times a week then get mad at me because you don't get enough time with Ev."
"I know," Asher said, "it was just a shitty day and you're moody."
"I'm tired," Allison said, "my project group is full of ass holes and you're grouchy."
"I wanted to have time with you and Ev," Asher said, "then I worked late because we have a deadline on Tuesday and I have to work all weekend. Which means Ev is with your family more so we can both work."
"Dad never minds and Catrina has offered," Allison said.
"She's not going to Catrina," Asher argued, "her driving record and we picked her up drunk on Saturday. Why did you agree to that?"
"Because I got myself in a few dangerous situations things I shouldn't have done drunk," Allison said, "so I went to get her."
"Me you mean," Asher snapped.
"No," Allison gasped, "we both know we wouldn't have that night sober but I did dumber stuff than that."
"So our daughter," Asher growled, "our life. Is dumb."
"No," Allison said, "I love you, I love Everly."
"But if you had been sober that night," Asher said.
"I wouldn't have slept with you then," Allison said, "we've been through this, I'm not doing this now. Would you have sober?"
"Yes," Asher said, "I knew I liked you but can you say the same."
"That's 4 years ago Ash," Allison sighed, "I didn't want to date anyone then. I just wanted to hang out and have fun. Then Ev happened and I think this is how things were meant to be."
"If you hadn't gotten pregnant," Asher said, "would you have given me a chance?"
"Yes," Allison said, "I think I would have. Would your parents have ever have approved of us dating?"
"No," Asher said, "yours might not have either."
"They always just wanted to see us happy," Allison said, "why are we bickering. It's not getting us anywhere and we don't have a reason to fight."
"I think I just needed to," Asher said.
"I hate when we do this," Allison complained, "it just makes me feel like crap."
"So do I," Asher said, "come sit, stop pacing and ranting and waving your hands about and we can talk."
"Why do you want to move out," Allison asked sitting on the couch.
"We're too dependent on your parents," Asher said, "guys make comments about living in my inlaws basement."
"Can we afford it," Allison asked, "med school tuition is high and mom and dad won't pay all of it. It's double what I'm paying now. They've always said they would pay for a bachlors and help how they can with anything after that. We stay here we can keep our rent low."
"If you get anything other then UW," Asher said.
"Then we weigh our options," Allison replied, "probably go."
"Everly," Asher asked.
"Daycare," Allison replied, "but she's better in Seattle."
"Its that my dad doesn't see me as a man because your parents help us so much," Asher said.
"It's getting less all the time," Allison said.
"Your mom bought you clothes three weeks ago," Asher said.
"Because she's mom and she just does that," Allison replied, "and I wasn't with her. I didn't know."
"She just did that," Asher asked, "why?"
"Because she was shopping for herself and saw things she thought I would like and bought them," Allison said, "I don't know why she did but she doesn't do it often."
"A couple times a year," Asher argued, "why?"
"She said she did for Annie in med school, that she would order things for Annie or go shopping for her while she was in class," Allison said, "she does it when she goes to see Leo two."
"I don't like it," Asher said, "when your parents just buy stuff for us."
"They do it sometimes but not often," Allison argued, "they're worse about buying Ev or Annie's kids things."
"We don't need it," Asher said, "we can stand on our own two feet. We should be. Allison we're 21, your almost 22 your parents can't support us forever."
"We're better than we were a year ago," Allison said, "Ash if I go to UW we should stay here. It makes the most sense then moving to a place we don't know if Ev can be successful. If we rent the landlord might not let us make the accessibility changes for her. Dad just booked the contractors to do the stair lifts inside and out."
"If you go out of town," Asher said, "we have to move."
"It's back up," Allison said, "I know I did the Ivy ones to appease mom and dad but UW is my first choice. Yes it's state school but mom did it."
"Your dad," Leo asked.
"Harvard," Allison said, "and Nee and Josh. Auntie Megan, Uncle Nathan."
"Where did Leo apply," Asher asked.
"UW, Stanford, UCLA, Texas, Columbia, Harvard," Allison said, "I was more realistic. The Ivy's don't want me. They will question my commitment."
"Then you don't want them anyway," Asher said.
"I think we look at our own place if I get accepted out of town," Allison said, 'because we have to."
"And stay if you go to UW," Asher replied, "I don't want to be married in your parents basement."
"Is it different from our last three years," Allison asked.
"We'll be married," Asher said.
"We keep setting more boundaries with my parents," Allison said, "we're doing better with that."
"Them putting our washer and dryer in helped," Asher agreed.
"Maybe I pick up some more shifts this year and we start saving to actually move out," Allison said.
"You have to study," Asher argued.
"I do," Allison agreed, "but I've worked more before."
"And you got that bursary that will pay for your books when you get the check," Asher said.
"It will," Allison replied, "and next semester. I need a new lab coat."
"Get one," he said, "but you have one."
"I spilled hydrochloric acid on it last week and the whole is too big for me to keep using it," Allison said, "it's worse than I thought it was."
"Get it if you need it," Asher said, "you don't have to justify it. Allie I'm serious about us needing to move one day. I can't live here forever."
"Neither can I," Allison said, "and I know Annie was in an apartment in Boston at 20 but mom always had to cosign her rental agreement in med school. I want to be an ortho surgeon but I don't want to put our family that far into debt do to it. Staying here we save on rent because we just pay our utilities, we pay half, we do all the yard work."
"We do," Asher agreed, "it just still feels like taking charity from them."
"We can offer again," Allison said, "they said we could stay here as long as one or both of us is training. I promise as soon as I finish med school we can move out, thats the absolute latest. We might move this summer, it depends on where I get in."
"You don't want to be here forever," he asked.
"I don't," Allison said, "I know we have to one day. This is for now, not forever."
"You don't want to live here forever," he asked again.
"No," she replied, "I always thought when I was fully done with school we would go."
"We can do that," he agreed.
"It's not if we go, it's when," she said, "it could be this summer or when I start residency."
"Okay as long as we eventually go," he said.
"We will," she replied, "I can't stay here forever."
"So we're on the same page," he asked.
"We are," she replied, "I know it's been hard on you. We need my family's support. Not so much the money now but with Ev and babysitting."
"We can look at daycare," he said.
"No," she replied, "maybe in a year. She's still only 3. I'm bringing her to class with me next week though. Child development they want preschoolers so Ev gets to come."
"Drop your sister doing it," he suggested, "Annie isn't listening to us and doing what she wants."
"I know," Allison said, "but we're trading. I bring Heather home on Thursdays."
"You can still bring heather home but Annie keeps putting Ev down for really late naps," Asher said.
"And feeding her way too much snack so she doesn't eat dinner," Allison said, "mom is better but she still works 3 days a week. I like Monday and Tuesday with my mom because Ev is just home. She doesn't know the difference to her it's home. Mom and her hang out where they want, usually down here."
"She bakes with your mom on Mondays," Asher said.
"She does after lunch and her nap," Allison said, "mom is consistent with her physio."
"She prefers your parents anyway," Asher agreed.
"She knows them best after us," Allison said, "we needed a lot of their help getting started and when she's been in the hospital."
"Your mom is scary when she's yelling at doctors and nurses," Asher said, "I don't see that at home with your mom. Your dad, I've seen bark at all of us. Everyone but Ev."
"Her day is coming," Allison said, 'and I've seen it. She kept trying to get to close to the fire pit one night in the summer and he barked."
"She probably need it," Asher said.
"She did," Allison agreed.
Upstairs Teddy and Owen sat on the couch with tea.
"How much longer will we have kids in the basement," he asked.
"Depends on medical school but we'll keep it for when they come home to visit," TEddy replied.
"Would they make it another four years down there," he asked.
"It's logical,' she replied, "but I know he's been pushing her for more independence including daycare."
"But we like having Ev," he answered.
"Maybe it's time," she said, "not that we don't love her and helping. Maybe we keep Monday Tuesday and she goes Wednesday to Friday. We can suggest it. And the girls have been fighting every thursday about Annie putting Ev down for a nap at 4 and Allie wanting her kept up."
"She's Allie's daughter," Owen said, "Allie decides. I let her nap on Tuesday when we drove home but woke her up once we were here."
"The car cat nap is different,' Teddy agreed, "but they need another jump in independence and financially we can't push it to pay more rent."
"They pay rent plus half the utilities," he agreed.
"They do," she agreed, "and Allie hasn't asked for grocery or gas money in a year."
"Leo did yesterday," Owen chuckled.
"He can't budget," Teddy agreed, "Allie had to learn faster than he did and the McKellars taught Annie."
"You never," he asked.
"We both fed her but it embarrassed her," Teddy replied, "she would be in tears asking."
"Why I just left grocery gift cards on her counter," he said, "she was okay me taking her for dinner or buying meals when we sat together to eat but she wouldn't tell me she needed groceries."
"The first time she did that when you went to see her she asked me if it was okay," Teddy remembered, "I reminded her you were her uncle and that's what family does."
"I would have done more," he said.
"She didn't want it," she replied, "we have to respect them growing up. Seeing Allie grow up is hard. She's always been our baby."
"She is but she's more mature than Leo," he replied.
"Allie has to be," Teddy countered, "she had to grow up in an instant 4 years ago. She had no choice."
"She didn't," he agreed, "she chose to grow up fast when she choose to keep Ev."
"I knew she would," Teddy replied, "the more she asked about me giving up Annie the more her mind was made up to keep Ev. They get married this summer."
"The girls will be married," he said, "and moms. Now Leo."
"Charlotte is a for now and she's going to break his heart long term," Teddy replied, "I think he'll be like you. Charlotte is his Beth. Nice enough, cares, but wants the simple safe life. And Leo doesn't want that. She'll try to change him and sway him but he'll go. He'll do it his way. He doesn't need to be tied down while hes in med school to a girlfriend thousands of miles away."
"It was hard," Owen agreed, "and I've talked with him about it but he's going to do it his way. He's said he never wants kids that he'll just be uncle Leo."
"That will change," Teddy argued, "he's 22. I knew at 20 I wasn't ready. I was hardly ready at 46, I was terrified."
"You were having PTSD flare ups," he said, "something we didn't predict. But that was PTSD, you had nightmares about Allison being taken because you watched someone take Annie from you."
"I did," she agreed, "I still worry about losing our kids in some way. Annie has pulled away recently and I don't know why, Allison I always worry about his family pushing their way in and Leo we know the reality of what he wants to do."
"They're growing up Teddy," Owen said, "talk to Annie I think something is going on with her and Josh."
"They were pretty short with each other in the pit," Teddy agreed, "they've fought before but she comes to me."
"Reach out," Owen said, "she's turtling."
"She is," Teddy agreed, "I thought we were passed it."
"Are we ever going to be fully past our trauma," he asked.
"No," she agreed, "and they had to meet the lawyer a couple weeks ago and put Leslie's house on the market. It's the last step in losing her mom."
"That would do it," he replied.
"She said she was talking to Dan and Chris so I left it," Teddy replied.
"Check in," Owen said, "just because she's 47 doesn't mean she doesn't need us to check once in a while."
"I guess," Teddy replied, "I'm just really trying to respect when the kids ask me for space."
"I know," he said, "and usually we have to listen but something isn't right."
"I'll check in," Teddy agreed.