All The More Reason ✔

Chapter 45 - Home

Tuesday

Senn vividly remembered how his mother would be in the exact kitchen he was seated in, cutting up ingredients to cook with, while his father was in the other room either reading a book, playing piano, or messing around with Liam. He remembered how Liam would be on the floor, playing

There was something to a chaotic household that always made Senn feel like he was right at home. Though Elio's family didn't have a three-year-old toddler running around the house, or a mother happily cooking he best dinners for her spouse, they did have a lot of other things in common with Senn's family.

Not the crazy fights between Elio's sisters Francesca and Elena, not the paraplegic brother who simply needed help with a lot of things, and not the dynamics Senn, Killian and their father had.

But to each there own. Senn could see they all cared about each other one way or another. Fights didn't happen between people who didn't care about each other. And these people fought, a lot.

But it never lasted more than a few minutes, and then the duos would switch, and arguments would be pointed at others again.

Senn was mostly just observing how Elio was preparing dinner with the help of Joseph, sometimes helping out by getting something Elio needed, while listening to Elena's music, which she was blasting through the house, annoying both Fabio and Francesca.

Elio's father, by now Senn learned his name was Cameron, was bustling around the house trying to catch up on laundry and cleaning duties, excusing himself for not sitting with them to get to know Senn better. As he stated, they would talk during dinner, and told Senn to act like he was at home.

Which was weird, since this place had been home for so long. Yet, it wasn't any longer, and since it wasn't his mother in the kitchen, or Liam demanding all the attention, it didn't really feel that much like home any longer either. No, when Senn thought about home in that moment, he'd envision Dean in the kitchen, Tessa in her comfortable love seat with a glass of wine, watching whatever show she was binging in that moment, and Jessica being the angry teenaged girl who was partially rebelling against the whole world, and partially very aware she had to be grateful for the fact she still had her family.

Killian and he no longer seemed to be outsiders in their home; they were part of their family too. They had their chores, they had their places around the house, the seats where they sat the most.

When Senn thought about family, he'd see both his aunt and uncle, and his parents. He'd see Killian and Liam as his siblings, but somewhat Jessica too. But going back to his old house for dinner that evening, had made him very aware of how much had changed in the past months, and how much it felt like normal already.

Not too long ago, he was hiding in the safety of a bedroom he didn't want to call his own. Not too long ago he kept crying over his parents, over Liam, every single day.

It was funny how nothing seemed to change day by day, yet when he looked back, nothing was the same.

What wasn't different, was the fact Senn was still easily consumed by his own thoughts, and he would always jump in his spot when someone disturbed his train of thoughts.

"Wanna help me?" Elio asked, waving a spatula. "Can you stir?"

Senn nodded, jumped up, and stood between Joseph and Elio to stir the sauce that was slowly heating up on the stove.

Joseph was still mangling a mango, while Elio already threw in the nicely cut up mango he did on his own. Joseph was way too focused on cutting his own pieces to realize the smashed-up puree he was creating wasn't going to be used for dinner.

Senn knew Elio would use it in a smoothie later, as to not spill the foods, or waste Joseph's efforts.

"Don't you think Joseph is making big steps in his cooking skills?" Elio asked, hugging him from behind, leaning his chin on his shoulder.

Senn smiled, mostly because as soon as Elio had given him a compliment, Joseph had looked up proudly.

"Dad and I made a bet," Fabio started as soon as he entered the kitchen, announcing his arrival with apparently a bet, "are you guys boyfriend-boyfriend? Or what?"

"What'd you bet?" Senn asked, amused when Cameron appeared behind him and Elio made no effort to let him go.

"Nah, just horny teens," Fabio shrugged, looking at his father. "Dad thinks we can start planning a wedding right after high school."

Senn snorted, while Elio let go of him to show Joseph how to cut the mango without destroying its existence completely. "We're sorta dating, or whatever," Elio replied without looking at them. Senn knew, to outsiders, he sounded uninterested in the whole matter.

But he knew exactly how Elio felt about relationships, so dating, or whatever? That was pretty much the right way to describe their status.

"Well, Senn," Fabio started, taking a seat at one of the barstools close to him, "just know it isn't like Elio to take someone home, let alone multiple times, and most certainly not when we're all home. You should feel honored."

"Fabio is right," their father said with a smile, while Senn noticed Elio was doing everything in his power to ignore them, or roll his eyes at them. "So, welcome to the family, kid."