Rebellion In The Family

Chapter Eleven: Go Time!

*Five Months later*

I stood at the sink, washing dishes and humming a song I had found that I liked. I had almost finished them, when I heard the door to the backyard slam open then shut, as well as Rose's giggling laughter as well as Heis's deep laughter. He was chasing her inside, and I couldn't help the laughter that rumbled from my chest. Rose ran past me, and up the stairs to her room. Heis stopped beside me, taking deep breathes. I laughed more.

"Did she wear you out, Hun?" I asked. He laughed too.

"Kid's got a shit ton of energy!" He said, and I laughed again as I placed another plate on the drying rack. He wrapped his arms around me.

"I put that dishwasher in for a reason, ya know." He said, and I playfully rolled my eyes.

"I know that. But old habits die hard. I'm so used to handwashing dishes from when we were with..." My voice trailed off as I realized I was about to say Miranda's name. Heis and I had both agreed long ago to talk about her as little as possible. It always seemed to open the old wounds afresh when we did. I cleared my throat. "Anyway, it'll take some time for me to get used to using a dishwasher." I said, going back to scrubbing the frying pan from breakfast earlier that morning. I heard him sigh behind me.

"You can talk about her if you need to. Holding that shit in ain't good for ya." He mumbled, resting his chin on top of my head. I sighed.

"It's just...It's crazy to me that it's already been six years since we killed Miranda and escaped the village. There's a part of me that's kind of like...can't fully enjoy the life we have now. I feel like it's all too good to be true. Apart of me is just waiting for her to break down our door, kidnap Rose, and force you and I back into that hellhole!" I didn't realize I had started crying until I saw tears fall to the floor. "I hate that feeling! We finally have the life we've always dreamed of, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to enjoy it! It isn't fair! Miranda's dead, while is she still holding this vice like grip over my life! It's just not fair!" I began to cry more, and Heis quickly turned me around and pulled me into a tighter hug. He started rubbing my back.

"Shh...It's alright, Hun, I know. I find myself feeling the same way. Redfield was tellin' me the other day that we're both still 'healing from our trauma's', and that we'll both be 'extra cautious about our new lives for awhile', or somethin' like that." He said, and I laughed a little in spite of myself. "Anyway, the best we can do is take it one day at a time. Live in the now. Now, we have each other. Now, we have Rose. And soon, we'll have Leo." He said, and I smiled. We had taken to calling the baby "Leo" so we didn't confuse him and Dad. "We'll get over the hump. It'll take some time. Maybe a lot of time. But we'll get there." He said. I sighed and nodded.

"Mum? Why are you crying?" We heard behind us. We turned and saw Rose standing in the doorway looking very concerned. I sniffed and smiled.

"I'm okay Honey, I was just thinking about something sad is all." I said. She frowned a little, then ran over and quickly jumped into our arms, hugging me tightly.

"I'm gonna hug the sadness out of you, Mum!" She said, and I couldn't help but begin to laugh. Heis laughed too.

"Oh Rose, I'm so much happier already!" I said, then put her down. "Now, why don't you go pick out a movie, and I'll make us some hot chocolate and popcorn, and you me and Daddy can watch it together?" I said. She nodded happily and ran into the living room. I smiled and looked up at Heis. "Well, we can't keep her waiting! Why don't you go with her, I'll be in shortly." I said. He looked at me for a minute.

"Will you be okay?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yeah. I will be." I said. He nodded, kissed my head, then followed Rose into the living room. I started making hot chocolate, and plugged in our popcorn maker. Sure, we could get the microwaveable packages of popcorn, but there was something so simplistic about having a popcorn maker that I just loved! I placed a bowl under the spout, and as the popcorn began to pop and fill the bowl, I began to place the hot chocolate into three mugs. Once both were finished, I followed them into the living room. Rose had picked her favorite movie, Barbie and the Nutcracker. I smiled, she just adored that movie! About halfway through, we ran out of popcorn. At the request of both Heis and Rose (Plus both their sets of puppy dog eyes!), I walked into the kitchen, and began making another bowl of popcorn. While I waited for it to pop and fill, I turned to the fridge and began pulling out ingredients to make dinner tonight. I was gonna make pot roast!

"You need any help in there, Babe?" I heard from the living room.

"Nah, I got it!" I responded. As I placed everything on the counter, I felt a dull pain in my lower back, but I ignored it and continued my task. Once I heard the popcorn finish, I placed the roast into the fridge and headed over to the popcorn maker. As I picked up the popcorn bowl to take it to the living room, the pain suddenly became sharper and harder, causing me to gasp and drop the bowl! Thankfully it was plastic, so it didn't break, but popcorn went everywhere! I Went to clean it, but froze as the pain hit me again! Heis had come running in at the sound of the bowl hitting the floor, and he quickly helped me stand up straight.

"Are you alright, Darlin?" He asked. I took a breath, then gave him a smile.

"I think it's go time!"