Childish

58

Alex didn't say much on the ride home which left me feeling anxious about what would come next. I couldn't think of any solution that didn't leave someone unhappy.

If Cooper left, Naomi and Alex would miss him. He probably wouldn't have been able to handle being away from either of them since he was so young. If Naomi left with Cooper, I knew it would hurt Alex. Tearing apart the family like that wouldn't be good for anyone. For all we know, it could make them grow apart, and then they could possibly break up. But if I left...

It made the most sense to get rid of me. Cooper was their son. I was just... a pathetic girl that Alex took in so he could make up for all the bad things he'd done to me. I wasn't really family.

My worry made the drive seem like it was only seconds long. Alex pulled into the driveway and I felt my stomach plummet. I didn't want to hear them tell me they were getting rid of me. I didn't want them to say it.

But we all knew it was coming.

Alex walked around to my side of the car and I clutched my bear close to me as he lifted me out of my car seat. Instinctively, I put my head on his shoulder.

He didn't walk any faster than usual but it felt like only a second passed before we were inside. I was so anxious about what could possibly happen that it made my stomach turn. Even if getting rid of me was the outcome, I didn't want them to say it.

Because then it was real.

Naomi was sitting on the couch feeding Cooper when we walked in. She gave me a tired smile. "Hi, sweetie. How was your day?"

I reached out for her. Alex carried me over to the couch and set me down beside her.

"Is everything okay, sweetie?"

I looked down at Cooper. He was getting bigger but he was still so small. Smaller than I was. There was no way he'd survive without Naomi and Alex. He'd miss them too much.

It only confirmed my suspicions further.

"Are you gonna... Are you going to get rid of me?"

Alex glanced at Naomi before he spoke. "Is this because of what Diane said today?"

I nodded. "Can you blame me though? She's right. I'm not a part of this family like he is. I'm not your kid." By the time I'd finished, I had tears in my eyes. I didn't think I realized how much the thought of being sent away scared me until it was right in front of me. They were the only family I had left. If I couldn't be with my parents, I wanted to be with them.

Naomi moved her hand from Cooper and put it on my cheek. "You don't have to be related to be family. We love you just as much as we love Cooper. That's not going to change."

"But it's too hard to have me and him here. Ms. Diane was right."

"We knew what we were signing up for. It might not have been planned out right but we understood what would come from having a baby. I'm sorry that we didn't handle it very well but we're going to work things out." Alex said.

"Do you mean it?"

"Of course we do."

"So you're not gonna send me away?"

"No, sweetie. You're staying right here with us." Naomi patted my leg before she slid her arm back under Cooper.

I leaned into her side and sighed a breath of relief. Their reassurance was relieving. I knew that being in a single-child household was probably my best option but it wasn't what I wanted. I liked my family the way it was, even as dysfunctional as it was.

"Ly, do you want to help me with dinner?" Alex asked, getting to his feet.

I looked up at him and nodded.

He picked me up and started toward the kitchen. "You can help me pick out what to make."

"How about chicken nuggets?"

He laughed. "Maybe we can look for something healthier."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

---

Okay, please don't yell at me, guys. I know a lot of you were pushing for Lyla to go live with Monica and Alex's mom but... I didn't want to send her to a fourth family. Poor Lyla's already been through enough. But don't worry, this story won't get boring just because she's still with Alex and Naomi. I hope you guys are still liking this story as much as I am. I could have ended it a long time ago but I don't want to let go of these characters just yet. If you want to stop reading, feel free to do so. This isn't really going to affect the story in any major way. But I'm sure you guys want to keep reading about Lyla and Alpine as much as I want to keep writing about it. Thank you so much for your support and love for this story. It really means a lot to me.