He is Home | | | This is Home SEQUEL

Chapter Fifty-Two

The first week of school oddly goes better than I expect. I'm more of an eye catcher than I have ever been. I hate it but after the third day I got used to it. It's kind of normal now.

I hear awful whispers, I'm sure everyone hears them now. But you can stop teenagers from gossiping. It's what they live by. It gives them something to do other than sit around and stare at a wall. I honestly don't blame them. I've done the same.

The first football game though. That was the absolute worst. I felt the eyes of parents absolutely burning a whole through me. It was almost as if they were even more ashamed of my parents. My parents were already spectacles. And now they had this as well. I felt bad for putting them through the ridicule of it all.

Thankfully though, the core group of parents, meaning Pierce's, Grayson's, Harlow's and mine, all had each others backs. They were just as close as us kids were. It was a beautiful thing to see honestly.

"How's the baby?" Grayson's mom asks as she places her hand on my shoulder. "Grayson has been mumbling about it nonstop lately."

"He's doing good." I smile. "He's going to have great aunt's and un—"

"Momma Charlee!" I hear a little girls voice and I whip my head in the direction it's coming from. I spot little Ryatt with Ryder on her tail running along the bleachers.

She jumps into my arms and Ryder follows suit. "I didn't know you guys would be here." I kiss both of their heads.

I hadn't seen them since my birthday. Casey is still on her wack shit. There really is no other way to put it. Her head is so far up her own ass that she can't see clearly. I can't even visit the nurse when I'm feeling sick anymore. Too much tension neither of us want to deal with. This year is so different already.

"Daddy brought us." Ryatt says with a smile.

"Mommy hasn't been home for awhile." Ryder adds. He can't even let things settle in a happiness. It's typical him. I am not surprised. He's my blunt and honest boy, he will never tell me lies. Or let me be fed them.

I look to Pierce's parents but they don't react at all. They're as clueless out of this as I am I seems. Maybe Pierce knows just a little as I do. This really sucks.

"That really sucks guys. I'm sorry." I run their backs to comfort them.

"We have you Momma Charlee, that's all we need!" Ryatt tries to sit on my lap but just simply isn't space for that with a belly now.

"Ryder can you go tell Levi he can come sit with us?" I messy up the hair on his head and slide closer to my parents to make room for Ryatt beside me.

Ryder nods his head and takes off, returning shortly later with Levi in tail. "Hey Levi." I smile kindly at the man that's clearly been raising my siblings alone.

"Hi." He responds quiet, and quite honestly, defeated.

"Do you know...?" I trail off trying not to let Ryatt and Ryder know what I'm talking about but they're already lost in conversation with Lucy and Luca.

"She's staying at a hotel. She says she needs space because I told her they have a right to see you and she needs to grow up. She didn't exactly like that and stormed off. Honestly, I don't even know her anymore. She completely changed that weekend you guys went back to see their parents." Levi runs his hands through his thinning hair.

"We've been up to see both her mom and dad so much and it's never been a problem. I don't know why going with you guys made things so different."

"She doesn't understand the pain Pierce had to deal with. It's different for the two of them and she can't control the way Pierce feels. He's not a kid anymore." I shrug.

"I feel like it's so much more than that though. I miss my wife. A part of me just wants to give you back Ryatt and Ryder just to try and fix her. But they've been through so much I don't want to keep throwing them around. I don't want them to get the wrong impression that I don't, we don't, love them." Levi sighs.

"I know I'm pregnant, but if you need time to figure it out I'll take Ryatt and Ryder. The twins will enjoy having them back. I know that. It's a big deal, but it's not they get it. I'll spin it to make sure they don't think anything of you or Casey." I smile. "It's what families do."

"Are you sure?" Levi eyes plead for a bit of saving. It's clear he's not doing well. It's the least I could do.

"Of course. Just drop off clothes and toys at the house and Pierce and I will do all we always do to keep them happy and safe."

Levi stands and leaves. It's easier for him to depart without a goodbye. I've been there. I get it. Not with the kids specifically, but with Pierce. I know how hard goodbyes and I know how much easier it is to not say them.