Family Stories - the Sequel

chapter 5

Sunday, 3rd September

Owen: 58; Amelia: 52; Luca: 23; Leo: 16; Lily: 16

Ryan: 27; Katie: 26; Riley: 10; Ian&Connor: 7

Liam: 24; Robin: 24; Victoria: 6; Audrey Blake: 4; Madelyn: 9 months

Finn: 24; Dennis: 24; Mason-Anthony: 2

Ruby: 24; Ethan: 25

Mira: 20; Eva-Maeve: 3

---

"Good morning!", Amelia greeted her two daughters and Ethan after opening the door for them. "You're early. Leo is still sleeping.", she shared and hugged the couple before she stopped in front of Lily. "Will you let me hug you too?", she begged, looking at the sixteen-year-old.

"Fine.", the young brunette shrugged and let her mother embrace her. "Where can I find dad? I know he is going to want to have one of his famous talks with me.", she grumbled, but her facial expression instantly changed when the dogs came over to greet the guests.

"He's upstairs, waiting for you in your room.", the neurosurgeon answered and watched her teenager roll her eyes as she walked towards the stairs. "Lily!", she warned, annoyed. "God, what happened to my shy baby-girl?", she pouted.

"Don't be sad, Mom.", Ruby tried to comfort her. "Somebody wants to say hello to their grandma.", she smiled and grasped Amelia's hand to put it against her stomach for her to feel the twins kick.

"Awww, they are so cute. I already love them so much.", the brunette beamed and finally noticed a huge bag. "What's in there? It's not Christmas yet.", she joked when Ethan brought it into the kitchen.

"We made food. And Finn and Dennis will bring some too. This Sunday is Spanish-themed. That's why Owen didn't want you to worry about lunch.", the blonde explained and laughed when his mother-in-law looked even more confused than before but decided to roll with it as she shrugged.

"Hi, Dad.", Lily mumbled as she walked into her room to put down her bag. She hated it when her parents invaded her privacy like that, but if she said something now, she could prepare herself for getting house arrest.

"Come sit.", the redhead offered and pointed to the bed. He was occupying his daughter's armchair across from her. Silently, the sixteen-year-old did what she was told. "Look at me when I am talking to you.", he ordered since the teenager was trying to avoid his gaze. "Do you understand why I am mad at you?"

"Honestly? No.", Lily dared to respond, but to her it was true. She didn't get why her parents were being so annoying about her lifestyle. "I am sixteen, I can do whatever I want.", she added grumpily.

"No Lily, you cannot do whatever you want.", Owen informed her, trying to stay as calm as he could. "You are still a child, ours to be exact, and you will do what your mom and I say. We don't want you to be partying all the time. It's fine like once every two weeks or something but not multiple times a week and especially not after you've neglected your duties at home."

"But it's my hobby!", the young brunette argued and crossed her arms, glaring at her father and making him even angrier with her attitude. "Is it because you and mom are old now? You weren't as strict with the others as you are with Leo and me."

"Think before you speak, young Lady.", the trauma surgeon warned. "Partying is not a hobby to have. Definitely not yours. You stopped going to all of your favorite activities besides gymnastics, which was your decision to make. But if you have too much free time, find a new hobby or a job and something else to do other than partying. Stay here for ten minutes and then you can come downstairs. We'll continue this conversation in the evening with your mother around. And if you don't stop being so sassy, there will be consequences, Lily.", he finished and left her room without any further words.

"Hey, Dad.", Ruby greeted her father, who came downstairs to greet her and her boyfriend. "Don't be too hard on her.", she begged, referring to her youngest sister. "She was a great help this weekend."

"Well, she's never a great help around here though.", her father informed her. "Hey, good to see you.", he addressed Ethan, who he was hugging. "How are my grandbabies doing?", his whole mood changed.

"They're fine. Kicking me day and night.", the young brunette announced. Slowly, everybody else followed and Amelia woke up Leo, so the whole family was finally gathered around for lunch.

"That is a lot of food.", Liam commented on what his siblings and their partners had made for lunch. He was currently holding his nine-month-old and standing next to his girlfriend since his other two daughters had disappeared to play with their cousins.

"And we are a lot of people.", Katie pointed out to him. "Alrighty, is there a seating arrangement or does everyone sit wherever they want?", she questioned her mother-in-law, who just shrugged.

"I have literally no idea what is going on here and I seem to be the only person that didn't know about Ruby, Finn, Dennis and Ethan being responsible for a Spanish-themed lunch today, so don't ask me, Honey.", Amelia replied and glanced at her husband for help.

"Everyone can sit where they want to. As during all our family meals, there's an extra table for the little ones and one for the adults and really small kids.", Owen announced and watched as everybody was finding their seats after he had called for the children to come.

"I wanna sit with mommy!", Victoria informed the family to nobody's surprise, taking her mother's hand to occupy the seat next to her. Apparently, she thought of herself as either an adult or a really small kid.

"Sweetie, you're coming home with me later, but for now let's do it like always and go sit with your cousins and sister.", Robin suggested to the six-year-old and gently kissed her head, before she followed her daughter to help her find a spot. It wasn't that she didn't want her next to her, but the table was already pretty full, and the space was therefore rather tight.

"She wouldn't be so clingy if you weren't dating Lydia.", Luca quietly gave his big brother a piece of his mind. He hated that the couple had broken up and he wasn't shying away from letting Liam know whenever he got the chance to.

"Connor, put the ball away for now. You can play outside with it later.", Ryan scolded his son in amusement. The boy could never be stopped from running around or doing sports. "It's time to eat now.", he reminded the seven-year-old softly.

"Oh, I am so glad we are still able to experience all this.", Evelyn smiled. "Our kids all grown up, our grandkids as well as some of them still being children, and our greatgrandchildren.", she beamed.

"Yeah, and the food is amazing.", Leo told those who had prepared lunch for everyone. "Glad I didn't have breakfast.", he said, resulting in his mother rolling her eyes as she smirked while everybody else laughed.

"Yummy!", Eva agreed. She was sitting in Harriet's lap, sharing her plate with her since she wasn't eating that much anyway. Mira was occupying the chair next to them. "Me likes it too."

"We're so glad to hear that.", Dennis smiled at her. His son was also sitting at the adults' table, this time happily munching on his food in his grandfather's lap, which was a very welcome moment of peace for the couple.

"Honey, what is going on with you?", Carolyn asked Lily, who was only picking on her food. "Are you not feeling well?", she worried about her youngest grandchild, watching the brunette just shrug.

"You can ask dad.", the sixteen-year-old answered angrily and continued to shove the food around her plate with the fork she was holding. She had specifically chosen a seat far away from her father, but that didn't help her appetite after all.

"Do you really want to do this right now?", Owen, who felt provoked once again, started, and locked eyes with his daughter, causing Amelia to shift her eyes from Lily to her husband.

"Owen, not now. Stop it!", the neurosurgeon warned him and glared at him. She knew why he was mad, and she understood where he was coming from, but he didn't always have to get enraged about every single word their daughter was saying. "Let her eat."

"She's not eating.", the redhead responded matter-of-factly, but decided to leave the situation be and to instead continue helping the two-year-old in his lap with his meal. Lily looked at her mother, who motioned for her to start eating now, causing her to do so.