Family Stories - the Sequel

chapter 16

Saturday, 10th September

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

Ryan: 27; Katie: 26; Riley: 10; Ian&Connor: 8

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; Harriet: 21; Eva-Maeve: 3

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Liam sighed as he got out of his car. He had had breakfast with his family and was now ready to talk to Lydia, at least that was what he told himself when he unlocked the front door. He could hear muffled noises coming from the bedroom, expecting to find his girlfriend there. And he did. Completely naked, with another man in bed.

"Liam-", Lydia started in shock, staring at her boyfriend as if she had seen a ghost. He just scoffed, not sure what to say. "I can explain that.", she promised, shoving her one-night-stand out of bed and into the bathroom to get dressed, before she put on panties and a bathrobe.

"You do not have to explain sex to me, thank you very much.", the twenty-four-year-old said. "Yesterday you wanted me to marry you and a day later I find you cheating on me?"

"Because you rejected me so coldly.", the blonde desperately tried to find an explanation for her behavior. "I told you I needed some time after that.", she reminded him hysterically.

"Yeah, for yourself. Not to screw another guy in my house, to be specific, in my bed.", Liam argued calmly. His heart was too broken for him to go off on her. He had hoped to be able to reconcile with his girlfriend, but now they felt pretty over.

"I know it was wrong, Babe. Please forgive me!", Lydia begged him and cried. The tears were honest ones and she seemed to really be afraid of losing him, so her boyfriend shook his head and thought about what he should do before he glanced back up at her.

"I am going to grab an overnight bag and my stuff for work to prepare next week's lessons. When I come back with the girls on Monday, we are going to talk once they're in bed. Just, take the time to get your stuff ready in case we decide we're over, and please change the sheets Monday morning.", Liam bitterly announced before he packed his bag and left again about twenty minutes later.

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

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

Mira: 20; Harriet: 21; Eva-Maeve: 3

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"Okay, what's everyone's plan for today?", Owen wondered, interested. He had his day off today and Amelia would have to pull the late shift. "Any parties that I have to drive you to and pick you up from?", he ironically asked his daughter.

"Yeah, actually, one of the kids in our grade has invited everyone to a 'Back to School' kinda thing.", Lily chose to use this moment, considering her dad had wanted to know exactly that. "And I'd like to go, so if you could drive me and pick me up?"

"Wait a minute. Do you have an idea about where you wanna work?", her mother meddled, causing the sixteen-year-old to nod. "Okay, then feel free to tell us about it. Leo, are you going too? I can stay at the hospital a little longer and then pick you up around midnight."

"Nah.", her son replied. He wasn't a big fan of parties since he didn't enjoy being around so many people and having to listen to such loud music. Also, everybody always tried to get him to drink or smoke, and he was tired of it.

"Midnight already?", his sister pouted, a little disappointed in her mom's suggestion, but if she wanted a ride, she had to agree to her boundaries, and she knew that her curfew would still be 12am, even if she drove herself. "Okay, that's good. Thanks, Mom.", she changed her approach. "I've been thinking about working at the hospital."

"And another one.", Mira joked, because her parents were surgeons, Finn was becoming just that, Harriet was working a mini job at the hospital, and Lily wanted to job there as well now.

"Alright.", their father said in response. "Well, I think that can be arranged. You should come to the hospital with me next week then for us to talk to Bailey together.", he decided, causing his daughter to nod again.

"To come back to your original question, Finn and I have planned on taking Mason out for ice cream and to the huge playground in the park near us after his naptime and once we've had a snack. You could join us, if you feel like it.", he addressed Harriet and Mira.

"Yes, pwease!", Eva celebrated the idea and raised both her arms in victory, even though her mothers hadn't agreed to it yet. But why wouldn't they? After all, she loved playgrounds, and they knew it.

"Yeah, I guess we can do that.", Harriet chuckled. "But we'll have to be back for dinner, since I have told my parents we'd join them this evening. Samuel is coming too, together with Ellis and Diana." Their friends were married and also had a baby daughter.

"Sounds good.", Owen smiled. "Boys, that leaves the three of us after dinner this evening once I've brought your sister to her party. If you could walk the dogs while I am gone, we can have a movie night or something.", he figured, ever so excitedly.

Sometimes, Luca felt like going outside with the others to walk the dogs, and sometimes he didn't. But that would still leave Leo to be able to do the job in case his brother wasn't in the mood tonight.

"Maybe we can finally start our Scream marathon?", the twenty-three-year-old suggested. They had been wanting to do that for a while now, but their mom hated horror movies still, meaning they barely found time for it, not wanting to exclude her from the evening activity.

"Yeah!", Leo happily agreed to the plan, causing the trauma surgeon to smile at them as he nodded, also confirming their evening plans. "Maybe you can buy snacks on your way home from the party.", he told his dad.

"Great, seems like all of you have a wonderful evening ahead, and I am working.", Amelia concluded, joking around. They all knew how much of a workaholic she was and that she had no problem with missing the horror movie session.