Family Stories - the Sequel

chapter 28

still Friday, 23rd 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

---

"Dinner is ready.", Owen announced to his wife once she came back home. Harriet was with her parents, having a family evening after bringing Eva to bed upstairs. The three-year-old knew that her grandparents were there in case she needed somebody.

"Oh, you made risotto?", the brunette excitedly noticed. Her husband didn't make the dish that often since he figured he was too bad of a cook to prepare it, but she thought otherwise.

"Yeah, because you always beg me for it.", the trauma surgeon chuckled and gently kissed her cheek as he put her plate in front of her nose on the table. "I cannot remember the last time we were eating dinner by ourselves at such a normal time of the day.", he pointed out.

"It's been months.", Amelia agreed with a grin on her face. "Thank you.", she smiled at her husband, who took a seat across from her. "You know, with the house almost empty, we could also-"

"Don't even think about it!", the redhead interrupted her. "Our granddaughter is sleeping upstairs and counting on us in case she wakes up and needs somebody. We cannot risk her walking in on us having sex.", he said, frowning at his wife.

"Yes, I know. You're right.", the neurosurgeon agreed but rolled her eyes. "Especially since I promised Lily we would watch something in our bed later.", she remembered, figuring they could not use the bed for sex beforehand.

"By the way, why did they call you?", Owen wondered, eating the first spoon of his food. "Guess it's fine.", he rated his own cooking skills, waiting for Amelia to finish chewing and answer him.

"It is not just fine, Owen. It's actually amazing! Give yourself some credit please.", his wife contradicted. "And if you don't value the dinner on your plate, just let me have it.", she challenged, causing him to smirk as he shook his head at her suggestion. "Leo showed Lily a TikTok that was a compilation of Paul kissing several girls, one of them being Lils, as some kind of challenge at the beginning of the school year. And well, she was kinda into the idea of them...", she shared and sighed.

"God. I hate guys that aren't my sons, grandsons, Ethan, or Dennis.", the trauma surgeon responded angrily. "I wish I could tell her we told her so, but I know she doesn't need that right now. Honestly, why are boys like this? Brandon disappears for years and suddenly wants to see his daughter, Paul makes my daughter fall in love with him without actually liking her...I just wanna kill them!"

"Babe, calm down.", the brunette begged. "I agree with you that it's definitely unfair, but we cannot change these guys. We can just be there for our daughters. "Let's just do whatever they need us to without putting anybody in danger."

"Yeah. Why did Leo show her that video though? Wasn't there a better moment to do it than this one?", Owen questioned, suddenly realizing how weird the circumstances had been.

"I have no idea. Gotta ask him once they're back. I can't imagine him doing it on purpose to hurt his sister.", Amelia replied and shrugged. "But sometimes, he forgets how being sensitive works and well, things like that happen."

"I mean, I am glad it is over between Lily and Paul now. I swear, I couldn't have kept quiet about it if he had ever shown up for the dinner she was supposed to invite him to.", her husband realized and the neurosurgeon just nodded in agreement.

---

Luca: 23; Leo: 16; Lily: 16

Ryan: 27

Liam: 24

Finn: 24

Ruby: 24

Mira: 20

---

"So, you and Dennis? Are you guys finally fine again?", Luca asked his brother when they were eating their dinner. Lily had given him her turn of choosing the next topic, only in the mood to listen in anymore.

"Kinda. This week was better, considering Leo and Lils helped us out.", Finn replied. "I think the schedule is going to work really well for us and it's going to erase some stress we have been experiencing for a while. Still, what Dennis said to me is hard to forgive."

"What exactly did he say?", Ryan meddled, not aware of it because he was kind of busy with his own life and family. He basically knew what the fight was about but didn't know the exact words his brother's boyfriend had used.

"He accused me of not wanting to be Mason's father and only living for my job.", Finn repeated Dennis' words before he glanced down at his plate and pushed the food around with his fork.

"I get that it still makes you sad and you don't have to forgive him right away. But it's been a week and it is only a matter of time until Mason notices that something's wrong between you two.", Ruby softly pointed out.

"He already apologized multiple times. And he was drunk when he said those words.", Liam reminded his brother. "Just think about forgiving him because that should not be the reason you two break up. You love each other."

"Honestly, says the person who gave up on a wonderful relationship with his best friend because she didn't want to get married.", Luca said. "You are right, Finn and Dennis love each other and should get this sorted out, but so do you and Robin."

"I agree with that.", Leo shared. "You jumped into the relationship with Lydia way too fast and you don't even seem sad that it's over because we all know it was never a really serious thing between the two of you.", he judged. Suddenly, all siblings looked at the young redhead and nodded in agreement.

"Even you?", the twenty-four-year-old questioned his youngest sister, who confirmed that. "Guys, you know that we had been fighting for months about that. But still, it wasn't our only problem. I love Robin, but I am not in love with her anymore."

"Are you delusional?", Mira wondered. "You told Lydia you were in love with her without actually being in love with her. Now you lie and say that you aren't in love with Robin when, in fact, you definitely are."

"Your daughters want you back together and we don't see any reason you shouldn't try again, unless you truly are not in love with Robin, but then I guess all of us must be blind.", her big sister continued. "You didn't wanna marry Lydia, so marriage cannot be the thing you want most in this life."

"Fine, I'll think about it.", her same-aged brother finally gave in a little. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt again, so I am going to take my time considering my options.", he informed them. "So, who else wants to get roasted today?", he joked.

"I think we have talked about all the crises that are currently happening, now how about some party planning for next week?", Ryan suggested to soften the mood to which everybody happily agreed.