The Academy In My Head

Sympathetic Hugs

Erica sighed and ran her hand over her hair, smoothing it away from her face as she glanced at Fiona.

Victor's nanny had become one of her best friends lately. She was really great about watching Jessica if Erica needed some time to run errands during a school day without a 3 year old. "What are we going to do?" she asked, seeking some comfort from Fiona.

"I'm not sure." Fiona said, glancing around the gathering herself, her eyes falling on a group of sad and confused little boys. She counted them. "I'd say we just tell Mr. Coleman that we're doing what's best for Gabriel but I fear he's going to be resistant to the idea." She said, exchanging a glum look with Erica. "Speaking of whom, Gabriel is not part of the unhappy little brood of boys on the stairs."

Erica frowned slightly and looked them over. "Neither is Jessica." She said with a sigh. "Odd but well..." she shrugged and took a deep breath. "You're right about his dad. I had everything always set up with Jenny." Her eyes filled with tears. "God, I can't believe she's gone." She choked back a sob as a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay." Ben said, soothingly as he exchanged a glance with Fiona. Luke's uncle was just as struck by the situation because Luke's best friend in the group was Gabriel. "It's a shame." He shook his head sadly. "I agree, her and the baby boy." He said softly. None of them could fathom how Gabriel had managed to miraculously not be in the car that night when his father caused an accident that took his wife, Jenny and the baby boy, Sam from them in the blink of an eye. He kept his palm flat on Erica's shoulder as she tried to regain her composure.

"We should probably keep on doing what we are doing and try to insist on having him stay the night as much as possible." Fiona murmured. Erica and Ben both nodded. "Perhaps we can make him see reason that way."

Erica nodded. "I know Penny will help out too." She looked around. "I can't believe she sent Nathan here but didn't manage to come in herself." She said. "I really should be trying to find my daughter. Who knows what she's going to get herself into." Fiona and Ben both chuckled and Fiona passed Erica a handkerchief.

~~~

Jessica peeked her head around the corner. She'd been left with her brother and his friends but being a curious 3 year old, when Gabriel left the group, she toddled after him. She was determined to not let him be by himself. She didn't know why exactly, just that he was really sad and when she tried to tell Kota about it, he just told her that they all knew that already.

Gabriel shuffled his feet and dropped down on the ground, covering his face with his hands as he gave in to his tears. He hated that his mom was gone. He hated his dad for drinking and driving and he had already told the boys that they were going to have to hide his alcohol from now on because he wasn't going to lose the only family he had left. But mostly, he missed his mom, so much. He wanted her to hug him and tell him it was all a big mistake. He wanted to watch Sam walk around like a little drunken sailor as he tried to figure out how to be on two feet.

"Gab'iel sad." A soft little voice broke into his crying and he looked up to see Jessica peeking at him. "Gab'iel don't cry..." she shook her head and came closer to him. "Where Sam?" she asked.

Her question about his baby brother made him cry more. "He's gone, Jessie." He choked out. "My momma too."

"Oh." She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes filling with tears to match his and her lower lip trembled. "Jessie sorry." She said, coming closer to him and dipping her head for a moment. "Jessie sad too if Gab'iel sad."

He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Don't cry, Jessie." He pleaded with her.

She crawled into his lap and patted his cheeks with her hands. "Gab'iel cry, Jessie cry." She declared.

Gabriel couldn't help it. He cried. He cried all over the head of a 3 year old girl. He couldn't cry in front of his friends and he felt like a bit of a baby if he was to seek out Erica for hugs right now. So he cried in front of Jessica.

Jessica clucked her little tongue gently and moved to hug him, her tiny little arms going around his neck as she hugged him like he was one of her baby dolls who needed a good cuddle.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back as he cried, tears starting to lessen as he took comfort in the hug. He then realized that she really was still crying and he tried to stop. "It's okay, Jessie." He mumbled into her hair as he started to rub her back to help her stop crying. They basically ended up in hiccups together but no longer crying. He sighed softly when Jessica pushed back and stared up in his face with her little serious eyes.

She frowned slightly and reached up, pushing at his cheeks and lips, trying to make him smile. "It not okay if no smile." She said, troubled as she looked at him.

He exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry. I don't feel like smiling right now. Can we not smile?"

"Okay." Jessica patted his cheeks and snuggled into him. "No smile, no cry. We nap now." She informed him.

He didn't really have a chance to answer her because she literally fell asleep in his arms after she closed her eyes and he couldn't move without waking her.

That was how Erica found them and she knelt down next to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out and gently running a hand over Gabriel's hair.

He shrugged slightly, the bravado of a 7 year old coming back for a moment. "No." He finally said. "She helped a bit." He nodded down at Jessica, earning him a smile from Erica.

"Okay. Well, between Fiona, Uncle and I, we managed to get your dad to agree to let you stay with us all for a few weeks." Erica said. "If you want to and if you don't mind shuffling around a bit."

He raised his head to look at her. "I don't mind." He said quickly. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "Thank you." He mumbled.

"You're always welcome." Erica said. "Do you mind if I hug you?" she asked.

His eyes lit up with such hope at that moment that she didn't even wait for an answer, just shifted her position on the floor and pulled him and her daughter into her arms, into a tight hug. She tightened her grip when he broke down again in her arms and she began to murmur soothing words to him, reminding him that she was always going to be there for him.

(Fade...)