𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘 [MONTGOMERY DE LA CRUZ AU]

THIRTY ૐ OWEN AND DOM

ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, TWO DAYS BEFORE OLIVIA LEAVES, Harriet constantly fussed on arranging her suitcase to bring before she goes away for college again. Olivia lays on her bed and watched her Mom ransack her suitcase manically, trying to fill her baggage to a great extent Olivia almost thought it would be possible to zip it close. By the carpeted floor of her room, Dom and Owen are sprawled side by side sharing Olivia's phone as they watched Phineas and Ferb reruns in Youtube.

"Mom, I don't think that electric fly swatter would fit in there along with all my clothes." Olivia pointed out, amusement lacing her tone. "There's no need for me to bring that to our apartment."

Harriet rolled her eyes and gave up trying to squeeze it in. She sighed sharply, "Never mind that. You can hand-carry it when you go back to LA." She settles the fly swatter on the spot next to her suitcase and frantically searched the pile of clothes. "I'll look for your new pamper kit in your Dad and I's room. It must've gotten lost in the shopping bags we bought awhile ago." She then exits the room, leaving Olivia with her two younger brothers in the room.

Owen looked up from the phone screen and stared at Olivia with his hazelnut brown eyes shining with child-like enthusiasm. "Hey Livvie, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." Dom commeneted with a chuckle.

"Well, can I ask another question?" Owen frowned.

"You just did it again." Dom repeated and Owen glared at him, landing a smack on his brother's head.

"Owen, don't do that to your brother." Olivia chided halfheartedly, a fond smile encasing on her lips as she watched her two you her brothers with adoration. Most of all, above everything else, the thing she missed the most was seeing her brothers everyday. Whether it be the littlest things they do; running in circles in the yard, their faint battle cries all around the house, their insistent pleads for permission on borrowing her things, their playful banters turn into no remorse kinda of exchange of blows when playing UNO. Her eyes watched the two with a mixed feeling of sadness and love, noting the way Dom's voice was starting to deepen and the small dots of pimples on his forehead as he slowly undergo the phase of puberty, his legs and arms a little bit longer than she last remembered, his curls hanging limp over his forehead. She then looked over at Owen and saw her baby brother growing bigger everyday, his brown curls hinted with just a little bit shades of blonde and the way it challenges Dom's hair to a battle of who has the longest and wildest ringlets. Though he still sports his baby cheeks, she could see how he was slowly following Dom's slow footsteps to puberty.

"Earth to Livvie!" Dom exclaimed, snapping his fingers to get her attention and she blinked away the haziness of her eyes and paid heed to her brothers.

"You were saying?" Olivia asked perplexedly.

"I was just asking if you can come home for my birthday this year." Owen replied, his voice soft and eyes expectant and lit up with hope. "You never got to attend it last time because Mom said you weren't allowed to travel because you were carrying Gray in your tummy that time."

Olivia stared at Owen with stubbed silence, noticing the low hint of sadness in his tone and her heart squeezed in pain.

"Ever since Grayson came, you forgot all about me." Owen spoke quietly, eyes downcast. "When Grayson came, he became the baby of the family. I was supposed to be the baby of the family and now I don't get to have that anymore."

"Owen.." Olivia's voice cracked and she felt the incoming hot and fat tears ready to blur his vision. Owen, her youngest brother. Owen, the baby of the Connelly's. Owen, who she thought handled and understood the situation well, turned out to felt like he was being left out and replaced.

"It's okay, though." Owen smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"It doesn't mean we love you a little less." She whispered, getting up from the bed and sitting down with them on the carpeted floor. She brings her hand up to his hair and ran her fingers through his curls, "It doesn't mean i forgot about you."

"I just wish you were still here everyday, just like old times." Owen expressed. "I miss you everyday, we all do. Most specifically, Dad and Noah."

"Dad may come out as tough on you but I know for sure he's glad to have you here again. He's proud, even. To see you raising Gray on your own. To see you making decisions no longer for yourself only but now for your son. He's happy to see you've matured and now, you have Monty to complete your small family." Dom chimed in. "Angry as he is, with Monty back in your life and getting him involved in your son's life, he's glad to see him turn out opposite everything he've always thought of. He wasn't the guy Dad have always strongly disliked, the guy he thought of less."

"I've always hated Monty.." Owen piped up.

"Hey, now." Olivia shoots him a disapproving look. "Hate is a very strong word."

"It is. But I do hate him."

"And why's that?"

Owen tilted his head to the side and answered, "Because he hurt you more than he loved you."

"That doesn't even make sense!" Dom protested with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes it does." Owen argued. "He made Livvie cry more than he made her laugh. If the pain outshines the joy, then that's not love."

"If it hurts, it's love."

Owen rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it hurts because you love but if it hurts to the point where you think you're bot happy anymore, then it's no longer love."

"You're too young to know about these stuff." Olivia whispered distractedly, her two brother's words hitting her core.

"No, we're not." Dom answered. "I'm turning 14 and Owen's turning 12."

"Still." Olivia says firmly. "You shouldn't talk about these stuff. It's too early."

"I'm just saying." Owen shrugged. "I'm not saying this because I'm on Justin's side but because it's obvious and not easy to point out. Don't go back to Monty."

"That's not our decision to make, Owen." Dom intervenes, casting a sheepish look at Olivia. "It's up to Livvie."

— x —
hello! i know i haven't updated in like, 2 weeks, and im so sorry!! i've been so busy with school and all and i'm going through a rough patch right now because of the incoming load of schoolworks and this fuckboy who keeps messin' with my head and it's just been too much and i never got the time to update.

i'm sorry if this was so short and pointless! but i promise the last remaining chapters would be long and good. we only have like three or four chapters left and i might update the next chapter tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. keep reading, guys! 💖 love yall