Co-parenting

Chapter 28

~1 month later~

Valerie lies on the rug in the living room, starring at the ceiling. She's extremely bored and doesn't know what to do. She already did her homework and practiced reading. Veronica walks around the house, rocking little Freddie. It's nap time but he doesn't want to nap and has been crying for a while now.
Valerie gets up and walks to her mom.

"Mommy can we play?"

"Sweetheart can't you see that I'm busy right now?" Veronica sighs while she rocks Freddie in her arms and tries to make him stop crying.

"You're my mommy. I want to play with you!"

"Valerie I can't!" Veronica says louder than she intended to. She's stressed and exhausted.

Tears form in the little girl's eyes. She clenches her little hands into fists and takes a deep breath. "I HATE YOU" she yells and runs into her room.

Veronica rolls her eyes and continues to rock her baby. She's sorry that Frederick gets more attention than Valerie but when Archie is at work, she doesn't have a choice. She needs to focus on him. She'll talk to Valerie later. And besides her daughter is a little drama queen. There is a lot of Lodge in her.

Meanwhile Valerie grabbed a backpack. She stuffs clothes, her toothbrush and of course her favorite stuffed animal, Fred the bunny into it. She wipes her tears away before she opens her bedroom slowly. She looks outside and watches her mom. When she walks into the kitchen, Valerie runs to the front door and then outside. She sniffs while walking across the street to Betty's house and knocks but no one opens the door.
New tears form in her eyes. She walks around the house to the backyard and climbs over the fence.

Betty and Jughead built a swing set in their backyard for Valerie and their future children. Valerie loves to swing so she drops her backpack on the patio and runs to the swings.

•••

It's been almost two hours since Valerie run away and Veronica didn't even notice yet. She's too busy with the baby and the household.
She sits down on the couch with a now sleeping Freddie in her arms.
Just as she closes her eyes Archie comes home.

He walks towards her and kisses the top of her head.
"Hi baby, you look exhausted"

"I am" she sighs.

Archie chuckles and sits down next to her. She leans into his chest and enjoy his little kisses on her head. "Where's Val"

"We had a little argument earlier. After that she disappeared into her room"

"Don't worry Ronnie. She still has to get used to our new situation"

"I know" Veronica sighs.

Archie caresses her son's cheek while he keeps kissing Veronica's head. "I missed you and the kids today"

"We missed you too"

"Let me talk to Val" he whispers.

Veronica nods. She turns her head to Archie so he can kiss her lips. Then he walks to his daughter's bedroom. He frowns when he sees the door slightly open.
He walks inside and gets a weird feeling when his daughter is not in her room. He checks Freddie's nursery, his and Veronica's bedroom, the bathroom and the backyard before he walks back to Veronica. His face is pale.
"Baby? Val isn't here"