Happy Anniversary.

30. Stay Together for the Kids.

Alex's POV

"Alexander? Is that you?" My mom's voice called from the living room over the hum of the evening news. I internally groaned; over the past few weeks, I had been effective at avoiding my parents except when absolutely necessary. If I needed to tell them something, it was almost always through text.

"Yeah, mom."

"Come here a second, we need to talk to you." The TV shut off and I didn't want to get an extension on my already infinite punishment, so I obeyed.

They looked uncomfortable as I came into the living room and sat in the chair adjacent to them. I stared at my hands on my lap, waiting for them to begin.

"Well," My father cleared his throat. "Clearly, we didn't understand the...issues you were going through and why you were doing them." I could tell he was trying to be delicate with the subject, unlike the last time this topic came up, when they stepped on it like trash.

"Yeah..." I motioned for them to continue.

"So, while you've been at Rian's house every weekend, we started talking to a counselor. He's been explaining a lot to us that we didn't understand, like self-harm and sexuality." He spoke very quickly, not wanting to prolong this conversation any longer than he had to.

My mother, of course, had different plans. "It was a bit of a struggle for us, at first. We've never really considered things the way he - oh, what was his name? Dr. Hessler? - showed them to us. I feel like we understand you more now, but we'd still like to know how you feel about this stuff."

My lip burned as it split under my teeth. "I, um, I don't know." After a lot of stuttering and restarts in the story, I explained myself and the way I felt, parents clinging onto my every word. Once I finished talking about Halloween, before I could lose my nerve, I went straight into talking about Jack. I told them everything I knew, even about his parents. I knew he would be upset when he found out, but no matter what he told me, I knew he couldn't be alone in this forever, and I was in no position to be the support he needed. I didn't know what would happen from here, but weights were tugged off my chest as I got further and further along in the story.

Their hands clutched onto each other as if they couldn't survive without doing so. My mom's other hand was covering her gaping mouth. "Oh my gosh..." she mumbled from beneath her fingers. "I know he doesn't want anyone else involved, but how do you not do something about that? He's too young to worry about this."

"Mom, I know. But I trust him; I have to let him know that I support him in his choices. I can't let him get taken away or watch him see his siblings move halfway across the country."

My dad was staring intently at the carpeted floor, thinking this through. His voice was low and lethargic when he finally spoke. "Doesn't Mrs. Fuentes know a social worker? I'm sure she could pull some strings."

I bit the side of my cheek involuntarily. "She's a bit...preoccupied right now. Honestly, I don't know if she could do anything more than she already has without getting caught."