Is This Forever?

Family Reunion

Continued...

Wednesday, May 31st, 2025

"Mom?"

"Hey, Derek. I heard that you had gotten hurt a month ago and I wanted to come to see you." Alicia said. "I had a heart attack and if you cared you would've come to see me earlier." He informed stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind him. "I didn't know until a week ago. You don't tell me anything. So, when I found out I booked the first flight out here." She said.

"Ma I tried to reach out to you just last year. Then a few days after I proposed to the love of my life and you know what you did. You didn't answer. So why be here now?" Derek replied.

"Derek I'm trying to be there for you but you're not letting me." She cried out. "Mom after Dad died you were never the same. When I needed you the most you were nowhere to be found. I get that he was the love of your life and that you were grieving but-"

She cut him off, "See it was exactly that. I was grieving just the same as you. I'm a human being Derek. I get that you're my son but am I not allowed to feel so I can accommodate all of your needs? Was I supposed to bottle up all my emotions so I could cradle you?"

He understood where she was coming from but damn. "I fully understand that. But I was twelve. Yes, I was old enough to understand but I didn't know how to deal with my grief like I was supposed to. You were supposed to show me that but you showed me all the ways I wasn't supposed to grieve. I could be grieving in a thousand different ways but I'll healthily express them. Not the way you did." He expressed. "Everyone grieves differently." She explained.

Hearing laughter coming from behind him she looked around him. Seeing it was a woman that was about his age than his dad's sister. "Baby we're going to go pick up some food we'll be right back." Stopping in her tracks when she felt the tension between Derek and this woman. "Is everything alright out here?" She asked.

When Barbra made it out of the door she saw the woman whom she hasn't seen since Derek's custody hearing. "Alicia?" Barbra questioned. "Nice to see you, Barbra." She said not looking at her. "Am I missing something here?" Tommy said looking back and forth between the three.

"Tommy this is my mom, Alicia. Mom this is my fiancé, Tommy." Sticking her hand out Tommy shook the woman's hand. "Well, I'll let y'all finish what you guys were talking about. Just try to keep your stress levels low. I don't want to make another trip to the hospital today." She said about to walk away. "Today?" The woman asked. "Oh, I'm a paramedic and Mrs. Barbra if you want to stay here I can go by myself." Barbra shook her head no, "Absolutely not." She said as she walked away with Tommy.

"Is that the woman you were trying to tell me about?" She asked. "Yeah." He said looking in the direction she went. "She seems lovely. I would love to get to know her. If you let me." She sincerely asked. "Fine. Stay for dinner tonight.

_______________
Owen and Amira

Walking into the bedroom she sees Owen sitting in a chair on his phone. "Owen it's been two weeks are we going to talk about the burden that's currently weighing on us are we just going to keep pretending that nothing wrong?" She asked. "Amira like I told you. I didn't cheat on you and if you don't mind me asking why do you think this?" He said not looking up from his phone.

"See. That's the reason right there. You can't even look at me for a second. You haven't looked me directly in the eyes in a month. I just wanted to know what was wrong and I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions but when things change drastically overnight then it makes me wonder." She explained.

Finally looking her in the eyes he said, "No Amira I'm sorry. I should've been communicating with you. You are my girlfriend and I need to act like it. I'm sorry." He apologized. "That's all I ask for. You don't even have to give me the full 100% give me 85% and I'll do the same."