Haven Harbour: Beyond the Sea • a.i. • (Sequel to Haven Harbour)

Chapter 181

My not speaking to Ender continued for awhile.

By Wednesday of the next week, things had reached a point where I didn't want to be in the same room as him.

After Ashton had picked them up from school I was siting on the bed with Brooklyn when Ashton came in, his face serious.

"Okay, we need to talk." He said as he sat in front of me on the bed.

"What is it?" I picked Brooklyn up and cradled him.

"You and Ender need to sort this out. I don't care if you fight, yell, or scream at each other, but I can't stand seeing you two like this." He said.

"But I-"

"No. I know what he said hurt you, to be honest it hurt me too, but he's your brother. Is this really how you want your relationship with him to be? You're siblings. You love each other. Fix it."

He left me no room to argue with him.

I knew he was right, but I just didn't want to return to the conflict because I knew it was going to hurt.

"Now give me Brooklyn, and go talk to him." Ashton held out his hands and I passed him our son, sighing as I got out of the bed to go find Ender.

It wasn't that hard, the house only had so many rooms, and he was in his, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Oh, did you come to take away my bed too?" He said sarcastically when I opened the door and I had half the mind to walk out and slam it shut behind me but I didn't.

"We need to talk about what happened." I sat on his bed.

He sat up so he could look at me and I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Ender, I don't understand how you could've said what you said to me."

"I don't know..."

"Do you really think that?"

He shrugged.

"Ender...the thought of you not being in my life is one of the worst things I could possibly think about. Do you know what I thought the first night mom and dad died? I thought thank god you weren't in that car, because I would've lost you too...and I don't think I could've made it without you."

He didn't say anything.

"I can't keep fighting with you Ender. I'm so sick of us screaming at each other and then making up only to scream at each other a few months later."

"We're siblings, that's what we're supposed to."

"Not like this." I shook my head.

"I'm just tired of you and Ashton trying to replace mom and dad." Ender finally said. "I know I call you mom and dad but you're still my sister."

"I'm not mom. I know that, and I'm not trying to be her because I know I can't ever be her...but like it or not you're still a child and you need someone to take care of you. Ashton and I are responsible for you and we are just trying to do the best we can."

"And the best you can means grounding me?" He mumbled.

"When you lie to us then yes. There's only so much we can do, you have to meet us halfway. You don't want to be grounded, then don't lie to us. You don't want us to yell at you, then don't give us a reason. I may not be mom, but she's gone Ender...and I can't fix that, but I can do my best to be a mother figure for you."

He didn't respond.

"With Gracie...Ashton and I are all she has left. That's why she calls us mom and dad. With you...I'm your sister and it's different but it's also the same...like it or not, it's just us. We're orphans Ender, and we can't change that."