Leave Your Lover

02: Family Dinner

The next night, was the traditional family dinner before Hank returns to Chicago. It was hard on Brooke and Noah for their father to be backward and forwards for work, but they understood that both their parents had very important jobs in two different cities, in two different states.

As Erin walks in, and throws down her keys, she heads into the dining room, after stopping and kissing Justin's picture. It was something that Olivia made sure the kids did in order to remember the first Voight child. "Where's Brooklyn?

Not seeing her little sister, Erin gets worried. Without Brooklyn around, there is no entertainment. She was the life of the party and always the center of attention; in a good way

"Elliot showed up at the Precinct when your father brought Noah and Brooke. She instantly froze up reached for your dad." Trying to stay calm, Erin decides to head up and check on her sister, hope my to get her out of whatever funk the detective had put her in.

My little love
I see your eyes widen like an ocean
When you look at me so full of my emotions
I'm finding it hard to be here, sincerely
I know you feel lost, it's my fault completely

Knocking on the door, Erin sees Brooklyn laying face down, shaking from how hard she's sobbing. Quietly closing the door, she calls for her mother and moves so she can get to the emotional child.

Tell me you love me
I love you a million percent

I don't recognize myself in the coldness of the daylight
So I ain't surprised you can read through all of my lies
I feel so bad to be here when I'm so guilty
I'm so far gone, and you're the only one who can save me

Oi, I feel like you don't love me
Why do you feel like that?
Do you like-like me?
You know, mommy doesn't like anyone else like I like you, right?

As Olivia brings Brooklyn into her embrace, she lays the teen's head on her chest, which leads to the child crying even harder.

I'm holding on (barely)
Mama's got a lot to learn (it's heavy)
I'm holding on (catch me)
Mama's got a lot to learn (teach me)

Mummy's been having a lot of big feelings recently
(Like how?)
Just, like, hang on lemme-, my fingers are trapped
Like, um, I feel a bit confused
(Why?) I don't know
And I feel like I don't really know what I'm doing
(Oh, at all?)
At all
And that would make me go

Thinking about how hard she worked to give Brooklyn a loving family, a stable family at that, and a father figure has been weighing hard on Olivia for the last few months. Some days, she feels that she tried too hard to make everything perfect, and she knew nothing was perfect.

My little love
Tell me, do you feel the way my past aches?
When you lay on me, can you hear the way my heart breaks?
I wanted you to have everything I never had
I'm so sorry if what I've done makes you feel sad

Calming her daughter down finally after rocking themselves back and forwards for half an hour, Olivia sees that Brooklyn is half asleep. "Rest up sweetie, I'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

I'm holding on (barely)
Mama's got a lot to learn (it's heavy)
I'm holding on (catch me)
Mama's got a lot to learn (teach me)

——

While Olivia was upstairs calming down Brooklyn, Hank and Erin decided to have some good ole father-daughter time and make dinner for the night. They decided on steak and asparagus.

It was good for the two to catch up, it had been a minute. Not long after the asparagus went on, Daniel came downstairs. "Hey Erin Halstead"

"That's not my name! And Jay's not my husband." Brooklyn and Daniel had already accepted that Jay would be a part of their lives for forever. They knew that their sister and him were in love, but they also knew that they lived in two different states.

Brooklyn wasn't allowing anyone else to take the spot of Jay in her heart, and Jay was honored to have a spot in the heart of the broken child. "He's not your husband yet, me and Brookie Cookie know the truth"

——

At the dinner table, Brooklyn was calm. She wasn't talking much, which was worrying her older sister. They all knew it was because she was emotionally exhausted. "Mom?" Calling out to her mother, it was only then that everyone had given her their full attention. "When dad goes back to Chicago, can I go? I'm out for two weeks so school won't be affected. Plus, I wanna see Jay and Kevin"

Olivia knew that having Brooklyn leave for a short break was good, but she didn't want her daughter to run away from her problems. "Two weeks, and then you're back to kicking Uncle Finn's butt at chess"

——

Making it to her father's house in Chicago, Brooklyn immediately takes her bags to her room, which used to be Erin's. She knew her father had to get to the district in half an hour. So, the teen fell back on the bed. "Chicago, don't let me down. You've always been home to my dad, and older siblings. And you've always treated me well. Let these next two weeks be good"