Just us- SBI adoption story (Just me and him book 2)

Chapter 19: meanwhile in therapy

"I think your family understand you might not be as up for talking and hanging out as much when you've got all this going on."

"Yea." We played in silence for a little bit. I was waiting for him to find another thing he was happy to talk about, I couldn't imagine what he was going through.

"This morning was rough. Tommy's been pretty up and down recently."

"Is it something that's affecting you?"

"Kind of? Mum and Dad do their best to make sure it doesn't, so James, Tommy's like 1 on 1 support assistant person, is coming over tomorrow so we've got a day off. I mean, I don't like saying a day off, Tommy's not an issue. It's just difficult when there's so many moving parts."

"Do you think your parents could do something better?"

"Nope, they're good people and they're doing amazing. They did the right thing getting James in."

"Okay, that's good then."

"But the foster kid staying with us is spending time with her Dad, and he's in hospital. So Mum has to drive her over there, and yesterday that was in the evening, so it wasn't as bad. But today it was during the day, like now, and so Dad is having to sit in the car park with all my brothers in the car waiting for me to finish here, and then we'll go home. He doesn't want to leave Tommy at home. And he's not keen on leaving Wilbur home alone, or Tubbo with Wilbur. It's okay with me, and I think Tubbo still finds it a little frustrating considering he used to be Tommy's main carer and have to be out with him for hours, or home for hours, just the two of them."

"Do you know when the foster kid might be moving on?"

"Dad said soon, but we just don't know yet. Mum was supposed to be finding out answers today. I love her, she's great but she's got needs too and it's difficult when all five of the kids in a family are struggling with something. It feels like there isn't enough parents to go around."

"Do you think there is something we could do or say to help that?"

"Maybe?"

"Any ideas?"

"Well, if Tor is my brother, then I could go to him to talk about stuff. And it would be another adult who could help more. Even if that means just taking me and my needs out of the equation for a few hours."

"I assume that he's said he's happy to do that then?"

"He's said I could live with him."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. How do you feel about that?" He shrugged his shoulders and focussed more on the game. I recognised the shut down. "Ah, can you get some more wood, I'm running out of it for this house, and it's not looking great as it is."

"Sure." He began chopping with his axe. Using this Xbox as a way to reduce anxiety around conversations was really working. Maybe I'd drop a note to Phil just mentioning that it might be a helpful tool at home. They were probably already using it to be honest.

I grabbed a few sips of water and readjusted myself in my chair a little. Techno turned to me. "I'd like it. But I worry how Wilbur would feel and how Tommy would cope. I know how much having a role model can be helpful too, for Tubbo I mean."

"So you're worried about the impact on other's?"

"Yea, it's a long way off, but now I'm not going to university, I know it might be the easier way to move out of home, and the most cost efficient way."

"Had you planned to go to university?"

"Yea, but it just didn't work out. I have... ideas, I'm just working through them."