We're a Family

(45) Strawberry

I give her a doubtful look.

"We'll do the best we can, Hopey. That's all we can do."

I nod, wishing I could just hand the world to our daughter. Not too long after, Christen walks in freshly showered, wearing leggings and a sweatshirt. I smooth her hair and kiss her head. "Hey, girlie."

"Food smells great, Mom," Chris says, smiling softly.

She sits at the table. I take her plate and stack French toast and put fruit on the side. "Chocolate milk or orange juice?" I ask while setting her plate in front of her.

"Orange juice." she smiles while picking up her fork. "Thank you."

I make it for her and grab my coffee cup before sitting down beside her. Carli places my plate in front of me with a playful smile because I forgot it. I roll my eyes and pick my fork up and begin eating. I watch Chris while I cut up my food. "What did you and Tobin do while you were gone?"

She swallows and then takes a sip of her orange juice. She looks at me through her eyelashes. "We went surfin'." Carli and I exchange a look.

"I didn't know you surfed..." trails off Car looking at her suspiciously. "Is that all you guys did? Surf?" My mouth drops open and I glare at her. Christen stops midway to her mouth and puts her fork back on her plate.

"I don't like her like that." defends Christen. "E-ew!" She makes a face. "You think I would do it with Tobin?" She scrunches her nose up and shakes her head. "No!"

I shoot Car a look before turning back to Christen, "Don't worry we know you wouldn't do that baby. Mama's being stupid." I kick her under the table. Carli winces and glares at me. I smile at Chris, completely ignoring the other one, and ask, "Did you like surfing?"

She nudges her food around her plate quietly like she's thinking. Suddenly, she drops her fork and it clangs against the heavy glass. I flinch. "Can you guys stop with the bullshit?" I flinch again at her choice of words and the harshness of her previously sweet tone.

"Christen! Language," Carli warns, sounding surprised at her sudden outburst as well.

She shakes her head. "Sorry, I just-I disappeared and didn't tell you where I went!" she exclaims loudly before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I wasn't here for any of you. I was so selfish and stupid and I can't pretend it's not bothering me," she rants, her hands moving through the air as she speaks. Her breathing quickens and her eyes turn into blurry pools as she struggles to keep her cool, "And you guys act like nothing happened! You don't yell, and-and you act like you're not mad but how could you not be? I-I—" She breaks into sobs, unable to control herself anymore.

I reach over and put my arm around her shaking shoulders and pull her against me. I hook my foot in my chair leg and bring it closer so I can sit back down. "Shhh, it's okay baby," I whisper softly while kissing the top of her head. "Deep breaths. It's okay." Carli looks between the two of us concerned and not sure what to do. I shake my head softly to tell her I've got her. I continue talking to Chris, "We aren't mad at you."

She clings to my shirt, sniffling against my shoulder. "Please don't hate me," she hiccups hiding her face even more.

I make eye contact with Carli knowing that would fire her up. "Uh-uh Christen Annemarie, look at us," Carli directs softly. Chris reluctantly turns and rest her cheek on my shoulder so that she's looking across the table at her. "We could never hate you."

"You are so loved," I assure while wiping her cheeks with my thumbs.

"Yes, we were worried sick and we wish you had told us where you were," Carli tells her while nodding her head. "But we're just glad you're safe."

"It's okay to want time to yourself. We know how stressful everything was after the Olympics," I say. "But please tell us next time. Your Mama and I need to know." I softly tell her.

She nods numbly. Carli smiles a little at her. Christen mumbles turning back into my chest, "I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was so scared."

"We want to be here for you, but we can't unless you let us," I say. She looks up at me, her eyes red from crying. "You don't have to know how to do everything. You're strong and independent but that doesn't mean you don't need help. Does that make sense?"

She stares at the floor for a bit before nodding. Carli's phone breaks the silence. She tries to ignore it but after the third time, she gets up with a sigh. She kisses Christen's head, then goes to find her phone.

Once she leaves I notice my plate and then hers which are both hardly touched. "Let's eat." I gently start to detach her. "I have no clue what you ate with Tobin and for all I know you could've eaten French fries the entire time."

"We did not," she whines, sitting back up in her seat. She draws pictures with her fork in her syrup, "We ate other stuff too."

I start to eat and she follows suit. When we both finish, I put our plates in the dishwasher. I turn to Christen, just having got a brilliant idea. "Let's play FIFA."

She stands up smiling. "Can we have popcorn?"

I shake my head, laughing. "We just ate breakfast ya goof." She pouts playfully before skipping out of the room.

She peeks her head back around the corner, "Where exactly do we play FIFA?" I laugh more and turn off the light before putting my arm around her shoulder and leading her down the hall to Jerramy's cave. Her face scrunches up when we walk in, "Is Alex sleeping in here? It looks like her." I look at her amused prompting a reason for that assumption. "It's a pig sty."

I pop her bottom lightly and nod over at the recliner, "Go sit down, Trouble." I get two controllers and turn on the console before sitting next to her in the chair. I scroll through the main screen and load the game. Chris squirms onto my lap and leans against my chest. I rest my head on hers, "I think I'm going to get one of those kid leashes for you."

She looks up at me with a little smile, "No mommy, I don't need that!" I squeeze her waist making her burst into giggles. "Stooooooop!

I smile down at her and kiss her head, "Hmm maybe I'll get you microchipped like a puppy dog." I attack her with kisses to which she laughs even more. She snuggles into me starting to have trouble catching her breath. "You can't run off again Christen Annemarie." I hug her close and talk more seriously. "I know the circumstances were very stressful and emotional but you can't leave without telling mama or me ever ever again okay? Pinky promise me." I stick my pinky out.

She wraps her finger around mine, "Promise." She leans down and kisses them to seal it.

"If I even think you're going to do it again you're going to hold my hand forever." I half joke. She smiles up at me and struggles to contain her giggle. "I don't think you want to have to hold my hand through the shower curtain do you?" I quirk my eyebrow and she laughs hard and hugs me. I smile and hug her tightly, resting my head on hers, "I love you so much beautiful."

She grins up at me, "I love you sooooo much too, mom." I go to say something else but my phone starts ringing.

"Uggggh!" I groan dramatically earning myself a giggle. I set her beside me and get up, "Go ahead and pick your team love bug." I snag my phone off the side table and see an unknown number, but with our area code so I answer. "Hello?"

"M-Mom?"

A/N Hi guys! Sorry it took so long! Hope you liked this! Just so you know the person on the phone isn't hurt or in a dangerous situation! The spacing between paragraphs is for some reason is being weird even though it's right when I  go to edit it.