To Change a City (Divergent/Eric) 3 of 3 COH Series

Chapter 9 (Eric's POV)

We arrive at my parents' place and let Elliot get cleaned up for dinner.  Mom wants to make him a special meal with my wife and sister.  They shove us out of the kitchen to prepare it alone.  My dad and I laugh, not minding at all sitting around and being taken care of by the women in our lives. 
Dad takes me through the hallway to the bedrooms.  "Since you already know, you can help me set this up while our girls take care of dinner," he says. 
"Okay," I agree.  I have no idea what we're doing but I don't mind helping my dad out.  We pass a pink and blue room with butterflies everywhere.  That must be Lizzy's.  There's a green room with sports paraphernalia on the walls, mostly soccer: Elliot's.  There's what looks to be an office with a desk and bookshelves.  That must be Dad's study.  There's a more grand room with black, blue, and grey.  It's quite elegant, like their room always was.  I see another silver jewelry box on top of a vanity and remember my mom always putting on makeup and jewelry like that at the old house.  I get nostalgic standing in the doorway. 
"This one," my dad says opening the last door.  I step in behind him and frown.  This'll be my baby brother or sister's room.  It's painted mint green with pastel yellow trim.  There are framed caricatures on the walls of giraffes and lions.  I see a comfortable stuffed chair in the corner of the room with an ottoman.  I remember my mother rocking Lizzy to sleep when she was a baby.  Sometimes at night when she cried, I'd stand in the doorway and listen to my mom sing to her—the same way Hosanna sang to the babies in the nursery.  My heart aches at the memory, the similarity of the two.  I watch as my dad walks over, opening a long box on the floor.  "I hear you're good at putting beds together," he smiles.  "Have you ever done a crib?"
"No," I grin.  "But I'm a quick learner."
I get down on the floor with him and we start to assemble the puzzle of crib parts.  As we put it together, he explains what he spent some of the morning going over with his staff.  He assigned a few of his control room night crew to go over Nita's encounters with the Chicagoans.  She did the same thing as with Four oddly to all of Hosanna's guards, mine, and Aaron.  It's as if I angered her—or somehow my wife did—and she's trying to turn them on us.  It appears as if they all declined her advances but I'm going to have to interview each of them after tonight. 
We complete the crib and set it aside.  I can't believe how similar it was to the bunk beds.  I smile thinking about how in a few months, my sibling will be sleeping in there.  Next, we move on to some furniture.  The dresser is pretty nice and simple to assemble since it's just varying sizes of boxes.  Elliot comes in with damp hair and sits in the chair, rocking and watching us work.  He has a big, toothy grin on his face.  The changing table is a little more complex since it has drawers and storage cubicles.  It's not so bad once we get going and we complete it in no time.  My dad hands me the bedding and pulls the crib up higher for me to make the bed while he takes care of the mess of boxes on the floor. 
Elliot comes up beside me, practically leaning on me as I make the tiny bed.  "Did you know that the baby won't be able to roll over for a few months?" he asks me. 
"I didn't know that but it makes sense.  When one of my friend's babies was born, I had to support her neck with my hand because she wasn't strong enough to do it herself," I say softly as I pull the fitted sheet around the corners. 
"I saw that.  Nora, right?" he smiles.
"Yeah," I respond remembering how little she was and how big she is now. 
"Why is everyone afraid of you?  You're not scary," he says. 
"I don't know.  Perhaps it's because I'm stern.  I wasn't always the nicest person before my wife came.  Maybe I used to be a little too harsh and that's how they still see me," I try to explain. 
"You don't scare me," he says. 
I laugh, "I'm glad."
My dad comes back into the room and we move the dresser and changing table into place.  When we finish, I hear my mom calling out to us that dinner is ready.  My dad insists that we stay for a minute.  We used to join her right away.  I grin knowing what's going on.  This must be a surprise for her.  He was always doing things like that.  She comes down the hallway in search of what could be keeping us.  I can't keep the smile off of my face at how happy she looks. 
"Christopher, when did you do this?" she asks practically in tears. 
"I got the furniture this morning while you were shopping.  Elliot picked it out but Eric helped assemble it," he explains.  She kisses him and it used to gross me out when I was little but now, I'm so glad I had parents who loved each other so much.  Their influence has impacted me and I hope to have a marriage as great as theirs when I'm older. 
Elliot and I leave them alone for a minute and head to the dining room.  Hosanna and Lizzy are dishing out everyone's plates. "Are we having fish?" I ask. 
"Seafood," Hosanna explains. 
"It's my favorite," Elliot grins.  "Thank you," he tells them taking a seat. 
"You're welcome," they both reply. 
"Are you going to be okay with this?" I ask my sister. 
She shrugs, "As long as it tastes better than catfish, it's fine."
"No dirt for you?" Hosanna giggles. 
"Eww, he made you some, didn't he?" she laughs. 
"Actually, I was the one that caught the catfish," my wife explains. 
"Next time, throw it back.  That's what I do when Eric's not looking," she attempts to whisper. 
"Hey, I'd eat it," I complain. 
"Yeah, and then chop it up and chase me around the house with picked carcasses," she says irritably. 
"Hey, I stopped when you started having nightmares.  I just thought it was funny," I defend. 
"You didn't?" Hosanna asks me mortified.  "I thought you were just joking about that."
I shrug and nod my head.  She gasps irritably. 
"Eric, stop picking on your sister," Mom scolds. 
"Sorry," I say guiltily. 
My wife smiles and sits beside me.  Elliot and Lizzy are across from us with my parents at either end of the table. 
"What exactly is this?" I ask. 
"Shrimp Alfredo," Mom says passing the bread.  I take a piece and pass the basket to my wife.  She smiles at me. 
"Will Lizzy be okay with that?" I ask. 
"I guess we'll find out.  We have an adrenaline shot just in case.  Elliot is allergic to bees.  He carries one in his bag and we always have a spare at home," my dad explains. 
"Adrenaline?  You think I'm allergic to this?" Elizabeth asks. 
"You never know.  I guess we'll find out," my dad says seriously. 
"Is it worth it?" she questions hesitantly. 
"The shrimp we had before was delicious," Hosanna comments. 
"Okay," Lizzy says before taking a bite.  She chews and we're all watching to see if she starts to swell.  "This is delicious," she says with the bite in her mouth. 
"Swallow before you talk dear," my mother tells her before starting on her dinner. 
Lizzy finishes.  "Sorry.  I hope I'm not allergic.  I think Eli and I have the same tastes," she grins before taking another bite. 
"This is better than the other shrimp we had," Hosanna agrees. 
"Thank you," my mom grins. 
"This tastes different," Elliot says. 
"Hosanna helped me make it.  The sauce isn't from a jar," Mom explains. 
"Oh, I like it," he grins grabbing another portion.  I guess he finished his first plate. 
"Finish your zucchini first," Mom tells him. He nods. "Well, I have the recipe now.  I'll try it on my own next time," my mom says.  She's smiling at my wife. 
I sigh happily at this family get together, soaking up the experience.  "This family meal is so different from what I had growing up," Hosanna says.  "It's nice," she elaborates stroking my hand. 
"What were your family meals like?" Lizzy questions before taking a bite.  We've tried to limit what she's told about the Marcus situation.  Jeanine and the papers just called him cruel and abusive.  She had heard that he was abusive in Hosanna's speech to Dauntless but never was told about the details. I'm thinking that she believes they were just spanked too severely or something. It's possible that she may have just forgotten since my wife is so well rounded and doesn't seem to let her past problems overwhelm her.
"Well," Hosanna says pausing. She always does this before speaking on delicate issues. It's like she's trying to put together the best way of explaining something without making anyone uncomfortable or revealing too much. "In Abnegation, dependents are supposed to let the parents speak during dinner. We're expected to give our listening ears to them. It's like our gift to them. Afterward, families gather in the living room and the dependents talk about their day. The meals are bland and unseasoned because they want to deny themselves the pleasure of self-indulgence. They believe that giving the seasoning to the other factions is like a gift and don't want to accept a portion that could go to someone else," she explains.
"That doesn't sound too bad, except for the seasoning part. Was that really what your mealtime was like with your family?" Lizzy asks.
"Um, that was what is was like at the Prior's house and some of my neighbors' meals for dinner when I visited," Hosanna pauses. She looks to Elliot momentarily. "I could tell you a little more about my family later," she says quietly.
Elizabeth looks confused for a moment and glances to me. I don't want to overstep my parents so I look to my dad to explain. "Hosanna's father had some problems," my dad chimes in. "He didn't always follow his faction's teachings or any moral code of society. He's going to court for a reason."
"Oh, I... forgot about that," she says solemnly. "I'm sorry," Lizzy whispers.
"It's okay," Hosanna tries to smile. She reaches across the table and takes my sister's hand. "You don't have to feel bad or uncomfortable. I could tell you about it sometime but there are some things that need to stay between adults."
Lizzy frowns but nods.
My wife releases her hand and we all eat quietly. The pasta is really good. "I got to hear you sing for the first time the other day," my mom tells my wife.
"Oh?" Hosanna grins.
"I was near the control room and somebody asked to see you at David's bar. I think it was last year, maybe," she explains. Hosanna nods. "You really have a beautiful voice."
"Thank you," Hosanna smiles genuinely.
"I've heard you attend church regularly. I'm surprised they haven't asked you to sing during your service," Mom adds.
Hosanna looks to me for a moment while chewing the bite in her mouth. "They have actually, several times. I just can't promise that we can always come. We get so busy sometimes in leadership that I couldn't attend rehearsal or every Sunday service," she explains. She never told me that.
My mother nods in understanding. "I know life in leadership can be really demanding," she says. Mom takes another bite.  After a minute, she speaks again. "You know," she pauses looking to me. "You and Eric have quite a bit in common."
I look to my mother in question. "He used to be quite the singer," my mom says.
"Mom," I whine. Don't tell her that.
Hosanna puts her fork down and looks to my mother clearly interested. "Really? I thought you said you couldn't sing," my wife grins.
"I can't. I don't," I insist.
"You used to," my mom pushes.
"Back when Lizzy was a baby. Back before puberty hit," I defend.
Hosanna looks to me expectantly. "She had colic. She never stopped crying. It quieted her down," I explain.
"I remember the first time," my mom beams. "Lizzy was sick, I think. She was so tired and had a fever. I gave her some medicine but she just didn't want to go to sleep. He was about five or so and stood in the doorway as I rocked her and sang. I waved him in and he climbed up to sit on my lap. I put the baby in his arms and he held his sister. I sang and he just started up on his own. It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen."
I feel Hosanna slide her arm behind my back. Her chin is resting on my chest as she stares up at me grinning. "I'm glad someone else knows how wonderful you are," she says giving me a squeeze.
My mom eventually changes the subject since she knows how uncomfortable it makes me. We go sit in the living room and chat when we finish the meal.  They have a dishwasher, which looks like it makes cleaning up a lot easier.  Maybe I should get my wife one.  I think Erudite has some.  I know Jeanine had one. 
Hosanna asks about what my mom has been working on in the labs.  "I've been creating a serum to counteract the high doses of fear serum injected into some people in the city.  We're working on the creation now but I think we're closer to our testing phase than we expected," Mom explains. 
"That would be wonderful for those in Factionless so severely affected," Hosanna says. 
I blink.  "You found her, didn't you?" I ask.  I thought Jeanine said once that she was dead. 
My mother nods slowly.  "How... how is she doing?" I ask softly. 
She sighs.  "She stares a lot.  Sometimes she screams and thrashes for hours on end.  They keep her tied down so she doesn't harm herself.  She has to be taken care of completely.  We searched through the records.  It looks like my sister had been paying for her care.  My assumption would be out of guilt.  Now that Jeanine won't be in a position to be paying for the services, I don't know what will happen to her," she elaborates sadly. 
"I'll take care of it," I immediately respond. 
My mother frowns and nods.  Hosanna slips her hand into mine.  "Will her mind be alright even if there's a cure?  It's been so long..." she questions. 
"I don't know.  We'll have to see if we can cure it first, then wait and see what happens," Mom tells us.

*****

I watch from the doorway as my father reads part of a book to Elliot before he goes to sleep. He's reading the Chronicles of Narnia, which I've never read before. I think I might have those on our bookshelf at home and I'll have to check. Just the part they're reading now sounds fascinating. When they finish the chapter, my father talks about what happened relating to actual day to day living. He's teaching him morals based on this story. Now that I think about it, that's what he did for me. Even when both of my parents worked, they both made time for us at night before bed. We had our special time with each of them.
My father hugs Elliot and kisses his head. He tells him how much he loves him. My mother pats my chest as she enters the room. She was with my wife in Lizzy's room just a moment ago. My father steps out and I watch as Mom turns off his light switch. He has a lamp on his nightstand. It moves with a projection of the night sky on the ceiling. The stars rotate just like they do in the sky but much more swiftly than in actuality. She sings to him a familiar song I recall from my childhood and my heart clenches at the memory. I really did have great parents. Even though I only had them with me for such a limited time, I'm grateful for what I did have.
I think of my wife and the terrors she dealt with day to day of her childhood. I'll admit, I watched more of her torment than I let on with her. I think she and Four are embarrassed by it, like the world stepping in while they're in the bathroom or something.  I don't know how she walked out of that place with her sanity, especially after the things he had done to her in particular. I guess I'm glad she said she was never conscious, that's the one comfort I have in what was done. It's probably what saved her mind.
"What are you thinking about?" Hosanna whispers from behind me.
"Nothing, baby. I'm just glad we're here," I say rubbing her hand as it rests on my chest.

*****Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at Eric's family life.*****

Words of Wisdom:
I think that the way Eric's parents are with the younger children is admirable.  I always try to spend time with each of my girls.  My husband and I take turns reading with them or getting them ready for bed.  One of us gives one attention, then the other.  At least, this is my intent.  We're not as methodical as in this instance since bedtime with my kids can sometimes be a little hectic.  I strive to be like this—the perfect parent—but I know I'm not.  I do think that spending time with them and teaching them life lessons, praying with them, and teaching them to be kind and well-behaved is important. 

"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Deuteronomy 11:19 NIV