The Flowers Within Our Reach ~ A Thomesa AU Story

| Chapter Six

"Trust is one of the most hardest things to build, and even more difficult to keep, and Thomas doesn't let his walls down often, if he ever did, for that matter."

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Teresa believes that better days always come whenever you're in the dark. It's something probably unknown to many, how people still fear the dark: being it the night, or the different, uncharted places on our minds that we hear about because only someone who's been there knows what it is really like. But just like night turns to day at some point, the darkness in our minds will disappear as well, eventually.

And Teresa knows it better than anyone, because she'd been through much when younger, and she'd overcome her own fears and doubts and she's learned to live life in the present. Not dwelling, not even the slightest, on what she'd done in the past or what she will do in the future. She likes to live in the moment and it honestly has helped her several times.

But she seriously doubts Thomas would ever listen to her if she ever confided that to him.

It's been extremely hard, as she has no experience whatsoever on taking care of a disabled person, though temporary (she believes). And Thomas' personality doesn't really help her case.

Especially when it comes to him and his father's relationship.

Over the past few weeks, Teresa could see in first person how much they slowly became distant of each other. Thomas pushes his father away, while Stuart doesn't resist when Thomas distances himself from him. Teresa thinks it's some kind of a defense mechanism from both parts, and it saddens her to witness how much the two keep pushing the other away, when they should be the closest possible in such moment of despair.

Right now, Teresa can't help but listen to the tense conversation happening in the living room, as the tone of both father and son's voice rises in volume.

"Dad, I don't need help, okay? I can do this alone, I'm not a goddamned invalid." She hears Thomas' voice as he argues with his father.

"Im not saying that you can't, I'm just here helping you in case you need it." Stuart retorts, somewhat gentle.

"Well, I don't need your help!" Thomas argues, his voice raising its tone. "I don't need any of your support or you for that matter!"

"Thomas if you keep with that attitude you're going to make me take serious measures-"

"What?" Thomas interrupts. "You're locking me up in some clinic somewhere where they'll take better care of me the way you never did!?" Teresa gasps audibly and a hand comes up to cover her mouth, surprised with the turn of topic. "Because you never really took care of me, did you? It's been always someone doing that job for you. I've never needed you, and I definitely don't need you now."

There is a small silence in the house, one that makes Teresa's heart speed up with how heavy the atmosphere suddenly is.

She hears a defeated sigh coming from Stuart's mouth.

"I'm going to head up, if that's what you want. There's just one thing I need to tell you." There's a small pause and Teresa busies herself with the dishes, though part of her is still paying attention to the interaction. "If you keep pushing people who want to help you away, you'll stay alone for the rest of your life."

And Teresa hears the heavy footsteps of a man who's definitely getting weaker as the days go by stepping up the stairs, leaving a silence in the house afterwards once he enters his room and the sound of the door closing is heard.