The Flowers Within Our Reach ~ A Thomesa AU Story

| Chapter Seven

"He knows nobody is made of steel and even the strongest can break sometimes, but it's way easier giving up when you don't see any results than keep going."

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"How are you feeling today, Sir?" Teresa asks as she serves him breakfast, placing a plate in front of him on the table. "Here is your medicine."

"Thank you, Teresa." He replies softly, and Teresa doesn't miss how his hands shake the slightest as he takes the pills from her hand. "I'm fine, I guess. Aside from the fact that my son absolutely hates me."

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He's just a little bit on edge, which is normal." Teresa says and Stuart. Any help but let out a humorless laugh.

"Isn't he always?"

The two chuckle lightheartedly because they are so used to having these conversations during the morning that it comes natural to them to speak about literally everything.

Teresa truly enjoys having these talks with Stuart, as he teaches her things she will take for the rest of her life for sure, while him himself vents and talks about what's worrying him.

"You know, it's getting worse." He admits, his voice barely audible. Teresa furrows her eyebrows together. "The medicine isn't working that much these past few months."

"I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

He gives her a small smile, almost defeated.

"I'm already lucky I got this far, dear. My disease is something still unknown to the doctors, and I know for sure I should've gone way long ago. Don't know exactly how I've made it here so far, but I feel it won't be for much more time."

A pang of sadness hits Teresa full force. She's grown (in a way) with them over the course of the seven years she's been living here. Stuart has always been the closest to her, of course, and listening to him talking like that and touching such sensitive topics with so much defeat in his eyes totally breaks her heart.

"I just hope I'll see my son walking before I do." He mutters under his breath, but it's something more to himself than anyone else.

————

Today is not a good day for Thomas.

Teresa can see it by the way his face is as cold as ice when he enters the kitchen a few minutes later, completely oblivious to the serious conversation that had gone through the two people already there.

He eats in silence, and when Stuart excuses himself to the office, the air is still lacking of any sound from his part.

"Newt and Minho might come over here today." He announces, more to let her know than making conversation. "You can have the evening to yourself."

He finally lifts his eyes from his plate, eyes locking on Teresa's blue ones when he closes his mouth. It gets him slightly taken aback by just how bright they are. Sure he's seen them plenty of times now, but he sees them differently now and he doesn't even know why. Probably because she helps me with literally everything. He thinks to himself.

"Sure. Thank you, Sir." Teresa smiles politely, breaking the burning gaze of his golden orbits, instead continuing with her duty.

Having Newt and Minho over feels like a breath of fresh air to Thomas.

He hasn't seen them since the night of the accident, mainly because they have their own jobs and time for visits is almost none, but Thomas wasn't feeling particularly social for the majority of the time anyway, so it was no use for them to visit if he didn't want to be visited.

However, he's missed them like they're the family he doesn't have - at least not to him - and they're a huge pillar for him.

After long hours chatting and trying to return to the good old days, the topic of his wellbeing suddenly feels unbearable not to talk to, and Newt is the one who voices just that.

"How are you feeling, man?" He asks, his gaze locked on his best friend.

"I'm fine." Thomas dismisses, not wanting to talk about his condition.

"We know you're not. How are you really feeling?"

Thomas stays silent for some minutes, sorting out words to tell his friends.

"I don't know... I- I feel like I'm not myself anymore, you know? And I'm done. I'm so done of needing help to do literally everything!" He blurts out, feeling somewhat lighter now that he opened up. "I don't know what to do anymore..." he slumps down on his chair, avoiding Newt's gaze.

"You need to react." Newt voices, tone gentle. "There's still hope, Tommy. Don't accept defeat when you can still win."

"They say it's not permanent." Thomas mumbles, his eyes lifting to meet Newt's.

A smile suddenly forms on the boy's face. "Well, that's bloody amazing, Tommy. Now you know there is something you can do. And you know what it is."

Thomas nods, feeling grateful for Newt's encouraging words. He knows nobody is made of steel and even the strongest can break sometimes, but it's way easier giving up when you don't see any results than keep going.

But for the moment being, Newt has gotten some sense inside of him.

Minho, for his own good, looks back and forth to each of them, as if watching a tennis match, his eyes wide and mouth opened slightly.

"That was a goddamned speech right there, Newtie." He remarks, amused,  making Thomas chuckle for so long that it feels somewhat foreign.

It's been a while since he's laughed at something.

Of course the only people capable of doing just that are Newt and Minho. But that's what they do. They're there for each other whenever one needs them to be.

That's what being real friends feels like.

A/N

Hi everyone! How are you?

Wow, it's been a awhile 😅
So sorry for it, but hopefully I'll update sooner than you expect!

Next chapter is MY favourite, and I think you guys will enjoy it as well 😊

Love you and thank you all for the support! ❤