"Do not embarrass me in front of my parents. I don't care how y'all act at home but I will not tolerate that behavior in my parents' house." I tell the triplets as we stand outside my parents' home.
They're looking at me as if they're going to jump me at any minute.
I open the door letting them go in first. We headed straight to the dining room where I know my parents are going to be.
"Jordyn!" I heard my triplets shout making me freeze at the doorway. My eyes land on her as she greets my kids with a huge smile. The last time I saw her I said very regretful things.
"I've been trying to contact you, Jordyn." I said loud enough for everyone to hear. Jordyn looked at me then focused her attention back on my triplets.
I take a seat between my mom and Kai.
"Let's talk about it." My dad said and look at him confused. "The kids told me about you." He says and I swallow nervously.
"I-I don't t-think that's a g-g-g-good idea." Gaia spoke.
"No, it's okay Gaia. Let's talk about it. Everyone is here so everyone can tell their sides of the stories and defend themselves." Hera says as she looks around the table.
"Let's talk about the biggest problem within our family— our father not giving us the time of day and putting work first all the time." Apollo says and I felt my dad's glare burning into my skin.
I open my mouth but it closes immediately before opening again, "I'm just a busy man." I replied followed by a scoff coming from Jordyn.
"Did it ever cross your mind that we just wanted quality time? Do you realize that buying us stuff does not make you a good dad? You're never physically or emotionally here with us. Do you even remember the last time we had a family meal? The last time we sat and watched a movie together or even played a game together? Yeah me either." Gaia finishes.
"Even when you come you stay in the office or a room that nobody is in." Apollo adds.
I felt my heart shatter.
"I'm disappointed." My mother said.
I hate disappointing people.
"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry." My voice was barely above a whisper. Great, I worked so hard to get rid of my stutter and now it's coming back.
"Your father always made time for you even on his busiest days. When he felt as if he was spending too much time at work he always took off for the next three days to make sure he spent time with us. The moment you ever opened your mouth to ask him to hang out with you, he did. Your father never missed a game, competition, or a parent-teacher conference." I felt a lump in my throat start to form.
"The number of times you or the kids call me to pick them up from somewhere when you were supposed to get them, I could only imagine how it was in LA when you didn't have the help like you do now." She adds.
"We had a nanny all the time. Barely seen him." Hera added on.
"Do you not see anything wrong with the way you are acting?" My dad shouted. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out and my eyes started to water.
I hate being yelled at. It makes me feel stupid.
"I get that everyone is mad but let's not attack him." Jordyn speaks up and everyone looks at her.
"Y'all have to remember that this is Atlas's first time being a dad. Yes, he had an example of what a father figure is but everyone is different." She reminds everyone and for the first time, I feel thankful that someone understands me.
"I think a lot of this stems from y'all letting him move to LA with that woman when he was still so young and she was so much older than him. I get that y'all didn't intervene because he was "grown" but parenting does not stop the moment your child turns 18." Jordyn adds.
"Maybe y'all tried to "teach him a lesson" but what lesson did y'all teach him? That his parents are not going to be there in times he needs them the most? He didn't have anyone in LA with him. Atlas was forced to grow up at 18 and was consistently around people who were much older than him and all they did was work. He was still a child when he left— mentally and physically— and children are like sponges, they soak up everything. So if he's surrounded by those sorts of people, of course, he's going to do what he sees."
"And don't get me wrong I do not agree with the way Atlas has been treating the triplets or even me but there's always a reason a person acts the way they do." She finishes with a shrug.
A feather could be heard dropping at how quiet the house was. Everyone was so deep in thought after Jordyn's words.
Yes, I am the main problem but a lot goes into why I am the problem.
Truth be told I'm scared. They had a nanny basically their whole life and I know nothing about my kids for real. I'm scared that we won't have anything in common, I'm scared that I don't know how to talk to them, that I will mess up our relationship even more, and that they will hate me if I do something wrong.
I usually let them speak to me first because I never know what to say or how to even start a conversation with them. It's quite embarrassing to say but it's true.
I'm very self-conscious when it comes to speaking to people. I don't know how to hold a conversation and I don't think I speak intelligently enough.
But now that Jordyn said what she said it could be because of the group I surrounded myself with. I mean I got rid of my stutter because they use to make fun of me for it.
The triplets' mother was 28 and I was 18 when she got pregnant. She was my babysitter and the first time we did something I was 16. I tried to tell my parents but they kept saying it was my teenage mind being gross. When my parents found out we were having a baby they blamed me— the literal child.
I resented my parents after that.
When we got to LA she always introduced me to people her age or older. I looked up to those people because they were all so successful. All they knew was work, work, work so of course, I followed behind them.
When the triplets were born their mother left so I was stuck doing everything by myself. I didn't want to hire a babysitter or nanny because of what happened to me so I was always so overwhelmed.
I finally gave in a got a nanny for my kids. We didn't have a lot of money at the time so I was always at work to the point where my own kids didn't recognize me when they were younger. That hurt me to the core but I was just trying to make sure we could live comfortably.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Fuck.
Tears threaten to escape Atlas's eyes but before they could he jumped up from his seat and stormed off.
Everyone looked at me and I looked back at them cause what I do.
"Don't know why y'all looking at me, y'all the ones who attacked him. He probably feels overstimulated. Between the emotions, people shouting at him, and everyone coming at him left and right it was too much." I tell them.
"You took his side. He was mean to you too you should've said something." Apollo says.
"No, I shouldn't have. When I'm ready to talk to him I'll sit down and have a conversation with him which is exactly what y'all should've done. Y'all live with him 24/7, this could've been avoided with one conversation. I know y'all realize how awkward your dad is and how hard it is for him to be the one who initiates things. Y'all can't just blame him for everything." I explain to them and see the guilt slowly settling in.
Atlas tries to put on this front that he's this confident man but if you pay attention you notice he's still awkward. The first day we met again he kept playing with his fingers and tapping his finger on his palm.
The first time we argued he refused to look me in the eyes and he kept tapping his finger on his palm.
Then the recent argument he could not stay still and you know what else? Yup, you guessed it— tapping his finger on his palm.
"He's the father he should be the one that takes action." Their grandfather says. I do not like this man.
"Did you not just hear me? It's hard for him to initiate conversation and things like that. The kids are 13, they are old enough to tell their dad that they wanna hang out with him or to even start a conversation with him. The problem between them isn't just one-sided, it's both parties. I'm sure everyone noticed that Atlas is a bit... different. He handles stuff differently than we do and y'all have to be a bit more patient and understanding with him." I say.
He does very well with covering his autism but as a teacher, I pick up on the smallest details.
I'm pretty that's why his parents act the way they do cause they refuse to acknowledge that their child isn't perfect as they think they are.
"And I'm so disappointed in y'all." I turn towards the triplets who are all looking at me nervously.
"Y'all know how your grandparents are and y'all know your grandparents and your father don't have the best relationship. I get that y'all are upset but doing what y'all did was not a good way to get the point across. Y'all set this plan up for your dad to get ripped apart when all y'all had to do was tell him how y'all felt. Now I want y'all to sit here and think about what y'all did and how your dad might be feeling right now." I tell them before getting up and making my way to find Atlas.
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poor atlas... never thought i'll say those words.
there will be a part 2 to this chapter, im in the middle of writing it now. will be out tonight or tomorrow.
also i might buy that grammarly premium 😭 i want to sound like i've been writing my whole life