Hunters POV obviously lmao
His therapist is literally just called "she" cause she doesn't need a name right now 👍🏽 also it's short lmao but that's because it's sorta a filler chapter
"Finally got around to making some time for me huh?" She says when I answer her call. "I know I know I'm sorry, things have been busy, I barely get a moment to myself, even when I'm sleeping." I sigh. "The perks of being a guardian, they're always there, even when they're not." She teases, talking about the boys. "I don't even know where to start." I laugh dryly. "Fill me in on the last few weeks then, what's been keeping you so busy?" She asks and I get right into it. When I get to the part where the boys were in a fight, she makes a strangled laughing noise. "What?" I ask her. "I was wondering if that was their school, I heard through the grapevine a bit about that fight already. They really started it?" She asks. "That boy, the one I mentioned to you that was bullying Reid? He instigated it, but yeah, Spence threw the first punch. They came home covered in cuts and bruises and terrified Noah." I explain. "As an older brother, I'm proud of them you know? And I'm maybe a tiny bit happy that someone kicked that kids ass." I say with a small laugh. "But as a guardian, I'm at a loss for words, because don't get me wrong, they've been in a fair amount of scuffles here and there, but this fight, it was like something out of a movie, it doesn't even sound real with the amount of kids that were involved." I continue.
"They've still got bruises, and though he hasn't said anything, I know Noah's thinking about his—the people who took him." I say. "It's tough to have to be both a parental figure as well as a brother, but it's all about balance. You always look at things from both perspectives, and don't ever forget that you have a whole bunch of people willing to help you too." She says. "Asking for help is okay, and not just from Nick and Atlas, sometimes it's okay to have an outside perspective and help, it won't make you any less of a guardian or brother." She continues. I explain a bit more about the aftermath of the fight, and how conflicted I feel about the boys punishment. "Parenting doesn't come with an exact formula, no matter how many parenting 101 tips there are, nothing will be exact to your situation. What I mean by that, is that the boys are learning as they grow up, but you're also learning too. Don't be too hard on yourself because, you were a brother for 19 years, before suddenly becoming a parent for the last 6. You were thrown into this role, by unfortunate circumstances, but you've always done your best, and that's all they need." She says.
"How are you feeling about the trial?" She asks me and I sigh. "I'm terrified. A part of me knows that there is absolutely no reason to be worried about because they'll be going away for a long long time. But I did hear back from our lawyers late this evening about a turn of events, that's making me think of every worst case scenario." I say, and she hums in acknowledgment, waiting for me to continue. "She's asked to see the boys, but not just Noah, all of them. I-I haven't told Nick yet, or Atlas, but I don't want them anywhere near her or the trial. I don't want them to have to ever worry about her or him, ever again. I'm scared the court is going to mandate it as part of her plea deal, and that they'll have to see her." I say shakily. "If you think there's even a possibility of that being mandated, then you do everything in your power to try stop it. Have the boys therapists, doctors, coaches, teachers, or anyone who plays a significant role in their lives, to write letters. You have everything ready on your end to stop it, even if you don't end up needing to use it. You also prepare the boys and yourself for the very small chance that they may have to do this. The best advice I can give you is to be open and honest with all of them. As much as keeping quiet is to protect everyone, having all the information also keeps one safe as well." She says and I know she's right, but I can't stop the rising panic in my chest thinking about not only having to tell them about this, but also having to explain to Noah about our parents, his real mom and dad, not to mention the whole thing with Sophie is still fresh, and who knows what else she could do? "Hunter, take a breath okay? I know there's a lot piling up right now, but you don't have to face it all alone. When you start thinking about worst case scenarios, I want you to do this instead. Think about the boys, each one of them has a specific memory with you that sticks out, whether it's recent or from years ago, think about those memories and think about all the new ones you're going to make one day, because all of this bad stuff? It's going to go away someday, but those memories with the boys? They'll always be there. Make those memories something to ground you when you feel like you're spiralling." She says calmly, but firmly, and before I could continue, Noah pops his head in, making me have to finish my session early.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Our little brother
सामान्य साहित्यNoah is a 12 year old boy who was kidnapped from his family when he was only 1 and 1/2 years old. He had 7 older brothers and 2 loving parents, though he can't remember them after all these years. He's spent the last 10 years in the basement of his...
