This Time...Maybe - Anderson Family Series Book 2

Chapter 37: Choices and Acceptance

Ethan is driving back with Ollie from buying woods for the bonfire and other stuff.

"Glad you two are okay now." Ollie suddenly commented, his brows furrowed and asked, confused.

"Who? Me and Ellie?"

"Yeah." Ollie's reply and he grinned.

"Yeah. Glad that we are okay."

"Have you told her about what happened? About them?" Ollie's question made him worried.

"I'll take that as a no." He heard Ollie say.

"You should tell her. Everything." Ollie suggested.

"Yeah, I am planning to."

"When?"

"When the timing is right."

"There will never be a right time for that. Aren't you worried that she may have heard the truth from someone else other than you?"

"Who the hell knows other than the immediate family? And them?"

At his answer, Ollie let the topic slide and kept quiet. They drove silently, both are thinking deeply.

They arrived home and fixed the woods to make a bonfire. That's when he noticed something.

"Isn't it too quiet." He said, his very first since the drive back. His statement made Ollie stopped and they listened. With brows furrowed, both of them walked towards the house, careful not to make any noise. Ollie opened the back door and they entered the house and followed the only noise they can hear, a sniffling. They found their family in the living room, all are somber and their mother is the one sniffling, their father comforting her.

"What happened?" he asked.

All of them are quiet and refuses to meet his eyes. He thought nobody will answer, but his son did.

"Momma left." a simple answer but it made him afraid.

"What? Why?" he asked, eyes darting from one person to another, until his eyes landed on his mother. He saw her shook visibly from his intent stare.

"It was my fault, we were talking and-" sniffing, "- I...I slipped..." Alessa began talking in between sniffles.

"What do you mean you slipped mom?" he asked to clarify his confusion. But based on his mother's state and Ellie is missing, he may have an idea what his mother is telling about. And he have a very bad feeling about what it may cost them.

He waited for several seconds for Alessa to compose herself to talk and when she did, his demeanor shattered.

"I slipped about what happened before. How you got married and why you left her?"

"What?!" he shouted, which reverberated throughout the house. He saw her mother flinch and Ollie tapped his shoulder. He turned towards him to tell him to back off, but Ollie gave him a signal by cocking his head to the side, he followed it and saw his children on one corner, he can clearly see their fear, Ally's eyes started to water and Nate is holding his sister in a protective stance, though he can also see fear, he is trying to control it.

He stopped at what he saw and took a deep breath. He then walked to them slowly and he was thankful that they didn't ran off or flinch. He stooped down on their level and explained.

"I'm sorry I shouted. It's just that -"

"You're mad." Nate continued for him.

"Yes."

"Because Momma left?" Nate asked.

"Yes."

"We understand Papa." Nate said which made him expelled the breath he doesn't know he has been holding.