RP: Telling the Girls

[neve_stadheim]

Date: October 24th, 2011
Characters: Neve Stadheim, Shelby, Mackenzie & Bryn Stadheim (NPC), Jake Abernathy, Star Abernathy (NPC)
Location: Abernathy Home
Status: Private
Summary: Neve and Jake finally tell their girls.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[neve_stadheim]

"We'll get through this." Neve murmured, not sure if she was trying to reassure Jake or herself that they would get through this. She never kept things from her girls, and hadn't had a serious relationship since Zach's death. So she could understand why Mackenzie and Shelby were upset, and why Bryn wasn't. Her older girls likely saw Jake as a replacement, and Neve was just going to have to work harder to assure them that Jake wasn't intending to replace their dad

[neve_stadheim]

Shelby nodded, settling on the bed as Star fiddled with the DVD player, Bryn snuggled in next to her older sister, just glad to have been allowed to hang out with the older girls. While Mackenzie still in a very sullen state took up residences on the large floor pillow. "Fountain of Youth?" Bryn quirked an eyebrow and looked at Star, having no idea what the Fountain of Youth was.

"It's a myth." Mackenzie pointed out in reply to her little sister, though that explanation was no better.

Bryn screwed up her face, "Myth?" Maybe being with the older girls wasn't as great as she thought, since they were talking about things she didn't understand.

Sighing softly, Neve took Jake's hand before slipping onto Jake's lap. "With our girls, yeah it could have gone so much worse." She agreed, resting her head against Jake's shoulder momentarily. "Sadly, I think this is just the tip of the ice burg."

[jake_abernathy]

"It's like a fairy tale," Star found herself telling Bryn as she navigated the options. "It's about a magic fountain or pool that makes anyone who drinks it young forever, or at least a little while, depending on who is telling the story," she explained. She clicked play and climbed up on the bed with them, grabbing a pillow and scrunching it under her chin.

Jake snugged her closer to him, glad to have her in the circle of his arms. "Oh, I'm sure. Star doesn't give in easily," he said quietly. "Is there anything I can do to help with Mackenzie and Shelby?" he asked.

[neve_stadheim]

Bryn listened to Star as she explained, shifting on the bed a bit as Star climbed up with them. "I like fairy tales." She explained, smiling brightly and making a note that she would have to tell Abby about this. "Younger forever?" Bryn screwed up her face as she asked the question, thinking that wouldn't actually be fun at all.

Neve was still surprised at just how much it calmed her to just be held by Jake. "Neither do my girls." She said, her tone soft. "Honestly, give them time and just understand it's not personal. They really do like you." Neve knew her girls would work through this. "And you know if there's anything I can do to help with Star I will."

[jake_abernathy]

"I like them too. Dad has some cool fairy tales." SHe didn't know if he'd made them up or what, but she also remembered her mom telling her stories when she was little, though maybe they weren't the same ones. She didn't know. "Yeah, like live forever or something. Dunno."

He took a lot of comfort from her closeness, the way she leaned into him. It had been a long, long time since anyone had really relied on him for anything like comfort. "I know it's not. And it's not really with Star either. Just hard for her too." His poor girl, going through a lot lately. But he didn't know how to help, and he didn't want to put this on hold or lose a very good thing in his life. "Just be patient with her is all I can think of right now."

[neve_stadheim]

"He does?" Bryn asked curiously, intrigued by the idea of Jake telling stories. Her Mom always created stories for her for bedtime, and even Uncle Ezra would do it from time to time. Wrinkling her nose, the little girl eyed Star. "Who would want to live forever?"

She had always been a touch oriented person, almost finding more comfort in a simple hug than she ever could in words. It was easy to find comfort in the feel of Jake's arms around her, the closeness was nice and a good reminder that she wasn't in this alone. "This just isn't going to be easy." She murmured, though they knew that going into this. Her girls were upset, but they would get over it in time. "That I can do." Neve said, smiling faintly. She could be patient with Star, just as she hoped Jake would be patient with her girls.

[jake_abernathy]

"Yeah, he's always told good ones," Star said, perhaps a little more subdued than normal, since she was upset with her dad right now, but it was the truth and she'd been taught to be honest. Star shrugged. "Dunno. Crazy people, maybe."

Jake brushed his fingers along her cheek, cupping it and turning his head to kiss her lightly. "It's not, but it's nothing we can't handle." They could take this, so long as they were patient and worked at it. They were both hard workers, they could do it. He knew how to be patient especially with kids.

[neve_stadheim]

"Our Uncle Ezra tells the greatest stories, he even does different voices for different characters." Bryn explained in a happy tone. Her Uncle Ezra was great with stories, and he had a lot of them; or a lot in her mind anyway. "Mmkay, I don't think I want to join the crazy people."

Neve closed her eyes momentarily as he cupped her cheek and kissed her. These little moments, things like this; they just reminded her why she was even willing to go through her girls being upset. She couldn't imagine not giving whatever this was between her and Jake a chance, and she just hoped her girls would come around to the idea. "No, it's definitely not something we can't handle." They were both too stubborn and hard headed to give up, and both could be patient when the situation called for it.