‹ Prequel: Lead me From the Darkness
Status: Completed :)
Family Values
Chapter Five
February 9th, 2012
Thursday
Greg and Donna’s House, Boston, MA
11:00 P.M.
The next day wasn’t as bad as Donna thought it would be. She and Greg brought their parents to a duck boat tour and then they walked around the city. Her mother must have said something to her father because he kept asking quiet. By the end of the day Donna was exhausted. They went out to dinner and then returned home around 11:00. While Greg was in the shower Donna sat on the couch by herself, thinking about the day.
“Hey,” Donna jumped and turned around to see her mother standing there. “Sorry I scared you.” She said.
“It’s alright,” said Donna. Her mother came and sat down next to her.
“You know I approve of Greg,” she said.
“Thanks mom,” she said.
“Don’t let your father get to you,” said her mother, “He’s just very worried about you but he means well.”
“He needs to trust me. He needs to believe that Greg is a great guy.” Her mother pulled her into a hug and said
“I’m going to talk to him about it and I’ll get him to come around.”
“Thanks mom,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it anymore,” she said. Her mother kissed her goodnight and Donna stayed on the couch in the dark living room. She had become a much stronger person since leaving Henry. He was being held in jail in Boston for the next eight years of his life on domestic abuse and attempted murder charges. She often had nightmares about him coming back for her, breaking out of jail and finding her.
She felt Greg sit down next to her and wrap his arm around her.
“Whatcha thinking about?” he asked softly.
“Nothing,” she said absentmindedly.
“I can tell when you’re thinking about him,” said Greg. “Don’t anymore, he’s gone and not in your life.” She felt a rush of intense anxiety and she said
“But what if breaks out or tries to find me when his sentence is over?”
“He won’t,” said Greg. “When are you meeting with Lisa next?”
“The day after tomorrow,” said Donna. Her psychologist had helped her out a lot in overcoming her emotional issues. She hadn’t yet conquered everything Henry had left her with.
“Talk to her about it,” said Greg. She nodded and leaned up against me, feeling very tired.
“I just want some sleep,” she said faintly. He picked her up gently and carried her into their bedroom. By the time he’d set her down and got her under the covers she was fast asleep.
The next morning went well. Donna and Greg brought their parents to the airport after hugging and kissing goodbye they headed back to their house.
“Well they don’t get along,” said Donna stating the obvious.
“Our dads don’t get along, our moms love each other.” said Greg laughing.
“My dad’s scared you’re abusing me,” said Donna.
“It’s understandable,” said Greg to Donna’s surprise. “He’s just paranoid.” Donna shrugged and Greg said “But I’m gonna prove him wrong.” Donna was happy to be home with just Greg. She had work in an hour and they sent the time together relaxing.
“I really don’t want to go to work,” said Donna. “I wanna stay here with you.” Greg smiled and pulled her closer.
“When you get out tonight at nine I’ll have dinner ready for you.” After their parents visit Donna realized how much she loved living just with Greg. She knew some of the players lived with teammates and their girlfriends and Donna didn’t know how they could deal living with a third person.
It was on her way to work that she got a call from her mother. She answered the phone and said
“Hey mom did you forget something?”
“No, I have to ask you something, I just got off the phone with your sister Felicia and she got a new job offer.”
“That’s great,” said Donna “As a doctor still?”
“Yes,” said her mom, “In Boston.”
“Oh,” said Donna, “Well it will be good to see her more if she lives close by.”
“Well that was what I wanted to talk to you about.” said her mom. “She can’t find a place to live in her budget. She was wondering if she could come live with you while she keeps looking. She guarantees that she’ll find a place within the next two or three months.” Donna felt very cold as she fully took in what her mother had said to her. Felicia was Donna’s older sister. Ever since they were little they were rivals in everything they did, grades, boys, and their parent’s attention, anything they could find to compete with each other about. They had never grown out of it and when Felicia left for college.
“Um ya she can come stay with us,” said Donna. What else was she going to say? She couldn’t reject her sister.
“Oh good! She’s excited to see you again. She’ll be there next week with a moving truck.” Felicia had gone to Philadelphia after graduating college and became a doctor. Donna forced a fake sound of happiness. What had she gotten herself into? When her mother hung up Donna felt like the conversation had just been a dream. Donna had kept her distance from her sister. She loved her but every time they got together their old rivalry would rear its ugly head.
She worked until nine and came home, finding Greg in the living room watching TV. He smiled at her when she walked through the door and said
“How was work? I have dinner ready.”
“I have to talk to you about something,” said Donna. Greg saw how frustrated she looked and shut off the TV.
“What’s wrong?”
“My sister Felicia,” she said. “She wants to come live with us for a couple of months. She got a job offer as a doctor here and she can’t find a place to live yet.”
“Well I’d be happy to meet more of your family,” said Greg.
“It’s not that,” said Donna. “She and I have always been….” She searched for the word. “Bitter to each other.”
“Why?” asked Greg. “I thought you were the only two girls out of your siblings, wouldn’t you be close?”
“That’s just it,” said Donna. “We were the only two girls. It made us rivals in everything we did. We never have really put an end to it.”
“You two are adults now,” said Greg. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Donna shrugged and said
“I told her she could com stay with us. I couldn’t say no, she’s my sister.”
“Well I think it’s good,” said Greg. “You two can reconnect.”
_________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.
I have made the updates on my Nathan Horton story, Ghosts of Our Past. The chapters I have updated are marked. Since I made Zach a minor character there's not much changed but I did add in a few things.
Thursday
Greg and Donna’s House, Boston, MA
11:00 P.M.
The next day wasn’t as bad as Donna thought it would be. She and Greg brought their parents to a duck boat tour and then they walked around the city. Her mother must have said something to her father because he kept asking quiet. By the end of the day Donna was exhausted. They went out to dinner and then returned home around 11:00. While Greg was in the shower Donna sat on the couch by herself, thinking about the day.
“Hey,” Donna jumped and turned around to see her mother standing there. “Sorry I scared you.” She said.
“It’s alright,” said Donna. Her mother came and sat down next to her.
“You know I approve of Greg,” she said.
“Thanks mom,” she said.
“Don’t let your father get to you,” said her mother, “He’s just very worried about you but he means well.”
“He needs to trust me. He needs to believe that Greg is a great guy.” Her mother pulled her into a hug and said
“I’m going to talk to him about it and I’ll get him to come around.”
“Thanks mom,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it anymore,” she said. Her mother kissed her goodnight and Donna stayed on the couch in the dark living room. She had become a much stronger person since leaving Henry. He was being held in jail in Boston for the next eight years of his life on domestic abuse and attempted murder charges. She often had nightmares about him coming back for her, breaking out of jail and finding her.
She felt Greg sit down next to her and wrap his arm around her.
“Whatcha thinking about?” he asked softly.
“Nothing,” she said absentmindedly.
“I can tell when you’re thinking about him,” said Greg. “Don’t anymore, he’s gone and not in your life.” She felt a rush of intense anxiety and she said
“But what if breaks out or tries to find me when his sentence is over?”
“He won’t,” said Greg. “When are you meeting with Lisa next?”
“The day after tomorrow,” said Donna. Her psychologist had helped her out a lot in overcoming her emotional issues. She hadn’t yet conquered everything Henry had left her with.
“Talk to her about it,” said Greg. She nodded and leaned up against me, feeling very tired.
“I just want some sleep,” she said faintly. He picked her up gently and carried her into their bedroom. By the time he’d set her down and got her under the covers she was fast asleep.
The next morning went well. Donna and Greg brought their parents to the airport after hugging and kissing goodbye they headed back to their house.
“Well they don’t get along,” said Donna stating the obvious.
“Our dads don’t get along, our moms love each other.” said Greg laughing.
“My dad’s scared you’re abusing me,” said Donna.
“It’s understandable,” said Greg to Donna’s surprise. “He’s just paranoid.” Donna shrugged and Greg said “But I’m gonna prove him wrong.” Donna was happy to be home with just Greg. She had work in an hour and they sent the time together relaxing.
“I really don’t want to go to work,” said Donna. “I wanna stay here with you.” Greg smiled and pulled her closer.
“When you get out tonight at nine I’ll have dinner ready for you.” After their parents visit Donna realized how much she loved living just with Greg. She knew some of the players lived with teammates and their girlfriends and Donna didn’t know how they could deal living with a third person.
It was on her way to work that she got a call from her mother. She answered the phone and said
“Hey mom did you forget something?”
“No, I have to ask you something, I just got off the phone with your sister Felicia and she got a new job offer.”
“That’s great,” said Donna “As a doctor still?”
“Yes,” said her mom, “In Boston.”
“Oh,” said Donna, “Well it will be good to see her more if she lives close by.”
“Well that was what I wanted to talk to you about.” said her mom. “She can’t find a place to live in her budget. She was wondering if she could come live with you while she keeps looking. She guarantees that she’ll find a place within the next two or three months.” Donna felt very cold as she fully took in what her mother had said to her. Felicia was Donna’s older sister. Ever since they were little they were rivals in everything they did, grades, boys, and their parent’s attention, anything they could find to compete with each other about. They had never grown out of it and when Felicia left for college.
“Um ya she can come stay with us,” said Donna. What else was she going to say? She couldn’t reject her sister.
“Oh good! She’s excited to see you again. She’ll be there next week with a moving truck.” Felicia had gone to Philadelphia after graduating college and became a doctor. Donna forced a fake sound of happiness. What had she gotten herself into? When her mother hung up Donna felt like the conversation had just been a dream. Donna had kept her distance from her sister. She loved her but every time they got together their old rivalry would rear its ugly head.
She worked until nine and came home, finding Greg in the living room watching TV. He smiled at her when she walked through the door and said
“How was work? I have dinner ready.”
“I have to talk to you about something,” said Donna. Greg saw how frustrated she looked and shut off the TV.
“What’s wrong?”
“My sister Felicia,” she said. “She wants to come live with us for a couple of months. She got a job offer as a doctor here and she can’t find a place to live yet.”
“Well I’d be happy to meet more of your family,” said Greg.
“It’s not that,” said Donna. “She and I have always been….” She searched for the word. “Bitter to each other.”
“Why?” asked Greg. “I thought you were the only two girls out of your siblings, wouldn’t you be close?”
“That’s just it,” said Donna. “We were the only two girls. It made us rivals in everything we did. We never have really put an end to it.”
“You two are adults now,” said Greg. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Donna shrugged and said
“I told her she could com stay with us. I couldn’t say no, she’s my sister.”
“Well I think it’s good,” said Greg. “You two can reconnect.”
_________________________________________________
Thanks for reading :) Please comment.
I have made the updates on my Nathan Horton story, Ghosts of Our Past. The chapters I have updated are marked. Since I made Zach a minor character there's not much changed but I did add in a few things.