Disenchanted

Alex and I stayed for a week before Bob turned up. I went to work each night while Mom and Dad watched over Alex for me. Over the week I had received a dozen messages and calls, but I ignored all of them, only sending one mass message out to let everyone know that Alex and I were okay.
I was reading to Alex in the living room when the doorbell went. I knew Dad was at work and Mom was out hanging the laundry so I was the only one left to answer it.
"Hey honey, I'll be right back, Mommy's gotta go answer the door, okay," I said quietly to Alex.
"Okie dokie, Mommy," Alex replied cheerfully, climbing off my lap.
"I'll be back soon," I promised, before walking to the door.
I opened it to see Bob.
"Hey Bella, how are you?" he asked.
I wanted to be angry with him, to respond and say something cutting, but I couldn't. I knew in my heart Bob was just trying to protect me.
"Hey Bobbert. I'm good, how are you?" I responded, moving out of the doorway to let Bob in.
"I'm pretty good. Just came to see how you were. You haven't really responded to any of us... and I wanted to check up on you... You are my sister," he replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"I know, I just needed a bit of space. Bob, I know you just want to help, and you have no idea how much I appreciate everything you've done so far... but--"
"Look, Bella, I'm not going to apologise for wanting to bash Gerard's face in... Or for wanting to protect my sister who has been downtrodden by other people all her life, I'm just... I'm sorry if maybe, I just get a bit too much," Bob apologised.
I gave him a smile and hugged him.
"I'm sorry for being so..." I searched for the right word. "Stubborn."
"It's cool, Bella. You're a woman, you can't help it," he teased, giving me a shit-eating grin.
I just laughed and punched him in the arm.
"Hey!" he exclaimed with a laugh, rubbing his arm.
"Don't forget, this 'woman' can still beat your ass down," I reminded him with a smile.

We walked into the living room and when Alex saw Bob his face lit up.
"Uncle Bobby!" he cried in delight, jumping up and giving him a hug.
"Hey, little man, how have you been?" Bob asked, swinging Alex right up into his arms.
"Good! Mommy and I have had lots of fun at Granma's! We've had cookies and cakes and Granpa took me out to a farm and I saw baby goats!" Alex excitedly rushed through his words.
Bob and I both laughed quietly.
"Sounds like you've had an amazing time!" Bob agreed.
"Yes! I love Granma and Granpa!" Alex declared.
I heard the back screen door close and I looked over to see our mother walking in, with an empty basket.
"Oh! Bob! I didn't hear you come in, what a lovely surprise!" she hummed, setting down the basket and bringing Bob, still holding Alex, into her arms.
"Hey Ma. How are you?" he asked, giving her a one armed hug back.
"I'm keeping well, as is your father. What brings you to my little neck of the woods?" she asked, releasing him, and taking Alex from him.
"Well, I'm not sure if Bella told you, but, I'm in a band now... finally," Bob said, a little bit sheepish.
"Oh! That's wonderful! I am so pleased for you!" she gushed.
"Yeah, they're not massively famous yet, but... I think this could be it Ma. I feel like this could be the big one..." Bob admitted.
I looked at him with a cocked head slightly, I didn't know he felt so strongly about My Chemical Romance.
"Well, in any case, I have high hopes for you and I will keep my fingers crossed for you," Mom informed him.
"Thanks, Ma. I really hope so too. That's actually part of what brings me here," Bob said, turning to me at the end. "We're going on tour soon. Two weeks."

Instantly, half of me was over the moon in joy for Bob, but the other half of me was stricken. I couldn't leave Alex alone at night. I just smiled and drew Bob in for a hug.
"I am so happy for you," I murmured in his ear, honestly meaning it.
"I know. Thank you. For everything," he murmured back.
I just chuckled slightly and we pulled away.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine," I assured, referring to Alex and I.
"What about you and work though? You can't bring Alex with you and you can't leave him alone at night..." Bob asked, worried.
"You let me worry about my own son. You can't keep worrying about us," I replied softly.
Bob had done so much for both Alex and I, and I felt so bad that he felt so much responsibility for us. Bob had been nothing short of amazing, since the day we met he took care of me. He has helped me through so much and always pushed me to do better for myself. When Alex came along Bob took on the role of Uncle better than I could have imagined and he has always been there for Alex. It was time for me to return the favour.
"No. I can't help it. You are my sister and he is my only nephew!" Bob protested.
"Bob. Alex is my son. My responsibility. Not yours. This is your chance to make it in a band, like you've been dreaming... and I will be damned if you throw this chance away because of me," I replied firmly.
Bob opened his mouth to protest and I gave him a look.
"And if you do stay, I will make it a living hell for you. I will become very difficult to live with. That much I promise," I threatened him.
Bob's shoulders slumped and he sighed.
"Plus, don't forget, she'll have your father and I... we won't let her struggle, you know that," Mom said gently, placing her hand on Bob's shoulder.
"Fine. Okay. I'll stop worrying about you two," Bob caved.
I gave him a big grin and flung my arms around him.
"I am so pleased you're taking this chance," I mumbled in his ear.
His arms tightened around me.
"Thank you," he replied.
He released me from his grip and Mom gave us a smile.
"I am so proud of the both of you, you are fine young adults. Be safe out there Bob, and Bella, honey, call us if you need anything. Anything at all," Mom said, her voice full of pride.
I gave her a big smile and Bob nodded.
"We will," Bob agreed.

Bob and I stayed for a few more hours, but then we decided it was time to go home. I collected up mine and Alex's things, packed them into my car and left. I hummed along to the radio as I drove behind Bob.
"Mommy, is Uncle Bob leaving?" Alex asked.
I glanced in the rear view mirror to look at him before responding.
"Yes, honey. He's going to travel around playing his drums with some friends," I answered.
"Can we go with him?" he asked.
"I'm sorry honey, but we can't," I replied.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because Mommy has to stay here to work. Playing drums is Uncle Bob's job, just like being on the radio is mine," I explained to him.
"Is Uncle Will going?" Alex asked.
I was caught off guard a little bit by that.
"No, he's not honey. Why is that?" I asked him.
"Uncle Bob and Uncle Will are friends, you said Uncle Bob was playing drums with friends" Alex replied.
I smiled even though Alex couldn't see it.
"Yes, they are, but Uncle Bob is playing with other friends. Do you remember when we went to McDonald's the other day and I had two friends with me, a tall man called Mikey and a woman called Alicia?" I asked him.
"Yes," he replied.
"Well, Uncle Bob is playing with Mikey," I said.
"Oh," he responded.
I smiled at him again and slowed down as Bob pulled into our driveway. I saw Will's car waiting outside and I sighed.
I knew I'd have to talk to him, I just would rather not have.

"C'mon munchkin. I'll put on a movie for you," I said to Alex after he climbed out of the car.
"Yay!" he cried and ran inside.
I chuckled to myself as I grabbed our stuff.
"Need a hand?"
I looked up and I saw Will standing next to the car. His face was open and he had a smile on his face. I was a bit relieved to see he wasn't mad or angry with me.
"Sure, if you could just grab Alex's bag, that'd be great," I answered.
"Sure," Will agreed, taking a bag off my shoulder and grabbing his toys from the boot, shutting it.
"So," I said conversationally as we walked inside.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"I've been okay. I just, kinda felt like I needed a break on neutral territory. I kinda felt like a child again," I answered.
"Yeah... hey, look, I'm sorry if I... undercut you and made you feel like you didn't have a say in anything... I just... I don't care what buttons anyone presses, no one has the right to do that to anyone," Will apologised.
I looked at him and studied his face. I could tell he'd felt really bad about the whole thing and I shrugged.
"Don't let it happen again," I said, with a smile, letting him know all was forgiven.
He gave me a smile back and mine grew.
"C'mon, I gotta ditch this bag," I laughed.

We walked inside and I threw my stuff in my room and Will placed Alex's stuff in his room.
"So, did you hear about Bob?" I asked, while putting in The Emporer's New Groove for Alex.
"About My Chemical Romance going for a tour? Yeah, that's fucking awesome!" Will replied, kicking back on the couch.
Alex was curled up on his own pull out couch in the middle of the lounge room. So I curled up on the other side of the couch Will was on.
"Yeah, he's so excited, and I'm so happy for him. He's really going to make it... That's been his dream for so long..." I mused.
"What are you going to do about your job?" Will asked.
I bit my lip as I felt a weight pulling on my gut.
"I-I don't know yet... I might move in with my parents to be honest," I confessed.
I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I didn't really see any other option.
"You don't sound overly keen on that idea.
"My parents are great, but, I don't know... Wouldn't it be weird? I... haven't really lived with them before, I lived with my Aunt for about a year before Bob and I got our own place. I can't afford here on my own, maybe I can just get a smaller place? That way I can keep Bob's stuff with me, and he'll have a place for when he finishes tour, I'll just hire a nanny, but I don't really have the money for that...," I thought aloud.
I really had no idea what I was going to do.
"Well... what if... I mean, would you be okay with, me moving in maybe?" Will offered softly.
I blinked in surprise.
"What?" I asked.
"Okay, so, Bob and I already talked it out. He's okay with it, if you are," Will said, his voice betraying an edge of unease.
"I mean, we've already lived together once before and, I would just take the spare room, Bob could keep everything the same way and Alex and I get on really well, so I could take care of him while you're at work and I'd just cover Bob's portion of rent, so everything would be the same," Will rambled on, definitely nervous now.
"Just, hold on a second. You wouldn't be able to bring girls over, not while Alex was here. You would have to move all your stuff in here... What about your place?" I asked.
"I don't mind, I'm not really the bring-girls-home type anyway... And I'll just rent my place out. I mean, technically, it's my parents anyway," Will answered.
I thought it over a bit. I had to admit, it certainly sounded good. It worked out to my favour...
"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked him, my eyes looking straight into his.
"Because, you're my friend and even if you don't want to admit it, you need help sometimes," Will answered.
I studied him before nodding.
"Okay. Move your stuff in..."