‹ Prequel: The Pros and Cons of Loving
The Pros and Cons of Growing Up
Part Seventeen
Aiden’s POV
A Week Later…
Daddy’s parents never played that big of a part in my life. As far as I knew, they never played that big of a part in his either. That still didn’t mean Daddy wasn’t upset. He clearly was, though he tried to go on as if nothing was bothering him.
He was my father, after all. I could tell something wasn’t right. They stayed for the funeral and just got home late last night. He’s pretty much just sat down and stared into space ever since he got home.
I kept thinking that that could have been us, had my parents not gotten back together. That scared me and I went into the kitchen, hugging my Daddy. He smiled and hugged me back.
“Thanks, Aiden.” He whispered.
I nodded and sat in the chair next to him, taking his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand and I realized that maybe he just wanted someone to sit with him and assure him everything would be okay. I didn’t know if that’s what he wanted…. But it was what I intended to do.
Gerard’s POV
It was the middle of the night when I heard throwing up. I had been lying awake when I heard moving, and then I had heard it.
I sat up, walking out and into the house. I peered into Aiden and Eric’s open door. It was only two in the morning, and Eric was fast asleep.
“Aiden?” I whispered, pushing the door open. “Are you--… what the fuck are you doing?”
I was stunned, staring at him and stuck to the spot I was in. Aiden wasn’t sick like I’d initially thought… he had a finger stuck down his throat. He was… making himself throw up.
All of the breath rushed from my body as I stared at my son in horror. I had thought he was getting better… now, though, I saw how very wrong I was. He wasn’t getting better… if anything, he was worse.
Aiden sat up straight, looking at me with wide eyes. “D-…. I…” he began.
“Aiden?” I repeated.
“I’m so sorry.” Was all he whispered, looking down.
I slowly came into the room, arms going around my small son. I sat on the floor by him and hugged him, trying to think of what to say. What to do. My son wasn’t only anorexic, he was now bulimic too?
“This has to stop.” I whispered sternly. “You’re too amazing to hurt yourself like this. You are too good of a person to live with this pain.”
“Do you think I haven’t tried to stop?” he said loudly, his eye filling with angry tears. “No one fucking gets that! E-Everything is so bad!”
“Just because things are bad doesn’t mean you dwell on it and make yourself sick! You’re an adult now, Aiden! You are an adult! Fully capable of getting a job and living on your own. You are married!”
“Fuck that! You want to call what Eric and I have a fucking marriage? We’re too scared to split up, Daddy! We’re comfortable.”
I swallowed, not knowing what to say. I sighed softly. “Aiden, if I catch you throwing up again… I’m going to be forced to send you somewhere for help. I know you don’t think you need it, but you do…”
“No, I don’t! If things would… would settle down I would be fine!”
“You will never be fine until you stop this! I don’t know what anyone has to say to you to make you see that! But I will not sit by and watch you ruin your life, kill yourself! I AM NOT LOSING A FATHER AND A SON IN THE SAME YEAR!” I stood up. “Don’t do it again, Aiden! I’m telling Frank in the morning!”
I stormed off, leaving Aiden crying on the bathroom floor…
A Week Later…
Daddy’s parents never played that big of a part in my life. As far as I knew, they never played that big of a part in his either. That still didn’t mean Daddy wasn’t upset. He clearly was, though he tried to go on as if nothing was bothering him.
He was my father, after all. I could tell something wasn’t right. They stayed for the funeral and just got home late last night. He’s pretty much just sat down and stared into space ever since he got home.
I kept thinking that that could have been us, had my parents not gotten back together. That scared me and I went into the kitchen, hugging my Daddy. He smiled and hugged me back.
“Thanks, Aiden.” He whispered.
I nodded and sat in the chair next to him, taking his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand and I realized that maybe he just wanted someone to sit with him and assure him everything would be okay. I didn’t know if that’s what he wanted…. But it was what I intended to do.
Gerard’s POV
It was the middle of the night when I heard throwing up. I had been lying awake when I heard moving, and then I had heard it.
I sat up, walking out and into the house. I peered into Aiden and Eric’s open door. It was only two in the morning, and Eric was fast asleep.
“Aiden?” I whispered, pushing the door open. “Are you--… what the fuck are you doing?”
I was stunned, staring at him and stuck to the spot I was in. Aiden wasn’t sick like I’d initially thought… he had a finger stuck down his throat. He was… making himself throw up.
All of the breath rushed from my body as I stared at my son in horror. I had thought he was getting better… now, though, I saw how very wrong I was. He wasn’t getting better… if anything, he was worse.
Aiden sat up straight, looking at me with wide eyes. “D-…. I…” he began.
“Aiden?” I repeated.
“I’m so sorry.” Was all he whispered, looking down.
I slowly came into the room, arms going around my small son. I sat on the floor by him and hugged him, trying to think of what to say. What to do. My son wasn’t only anorexic, he was now bulimic too?
“This has to stop.” I whispered sternly. “You’re too amazing to hurt yourself like this. You are too good of a person to live with this pain.”
“Do you think I haven’t tried to stop?” he said loudly, his eye filling with angry tears. “No one fucking gets that! E-Everything is so bad!”
“Just because things are bad doesn’t mean you dwell on it and make yourself sick! You’re an adult now, Aiden! You are an adult! Fully capable of getting a job and living on your own. You are married!”
“Fuck that! You want to call what Eric and I have a fucking marriage? We’re too scared to split up, Daddy! We’re comfortable.”
I swallowed, not knowing what to say. I sighed softly. “Aiden, if I catch you throwing up again… I’m going to be forced to send you somewhere for help. I know you don’t think you need it, but you do…”
“No, I don’t! If things would… would settle down I would be fine!”
“You will never be fine until you stop this! I don’t know what anyone has to say to you to make you see that! But I will not sit by and watch you ruin your life, kill yourself! I AM NOT LOSING A FATHER AND A SON IN THE SAME YEAR!” I stood up. “Don’t do it again, Aiden! I’m telling Frank in the morning!”
I stormed off, leaving Aiden crying on the bathroom floor…