“What do you mean by ‘closure’?” The tone of her voice told me that she already tried my first three suggestions unsuccessfully.
“Campbell was in worse shape than me. He was still in the ICU, breathing through a tube, when I was released. If you realize there’s no way for him to try that shit again, it should help you get over it. Even when he gets released from the hospital, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t going directly to jail.”
“Oh!” She got a thoughtful expression, like she was already starting to make plans on how to achieve that.
“Wait!” I said, turning to Ava. “You too!?”
“Three armed men came for Mom and me, and then I saw you get stabbed fighting them off. Of course I had nightmares for weeks after that.” she explained, like I had just noticed that fire was hot. “The only time I really slept well was when I crawled into your bed.”
She just admitted this like it was no big deal for an eighteen year old girl to sneak into her little brother’s bed to seek comfort. And right in front of her friend. Of course, for any normal person, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Mia didn’t know that I woke up kneading Ava’s breasts that day, while burying my hard cock into her asscrack. Nor did she know that Ava liked and even encouraged it.
“Maybe you should offer Mia to come around and sleep with you as well. At least until she gets her closure.” Ava suddenly proposed without even looking up from her plate.
I looked at Ava for a moment like she was joking, but when I turned to Mia, she had lowered her head a little closer to her own plate, every few seconds raising her eyes to see my reaction through that curtain of hair that now hung down freely. So much to her usual go-getter attitude I had admired just an hour ago. But I could hardly blame her. I never considered the effect this might have on her.
“Would that help?” I asked, and Mia shyly nodded her head in confirmation, before I gestured to the sling holding my arm. “Then, sure. For the next four weeks, you’d even be safe from me molesting you in your sleep.”
That made them both laugh, though I suspect Ava’s laughter was more about assuming I’d molest Mia regardless of my injuries, and Mia’s laughter was more an expression of relief. In any case, Mia quickly gathered her things and got dressed.
“I’m going home to tell Mom and Dad, and gather a few things. Thank you, Muffin.” she said, before planting a passionate kiss on my lips that ended way too soon, and left for her car.
I was a little taken aback by the pet name she had chosen for me, but the longer I thought about it, the more I liked it. Not just her choice, but the fact that she called me by a pet name in the first place.
“You sure you’re Okay with this?” I asked Ava as soon as Mia had closed the door behind her.
“Yes. Very sure. And the way she reacted to our cuddling on the couch tells me she will be too.” she answered, but turned and left with a smile before I could ask her what she meant.
The only thing I worried about was Claire, but she did not return that day. By the time Mia arrived with her overnight bag and made herself at home in my bedroom, Ava and I had already started on dinner, after which all three of us got comfortable on my bed to watch a movie.
That’s when I understood Ava’s words about Mia. Ava did not plan on leaving us alone. When we crawled into bed to watch the movie, Mia cuddled up on my left side so as to not aggravate my collarbone. Ava wanted the same, though in order to not hurt me, she had shifted down a little and placed her head on my stomach instead of my chest. Mia did not even bat an eye. Instead, she looked at Ava with a weird look of ... pity. It was that look in Mia’s eyes that finally made me understand how hard those experiences must have been for them, and got me thinking about Ava’s change of behavior after the incident.
Somehow, it made me angry at myself. After not noticing Tess’ cancer, I swore to myself to never overlook something so important again. And while, yes, I tried to get away from the family, and was still sure that I felt no love for them anymore, I was still trying to help them. I should have picked up on something like this if she actually had trouble sleeping because of it.
I suddenly found myself stroking Ava’s hair in an attempt to soothe her. I felt guilty for not noticing her fears. And I only noticed what I was actually doing, when I felt Mia’s hold on my arm tighten. Worried about her realizing how unusually comfortable I was with my big sister cuddling with me, I glanced over at Mia, but all I saw was a content smile on her face as she watched what I was doing. Apparently, she really understood.
As I felt Ava’s and Mia’s breathing slowing, I, too, fell asleep before the movie had ended.
The next morning, I was awoken by the smell of bacon. Looking around, I noticed the two scantily clad beauties still by my side, so there was only one other person who could possibly be active in the kitchen. I carefully extracted myself from underneath Ava and Mia, grabbed my cane, and made my way into the kitchen where I found Claire, who had finally returned.
“Good Morning, Mom.” I greeted her, but did not receive an immediate reaction.
She turned to me, but there was a sad half-smile on her face. Like she wasn’t sure if she was actually happy or not.
“Good Morning, Honey.” she finally replied, with a voice that lacked any hint of confidence, before hastily continuing her breakfast preparations.
“Mom. What’s wrong?” I stepped closer to her, as she stopped any movement upon hearing my question. I watched her stare at her hands for a moment before she spoke in a shaky voice.
“Let’s talk about this when your sister is up, and after your girlfriend leaves.” She took a deep breath to get her voice under control. “Just tell me one thing. Is there a chance for me to fix this?”
She still had not looked me in the eyes.
“Did you make a decision?”
“Yes.”
Going by her demeanor, I could already guess what she decided on, and while I wasn’t happy to see her so troubled, I also felt a strange wave of anxiety wash through me. Dare I hope to maybe, possibly, have a family again? I stepped closer to wrap my healthy arm around her and spoke in a quiet, soft voice.
“Just be my Mom. That’s what I’ve been missing.”
That was as far as I dared to go when asked about the possibility of reconciliation. I felt her tremble against my body as she tried to maintain control over her emotions. Then she rapidly nodded a few times before her shaking hands continued their work.
When Mia and Ava walked in, their reactions to seeing Claire were polar opposites. Ava immediately ran towards her mother, thoroughly happy to see her again, and embraced her in a tight hug. Mia, however, stopped dead in her tracks, and looked quite uncomfortable before rushing back into my bedroom to get properly dressed. Consequently, breakfast was a rather quiet affair with Mia avoiding Claire’s gaze, and Ava simply happy with enjoying Claire’s presence again. Soon after we had finished, Mia packed her things, thanked me for letting her stay with a quick kiss, and then left for her own home.
Claire maintained her silence even after Mia was gone. She cleaned up the kitchen without saying a word, helped me in the bathroom without commenting on anything, and finally just sat on the couch to stare into space. Ava looked pensive, obviously wanting me to approach this situation, so I sat on the couch to Claire’s right and directed Ava to sit on her left.
“Alright, Mom. Let’s talk. What’s going on?” I asked, trying to sound encouraging.
Claire took a breath so deep it caused her whole body to straighten up, before letting it out in a long drawn out sigh. Then she turned, used both of her hands to hold Ava’s, and spoke.