Closed What Doesn't Define Us

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie had had a tricky day at work, each day was busy and she worked herself as hard as she could to impress her boss and her colleagues and because it was right for her to work so hard, but she was quickly realising the old patterns she fell into was not something she really wanted. She wasn't able to spend nearly as much time with Eric and she wanted to, they lived at differents of the day. She missed him, missed the days at school where between all the studying she could just sit with him. But she needed money and thus she needed to work. However, as Minnie had gotten back home to Eric's mum's place that day, she'd quickly noted the situation wasn't exactly good. There was an odd man sitting with Melanie and Melanie had been quick to tell her that Eric was at a park near to the house. Minnie had learned a good deal about Melanie in the time she'd been living there, and knew this was a cue, that Eric was upset and thus Minnie left her work bag at the door and headed to the park.

Minnie had gone on walks of the local area and thus knew which park he was likely at. She spotted sat on one of the swings of the park, she watched him for a moment before heading over. If he was here, he was probably annoyed and she didn't want to spook him or anything. She deliberately moved to be walking towards him, noting personally that her work outfit and work heels were not exactly for the soft ground of the park, but she ignored it. Minnie had learnt a lot about Eric in the time she'd known him and could see the emotional weight of whatever had happened at home. "Hey," she greeted, smiling at him, expressly to try to lighten the mood. "Is that swing taken?" she asked, of course since Eric was her boyfriend she didn't really need the invitation to sit but, given how he was feeling she knew the invitation would probably be welcome. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric was sitting on the one working swing, kicking away all the pebbles underneath it one by one. He was still furious, even after breaking the other swing and cursing a whole lot. He was furious, knowing his dad was in his house, talking to his mum. It had been obvious his mum had seen him recently, something she had hidden from both him and Connor. Eric wanted his dad to go away, it was obvious he was only coming to them when he had no one else to take care of him. And he had kids. Kids. How long had he had half-siblings he hadn't known about? Not that Eric wanted to know them. In fact, he wished he could scrub the knowledge of them from his brain. He didn't want to wonder. With a grunt, Eric kicked the next pebble with a bit more force, feeling some satisfaction as it bounced off a nearby trashcan. He saw Minnie approaching then and felt his shoulders sag, he didn't look up at her until she was standing next to him. He swallowed. "It's broken." He said, gesturing to the chain that hung loose. "I broke it." He added though he wasn't sure if that was necessary. He grabbed his wand and waved it, silently fixing it. "But I guess it's not taken." He said quietly. "Did you go home? Was ...he still there?" He asked, hating how the words practically burst out of him. He didn't want to care about his dad, in any way. He wondered if Minnie had seen him and guessed who he was. Eric had known vaguely that he looked like his dad, though it was still crappy to be reminded of it.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie noted that he didn't look up at her and instead just replied. She had been about to fix it when Eric did it for her. She didn't move at first, and only when he actually said that it wasn't taken did she. She was tentative with it, and then looked to her boyfriend as he spoke again. "Yeah," she replied simply, there was little doubt in her mind as to who the man was, and who he was to Eric. They'd never really talked about his father, and she had never pushed him to talking. It was clear why. It was a sore spot for Eric and she wasn't in the business of forcing people to deal with their sore spots. Minnie moved the swing slightly with her feet, carefully avoiding digging the heels too much in. "Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want to smash stuff?" she wanted to get a bit of a gauge for how he was feeling and what she could do to help. With a flick of her own wand she conjured a kitchen plate and offered it to Eric. ​

 

[Amber Chou Wilson]

Amber walked past the playground lalala

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric glanced at Minnie and then away, it was clear she had guessed who Ryan was. Eric was frustrated that she was now drawn into this, he didn't want her to feel like she needed to take care of him, especially when her own family situation was worse. He saw her sit down on the swing and almost smiled, it was kind of funny to see her sitting on a swingset in her formal clothes. He wordlessly took the plate from her and then threw it at the nearby monkey bars. He watched it connect and splinter into pieces. Then he started to speak. "The guy f*cks off when I'm three years old, then has the nerve to come back because his wife died and he needs my mum's help." He spits out. "There wasn't anyone to help her when he left, why does he think he's entitled to our help after fifteen years?" He clenched the chain of the swing, the metal digging into his palm. "He has kids." He added, his voice rough. "Kids he could stay for, apparently."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie wasn't too surprised when he took the plate and threw it so it would smash. She conjured another plate as Eric began talking about, spitting out the information that Minnie hadn't known about why this man was now here. She couldn't imagine the heartache of being three and having a parent leave. She knew what it was like as older teen, but it had to be hard when a child, who simply couldn't know why. Minnie held out the new plate for him. It was wild that he was suddenly back, that it seemed to be because of a death and there were other kids, half siblings Eric now found out he had. She heard the roughness of his voice, and wanted to provide him for some comfort. Minnie moved off her swing to crouch in front of Eric. She reached out hoping to take his face in her hands. "That man's decision to leave your family but stay with the new family is not a reflection on you, Eric, or your mum,"​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric took the second plate from Minnie but didn't throw it, he was deep in thought for a moment, but also trying to push back his tears. He looked up in surprise when Minnie got off the swing and moved in front of him. He swallowed, shaking his head even as he let her cup his face with her hands. Her words cut deep, leave it to Minnie to get straight to the heart of it. "No." He said, his voice hoarse. "You- you don't get it." He shook his head again slightly, then closed his eyes. "Connor was practically a baby. My mum- she's great. It had to have been me." His voice cracked, a tear escaping him even with his eyes closed. "I was always a problem kid. He probably couldn't handle me. I mean, he could be a dad for these other kids. It had to have been me." He said, his voice breaking at the end.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie was very glad he didn't pull away, but let her take his face, and let her words sink in. She felt tears well up in her own eyes at the honesty of his words, she could only imagine how deeply Eric had felt this, how deeply hurt he was about his father leaving and now his return. She moved her thumb and wiped his tear away. She didn't say anything, letting him get everything he wanted out. "You were not a problem child," she assured him firmly, so maybe he'd had some anger issues, but she knew that a good parent would've handled it, like his mother had. His mother dealt with him and loved him, so why couldn't his dad have. "Your dad leaving was neither your fault or because of you," Minnie's voice was soft. Minnie couldn't say whether if Eric's father had stayed that he could've handled him, but perhaps there wouldn't have been anything to handle. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric shook his head again, but let Minnie wipe away his tear. He took a deep breath, trying to control himself so he wouldn't cry more. He swallowed. "But he left." He said softly. "He left and started a new family." Eric shook his head slightly, opening his eyes. "I have half-siblings, I- I don't want to know them. I hate him, I hate them." But his voice didn't sound steady. "I hate that he's in my house." He added. "I can't be there when he's there."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie was sure that this wouldn't have been easy if the man hadn't had a second family, but there was nothing either of them could do to change the decisions made leading to now. There was nothing she could do to be able to not correct him. "Him leaving is on him, not on you, never on you Eric. In the same way my parents treatment of me is not on me you know," Minnie said. Minnie wasn't sure what had possessed Eric's father to come back to the family he had ditched, Eric had said the wife had died, but why he'd then opt to come back to his old family...she couldn't understand it. Certainly she knew anger and frustration at siblings she didn't want to get to know. She couldn't tell him to not be, he was entitled to feel how he wanted, but she knew these siblings were just kids. "I doubt your mother is going to let him stay at your house. But, if she does we could look for our own place?" ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric looked at Minnie, taking a few deep breaths before focusing on her. He wiped at his cheek angrily and nodded slowly. "Right." He said softly. He looked at his hand that was trembling a bit. He sighed when Minnie said she doubted his mum would let him stay. "She's letting him in now. Who is to say he won't come back?" He said softly. He sighed, then seemed to deflate a bit. "Can... you hug me?" He finally asked in a quiet voice.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie gave him a little smile as he looked at her. Hoping to help him feel a little better, though she knew these emotions, frustrations wouldn't fade quickly. "Your mother is a very smart woman, have some faith in her," Minnie told him, though she knew too that Melanie was a kind woman and she might not let his father back in, but she would probably do the kind thing in whatever the situation called for. She watched Eric deflate and nodded. She had to stand somewhat awkwardly, but she didn't mind. She moved her hands from his face and wrapped her arms around Eric, holding him in a hug. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric nodded and sighed, he knew Minnie was right. But he also couldn't forget his mother had clearly seen Ryan around somewhere, had been in some sort of contact with him. He was glad Minnie hugged him, as he didn't think he had it in him to ask again. He held her for a while, closing his eyes. Then he pulled back to look up at her. "Thanks... for finding me." He said softly.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie held him tightly, this wasn't how she'd expected the day to go, but she would always be there for Eric, in the same way he had always been there for her. She waited untili he pulled away and then smiled at him. "Of course," she told him, it wasn't like she would've wanted to spend time in the house with his parents given the nature of the situation. "I love you," Minnie said softly. "Do you wannt smash more stuff, or do you want to play in the park?" She didn't think they should head back just yet, she was sure it would be better to let him mind clear, and give the older adults more time to talk and figure things out. Though if Eric wanted to go back she wouldn't say no. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric pulled back slightly, giving Minnie a weak smile. She was really good at making him feel better. He hesitated. "I love you too." He said softly. He then laughed a bit. "I don't think you're dressed for playing in the park." He said, glancing down at her work clothes. "I could... make fun of your book, for old time's sake." He joked, remembering the way they had first met almost a decade ago, in a similar park.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie looked down at her outfit and knew that her work clothes, her work heels, she certainly play like any child might. But it wouldn't be impossible. "I could manage," she countered but laughed lightly at his statement. She took out her wand, and wordlessly conjured up a book, it was empty on the inside, just the shape and build of a book, with a non-descript title at the front. Minnie held it out for him. "Like this book?"​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric laughed softly and shook his head, trying not to think too much about his emotions. "It's okay, we don't have to play." He laughed again when she conjured a book, and he kind of wanted to hug her again and maybe cry a little. But instead, he simply took the book from her. "I honestly don't remember what I said back then." He admitted. "Probably called it a dumb book for nerds or something."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie gave him a warm smile, looking at the book she'd conjured. "I think you called it rubbish, since it was some trashy teen romance from my school's library" though she couldn't be sure and though she didn't mind thinking about this and about Eric from back then, it did remind her of her parents and that was something she tried to avoid. "You know, back then, I had this dream, that I would write a book," Minnie said, "Since I guess because things at home were often....difficult...and the trashy teen romance novels were this loud often over dramatic and making so much out of nothing, that they were....I always said, I'd work until I'd made my parents proud, and then, then I'd write my own trashy teen romance novel" Minnie wasn't sure if she'd mentioned this before. She had always thought that her writing aspirations were a pipe dream, and when her life crashed there was just more to worry about than her childhood fantasy. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric smiled a bit, weirdly flattered to hear Minnie remembered their first encounter so well. He was glad when she kept on talking, distracting him from his own thoughts. He squeezed her hand as she talked about her home life. He hesitated. "Maybe you should write it." He said, then grinned a bit. "Could base it on you and me, make me te handsome unattainable bad boy." He said, trying to joke.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie smiled at him, "Our story would certainly fit one of those books," she replied with a little joke. "The bad boy with a good heart, and the academic who needs to learn how to learn how to live," Minnie thought it would actually work well, perhaps some elements could change. She was still treating it as a pipe dream but in some regards it turned the old cogs in her brain that had always enjoyed reading for readings sake. She felt like telling him again how much she loved him, how good this life with him was. "We'd have to change our names though...in the story," ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric smiled a bit as Minnie agreed that their story would fit one of those books, he kind of liked the idea. He laughed softly shaking his head. "I don't know if I had a good heart as an enraged eleven-year-old when you met me." He said, thinking back. He nodded when she said she would have to change their names. "Obviously, and you have to make me a lot cooler." He said, smiling a bit. But then his smile faded. "Maybe with fewer family issues too." He said, remembering his dad. "I broke his nose, you know." He said glancing down at his hand.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie gave a little smile, part of her knew that he hadn’t been the kindest back then, but knowing him now, and knowing in part elements about his life, she couldn’t hold his anger against him, certainly not it then. She laughed lightly, ”Of course,” she agreed and then gave a little shrug at the few family issues, she knew if she ever did write their story she would probably change it a little, but those teen novels always had some family issue. Minnie glanced down at Eric’s hands, and gave a little smile, ”Good,” she said firmly. She didn’t know his dad, didn’t know what he was like, but Eric’s anger was justified and while not what she would’ve done, and perhaps not the most mature thing to do, she couldn’t help but feel it very valid. Her anger to her own parents would’ve crumbled on seeing them again, she felt it was much better to be able to just hit. ”I’m not one for violence, but…I do think he deserved it,” she told Eric firmly.​