Realistic or Modern Don’t Tell Me to Calm Down

[decadent-rider]

He frowned and shook his head, getting up and storming off upstairs to his room, slamming the door shut while Lilah sat quietly, looking a little awkward but not saying anything for a minute.

Clay looked over when she came into their room, frowning a little "What's he yelling about this time?" He asked her quietly,

Carmen smiled a little, moving him to tilt his head back into the sink, "I usually have those." She smiled, "You want just a trim and a tidy up?" She asked him,

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max went back up to Clay after she made him a plate of dinner giving a heavy sigh "He thinks you're picking favorites, pissed you didn't ask about his game." She explained before handing him some food "What did they say?"

Eddie chuckled quieltly and smiled "Tidy up beautiful. I can't keep it long anymore." He murmured

 

[decadent-rider]

He frowned and rubbed at his face, sitting up though to eat "Shit. I didn't even think... I'll talk to him in a bit." He mumbled, taking the plate and sighing before answering. "It's not good. Lungs and it looks like it's starting to spread to my bones." He muttered "I start treatment next week." He told her.

Carmen nodded and pecked his cheek, working on him as quickly as she could to get as much done as possible before he started fidgeting, "Oh. There's a voicemail on the answering machine from Josh... Said he needed to talk to you about sending over some stuff that Lucas was working on." She told him

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max gulped and went to sit beside him "Lungs? Bones...how....how far along? What stage?" She asked taking a shaky breath as she watched him.

Eddie started to fidget about 30 minutes later and gave a small nod "Okay I'll make sure to give it a listen." He promised before kissing her gently as she let him up "How do I look?"

 

[decadent-rider]

He frowned and put the plate to the side for now “three.” He muttered, burying his face into his hands. “I can’t do this shit again. I don’t…. This isn’t a good time for the kids to have to deal with this either.” He muttered. “I don’t want them worrying about me.” He told her.

She smiled and nodded. “Back to yourself.” She murmured, kissing him gently “go get dressed.” She told him, right as Maya was getting back with coffees

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max took a sharp deep breath when he said the diagnosis and gave a small nod "Its not....but we'll get through it together okay? As a family." She whispered pulling him into her and letting a few tears fall "You think we should tell them today?"

Eddie smiled happily and pecked her lips before going over to Maya to grab a coffee. "Your old man looks presentable again!" He teased before running off upstairs to get ready.

 

[decadent-rider]

Carmen rolled her eyes a little, shaking her head. “He’s never gonna grow up is he?” She sighed a little. “Your sister is gonna come down for winter break next week.” She told her.

He shook his head frowning. “I can’t. I’m not ready.” He told her quietly, starting to pass out from sheer exhaustion after all the stress of the day

 

[Forever6A7X]

Maya gave a small laugh and shook her head some "I think he reached his limit long ago for adultness." She said before handing her the coffee. She gave a small nod and smiled a bit "That'll be good, I know she loving school so far."

Max gave a small nod and took the food back downstairs to store away as left overs. She stood there over the sink for a moment and started to break down thinking everyone was asleep by that point. She was terrified of what was to come now and how they would even try to tell the kids.

 

[decadent-rider]

Clay woke up early the following morning feeling awful, calling in to the garage to at he couldn’t make it in then headed downstairs seeing the kids having breakfast. “Hey. Lilah take my car sweetheart. I’m not going into work today.” He told her, “Jose when you get home we need to have a talk.” He muttered just looking like he was coming down with a nasty case of flu.

She nodded and took a seat, “you had a chance to think about what you wanna do when you’re ready to get going again?” She asked her quietly

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max came into the room from the garage after taking the trash out. She gave him a small smile and kissed Clay's forehead gently "Good morning handsome." She murmured before sitting beside him "How are you feeling? You hungry?"

Maya gave a small nod and smiled some "I think I'd like to still get into cosmotology. Maybe hair care like you." She said giving another smile

 

[decadent-rider]

He shook his head and frowned, “no I’m gonna go back to bed. Just came to give lilah the keys for my car today until I get insurance sorted on hers.” He mumbled, rubbing at his face before standing up and swaying a little, going back up to bed, really starting to not feel good after yesterday.

She smiled and kissed her head. “You know I could always talk to Tracy. See if she would take you on as apprentice if you like.”

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned softly but gave him a small nod and watched carefully as he went upstairs. She gave a small smile at her kids and watched the two of them "Alright, don't be late for school." She said as she noticed the time.

Maya smiled widely and gave a small nod "About that....I uh kinda already did...and she said yes!" She said excitedly hoping it wouldn't upset her mom.

 

[decadent-rider]

Carmen smiled wider at her “oh that’s great baby. Oh I gotta get her some flowers then. She will treat you good as long as you work hard.” She told her. “Hey… I was gonna call your brother. Arrange to meet him for coffee to talk. Would you want to come?”

Lilah gave her a salute and waved, unusually quiet lately but got her and Jose to school not long after. “Somethings going on with dad.” She muttered to him right as they pulled up

 

[Forever6A7X]

Maya smiled some and nodded a bit "I plan on working as hard as I can." She said but frowned when she mentioned seeing Jack "I....I don't know mom....after everything it just...I don't know how to feel." She said truthfully.

Jose rolled his eyes some and gave a dramatic sigh "Something is always wrong with Dad. He's just doesn't give a shit about me and is sad that his perfect princess is growing up." He muttered before getting out and leaving her there in the car.

 

[decadent-rider]

She nodded and kissed her head. “You don’t have to go baby. I’m not gonna make you okay? But if you want to you can join.” She promised her, “right. I need to get refreshing this house a little.” She mumbled, going to get the dog fed and soon got started on cleaning up.

Clay was trying to rest enough to get his energy back up but the phone kept ringing and then the mail arrived and sent maxs cat a little crazy. Then right when he was finally about to get to sleep the front door opened and he headed downstairs frowning at Jose being home. “Hey… it’s not even 12… what’s going on?” He asked him confused.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Maya gave a small nod and smiled softly seeing her go tidy up the house. It was nice to see her mom getting back to herself finally.

Jose frowned deeply when he saw his Dad at home and rolled his eyes "Shouldn't you be at work? Since its more important than us." He muttered watching him some "If you must know, I went off on a teacher and they sent me home."

 

[decadent-rider]

He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face “Buddy if you think that flu wanted to miss your game yesterday then you’re wrong. I was trying really hard all day to get there.” He told him. “And you can’t be going off at teachers like that. They don’t get paid enough to deal with a bunch of teenagers as it is.” He muttered, rubbing his neck a little. “Go get some homework done then cause you’re not being suspended to just come home and chill out.” He told him.

Carmen made her way down to Eddie in the studio later on with a sandwich for lunch, frowning as she stepped in to find him crying a little and moved over. “Hey.. what’s going on?” She asked him quietly, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Jose glared at his father and shook his head some "If Lilah had been sent home you'd be letting her do whatever she wants! You wouldn't even get onto her!" He yelled at him as he watched him "All you fucking care about is her!"

Eddie took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes quickly "I called Josh...he sent me these files that Lucas was working on...." he whispered before he started to cry again "Its like looking into his head and it hurts so much..."

 

[decadent-rider]

He frowned and shook his head “That’s just not true Jose. You and your sister get handled differently because you are different people. You have different experiences. Plus being sent home for being rude does not get a pass in my books. You wanna end up like me? Stuck in prison away from your family? You wanna get shanked all because your friends and their friends don’t get along? You wanna… you… you…” he had felt it like a sledge hammer to his chest and now he couldn’t catch his breath, trying to hold himself up but he collapsed and was soon laying there gasping.

One of the girls at maxs work walked over to her with the phone frowning. “It’s your son. He sounds really upset.” She told her, handing it to her.

She frowned and pressed her lips to the top of his head, “play it. Please.” She mumbled, going quiet once he got it started and just stood there listening for a minute, rubbing his arms until it was done. “Eddie… I think you should finish this.” She told him quietly. “Keep his drums and whatever else you can but finish this one for him.”

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned when her co-worker came over with her phone. She thanked her before taking the phone "Jose? Honey whats wrong?"she asked when she heard his panicked voice.

Eddie played the song and took a deep breath. He held her close to him when it was done and gave a small nod "I....I was thinking the same thing." He whispered

 

[decadent-rider]

Jose frowned and shook his head when one of the people helping his Dad asked him if he knew about anything he might be taking "Mom?! Mom Dad passed out and he's not waking up and he couldn't breathe and I called an ambulance but I don't know what to do." He told her quickly.

She sighed quietly and just held him a little tighter, "I love you... I'm gonna go lay down okay? You need me I'll be in our room." she murmured, kissing his head and headed up there for a nap

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max went wide eyed and nodded some "Give the phone to the EMT okay?" She said as calmly as possible before she heard another man's voice "Hi, my husband has stage 3 cancer, its in his lungs at the moment and possibly has spread to his bones, we haven't gotten all of the information back on it yet." She said quickly while she got her things together and left the office without a word to anyone.

Eddie came out of the studio a bit later finding Maya on the couch watching TV "Hey there,how are you doing?" He asked softly

 

[decadent-rider]

She shrugged a little and ran a hand through her hair "I uh... I posted that photo... the actual one... I put it out there that you weren't hanging around college kids for fun. That it was cause you were with your daughter." She told him frowning.

"That's helpful ma'am thank you, we're gonna take him down to county general, your son can't come as there won't be room." He told her "They'll call wirh updates until you can get down there yourself." He assured her, passing the phone back and explaining to the kid what they were gonna do, finally gettting Clay loaded and left with him,

 

[Forever6A7X]

Eddie frowned some and gave a small nod sitting beside her "Okay? People still trying to give you hell about it?" He asked

Max thanked the EMT before she started speeding home. She made it there in record time and quickly rushed in the door to find Jose frozen on the couch "Jose? Baby look at me, we gotta go okay?"

 

[decadent-rider]

He frowned and looked up at her shaking his head "No! No you tell me right now what is going on!" He yelled at her "Cause you and Dad have been acting weird and then that happens and you still aren't telling me anything!" He yelled at her "Is he dying?!" He questioned.

She shook her head "No more than what people did at school anyway." She pointed out "Just more of them... I'm just tired Dad.... I'm always tired and it would be nice if we could just all be a normal family again." She mumbled "But Jack fucked that up for everyone."