Our Nanny is a Boy || bxb

62. Space

Robin was strangely quiet on the day of their departure. It started right after they woke up. He was visibly upset, but when Peter carefully attempted to inquire about it, the boy seemed to keep his distance. Peter assumed he was thinking about Larry again. After all, progress wasn't linear and Robin went through a traumatic experience just eight days ago. He was allowed to feel bad and Peter couldn't force him to talk. There was nothing he could do except staying by his side and worrying.

Robin drove the car on the way home. He didn't talk much and neither did Peter, who still had a throbbing headache from being hungover. At first, Felicia was chatty, but since the response was insufficient, she too shut up after a while and hummed along to some songs on the radio instead. Peter closed his eyes after a while and dozed off a little.

It was a long drive and they were all tired when they got home, so they decided to order some pizza and unpack after that. 'I'm really tired,' Robin said. 'Is it okay if I go to my room for a little while?'

'Of course,' Peter said. 'This is as much your house as it is ours, you can do whatever you want in here. If you want to eat your pizza there, that's okay. Take all the time you need.'

'It's okay, just call me down when they get here,' Robin said before leaving. Peter sighed and laid down on the couch. He felt bad for Robin. The amount of sh*t he had gone through... and now this. Peter wanted to help him so badly, but he knew he wasn't fit for it. Robin needed professional help. All Peter could offer him was mental support. That was also valuable, but obviously not enough and an additional requirement would be that the person receiving it was willing to accept it. Peter could tell that today, Robin didn't really want to talk or even spend time with him. Maybe it was the intrusive thoughts again. It was like, no matter how many times Peter told him he could say anything he wanted to say and ask anything of him, it simply didn't get through to him at times. He had dealt with his problems alone for years. He probably wasn't used to having someone by his side. Peter still hadn't managed to fully gain his trust.

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While they were eating their pizzas, Robin suddenly started talking. 'Alex just called me. I don't think he's doing so well. Is it okay if I stay with him for a while? Like, after you get home?'

'Oh.' Peter felt his stomach sink a bit. 'But... shouldn't you be focussing on your own mental health right now?'

'I'm okay,' Robin said. 'And besides, we can help each other. It's just that Alex doesn't really have anyone else here. He's feeling lonely. So, my presence will suffice.'

'You can ask him if he wants to stay over here instead,' Peter suggested. 'That's probably easier and we have enough room.'

Robin shook his head. 'No- I mean, he does like his privacy. So this way he can have privacy, but he doesn't have to be alone. I don't mind having to travel a little further everyday.'

But I mind you not being here every night... Still, Peter knew he had no choice but to let Robin go. He quietly nodded. 'When are you leaving?'

'After we've unpacked, if you don't mind.'

Sh*t, that was way too soon. But Peter nodded again.

The three of them watched as Robin drove away after dinner. 'I don't want Robin to go,' Felicia said.

'Neither do I,' Peter said, 'but it's his own choice. And we will be fine. We were fine before he came into our life, so we'll be fine now. You'll see him again on Monday.'

He knew he wasn't completely honest, because they were not fine before Robin arrived. David had nightmares and cried a lot, Felicia struggled to express her feelings and Peter had trouble sleeping. But now, they were all getting better already and Peter was confident that they would be able to make it on their own for some time. Since his own mental state was more stable now, he could also take care of David and Felicia more.

Maybe it was for the best if they all learned to be less dependent on Robin. The boy was only twenty years old and had enough problems to deal with by himself. They would all have to give him some space to allow him to process everything and recover a bit.

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On Sunday, Peter decided he had to go do something, because sitting at home with the kids all day was not an option right now.

'Do you want to visit granny?' he asked the kids.

'Yes!' Felicia exclaimed. 'I still have to tell her about- oh wait, that was a secret.' She zipped her mouth. 'I promise I won't say anything, but I want to go.'

'Um... not granny Robinson, but the other granny, actually,' Peter clarified.

'Oh...' Felicia said.

'What's wrong?' Peter asked, crouching in front of her. 'She is also your grandma and she loves you very much.'

'But she is mean to Robin...' Felicia said. 'I don't like that.'

Peter bit his lip. 'I don't like that either, but she has her reasons for that. Besides, she's trying to be nicer. And she is still your granny. The way she treated Robin last time does not mean she doesn't love the two of you, or that she is a bad person. Granny is just in pain after losing her husband and her daughter. Sometimes, when people are in pain, they can hurt others. They feel like it may take away a bit of the pain, but it doesn't. Robin knows that and she will too, soon enough.'

Felicia thought about it thoroughly and then nodded. 'Okay.'

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Some redemption arcs upcoming heheh

I have one thing to say about this performance: ROBBED.