Chapter Text
As Danny made his way towards Clara, Layla moved to stand with Steve and looked up as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I expected Layla to be ready by now,” Clara commented as Danny reached her, “We have a plane to catch.”
“You have a plane to catch… Layla isn’t going with you,” Danny stated, “She’s doing really good here, ma, and allowing you to drag her back to New Jersey would undo everything we’ve accomplished; everything that she’s overcome by being in Hawaii.”
“This isn’t up for debate, Daniel,” Clara argued as the others arrived, climbing from their cars and gathering around Layla.
“Kono,” Danny said, glancing back over his shoulder, “Can you take Layla inside for me, please?”
“Of course,” Kono replied, “Come on, Lay, we can order the food, and you can show me that art project you’ve been working on.”
Reluctantly, Layla nodded and followed Kono inside with Adam. Although away from the situation, she couldn’t help wondering what was being said outside and settled on the distraction of choosing where they should order from.
***
Everyone was quiet until Layla disappeared inside, and Danny shifted his attention to his mom, waiting for her to speak.
“Why are you doing this, Daniel?” Clara inquired.
“I’m doing it because Layla is my sister, and she needs me,” Danny answered without hesitation, “She doesn’t want to go back to New Jersey, her life here is good, and we love her. Why is that not enough for you?”
“She belongs at home with her parents,” Clara argued, causing Danny to throw his hands up in frustration and pausing as his mom looked at Steve, “What’s your motive for wanting my daughter to stay here?”
“With all due respect, Mrs. Williams, I don’t have to entertain you with an answer, but I will…” Steve said, “When I first met Layla, she was this bright-eyed girl with the ability to make anyone smile by being herself, and I realized that she was exactly like Danny.”
“What does that have to do with why you want her to stay?”
“When Danny brought her back to stay with us for good, I hardly recognized her,” Steve continued as if Clara hadn’t spoken, “She was broken and traumatized beyond anything I’ve seen, but we helped her through. You may not believe me when I say this, but I love that kid as if she were my own blood, and I will die before I ever put her into a situation that could result in losing her.”
“You’re not going to like this, but for Layla’s sake, Steve and I have put in for guardianship,” Danny informed Clara, “I won’t let Layla go through that pain again and, despite your opinions on the environment, she’s found her place with us.”
“Fine,” Clara snapped, causing Danny to frown at how easily she’d given in and glancing over at Steve, who looked equally as confused, “If you want the responsibility of an unstable teenager, then go right ahead… you won’t be getting any support or money from us.”
Clara soon left, and Danny followed Steve inside, explaining what had happened. Everyone was thrilled at the news, but Danny couldn’t help being skeptical and decided to call his mom the next morning in an attempt to make her understand.
***
Layla was beyond relieved that she didn’t have to return to New Jersey, but she could see the uncertainty on Danny’s face, and that worried her. Sat out on the lanai after dinner, Layla focused on the drawing that she had started and looked up as Danny joined her.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” he praised, nudging her shoulder gently as he took a seat and offering her a warm smile, “You okay?”
“You don’t believe that mom’s truly accepted the fact that I’m not going back, do you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think, we’ll just have to see what happens and deal with things as they come.”
“I got top marks for my last art assignment,” Layla stated after a long pause, wanting to change the subject and put a smile back on her brother’s face.
She didn’t know what her future held, or whether it would turn out the way she wanted, but she did know that she was lucky. She had found her place in Hawaii with people that loved her… found her place in a world that she had no desire to remain a part of, and, most importantly, she had found herself within the ruins of her mind.