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Della didn't know how to be a parent. That was obvious since she first got back. And it was fine, or it was fine until she was around someone who did. Don't get her wrong she was glad her brother was back, ecstatic even, but it forced her to face the truth.
She didn't know what she was doing.
She first noticed after she happened to walk in on him and Louie talking about something in the den, it turned out to be her.
"It's okay that you're still not used to her." Donald had said. "It's okay to be mad or upset, as long as you don't dwell on it for too long and try to fix it."
"She said that if I didn't change that I was out of the family." Louie whispered. And even with his back to her she saw Donald's temper flare up at that. He had forced himself to take a breath before answering,
"She was scared and upset, but that doesn't excuse it. She had no right to say that. I'll talk to her, let her she went too far, I promise. You didn't deserve that kiddo." Louie had started to tear up before launching himself into his Uncle's arms and sobbing.
"I was so scared! I thought they were gone and that it was all my fault! And I didn't even get a chance to be relieved before she started to yell at me. Like she was the only one affected by it, like that wasn't the worst moment of my life. She took Louie Inc. away..."
Donald's face softened, "Oh kiddo." He had held him tighter and let him cry it out and Della had watched all this with a hand over her mouth in shock, she had gone too far hadn't she? She had let her anger get the best of her, what kind of a mom did that?!? "She didn't have any right to do that either, not permanently." He sighed. "If you still want the company you can have it back, not right now but... eventually."
Louie had pulled away and given him a weak smile, "Thanks Uncle Donald but, I think I'm good for now. I'm not ready to rich and that was the whole goal behind it. I think I'll wait a few years, try and learn some things from Uncle Scrooge."
Donald returned his smile, "I'm proud of you kiddo." And Della had to turn away after that. She had messed up, she had been trying to keep him from making the same mistakes that she did but she went about it all wrong. And she had severely hurt him because of it. She wouldn't be surprised if he never talked to her again. It was the least she deserved.
The next time she noticed it was because she was actively looking for her boys. But as she quickly learned, when looking for them if you found one the other two were usually close by. And she had found them in Donald's room with him, where they had been a lot since he got back, not that she could blame them. She hadn't really left his side much either. Except in times where she felt inferior to him, like that moment.
Eventually most of the kids had wandered off except for Huey who had chosen to stay behind. Donald had raised an eyebrow at him and asked if something was wrong.
"I'm just really glad you're back, we missed you." Donald had replied that he missed them too, more than they could know and Huey continued. "Mom, she's great and fun but she doesn't really feel like a parent you know? I know she's been gone for our whole lives and that that's why but we really could've used a parent through all that. And it was fine when we thought you were on that cruise and relaxing but after we found out you weren't... We just really needed you here." Huey had looked down until Donald made him look at him.
"I know, I really wish I'd been here too, it couldn't have been easier for any of you. But I'm here now and we're gonna figure this out, all of us, together." He had promised and Huey's face lit up in a way she wished would permanently stay. It had never looked like that before. No matter what she had done he had never gotten that look. It had felt like a punch in the gut.
"I'm sorry we never figured out you weren't there. I sent postcards and got worried when I didn't get responses but after Uncle Scrooge got that call from you I let it go, I shouldn't have. I'm really sorry."
"Don't beat yourself up, it's not your fault." And the fact that he hadn't been mad at all really blew her mind. That was not the Donald she remembered. He really had changed a lot for them, hadn't he? Why couldn't she do the same?
"It feels like it is. It must've been awful on the moon, and that island. I can't even imagine..."
Donald had gripped his shoulder, "Good, that's good. You don't need to imagine that." That was something she and him could agree on. None of the kids needed to imagine that. But that fact that her brightest boy didn't think of her as a parent only helped cement the fact that she wasn't. Not in the way her brother was. She wanted to be, she wanted to be so bad but she just wasn't.
The time after that was in less favorable circumstances, it was something she knew would happen eventually but still dreaded. One of the kids got hurt. And none of them were taking it well. She wasn't much better obviously but she had known she had to hide it for their sakes.
The moment Dewey had started freaking out, him being the one that was hurt, she wanted nothing more than to make it all better. But he didn't let her near him and was instead crying for Donald. The only problem was he and Scrooge had been way on the other side of the cave they were currently in. There was no way he was getting over to where they were anytime soon. Or so she had thought.
Not five seconds after she thought that he had come running in carefully scooping up Dewey and had tried to calm him down. And sometime after that Scrooge had managed to divert Webby's attention away but not the other two. That was her chance! She could finally do something right! Only they had refused to leave their brother's side and it looked like she had just made the situation worse. Again.
So she had turned her attention back to Dewey and her brother and had been surprised to see Dewey was almost completely calmed down. He was still upset but Donald seemed to be distracting him from the pain. She wasn't sure what he had been saying exactly but it was working and soon Dewey had been calm enough to tell him what happened.
"We need to go home. Now." Donald had said to Scrooge. The other kids had gone after them and she had never felt like more of an outsider.
He had been clingy to Donald for the ride home and his brothers were in similar states. And watching them interact it had always been clear the triplets adored their uncle but this had been different, it was like they were fully depending on him to make everything better. Why couldn't they be like that with her?
It had turned out Dewey had had a bruised rib and they had known that with a fall like his that they were lucky that that was it. It could've been a lot worse. And the minute they had been away from the kids Donald had been demanding to know how it happened, why hadn't she been looking out for him? She didn't have an answer, she still didn't, what kind of a mom was she?
The final time, the time that really drilled it in was the fact that he was able to help a child that wasn’t really his. Because she had been around long enough to know that the boys were more his than hers. But the fact that he had been able to help Webby too, that was real parenting. And the kind that she wasn't able to do.
She had apprehensively watched Webby walk up to Donald's hammock wanting to tell her not to bother him, that he needed a chance to relax but he had surprised Della.
"Hey, kiddo." He had said without opening his eyes. And Webby had climbed into the hammock like they had done that a thousand times before. As far as she could guess they did. "What's up?"
"I don't know, do you ever get one of those days were everything's too much?" Donald nodded. "I think I'm having one of those days. I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened. I know I was pretty much safe for most of the invasion but Uncle Scrooge, Granny, and my friends weren't. I don't know what I would've done if something happened to them."
"I know what you mean, but we're all okay now, that's the important part. That's the part to remember." He had rubbed her head and she snuggled into him. It was a very heartwarming sight if Della was being honest. But she had wondered why Webby didn't go to Beakley, she still did. She didn't completely understand it, maybe Donald was just better at certain things? Better than Beakley. Better than her.
Maybe that was why the kids had always turned to him. And why everything had been such a mess when he was gone.
"I know that, sometimes it's just hard. Like today. The others are all of playing some game but I just can't. It's all too much."
"And that's okay, everyone deals with things differently. And if what you need is a lazy day in a hammock then that's what you need." Webby had snuggled into him more with a content smile and Della had thought about how she never would have been able to come up with something like that, how did he do it so easily? How was he able to be a parent like it was some kind of switch? And why couldn't she do it?
That was the final nail in the coffin. She didn't know what she was doing.
And that’s why she was here now, outside his door. She wanted to know how to be a parent, she needed to know. She wanted to know how he did it. If only she could bring herself to knock. But she didn't have to because apparently his instincts extended to her too.
"Della? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly as he opened the door. Or maybe those were his twin instincts. That made more sense.
"What isn't wrong, Donnie? I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying so hard but I keep messing up and making things worse. I'm not cut out to be a Mom." Donald stepped aside and let her in. She collapsed on his bed.
He sat next to her, "No, you're new to it. There's a difference."
"Huey doesn't see me as a mom, Dewey pushes me away when he's hurt, I'm pretty sure Louie hates me! Even Webby goes to you. You're the better parent Donald, I'm just... Della."
"Exactly, you're Della. Della Duck. And there is nothing that can stop you, not unless you let it. And you're right, I am the better parent but I've had ten years to perfect it and even now I still mess up. As long as you're willing to know when you mess up and fix it you can be a good parent. You can be a good parent Della, it'll just take some time." Della let out a wet sob, leave it to her other half to know just what to say to her.
"How do you do it?"
"Do what exactly?"
"Be you. Be the best brother I could ever ask for. The best person to raise my kids after I couldn't. I know that it was my fault and that I still have a lot to make up for but I'm glad it was you, Donald."
He rubbed his neck, "Awe geez Della I don't-"
She surged forward and hugged him. "Thank you." He hugged her back and they barely lasted a second before they started crying. This was something that both of them had needed. For ten years they had been separated, for ten years they had only been half of themselves but now they weren't. Now they were whole again. But Della still had no idea what she was doing. So Donald explained some things,
"Huey doesn't see you as a parent because you've only tried to be their friend or you've been way too strict, you have to find a middle ground. A balance. Dewey thinks the world of you, he doesn't want you to see him hurt or upset, he doesn't want you to see him as weak. You have to let him know it's okay for him to feel his emotions, all of them. And Louie... Louie, the thing with him is that he doesn't trust easily, and if you lose something you never had-"
"It's harder to get." Della finished. "Gah, I really messed up with him. I took my anger out on him, I made him question his place in the family. Even if that hadn't been my intention... when he did that I saw so much of myself in him Donald, and not in a good way. I knew I couldn't let him make the same mistake I did. But I shouldn't have..." She looked down. "I handled it completely wrong, I should've talked to him, should've let him know where I was coming from. And I definitely shouldn't have left him with something made by Gryo. I need to talk to him. To all of them."
Donald pulled away from her and let out a bitter chuckle, "You know I really wanted to yell at you after I found out you did all that. But really, what would that have done? You would've figured out how badly you messed up eventually, you did figure it out. There are just some things you don't say to kids. Especially your kids. There are some things that are never okay, no matter the situation."
Della nodded, "I have a lot to work on. With everyone. But I don't want to do it alone, please Donald I was alone for so long." Donald hugged her again. And she held onto him with everything she had. Her other half. Her lifeline. She was completely lost without him.
But now he was back. Now she was back. And they were gonna handle everything they way they should've before,
Together.