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Olly is upstairs in his room when he heard the door slam. He could hear Charlie and his mum arguing before, something about a sleepover at Nick’s. Olly doesn't understand why his mum wouldn’t let Charlie stay there, it’s not like Nick hadn’t stayed here before. Olly actually liked when Nick stayed here, he finally had a chance to win at Mario Kart that way.
He went to peek out of his room when he saw Tori at the top of the stars, her hand on the banister and her foot tapping the floor. She turned around as soon as she heard the door handle twist and looked at Olly, schooling her face into something else. Olly just stared at her, clutching a toy truck in his hand.
“Hey Ol, did you hear that too?” she asked gently.
“Mmhmm. But not all of it. Something bad happened down there”
“Hmm, what did you hear?”
“That Charlie wasn’t allowed a sleepover at Nicks. Which is silly cause he’s stayed here before and I’ve gone to Josh’s house for a sleepover before too so why can’t Charlie? It’s just like one giant playdate for the night. Except they hug for a weird amount of time sometimes.” Olly pulled a face at that.
“You’re right, it’s a bit strange. I don’t know Mum’s reasoning.”
“I don’t like it when she yells at him.”
“I know.”
Tori ruffled his hair causing Olly to yelp and swat her hand away, however being 7 doesn’t really give you a big advantage when someone is bigger than you and Tori instead turned to tickling Olly and then grabbed him in a big bear hug, walked him back into his room and dumped him on the bed.
“I think you like being tickled Ol,”
“Do not!”
“Oh? Is that why you laugh eeeeevery time I do THIS!” Tori went back in again, tickling up and down his ribs and Olly tried to turn away.
“Truuuuuce truuUUUUCE.” Olly was yelling now.
Tori stopped then, sitting on his bed and leaning back against the wall.
“I’m sorry that you had to hear her yell.”
Olly just sat there then leaning up against her, his truck still in his hands. “Can we maybe play some Mario Kart?” Olly asked. Tori was easier to try beat than Charlie, or maybe she let him win more at least.
“Sure, why don’t you go set that up in my room and I’ll go make us some hot chocolates.”
Olly was off like a rocket then, finally having first choice of the track they would be playing on.
Tori was in the kitchen when Julio walked in. She didn’t even look up from the drinks she was making when she spoke to him.
“He overheard her you know. Yelling at Charlie and Charlie yelling back. He doesn’t like it and it’s not fair that she gets to yell and scare him as well.”
“Don’t call your mother a ‘her’ Victoria.”
“That’s what you’re focusing on.” She said as she dropped the spoon into the sink, “Not, you know, the fact that your youngest child was confused about why his ‘mother’ yelling at his brother?” She looked up at her dad now, her face a controlled mask of indifference.
Julio was slumped against the door frame, his arms crossed and let out a sigh, “She’s trying to work on it.”
“Really? I don’t think she’s getting very far.”
“Victoria, really! Come on now. She is trying. She just doesn’t know when she’s gone too far until after.”
“She scared Olly! It’s not OK Dad, it’s not OK that she just goes off the handle because she doesn’t know how to process her emotions. It’s. Not. OK.”
“I KNOW.” Julio said back, more force than intended. Tori just stood there as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I know okay, we’re working on it. When Charlie comes back she’ll apologise and she’ll talk to him.”
Tori scoffed at the empty promise, "We’re going to go talk to someone for her, about how to handle this. We didn’t get a guideline to this Tori, we’re trying ok. Can you at least believe that? We are trying.”
Julio’s eyes were pleading with Tori. “It’s not like we got a guideline to this either but it’s not hard to not be a shitty person and push all your own unresolved trauma onto your child. Charlie, no we deserve better than this.”
“I know you’re just a child too, and I’m sorry you're involved like this. I promise, we will do better. Let me take that to Olly. I need to go check in with him. Come up in 10 yeah?” Julio made a move to grab the mugs from the counter, he stopped just short and gave Tori a kiss on the side of her forehead.
“Your brothers are lucky to have you, you know.”