Trauma Grieving

Chapter 14

Vee's POV_

I sat down in the living room, Jack still clinging to my leg. Rachel sat down across from me, a look of concern on her face.

"Vee, what's going on?" she asked, her voice soft.

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. "I'm sorry, Rach," I said, the words spilling out of me. "I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. I know I haven't been fair."

Rachel's expression softened, and she leaned forward. "Vee, I understand. You've been under a lot of stress. We all have."

But I shook my head. "No, that's no excuse. I've been taking it out on you, and I'm sorry. You've been trying to help, and I've been pushing you away."

Rachel nodded, a small smile on her face. "I appreciate the apology, Vee. And I'm here for you, no matter what."

As we talked, Jack slowly began to let go of my leg, sensing that things were okay.

"I love you, Rach," I said, feeling a lump form in my throat.

"I love you too, Vee," Rachel replied, smiling. "And I'm here to support you, through thick and thin."

As we continued to talk, Sophia walks into the living room, a tentative smile on her face. Rachel and I look up at her, both of their expressions softening slightly

Sophia's eyes land on Vee, and she takes a step forward. "Hey, Vee. I didn't know you were...having company."

My eyes flicker to Rachel, then back to Sophia. "Yeah, Rach was just... hanging out with me."

The room falls into an awkward silence, with Sophia looking uncertain and Rachel and I exchanging a glance.

"Hey, Sophia," i said, breaking the silence. "Why don't you sit down? We were just...talking about...stuff."

Sophia nods, her eyes never leaving Rach face. "Okay. If I'm not interrupting anything."

Rach expression is unreadable, but she nods slightly. "No, it's fine. Sit down."

Sophia takes a seat, her eyes fixed on my face, searching for any sign of what she's thinking or feeling. I watched Sophia sit down, her eyes fixed on me with a mix of hope and trepidation. I felt a familiar knot in my stomach, a mix of emotions swirling inside me.

I wasn't sure what to say to her or how to act. Part of me wanted to reach out to try to connect with her after all these years. But another part of me was hurt and resentful.

I glanced over at Rachel, who was watching us both with a concerned expression. I knew she was trying to be supportive, but I also knew she didn't fully understand the complexity of my feelings towards Sophia.

Sophia broke the silence, her voice tentative. "Vee, can we talk? Just for a minute?"

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. But something in Sophia's eyes made me nod, just slightly. "Okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I took a deep breath, my heart racing as I turned to Sophia. "Sophia, I need to ask you something," I said, my voice shaking.

Sophia looked at me, concern etched on her face. "What is it, Vee?"

I took another deep breath, my eyes welling up with tears. "It's about Rachel," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "She's been there for me, Sophia. She's been my rock, my support system. And I know she hurt you, I know she said some things she can't take back."

Sophia's expression softened, and she nodded. "Go on."

I reached out, my hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. "Please, Sophia. Please forgive her. She's sorry, she's truly sorry. A She's been trying to make amends to prove herself to you."

Sophia looked at me, her eyes searching mine. "Vee, why are you asking me this?"

I felt a lump form in my throat. "Because she's important to me, Sophia. She's my sister . And I don't want to lose her. I don't want to lose you either, but...please, just think about it. Think about forgiving her."

Sophia's expression was unreadable, and I felt a pang of uncertainty. Had I overstepped? Had I asked too much?