When Geo made his way down to the table the next morning, everyone was there, including his dad who was supposed to be on an out of state game trip. "Aren't you all busy? Mom, your work starts at 7, and it is a 47 minute drive in Tuesday traffic. Mollie, Max, your recital practice starts at 6:45, and theater practice starts at 6:35 for you Ava. Simon, you normally ride with your girlfriend, and she normally picks you up at 6:30. Dad is supposed to be out of state on an away game."
The entire family looked ashamed. Geo knew all of their schedule, yet they knew nothing about him. "Geo..." Lea spoke up, "We didn't realize until yesterday how much you truly do for this family. We have been so occupied with our own stuff we didn't even realize we were dumping all the responsibility on you....and don't say it's fine because it's not." She gave him a look that silenced his protest. "From now on, me and Simon will take turns with you for who cooks. Chores will be done by the assigned person, and there will be no paying others to do it. If there are any book signings, or other authority things you want to do, then go ahead. You should get to do things you're interested in just like the rest of the family does."
"You really don't need to do all this, I understand you all are busy, and I respect that sometimes I have to pick up the slack." He smiled unsurely.
"See, I told you, you all are just exaggerating." His fathers words were cut off by a slap on the back of his head.
"If you don't want me to hand you divorce papers because of your infidelity cover as sports games I will. Now shut up." Lea told him before turning to Geo. "It is ok actionally, but you have been picking up the slack for three whole years, starting when you were only eleven. No eleven year old should be cooking for the whole family, let alone for themselves.
"You aren't an adult, you shouldn't have to act like one. You should be out there making friends, going to parties, having fun, not spending all your ime forced to be a parent."
Geo didn't know exactly how it happened, and he doubted he ever would, but here he was now, in a sticky situation he couldn't undo if he wanted to...He was surrounded by his family, and was being given a chance to be a kid again. "O...Ok," he said, hope filling his voice.
—
It wasn't instainus, the change. It came in slow waves. Small things, like a few more faces at the dinner table, a chore or two done before he saw the chore list, or the fact that dad was home more. Then bigger steps were taken, lunches were prepared by their mom, everyone had one chore that was theirs, mom divorced dad, who was embezzling money from all their college positions, and who had tried to access Geo's author bank account. Without dad stealing money, mom had to work less, and was less stressed out. The twins weren't as worried about competing for college scholarships. Both Ava and Simon brought their girlfriends home. Elen, Ava's girlfriend, thought meeting the author was an even better birthday gift than getting a signed copy of a book.
Geo was healing. Being an adult so young had left scars on his mind. He started having panic attacks, thinking the chores weren't done or dinner wasn't cooked. The doctor said that they should go away in a few years, but they were constant reminders to the rest of the family of what had happened.