(It wasn't necessarily as if Eddie would refuse Angela moving in with him. He would never know how to tell an adult no, and maybe that right there was the problem. Eddie was still young enough that his mindset was solidly locked in the foundation that adults had absolute control over him. It's why he loathed every time an adult raised their voice or told him to do something.
It wasn't that Eddie was always against what he was told to do. It was that he hated how he knew adults knew that Eddie had no choice but to agree. It was a power dynamic that Eddie couldn't get out of, and every time some adult didn't leave him with any choice, he automatically felt anxious. Because what did that mean for the future? How far would it go until an adult was taking advantage in other kinds of ways just because they had the power to? Eddie knew what happened to Beverly. Knew what happened to Dorsey Corcoran. He wasn't fucking stupid.
Not that he thought Angela would ever go that far, or even nudge up against the line of abuse. She was too good, too kind and thoughtful. There wasn't a part of her that Eddie thought could be abusive least of all to children.
But it was a mentality so thoroughly buried inside of Eddie that it was near impossible to get him thinking away from that.
So Angela not pressing to live with him? It was a comfort because it felt a little bit like Angela giving him the space to be free.
It almost felt like a gift. A gift that sounded like trains going far, far away, and seagulls crying overhead as they flew somewhere far from Eddie.
His eyes are wet for just a second, but then he's blinking a few times and drinking the rest of his lemonade to get over that thick feeling in his throat.)
Thank you. (Eddie finally says, his voice wobbling.)
Chloe deserves that. (Which he felt from the bottom of his heart. Chloe was just a kid too. He didn't really think being eighteen or nineteen somehow magically transformed people into mature adult-thinkers. Not at all. That was silly.
More than that, he felt like he wanted it too, but he didn't know if he deserved anything in this world, so he remains quiet in regards to him.)
If you need help with anything, Chloe and I would both pitch in.
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It wasn't that Eddie was always against what he was told to do. It was that he hated how he knew adults knew that Eddie had no choice but to agree. It was a power dynamic that Eddie couldn't get out of, and every time some adult didn't leave him with any choice, he automatically felt anxious. Because what did that mean for the future? How far would it go until an adult was taking advantage in other kinds of ways just because they had the power to? Eddie knew what happened to Beverly. Knew what happened to Dorsey Corcoran. He wasn't fucking stupid.
Not that he thought Angela would ever go that far, or even nudge up against the line of abuse. She was too good, too kind and thoughtful. There wasn't a part of her that Eddie thought could be abusive least of all to children.
But it was a mentality so thoroughly buried inside of Eddie that it was near impossible to get him thinking away from that.
So Angela not pressing to live with him? It was a comfort because it felt a little bit like Angela giving him the space to be free.
It almost felt like a gift. A gift that sounded like trains going far, far away, and seagulls crying overhead as they flew somewhere far from Eddie.
His eyes are wet for just a second, but then he's blinking a few times and drinking the rest of his lemonade to get over that thick feeling in his throat.)
Thank you. (Eddie finally says, his voice wobbling.)
Chloe deserves that. (Which he felt from the bottom of his heart. Chloe was just a kid too. He didn't really think being eighteen or nineteen somehow magically transformed people into mature adult-thinkers. Not at all. That was silly.
More than that, he felt like he wanted it too, but he didn't know if he deserved anything in this world, so he remains quiet in regards to him.)
If you need help with anything, Chloe and I would both pitch in.