He lied.

He told me he would fight for her. For our family and he gave up. It's only been three months and they are throwing twenty years out the window as if it isn't a huge deal. It doesn't only mess with their lives. It messes with mine. It messes with Riker and Isaac's. It messes with Greyson's.

Our family is crashing down, fast and it seems like the only people that actually want it to work are the four of us. If they were unhappy, I'd get it. If they were better off alone, I wouldn't fight it but it is so obvious that isn't the case. They love each other and maybe things got a little stressed. Maybe they got distant because life got in the way. Work, kids and all the other things that make you busy but that doesn't mean you just toss it all away after three months.

My heart is heavy as I slide down the back of my door, pulling my knees up to my chest as I look around the room. I don't want them to divorce. I don't want to be a statistic. I don't want to have to choose who to spend the holidays with. I want nothing to do with any of this.

The word divorce sounds wrong in my mouth. Like it doesn't belong and it doesn't. When you think Emery and Luke Alexander, you don't think divorce. You think love. They are so in love with each other that it makes me hopefully and the fact that they are being cowardly instead of fighting makes it all ten times worse.

They deserve better than three months of not trying.

They deserve a lifetime. Like the promised. In sickness and in health. In the good times and the bad.

They are breaking the promises they made to each other twenty years ago and we're the collateral damage. They are making us choose sides. They are making it hard for any of us to breathe.

My eyes land on the stand my guitar rests in, scanning the neck and the six silver birds painted on the black stained wood under the strings. A strain on my heart makes it feel like it's being twisted as I crawl over and grab it from the stand before sliding back against the door, resting the guitar in my lap. My eyes wet as I run my fingers over the nylon strings, strumming them softly.

I squeeze my eyes shut as everything in my life comes crashing down around me. It feels like the world may never be alright again and maybe that's dramatic. It probably is, but I don't care. My family is the most important thing to me and without them, nothing is worth anything. Even if dad says we'll be family no matter what – it doesn't change the fact that this will change everything.

"Little bird?" Dad asks after knocking lightly on the door. "Can we talk?"

"No," I shake my head and raise my hand, turning the lock on the knob to assure he can't get in. My chest tight, on the verge of tears, ready to let it all loose.

My life is going to be different now.

Forever.

"Stevie, please...talk to me," he begs and all I can do is shake my head.

"Go away."

"Vee."

A groan falls from my lips as I move my guitar off my lap and lean it against my dresser, moving to my feet before angrily swinging open the door to face him. His eyes sad, while mine are filled with anger.

"Are you here to lie to me again?"

"Come on, Stevie," he sighs. "It's not like that."

"It's not? Then what is it like, dad?" I question, tilting my head to the side as I eye him. "Did you or did you not promise me that you'd fight for her? For our family?"

"Your mom and me don't need to be together for us to be a family."

"Bullshit!" I shout.

"Stevie, you don't get it. You can't possibly understand what it's like-."

"To be a coward?"

His face drops at the use of the word.

"You are a coward and a liar," I growl. "You didn't even try to save your marriage! It's been three months, dad! Three months and you're just ready to give up everything? Just like that?"

"It's what your mom wants."

"Stop lying," I yell. "We heard what you said! You're the one who suggested you get the divorce, not mom. All mom wants is for you to listen and you're clearly not very good at it so maybe she's better off without you. Maybe we're all better off without you."

"Stevie."

"Go home, dad."

"Vee."

"It'd be better if you leave now, dad," Riker says as he steps out of his room, crossing his arms over his chest and standing tall in front of him. "If you don't want to work for our family, then we don't need you here."

"We're going to talk later when you're all cooled off," Dad sighs as he heads for the staircase. "Just because your mom and I aren't going to work, doesn't mean I'll stop loving any of you."

Isaac and Greyson both step out of their rooms as we eye him, not sure how to feel. It isn't his fault. It isn't mom's either but we're angry, rightfully so and he is the closest thing to let our anger out on. I raise my hand to wipe under my eyes as I walk down the hall, and right into Riker's arms.

"It's going to be okay, Vee," he mumbles as his strong arms wrap around me, followed by Isaac's and Greyson's.

"It doesn't feel that way," I mutter.

"We've got each other," Greyson argues. "We'll figure it out."

"Grey's right," Isaac bobs his head and moves away from the group hug first, never being one for closeness. "We'll figure this out. Just like we've figured everything else out. We're the Alexander siblings, we don't give up. Not on each other and not on them."

"Good pep talk, Ike," Grey laughs. "It's just a bump in the road, guys. Do you really think they're going to get divorced? We don't even know what separated them in the first place."

"They kind of made it seem like that's exactly what's going to happen," Riker rolls his eyes, keeping his arm around my shoulder as I look between them. My thoughts interrupted by the quiet sound and movement of light coming from our mom's door.

"Be quiet," I shush them all as I walk towards the door, pressing my ear to the wood.

"Vee," Greyson whispers. "You-."

I wave him off and press closer to the door, trying my best to listen in.

"Maggie, this is it."

"She's talking to Aunt Maggie," I tell them quietly and suddenly all three of them are there. Their ears pressed to the French doors, listening with me.

"I don't know what happened. I never wanted any of this," she whimpers. "I love Luke, so much but lately everything just feels off. I thought maybe some distance would make things better for us but, distance is all we've ever had. Ever since he made it big and don't get me wrong, I am so incredibly proud of everything he's accomplished and what he's been able to give our kids."

Silence comes as Maggie interrupts her, making it impossible for us to know what she's saying. Aunt Maggie has always had this way of calming mom down, much like Greyson, Riker and Isaac do for me and vice versa.

"I don't want for us to get divorced but...things have been so complicated and hard. We've dealt with hard and...I don't know. Maybe I thought things were always going to be like they were in New York when we were younger. He picked me over his music then, and eventually he started picking his music. He went away longer and...I feel like after our kids, I just...I became the least important thing in his life."

"That's not true," Greyson whispers. "God damnit. Dad really screwed this one up."

"She's lonely," I frown and look at Greyson. "Why is she pushing him away then?"

"Maybe because she wants him to work for it," Riker sighs. "She pushed, expecting him to push back but he isn't. He...are you kidding me? This is what everything is about? They're acting like teenagers."

"It has to be more than that," Isaac shakes his head. "I get wanting the spark back, but things have changed since when they first got together. They weren't going to stay the same forever."

"Yeah..." Greyson sighs and I press closer to the door, my throat drying when I hear the small and short sobs coming from behind the door. My heart breaking for her, but I know Isaac's right. There is more to this that we don't know. There has to be. "We should go to bed. It's been a long day."

I nod my head, though it feels wrong knowing she's crying and alone behind the door. My stomach in knots as I walk into my own room, closing the door behind me. I change out of my clothes and put on an oversized red hoodie that falls to the middle of my thighs, that I got from Rock Salt's last tour.

Stepping into the bathroom attached to my room, I brush out the knots in my hair before pulling all my hair off my face and into a tight bun. Clearing my face of any make-up, I rub some cream over my freckled skin and crawl into bed, staring up at the roof. My heart heavy in my chest.

After a few minutes of not being able to sleep, I kick the blanket to the side and creep back out into the hallway. Walking slowly, hoping not to make too much noise as I head for the master bedroom. Knocking lightly on the door, I wait for a response but when I get nothing, I take a deep breath and open the door without permission.

"Mom?"

A sniff comes first, followed by the sound of my mom's hoarse voice. "I'm okay, Vee. Go back to bed."

"I'm not," I mumble and close the door behind me, not giving her room to protest before climbing into bed next to her. "It's okay if you're not too. You don't need to be strong for us. Not about this."

Even in the darkness, I can see the corners of her lips curl up into a very weak smile. "How'd I get so lucky to get a daughter like you?"

"I love you," I hum as I scoot over to her, resting my head on her shoulder as she wraps her arms around me. The silence leaving the space not as tense.

"I love you too, sweetie."

"Mom?" Isaac whispers into the darkness and I turn enough to see both twins standing in the door way. My stomach curling up as they run into the room. Riker climbing in behind me while Isaac runs around to climb in next to our mom, a giggle falling from my lips.

"Yes, my babies," Mom laughs and squeezes Isaac's hand before reaching out to touch Riker's arm. "You three...what am I going to do with you?"

"Room for one more?" Greyson asks from the doorway.

"Greyson?" She asks. "What are you doing here?"

"I guess now's a good time as any," he stops at the edge of the bed. "I dropped out of school."

"What?" She, Riker and Isaac all say in unison.

"Yup, that's about the reaction I was expecting," he says, climbing onto the end of the bed and somehow manages to curl up at the edge with his head resting against my leg. "And before you say, Greyson, you don't know what you're doing. You're throwing your life away. I'd just like to say that I'm not and I do know what I'm doing. I've got a plan."

"A good plan," I nod, encouraging him.

"What is this plan exactly?"

"I'm going to write."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Mom admits and runs her fingers through his hair, smiling softly. "I'm happy you're doing what makes you happy, Grey. There is no point spending time on anything that doesn't."

a/n;

This chapter hurts my heart. I love the relationship Stevie has with her brothers though and how they approach everything as a united front.

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