Milton/Binghams: The Talk
Good Morning all! I just had my coffee and some breakfast before heading out the door to kickboxing, but I just thought that I would start this off. I know it won’t be long til I have to leave and I KNOW I am not going to finish it in time so there ya go. Now, for the first time after the revamp, I bring to you the Binghams.
It had been a whirlwind of wild and crazy since Mike had been a baby. Life just seemed to move so swiftly that, before Misha and May knew it, he was a child. With Maggie and Marc rearing Mike while worrying over the twins, Mia, and Max it all started to take a toll on her. Marc told her that she needed to learn to relax. As sweet as he was, giving her massages and all to help, it didn’t help completely. It was a temporary fix for a big problem. She just couldn’t help worrying and she couldn’t help the fact that maybe it was time to just let go. What did that really mean for Maggie? Even Maggie didn’t know, she just knew something had to give.
The twins, Maker bless their hearts, had been watching the heaviness. They even felt it from time to time and did what any normal teenage kids would do. They pitched in and helped out. One night they even had a meeting with their Aunt and Uncle.
“May? What is it honey?” Mia said sweetly when the silence got deafening.
“Its Mom.......its this living arrangement. It was all great when Grandma and Grandpa were still around.......it was even great for a while when things seemed a bit broken after they left, or so I have been told many times.....”
“Wait......broken?” Max chimed in.
“Uncle Max, I think what May is saying is that after their passing, its when Mom and Dad needed you guys the most. Needed this family all under one roof...” Misha said. Max made an incomprehensible face. Like he couldn’t believe what they were saying.
“Wait.......wait Uncle Max......before you jump to conclusions.....”, May continued, “he doesn’t mean what it sounds like. We just feel as though without us around......you and Aunt Mia can do what you want to do.........it might make her feel better. Feel better and worry less than what it is now if we were to get our own place”
“But.......but you two are just kids!” Mia said exasperatedly.
“We are teenagers........teens that are on the verge of becoming adults anyway. We can grow things, make our way into the world, and still go to highschool. We thought a lot about this, Aunt Mia. We just think its time” Misha said.
“No honey, your Mom would be heartbroken if you left. She would demand that you two be accompanied by her at least. At least until you were young adults” Mia said.
“Then what do you suggest that we do? I can’t stand Mom like this.......its like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders and no matter what, its not being lifted. Dad is trying his hardest......knocking himself out in order to make her feel better......but it only works for a short time.”
“Have you two told anyone else this? Or better yet, told your Mom how you feel?” Max said concerned.
“We tried talking to Dad. Telling him that we were concerned over Mom, but he just told us that she was just tired” May said.
“Maybe you ought to take that at face value then. Your Dad wouldn’t lie to you two” Mia looked at them both. Then, things fell into silence once more. Mia looked into Max’s eyes. They both thought the same thing........they both needed to find a different place to live. They exchanged knowing glances.
“Well, lets just think on things a bit more here. Let your Auntie and Uncle talk things over. IF we think its a good idea, we will TRY to talk to your Mom and Dad” Max said.
“Okay” the twins said together. They then disbanded. That night, Mia had awful dreams. Dreams of crying, loss, twins leaving the house, and Maggie just simply heartbroken. It even woke her in the middle of the night with tears in her eyes, Max heard, and came knocking.
“Hey......can I come in?”
“I heard.....are you ok?”
“Just a bad dream is all”
“It was Maggie and the family, wasn’t it?”
“I couldn’t get over the twins wanting to leave either. I kept trying to find ways in which to make them stay. What finally quieted my mind is that they are coming into their own here. They are fighting for a chance to make their mark on the world. Why shouldn’t we let them? Or at least try to help them break it to Maggie?”
“Its because we are family Max! Family is supposed to stick together”
“Who’s to say that we won’t still stick together?” There was a silence for a minute and Mia couldn’t think of what to say next, so Max continued, “Just because we aren’t in the same house doesn’t mean that we won’t stick together. We would be just as close......maybe thats what May and Misha were getting at. Seven people to take care of IS a lot and you know how Maggie is. She won’t stop trying to be the one to take care of everyone simply because we tell her to relinquish leadership to all of us and not just one person to shoulder the responsibility”
“You really think its time Max, don’t you?” Mia asked afraid of the answer.
“They make sense and I am starting to feel that, even though they are just teens, they make an excellent point. As they say ‘out of the mouths of babes’” he chuckled. “Look, we don’t have to decide this right now, just know that how I feel is that it was great for when Mom and Dad passed, we needed to be surrounded by family, however that time has passed. While its good to be with family, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we all have to be under one roof”.
Just then Mia yawned, her fears somewhat diminished, and they hugged goodnight. Mia’s dreams then, even if they weren’t full of nightmares, still were in constant battles.
The next day they all awoke, Maggie as usual was downstairs making breakfast and coffee. The next to wake was Max and he made his way quietly. Mia and the kids were still asleep and he wanted it that way.
“Good morning Sis” he said sweetly to Maggie as he got the coffee pot working.
“Good morning Max......how’d you sleep?” she yawned.
“Not too good to be honest......what about you?” he looked at her worried now.
“Oh, the usual.......up late cause I had things on my mind. I need to find something to quiet my mind before I go to sleep” she shrugged. She wished that she could have fetched a fib here and there. However, there was no fooling family.
Max sighed cause he knew this was the perfect time to bring things up. He didn’t want to bring it up with the others around and it was something that he knew Maggie would like to get used to before she heard the others.
“What? What is it Max?” she asked watching the coffee pot for a minute before it started to fill with coffee.
“Maggie, lets sit down for a minute and talk. I really need to chat and for you to listen”
“Okay” Maggie said tentatively.
“The twins came to me and Mia last night. They are worried because you seem to be extra worried over this family and life in general.......”
“You would too if you had a house full of people to take care of” Maggie interjected, getting on the defense.
“Maggie, I didn’t say it to get you riled up or defensive. Its an observation. One that I might add, I have had too. The twins have been feeling it and they told us that they are ready to be out on their own”
“Absolutely not” she said almost tearing up.
“Exactly what I said, but they feel that if they are not here that they are taking away your burden a little. We know you are now the matriarch of this family and therefore feel a responsibility to us all. You won’t give in to someone else being the one in charge........the one that shoulders everything. We do love you for that, but take a look. Its got you wound up.”
“They are just babies Max!” she said now exasperatedly. This was when Max moved to give her a hug and squeezed her hand.
“I know. We told them that you would demand to be there with them, but they seemed to feel that Mia and myself could reason with you. This stress you are under is not good for you and you know it. These kids you have raised are really smart and have good heads on their shoulders, which is why I AM advocating for them.”
Maggie got teary eyed and quiet. She felt like screaming, crying, doing something that would change how all this was going down. She felt people were leaving her and she didn’t want that to happen. When Maggie didn’t speak, Max went on, “No one is leaving you for good Maggie”
“Cause you are my sister and I know how you think” he chuckled.
“You don’t know that they aren’t going to leave me for good!”
“Come on Mags.......seriously? You are their MOTHER......they wouldn’t leave and not come back. They love you!”
“And what if something happens to them? A fire......burglary.....kidnappers......it could happen you know!”
“Even if it could, your kids know you’d be only a minute away.”
“Yeah, I guess........that would be my main condition. That they would be close by so I could see them every day” she said nodding. Then, she had another frightening thought, “what about you and Mia?”
“That.......that I want to talk to you while Mia is around if that is ok” he said cautiously. Maggie’s face fell, but she understood. Suddenly she wasn’t so hungry for breakfast.
“I need to go and get Marc up.......his breakfast is going to get cold” she sniffed.
“Alright.......I am sorry about everything Maggie........I know its hard. Its hard on me too. I couldn’t fathom the twins leaving us or even wanting to for that matter” he said and hugged her.
She left and he went about his day. He kept thinking about Maggie and wondering if she was going to be alright. He had to keep reassuring himself that she was. She had always been the resilient one.
Slowly but surely the crowd started to come in, go through the motions getting breakfast and going off to school or work, and then leaving the house to Mia, Max, Maggie, and Marc. Max and Mia were off in another room for a few minutes after all the kids left for school, while Marc and Maggie cleaned the house together.
“You seem awfully quiet hon”
“Im sorry honey........its just Max is all”
“We had a talk.......apparently the twins want to move out on their own”
“Absolutely not! They are too young”
“Exactly my reaction, however he told me that they think that if they go out on their own that it would somehow lessen the burden here at the house for me”
“You have been worried and tense a lot lately........”
“I know I have.....but I just can’t help it. With rearing Mike, making sure the twins stay on the straight and narrow, keeping up with the daily chores around the house, and everything else......I feel somewhat stretched in all directions”
“You don’t have to do it all by yourself”
“Marc, have you even met me?” she made a jibe at herself that was neither funny nor lighthearted to elicit a chuckle from anyone. “Max made me see that they aren’t kids anymore.......they are coming into their own! That maybe we ought to see what gives”
“You seem pretty set on it happening.......I’m surprised”
“Surprised Im not crying my eyes out? Believe me, I really do want to. They are my babies! I just know that I can’t react that way.......I am not even sure I am able to react that way with everything happening”
“Its not just the kids.......is it?” Marc asked. Her face fell and thats when he knew. “That’s it.....we need to talk to Max and Mia now.......” he said moving around the house to look for them. “Max? Mia? Come out now please” he shouted out.
When they finally came out they all gathered at the dining room table, “What is it Marc?” Mia said.
“Maggie has been telling me that both of the twins want to move and so do you two........is that your intentions?”
“Well........we were going to have a discussion about it, yes.......” Max said.
“Do you understand how that looks to my wife?”
“Honey........please.......”
“No, don’t honey please me.......do you know how that looks?”
“Marc, please listen to us before getting upset........”
“My wife’s heart is breaking and you don’t want me upset?”
“Honey! I can speak for myself” Maggie insisted. That’s when Marc paused to look at her as she started to speak.
“Max, after you came to me to tell me the kids wanted to be out on their own, I was really upset. I was even more upset when I knew you and Mia wanted out of the house too. Between the cleaning and other chores today, I have been thinking a lot. You are right.......for the time being, when Mom and Dad passed, it was right for us all to stay together. I guess I just got so used to the idea.”
“Its not that we don’t want to live with you and Marc” Mia said sweetly and hugged Maggie.
“I know......and in my heart of hearts I know Marc understands this too” she looked him in the eyes. For a half a second an exchange happened. The looks seemed to say ‘I do’, ‘yes you do’, and finally ‘fine.....ok’.
“Yeah I guess so......but not the twins”
“We simply want to advocate for them is all. They deserve the best life we can give them. Filled with happy memories, they deserve the right to be worried over their Mamma, and they deserve the right to their own opinions” Max said.
“Fine. Alright. So does this mean that you two are packing bags?”
“Not yet......in a couple days time possibly though.......we just want you two to be alright after the kids leave, so that is why we are staying after they do”
“Yeah, IF they do” Mia agreed.
Well, that’s it for this update........stay tuned for more! (and hopefully the pics I took as well.....just didn’t know how to fit them in here). Thanks for reading!
