Family Chat
The next morning, Stephan got the babies together and took them to his parents before he headed out to the site where he was remodeling his equestrian center.
Siobahn took the empty house and silence as a chance to clean up, do laundry, and make one of their spare rooms comfy enough for Logan. She had to make a rushed order, since they'd already donated some of the twins' larger furniture just after their birthday, but it gave her something to look forward to since she didn't have work or busy bodies to chase behind for the day.
And as he knew it'd be, the conversation with his parents after he got off work was one that left Stephan more aggravated than he'd been the night before.
Annalise hadn't shown up, even though her mother pleaded with her for hours earlier in the day.
Stephan was in no mood for Lorna's insistence on babying Annalise and her current round of antics while she and Judd had spent Stephan's entire youth and early adulthood scolding or admonishing him for actions and behaviors that were normal.
Many didn't know, because he didn't make it a habit to bad mouth or discuss their familial dynamics; but just because things had gotten better, and his parents finally respected his career choices, just because they helped him and Siobahn a great deal... Stephan and his parents' relationship was a semi strained one. And it was mostly because of how they handled him versus how they handled his sister.
Judd would have liked to keep it hushed, but his business was no longer doing exceptionally well. And while he and Lorna still worked and brought in enough money to live, their savings had taken a major hit over recent years ... because of Annalise. While he always discussed it with her, because Stephan and Siobahn kept their business finances separate it was easy for him to help his parents out whenever his father got up the nerve to ask. Lately, a lot of that help had been funneled to Annalise (who'd told Stephan plenty over recent months that she didn't want/need his money or help if he couldn't just support her the way she needed. The way she needed included his money going directly to her abuser.)
It was beginning to feel like, to Stephan, none of them understood his growing resistance was not towards Annalise. He'd go on helping his baby sister however he could if it were as simple as her struggling to adjust to adulthood, motherhood, and life in general. But she would not accept anything if it could not benefit her boyfriend as well because she refused to leave him. And if she left, it was just long enough to get what she wanted and she'd go right back and start her I don't want/need your help campaign all over again.
Lorna and Judd were overly hopeful, always ready to jump over mountains to make excuses but would not go to the lengths Stephan did to help. Just like Annalise, they'd grown to believe that he, and his money, was the immediate and reasonable solution while they coddled Annalise or absolved her of all responsibility. Most times he wasn't asked, he was just expected to go along with it because he was the older sibling and family helped family.
And while Lorna and Judd never extended those expectations to Siobahn (as they genuinely loved her and knew she struggled with her own things); Annalise always seemed to harbor some sort of harsh feelings towards her. There was always some snide remark or comment that Stephan had to check her on, always a Vonnie will be alright or she can just deal with it attitude and tone when Annalise made her demands.
As much as he loved his little sister, and his parents, Stephan was tired.
If having Logan didn't help her wake up (beyond thinking she had to keep him a secret from her boyfriend, and abandon him with her brother), then no amount of help Stephan thought he could provide would do the trick either. He was throwing in the towel. Either Annalise would step up, with Lorna and Judd helping her out (and he'd be a normal uncle), or she could let him and Siobahn handle everything themselves without him ever doing anything else for her.
He knew what her choice was going to be, but it felt fair enough to at least inform their parents of the options too. That way there would be no miscommunication or lie his sister could tell when they went to handle things legally.
