Gods, it was like talking to Bash. Suddenly all of her decisions were somehow a slight against her childrens’ very existence. She wanted to laugh at the thought that Owen looked like he just got out of prison... maybe he did in a way, but that was part of the appeal. Something Phee wouldn't understand. "Phee, you're barely home," Brianna said, finally revealing some of her own exasperation. "You have a job, friends... you have Greg. When are you ever home for us to really sit down and talk? You..." Brianna paused to control the slight waver in her voice. "I don't know that anyone who went through what I went through when I was gone... could come back the same. My decisions right now have nothing to do with you. Or Bash, or Trip... or hell, even your father. I am truly sorry that you found out this way. It was reckless of me." And she was at least sincere in that. Could she promise that she wouldn't see Owen again? Sure, but she would be lying. If anything, she hoped he wouldn't ghost her after today.
“I have a phone, you always know where I am, you can always reach me and like, act like you want to spend any time with me,” Phee insisted, swiping impatiently at tears as they spilled down her cheeks. “I’ll make time, I’ll come home. I’ve been trying to give you space, I thought that was what you wanted! How is that my fault now?!” She was getting kind of shrill and she tried to tone it down, but the dam was breaking and there was a lot Phee had been holding behind it. “I stayed away from here while you were gone because I couldn’t stand it here without you, and now you’re back but nothing’s the same and you won’t even really tell me what happened to you!” She was sobbing and babbling at the same time now, her fists clenched against the urge to grab the wine bottle and throw it. “Maybe you’re not even thinking about us anymore, but all your decisions still affect us! Even fucking some rando loser!” The last words came out as a near-scream, and Phee whirled herself around to storm out of the kitchen, desperately needing her room and her plants and space to cry.
Brianna's temper was hot and threatened to explode as Phee shrieked and stormed off. She supposed most teenagers had to make their parents’ issues about them, but Brianna had always assumed Phee was too level headed for that. Apparently not. Even so, Brianna let her daughter go, aware that now would be a good time to separate for a bit until they both calmed down. Or, at least until Phee did. Maybe this one moment would implode the entire family, but Brianna couldn't stop things now. All she could do was give it some time and then reach out to Phee again and try to be more involved, because apparently she hadn't been doing too good a job of that lately. Sighing, Brianna quickly opened the wine bottle and grabbed a glass.