Gemma Finstock

“Yeah, you and me both.” Dia admitted with a small laugh, wrapping her hands around her coffee. She knew how lucky she was to be in school at all, but it was nice to have some time off. Especially with Cedric. “How did it all go?”

As much as Gemma loved her nephew with her entire heart she was grateful to be getting the one on one time with Claudia since it was so rare that they got the time together. “It went a lot better than I was expecting, what about yours?” She asked curiously, “It’s going to be nice to be able to take a breath from school.”

“I don’t want that. But it’s been five years, and people in town are still talking about how sad it is that Aaron died before the huge, soul mate wedding everyone knew was coming could happen.” Phoebe sighed, shaking her head. “It’s just hard to still be hearing that. It’s like no matter what happens, I will never be able to measure up to them, to you, and it’s probably stupid but it’s hard not to think about.” 

“As much as I love Aaron and always will he wasn’t perfect. We had our faults in our relationship. He didn’t want to commit and I had my own issues. Did I think he was my soulmate? Sure. But maybe we’re meant to have two.” Gemma took a deep breath knowing that it wouldn’t be easy but if Phoebe didn’t want her then she couldn’t force it. “I can stop coming around if you would prefer it.”

“I know,” Phoebe nodded as she kissed her back before pulling away. “But I also know that a lot of times I’m the Aaron crutch, so.”

“Phoebe...you’re completely different from Aaron. Is it nice to have someone to curl up with? Yes, but it’s not the same and I’m glad that it’s not. You’re Phoebe, which makes you so incredibly special. I’m sorry I don’t make you feel that way, but I can leave you alone if you want me to. You deserve to be with someone who makes you feel so loved and incredible, and I’m sorry I don’t do that for you.”

“You knew him better than I did, Gem. If anything, you’d be the right perfect to tell her stories about him. If god forbid I ever lost time with Cedric I’d want someone to tell me everything. Don’t tell her mine though, I was embarrassing and awkward my entire life.” Dia shuddered dramatically at the thought. “I know. It took me a really long time to get there but I’m…really happy I got what I did.”

“You were far from embarrassing and awkward after age twelve,” Gemma teased with the warmest smile. They all had their moments though especially growing up. “I promise though that I will reach out and offer to get lunch with her. I’ll be sure to keep it to the cute stories about you though. I’m glad that you finally reached where you have. You deserve it more than anyone else here.”

“I still don’t think she would mind. If anything, she would probably want to hear your stories about Aaron. It isn’t like I have many to give her.” Dia promised quietly. “Yeah, he did. Being pregnant at sixteen was definitely not…great, but I’ve gotten so much from him. And from Rhett. I don’t know that I deserve either of them.”

“I just don’t want to overstep, you know? Or upset her. But I want to tell them to her so she has more stories about him. She deserves to know the amazing man she raised even if it’s only through stories. I also have some about you and V I could tell her,” Gemma reminded her happily to give her mom all the happy stories that she had. “You absolutely deserve everything you have, little dove. It may not have been perfect or the way you would want, but you deserve the happiness it’s given you.”

“If you glued yourself to my mother, I don’t think she would complain. You’re family to her forever, even if she wasn’t here to see you with Aaron.” She promised, shrugging her shoulders. “Honestly, sometimes it amazes me how far I’ve come. If it wasn’t for Cedric I’m not sure I would have and half the time it still feels like I’m not enough.”

“I doubt that she would, but she has you and Victoria to worry about. I don’t want to take away from any of it even if I want to tell her all of my Aaron stories,” Gemma admitted tugging at her shirt nervously, “He came into your life at the right time. Life knew what you needed.”

“See? I’ll take it as a compliment and just take what I can get.”

“I mean he asks about you which is more than most of my friends can say. You might even be his second favorite girl.”

“Yeah, I made sure to lock you into the family for life with the whole godmother thing,” Dia laughed quietly. It was hard to remember she had at one point almost been afraid of Gemma, and it was equally as painful to think it took losing her brother to change that but she couldn’t imagine life without her. “And now that Cedric is getting sentient enough to remember things, you’re kinda stuck with us.”

“It’s not stuck if it’s all I ever wanted,” Gemma reminded her sister as she sighed slightly to herself, “I’m honestly proud I haven’t wrapped myself around your mother yet. I’ve debated about it, but I haven’t. And I can’t imagine not being around to watch you grow as a mother and woman.”

“No, never. My sister’s just been in one of her phases.” Phoebe promised, “seriously, when have I ever been sick of you?”

“Hey I just want to make sure you have space if you want it, you know you can always come over when you want,” Gemma assured her as she rolled her eyes playfully as she leaned in to kiss her slowly.

Dia nodded, knowing there was nothing she could say. She couldn’t even imagine losing Rhett and being without her brother was still painful. “I know he’d want you to be happy, Gem. Whatever that means.” She said quietly. “And if I can help figure that out, you know I’m here for you, right?”

“I know he would, I would have wanted the same for him if things were different,” It was never something that she questioned. It wasn’t as if Dia or even their mother allowed her to question it any way. “I know you are. Having your family still in my life means the entire world to me. Living in a world without him is hard enough, but I can’t imagine surviving life without a single Stilinski in my life.”

“Have you been doing okay, though? For real.”

“For real? It’s still hard most days. I mean I should be married by now with a kid, and I’m not. He’s not here, and nothing can fix that. I’m finally trying to at least move on and figure out what life is without him though because I do know that he wouldn’t want me to be alone for life.”

“He always liked me, too.” Athena laughed, “at least, I hope so.”

“No he absolutely did. He didn’t let just anyone stay over whenever they wanted.”

“I was starting to think you were hiding from me, actually. But my sister’s been in one of her moods lately, so I’ve been on Peyton watch.”

“I’m literally never hiding from you. I just figured with your family something was going on and you wanted space.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Athena laughed. “Especially when it means I don’t get yelled at my the infamous coach Finstock so much.”

“Plus he never was worried about us which helped with the no yelling.”

“I don’t, but I’ve never had any desire to.”

“Where have you been hiding from me?”

“I guess I just took too much after my mom and had no interest in sports,” Athena shrugged, “and your dad never did seem to like that, but he was nice enough.”

“No he loved you in his own weird ways. Which is more than some can say with him.”