Just then, Lois's phone rang. Seeing Meg's name on the screen, she answered and put the call on speaker.
"Hey, Meg," Lois said, her tone cool and measured. "What do you need?"
There was a moment of silence before Meg's voice came through, shaky and uncertain. "College... it’s not working out for me, Mom. I thought I had it rough at home, but... I was wrong. I—I don’t know what to do."
Lois raised an eyebrow, her expression hardening. "Oh, really? After everything you said about us before you left?"
"Lois—" Jeremy started, but she held up a hand.
"No, I’m serious." Lois’s voice sharpened. "Meg, you made it clear you couldn’t wait to get out of here. Now, because things aren’t easy, you expect us to drop everything and bring you home?"
Meg hesitated. "I... I didn’t know it would be like this. I thought—"
"You thought wrong," Lois interrupted. "Look, we can’t bring you home until after our renters leave on November 11th. You’re going to have to deal with it until then."
There was a tense pause. "November?" Meg’s voice wavered. "That feels so far away..."
"Well, that’s the reality," Lois said bluntly. "You wanted independence, remember? Now it’s time to show you can handle it."
Peter leaned closer, his tone firm but less harsh. "Meg, you’ve survived worse. You wanted out of the house so bad, now prove you can stand on your own."
Jeremy chimed in, his voice neutral. "If you need advice, call. But this isn’t the time for pity."
"Okay..." Meg’s voice was quiet. "I get it."
Lois sighed, crossing her arms. "We’ll see you in November, Meg. Until then, figure it out."
She ended the call, shaking her head. "Kids these days... always looking for the easy way out."
Rose looked at Lois and Peter, her voice gentle but firm. “Lois, Peter, I’m not tellin’ y’all how to raise your kid, but that came across as overly harsh, darlin’.”
Lois sighed, rubbing her temples. “I know, I know... but you don’t know the whole story.” She leaned forward, her tone softening as she recounted the rainy afternoon when Meg lashed out, spewing years of pent-up resentment toward the entire family.
There was a moment of silence after Lois finished. Jeremy spoke up thoughtfully. “Sounds like what she needs isn’t just tough love—it’s perspective. Maybe she needs to realize what she had all along.”
Lois frowned. “Perspective? How do we even do that?”
Jeremy leaned back, considering. “I’ve helped friends through tough times. Sometimes, the ‘evil’ they think they see is just... misunderstandings. Moments that might’ve felt rough to her could’ve been times when you were trying to connect or even just having fun, but she took it the wrong way.”
Peter nodded slowly. “So... show her what she’s missing, but not by throwing it in her face?”
“Exactly,” Jeremy said. “If she understands where you’re coming from, she might see things differently.”
Lois sighed again, this time more reflective. “Maybe you’re right. We’ve spent so much time clashing with Meg... maybe it’s time to help her see the bigger picture.
Jeremy grinned. “Sorry for the pun, but maybe it’s time to be like Steam and go into Big Picture mode.”
Rose groaned, rolling her eyes. “Ugh, darlin’, I’ve heard you talk about that before. That was a bad joke.”
Peter chuckled. “It’s Jeremy. Bad jokes are part of the package.”
Jeremy shrugged playfully. “Hey, it fits! Sometimes, you need a different perspective—just like switching to Big Picture mode.”
Lois smiled, shaking her head. “Okay, okay. Corny puns aside, you might be onto something.”
Jeremy leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. “Okay, Lois, call her back when you’ve calmed down. Let her know you want her to go through counseling with me. Tell her I’m a life coach—well, I kinda am, considering I run that newsletter.”
Lois nodded, taking a deep breath. “Alright, we can do that.”
Jeremy smiled reassuringly. “Good. Now, Peter, remember when you used to chase Meg around the table, farting at her?”
Peter laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, I thought it was hilarious.”
Jeremy continued, “Well, my grandparents used to chase me around with the vacuum cleaner. I knew it was all in fun, and I took it that way. And when I was really little, my grandma had this thing she called ‘snibbling’ my butt—she’d chase me up the stairs, saying the Tasmanian Devil was gonna get me.”
Rose chuckled. “Sounds like a wild house, darlin’.”
Jeremy grinned. “It was. But those moments weren’t meant to hurt; they were just playful. Sometimes, what seems silly to one person can feel different to someone else. Maybe Meg saw those moments differently, and she needs help seeing them in the right light.”
Peter scratched his head, looking thoughtful. “You know, I never really thought about how Meg might see it.”
Jeremy nodded. “Exactly. And Chris, remember when you were body-shamed by your principal at school?”
Chris shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t she get mad at you for drawing her as a pig?”
Chris's eyes widened, the realization hitting him like a sack of bricks. “Oh shoot! I… I didn’t even think about that.”
Jeremy leaned back with a knowing look. “Uh-huh. Just what I thought. Sometimes, we don’t see how our actions or words might hurt others, even when we think they’re harmless or justified.”
Lois sighed. “It sounds like we all need to take a step back and look at things from her perspective. Maybe we’ve been too quick to judge.”
Rose smiled gently. “Darlin’, it’s never too late to make things right.”
eg sighed, her voice tinged with hesitation. "Yeah... I guess I did feel betrayed. It just felt like they didn’t care how I felt, you know?"
Jeremy nodded, his tone empathetic. "I do understand. When someone’s actions, even unintentional, make you feel hurt or undervalued, it can stick with you. It feels like you're not being seen or heard the way you need to be."
Meg's voice softened. "Exactly. It’s not like I don’t love them. It just builds up, and then I explode."
Jeremy smiled gently. "That’s pretty common. But what’s important now is not just venting about what’s happened but figuring out a way to heal and rebuild those bridges. It sounds like your mom and dad are ready to meet you halfway, but it also takes honesty from you about how you felt and why."
Meg hesitated. "I don’t know. What if they just think I’m whining?"
Jeremy chuckled. "Meg, I don’t think they see it that way anymore. Your mom calling you back and admitting they might’ve been wrong? That’s a big deal. And here’s a tip from my life-coaching toolbox: honesty delivered with kindness rarely comes off as whining. It’s about saying what you need in a way that invites connection, not conflict."
Meg took a deep breath. "Okay… so what do I do?"
Jeremy leaned forward, his tone warm and encouraging. "First, decide what you want from this. Do you want an apology? Do you want better communication going forward? Or maybe just a chance to feel heard? Once you know, we can work together to get you there."
Meg paused, her voice quiet but resolute. "I think I just want to feel like I matter to them, like they see me."
Jeremy smiled. "That’s a great place to start, Meg. And trust me, you matter a lot more than you realize. Let’s work on making sure everyone sees that, okay?"
"Jeremy, let me go get your parents," Meg said after a moment of thought. "I think they need to hear this more than I do."
Jeremy nodded, stood up, and walked into the dining room where everyone was gathered. "All of you need to come in here," he said, gesturing for them to follow. "We’ve come to an understanding. Meg just wants to be heard. She wants to be seen by you. She needs to know that you respect her. And she’s also realized that she may have overreacted at times. But here’s the thing—nobody in a family should be a lightning rod for everyone else’s frustrations. We should be each other's support system, not the place where we dump all our negative energy."
Jeremy turned to Peter specifically. "Peter, your actions—and all of your actions as a family—over the next few days will show whether or not you truly want Meg in your life the way she deserves to be."
The family began to rise to head to Jeremy’s room, but he raised a hand. "Actually, hold on a minute," Jeremy said. "Instead of all of you coming into my room, I’ll bring Meg to you." He pulled out his tablet. "I’ll switch the call over to my tablet and bring it out here."
Meg chuckled on the other end. "That’s actually a pretty good idea. By the way, what kind of tablet do you have?"
Jeremy grinned and held it up. "It’s by a company called Coopers. I bought it for myself as a Christmas present last year. Only $56, and yeah, it’s better than you might think."
Jeremy switched the Discord call to the app on his Android tablet, placing it on its kickstand on the dining room table. He adjusted the angle to show Meg’s video feed to her family.
Lois spoke first, her voice soft. "Meg, we didn’t realize you weren’t feeling heard or seen. I’m so sorry."
Peter nodded, looking genuinely remorseful. "Yeah, we’re sorry. I guess we just thought you were whining, and we didn’t take you seriously. That wasn’t fair."
Meg’s face softened on the screen. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. It means a lot to hear that. I just want us to be better, you know?"
Jeremy smiled, stepping back to give them space. Healing, it seemed, had begun.
Jeremy adjusted his position, addressing everyone calmly. "Okay, you two are on board with resolving this family situation so Meg can feel like you truly care for her, right?"
Lois nodded earnestly. "Yes, we are. We never wanted her to feel the way she has."
Jeremy turned to Meg on the screen. "Meg, I’m not trying to be harsh, but some of the responsibility falls on you too. Self-harm is never the answer, no matter what’s happened. I’m not judging you; I just want you to see that there are better ways to cope."
Meg hesitated before responding. "I guess I’ve been using self-harm as a coping mechanism for so long, it’s just become a habit."
Jeremy leaned closer to the tablet, his tone firm but caring. "Then it’s time to break that habit. It’s not good for your health, Meg. You’ve used self-harm for attention on YouTube and social media, and that’s part of why you’re in this predicament. But this isn’t about blame—it’s about moving forward. Next time you see your doctor, you might want to ask about getting a Libre 3. It’s a new type of blood glucose monitor that doesn’t require finger pricks. It might help you focus on your health in a better way."
Lois interjected gently, "Actually, Meg, your doctor’s appointment is next week. We’ll come pick you up Friday night and bring you back Monday after your appointment."
Rose chimed in with a smile. "And I’ll let Meg use my room for the weekend. I’ll sleep in the living room."
Lois glanced at Rose. "Are you sure about that?"
Rose nodded. "Absolutely. It’s only fair that she gets to sleep in her own room while she’s home."
Meg’s voice softened. "Thank you, Rose. That’s really kind of you."
Jeremy clapped his hands lightly. "Now that’s what I’m talking about—progress. This is what I wanted to see." He leaned back with a smile. "Meg, I’ve lived with people at the Samuel Bell Home for the Sightless, and I’ve seen how tough it can be to manage blood sugar. Some people there struggle to get their numbers below 200. But every small step toward improvement matters."
Meg winced. "Yikes, 200? That’s scary."
Jeremy nodded. "It is, but it’s also a reminder of why it’s so important to make these changes. Let’s work together to get you back on track."
The room seemed lighter as a sense of hope and understanding began to take root.
Jeremy leaned forward, addressing the room with a reassuring smile. "Alright, this weekend before Meg’s appointment, we’ll all sit down and figure out a way for you to finally see eye to eye. It’s important that everyone agrees to have an honest, heart-to-heart talk without letting emotions flare up. What do you all think?"
Peter, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke up. "Yeah, we really need to resolve this. We don’t want to stay mad at her, and we don’t want her mad at us. I guess... I guess we all need to sit down and make some changes for the better."
Jeremy nodded encouragingly. "That’s the spirit. And for the first couple of steps, I’ll be here to help you. Think of me as your family’s training wheels for the few weeks I’m still around." He grinned, and everyone chuckled.
"That’s what I like to see," Jeremy said with a laugh. "Camaraderie. Family ties reattaching like the old hymn says—blessed be the ties that bind."
Meg smiled softly. "The reason I even called them for help is because I’m struggling with some of my classes."
Jeremy tilted his head. "What classes are you having trouble with? Maybe I can help."
Meg sighed. "Even back in high school, I never understood algebra. And now I need to for my degree. I’ve got to learn it better than I ever have."
Jeremy’s eyes lit up. "Oh, that’s going to be fun! Algebra can be fun if you’re willing to learn. A lot of people think it’s boring, but as someone who loves math, I find algebra exciting."
Rose chimed in. "Is there any other homework you’re struggling with?"
Meg nodded. "I’m having trouble formatting my essays for college. They want everything in something called MLA format."
Rose shrugged. "Yeah, I got nothing on that."
Jeremy grinned. "How about this—I’ll teach you MLA format, Rose, and then you can help Meg with it."
Rose chuckled. "Don’t forget who you’re talking to. You know I’m going to forget this stuff."
Jeremy laughed. "Don’t worry. MLA formatting is simpler than it sounds. You’ve got this!"
The mood lightened as the conversation turned to problem-solving, and a sense of teamwork began to grow among the family members.
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