“Theeere you go, Sprout.” Finnegan ruffled his granddaughters hair, something he did a lot back when she was still just a tyke. But sprouts grew fast, and sprouts grew proud. Before Finn knew what was happening, she’d started to find the gesture demeaning. Still, if there was one thing Finn had learned raising Tully, it was that no matter how big the gap between a teenager and a child could be at times - the gap between an adult and a teenager was bigger. It was those awkward first few steps of independence that were hardest - too old to rely on adults, too young to have the experience needed to rely on themselves. Sometimes they needed a reminder that there was still a safety net if they failed. “Keep it up. Deep breaths. In, out. In, out.”
“When… when we were inside Maddie’s mindscape... there wasn’t anything we could do to help her.” Andie paused for a moment, but continued talking before Finn could cut in again. “But you, you were confident you could save her.” She gave her grandpa’s arm a light shove, trying to get him to stop messing with her hair. “Is it because you’re awakened? Now that Dyllan is awakened, could he do it too? If I awaken… could I?”
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“Whuff. You really are your mother’s daughter. Not three seconds out of a panic attack, and you’re already trying to problem solve. Or is it because you are problem solving that you are free of it?” Finnegan stood up and wandered over to the nearby railings. Now that Andie was feeling better, she’d want her personal space back. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop you there, Sprout. Awakening isn’t something you do, it’s something that happens.”
“Yeah…” Andie slowed down for a moment. It was clear she was sorting through something in her head, though Finnegan wasn’t sure what. Andie’s everyday behavior may have resembled her mother, but in quieter moments like this you could really see the McClyde in her. “Still, it’s so… agitating. Someone needs help, and this feeling that I should be doing something about it just keeps getting louder.”