Wanting Approval

Chapter Twenty Eight

A month later.

Lewis has been doing much better, eating has become less anxiety inducing. He was able to lose some control over what he was eating and feel comfortable with that. Lewis was also working with his therapist on his anxiety since that was deemed the cause of his eating disorder. He noticed the small changes now, like when he goes to get up out of bed in the morning, his muscles are not as sore. He also notices that his stuttering has been less common while working to reduce his anxiety.

Blake has been his rock through the whole process. Lewis was afraid at first to rely too heavily on Blake, but after talking with his therapist and Blake about healthy boundaries they were able to distinguish how Blake can be a part of Lewis's strong support system. Blake couldn't have been happier about this, since it meant he was able to spend time with Lewis. A worry Blake had had at the start was that Lewis would have to be sent to a treatment facility, luckily Lewis was able to get better on his own, but Blake still had worries about losing Lewis. He has made sure to always be supportive, no matter what. Like the time Lewis was unable to finish his dinner portion because he was full and his stomach was hurting because of it. Lewis had been disappointed in himself for not completing his meal plan for the day but Blake assured him that his body wasn't ready and that was its natural and healthy way of telling him. Whenever there was a small step backwards for Lewis's progress, Blake was right beside him telling him that they would try again next time. 

Callie was less subtle with her encouragement but nonetheless supportive. She has been through everything with Lewis and to him is considered his best friend. She was able to calm him down when his troubling thoughts couldn't be discussed with Blake, Callie was more than willingly to help. Lewis had some doubts about how comfortable Blake would be with Lewis's changing body, of course Callie guaranteed him that nothing could change Blake's mind about how much he loved Lewis. Callie describes Blake to anyone as a golden retriever who's been given a treat by their owner, who is Lewis. Meaning he loves everything about Lewis, and worships the ground he walks on, not to mention the 'heart eyes' look the two share every time they look at each other.

Dylan was a silent part of Lewis's support system, he usually let the other two do the brunt of the talking about Lewis's feelings and thoughts. But Dylan was always there when Lewis needed to relax with a good movie night or remind Lewis that they are normal teenagers by poking fun at their English teacher. Dylan made it alright to struggle while still being treated normally.

Blake was waiting outside in the parking lot for Lewis to come out of the doctors office, the two had planned to go see a newly released movie after Lewis's appointment. Blake was worried about how Lewis would be feeling since this trip was a full body check up, this meant that Lewis's weight gain would most likely be discussed. Lewis had been doing alright with the gradual weight gain since he had for the most part accepted that his previous weight was unhealthy, but that didn't make discussions about it any easier. Blake had of course noticed that Lewis's body was changing but he was considering all changes good because they made Lewis healthy and happy. Blake had observed that there was more colour and fullness to Lewis's cheeks, this especially pleased Blake when he was able to get Lewis to blush. He had also noticed how Lewis had more energy when they were hanging out together or during their soccer practices.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the car window beside Blake's head that made him jump out of his skin. Blake's heart was beating a mile a minute and his head whipped towards that side with a terrified look in his eyes. Lewis just burst into a fit of laughter when he saw the look on Blake's face. With one hand on his heart, Blake reached over and unlocked the car doors so Lewis could hop in. Before climbing inside Lewis waved to his mom who had just driven off after accompanying him to his doctor's appointment.