“ Wow look at the sexy young ladies. Come hang with us you sexy kittens.” Faye says as we giggle again
Mandy and I join them placing our towels down before sitting on them. Mandy hands me a beer that I accept. She sits next to me hip to hip as we have always loved feeling the other. We started to talk to the other three moms that took us in as their own. I enjoyed being around them learning stuff that may help me further down in life. I held Mandy to me with one arm around her back promising myself I would always love her no matter what happened in our life.
=================================================================
I’ve spent the past three days looking for my brother Adam. After getting back from Disney he disapperaed into his room and came out and handed me his key to the house before leaving.
He left upset over the events that started our Disney vacation. I knew he was, but I tried all I could to make things right. I came up to a parking lot that contained a few cars. My eyes went wide as I spotted one that looked very familiar. I pulled in and up behind the car. I turned my truck off to only step out making my way to the driver side. I looked in to see him looking down as I open the door. He suddenly turned to look up at me with a few tears. I looked at his wrist to see fresh cuts upon them. I felt this twitch in my heart as I pulled him out of the car and slamming him against it.
“ WHAT THE HELL ABS? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MAN?” I asked yelling at him
“ WHAT DO YOU CARE? YOU THINK IT WAS COOL TO GET RID OF ONE BROTHER WHY NOT ANOTHER?” He yells back telling me as I stepped back
“ I wasn’t going to get rid of him. I know it looked bad.” I state as he composes himself
“ Look bad…….that’s one way to sugar coat that shit. You were kicking Travis’s ass. If I didn’t do what I did he would be dead with that kick. Heath I love you and don’t want to lose you, but I can’t take all this anger and rage you have bottled up.” He tells me as my eyes go wide
“ I…I…I am sorry Adam. I guess I need to rethink before I act.” I state as I see him nod
“ Heath it’s not rethinking it’s forgiving him. Look I know he screwed your life up, but he is hurting just as much. I know your coming around to him and accepting him back which is good, but you need to forgive him totally as he is your brother.” Adam tells me as I look up at the sky hoping for a voice to tell me the same
I don’t hear that voice, but return my gaze to Adam who hides his wrist from me. I step up and wrap him in my arms trying to not hurt him. He does the same as I suddenly step back taking his arms in my hands. He tries to struggle as I look at his wrist then his arms. I shake my head as I let him go. I step over and duck in the car to see fast food wrappers and cups. I also spot something I never thought in a hundred years. I pick up the drugs in the baggies and step out and look him deep in his eyes.
“ What’s this shit Adam? You really trying to leave me?” I ask as tears fill my eyes
“ Yes I was trying to die, but I changed my mind. I just haven’t tried to throw them away yet.” He tells me as I throw them down and smash them with the heel of my shoes
“ No more trying to die on me. You tell me not to well the same goes for you.” I tell him as he nods
“ I am sorry bro, but all the anger and arguing needs to stop. You have a family that loves you.” He tells me as I step up to him and we hug for a while
“ Come on let’s get you to the hospital and get those cuts looked at. I won’t say a word to the family about the drugs it will be our secret.” I tell him as he nods
I got back in my car to let him back out. Once we were on the way I followed to make sure he made it alright.
=============================================================
Michelle’s POV: That exact same moment
I missed my baby so much. Why did he leave me? I have been crying so much that it’s hard to look at the screen of Heath’s laptop. Adam told me of a program that he gave Heath years ago. It was one that my baby brother could write down what was bothering him. As my mother went through the letters that Jasmine handed her I had to see what Heath wrote. There was a word hint that gave access if I could think of the password. The hint was my name, but what was it about my name or me. I thought and thought until it hit me. I entered SHELLIE in the space and bingo I had access. I went to the file Adam told me about and there it was. All the the thoughts he put down. I started reading them as my eyes began to show tears. I hurt him so bad that I hear mom crying as I turn to see her looking at me sadly. I get up and go to her to only get on my knees placing my head in her lap.
“ I am so sorry mom I was a cruel bitch.” I say feeling her hands on my head
“ Yes you were Michelle, but from now on you and Travis need to keep making things right. Heath is your brother. At one time you thought of him as your own child.” She tells me as I nod on her lap
“ I will mom I love you so much.” I say as she leans down to kiss the side of my head
“ I love you just as much my little girl, but more.” She tells me as I raise up to see her eyes before she continues “ Come on shut down his laptop so we can get out of here before he comes home.”
I get up and make my way to his laptop. I look at the last part of his last entry as it reads.
“ Even though things have started to show promise. I feel now that I can trust my Shellie as I love her so much. I just hope I can with Travis truly as I need my Bubby back in my life.” It reads as I smile clicking out of the file and shutting his laptop off
I turn around to see mom hiding the letters as Jasmine told her. I walk over to her taking her left hand in my right and lead her out of my brother’s room. I have a small smile on my face knowing things will be just fine. It’s at that moment I hear a unfamiliar voice speak to me in my head. ‘ Take care of my grandson for this house is for his family’. I feel a warmness in my heart which makes me smile as my mother and I walk down the hallway to hear the front door open.
==================================================================
Getting back to the house didn’t take long. I had Adam stay behind me as I opened the door to walk in to see most of the family in the living room. I looked towards the stairs to see Shellie and Mom coming down the stairs. I smiled as I stepped a bit further in.
“ Hey I went and found a stray can we keep him?” I ask with a smile on my face as I step aside to see everyone looking at Adam
“ BABY YOUR BACK!” Michelle yells as she comes running to Adam
I watch as they both embrace one another. They kiss which makes me smile as my loves run over to get a chance to hug their brother. All the parents look on with smiles as they nod to me as I nod back. I stay next to Adam as support in case he needs me. As each get their chance to hug the man I brought back Jasmine was the last. I watched as she run her hand up his arms, and that is when shit hit the fan. She moved his sleeves up to see the bandages around his fore arms and wrist. I watched as she looked up at him with wide eyes.
“ ADAM WHAT THE HELL YOU PROMISED!” She yells as he lowers his head
“ I am sorry sis, but with all that had happened at Disney I guess I just couldn’t take it any more.” He says as she starts crying along with the others except Sierra and Mandy
“ Jasmine what’s going on?” Mandy asks as my Latina love turns to look at her
“ Adam tried to um he…” Jasmine tries to say but is cut off
“ I tried to kill myself.” Adam says as they both look at him
“ Adam honey that isn’t the way.” Sierra says as Mandy shakes her head
“ I know, but when your emotions get hurt like mine do I just.” Adam tries to say as Shellie steps in placing her arms around him
“ No baby don’t say it. Look we are a couple and we talk things out. No more holding things in you talk to me baby…..you hear me as I can’t lose you.” Michelle says as Adam holds her tight
I go over to Travis who is looks a bit worried as I take him in my arms.
“ No more fighting or arguments Bubby. I love you bro.” I tell him as he hugs me back
“ Oh my boys are brothers again.” Mom says as we break the hug going to her
I pick her up holding her as Travis steps up placing his arms around us. Mom places her legs around me holding me tight. It’s a family moment as half go to Adam and the others to us. That evening is full of healing in one way or the other. It’s around 7 o’clock that evening that I get some news from my godfathers while sitting on the floor surrounded by my loves as Tiffany and Diamond lay with their backs to me as Hannah and Jasmine are on either side of us.
“ Heath the guys and I have to go back west.” Papa Mike tells me as I get confused
“ Um why?” I ask as Ellie sits next to him not speaking as are the others
“ We never turned in our notices son.” Ricky tells me as Nate nods
“ Well I imagine they fired you by now.” My mother says as my godfathers shake their head
“ No we just took a leave of absence which ends Monday. So we have to head back tomorrow.” Papa Mike says as I feel sad at that moment
“ How long will…will you three be gone?” I ask as they show a small grin
“ A week as we are going to turn in our notice and start packing everything in the houses.” Papa Ricky tells me
“ Who’s all going with you?” Diamond asks as she looks at the moms and Tiffany
“ Just us three, Chris, and Selena.” Nate says as I look at the godmoms
“ Wait the godmoms are not going?” I ask getting shook heads
“ No Heath were not baby. We are staying here with the family.” Momma Ellie says as Verna and Kiko nod
“ Um ok cool.” I say as Karen gets off Faye’s lap and goes to her grandpa Mike
“ Don’t leave grampy.” She says in her cute voice
“ I have to honey, but we will be back with all your dollies and clothes.” He tells her as she sadly nods cuddling up on his lap
We watch the boys go to Nate and Ricky as Lil Heath goes to his parents.
“ Daddy, mommy don’t leave me.” He says as my heart goes out to him
“ Aww baby boy your daddy and I will be back. We will bring back all your army toys and figures that you can share with Lil Greg and Dakota.” Selena says as Chris nods
Leave a Reply